Melania Trump Uses Speculation About Her to Stay 'Relevant,' Ex-Aide Says

Melania Trump uses speculation about her to stay "relevant," said her former aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.

A Trump family Christmas card generated questions earlier this week about Melania's whereabouts. She is notably absent from the photograph, which shows Donald Trump, all of his children and Melania's father.

Melania has also been largely absent from her husband's 2024 presidential campaign, declining to make public appearances or comments about the election. Her presence has been scaled back in contrast to the 2016 presidential campaign, when she took a more active role. Her absence has been subject to much speculation as critics question why she has appeared to remove herself from public life.

Winston Wolkoff, whose relationship with the former first lady's family deteriorated over a controversy surrounding Trump's 2017 inauguration, weighed in on Melania's absence in a post to X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday evening.

"If Melania Trump ever took her former role seriously she would've released a FACTUAL statement explaining to the American people why she wasn't present. But instead, Melania knows the media will inquire further which keeps her relevant and she gets a kick out of the speculation," she wrote.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the Trump campaign via email and Winston Wolkoff via Facebook messaging.

In 2020, Winston Wolkoff published a book titled Melania and Me that detailed her 15-year friendship with the former first lady, as well as her departure from the Trump White House.

She left the White House in February 2018 after it was reported that a company she founded received $26 million for its role in Trump's inauguration and that she personally received $1.6 million. She disputed the allegations in a 2019 statement to The New York Times, saying that she was not fired and never received the money.

She has since become an outspoken critic of both Donald and his wife, frequently voicing criticisms against the former first lady on X. In November, for instance, she published a message about the Trump family's alleged "betrayal."

"BETRAYAL is the norm in Trump World - even to FAMILY. As soon as you raise the alarm about their nefarious activities they make sure to cast you in an unflattering light & GAG you from speaking the truth with false accusations, non-disclosure agreements, & subpoenas," Winston Wolkoff wrote.

While Melania did not appear in the family's Christmas card, she did take to X to share a seasonal message, simply writing "Merry Christmas" above a holiday card image.