Although Melania Trump originally said the reason she was hanging back in New York after her husband entered the White House was to avoid a disruption in their son’s school year, new reporting from a Washington Post reporter reveals the first lady’s delayed arrival was also part of a leveraging scheme to revisit a prenuptial agreement with Trump.
In Post reporter Mary Jordan’s new book, “Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump,” Jordan reports that Donald Trump’s rise to the top seat in government had been dealt a heavy blow when allegations of affairs and sexual misconduct reached the ears of the American public — and his wife. The Access Hollywood tape, in addition to detailed allegations about Trump’s affair with Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, presented the first lady a chance to secure a more generous prenup agreement.
“She wanted proof in writing that when it came to financial opportunities and inheritance, Barron would be treated as more of an equal to Trump’s oldest three children,” Jordan writes.
The book draws on interviews with Melania’s former schoolmates, acquaintances and those who worked directly with the first lady. Jordan concludes that contrary to the belief held by many advocates of #FreeMelania — who say she and the president are quite different — Melania Trump is in fact “much more like him than it appears.”
“Both are avid creators of their own history,” Jordan writes.
In a statement to CNN, Melania Trump’s chief of staff Stephanie Grisham said: “Yet another book about Mrs. Trump with false information and sources. This book belongs in the fiction genre.”
