Recently, Business Insider has been compiling an oral history on Donald Trump’s rise to power within the Republican party that first started in 2016. As part of their project, the publication spoke with numerous different insiders from the GOP, the Trump administration, and those close to the Trump family in general — including Texas senator Ted Cruz, Trump’s 2016 campaign manager Brad Parscale, and Donald’s former personal attorney and self-described “fixer” Michael Cohen.
Over the past week or so, a treasure trove of interesting information has come out of that oral history piece, but this one might take the cake.
Speaking with Insider for the project, Michael Cohen revealed, “Melania played a very limited role during the campaign not believing Donald would actually win. However, when directly asked for her opinion on a matter by Donald, she offered it readily.”
And believe it or not, Cohen’s comments aren’t the first of its kind. The former “fixer’s” revelation echos other reports that indicated not only his wife Melania but many others close to Trump as well didn’t expect him to swing a win in 2016. Even his niece Mary wrote in her 2020 book that Donald himself was stunned when he won the presidential election back in 2016.
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Back in 2018, journalist Michael Wolff claimed that Melania actually cried on election night in 2016 upon learning that her husband had, in fact, won. The Trump White House quickly denied Wolff’s claims at the time and the New York journalist went on to experience questions surrounding his credibility when it comes to his book on Donald Trump.
Also in 2018, former House Speaker John Boehner theorized that Donald had promised Melania he wouldn’t actually win and therefore they wouldn’t have to leave their home of New York. As I’m sure you’ll recall, it ultimately took Melania several months to actually move to Washington with her husband, claiming to stay in New York so their minor son could complete his school year.
It’s impossible to say with any certainty how Melania Trump truly did feel about her husband’s presidency. However, we can all make a pretty educated guess based on her demeanor for the last four years.
Featured image via Flickr/The White House
