It’s not every day that serving a subpoena turns into a game of hide-and-seek—but that’s exactly what journalist Michael Wolff says is happening with first lady Melania Trump.
Wolff, the author of four books about President Donald Trump, revealed Thursday on his podcast Inside Trump’s Head that he’s struggling to deliver legal papers to Melania in a lawsuit he filed against her.
The legal battle began in October when Melania Trump filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Wolff, accusing him of making “false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading, and inflammatory statements” about her alleged connection to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Wolff responded with his own lawsuit, aiming to compel her to respond—and that’s when the trouble began.
“It would appear that Melania Trump is hiding from me,” Wolff said. “It’s quite unclear how you serve a subpoena on someone who has one of the most elaborate security details in the world.”
Attempts to serve Melania at the White House and at Trump Tower in New York City reportedly ran into immediate roadblocks. According to Wolff, a professional service company initially accepted the task, but then backed out.
“They took the service and then, after they accepted this—somewhere midway in this—we got a call and they were saying, ‘Hey, you’re trying to serve the first lady. We’re not doing that,’” he said. “They’re like, ‘No way are we serving the first lady of the United States.’”
From a legal standpoint, a defendant’s status shouldn’t matter. But in this case, the layers of security and the high-profile nature of the first lady have created a near-impenetrable barrier. Wolff’s frustration is evident: the same system that allows Melania Trump to pursue a billion-dollar claim now seems to stall when the roles are reversed.
For now, Melania Trump remains a “missing defendant,” at least in the eyes of the courts and Wolff’s legal team. The subpoena remains undelivered, leaving the lawsuit unresolved and the public watching a high-profile legal standoff unfold in real time (watch the video below).
