Former first lady Melania Trump on Monday lashed out at her former aide Stephanie Grisham, who described Mrs. Trump as “the doomed French queen” and revealed that she refused to put out a statement condemning the violence being perpetrated by followers of her husband on the US Capitol on January 6.
Grisham, who served as former President Trump’s press sectary and was a leading aide to the first lady, writes that she now sees Melania as “the doomed French queen. Dismissive. Defeated. Detached,” according to excerpts of her book obtained by Politico.
In her book, Grisham wrote that she texted Melania Trump during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the former president, and asked her: “Do you want to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness and violence?”
“No,” the first Lady replied, Grisham revealed in the book, in which she relays how Melania shared her husband’s view that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from them, and said that “something bad happened.”
Grisham resigned in the wake of the insurrection.
As noted by Politico, Melania Trump issued a statement several days after the attack on the Capitol, but made it about herself.
“I find it shameful that surrounding these tragic events there has been salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me — from people who are looking to be relevant and have an agenda,” she said. “This time is solely about healing our country and its citizens. It should not be used for personal gain.”
The former first lady dismissed Grisham’s reported writings about her former boss in a statement to the news outlet.
“The intent behind this book is obvious,” the statement read. “It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump.”
Grisham’s book, “I’ll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in The Trump White House,” is slated to be released in early October.
