In Michael Wolff’s Substack post promoting the latest episode of The Daily Beast’s “Inside Trump’s Head” podcast, the biographer and co-host Joanna Coles dive into President Donald Trump’s “strange elationships with the women closest to him over the course of his 80 years,” including his first wife, the late Ivana Trump.
Michael alleges that the octogenarian’s current distance from his third wife, Melania Trump, began in his first marriage.
“This isolation began with the spectacular fracturing of the president’s marriage to Ivana Trump,” Michael said.
Donald and Czech-born model and athleteIvana Zelníčková met in New York City in 1976. They were married in 1977 at the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan. They went on to have three children — Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric — and divorced in 1992 after an explosive cheating scandal involving Donald’s future second wife, Marla Maples.
Donald and Ivana’s 13-year marriage publicly disintegrated when Ivana and Marla were involved in an unplanned confrontation at a ski resort in Aspen, Colo.
This brought Donald’s extramarital affair to the forefront, resulting in front-page coverage in New York tabloids for 11 consecutive days.
Donald initially attempted to enforce a prenuptial agreement capping her settlement at $25 million. Ivana’s attorneys fought the contract, famously calling it “unconscionable and fraudulent” because of her integral role in helping build the Trump business empire (including managing the Plaza Hotel).
Michael alleges that Donald used the divorce to spin a spectacular public relations campaign.
“He used the divorce as a loud, deliberate promotional strategy designed to conquer the tabloid press. He wanted it to play out this way on the front of the New York papers because he was running to be the most famous playboy in the city. Family was simply reclassified as a marketing division — and another photo opportunity,” he wrote.
During a 1990 divorce deposition, Ivana accused Donald of rape. She alleged a violent incident in 1989 where she felt “violated.”
Later, during Donald’s presidential campaigns, Ivana clarified the statement, releasing a public comment that her words should not be interpreted in a “literal or criminal sense,” but rather that she had felt a deep emotional lack of tenderness during an uncomfortable encounter.
Donald vehemently denied the allegations.
The divorce was officially granted in December 1990 on the grounds of “cruel and inhuman treatment.”
The settlement, estimated at between $14 million and $20 million, required Ivana to sign a strict confidentiality agreement, prohibiting her from discussing their marriage publicly.
Ivana died at the age of 73 on July 14, 2022. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that her death was caused by blunt impact injuries to her torso, which she suffered from an accidental fall in her Manhattan home.
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Donald Trump Is ‘Utterly Alone’ Amid ‘Distance’ From Daughter Ivanka and ‘Vacant’ Melania Marriage
President Donald Trump is increasingly isolated in his “gilded fortress” as he remains noticeably distanced from beloved daughter Ivanka and third wife Melania, according to author Michael Wolff in his Substack preview of an upcoming episode of The Daily Beast’s “Inside Trump’s Head” podcast.
In the episode, Michael and co-host Joanna Coles examine the octogenarian’s “strange relationships with the women closest to him over the course of his 80 years,” exploring how “his marriages, obsession with image and lack of genuine intimacy have shaped the man now occupying the Oval Office.”
The author notes that it’s “a revealing look at the deeply personal patterns that may explain how a president with no visible emotional support system governs.”
Donald’s current period of isolation in the White House is characterized by reports that he is largely holed up behind closed doors, excluding himself from strategic meetings, and dealing with strained relations with top political allies.
Michael said this isolation stems from his three marriages, beginning with his first to Ivana Trump.
“An old-time monarch could only dream of the total absolute isolation on display inside the gilded fortress of the executive mansion,” he wrote. “Now at eighty years old, Donald Trump sits utterly alone.”
Michael is no stranger toDonald and Melania. In May, a federal judge dismissed a preemptive lawsuit he filed against the first lady. Michael filed the suit to ward off a threatened $1 billion defamation claim from Donald regarding his comments linking her to Jeffrey Epstein and describing their union as a “sham marriage.”
Melania’s legal team sent a letter demanding a retraction and monetary compensation over Michael’s media comments and a Daily Beast interview, in which he claimed she was integrated into Jeffrey’s social circle and “very involved” in managing the administration’s Epstein-related fallout. The Daily Beast ultimately retracted the article.
In his latest delve into the Trumps, Michael doubles down on the notion that Melania is aloof and barely there in the marriage and also adds that the president’s favorite daughter has intentionally distanced herself from her beleaguered father.
“Melania remains vacant, Ivanka Trump has distanced herself, and the remaining children function more like his elite corporate employees. The daily court is populated solely by professional sycophants, retainers, and parasites whose closeness is strictly transactional,” Michael wrote.
The author also noted that this isolation has been a long time in the making.
“This isolation began with the spectacular fracturing of the president’s marriage to Ivana Trump,” he said.
Michael said that, despite the obvious, it doesn’t faze the POTUS; rather, it’s par for the course.
“Now, one of the central question marks of this entire administration is the defiant, spectral figure of Melania Trump. Throughout the campaign trail, she infamously refused to be at his side. At the convention, she looked utterly awkward and pulled off the remarkable feat of refusing to sit in the VIP box. Most operations would treat a missing spouse as a catastrophic messaging crisis, but for Trump, it’s business as usual,” he concluded.
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Ivanka Trump Gives Rare Glimpse of Bikini Body in Sheer Beach Outfit: ‘Summer, We’re Ready for You’
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Ivanka Trump is embracing her post-White House chapter by giving a rare glimpse of her bikini body.
After stepping away from politics, Ivanka, 44, showed followers a peek into her sun-soaked lifestyle via Instagram on Friday, June 19, sharing a carousel of photos that showcased everything from tropical scenery to her vacation wardrobe.
“A strong finish to spring,” she captioned her post. “Summer, we’re ready for you!”
In one snap, Ivanka posed against a palm tree while showing off her toned midriff in a black bikini layered beneath a navy mesh crop top with flared sleeves. She completed the beach-ready look with coordinating mesh pants, black sunglasses and a delicate necklace.
The Trump Family’s Next Generation: See Their Cutest Photos Through the Years
Another photo captured Ivanka attending the wedding of Bettina Anderson and Donald Trump Jr. in the Bahamas last month.
For the occasion, she wore a silk mini dress by Donde Esteban, which featured a leg-baring hemline that highlighted her toned figure. The designer piece retails for $695.
There were also photos of her dad, President Donald Trump, celebrating his 80th birthday with her 14–year–old daughter Arabella and images of her sons Joseph, 12, and Theodore, 10, whom she shares with husband Jared Kushner.
Years before her father first became President in 2016, Ivanka and Kushner tied the knot at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey in October 2009.
The pair first met in 2007 after being introduced by a mutual friend during a business lunch.
Donald Trump Jr.’s Fiancee Bettina Details ‘Beautiful’ Bridal Shower With Ivanka Trump, More Family
“They very innocently set us up thinking that our only interest in one another would be transactional,” Ivanka recalled in an interview with Vogue in 2015. “Whenever we see them, we’re like, ‘The best deal we ever made!'”
Reflecting on their relationship, Ivanka praised her husband’s calm demeanor and unwavering support.
“His own dreams are bold, and I love that in someone, but he’s incredibly relaxed and calm,” she told Vogue at the time. “The world could be collapsing around him, and nothing fazes him. He’s very solution oriented. Plus, it was nice finding someone who is a genuinely good person. I don’t take that for granted.”
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Behind Trump And Melania’s Separate White House Bedroom Doors And A Habit That Left Staff Speechless
A new book has offered a rare glimpse into Donald and Melania Trump’s life inside the White House, including the couple’s separate bedrooms and the US president’s late-night habits.
The Trumps, who have been married since 2005 and share a son, Barron, have long faced speculation that they’re not as united as they appear to be in public.
According to Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, the friction in their relationship is reflected in how they occupy space in the presidential residence.
A new book sheds light on Donald and Melania Trump’s relationship dynamics
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The authors claim Melania occupies the traditional White House master bedroom, which has a dressing room and en suite bathroom, while Trump has moved into a neighboring room that was traditionally used as a living room.
This arrangement was previously used by former president John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie Kennedy during their time in the White House.
Haberman and Swan reported that Trump allegedly “competed” with Melania over who had the better-decorated room, as revealed in an excerpt seen by The Daily Mail.
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“In the early weeks of the new administration, items were spirited from the second-floor corridor into the President’s bedroom,” the authors wrote.
“Sometimes Trump carried the objects in himself, rearranging things across the private quarters on a whim.”
When White House staff reminded the president that he was taking items from the Center Hall that his wife had personally chosen, Trump allegedly “made clear he didn’t care.”
“He seemed almost to be competing with her – determined to have the better room.”
The couple, who married in 2005, have reportedly claimed separate rooms at the White House
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Trump’s bedroom makeover “generated such a flurry of activity that staff often felt caught between the two Trumps,” the authors wrote.
Amid the alleged décor war, White House staff had to find replacements for certain items that Melania had picked and send them to the first lady for approval.
The book, which hits shelves on June 23, suggests that the couple also had a major disagreement over the scale of the White House ballroom.
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The project reportedly involved demolishing the East Wing, where the first lady traditionally had her offices, in October.
Melania allegedly opposed the large-scale project, not only because of the ballroom’s location but also because she preferred to live in a “quiet environment with minimal disturbances” rather than in a “construction zone.”
Trump reportedly has carpeting in his personal bathroom
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The book also reveals Trump’s unusual preference for carpeted bathrooms.
The feature, which was popular in American homes in the 1970s, reportedly returned to the White House after the 80-year-old won his second presidency.
“The portion nearest the shower would often be soaked through; the staff was never quite sure why, but they worried about mold growing underneath,” Haberman and Swan penned.
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“The solution was to lay a small piece of the same carpet – never an actual bath mat – over the larger one.”
To ensure good hygiene, White House staff reportedly clean and rotate the carpet pieces.
The US president is believed to have a late-night snacking habit that includes Starbucks and chips
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Elsewhere in the book, the authors claim that the president has a late-night snacking habit and doesn’t always throw the wrappers in the trash.
“A nighttime snacker, the President would frequently leave an array of empty potato chip bags, Starbucks wrappers, and ice cream cartons in the trash, or on the floor,” Haberman and Swan wrote.
“The staff had to begin monitoring the trash after it was discovered he was sometimes throwing out White House sterling silver utensils.”
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Regime Change, which covers the first year of Trump’s second presidency, is based on “hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms,” the authors explained.
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Trump and Melania met at a New York Fashion Week party held at the Kit Kat Klub in Manhattan in 1998.
“He projected a sense of authenticity. He had a zest for life that was infectious,” the former model wrote in her memoir about the qualities that drew her to the real estate mogul.
“He was successful and hardworking, but also so down to earth and real. I really liked that about him.”
Melania stayed at the White House for only 14 days during Trump’s first 108 days in office last year
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The speculation that the two are no longer together stems partly from a New York Times report stating that, during Trump’s first 108 days in office last year, his wife spent fewer than 14 days at the White House.
Those who believe they’re separated behind closed doors maintain that they put on a united front for the cameras to protect Trump’s public image.
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Then there are the conspiracy theorists who have taken this belief a step further, claiming that Melania has a “body double” who sometimes accompanies Trump at public events when the real one doesn’t want to join him.
Both Trumps have addressed the bizarre theory, with Melania’s spokesperson calling it a “ridiculous non-story” and the president referring to skeptics as “deranged.”
People reacted to the book’s claims about the Trumps’ marital crisis
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