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Donald Trump’s former press secretary and Chief of Staff to Melania Trump, Stephanie Grisham, just released a tell-all book about her time working for the controversial President and his wife. According to a first look at the book, titled, I’ll Take Your Questions Now, Grisham speaks at length about the first lady’s experience in the White House, revealing intimate details about her personal interactions with the President’s wife.
The Washington Post reports that in the book, Grisham revealed that the secret service members referred to Melania as ‘Rapunzel,’ because much like a princess trapped in a tower, Trump rarely left the perimeter of the White House. According to Grisham, members of staff even requested to work more closely with the first lady in order to be able to spend more time with their families as she was lower-maintenance and was often at home.
Trump’s team has not had a positive response to the book, with Liz Harrington, a spokeswoman for the former President releasing a statement that said, “This book is another pitiful attempt to cash in on the President’s strength and sell lies about the Trump family.” She then continued by calling Grisham “a disgruntled former employee” and lamented that publishers of the book “should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods.”
Grisham, for her part, served as press secretary to the President until January 2021, but resigned after the poor handling of the attack on the Capitol. In the 352-page book, Grisham throws stones at the former President as well, writing, "Casual dishonesty filtered through the White House as if it were in the air conditioning system."
Melania Trump has also spoken out about the purpose of the tell-all book, with a statement from her office to PEOPLE reading, "The intent behind this book is obvious. 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."
Whether Melania is displeased by the light Grisham shines on the fraught marriage she shares with her husband, or if there is really no truth behind the claims has yet to be seen, but the book hit shelves everywhere earlier this month, offering an inside look at the former First Lady.
