As former President Donald Trump faces his hush money trial in New York City, his wife Melania Trump has been noticeably absent from the courtroom. However, according to former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, the former first lady is closely monitoring the proceedings from afar, seeking "proof" of any "damaging stuff she didn't know about."
In an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, Grisham stated, "I can guarantee she is watching every ounce of coverage, and when that came out, it peaked her interest. Melania is very much about proof. Show proof. So, if more damaging stuff should come out that she didn't know about because of course her husband continues to deny all of the details here about Stormy especially, if some other stuff comes out, I think that will be really interesting to watch because you can't really dispute things that are in writing. That is something she always paid quite a bit of attention to was proof."
Melania's absence from the courtroom has drawn attention, with former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Joyce Vance commenting on X, formerly known as Twitter, "I have rarely seen a defendant facing trial alone with no family, at least one person, in the courtroom for him. It's a sad commentary for a former president with four grown children & a wife, all of whom seem to have deserted him in the moment."
Despite the speculation surrounding Melania's absence, an insider told the Daily Mail that she is standing by her husband. "She's not going anywhere. She's there for him," the source said. "They're going through it together. She's been the rock of the family."
Grisham, who also served as Melania's chief of staff, believes that the former first lady is likely pushing her husband to address the allegations head-on. "I would imagine that she is pushing him to make this stop. I would imagine that she would push him to go on the stand and defend himself because this is very, very embarrassing for her. It's humiliating for her, and I can guarantee you that she's not happy right now and that he's quite worried about that," Grisham told CNN in a separate interview.
Adding to the intrigue surrounding Melania's response to the trial, the former first lady launched a new necklace called "Her Love & Gratitude" on her website on the same day the proceedings began. The timing of the jewelry launch, which coincides with the first week of Trump's criminal hush money trial, has been questioned by Grisham.
"Had I been advising her, I would have said a couple of things," Grisham said. "Number one, this is the first day of your husband's criminal trial and you're going to hawk some jewellery? Probably not a very good look."
Grisham also suggested that the proceeds from the necklace sales could have been directed towards a charitable cause, such as Alzheimer's research or cancer support, given the recent passing of Melania's mother. Instead, the necklace is being sold for $245 without any mention of charitable contributions.
