Melania Trump's return to a more visible public schedule is drawing scrutiny after former Trump White House official Sarah Matthews revived reports that the first lady received payments for some campaign appearances and questioned whether her "rate" had changed amid controversy surrounding President Donald Trump's aide Natalie Harp.
Matthews, who served as deputy White House press secretary during Trump's first administration, made the remarks on the MeidasTouch On Sunday podcast. Her comments came as Melania attended the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington on Aug. 23, days after ending a 32-day absence from public appearances.
"We know too that, it's been reported, that Melania gets paid for showing up at events when they were on the campaign trail, which is crazy to think that you have to pay your own wife to show up somewhere," Matthews said.
The remarks don't establish that Melania was paid to attend the Grand Prix or her recent White House appearance. IBTimes UK said it couldn't independently verify claims about her appearance fees, and no evidence presented in the source material shows that compensation is determining her current schedule as first lady.
Matthews nevertheless connected the renewed attention surrounding Melania to Harp, Trump's 35-year-old executive assistant, whose relationship with the president has faced scrutiny following publication of letters she allegedly wrote to him in 2023. Matthews characterized the relationship as "bizarre" while saying she didn't believe anything inappropriate was occurring.
"I wonder if her rate has gone up after all this news," Matthews said. "I'm sure (Melania) doesn't like any of this being out there, whether or not there is something inappropriate going on between Trump and Natalie Harp."
The Daily Beast published letters attributed to Harp that included unusually personal expressions of loyalty toward Trump. In one, Harp allegedly wrote, "You are all that matters to me," while describing Trump as her "Guardian and Protector in this Life."
Another letter contained a reference to people "whose only 'job' seems to be to talk with you, and look pretty," followed by: "I want that job!!" Journalist Michael Wolff obtained the correspondence while working on a book about Trump's 2024 campaign, according to the source article. CNN hasn't independently confirmed that Harp sent the letters, though excerpts had previously appeared in The New York Times.
The White House has defended Harp without addressing speculation about the nature of her relationship with Trump. White House spokesman Davis Ingle said: "Natalie Harp is one of the most loyal and hardest-working aides on President Trump's team."
Sen. Bernie Moreno also pushed back against discussion surrounding Harp, describing it as "super misogynistic." Matthews, while questioning the unusual dynamic, similarly stopped short of alleging a romantic relationship.
Melania's recent appearances have received added attention because of her limited public schedule. Her Rose Garden event last Thursday was her first public appearance in 32 days and her 40th of 2026, according to The Daily Beast. She acknowledged the attention surrounding her absence with a joke: "I heard you missed me. Here I am. Here I am!"
That event centered on Melania's Fostering the Future Initiative, which supports educational opportunities for young people from foster-care backgrounds. Matthews acknowledged that the issue is a genuine area of interest for the first lady, though she said the timing of the appearance "was suspect."
Three days later, Melania joined Trump at the Freedom 250, the first IndyCar race through Washington and part of celebrations marking America's 250th anniversary. About 140,000 spectators attended, according to the source article, while the president and first lady traveled around the 1.7-mile circuit in the presidential limousine before helping start the race.
Melania told Fox Sports that the experience had been "exciting" and recalled how her father's interest in Maserati and Mercedes-Benz cars helped develop her enthusiasm for automobiles. "He introduced me to the design of cars and the mechanics and also the speed," she said. "And I loved it, every minute of it."
Matthews said the Harp coverage could make the first lady particularly uncomfortable regardless of whether the speculation has any factual basis. "I can guarantee she doesn't like that being out there in the news," Matthews said.
