Melania Trump‘s time as First Lady was allegedly partially spent in meetings with lawyers to discuss matters regarding her prenuptial agreements with former President Donald Trump.
According to a new book by Katie Rogers, which shines a light on Melania’s years as the First Lady, the 53-year-old also hardly ever visited her office space in the East Wing. Due to a lack of use, White House aides decided to turn the place into a “swag room” for gifts.
Melania Trump Renegotiated Her Prenup With Donald
Stephanie Grisham, a top aide to the First Lady, spoke to Rogers in her upcoming book, “American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden,” about her time with Melania.
Grisham claimed that Melania spent the majority of her time as First Lady in “meetings with teams of lawyers to examine her assets and attend to matters associated with her pre- and postnuptial agreements with her husband.”
Another journalist, a Washington Post reporter, also wrote about the prenup in her biography of Melania, titled “The Art of Her Deal.” She revealed that Melania used her leverage as First Lady at the time to renegotiate the deal and protect the interests of her son, Barron.
Jordan wrote, per Daily Mail, “She wanted proof in writing that when it came to financial opportunities and inheritance, Barron would be treated as more of an equal to Trump’s oldest three children.”
The New Negotiations Were For Barron Trump’s Sake
A Page Six report previously spoke about Melania’s renegotiations and stated that it’s “at least the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marital agreement.” However, their source claimed that the discussions are not because she’s planning to leave Trump or go anywhere.
In Jordan’s book, she wrote further that Melania only wanted to ensure that Barron’s “rightful share of inheritance” was protected.
“According to three people close to Trump, a key reason was that she had finally reached a new and significantly improved financial agreement with Trump, which had left her in a noticeably better financial position,” Jordan wrote. “Those sources did not know precisely what she sought, but it was not simply more money.”
Rogers revealed more details about the prenup renegotiation, saying it’s been ongoing from the start of and during Trump’s presidency. Grisham told her that Melania was deliberate about having “separate finances,” which was carefully monitored.
A spokesperson for Melania talked to Rogers about the prenup. They denied the renegotiations but confirmed that she met with her counsel.
“Mrs. Trump had a successful career before she met her husband and has always had her own businesses and assets. As an accomplished professional, she frequently meets with her counsel,” the spokesperson said, per the Daily Mail.
Donald Trump’s Legal Issues Also Played A Part In Melania’s Renegotiations
The timing of Melania’s renegotiation was allegedly also because of Trump’s many legal battles in recent times. It was also apparently motivated by his upcoming battle against President Joe Biden to hold a second term of presidency.
A source told Page Six, “This agreement was necessary because of the current legal battles … [Donald] has suffered.” The source noted at the time that “Trump remains very rich, but with mounting legal bills and judgments,” and the renegotiated prenup would ensure a “solid future” for Melania and her son.
“It’s not that [Melania] threatened to leave him,” the insider claimed. “It’s definitely the underlying idea.”
As of now, Trump owes hundred of millions of dollars due to his legal battles. After the E. Jean Carroll trial, the ex-president was fined over $83 million for defamation. In his fraud case brought against him by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, he was hit with a hefty $355 million fine and barred from doing business in New York for the next three years.
Melania Trump’s East Wing Office Was Turned Into A ‘Swag Room’
According to author Rogers’ upcoming book, aides could only remember two occasions when Melania walked from the second-floor White House residence down to her East Wing office: one was in response to a meeting request made by then-aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, and the other “occurred when she was nearby and felt like surprising her staff.”
Since Melania allegedly only visited her office in the East Wing twice, the White House aides decided to turn the place into a “swag room” where they could wrap and store gifts because her “desk was the only empty surface large enough for gift assemblage.”
Rogers disclosed in her book that among the gifts kept in Melania’s office were keychains and coins with First Lady themes, bowls with the White House etched on them, a variety of pewter dishes, robes for guests staying at the Executive Residence, leather desk sets, golf balls, golf towels, crystal bookends, and crystal rattles.
Melania had a penchant for sending gifts to her friends and allies of Trump.
