Melania not with Trump on election night because she 'valued sleep': Ex WH press secy
Melania Trump's absence next to husband Donald Trump on that much talked about 2020 election night is still being dissected. While the former FLOTUS was there next to Trump as he gave his infamous 2:03 am press conference, she was allegedly not by the then-president's side throughout the night. In fact, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham claims that Melania was fast asleep, tucked away in her bed, before she was woken up just in time to go stand beside Trump during the press conference.
Melania, who has kept far, far away from White House affairs for the greater half of this year, still keeps making headlines about her time as the First Lady. Be it surrounding the questionable White House Rose Garden renovation, or rumours about her not wanting to return to the White House even though Trump keeps bragging about a re-run. Melania has also been criticized for staying silent on the Kabul crisis amidst the Taliban takeover. In all of this, Grisham's upcoming memoir 'I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in The Trump White House' spills further bombshell claims about the former occupants of the mansion. Her words should be taken with a pinch of salt though since in recently-gone-viral photos, the former employee herself can be seen lying on the floor of the White House, allegedly on the same night she claims Melania was fast asleep.
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Why wasn't Melania by Trump's side?
Melania's former chief of staff Grisham claims in her memoir that Melania allegedly slept through most of the night while the 2020 November presidential election votes were being counted. Grisham, claims in her book: "I knocked a few times, quietly at first but louder at each attempt. I finally opened the bedroom door only to find that Melania Trump was sound asleep." Grisham also adds that "Maybe [Melania] thought that someone would wake her up if Trump won," and even though she acknowledged how much Melania valued her sleep, the former press secretary writes: "But still, I couldn't imagine being asleep at a time like that."
Melania was however seen next to Trump when he made that ludicrous 2 AM speech, declaring his win over Joe Biden. Ahead of the November 6 counting, Melania had also been criticized for casting her vote in person, without a mask as the pandemic raged on. After the votes were counted and Biden was declared the president-elect, Melania, along with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner had reportedly advised the 45th POTUS to accept defeat as he went on raving about election fraud and demanded a recount. But if Grisham's version of events is to be trusted, Melania was nowhere to be seen as her husband awaited the dreaded results.
Melania and Grisham's friendship
Daily Mail reports that the 32nd White House Press Secretary who held office from July 2019 to April 2020 was quite close to the former First Lady. Although oft-criticized for never holding a press briefing, Grisham and Melania would often text each other; the latter even brought Grisham back to the East Wing, keeping her in the Trump White House, after she had been pushed out as press secretary by Mark Meadows, when he became the chief of staff.
Grisham's relationship with the White House ended after the January 6th riot on Capitol Hill. But looks like she had developed foes long before within the walls of the mansion as people did not shy away from talking and subsequently leaking photos of her lying on the White House floor from the night of the election. The photos, exclusively obtained by Daily Mail, sees Grisham lying down with her legs raised up in the air. "The photo of Stephanie on the floor was taken as we knew she'd spin a false narrative about that night when she left," a source present there at the time, tells the outlet, adding: "So here is the unvarnished version of what we dealt with when it came to her,' the insider claimed.
The source continues, "The most laughable part in her book is she says she woke Melania up to come down to the election festivities, but this is just a lie. You think Melania just jumps out of bed looking like this? There is a whole process to making Melania look like Melania. Look at Stephanie - do you think she is part of that process?" The internet however isn't all that convinced that Melania was awake all night. "Melania is all about herself, first, last and always. "The mark of a true killer: sleep tight, rest easy, and come out fighting." - Addison DeWitt/"All About Eve"," tweeted one user. Another chimed in with Melania's infamous olive green jacket quote, tweeting: ""I really don't care. Do you?""
Melania is all about herself, first, last and always.
— Je Reviens (@2DreamIt) September 14, 2021
"The mark of a true killer: sleep tight, rest easy, and come out fighting." - Addison DeWitt/"All About Eve"