Melania Trump is once again at the center of controversy after longtime Trump biographer Michael Wolff claimed the first lady may be turning into a political “liability” for the White House.
The explosive comments came after Melania published a Mother’s Day essay in The Washington Post that quickly sparked backlash online and reignited debate over her unusual role in President Donald Trump’s administration.
In the essay, Melania praised mothers as “the foundation” of democracy and called them the “first teachers of empathy, aspiration, and discipline.” She also wrote that she continues to challenge herself by thinking “beyond the traditional responsibilities of the East Wing.”
But critics immediately pounced on the piece, with many mocking the fact that the East Wing itself was demolished during renovations last year.
One viral comment underneath the article took a shot at the newspaper itself, reading: “The Washington Post was once a great newspaper and my reliable companion every morning. Now it’s… this.”
The backlash only fueled more criticism from Wolff, who unloaded on the first lady during an appearance on The Daily Beast’s Inside Trump’s Head podcast.
“I mean, in the times that she has come out, that has not been good for them,” Wolff said while discussing Melania’s recent public appearances.
He also pointed to her comments distancing herself from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claiming the remarks only dragged the scandal back into public conversation.
“The Epstein thing, drawing attention to that. Her just peculiar attitude about everything… her strategic absences,” Wolff claimed. “This is not good for them, and it’s not necessarily controllable for them.”
The controversial author then suggested Melania’s recent moves “could be dangerous for Donald Trump” politically as the White House tries to avoid distractions heading deeper into the election cycle.
Wolff’s co-host, former magazine editor Joanna Coles, also ripped apart Melania’s Mother’s Day essay, calling it flat and uninspired.
“There are so many ghostwriters and speechwriters you could call to write something really moving and rousing,” Coles said. “And yet, they’ve chosen to go the lazy route.”
Wolff went even further by questioning why The Washington Post decided to publish the piece at all.
“When they’re handed this thing, why wouldn’t they say, no, obviously we can’t publish this,” he said, suggesting the newspaper may have believed the essay would “hang itself.”
The White House has repeatedly blasted Wolff over the years for his reporting on Trump and his family. Communications director Steven Cheung previously attacked the author as a “lying sack of s—” and accused him of fabricating stories about the president.
Still, Melania’s limited appearances and carefully timed statements continue to attract intense scrutiny — especially as speculation grows over how involved she truly wants to be during Trump’s return to the White House.
