One of the many underreported stories this year is the relative disappearance of Melania Trump. She’s barely left Mar-a-Lago all year, and she’s flatly refused to travel with her husband to any campaign events. Her sole “campaign appearance” by her husband’s side this year was at the Republican National Convention. She did not make a speech, but she was on stage with him on the final night of the RNC. Apparently, she has made a handful of quiet speeches and appearances at fundraisers, always solo. And now we know how Donald Trump got Melania out of MAL – the Trump campaign likely paid Melania six figures per appearance, although no one is actually sure where the money came from. They just know that money has been funneled to Melania personally for her rare public outings.
Melania Trump has barely been seen on the campaign trail this year. One of the few times she has appeared at a political event, she’s received a six-figure paycheck – a highly unusual move for the spouse of a candidate.
The former first lady spoke at two political fundraisers for the Log Cabin Republicans this year, and she was paid $237,500 for an April event, according to former President Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosure form. The payment was listed as a “speaking engagement.”
Trump’s latest disclosure form said Melania Trump was paid by the Log Cabin Republicans for the April fundraiser. But it’s a mystery who actually cut the check: Charles Moran, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, told CNN earlier this month the group did not put up the money for her to speak, and the disclosure form did not give any more information about the source of the payment.
Ahead of the other fundraiser in July for the conservative LGBTQ group, a person familiar said at least one request was made to a donor about a similar payment. It’s unclear whether Melania Trump was ultimately paid. The campaign has not put out the financial disclosure for that period. The source told CNN that Ric Grenell, former ambassador to Germany and a Trump ally, was the one who made the request on behalf of Melania Trump. Sources said Grenell has also helped the former first lady with other business ventures.
Campaign finance and government ethics experts say a payment to a presidential candidate’s spouse to appear at political fundraisers in an election is unusual, ethically questionable and should, at the very least, be properly noted in the disclosure forms. “It seems pretty self-serving. From my own general observation, I’m not used to seeing that,” said Virginia Canter, the chief ethics counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics.
Sources supportive of Melania Trump who attended the Log Cabin Republican events and didn’t know she got paid for at least one of them defended her, saying it’s her right to decide how to spend her time and to get paid for her time. One person close to Melania Trump said she has decided “my best and highest use is where I am,” adding that “she’s a priceless, timeless asset” for Donald Trump.
Records show Melania Trump was also paid $250,000 for a Log Cabin Republican event in December 2022, one of three payments for $250,000 or more that she received for speaking that month, just after the former president announced he was running for reelection, according to Donald Trump’s prior year financial disclosure form. One of the events took place in Florida, and the other was for a California group, Fix California, which was founded by Grenell. Grenell did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
It may seem unimportant in the grander scheme of things, but from my conversations with female voters, they are actually paying attention to the personal lives of the candidates, and they care about the fact that Melania is not supporting her husband on the campaign trail, just like they care that Doug Emhoff is his wife’s biggest and most vocal supporter. Like, voters f–king love Doug. Voters think Melania despises her husband. Anyway, this is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the FEC violations of the Trump campaign. All of those MAGA cult members sending their money to Trump, just know that you’re paying Melania to speak to gay Republicans and pretend to tolerate her husband for one night a year. Melania didn’t even go to the debate! She’s so over it and she’s just grifting, like everyone else in MAGAland.
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