A new book has offered a rare glimpse into Donald and Melania Trump’s life inside the White House, including the couple’s separate bedrooms and the US president’s late-night habits.
The Trumps, who have been married since 2005 and share a son, Barron, have long faced speculation that they’re not as united as they appear to be in public.
Highlights
- A new book reveals details about Donald and Melania Trump’s White House bedrooms and an alleged feud over the White House ballroom.
- The book, ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,’ was written by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.
- It further suggests that the US president has a late-night habit that is affecting White House staff.
According to Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, the friction in their relationship is reflected in how they occupy space in the presidential residence.
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The authors claim Melania occupies the traditional White House master bedroom, which has a dressing room and en suite bathroom, while Trump has moved into a neighboring room that was traditionally used as a living room.
This arrangement was previously used by former president John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie Kennedy during their time in the White House.
Haberman and Swan reported that Trump allegedly “competed” with Melania over who had the better-decorated room, as revealed in an excerpt seen by The Daily Mail.
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“In the early weeks of the new administration, items were spirited from the second-floor corridor into the President's bedroom,” the authors wrote.
“Sometimes Trump carried the objects in himself, rearranging things across the private quarters on a whim.”
When White House staff reminded the president that he was taking items from the Center Hall that his wife had personally chosen, Trump allegedly “made clear he didn’t care.”
“He seemed almost to be competing with her – determined to have the better room.”
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Trump’s bedroom makeover “generated such a flurry of activity that staff often felt caught between the two Trumps,” the authors wrote.
Amid the alleged décor war, White House staff had to find replacements for certain items that Melania had picked and send them to the first lady for approval.
The book, which hits shelves on June 23, suggests that the couple also had a major disagreement over the scale of the White House ballroom.
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The project reportedly involved demolishing the East Wing, where the first lady traditionally had her offices, in October.
Melania allegedly opposed the large-scale project, not only because of the ballroom’s location but also because she preferred to live in a “quiet environment with minimal disturbances” rather than in a “construction zone.”
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The book also reveals Trump’s unusual preference for carpeted bathrooms.
The feature, which was popular in American homes in the 1970s, reportedly returned to the White House after the 80-year-old won his second presidency.
“The portion nearest the shower would often be soaked through; the staff was never quite sure why, but they worried about mold growing underneath,” Haberman and Swan penned.
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“The solution was to lay a small piece of the same carpet – never an actual bath mat – over the larger one.”
To ensure good hygiene, White House staff reportedly clean and rotate the carpet pieces.
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Elsewhere in the book, the authors claim that the president has a late-night snacking habit and doesn’t always throw the wrappers in the trash.
“A nighttime snacker, the President would frequently leave an array of empty potato chip bags, Starbucks wrappers, and ice cream cartons in the trash, or on the floor,” Haberman and Swan wrote.
“The staff had to begin monitoring the trash after it was discovered he was sometimes throwing out White House sterling silver utensils.”
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Regime Change, which covers the first year of Trump’s second presidency, is based on “hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms,” the authors explained.
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Trump and Melania met at a New York Fashion Week party held at the Kit Kat Klub in Manhattan in 1998.
“He projected a sense of authenticity. He had a zest for life that was infectious,” the former model wrote in her memoir about the qualities that drew her to the real estate mogul.
“He was successful and hardworking, but also so down to earth and real. I really liked that about him.”
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The speculation that the two are no longer together stems partly from a New York Times report stating that, during Trump’s first 108 days in office last year, his wife spent fewer than 14 days at the White House.
Those who believe they’re separated behind closed doors maintain that they put on a united front for the cameras to protect Trump’s public image.
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Then there are the conspiracy theorists who have taken this belief a step further, claiming that Melania has a “body double” who sometimes accompanies Trump at public events when the real one doesn’t want to join him.
Both Trumps have addressed the bizarre theory, with Melania’s spokesperson calling it a “ridiculous non-story” and the president referring to skeptics as “deranged.”
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