Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has weighed in on rumors of a contractual arrangement between President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, saying he has never seen such a document but observing that their relationship appears transactional.
Scaramucci's Observations
Speaking on The Daily Beast Podcast, Scaramucci, who served briefly in 2017, addressed the speculation. He noted that reporters have suggested a deal exists, but he has no firsthand knowledge.
"Reporters have suggested that, I've never seen a contract," he said. "Reporters have said there's a deal with them and that there's an understanding and she's accustomed to a certain lifestyle and he's making sure that she gets that lifestyle."
He added: "If you're asking me point blank, 'Have I seen a contract between them?' I have not seen a contract."
Transactional Relationship?
Scaramucci observed that based on his time with the couple in 2015-2017, they acted like they were in a transactional relationship, though he lacked direct evidence.
"If you're saying to me, as an observer in person in 2016 and 17 and even in the later part of 2015, do they act like they're in a transactional contractual relationship? To my observation they do," he said. "I have not seen that prima facie though, so I'm just giving you my third party hearsay observation."
He also shared his view of Melania, calling her "very down to earth" and loyal, adding that she wouldn't leave Trump over his behavior, which he described as "prima facie that he's an idiot."
Adviser Defends Melania
The comments come weeks after a senior adviser to Melania, Marc Beckman, refuted claims she had vanished from public life. In a Newsmax interview, Beckman said she remains "still very active" and is working on projects, including efforts to bring children home from the Russia-Ukraine War.
"She still is very active and working directly with both governments," Beckman said, adding that her humanitarian work has been underrecognized. "No first lady in the history of the United States has done this level of humanitarian work. In fact, I think that we should, or somebody should be acknowledging there should be some level of recognition for the humanitarian work that she's done to date."
