Melania Trump refused to condemned the violence on Jan. 6 while supporters of Donald Trump were storming the Capitol, according to an excerpt from a book by the former First Lady’s press secretary Stephanie Grisham published Monday by Politico.
According to the report, around 1:30 p.m on Jan. 6 after Trump supporters broke through the barricade Grisham, then chief of staff for Melania Trump sent a message to her saying: “Do you want to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness and violence?”
Melania, who was preparing for a photo shoot of a rug she had selected, simply responded, “No”.
Melania never condemned the violence until five days after the insurrection and denounced ‘shameful’ and ‘salacious gossip’ about her.
She didn’t wait that long to respond to Grisham, telling Politico: “The intent behind this book is obvious. It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump.”
Grisham was loyal to Trump and served briefly as his press secretary, where she became known for never holding a press briefing. She later went back to serve as Melania Trump’s chief of staff during the last year of the Trump administration before resigning on Jan. 6.
Her book, I’ll Take Your Questions Now is set to be released on October 5.
