Melania Trump 'relatively isolated' in DC as she hasn't found political friend group, source claims

MELANIA'S LIFE BEFORE DONALD TRUMP IN PHOTOS

It's no secret that Melania Trump prefers to live in seclusion. Even as First Lady of the United States, she lives under the radar, often prompting media to question 'Where is Melania Trump?'. She does occasionally make appearances at official events, and when she does all eyes are on her. However, she usually prefers to stay in the background.

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Because of her reserved approach to fame, very little is known about Melania's close entourage, except her protective relationship with son Barron and the active role her parents play in their lives. Does she have a close circle of friends that she trusts?

Who is in Melania's inner circle?

Melania Trump has done a good job of keeping her friends to herself when the cameras are not on. Indeed, it seems that the FLOTUS does have 'a close circle of confidants' and they're all in Palm Beach where the Trumps own the private club and residence Mar-a-Lago. According an insider who spoke to Page Six, she has developed a network of friends over the past decade who she 'trusts and likes to spend time with.'

While it is difficult to name any specific names from her circle of friends, her sister Ines is probably considered one of her closest confidants. Some of her advisors also appear to be part of her close circle. According to Hello!, these include designer Hervé Pierre, her official photographer Regine Mahaux and interior designer Tham Kannalikham. Regine Mahaux seems to know the First Lady really well, as she says about her:

She always stands behind her husband. He stands in the light, she doesn't need the light. She's a very good number two. Her husband always comes first and I like that; she has strong family values of being a good wife and making sure they are happy.

That being said, she's having a tougher time doing the same in other places. The anonymous Page Six source said:

Melania simply hasn’t found a political friend group in DC, so when she goes she’s relatively isolated. She doesn’t trust Washington which is filled with leakers and people whose loyalties change with every poll and election.

With all eyes on you, it's natural to be careful when you're choosing who is in your entourage. Melania may be practicing caution even more so, given how her former friendship with Stephanie Winston Wolkoff soured in the limelight.

Her friendship with Stephanie Winston Wolkoff

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is a former close confidante of Melania Trump and an experienced event planner who previously worked for Vogue and helped organise the Met Gala. She played a key role in planning Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017, but later came under fire.

Newsweek reports that a company she founded ‘received $26 million for the work’ and that she herself allegedly ‘received about $1.6 million through her consulting firm, but that money was passed on to various subcontractors’. It was unclear where all that money went, with the assumption that it was received directly by Wolkoff—allegations she has vehemently denied. She told The New York Times:

Was I fired? No. Did I personally receive $26 million or $1.6 million? No. Was I thrown under the bus? Yes.

When the inconsistencies arose, her role as Melania Trump's adviser came to an abrupt end. The reasons for this differ widely between the two camps and it is still unknown whether the two events were linked.

The rift between the two women only deepened after Stephanie Winston Wolkoff wrote a book about her time with Melania Trump. Mrs.Trump's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said of the book:

Not only is the book full of falsehoods and paranoia, but it is also based on an imagined need for revenge. Wolkoff portrays herself as great while belittling and blaming everyone she has worked with - and yet she manages to be the victim.

With the number of books written by insiders on high-profile celebrities and politicians, it is no wonder Melania keeps her friend circle close.