A recent series of "bizarre" moves by First Lady Melania Trump might not make sense to most, but a White House biographer explained that she's simply setting herself up for life post-Trump.
"This is the new Melania, and the new Melania is brand 'Melania,'" said veteran journalist Michael Wolff on Saturday while appearing on The Daily Beast podcast. He was commenting on Melania's Friday op-ed in the Washington Post for Mother's Day.
Wolff described it as an "ode to motherhood" but added that "I would say certainly that she didn't write it," and that "it makes sense that she didn't read it."
The podcast's host, journalist Joanna Coles, pointed out that Melania "sympathizes with single mothers" in the op-ed. Wolff also recalled the odd statement she put out three weeks ago, saying she didn't know Jeffrey Epstein, and put that together with her "strategic absences" and "peculiar attitude" to conclude that Melania is "building this independent brand persona from" Trump.
"She is in some kind of secret or not so secret revolt against him," Wolf said. "It's all about how she sees her future business, which is the Melania business. So now she's speaking up for motherhood in such a peculiar way."
However, Wolff noted that this will create a "potential liability" for Trump, and "within the White House, they now look at her as a liability," he said.
"This is not good" for the White House, Wolff said. "It's not necessarily controllable for them."