M.L. Nestel joined Raw Story in 2023. An award-winning writer and editor, his work has been published in New York Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine and The Guardian, among other titles. He also produces and writes for true-crime genre TV shows. Prior to that, he served on the Newsweek masthead as a senior writer, wrote as a correspondent at ABC News and held the titles of West Coast bureau chief and senior writer at The Daily Beast. Priors also include working as senior national correspondent at The Daily Mail and investigative reporter at all three NYC tabloids: The New York Post,The New York Daily News and Newsday. He traveled around the country as a national correspondent at The Daily. M.L. published hundreds of stories about underground music and cinema — most notably as a critic for Box Office Magazine and the New York editor at Soma Magazine. He also headed development at Fountainhead Films. M.L. splits his time between Los Angeles and New York.
Of all the cases Donald Trump is defending against, the hush money case is seen as the least damaging to impede his ambitions for a second presidential term.
But the case is reportedly top-tier for former First Lady Melania Trump.
"This is very personal to him," said Stephanie Grisham, who served under the 45th president as White House press secretary and appeared on CNN's "Out Front." "This is an embarrassment to him for with his family and more importantly, with his wife Melania."
Grisham, who also served as Melania's chief of staff, explained that the reality of a trial, spearheaded by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and accusing Trump of doctoring financial business records weeks before the 2016 election to mask hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, is a source of great stress for his family.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and, barring a delay, the trial is set to begin on Monday.
"I spent a ton of time with her when the news was breaking about Stormy Daniels when we were in the White House. And then of course with Karen McDougal, who was the former Playboy playmate; when those came out that he allegedly had these affairs and she didn't take it lightly at all."
She recalled the Don being in the doghouse with his other half.
"We went to the State of the Union separately," Grisham said. "She refused to walk out to Marine One with him because she did not want to be like Hillary Clinton and standing by her man."
Grisham describes Melania as a "very independent and strong woman" and may also be the former president's "secret weapon for this for this upcoming campaign."
So given her experience behind-the-scenes with the Trumps, she believes there is an aggressive push by Melania to postpone this case at all costs.
"I imagine that she is pushing him to make this stop," she said.
And should he fail that, then Trump better sing about his faithfulness as a husband.
"I would imagine that she will push him to go on the stand and defend himself because this is this is very, very embarrassing for her."
"It's humiliating for her and I can guarantee you that she's not happy right now and that he's quite worried about that."
