A former aide to Melania Trump has predicted whether the 54-year-old will appear at her husband’s hush money criminal trial in New York.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania's former friend and aide, made the prediction just hours after Donald Trump brought Republican allies to court.
She told CNN: “Melania is Melania's own person. In regards, again, to a marriage that you want to consider to be something that most people are trying to still understand, don't.
“I do not see her supporting him this way.... I think you can feel that humiliation without having to put yourself in front of the cameras. Everything Melania does is staged.”
Trump is facing his fifth straight week in the Manhattan courthouse after his former fixer Michael Cohen testified against him.
The 45th President is accused of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment made before the 2016 election to hide an alleged sexual encounter.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last year claimed Trump "fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal crimes that hid damaging information — including a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels — from the public during the 2016 presidential campaign".
Trump, 77, pleaded not guilty to 34 counts in the case and continues to claim it is politically motivated.
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He also denied having a sexual encounter with the porn star.
Despite speculation about Melania’s whereabouts, the former model confirmed 18-year-old son Barron would not attend the Republican National Convention as a delegate.
A spokeswoman for Melania said: “While Barron is honoured to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments.”
However, Barron’s half-siblings Donald Jr, Eric and Tiffany, will all serve as delegates for the state of Florida.
Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner are not currently confirmed as participants.
The couple announced they were planning to stand back from political life after Trump was ousted from the White House in 2020.
Trump, who harbours to ambitions to become just the second Commander-in-Chief to serve two non-consecutive terms in the Oval Office, is currently neck-and-neck with successor Joe Biden in the opinion polls.
The latest IPSOS poll handed Biden a one-point lead over the property-tycoon-turned-politician.
However, Trump could still win the race to the White House even if he falls short of winning the popular vote.
Similarly to his victory in 2016, separate opinion polls show Trump ahead of Biden in a number of key swing states.
