Ex-Trump Aide Claims Melania Only Shows up When Paid, Says Her 'Rate' May Have Gone up Amid Natalie Harp Drama

A former Trump White House official has accused Melania Trump of avoiding public life unless there is a clear incentive, while suggesting the recent Natalie Harp controversy may have made her appearances more costly.

Sarah Matthews, who served as deputy White House press secretary during Donald Trump's first administration, made the claim during an appearance on MeidasTouch's On Sunday with Jack Cocchiarella podcast.

Matthews said Melania's absence was noticeable even to staffers who worked closely with the president. 'When I was working on the campaign for a year and then at the White House for the last seven months of the first admin, I met the vice president, I met almost every cabinet official,' Matthews said. She also added that she met members of Trump's family during that period, but not the first lady.

'The only person I never met was Melania Trump,' she said. 'I never met the first lady, even though I was the deputy spokesperson for the president on his campaign and in the White House.'

Matthews, who resigned after the January 6 Capitol riot, said the absence reflected what staffers already understood. 'That kind of sums it up, where it was this known thing that she was just not around, and she didn't want to be around,' she said.

'She Wanted to Be in New York'

Matthews also claimed Melania had little interest in living at the White House during Trump's first term. 'She didn't want to stay at the White House,' Matthews said.

According to Matthews, Melania viewed the building as 'old and falling apart' and preferred being in New York, where she could 'do her own thing'.

The remarks come as Melania faces renewed attention over her limited public schedule during Trump's second term. A Daily Beast analysis found that she appeared publicly about once every six days on average, falling to roughly once every 12 days over the summer.

The outlet also reported that Melania has delivered 29 public speeches during Trump's second term, compared with 130 by Michelle Obama during the equivalent period of Barack Obama's presidency.

Return Comes Amid Harp Scrutiny

Melania returned to public view earlier this week at a White House Rose Garden event promoting her Fostering the Future initiative, which supports educational opportunities for young people from foster care backgrounds. Matthews acknowledged that foster care has long been one of Melania's personal causes.

Still, she questioned the timing of the appearance because it came as Trump's executive assistant Natalie Harp faced intense scrutiny over her closeness to the president.

'But I have to admit that the timing is a little suspect with all of the Natalie Harp things happening in the news,' Matthews said.

Harp, 35, has drawn attention over her role as one of Trump's most trusted aides and gatekeepers. Reports have also focused on personal letters she allegedly wrote to Trump and her unusually close access to him.

'I Wonder if Her Rate Has Gone Up'

Matthews then pointed to past reporting that Melania was paid for certain campaign appearances.

'We know too that it's been reported that Melania gets paid for showing up at events when they were on the campaign trail,' Matthews said.

She called it 'crazy' that Trump would allegedly need to pay his wife to appear with him.

Matthews then speculated that the Harp drama may have affected Melania's willingness to show up.

'I wonder if her rate has gone up after all of this news,' she said, adding that Melania likely disliked the attention 'whether or not it's true'.

The claim remains Matthews' view, not a confirmed explanation for Melania's schedule. But it adds another layer to the growing public fascination with Trump's inner circle, where Melania's absence and Harp's visibility have become part of the same political spectacle.