'Donald in a suit': Ex Melania aide claims Trump would always choose Ivanka as she's his 'ace in the hole'

Stephanie Wolkoff described Ivanka as 'Donald in a suit', suggesting Trump would choose his daughter over his wife any day
UPDATED AUG 18, 2025
Melania's ex-aide claims Donald Trump would always choose his daughter Ivanka over his wife (Getty Images)
Melania's ex-aide claims Donald Trump would always choose his daughter Ivanka over his wife (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Is Ivanka Trump overshadowing Melania in the political spotlight? Former Melania Trump aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff certainly thinks so. Wolkoff described Ivanka as “Donald in a suit,” suggesting President Donald Trump would choose his daughter over his wife any day.

  

Once a close confidante of the first lady, Wolkoff served in the East Wing at the start of the Trump administration in 2016 until their friendship and professional ties came to a dramatic end.

Stephanie Wolkoff talks about strained relationship with Melania Trump

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 01: Stephanie Winston Wolkoff attends the UN Women for Peace Association 2019 International Women's Day celebration at United Nations Headquarters on March 01, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff attends the UN Women for Peace Association 2019 International Women's Day celebration at United Nations Headquarters (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

In her tell-all memoir 'Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady,'  Wolkoff offers a candid account of her fractured relationship with Melania Trump.

She claims Ivanka Trump repeatedly tried to overshadow her stepmother, stating, “One of the reasons why I wrote 'Melania and Me' in the way that I wrote it... was to highlight the way Ivanka would usurp Melania and all the traditions of the White House. She didn’t care about rules and didn’t care about anyone else.”

 U.S. first lady Melania Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on the
Melania Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on the 'Take It Down Act'  in the Mike Mansfield Room at the US Capitol as it expands protections for victims of non-consensual sharing of sexual images, covering AI-generated content including deepfake pornography (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Amid growing public curiosity, including commentary from figures like Joe Rogan discussing Trump-related conspiracy theories, Wolkoff also raised alarms about Ivanka's political ambitions.

“She’s Donald in a suit,” Wolkoff remarked, calling her the president’s “one ace in the hole” and suggesting he would always choose Ivanka over Melania. She added, “If Donald had to choose between anyone, it would be Ivanka.”

Reflecting on her fallout with the first lady, Wolkoff admitted it took her too long to see the truth. “People have criticized me for taking way too long to realize that Melania wasn’t really my friend,” she said. “I think I held on to the friendship because I wanted to believe she would come out and say something—anything—in my defense... but they don’t do that.”

Stephanie Wolkoff recounts instances of Ivanka allegedly undermining Melania’s authority

2005: Ivanka Trump during The Apprentice Finale After party at Planet Hollywood, New York, NY in New York, New York, United States. (Photo by M. Von Holden/FilmMagic)
Ivanka Trump during The Apprentice Finale After party at Planet Hollywood, New York (M Von Holden/FilmMagic)

Stephanie Wolkoff’s book also details several moments where Ivanka Trump allegedly sought to undercut her stepmother’s authority, including meddling in Melania’s selection of a new chief of staff. The move reportedly prompted the first lady to label Ivanka and her inner circle as “snakes.”

  

One particularly tense episode involved a White House screening of 'Finding Dory', organized by Ivanka, which took place as nationwide protests erupted over Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries.

Wolkoff claims Melania was furious about the event, sending a string of angry text messages demanding to know who had authorized Ivanka to host it in her residence. “This is my home,” Melania reportedly fumed. “Do they come walking into my apartment in New York whenever they want? No!”

Wolkoff writes that “Ivanka’s fingerprints were all over it,” highlighting the ongoing power struggle between the two women.

Melania Trump pushes back against allegations from her former aide

First lady Melania Trump looks on during the annual White House Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025, in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
First lady Melania Trump looks on during the annual White House Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Trump has rejected the allegations made by Stephanie Wolkoff, dismissing them as self-serving and misleading. In a statement shared with the Irish Star, the first lady suggested that genuine concerns—particularly those affecting children—are often drowned out by the agendas of adults seeking personal gain.

“We all know that, more often than not, information that could be helpful to children is lost in the noise made by self-serving adults,” she said.

Melania also pointed to growing uncertainty among those in her circle, adding, “I talked to a lot of sources today who say they’re questioning everything now—from where they’re going to live after the White House to what their careers will be.”

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