Donald and Melania Trump have been married for more than 20 years, and scrutiny of their relationship has only intensified since Donald Trump entered the White House in 2017.
For years, speculation has surrounded the marriage, including claims that the pair are in what some describe as a “transactional contractual relationship.” Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as White House communications director in 2017, addressed those rumors during recent appearances on the Daily Beast’s The Daily Beast Podcast.
Scaramucci said, “Reporters have suggested that, I’ve never seen a contract,” before adding, “Reporters have said there’s a deal with them and that there’s an understanding and she’s accustomed to a certain lifestyle and he’s making sure that she gets that lifestyle.”
He also made clear that he had no direct evidence, saying, “If you’re asking me point blank, ‘Have I seen a contract between them?’ I have not seen a contract,” the former staffer confirmed.
Drawing on what he said he observed “in 2016 and 17 and even in the later part of 2015,” Scaramucci added: “Do they act like they’re in a transactional contractual relationship?” to which he answered his own question, claiming “they do,” in his opinion.
He tempered that view by saying, “I have not seen that prima facie though, so I’m just giving you my third-party hearsay observation.”
Melania Trump, however, has repeatedly pushed back on assumptions about her marriage. Reflecting on how others perceived her relationship when she and Trump were first together in New York, she told ABC News in 1999, “You know, the people, they don’t know me.” At the time, she was 28 and Trump was 52.
She continued, “You can’t sleep or to hug or to talk with beautiful things, with beautiful apartment, beautiful plane, beautiful cars, beautiful houses, you can’t do that.
“If somebody said, ‘You’re with the man because he’s rich and famous,’ they don’t know me.”
In recent Daily Beast Podcast appearances, Scaramucci described the couple’s relationship as “distant” and suggested they have “grown apart.” He stated, “It’s pretty clear that they’re not living together,” though he acknowledged that Melania can still appear alongside Donald and interact warmly with him publicly.
Scaramucci also spoke positively about Melania personally, saying he “got along” with her and describing her as “really down to earth”. He added, “She’s stubborn, she’s down to earth, and she’s loyal.”
Separate comments about Melania’s public schedule have fueled discussion. According to The Daily Beast, Melania appeared publicly 47 times in 2025 after Trump’s January 20 inauguration. She was then seen in public on only 38 days during the first seven months of 2026. By comparison, Michelle Obama made more than 100 public appearances a year while serving as first lady alongside Barack Obama.
Before returning to the role of first lady in 2025, Melania said she planned to divide her time between the White House, Trump Tower in New York City, and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. She was most recently seen publicly with Trump in mid-July at the World Cup Final in New Jersey. Even so, the president continues to reference her during speeches.
At a recent event in Las Vegas, Trump praised his wife’s film, Melania: Twenty Days to History, calling it the “number one movie of the year,” despite not offering figures to support that claim.
He also said Melania has told him she “hated” when he imitates women weightlifters because it is not “presidential,” similar to comments she has apparently made about his dance moves.
Speaking to the audience, Trump said, “I said, ‘Well, it may not be presidential, but I won the election in a land slide, so I don’t know,” he told the crowd.
A request for comment was sent to the White House.