Secrets of why Melania Trump 2.0 is going to do things differently this time... with a vow that may make her more unpredictable than her husband

She was mesmerising and unknowable beneath the brim of that terrible Eric Javits boater, and arsenic enigmatic successful her ice-cool instrumentality connected My Fair Lady astatine the inaugural White House ball.

When her husband, Donald Trump, leaned successful adjacent arsenic they danced Melania, 54, seemed to springiness the caller President hardly adjacent a flicker of acknowledgement.

But marque nary mistake. Behind that glacial exterior, determination has been a seismic alteration successful however Melania intends to grip her 2nd stint successful the White House.

As Kate Andersen Brower, writer and First Lady historian, says: 'It's going to beryllium Melania 2.0 successful the aforesaid mode it's Trump 2.0.

'She's going to beryllium overmuch much assured successful the White House and successful her role.'

And so, arsenic Trump, 78, begins his 2nd word with a bang, a tougher and much focused Melania is commencing what looks to beryllium an bonzer crook arsenic FLOTUS.

Not slightest due to the fact that she's moving into the White House with a movie unit successful tow, thing which would person been unthinkable for immoderate of her predecessors.

Sphinx-like Melania, however, is acceptable to uncover each with a documentary astir her life.

The filming of interviews and wide footage began past twelvemonth successful November during the closing stages of the campaign, erstwhile she was inactive astatine the Trump's Florida base, Mar-a-Lago.

The movie volition beryllium released aboriginal this twelvemonth connected Amazon Prime, whose brag Jeff Bezos was among the tech titans bending the genu to Trump this week. The streamer has stumped up an astonishing $40million for the rights to the movie.

Much of that sum is, reportedly, uncovering its mode into Melania's pockets, arsenic she has a 'producer' credit. (Little wonder, perhaps, that Democratic governmental strategist James Carville, nary uncertainty with a partisan axe to grind, referred to the acquisition this week arsenic 'payola' – meaning a corrupt outgo successful instrumentality for promotion.)

Why Slovenian-born Melania would privation to footwear disconnected her 2nd tenure arsenic First Lady with specified an evident effort to some burnish her nationalist illustration and enrich herself is an absorbing question.

It's adjacent much absorbing due to the fact that the documentary follows hard connected the heels of 'Melania: A Memoir' which came retired successful October. 

Critics said the publication was 'full of obfuscations' and didn't uncover much, but it was a fig 1 New York Times bestseller, and 1 of the best-selling books of the twelvemonth connected Amazon, which volition person earned her plentifulness of money.

This week she launched her ain cryptocurrency. Now she and her hubby each person their own.

Given these lucrative solo projects, observers person been wondering if Melania could beryllium contemplating an extremity to her matrimony erstwhile they permission the White House? Or does she conscionable bask making money?

Ms Brower thinks it's simply down to the second and said: 'You get nary wage arsenic First Lady. There's thing successful the constitution that describes her role.

'Michelle Obama gave up her occupation and wasn't making money. It's been seen historically arsenic tacky.

'In a way, by monetising that presumption it diminishes it.

'But Melania has 'Trumpified' the relation of First Lady. There's a level of greed we haven't seen before. 

She's recreating the role. We see it successful her manner choices, her cryptocurrency, her book. She's much nationalist than she was but she's going to bash it on her terms.'

Ms Brower spoke astir however Melania has a vested involvement successful 'White House history' and however she is 'very overmuch successful interaction with the White House Historical Association and a immense instrumentality of Jackie Kennedy'.

She added: 'It's not arsenic if she doesn't recognize the role, but I judge she's taken the presumption that she doesn't request to marque everyone happy.

'There's a feeling that if anyone's going to marque wealth from her name, it's going to beryllium her…

'There's a feeling they [the Trumps] spell aft radical that are making a penny by penning astir them [like erstwhile aides Stephanie Winston Wolkoff and Stephanie Grisham] due to the fact that each of that wealth should beryllium theirs.'

Ms Wolkoff produced a book, Melania and Me successful 2020, which was afloat of quotes straight from Melania arsenic she had secretly recorded their conversations.

She was deed with a civilian suit for breaking a non-disclosure agreement, which was yet dropped successful 2021. 

As for Ms Grisham, she was Melania's Chief of Staff but turned connected her brag aft the Capitol riots successful 2021. 

She testified that she asked Melania successful a substance if she could 'at slightest tweet that 'While peaceful protestation is the close of each American, there's nary spot for lawlessness oregon violence.' 

Melania gave a one-word response, 'No.'

As that azygous connection indicates, the First Lady is arsenic steely arsenic her husband. But dissimilar her archetypal clip arsenic FLOTUS, erstwhile Melania was seen arsenic a chilly beingness astatine her husband's broadside astatine nationalist events, Ms Brower thinks Melania present realises the value of shows of unity.

'I deliberation we spot them being much affectionate.

'We'll spot her lasting by him due to the fact that of the trauma of the assassination attempts. That has truly rocked her world, arsenic it would for anyone, and it made her affirm her committedness to him.

'First clip astir we saw her swatting her husband's manus away. I foretell much PDA from the White House, whether radical similar it oregon not.'

Indeed, during this term, Melania has already said she'll beryllium moving afloat into the White House having made waves staying distant from her hubby past time.

Previously, she remained successful New York portion lad Barron, present 18, was successful schoolhouse – rather a connection of her priorities, arsenic adjacent Michelle Obama moved her 2 young daughters to Washington halfway done their schoolhouse twelvemonth erstwhile her hubby was elected President.

But Melania stood her ground, insisting Barron's acquisition should not beryllium disrupted, contempt the reported costs successful flights and information being $125,000 a day. He is present astatine university.

Her wilfulness continues to pain strongly, however, arsenic Melania told Fox News past week: 'The archetypal time... I conscionable consciousness that radical didn't judge me, maybe. 

Some people, they spot maine arsenic conscionable the woman of the president, but I'm lasting connected my ain 2 feet, independent. I person my ain thoughts.'

This single-mindedness was further developed, says Mary Jordan – an subordinate exertion astatine the Washington Post who wrote a biography of Melania called

The Art of Her Deal – successful the embattled last play of her tenure arsenic First Lady.

'People adjacent to Trump's satellite archer maine that portion of it is the bunker mentality, that she, her lad and her hubby person travel nether aggravated criticism,' says

Ms Jordan. 'He was impeached, twice, and she was upset astir that.

'There were embarrassing [criminal] trials, particularly to her. She feels that this disapproval of him truly has brought them closer.'

And it's from her hubby that she has learnt the astir astir however to past arsenic a Trump, and however to support her ain interests.

As Ms Jordan puts it: 'She has a ringside spot to however helium negotiates and if you work his books, erstwhile you person leverage [that's] erstwhile you determination in. When helium entered authorities each of a abrupt she had caller leverage.

'She saw her infinitesimal and if helium wanted her to spell to Washington, to bash thing that she did not motion up for, they needed to renegotiate the prenup.

'I talked to a lawyer who did 1 of his prenups – not the Melania one, but for Marla Maples, his 2nd woman – and it was unthinkable however small she got.

'Melania – I didn't get specifics – wanted a much adjacent stock for Barron. I deliberation she's precise astute and a bully negotiator.'    

There's nary denying, that for each this evident wiliness, Melania's archetypal introduction to the East Wing – wherever the bureau of the First Lady is located – was naive and ill-prepared.

'In 2017, she was successful the midst of a large feud with [her stepdaughter] Ivanka who took immoderate of the [roles of] the First Lady,' says

Ms Jordan. 'This clip she volition beryllium wiser and person amended radical astir her.

'Hopefully radical that won't fto her deterioration jackets with rude things connected the backmost [referring to the infamous overgarment Melania wore to a migrant kid detention centre with 'I don't care' emblazoned it].' 

Perhaps it's the representation of this bruising acquisition that led to Melania enlisting Goldman Sachs bigwig John F.W. Rogers not agelong aft her husband's re-election to counsel her connected hiring caller staff.

Mr Rogers is simply a existent fixture successful the city's nine circles, and with insiders similar this down her, it's wide Melania means concern this clip around.

Speaking astir Melania's national with Trump, Ms Jordan says: 'It's unlike immoderate governmental matrimony I've ever seen. All couples are antithetic but the magnitude of clip they walk isolated is extraordinary.

I cognize she profoundly admires what he's done and is appreciative for each he's done for her. She came from a erstwhile Communist state with not overmuch and helium knows she makes him look good.'

Her modelling career, apparently, has influenced her attack to politics, says Ms Jordan: 'She's a perfectionist – she has to person each item crossed and successful authorities determination is nary perfection.

'That's wherefore it's hard to beryllium retired determination successful the unsmooth and tumble of politics.'

One wonders, then, however she volition header with the vulnerability of an up-close and idiosyncratic documentary. The idea, Melania claims, was hers alone.

But wherefore did Melania inquire arguable manager Brett Ratner to oversee it? Mr Ratner, of the Rush Hour and X Men movies, seemingly met Melania via Marc Beckman, the United Agency CEO, who has acted arsenic the First Lady's representative, overseeing her publication deal.

Mr Beckman facilitated a gathering betwixt the brace astatine Mar-a-Lago, aft Melania indicated she liked Mr Ratner's films. 

She was also, seemingly, good alert that Mr Ratner had been accused of tawdry intersexual misbehaviour by pistillate stars, which were published by the Los Angeles Times successful 2017.

His accusers included histrion Natasha Henstridge, who claimed helium erstwhile forced her to springiness him oral sex, and X Men's Olivia Munn, who accused him of masturbating successful beforehand of her, erstwhile she was an aspiring actress. 

'He walked out,' she said, 'with his belly sticking out, nary pants on, shrimp cocktail successful 1 manus and helium was furiously masturbating successful the other.'

Ms Munn said she fto retired a 'startled scream' and raced retired of the trailer. 'It wasn't a shock. It wasn't a surprise,' Ms Munn recalled. 'It was just, 'Ugh, atrocious astir that.'

Mr Ratner – who has been romantically linked to Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan – denied the claims, which bash not look to person been pursued legally, but was promptly cancelled by Hollywood.

At the clip of the allegations, his lawyer Martin Singer said Mr Ratner 'categorically' disputed the actresses' accounts.

He said: 'I person represented Mr Ratner for 2 decades, and nary pistillate has ever made a assertion against him for intersexual misconduct oregon intersexual harassment.'

His Melania documentary volition beryllium his archetypal task since the accusations were made nationalist successful 2017.

His reputation, then, to enactment it mildly, is tainted. One wonders wherefore Melania – having endured her husband's 'grab 'em by the p***y' comments – would invitation links with specified a man.

Apparently, Hollywood sources say, she liked the information that he'd been 'cast aside' by the industry.

To Ms Jordan, this contrary cognition is wholly successful keeping with her wide attack to her relation arsenic FLOTUS.

'If you asked her [what she's going to bash now], she would accidental I volition bash immoderate I consciousness like.'

One tin lone wonder, who volition beryllium the much unpredictable Trump successful the White House this clip round: the President, oregon his wife?