Michael Wolff accused Melania Trump on Monday of 'staging being the first lady', alleging in a column that her role at the White House has become a vehicle for paid media projects.
The biographer of President Donald Trump made the claim after her lawyers threatened to sue him for defamation.
His criticism of Melania Trump's public role followed weekend appearances on Daily Beast podcasts where he discussed her activities.
Melania Trump's Media Projects
Wolff linked his assessment of the first lady's public role to her films and book, claiming she was turning limited public visibility into material for commercial projects. 'There is no 'there' there, but she's making gobs of money off of it,' he wrote.
He said she was documenting her activities for a new film following Melania, a production he dismissed as lacking substance. He applied similar criticism to her book, describing it as disconnected from meaning, value and importance.
The column portrayed the films and book as parts of the same approach to public life, with Melania Trump controlling how she is presented while profiting from that image.
Wolff's argument centred on the distinction between performing public duties and producing material about appearing to perform them.
He described her as a 'fictional character', suggesting that the unusual course of her life had given her scope to create a public image largely detached from reality. 'Her work as first lady is staging being the first lady,' Wolff wrote.
He alleged that Amazon was paying for that presentation and suggested Jeff Bezos wanted good relations with the White House. Those claims formed part of his broader argument that her public profile had become a commercial enterprise.
Wolff also considered her independence from her husband. He acknowledged that such autonomy could be viewed positively, contrasting that possibility with how Hillary Clinton's independence was received. He assessed that Melania Trump's approach served personal enrichment.
Scrutiny of Melania Trump
His criticism extended to the attention she receives from journalists. Wolff argued that reporters had largely avoided examining where she lives, her marriage, her other relationships and the path that brought her to Donald Trump.
He linked that reluctance to potential legal action, saying 'it is quite unclear how to even speak of her without getting an immediate letter from her lawyers.'
The author also questioned an organisation she had announced, alleging that it would never exist beyond the announcement. The account did not name the organisation, providing no further details about its structure or activities.
Melania Trump supported an anti-bullying initiative during her husband's first term. Other first ladies championed identifiable causes, including Laura Bush's support for literacy and libraries.
Michelle Obama promoted healthy food and exercise and worked with then-second lady Jill Biden to support military families.
Against that background, Wolff questioned the purpose of Melania Trump's second-term activities, presenting her media projects as central to his criticism of her approach to the role.
The account includes no response from Melania Trump or her representatives to the latest column. It also does not identify the statements that prompted the threatened defamation action or establish that a lawsuit has been filed.
