Emily-Grace was leaving the White House when Natalie called. She was clearly upset. “I have to stay out of sight for a few days. The Chinese president is coming and Melania will stay at the White House. The President says he needs Melania to be happy with him for this visit. Can I come to stay with you?”
Emily-Grace: “I will need to ask my Aunt, but I am sure it will be OK.”
Natalie: “Can I come now?” Emily-Grace was surprised at the urgency and said “yes”.
Natalie arrived about an hour later and almost immediately burst into tears. “It's not fair. I do everything for him and as soon as her needs her he pushes me away.”
Emily-Grace: “He needs an official wife sometimes.”
Natalie: “I understand, but it still hurts.”
Emily-Grace then decided to ask Natalie a question that she had previously avoided: “Are you lovers?”
Natalie hesitated before replying: “Only sometimes – only sort of.”
Emily-Grace did not really understand this answer but did not pursue the matter.
(When she later told her Aunt Dawn about this conversation her Aunt suggested that it might be a Bill Clinton -- Monica Lewinsky type situation.)
Emily-Grace decided to change the subject and asked about Susie Wiles. Natalie sniffed again and wiped away a tear. “When I ask him about her leaving he now gets angry. He says she may be too important to go. Today he asked if I would like to be his official press secretary replacing Karoline Leavitt.”
Emily-Grace: “That would be good, I think. What did you say?”
Natalie: “Could I then become Secretary of State? Would people take me seriously? And, what about becoming JD’s running mate?”
Emily-Grace had to restrain herself. She wanted to say that these ideas were fantasy but did not want to be so cruel, so she simply said: “I think that you should become the press-secretary. Even if other things do not happen like you hope, it will give you a lot of experience.”
When Emily-Grace walked into the kitchen after waking-up next morning Natalie was already drinking coffee. Natalie said: “You don’t need to go to the White House today. We can work here if that is OK?”
This suggestion was appealing to Emily-Grace in part because it would give her a chance to see what Natalie actually did. It turned out that Natalie spent the morning reading stories on the internet and watching podcast videos. Emily-Grace could see that Natalie was depressed and tried to cheer her up by suggesting that they go for a walk but Natalie said that she had too much work to do.
When Emily-Grace asked how she could help, Natalie told her that “being a supportive friend was enough”.
Emily-Grace then felt that she had little choice but to play along with Natalie’s fantasies and her belief in what Trump told her.
While she was scrolling on the internet Emily-Grace came across a story that Melania Trump had launched a new business-focused women's initiative called Imperia which was designed as a sort of “Davos for executive women” so that they could network. It was to be invitation-only and help women move beyond just "a seat at the table" and toward "owning, growing and making space for the women who come next".
Emily-Grace was unsure whether Natalie had seen this and hesitated to bring it to her attention.
“Stupid woman”, exclaimed Natalie a little later. If she was not the president’s wife she would be sitting in a home for brain-less former models. And second rate ones at that!”
A little later Natalie's phone rang. Natalie answered and then listened saying nothing. I was clear to Emily-Grace that Natalie was angry. “Susie Wiles has told the Secret Service to stop protecting me and transporting me.”
Emily-Grace: “Will the president tell them that they should?”
Natalie: “I don’t know. He is unpredictable sometimes.”
Emily-Grace could not think of any way to try to cheer Natalia up, so she said nothing. But it was not long before things changed. Natalie's phone rang and after looking at the caller ID she answered excitedly: “Hi.” After listening: “Yes. Bye, my dear!”
Natalie: “Xi Jinping leaves tomorrow, and I can go back.”
Emili-Grace: “What time should we go?”
Natalie: “I will go late in afternoon. You can come the next day.”
Emily-Grace: “So, Melania will also have left?”
Natalie, with an excited voice: “Yes!”
Now that Natalie was in a better psychological state, Emily-Grace decided that she could ask her views on some of the other people around Trump. She already knew the situation with Susie Wiles so she asked about several others. “What do you think of Stephen Miller? Some of the media reports are very bad.”
Natalie: “No, no. He is very loyal to Donny. And he hates Susie Wiles.”
Emily-Grace noticed that Natalie had referred to Trump as “Donny” rather than “the president” which she took as Natalie feeling happy and confident.
Natalie continued: “Wiles – the bitch – tries to keep him away from the president, so sometimes Stephen asks me to help. He wants to be appointed officially as National Security Adviser but Wiles keeps telling the president it is a bad idea.”
Natalie was in a chirpy mood the next morning when she came into the kitchen. Emily-Grace had already prepared breakfast and coffee and was reading the “Washingtonian” newspaper online. There was a story about Natalie and quoting her about working for Trump.
Natalie was anxious to see it and quickly opened her laptop. She appeared generally pleased with what was written but commented to Emily-Grace that “Steven had got carried away” when it came to Susie Wiles.”
Emily-Grace had never met Steven Cheung but had recognized him easily in the White because he was “grossly fat” in Natalie’s words. According to the article, Natalie’s comments had been emailed to the “Washingtonian” by Cheung who was White House Communications Director.
Natalie was reported as saying that Susie Wiles was one of the women she “most admired” and was “an example to all of what can be accomplished when one has the strength and resolve to do so”.
Emily-Grace smiled has she recalled Natalie’s own comments to her about Wiles.
Emily-Grace searched for a way to ask Natalie about her reported comments about dealing with stress: “Since the epicenter of ‘power’ is not Washington, D.C., but Heaven, every morning I listen to a few chapters of the Bible on audiobook and pray for God’s wisdom and strength in whatever situations may arise.”
Suppressing her urge to laugh, Emily-Grace simply said: “I didn’t know you listened to an audiobook.”
Natalie said nothing in response and Emily-Grace decided that it would be better for their relationship if she did not ask about this other passage attributed to Natalie:
“Washington, D.C., does not work at the speed of “TRUMP!” We have only four years to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and that sense of urgency is absent from too many, while the Radical Left tries to stop, or slow down, the momentum the President is building for the Golden Age of America. Ultimately, however, the President continues to do as much as possible, as quickly as possible, delivering Historic Results for our Country, and the World.”
And then there was another Natalie reply to a question about her “professional success and achievement at a relatively young age”:
“Age is just a number. Years count how long you have been doing something, not necessarily how good you are at it. Throughout his career, the President has never compartmentalized people into their demographics, but rather has the rare gift of seeing something in people that perhaps they don’t see in themselves, male or female, young or old, and then bringing those gifts into focus. Take a look at his Cabinet. The diversity in skill, talent, and backgrounds, creates a dynamic unit, which works cohesively together to secure unprecedented WINS for the American People. In the end, History will remember us not for our gender, years lived, or at what age we reached what the World sees as “success” but, by what we did, and that, will outlive us!”
Did Natalie really say all this stuff, wondered Emily-Grace. How much of it did she really believe? Emily-Grace decided that she would discuss it with her Aunt Dawn before trying to probe Natalie about her true thoughts."
To be continued ....