According to former Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Miles Taylor, a mass exodus of key officials from the Trump administration might have led to Melania Trump considering divorcing the former president. Taylor gained widespread attention when he revealed himself as the author of the anonymous essay titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,” published in the New York Times in 2018.
In his latest book, “Blowback,” Taylor recounts conversations among major administration officials in the fall of 2018, discussing the possibility of all resigning simultaneously in response to the Trump administration’s controversial border policy, particularly regarding asylum seekers and the family separation policy. Taylor mentioned that Melania Trump’s name surprisingly came up during these discussions, with one attendee asserting that she would contemplate leaving her husband if enough key officials resigned.
The former official highlights that Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, such as wanting to turn away all asylum seekers, using tear gas on migrants at the border, and even considering shooting illegal entrants into the United States, were part of the family separation policy. Taylor saw a mass resignation as a powerful statement against Trump’s behavior and believed it would be impossible for Republicans and the nation to ignore if top officials left in protest.
Among the officials who considered leaving were then-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Intelligence Director Dan Coats, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
However, the idea of a mass resignation eventually fell apart, and Taylor expressed disappointment in missing the opportunity to make a strong statement against the president’s actions. He suggested that some officials may have hesitated due to contractual obligations or the hope that they could make a difference by staying longer. Nonetheless, after the plan fizzled out, Trump went on to fire several officials.
Taylor admitted that he had little personal interaction with Melania Trump and did not possess in-depth insights into her marriage with the ex-president beyond what he heard from others in the White House. He mentioned that there were suggestions behind the scenes that Melania might have had a contractual obligation to Trump, and there might have been a renegotiation after his election.
