Audio By Carbonatix
First lady Melania Trump did not write her own "thank you" notes to the White House residence staff who have cared for her and her family for the last years, according to two sources with knowledge of the notes and Trump's handling of them.
The 80 or so staff who received the type written notes were under the assumption the first lady had written them herself. Instead, Trump tasked a lower-level East Wing staffer with writing them "in her voice," and she signed her name.
Several sources familiar with Trump's activities, or lack thereof in recent weeks, have described the first lady as being "checked out," that she "just wants to go home," and is "not sad to be leaving" Washington and the White House.
One of the sources discussing the "thank you" notes with CNN said it is customary for first ladies – and occasionally presidents as well – to write cards or short letters of gratitude to members of household staff, especially the ones whom they get to know extremely well. Much of the correspondence includes personal anecdotes and the letters become "cherished keepsakes" for the residence staff, says the source.
The butlers, cooks, housekeepers, ushers and maintenance workers do not typically turn over with each administration and many have been working at the White House for a decade or more
Melania Trump will be exiting the White House with the lowest favorability rating of her tenure as first lady, according to a new CNN poll.
At 47%, more people have an unfavorable view of the first lady now than at any point since CNN first asked about her views of her in February 2016. The poll, conducted by SSRS for CNN, puts Trump's favorable rating at 42%, with 12% of those asked answering they are unsure of their feelings about the first lady.
Latest Stories
-
Kumasi schools face dangerous air pollution – Researcher warns
26 minutes -
Veep hails private medical schools’ role in strengthening Ghana’s healthcare
33 minutes -
Reset the system, not tariffs – FABAG demands full audit before any increases
44 minutes -
Former Liverpool co-owner Hicks dies aged 79
56 minutes -
Hojlund scores twice as Napoli beat Juventus to go top
1 hour -
Spurs investigate Yves Bissouma nitrous oxide claim
1 hour -
Pressure increases on Alonso as Celta Vigo beat 9-man Real Madrid
1 hour -
Canadian airline to start cancelling flights ahead of planned strike
2 hours -
Death of Venezuelan opposition figure in custody ‘vile’, US says
2 hours -
Trump says $72bn Netflix-Warner Bros deal ‘could be a problem’
2 hours -
Nigerian gov’t secures release of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren, Channels TV says
2 hours -
Shooting at South African bar leaves 11 dead, including a young child, police say
2 hours -
Bobi Wine says Uganda security forces beat him
2 hours -
Trump criticises Democrat he pardoned over not switching political parties
3 hours -
Nigeria seeks French help to combat insecurity, Macron says
3 hours
