Madeleine Westerhout Vouches For Donald & Melania's Relationship On The Witness Stand

Between claims from Melania Trump's former aide that Donald Trump's hush money case is rocking their marriage and seeing Melania's absence from court over the course of the trial, rumors about the couple are at an all-time high. However, Donald's former personal assistant has taken the stand to testify, and her words may provide another side to this story. On Friday, May 10, Madeleine Westerhout gave some context about Donald's reaction to news of Stormy Daniels' allegations against him. 

Donald is currently on trial for paying Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to keep her quiet about their alleged affair. This affair is said to have taken place in July 2006, a mere four months after Melania gave birth to her and Donald's son, Barron. Suffice it to say, it's easy to understand why Melania would be upset about this trial and why it may cause marital troubles between the couple. 

However, an unlikely person from Donald's past suggested that, when the 2018 article that first alleged the affair and money exchange between Donald and Daniels came out, his wife was the first thing on his mind. Does this prove that Donald is, in fact, the "family man" that he and his defense team claim? Not necessarily, but it may be the bit of help he needs to push this narrative.

Despite the fact that he fired her in 2019 after she made some unflattering comments about his relationship with his children, Donald Trump was all smiles when his former employee, Madeleine Westerhout, began testifying on May 9. It seems that Donald was right to have confidence in what his ex-aide would say about him. On May 10, Westerhout explained that when the Stormy Daniels article was published, Donald "was very upset by it," according to CNN. "My understanding was he knew it would be hurtful to his family," she added. She explained that Donald "didn't specifically speak about his family in that conversation," but that this was her belief.

 In the courtroom, Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche has said, "He's not just our former president; he's a husband. He's a father. And he's a person — just like you and just like me," per The New York Times. This is clearly a narrative that Donald and his team are hoping to push to influence the jury. Whether that's possible considering how much of a preconceived notion virtually everyone has about Donald is unclear. If anything could prove this point, it's an ex-employee explaining just how much he cares about his wife and children. Westerhout's words may not make a big difference in how the jury perceives the former president, but at the very least, it's one of the few positive statements about the Trumps' marriage so far in this trial.