Rumors of another alleged affair involving President Donald Trump leaked this week, and it appears to be affecting the behavior of First Lady Melania Trump.
First Lady Trump was seen breaking protocol on Friday as she arrived at Air Force One alone for a scheduled flight to Florida to meet the survivors of the Parkland Florida Shooting with her husband. The President was nowhere to be seen.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Earlier in the afternoon The New Yorker published a story claiming Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, allegedly had an affair with Trump from June 2006 to April 2007. If those dates are factual, Trump would’ve have been cheating on the First Lady during and after her pregnancy with their youngest child, Barron (born in March 2007).
While the move was unusual, the two were seen leaving Air Force One together when they arrived in Florida. According to Melania’s communications director Stephanie Grisham, the break in tradition was due to a scheduling issue.
“With her schedule it was easier to meet him on the plane,” Grisham said.
A White House spokesperson denied McDougal’s claims.
“This is an old story that is just more fake news,” the spokesperson said. “The President says he never had a relationship with McDougal.”
This is the second report of an alleged affair against Trump in as many months, as The Wall Street Journal first reported in January that Trump had his lawyer pay adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair in 2006 four months after his son was born.
Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen denied the initial report, but later claimed he paid Daniels out of pocket.
When the Daniels story first broke, Melania was seen traveling in separate cars from her husband to the U.S. Capitol building for the State of Address speech on Jan. 30. This, just like Friday’s solitary arrival to Air Force One, broke tradition.
Most Viewed
-
(Credit: Netflix) -
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during Monday’s May 18, 2026 show. Photo: Scott Kowalchyk ©2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. -
Attend the "Modern Family" ATAS event at Saban Media Center on May 3, 2017 in North Hollywood, California. -
(Credit: Imagesines/Getty Images) -
(Disney/Mike Taing) RICHARD T. JONES, BRIDGET REGAN -
GREY’S ANATOMY – Key Art. (Disney) -
“Reverse the Curse” – Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured: Aubry Bracco Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
