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U.S. NEWS Thursday 3 sepTember 2020
Mrs. Trump's ex-adviser says she taped calls for protection

WASHINGTON (AP) — A for- a former fashion model.
mer friend and adviser of Wolkoff, a New York-based
Melania Trump said Tues- event planner, said the pair
day that she made record- first met in 2003 in the hall-
ings of her conversations ways of Vogue magazine,
with the first lady because where Wolkoff worked.
she needed evidence to Wolkoff devotes two of the
protect herself amid ques- book's 11 chapters to plan-
tions about the costs of ning for the January 2017
President Donald Trump's inauguration, describing
inauguration. the committee responsible
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, for raising money to pay for
whose book "Melania and several days of events as
Me: The Rise and Fall of beset with organizational
My Friendship with the First and communications issues
Lady," was released this that complicated her work.
week, helped produce She says she repeatedly
Trump's inauguration and raised questions about
later worked for the first spending but she eventu-
lady as an unpaid White ally came to be viewed as
House adviser. the problem. Trump's Presi-
Wolkoff left the White House dential Inaugural Commit-
in February 2018 when her tee raised nearly $107 mil-
contract was terminated. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand on stage on the South Lawn of the lion for the lavish event, an
The White House blasted White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, unprecedented inaugu-
in Washington.
the book as "full of mistruths Associated Press ral price tag nearly twice
and paranoia." that of President Barack
Separately, Wolkoff told my friend, as the White told her that White House tapes their self-described Obama's inauguration in
The Washington Post that House said, and how hor- attorneys claimed there best friend is, by definition, 2009.
Mrs. Trump used private rible of a human being I am was no other choice but to dishonest," Grisham said. Some of those involved in
email accounts while at for doing that." turn her back on her friend "The book is not only full of or aware of the commit-
the White House. Others in "And they're right. If she was because there was a pos- mistruths and paranoia, it is tee's work told The Associ-
the White House, including my friend, it would be hor- sible probe of the presiden- based on some imagined ated Press in September
Trump's daughter Ivanka rible. But Melania and the tial inauguration commit- need for revenge. 2017 that the orchestration
and her husband, Jared White House had accused tee. Wolkoff said she taped Wolkoff builds herself up of the inauguration was
Kushner, have been criti- me of criminal activity and the first lady because "I was while belittling and blaming marred by last-minute deci-
cized for doing official busi- publicly shamed and fired going to do anything in my everyone she worked with, sions, staffing turnover and
ness on private accounts me and made me their power to make sure that I yet she still managed to little financial oversight.
– but, unlike them, the first scapegoat," Wolkoff said. was protected." be the victim. Sadly, this is Wolkoff told ABC News in
lady is not a government "At that moment in time, Stephanie Grisham, chief a deeply insecure woman an interview broadcast
employee. that's when I pressed re- of staff and spokesperson who's need to be relevant Monday that she con-
In an interview on MSN- cord. She was no longer my for Melania Trump, said defies logic." tinues to cooperate with
BC's "The Rachel Maddow friend and she was willing Wolkoff was out for re- In the book, Wolkoff says multiple criminal investiga-
Show," Wolkoff said, "I've to let them take me down." venge. she wished she had never tions into the committee's
been accused of taping Wolkoff said Melania Trump "Anybody who secretly met the first lady, who is operations.q
U.S. further restricts Chinese diplomats travel, meetings

By MATTHEW LEE AP partment of plans for such on PRC diplomats are a
Diplomatic Writer meetings. direct response to the ex-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pompeo also said that Chi- cessive restraints already
Trump administration on nese diplomats will have placed on our diplomats
Wednesday stepped up its now to get permission to by the PRC, and they aim
battle with China by further host cultural events of more to provide further trans-
restricting the ability of Chi- than 50 people outside of parency on the practices
nese diplomats to travel, their diplomatic missions. In of the PRC government.
hold meetings with aca- addition, he said the State Should the PRC eliminate
demics and host cultural Department would act to the restrictions imposed on
events in the United States. ensure that the social me- U.S. diplomats, we stand
Secretary of State Mike dia accounts of Chinese ready to reciprocate."
Pompeo announced that officials be identified as The moves come as the
senior U.S.-based Chinese belonging to the People's administration ramps up
diplomats will now be re- Republic of China and the actions against Chinese of-
quired to get permission to Chinese Communist Party. ficials in a widening effort Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news
conference at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday,
visit American universities "The United States insists on to counter what it says is Sept. 2, 2020.
or meet with local govern- reciprocal access to edu- unfair treatment of Ameri- Associated Press
ment officials. cational and cultural insti- can diplomats in China.
Previously, under rules an- tutions for U.S. diplomats And they come as relations trade, Taiwan, Tibet, hu- for failing to adequately re-
nounced last fall, Chinese around the world," Pom- between the two countries man rights, Hong Kong and spond to the COVID-19 out-
officials had been required peo said. continue to plummet amid the coronavirus pandemic. break, which began in the
only to notify the State De- "These new requirements a numerous disputes over Trump has blamed China Chinese city of Wuhan.q