Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Posted: 2018-07-25T17:03:41Z | Updated: 2018-07-25T19:56:16Z

First lady Melania Trump is staying silent on the release of a recording of her husband, President Donald Trump , discussing a payment to a former Playboy model, with a White House official brushing off concerns as kind of silly.

That brush-off followed a CNN reporter asking Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, whether Melania had a response to the tape, as well as to a recent report in the New York Times that Melania is only permitted to watch Fox News .

Did you know that every 15 minutes a baby is born with [Neonatal abstinence syndrome]? Maybe youd like to talk about the 160,000 kids who skip school every day for fear of being bullied, or that 280,000 students are physically attacked in schools every month, Grisham told CNN in an email on Wednesday. Seems kind of silly to worry about what channel she watches on TV (any channel she wants [by the way]) or if she heard some recording on the news.

Grisham sent the same statement to HuffPost when questioned about Melanias response.

NEW: I asked @StephGrisham45 whether @FLOTUS had comment on the new Trump/Cohen tape details, and if she indeed was watching @CNN aboard Air Force One, upsetting the president, as @maggieNYT & @katierogers reported last night. Here's the response I got: pic.twitter.com/SJbxbnolMp

Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) July 25, 2018","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Kate Bennett","author_url":"https://twitter.com/KateBennett_DC","cache_age":86400,"description":"NEW: I asked @StephGrisham45 whether @FLOTUS had comment on the new Trump/Cohen tape details, and if she indeed was watching @CNN aboard Air Force One, upsetting the president, as @maggieNYT & @katierogers reported last night. Here's the response I got: pic.twitter.com/SJbxbnolMp Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) July 25, 2018\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":153,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Di9OEfkWwAASYyP.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":757,"title":"Kate Bennett on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/KateBennett_DC/status/1022121563666214917","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5b58870ae4b0b15aba9429a5","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/melania-trumps-spokesman-dodges-questions-about-trump-tape_n_5b58870ae4b0b15aba9429a5","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,melania-trump,michael-cohen-lawyer,stephanie-grisham,@health_adhd,@health_depression,@health_erectile,@health_gad,@health_hiv,@health_ibs,@health_models,@health_pain","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news,women","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":9},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5b58870ae4b0b15aba9429a5","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"melania trump","slug":"melania-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/melania-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/melania-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/melania-trump"},"relegenceId":5428038,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Melania Trump","slug":"melania-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/melania-trump"},{"name":"Michael Cohen lawyer","slug":"michael-cohen-lawyer","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/michael-cohen-lawyer","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/michael-cohen-lawyer","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/michael-cohen-lawyer"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Michael Cohen","slug":"michael-cohen","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/michael-cohen"},{"name":"Stephanie Grisham","slug":"stephanie-grisham","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/stephanie-grisham","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/stephanie-grisham","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/stephanie-grisham"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/stephanie-grisham"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

NEW: I asked @StephGrisham45 whether @FLOTUS had comment on the new Trump/Cohen tape details, and if she indeed was watching @CNN aboard Air Force One, upsetting the president, as @maggieNYT & @katierogers reported last night. Here's the response I got: pic.twitter.com/SJbxbnolMp

Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) July 25, 2018

That curt reply follows CNN publishing audio on Tuesday evening of Trump discussing a payment with his former attorney Michael Cohen in apparent connection to an extramarital affair that former Playboy model Karen McDougal claims to have had with Trump.

Trump on Wednesday morning attempted to cast doubt on the recordings full contents on Twitter, suggesting that the tape was cut (off) while I was presumably saying positive things. He did not elaborate on the nature of those positive things. He also did not deny that the recording captures him discussing a $150,000 payment made by American Media Inc., the parent company of the National Enquirer, to McDougal for her story, which was never published.

Adult porn star Stormy Daniels has also claimed to have had an affair with Trump in 2006. She is currently engaged in a legal battle over a hush payment she said she received from Trumps attorney before the 2016 presidential election.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost