You come from a journalistic family. When did you know you’d follow your father and mother into the business?
I always say I was born into an ink-stained family. I think it always meant I’d be a storyteller. I remember when my parents ran Roll Call. They took it over when it was just a tiny little rag. I’d spend summer vacations selling classifieds and proofreading. It seems like I naturally fell into all of this.
You’ve made the transition from print journalism to TV. What’s that been like?
I’ve been lucky to get to run the gamut. I love writing, and that’s my primary focus—writing the digital piece that goes along [with] a TV segment is my favorite. I also like that CNN is giving me the freedom to discuss the first lady in a way that is important and newsy with COVER/LINE, the newsletter Hunter Schwarz and I do together. It’s an outlet to talk about the first lady in a more colloquial sense—her fashion, her daily schedule. I want it to be a newsletter that’s not as wonky as Politico’s Playbook, but not as frothy as The Skimm. It’s got news and substance and thought to it. We try to do some news and then some obscure things: a link to a story I’ve read, or a throwback picture, like an old photo of the Trumps. It’s kind of whatever I’m thinking about.
You’re the only full-time reporter devoted to covering Melania Trump. What’s been surprising about her?
It’s been so interesting watching her step into this role. I’m following the day-to-day life of a woman who never in her wildest dreams thought she would be first lady. I think she likes it, but it’s a little like watching someone go into an operating room who’d never been to med school. I’ve been surprised by how independent Melania is, and what a tight ship she runs compared to the chaotic West Wing. She’s had almost no turnover and no leaks from her staff.
I cover Melania full time, so I’m at almost every public event she does, from visiting a children’s hospital in Ohio to helping with hurricane recovery efforts in Texas. But she is press shy, and a very private person overall. Developing a relationship with the media has been much more difficult with Mrs. Trump than with previous first ladies, but that’s not for my lack of trying. She doesn’t take questions at her events, so far. However, she does release frequent statements through her communications director and gives a speech every so often.
What’s it like traveling with her?
I think she’s primarily a mom, and she tries to always be home when Barron gets home from school. This means that when I’ve traveled with her, we’ve had some crazy trips, like going to Texas and back in a day. And no matter where we are, and no matter what Melania is wearing—jeans and boots or a dress and heels—she always sits down with the kids at those tiny kid chairs and tables.
When we were on our way back from China, we spent an hour on the ground refueling in Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. We flew in with the snow and the mountains, and then she met with kids and the military stationed there. She played with Play-Doh and made a paper harmonica. I’m telling you: Melania can be crafty.
