Donald and Melania Trump eat at roped-off table like ‘zoo animals’ at at Mar-a-Lago, book says

Former president continues to reside at club following departure from office

Donald Trump and his wife Melania are allegedly treated like “zoo animals” at their Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and often eat behind a “roped-off table”, a new book has claimed.

Journalist Michael Wolff reveals the claims in his new book Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, an extract of which was shared with The Times.

The Trumps are purportedly "looked at, somewhat, like zoo animals”, Mr Wolff writes, before instead determining they are more like a “newly married couple” with “wellwishers” continually greeting them.

The former president has been residing at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate since leaving the Whtie House on 20 January. He recently relocated to New Jersey for the summer, when Mar-a-Lago is closed for the hurricane season.

Mr Wolff claims that the pair maintain an “old-fashioned club life” at the resort and are fawned over by their supporters.

At dinner, the journalist claims that Mr Trump appears “just as the patio has filled, at which point everyone stands and applauds”.

“Often, when Melania is here, they eat alone at a roped-off table in the centre – looked at, somewhat, like zoo animals,” he writes in The Times.

Mr Wolff also speculates about how much time Ms Trump actually spends at Mar-a-Lago with her husband, making reference to Ms Trump’s delayed move into the White House in 2017.

"For four years in the White House, it was never quite clear how much time she was spending at the White House or in a house in Maryland where she had settled her parents," the book reads.

The author continues: "Aides were careful not to closely inquire or openly wonder. Here too, in Mar-a-Lago, it was unclear."

Since Mr Trump left Washington for Florida on Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day he is reported to have spoken at GOP fundraisers and even made cameos at weddings held at the club.

Ms Trump has maintained a low profile since relinquishing her role in the administration. Even during her time as first lady, she embodied a relatively private persona.

Mr Trump’s spokesperson Liz Harrington called the claims in Mr Wolff’s book “false” in a statement to The Mail Online.

“Michael Wolff sat for over two hours in interviews with President Trump and never asked him about ... false claims Wolff has been making,’ Ms Harrington told the newspaper.

She added: “If he had, President Trump would have knocked them down, but instead Wolff decided to try to sell books with more Fake News.”

The Independent has reached out to the Office of Donald J Trump and the Office of Melania Trump for comment.

Reports have often speculated about the pair’s behaviour since their abrupt departure from the nation’s capital, with CNN having previously reported Ms Trump spends a lot of time in the spa.

As for Mr Trump, it's still unclear what his next political move may be. Rumors have continued to swirl about a possible 2024 run for president but he has yet to confirm any concrete plans.