Trump's White House Fired A Gay Staffer Because Of His Grindr Account, Book Reveals

KEY POINTS

Former Chief of Staff John Kelly allegedly made the firing decision
The staffer was escorted out of the White House by an armed Secret Service agent, says the book
In March 2018, several White House staffers were fired or reassigned due to security clearance issues

The Trump administration reportedly fired a gay White House staffer after discovering he had a Grindr account during the security clearance process, according to a book.

In the book, “I’ll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in the Trump White House,” Stephanie Grisham, former White House aide and the author of the memoir, wrote that then-Chief of Staff John Kelly fired the staffer to prevent Melania Trump from “embarrassment.”

“[He]was walked out of the White House by a woman from Human Resources, followed by an armed Secret Service agent, and not given a second thought," Grisham said in the book, according to the Business Insider that obtained a copy of the memoir.

Grisham also called for the former first lady over the firing, noting that while she reacted angrily over the decision, she ultimately did nothing to stop it.

"If the person had truly been removed solely because he was gay and had a lively Grindr account, that was wrong. This was a White House filled with adulterers," the author wrote. "I had a DUI, and they let me stay."

In March 2018, several White House staffers were fired or reassigned due to security clearance issues following the domestic abuse allegations against former White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who helped an interim top security clearance, according to ABC News.

In the book, which was released Oct. 5, Grisham also revealed that Melania grew disengaged with politics over time. In one instance, the former first lady chose to sleep through an election night event, even as hundreds of pro-Trump supporters gathered in the White House for a party.

Grisham also detailed the tension between Mrs. Trump and Ivanka, whom the former referred to as “the princess” behind her back.

Grisham worked in various roles in the Trump administration, beginning in 2016 when she was tapped to become Donald Trump’s press aide for his 2016 presidential campaign. She then became a part of Trump’s transition team before she was hired as Melania’s chief of staff and press secretary from 2020 to 2021.

Grisham resigned from her position in Trump’s White House on Jan. 6 following the devastating riot at the U.S. Capitol.