Thread by @taffyakner

Listen, Christmas is the worst for a variety of reasons, most of which have to do with Gentiles getting extremely depressed around then every year, but I have something to say about the part of the #MelaniaTapes that goes "they would not do the story." Here it is:

That tape is said to have been recorded July 2018. From February 2018, to April of 2019, I tried with all the tenacity I've shown your other faves, to do a profile of Melania Trump. I was in talks with her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham over email and phone.

I went to the White House to meet with Ms. Grisham in the East Wing. I went to the White House again for the Be Best unveiling. I said I would talk in my story about whatever she wants to talk about, including Be Best.

I don't know if Ms. Grisham every passed on the messages to the First Lady. For the record, I do not work for Fox news. I work for one of the organizations I believe she refers to when she says "they." I promised to be a good listener for her point of view.

After months, Ms. Grisham told me that she couldn't see what the benefit to the First Lady's participation would be. I turned my focus to a story I was already reporting that published the month after these tapes were made.

I know this isn't the part of the tapes that are getting the most attention. But aside from the true thing she says (because who does give a fuck about Christmas decorations, honestly?), this demonstrably false thing she's saying is also big.

Guys, it would have been a great story. Now, I have to see to some Sukkah decorations.

Needless to say, I have the receipts. A dumb selfie of me with a press badge at the White House, emails, and of course, the subject of another story I did that year who kept asking how THAT story was going—a retired actress who was now the CEO of a beauty and wellness company.

(I told her over a cigarette.)

I just want to say that the second tweet in this thread has some spacing and comma errors, and that I regret those errors.