A new round of rumors is swirling around President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after author and longtime Trump critic Michael Wolff claimed the couple is “separated” — and not just in the emotional sense.

Wolff, best known for his controversial bestseller Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, appeared on The Daily Beast podcast this week, where he asserted that the Trumps are no longer living as husband and wife in any traditional sense. “They do not share a life the way we typically define a marriage,” Wolff said, adding bluntly, “They are separated. They lead entirely separate lives.”

The author, who has long taken aim at the president, doubled down, saying the dynamic between Donald and Melania Trump isn’t just distant — it’s practically nonexistent. “They’re not together. Not in the way the public assumes,” Wolff said.

Fueling the speculation, The New York Times recently reported that Melania has spent little time at the White House since Trump returned to office in January. According to the paper, sources close to the first lady estimate she has stayed at the presidential residence for no more than two weeks total — and even that, insiders said, was a generous estimate.

According to the same report, Melania has been deeply concerned about her family’s security, particularly after two alleged threats to Trump’s life last year. The incidents reportedly “shook” her, contributing to her preference to remain in more private settings, away from the glare of D.C.

Unsurprisingly, the White House isn’t taking the claims lightly. Trump communications director Steven Cheung fired back at Wolff in a blistering statement to The Telegraph, calling him “an imbecile of the highest order.” Cheung went on to accuse Wolff of being “so consumed by Trump Derangement Syndrome that he’s lost all connection to reality.”

Despite the fierce pushback, some media outlets have reported that Melania is unlikely to take on a full-time residence at the White House during a second Trump term. Instead, sources told CNN that she plans to split her time between Palm Beach and New York.

When Fox News asked Melania directly about her role if Trump returns to the White House, she responded calmly. “This time is different,” she said. “I have more experience and I know what to expect.” The former model added that she would primarily be based in Washington, but would also travel to New York and Palm Beach “when needed.”

The comments come amid years of speculation about the Trumps’ relationship — from tabloid rumors to online conspiracy theories, including bizarre claims that a body double occasionally fills in for Melania during public appearances.

Though the couple has long denied any marital trouble, public appearances have done little to quash the rumors. And with critics like Wolff continuing to push the narrative that the first couple is living apart, it seems the scrutiny isn’t going away anytime soon.

For now, the White House is sticking to its message: The Trumps are united — despite what the rumor mill may say.

Sources: Express