Melania Trump reportedly asked a staffer to write her thank you notes to White House residence employees

• Melania Trump asked an employee to write thank you notes to White House staff on her behalf.
• The staffer wrote approximately 80 notes that Trump then signed herself, sources told CNN.
• In a farewell speech issued on Tuesday, she said the last four years had been "unforgettable."

Former first lady Melania Trump asked a staffer to write thank you notes to White House residence employees "in her voice," according to a report from CNN.

Presidents and first ladies traditionally write thank you cards to butlers, cooks, housekeepers, maintenance workers, and other White House staff who remain in the building through administration shifts, but this year Melania opted to outsource the job.

Instead of writing them herself, she asked an employee who worked in the East Wing to type out about 80 thank you cards. Melania then signed them all with her name, sources told CNN.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the former first lady had been "emotionally checked out" in recent weeks, having made few public appearances.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden's daughter said that Melania hadn't reached out to her mother, now-first lady Jill Biden, in the weeks leading up to Wednesday's inauguration.

The Washington Post reported that she "quietly" worked with White House Chief Usher Timothy Harleth to help coordinate the logistics around the Bidens' move into the White House.

The day before the Trumps departed the White House on Wednesday morning, Melania issued a farewell speech in which she said the last four years had been "unforgettable."

"As Donald and I conclude our time in the White House, I think of all of the people I have taken home in my heart and their incredible stories of love, patriotism and determination," she said.

• Read more:
• How the government will 'thoroughly clean and disinfect' White House furniture, door knobs, and light switches after Trump leaves
• Ashley Biden says Melania Trump hasn't reached out to Jill Biden about a White House meeting before the inauguration
• Melania Trump still hasn't spoken with the Bidens but is quietly facilitating their White House move-in, according to reports
• Melania Trump didn't know whether she'd be attending Biden's inauguration until the president tweeted that he'd skip it