Ivanka Trump Reportedly Irked Melania With Her Desire to Be First Lady in a 'Ceremonial Sense'

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Most people who follow politics know that Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump aren’t BFFs, but author Michael Schmidt’s book, Donald Trump v. The United States, is offering new insight as to how rough their relationship actually was during the Donald Trump administration. It reportedly became the job of then-White House chief of staff John Kelly to referee the conflicts between the two women.

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Schmidt discussed with MSNBC how Kelly, who had more important things to do, was often distracted by insignificant issues. “Here’s John Kelly, right, concerned that we could be on the brink of war with North Korea, trying to mitigate these issues that are not as serious but were front and center in the Trump White House where things were off the rails,” he said. Kelly’s job as a “four-star Marine general” was to “put in structure and better staffing for Trump” and instead he’s babysitting the First Lady and Donald Trump’s favorite daughter.

“He’s confronting far more frivolous issues like fights between the first lady and Ivanka Trump, and Ivanka Trump trying to maneuver, what Kelly was told, to become the first lady in this ceremonial ways,” Schmidt added. The muscling to stand in the first position next to Donald Trump came when Melania waited months to move to White House so son Barron could finish out the school year in New York. That’s when Ivanka established her spot, and according to a 2017 Washington Post article, suggested renaming the “First Lady’s Office” the “First Family Office.”

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Ivanka remained a significant part of her father’s administration, one that she has tried to distance herself from after leaving Washington, D.C., but Melania had to establish “firm boundaries” once she landed permanently in the White House. There was only one First Lady position, and it wasn’t Ivanka’s to have, but it sounds like Kelly had to navigate some choppy waters to remind everyone the order of power.

Before you go, click here to see presidential families over the years.

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