Ivanka Trump Reportedly Wanted To Take Over Melania's First Lady Duties
Donald Trump has two women who have played very prominent roles while he was in the White House: his third wife, Melania Trump, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump. Melania of course served as the nation's First Lady while Ivanka was her father's political advisor. Donald's second daughter, Tiffany Trump, was not as involved in the White House as much as her older sister Ivanka, and their two brothers, Donald Jr. and Eric.
However, it's been reported that Ivanka wanted to take over Melania's duties as the first lady. Ivanka was so competitive with Melania that she wanted to step into a role that she didn't quite fit into, seeing how she was only her father's daughter and not his spouse.
Ivanka's relationship with her step-mother Melania can perhaps best be described by their interactions at public events and on the red carpet. Both seem to remain calm, cool, and cordial whenever they are with one another. But it seems like there is more than what meets the eye as the two supposedly had a more complicated relationship behind the scenes. And it's one that certainly has a lot of people raising their eyebrows over it.
Ivanka Trump wanted to be the unofficial First Lady
In 2020, many political observers couldn't help but notice First Lady Melania Trump give her step-daughter Ivanka Trump, a major side-eye at the Republican National Convention. Some even called their interaction a quiet power struggle between the two women. Well, there seems to be a good reason for it. The two women just didn't get along.
Apparently, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly even had to get in the middle of Melania and Ivanka during their arguments, according to New York Times journalist Michael Schmidt, author of "Donald Trump vs. The United States." There's a good chance that Ivanka might have used one of her carefully polished Manahlo Blahnik's to step on Melania's toes during their four years in Washington, D.C. But Kelly felt he had more important things to take care of. Schmidt told MSNBC in an interview in January 2023, "He comes into the White House, he thinks that he needs to put in structure and better staffing for Trump, and all of a sudden, 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 way."
And that wasn't the only time that Ivanka supposedly tried to reach for Melania's First Lady crown.
Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump have a complicated relationship
According to reporter Kate Bennett's book, "Free, Melania: The Unauthorized Biography," Ivanka Trump was so eager to get ahead of Melania Trump that she even competed for media attention. When Melania was preparing to take her first solo trip to Africa as the nation's First Lady, she prepared mini-videos ahead of her trip. Ivanka supposedly followed in her stepmother's footsteps by making videos of her own for her individual projects, too. The First Lady didn't appreciate her daughter-in-law trying to copy her moves. But Melania's spokesperson at the time, Stephanie Grisham, told CNN in 2019 that there was no truth to the rumors of discord between the two women. She said Melania and Ivanka "always shared a close relationship and still do today."
However, Ivanka threw some shade at her stepmother by calling her "The Portrait," as explained in Mary Jordan's "The Art of Her Deal." because she never really said anything. Then again, it's not like Melania really has to say anything. While Ivanka might be using her well-heeled shoes to make her moves, Donald's wife's perfectly applied dark eyeliner and portrait-like looks might do all the talking for her.