U.S. President Donald Trumpâs first wife, Ivana, and his current one, Melania, have become embroiled in a spat over the title of first lady.
Ivana Trump sparked the war of words in an interview with ABC News, during which she jokingly suggested she was the first lady because she was Trumpâs first wife.
âI have a direct number to the White House, but I donât really want to call him there because Melania is there, and I donât want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that,â she said in the interview. âBecause Iâm basically first Trump wife, okay? Iâm first lady, okay?â
First Lady Melania Trumpâs spokesperson fired back at Ivana in a statement, calling her comments âattention-seeking and self-serving noiseâ from an âex.â
âMrs. Trump is honoured by her role as First Lady of the United States,â the statement said. âShe plans to use her title to help children, not sell books.â
Ivana made the remark while discussing her new book, âRaising Trump,â in which she describes raising Trumpâs three eldest children, Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr.
The feud between Trumpâs first and third wives (he was also married to Marla Maples for five years) set off a flurry of chatter on social media, where many compared the situation to a reality TV show.
watching melania feud w ivana
â Oliver Willis (@owillis)
Q: If Melania and Ivana had a verbal catfight, would anyone understand what they're saying?
â Triple B (@Brooke415)
I think is playing the role effectively- Ivana and Melania Trump can tussle it out all they want, don't matter!
â Middlejoint (@sirjkobby)
Ivana is playing Melania like a fine-tuned violin. Knew exactly what to say. Now bring on the Dynasty fight through the West Wing! :D
â Sheryl Nantus (@SherylNantus)
On this episode of Keeping Up With The Trumpdashians:
â Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin)
Ivana says she's 1st Lady.
Melania has a meltdown.
Ivanka says..
Donald and Ivana Trump were married for 15 years before splitting over Trumpâs affair with model Marla Maples. Trump divorced Ivana in 1992 and married Maples the following year, shortly after she gave birth to his fourth child, Tiffany. Trump and Maples split in 1997 and divorced in 1999.
Donald married Melania Trump in 2005, a year before she gave birth to his youngest son, Barron.