Melania Trump and her stepdaughter Ivanka Trump had something of a power struggle following Donald Trump‘s victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. According to excerpts from Mary Jordan’s new book, The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump, which were published in The Washington Post, Trump immediately shut down Ivanka’s bid to have the First Lady’s Office renamed to the “First Family Office.”
Based off more than 100 interviews, Jordan’s book details the first lady’s rivalry with her stepdaughter, which was only fueled following the president’s 2016 win, something that took even him by surprise. As the Trumps abruptly had to adjust to their new roles, the president moved from his luxury penthouse in Trump Tower in New York City to the White House to begin his term in office. Trump, meanwhile, opted to remain at Trump Tower with their son, Barron, while she renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with her husband. However, her absence in the White House opened up more room for Ivanka, who was appointed as an adviser in her father’s administration.
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According to Jordan’s book, “staff positions and budgets that would have been available to support the first lady’s office” were “diverted to support those in the West Wing, including Ivanka.” Ivanka even reportedly tried to get her father to officially rename the “First Lady’s Office” the “First Family Office,” something that the first lady “did not allow.”
“With Melania away, Ivanka used the private theater, with its plush red seats, and enjoyed other White House perks,” Jordan wrote. “Some said she treated the private residence as if it were her own home. Melania did not like it. When she and Barron finally moved in, she put an end to the ‘revolving door’ by enforcing firm boundaries.”
Over the years, Ivanka has taken on additional roles while continuing to work at the White House. Along with being an advisor, she also works on entrepreneurship initiatives. Trump, meanwhile, has led the “Be Best” campaign, an anti-bullying initiative. Although she has a much less public role, Jordan claimed that the first lady is the president’s “single most influential adviser” at the White House. The president reportedly “takes her views very seriously.”
The claims in Jordan’s book, however, have largely been discredited by the White House. Addressing the book, Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s spokeswoman and chief of staff, said it was “yet another book about Mrs. Trump with false information and sources” and that it “belongs in the fiction genre,” according to PEOPLE.
