Melania Trump blasts ‘attention-seeking’ Ivana after ‘I’m First Lady’ comment

Ivana, 68, boasted she had a “direct number” to her ex-husband at the White House and was in regular contact with the president. 

Her remarks led to a furious response from Mr Trump’s present wife Melania – the real First Lady of the United States.

Melania, 47, hit back insisting Ivana’s claims were nothing more than “attention-seeking and self-serving noise”.

The bitter row erupted after Ivana – the first of the president’s three wives – boasted of her influence over Mr Trump during a TV interview in the US on ABC’s Good Morning America programme. 

She said: “I have the direct number to the White House, but I don’t really want to call him there because Melania is there.

“I don’t want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that because I’m basically first Trump wife. I’m first lady, OK?”

Czech-born former fashion model Ivana was married to Mr Trump for 15 years before divorcing in 1992 following his affair with Marla Maples who went on to become the second Mrs Trump.

Ivana told how she spoke to the president about once every 14 days and claimed he even offered the post of the US ambassadorship to the Czech Republic but claimed she turned him down. She said she could comfortably perform the tasks of First Lady buy would “hate” to live in Washington DC.

Ivana is promoting her book Raising Trump, a memoir about bringing up their children, Eric, Donald Jr and Ivanka. Melania – who is the mother of Trumps’ youngest child Barron aged 11- rarely comments in public preferring to isolate herself from critics and controversy.

But Ivana’s claims led to a barbed response which did nothing to dispel speculation of jealousy between the president’s wives.

In a statement, Melania’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said: “Mrs Trump has made the White House a home for Barron and the President.

“She loves living in Washington, DC, and is honoured by her role as First Lady of the United States.

“She plans to use her title and role to help children, not sell books. There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex. This is unfortunately only attention seeking and self-serving noise.”

The exchange is thought to be the only public row between a US first lady and a president’s former wife. Before Mr Trump, Ronald Reagan was the only divorcee president.