The Trump family may be back in the White House, but it would appear that simmering tensions between President Donald Trump's two right-hand women have reached boiling point.
Indeed, First Lady Melania Trump is reportedly not too fond of her eldest stepdaughter Ivanka Trump, who she's previously branded a "snake". The feeling would appear to be mutual, with 43-year-old Ivanka said to undermine her stepmother at every turn.
As the years have gone on, the frosty distance between the pair has only continued to grow, so much so that 54-year-old Melania is said to have a pointed nickname for her husband's favourite child.
When the Trump family first entered the White House back in January 2017, the rift between Melania and Ivanka appeared to be fairly contained, and "both were respectful of one another’s turf”. By January 2021, however, as President Trump left the Oval Office, their already shaky relationship had disintegrated to the point where the pair allegedly couldn't stand the sight of each other.
Speaking with the Mirror at the time, a source said: “As First Lady, Melania felt Ivanka was trying to take her place. For Ivanka, Melania was a hindrance to what she wanted to achieve. ”
Melania’s former best friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, previously claimed that this animosity can be traced back to the early days of the Trump administration when the family, once best known for their business endeavours and reality TV stints, left to navigate life in the equally cut-throat world of Washington politics.
It was an area where businesswoman Ivanka appeared to thrive, taking up official roles such as adviser to her President father, who made no secret of his admiration for his ambitious daughter. Meanwhile, former model Melania appeared to be notably less enthusiastic about politics and made for a considerably less vocal First Lady than her passionately outspoken predecessor, Michelle Obama.
There were apparently occasions when Melania felt as though Ivanka had overstepped her position, particularly when the First Daughter reportedly floated renaming the White House’s 'First Lady’s Office' to 'First Family Office'. Hitting back, Melania would reportedly sneeringly refer to Ivanka as "the princess".
This time around, the family dynamics have shifted somewhat, with Ivanka having taken a step back from politics. However, it's unlikely Melania and Ivanka will form a close bond anytime soon, with a source who knows both women recently telling the Mail Online: "Ivanka will always be a thorn in her side."
Although both women attended President Trump's second inauguration ceremony, standing side by side in the Capitol Rotunda, they didn't appear to interact - a fact that did nothing to quell rumours of an ongoing feud. A Trump staffer has even blasted "desperate" Ivanka's supposed efforts to feature in many of the same key photographs as Melania, which likely won't go down too well with the fed-up First Lady.
A source told the publication: "[Melania] is going be irritated because Ivanka is going to just show up at state dinners and stuff. That's going to be the new battle." Explaining a little about why the two Trumps rub each other up the wrong way, a source close to Melania revealed: "There's a sense of competition with Ivanka, who is a very accomplished businesswoman. I think there's a sense of trying to fit in with the Trump family, about being these accomplished business people."
In her 2024 self-titled memoir, mum-of-one Melania acknowledged the difficulties that came with being a stepmother to her husband's four eldest children, sharing: 'My role is not to replace [her stepchildren's] mothers but to nurture a supportive and amicable connection… it is essential to remember that each person is deserving of respect and understanding, regardless of disagreements.'
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