Melania Trump has taken the extraordinary step of publicly demanding the firing of a senior White House official, following a reported argument during the first lady’s recent trip to Africa.
Deputy National Security Advisor Mira Ricardel (pictured above) is being given time to “clean out her desk”, following a statement released by Melania Trump’s communications director Stephanie Grisham, according to CNN.
Ricardel and the first lady reportedly “feuded” over seating arrangements on the plane used to take Melania Trump to Africa last month.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that (Ricardel) no longer deserves the honour of serving in this White House,” the statement from the East Wing reads.
News of Ricardel’s imminent removal comes amid a flurry of rumours that other senior officials will join former attorney general Jeff Sessions on the list of people who used to work for the Trump administration.
Donald Trump is reportedly considering firing Homeland Security secretaty Kirstjen Nielsen, despite knowing that her dismissal may result in White House chief of staff John Kelly’s resignation, the Wall Street Journal says.
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Whistles emerge as Chicago’s tool to fight ICEIN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal agents continue raiding the city, communities have turned to noisemakers to create a warning system
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Bailouts: Why Trump is rescuing ArgentinaFeature The White House approved a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina
