Melania Trump calls for senior official's dismissal
Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel set to be fired after spat with first lady

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.
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
Unraveling autism
Feature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.
-
'Two dolls': Can Trump sell Americans on austerity?
Feature Trump's tariffs may be threatening holiday shelves but they've handed Democrats a 'huge gift'
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
'Two dolls': Can Trump sell Americans on austerity?
Feature Trump's tariffs may be threatening holiday shelves but they've handed Democrats a 'huge gift'
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
The fertility crisis: can Trump make America breed again?
Talking Point The self-styled 'fertilisation president', has been soliciting ideas on how to get Americans to have more babies
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
'Art is one of humanity's great empathic mediums'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Can Trump's team make the MAGA playbook work for Albania's elections?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The architects of the president's 2024 victory are looking east to extend their populist reach