Ivana Trump joked that she is the first lady. Melania Trump took it seriously.

Melania Trump.
(Image credit: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

Melania Trump once warned anyone thinking of crossing President Trump that "when her husband gets attacked, he will punch back 10 times harder." In fact, Melania did some punching back herself Monday after Trump's ex-wife, Ivana Trump, joked to Good Morning America that "I'm basically [the] first Trump wife. I'm first lady, okay?"

Ivana Trump prefaced the comment — an apparent riff on being Trump's first wife — by noting she remains on friendly terms with the president, who is the father of her children, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric. She added that she avoids calling Trump's direct number too frequently for fear of making Melania Trump jealous.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.