In a bizarre interview with the TV show Good Morning America, meant to promote her new book, Raising Trump, Donald Trump’s first wife, Ivana Trump, told Amy Robach that she speaks to President Trump every fortnight, but that she won’t call the White House directly as to not “cause jealousy” with the US President’s third wife Melania. “I’m basically first Trump wife, okay? I’m first lady, okay?”
Melania’s spokesperson Stephanie Grisham replied: “There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex. Unfortunately only attention seeking and self-serving noise.”
In the interview, Ivana took “full credit” for raising Donald Trump Jr, Eric and Ivanka Trump, saying “it was only when they were 18 years old that he [Trump] could communicate with them because he could start to talk business with them.”
On Trump’s social media use, Ivana said, “Sometimes I tell him, just don’t speak that much,” but she also supported his infamous tweeting, saying it offers a direct form of communication with the world.
Ivana Trump and Donald Trump divorced in 1992 after Ivana claimed Donald Trump had an affair and sexually assaulted her.
Corrections and clarifications: This article has been edited to reflect the fact that Melania is Donald Trump’s third wife, not second as originally stated. The headline has also been changed.
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