Deputy National Security Adviser Mira Ricardel Leaves Position After Public Feud With Melania Trump
Following a high-profile feud with U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Mira Ricardel has been told to step down from her post.
According to a report by the BBC, a White House spokeswoman said that Ricardel will be “[departing] the White House to transition to a new role within the administration.” She, however, did not elaborate.
This week, Mrs. Trump said that Ricardel “no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House.” Per the report, the two ladies reportedly had feud during a tour of Africa in October over seating arrangements on the First Lady’s plane.
According to a statement on Wednesday by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, Ricardel “will continue to support the president”.
During an interview which was conducted by ABC while Melania Trump was on her trip, she said that there are some people in the White House that are not trustworthy, and added that she gives the president her “honest advice and honest opinions” before letting him “do what he wants to do.”
As the Wall Street Journal reported, Melania Trump’s team thought that Ricardel had spread some “negative stories” about Melania and her staff. The report added that she repeatedly had conflicting opinions with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis over “staffing decisions and policy differences,” per the BBC.
Ricardel, who has decades of experience working with the U.S. government, was hired away from the Department of Commerce by National Security Advisor John Bolton. She was hired because of her “track record of successfully managing teams and diverse organizations, as well as addressing complex issues.”
In a stunning move, first lady Melania Trump is calling for the firing of deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel https://t.co/qzRFwxzNbB pic.twitter.com/W7VMJXs7t3
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) November 13, 2018
Per the BBC, Ricardel had also been associated with the defense department under former President George W. Bush and also served under Republican Senator Bob Dole when he was the Senate Majority Leader.
As earlier reported by the Inquisitr, CNN’s Jake Tapper tweeted on Tuesday afternoon and said that President Donald Trump had already told his advisers that he intends to fire Ricardel, adding that she “has been given a bit of time to clear out desk.”
Speaking of Melania Trump’s influence on the president’s decisions, a New York Times article in August quoted Trump’s friend Thomas J. Barrack Jr. and quoted him as saying the following.
“[President Donald Trump listens to Melania] more intently than anyone and respects her advice and counsel not only because she is his wife, but because her loyalty, grace, trust, elegance under fire, intellect and instincts are time-tested and proven.”
