According to sources, there has been a lot of friction simmering beneath the surface of Melania Trump’s public appearances and glossy family portraits, which have been the subject of rumors of a chilly relationship between her and her stepdaughter, Ivanka Trump for years.
Although complex stepmother-stepdaughter relationships are common, insiders say the First Lady’s relationship with the President’s eldest daughter has been especially tense. According to former aides and insiders, a significant contributing element to the conflict is the early years of the Trump administration, when Ivanka seemed to assume the role of First Lady while Mrs. Trump stayed in New York with their son Barron.
Ivanka was very visible, attended meetings, and traveled for the administration, which led to rumors that she was attempting to establish her political power base in the White House. Melania, who has historically maintained a low profile, was apparently unhappy with her stepdaughter’s actions. She was upset that Ivanka was in the White House family quarters and thought she had gone too far, according to her book, The Art of Her Deal, written by Mary Jordan of the Washington Post.
According to the book, the First Lady promptly reestablished boundaries after she and Barron eventually moved to Washington, D.C., closing what she allegedly called a “revolving door.”
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Melania’s erstwhile confidante and top adviser, has also openly recognized the frosty dynamic. According to Wolkoff’s podcast interview, she privately called Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, “snakes,” and the former First Lady believed Ivanka was “self-serving” and “deceptive.”
I heard that Melania called Ivanka and Jared SNAKES. pic.twitter.com/FiFVFS3DWD
— Earthling (@LolaGarcia13) August 3, 2025
Wolkoff claimed that the First Lady’s close circle was well aware of the moniker and that “they’ll do anything to get what they want,” reported The Irish Star. Many employees of Melania disliked Ivanka, who Wolkoff referred to as “the princess,” because they felt she meddled in issues that didn’t affect them.
Insiders claim that although the family presented a unified front in public, there was a fierce power struggle going on behind the scenes that was never entirely settled. Nevertheless, insiders claim that recent events, under less than ideal circumstances, may have forged a closer bond between the two ladies.
Grisham wrote Melania and WH staff called Ivanka “the Princess” who regularly invoked “my father” and dubbed Kushner “The Slim Reaper” for inserting himself into other’s projects, making a mess and leaving them to take the blame. pic.twitter.com/Tpey3Dmntc
— Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@NotHoodlum) September 28, 2021
According to Page Six, the repercussions from Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush money trial earlier this year seemed to cause a “thaw” between the former model and Ivanka as the family gathered around the troubled President. The First Lady and Ivanka faced increased public scrutiny and personal discomfort as a result of the hush money incident involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
