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Melania Trump publicly calls for firing of top White House aide

The first lady suspects the aide may have been behind some negative leaks about her office.
Melania Trump publicly calls for firing of top White House aide

Melania Trump is publicly calling for a top White House national security aide to be fired.

At the first lady's behest, President Donald Trump is planning to fire Mira Ricardel, a senior national security adviser for John Bolton, according to reports. Melania was reportedly upset with Ricardel over a plane seating issue during her solo trip to Africa last month. Melania also suspected that Ricardel may have been behind some negative leaks about her office.

“It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House,” Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for Melania, said in a statement to numerous media outlets Thursday.

It’s a bold and unheard-of move for a first lady to take such a public stance ahead of an official announcement of the departure. But Melania has shown a knack for speaking out against prominent members of her husband’s staff.

CNN reported that Ricardel was given some time to clear out her things and was still in her office on Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal initially reported that Ricardel was escorted from the grounds but later backtracked. Ricardel has apparently had feuds with other major figures in the Trump administration, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chief of Staff John Kelly, according to CNN.

Cover: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport in Coraopolis, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, following last weekends shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)