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Ivanka Trump tried to rename the First Lady's Office the 'First Family Office' but was blocked by Melania, new book says
Tom Porter
Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump at the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on September 26, 2016.
JOE RAEDLE/AFP via Getty Images
Ivanka Trump was involved in a power struggle with the first lady, Melania Trump, in the early days of the Trump administration, a new book says.
While Melania Trump stayed in New York City to renegotiate her prenup with President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump sought to move her offices into the East Wing, the residence of the first lady, according to the excerpt.
A spokesman for the White House told Business Insider that the account was "totally false."
While Melania Trump has kept a relatively low profile during her husband's presidency, Ivanka Trump has played a prominent role in her father's administration.
Ivanka Trump, in an abortive bid for power in the early days of her father's presidency, sought to rename the First Lady's Office of the White House to the "First Family Office," but Melania Trump blocked the move.
That's according to excerpts that emerged Saturday from a new book by Mary Jordan, "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump," published in The Washington Post.
It describes Donald Trump as being taken by surprise with his victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
It said he had even organized to travel to one of his resorts in Scotland immediately after election night because he didn't want to watch Clinton "bask in her success."
When he won, however, the Trumps had to adjust to their new roles quickly, and the president moved from his luxury penthouse in Trump Tower in New York City to the White House to begin his term in office.
Melania Trump resisted making the move immediately, though, according to the excerpt, which said she remained in Trump Tower with their son, Barron, while she renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with her husband.
In Melania Trump's absence, Ivanka Trump, the president's eldest daughter, was apparently jostling for influence. She sought to take over office space in the East Wing, the part of the White House reserved for the first lady, the new book said.
Ivanka Trump, who was appointed as an adviser in her father's administration, even reportedly sought to rename the First Lady's Office, through which the first lady conducts her public duties, to the "First Family Office," but Melania Trump blocked it.
"With Melania away, Ivanka used the private theater, with its plush red seats, and enjoyed other White House perks," Jordan wrote. "Some said she treated the private residence as if it were her own home. Melania did not like it. When she and Barron finally moved in, she put an end to the 'revolving door' by enforcing firm boundaries."
A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, pushed back against the claims.
"This is totally false," he told Business Insider. "The media is once again running untrue information from anonymous sources and not once did anyone fact check this with the White House or Ivanka Trump."
A representative for Simon & Schuster, the book's publisher, told the Associated Press in April that Jordan had interviewed Melania Trump while working for The Post but that "the White House declined her request to speak with her for the book or to respond to written questions."
Ivanka Trump remained in the West Wing of the White House, where she continues to hold the title of adviser in the administration, works on entrepreneurship initiatives, and is often deployed to soften the image of her father's presidency.
Melania Trump has led a campaign against online bullying during her time as first lady but has played a less public role than some of her predecessors in the position.
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