First Lady Takes Aim at Top National Security Aide

First Lady Melania Trump, first thought to be a reluctant captive, the trophy wife roped into the spotlight by her wealthy, septuagenarian husband’s scheming and lust for power, is apparently beginning to feel herself in her current role.

So remember the earlier discussion about President Trump pushing out some more members of his administration (this time, Homeland Security head, Kirstjen Nielsen)?

The list is growing, and Mrs. Trump is helping.

The latest name is that of deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel.

Melania Trump’s spokeswoman basically dropped the news on social media, today.

“It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that (Ricardel) no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House,” the first lady’s communications director Stephanie Grisham said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement amounted to a stunning public rebuke by a first lady of a senior official serving in her husband’s administration. It came after reports surfaced earlier Tuesday indicating Ricardel would be pushed out of her post after less than seven months on the job.

Hey, if Trump can operate under the assumption that he’s a king, rather than a president, then doesn’t that make her queen?

Then again, it’s tough to know which side to go with, in this particular instance.

In general, Melania Trump has kept her head down and attempted to stay relatively quiet, except for the pet projects that every presidential missus takes up for their tenure in office. In the case of Mrs. Trump, that would be her “Be Best” campaign – whatever that means.

Initially, it was supposed to be about bullying, but considering she’s married to the biggest bully in the country (and I’m sure she could tell you some stories), it’s hard to figure out how she makes that work.

Still, she’s apparently not about quietly suffering, anymore, and Ricardel isn’t really some passive administration toady.

Ricardel is a key ally of national security adviser John Bolton, and is known for being a grappler, behind the scenes.

This particular conflict is a result of saying “No” to Mrs. Trump.

Specifically, she has feuded with the first lady’s staff. Most recently, disagreement broke out over Melania Trump’s visit to Africa. They argued in regards to seating on the plane, as well as the use of the National Security Council’s resources.

It’s not just the first lady’s staff that have been battling it out with Ricardel, either.

And before her spat with the East Wing, Ricardel butted heads repeatedly with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a rivalry that was well-known within the Trump administration. Her disputes with Mattis preceded her time as deputy national security adviser, going back to the presidential transition when Ricardel sought to block Mattis from hiring certain people who had been critical of Trump or were viewed as insufficiently loyal to Trump.

She took on Mattis?

The dispute made it difficult for Ricardel to land in a top post in the Trump administration, though she was ultimately tapped for the position of undersecretary of commerce for export administration. Ricardel then joined the National Security Council as Bolton’s deputy in April after he was named national security adviser.

Ricardel, along with Bolton, are determined to make the National Security Council meet their shared vision. It remains to be seen if she has overstepped her bounds by challenging the wants of the First Lady.