WASHINGTON, Nov 14, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – US First Lady Melania Trump on
Tuesday publicly pushed for the dismissal of deputy national security advisor
Mira Ricardel — a rare criticism of a senior administration official by the
president’s wife.
The rebuke — via a brief statement from the first lady’s spokeswoman —
came amid swirling speculation about a possible shake-up of President Donald
Trump’s cabinet following last week’s midterm elections.
“It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer
deserves the honor of serving in this White House,” Melania Trump’s
spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
The Wall Street Journal claimed Ricardel had been fired and escorted out of
the White House, but an administration official denied that to reporters.
Ricardel reportedly battled with the first lady’s staff during her trip to
Africa last month, and was believed to be the source of negative stories
about Melania Trump, according to the Journal, which cited unnamed sources.
After last week’s midterm elections, the Republican president was expected
to make some changes as he prepares for the second half of his term in
office.
Among those on the possible chopping block: Homeland Security Secretary
Kirstjen Nielsen, a close ally of Trump’s chief of staff John Kelly.
Trump is reportedly unhappy with how Nielsen is handling the situation at
the US-Mexico border.
When asked Tuesday about possible staff changes, Trump declined to comment
on specifics, only telling reporters: “We’ll be talking about it.”
It was however unclear if he was responding to that question, or a question
about a lawsuit filed by CNN against his administration over the stripping of
CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s White House credentials.