Oh, the drama at the White House has certainly been a hot mess, and the feuding began way before that fateful day in January. Fresh claims from Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who was once very close to Melania Trump, have recently resurfaced. Apparently, in a pretty brutal private text, the former First Lady reportedly called Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner “snakes.”
This message allegedly came about when tensions between Melania and her stepdaughter heated up during Donald Trump‘s time in office, hinting at a subtle power struggle behind the scenes at the Trump White House.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who had a front-row seat to Melania’s life as First Lady, has a little secret in her 2020 memoir, Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady. The book peeled back the layers of a deeply troubled dynamic between the women, all trying to make their mark under the Trump name. One of the juiciest parts revealed was a secret plan (actually called “Operation Block Ivanka”) to keep Ivanka out of the main photos during the 2016 inauguration, as per a report.
Melania wasn’t just giving Ivanka the cold shoulder behind closed doors; it’s said she was actively trying to push Ivanka out of the public eye. As Wolkoff put it, Melania’s plan was cunningly simple: make sure Ivanka didn’t appear in the inauguration photos. They carefully arranged where everyone sat and how they moved so that Ivanka’s face would be hidden during the most critical moments broadcast on TV.
Wolkoff explained how they worked it out: “We were able to figure out whose face would be visible when Donald and Melania sat in their seats. (…) “If Ivanka was not on the aisle, her face would be hidden while she was seated.” Then, Melania Trump delivered the final blow: “You know how they are snakes.” “They” referred to Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner.
That quote was unsettling in its plainness, and it showed how tense things had gotten between the First Lady and the President’s daughter. Both women were highly concerned with their public images and were close to absolute power.
Ivanka, Melania and Barron Trump at Trump Tower in 2009 in New York City. pic.twitter.com/9DNnlKPmuT
— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) August 2, 2025
Even though Melania Trump often seemed distant in public, sources say she was much more protective of her space and aware of how the media covered her. One person close to her even claimed she was “obsessed” with how the press portrayed her and wasn’t about to let Ivanka step into the symbolic, camera-friendly role of First Lady without a fight.
“She avoided [Ivanka’s] East Wing office for the entire presidency,” a source claimed, worried about bumping into her unexpectedly. The strained vibes were so noticeable that they became something White House staff discussed. On the other hand, it was said that Ivanka acted like the West Wing was her turf, and she felt just as comfortable using the East Wing whenever she wanted.
In her book American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, Katie Rogers shared that Ivanka even tried to take over Melania’s workspace when she kept putting off moving into the White House.
Ivanka wanted to turn Melania’s office into a joint “First Family” area. What bothered Melania Trump was that Donald Trump didn’t seem to mind the idea, almost hinting that his daughter could pitch in with First Lady duties.
Melania, Donald & Ivanka Trump – 2007 🖤 pic.twitter.com/MBz2IqRGNZ
— Keeping Up With The Trumps (@KUWTTRUMPS) July 20, 2025
So, what does this mean? The title was up for grabs, and Ivanka wanted a shot at it.
How the Trump family operates has always felt like a mix between sticking together as a family and the cutthroat power plays you see in Game of Thrones. It’s said that Ivanka and Jared Kushner pulled the strings behind the scenes during Trump’s presidency.
But that climb to influence wasn’t smooth sailing; there was pushback.
Melania’s sharp text might have only been six words, but it says a lot. She let loose years of built-up frustration, distrust, and a carefully planned rivalry in just that short message. Being part of a political family in the modern age is one thing. It’s quite another when family dinners feel like board meetings, and everyone’s jostling to get their moment in the spotlight.
