Hey Melania, Ivana Trump Says 'I'm First Lady'

Cavan Sieczkowski
Updated

Ivana Trump has spoken, and she sure has a lot to say.

The first wife of President Donald Trump and mother to Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric spoke with ABC News’ Amy Robach to promote her memoir, Raising Trump, and opened up about her relationship with POTUS and Melania Trump.

One interesting admission? She won’t call her ex-husband at the White House.

“I [don’t] really want to call him there, because Melania is there,” she said. “And I don’t want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that, because I’m basically first Trump wife. OK? I’m first lady.”

Still, she wouldn’t want the actual role of first lady.

(Photo: New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
(Photo: New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

“I think for her to be in Washington must be terrible,” the former model, who married Trump back in 1977, added. “It’s better her than me. I would hate Washington. Would I straighten up the White House in 14 days? Absolutely. Can I give the speech for 45 minutes without [a] teleprompter? Absolutely. Can I read a contract? Can I negotiate? Can I entertain? Absolutely. But I would not really like to be there. I like my freedom.”

While Ivana might have a cordial relationship with Trump’s third wife, she doesn’t feel the same about his second, actress Marla Maples. Maples and Trump had an affair while he was still married to Ivana, leading to their 1992 divorce after 15 years of marriage.

“I don’t talk about [Maples],” she said in an interview with Jim Axelrod that aired Sunday on CBS. “She’s a showgirl. Never achieve anything in her life ... I get along with Melania. Yes. One, it’s nobody. And the other one, it’s first lady.”

(Photo: Ben Hider via Getty Images)
(Photo: Ben Hider via Getty Images)

As for Melania, she’s apparently not thrilled.

“Mrs. Trump has made the White House a home for Barron and the President,” her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement to CNN Monday. “She loves living in Washington, DC, and is honored by her role as first lady of the United States. She plans to use her title and role to help children, not sell books. There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex, this is unfortunately only attention-seeking and self-serving noise.”

Raising Trump is on sale Oct. 10.

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Sophie Theallet

Sophie Theallet ignited&nbsp;the conversation about&nbsp;dressing Melania Trump&nbsp;when she<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sophie-theallet-melania-trump_us_582efd3ee4b099512f82437e?od6neub49ioei2j4i">&nbsp;wrote an open letter</a>&nbsp;in November 2016 refusing to do it&nbsp;-- and&nbsp;encouraging other designers to follow suit.&nbsp;&ldquo;As one who celebrates and strives for diversity, individual freedom, and respect for all lifestyles, <a href="https://twitter.com/sophietheallet/status/799378444249399300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" data-beacon="{&quot;p&quot;:{&quot;lnid&quot;:&quot;I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next first lady&quot;,&quot;mpid&quot;:8,&quot;plid&quot;:&quot;https://twitter.com/sophietheallet/status/799378444249399300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;}}" data-beacon-parsed="true">I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next first lady</a>," she wrote.

Tom Ford

Tom Ford was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tom-ford-melania-trump_us_58402a08e4b017f37fe2d6b0">refusing to dress Melania Trump</a> even before she became first lady. Ford said on&nbsp;"The View" in December 2016 that he'd previously declined to dress Trump&nbsp;because she&nbsp;is "not necessarily my&nbsp;image," adding his belief that&nbsp;the first lady, no matter who she is, should wear clothing the American people can relate to. President-elect Donald Trump responded by claiming&nbsp;Ford was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/01/18/donald-trump-tom-ford_n_14253600.html">never asked to dress his wife.</a> "I'm not a fan of Tom Ford," he said.

Christian Siriano

Although&nbsp;he originally said&nbsp;in December 2016 he would have to wait and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBm0FmlnRa8" target="_blank">"see how it goes" </a>before making a decision about dressing Melania Trump, Siriano told Time&nbsp;in April 2017 he doesn't think he would dress the first lady. "She is representing what&rsquo;a happening politically and what&rsquo;s happening politically right now is not really good for anyone,&rdquo; he said.

Zac Posen

Posen said in March 2017 that he doesn't plan on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/zac-posen-doesnt-want-to-dress-the-trumps_us_58c6a9d6e4b0ed71826dfefd">dressing the first lady</a> any time soon. "I'm staying away from bringing my brand into politics," he said, citing "issues that are being questioned that are fundamentally upsetting" to him including LGBT and women's rights.

Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs told WWD in November 2016 that he "has no interest whatsoever" in dressing the first lady, opting instead to put his "energy into helping out those who will be hurt by [Donald] Trump and his supporters."
Marc Jacobs told WWD in November 2016 that he "has no interest whatsoever" in dressing the first lady, opting instead to put his "energy into helping out those who will be hurt by [Donald] Trump and his supporters."

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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