Melania Trump Allegedly Called Ivanka a 'Snake' Who'll Do 'Anything to Get What She Wants': Ex-Aide

A tell-all book, Melania & Me by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, once offered a candid glimpse into the complex and, at times, contentious relationship between Melania Trump and her stepdaughter Ivanka Trump. The former first lady’s confidant-turned-author revealed behind-the-scenes drama, unraveling Melania’s grievances, competitive streak, and struggles to find her footing within the Trump family. According to Wolkoff, tensions between Melania and Ivanka were evident from the early days of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidency. Melania reportedly orchestrated what was labeled “Operation Block Ivanka,” a deliberate effort to keep Ivanka out of major pictures during Trump’s inauguration.

Wolkoff recalled, “We were all exhausted and stressed out. Yes, Operation Block Ivanka was petty. Melania was in on this mission. But in our minds, Ivanka shouldn’t have made herself the center of attention in her father’s inauguration.” In one specifically biting moment, Melania allegedly sent a text to Wolkoff, labeling Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, as ‘snakes.’ She wrote, “You know how they are snakes,” because “they’ll do anything to get what they want.” This scorching remark encapsulated the agitation Melania felt over what she analyzed as Ivanka’s attempts to undermine her role, including maneuvering to secure office space in the East Wing—a claim that Ivanka’s team has since denied.

Melania’s agitation extended beyond office politics to personal rivalries. Wolkoff reveals that if Ivanka wore a particular designer before Melania, the former first lady would refuse to wear that brand, underscoring the competitive undertones of their relationship. This dynamic also played out during official events, with Melania allegedly pushing back against Ivanka’s attempts to collaborate, such as when Ivanka proposed cohosting an International Women’s Day event. Reportedly, Melania noted,  “Seriously? I’m not cohosting. We need to let her know that I know this is a First Lady event done every year…OMG. They just want to take credit for it,” as reported by Cosmopolitan.

In contrast to the biting revelations in Wolkoff’s book, Melania’s recent memoir strikes a more conciliatory tone regarding her relationship with Ivanka and Donald Trump’s other children. Melania writes about handling the challenges of being a stepmother to Donald’s older children while emphasizing respect and individuality. She wrote, “I recognize their individuality, understanding that, as their stepmother, my role is not to replace their mothers but to nurture a supportive and amicable connection," as reported by Hola.

However, she subtly acknowledges disagreements, noting that differing viewpoints are natural in any family dynamic. The revelations in Melania & Me had drawn sharp criticism from Melania’s camp back then. Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s former chief of staff, dismissed the book as an exercise in “misguided blame” and a distortion of truth. She remarked, “...The book is not only full of mistruths and paranoia, it is based on some imagined need for revenge. Wolkoff builds herself up while belittling and blaming everyone she worked with, yet she still managed to be the victim.”