The Real Housewives Of Trump Tower

Tuesday morning update #2: It's not just Melania. In her new book, Ivana throws some shade at Marla, too:

“She actively participated in humiliating me in the media and indirectly put my kids at risk for months,” writes Ivana, who has three children with Trump: Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr. “I went through hell, and then I was expected to be okay with her being around my children?”

“We all have deep scars from that period of our lives, in part due to her actions,” she adds.

Ivana also criticizes Maples’ stint last year as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, which Trump’s first wife called a “disgrace.”

“No class!” Ivana said, adding that she’s been asked to appear on the show “a hundred times — and offered a mint.”

“But I wouldn’t go on that show, dancing in those tiny dresses with the boobs and butt hanging out,” she added. (From an article at People, read it here.) 

Will we hear from Marla today? Probably. 

Tuesday morning update #1: I'll be surprised if Ivana and her book are not the main People cover story tomorrow. If so, did editors gleefully scramble to revise the planned headline to include yesterday's contretemps? Wouldn't you?

Original post:
Did Ivana Trump, first wife of The Donald, really go on Good Morning, America and say "I'm first lady?" Yes she did and now the fur is flying:

In one of the stranger sideshows to his presidency, President Donald Trump’s first and third wives, Ivana and Melania, respectively, on Monday had a very public war of words — and his second wife, Marla Maples, is getting some shade out of the spat, to boot.

Here’s a breakdown: To promote her new book, “Raising Trump,” about parenting Trump’s three eldest children, Ivana Trump gave a Monday interview to “Good Morning America” in which she made some comments sure to privately raise the hackles of the woman currently occupying the role of Wife of Donald.

“I’m basically first Trump wife. Okay?” Ivana Trump said. “I’m first lady.”

She offered faux sympathy for Melania Trump, saying  “I think for her to be in Washington must be terrible.” (She had less subtle insults for her ex’s second wife, Marla Maples. “A showgirl” was her epithet of choice.)

But instead of letting those slights ride, Melania Trump took a page out of her husband’s playbook, the one that famously decrees he hit back harder at anyone who takes a swing. Her spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, dispatched a crisp response dismissing Ivana’s remarks as “attention seeking” from someone who just wants to sell books and making clear that Melania Trump does not, in fact, hate her Washington life.

“Mrs. Trump has made the White House a home for Barron and the President. 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.”

And the coda is the real clap-back: “There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex, this is unfortunately only attention-seeking and self-serving noise.” (From an article at the Washington Post, read it here.)

Naturally, Twitter went nuts. First, from Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo and note that (I'm pretty sure) he means "Ivana":

the pool video of ivanka and melania is out there pic.twitter.com/hM7kzeIcYK

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 9, 2017

The real contribution of Ivana Trump is to provide a safe outlet for the expression of Melania’s feelings about Ivanka

— David Frum (@davidfrum) October 9, 2017

Ivana raised 3 kids while Trump was  was a cheating cad, sexually harassing women, & bragging about it to the tabs. I'd leave her be.

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) October 9, 2017

The president's current and former wife are fighting is a thing you can’t write very often

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) October 9, 2017