WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is moving to replace his deputy national security adviser after she feuded with first lady Melania Trump, two sources familiar with the matter said, with a spokeswoman for the first lady leaving no doubt about where she stood on the matter. The first lady complained to the president that she was unhappy with how she was being treated by Mira Ricardel, a former Boeing Co (BA.N) executive who worked on the Trump presidential campaign and was picked by National Security Adviser John Bolton to be his deputy earlier this year, two sources told Reuters. After reports circulated Tuesday that President Trump had decided to remove Mira Ricardel from her post at the National Security Council, Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s spokeswoman, released a statement that said: “It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House.”

Shortly before the statement was issued, Ricardel was among a group of administration officials and other individuals who stood behind President Trump at a White House ceremony celebrating Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Sources said that Melania Trump explicitly asked the president to oust Ricardel after their dealings over the Africa trip “didn’t go well.” The other source said that Melania Trump felt that Ricardel tried to short-change the first lady in terms of U.S. government resources allocated to support her Africa tour. Asked by a reporter today about Mrs. Trump’s office saying Ricardel no longer deserves to work in the White House, Mattis said, “I don’t comment on other people’s staffing issues.”

A spokesman for the National Security Council had no immediate comment.
First Lady of the United States Melania Trump calls for the ousting of Deputy National Security Advisor Mira Ricardel.