White House tells Ivana Trump: There's only one first lady and it's not you

Ivana Trump, pictured here with now ex-husband Donald Trump. Photo / Getty Images

Melania Trump's office on Monday issued an extraordinary statement slapping down Ivana Trump after she joked that her status as the President's first wife effectively made her first lady.

The message from the White House made clear there was room for only one first lady, but will spark speculation about jealousy among the Trump wives - past and present, the Daily Telegraph reports.

"Mrs Trump has made the White House a home for Barron and The President. She loves living in Washington, DC and is honoured by her role as First Lady of the United States. She plans to use her title and role to help children, not sell books," said the statement issued by Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman.

"There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex. Unfortunately only attention seeking and self-serving noise."

Mrs Trump's initial reticence to move to the White House and reluctance to speak publicly at one time led to questions about whether she was comfortable in her high-profile role, and might explain why her office was so quick to slap down a potential usurper.

Ivana Trump says she has Pres. Trump's direct White House number: "I'm basically first Trump wife. I'm first lady." https://t.co/SiTlUUDX2S pic.twitter.com/0DQ5AMQ311

— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 9, 2017

The statement was issued after Ivana Trump was interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America on Monday. She said spoke to Mr Trump about once a week but did not like to telephone the President at the White House directly as she did not want to create jealous feelings.

"Melania is there and I don't want to cause any kind of jealousy or anything like that because I'm the first Trump wife," she said laughing. "I'm the first lady, OK?"

Ivana is currently promoting her memoir Raising Trump, which details how she brought up her three children - Eric, Donald Jr and Ivanka - with her then husband.

The couple married in 1977 and divorced in 1992.

During the interview, she said she was not concerned about the federal investigation into alleged Trump campaign links to Russia or any connection to Donald Jr, who has been asked to testify.

"I know that he was not involved at all in any wrongdoing," she said.

Mrs Trump, who grew up in Czechoslovakia, also discussed immigration, saying: "I'm (an) immigrant myself and Donald is building the wall. I don't mind immigrants and the wall because you have to protect your borders."