Embattled deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel was forced out of the White House on Wednesday, one day after first lady Melania Trump publicly called for her to be fired.
“Mira Ricardel will continue to support the President as she departs the White House to transition to a new role within the Administration,” press secretary Sarah Sanders wrote in a statement to pool reporters. “The President is grateful for Ms. Ricardel’s continued service to the American people and her steadfast pursuit of his national security priorities.”
Ricardel served under national security adviser John Bolton. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday afternoon she had already been terminated and escorted from the White House, before issuing a correction.
Ricardel and Melania Trump reportedly clashed during the first lady’s October trip to the African continent over seating assignments on the plane and National Security Council resource requests. The first lady’s office also suspected Ricardel to be the source behind some negative stories about the first lady and her staff.
“It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House,” Trump’s communications director Stephanie Grisham said Tuesday in a statement.
