Donald Trump wives: Ivana jokes she's 'first lady'; Melania fires back

US First Lady Melania Trump has dismissed Ivana Trump’s comments saying that the latter was the first Trump wife and the "first lady." The former’s spokesperson insinuated in a statement that Ivana’s comments were only “attention-seeking and self-serving noise.”

Melania’s spokesperson Stephanie Grisham told CNN that Donald’s third wife has made the White House a home for Barron and the president, and that she loves living in Washington, DC, 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,” her spokesperson said, adding there is no substance to Ivana's statement.

Ivana’s book comes out on Tuesday, and Melania will reportedly be travelling to West Virginia to visit infants affected by opioid addiction. The first lady has previously said she is not bothered by the criticism.

Ivana recently talked about her relationship with US President Donald Trump and how it was like to raise kids with him. She revealed she have a direct number to her former husband at the White House.

She also told ABC News that she talks to Donald about once every 14 days. "I have the direct number to White House but I don't really want to call him there because Melania is there and I don't really want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that because I'm basically first Trump wife, OK? I'm first lady, OK?" she said. On Sunday, Ivanka told CBS News that she gets along with Melania.

Ivana and Donald divorced in 1992 after his tabloid affair with Marla Maples. In her book, Ivana did not refer to his ex-husband’s second wife by name. In an interview, she referred to Maples as a “nobody.”

Ivana is the mother of Donald’s three eldest children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric. First daughter Ivanka Trump previously said her parents take a similar "all out" approach to life. She described her mother as an exuberant woman filled with a passion for life and adventure.

Ivana’s book documents her journey from growing up under Communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia to marrying a future US president and raising their three children together. According to ABC News, she said she has no desire to trade places with Melania, and that she would hate Washington.