WASHINGTON—Stressing that the situation had become untenable in recent days, aides working for Melania Trump released a statement Wednesday calling for the immediate removal of the first lady from the White House. According to the statement, the first lady “no longer deserves the honor” of serving in the position, which she has occupied since early 2017. The controversial memo went on to question the personal loyalty of the first lady to the president, going so far as to suggest she was someone widely viewed as “untrustworthy” within the administration. Noting that Melania Trump had repeatedly complained about the first lady to White House chief of staff John Kelly, sources painted a portrait of an East Wing in disarray and in desperate need of a shake-up. The unprecedented call for the ouster of a first lady by Ms. Trump has fueled speculation that she enjoys a great deal of influence over her husband. At press time, anonymous White House sources confirmed that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner had been meeting with possible first lady replacements for several months.

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