MELANIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “In an extraordinary step for a first lady, Melania Trump called Tuesday [11-13-18] for the dismissal of deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel, someone who a White House official said she’d never met. ‘It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she (Ricardel) no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House,’ said a statement from Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s communications director. The statement from Grisham came minutes after a Diwali event hosted by President Donald Trump that Ricardel attended. Two administration officials said Ricardel, whom National Security Adviser John Bolton appointed this year, has clashed with many staff members, not just the first lady. Ricardel argued with Melania Trump’s staff over airplane seating for the first lady’s recent trip to Africa, officials said. They accused Ricardel, who wound up not going to Africa, of spreading false stories about the incident.”
–David Jackson, “First Lady Melania Trump has never met the security official she wants fired: official,” USA Today, November 14, 2018 11:33 am