KEY POINTS

  • Melania and Ivanka Trump's "friendship" became "the most fractured of the bonds" after their move to the White House, a report says
  • The tension between the two women is allegedly so bad, they don't want to be in the same room
  • President Donald Trump's wife and daughter have not been photographed together in months

Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump, as the most two important women in President Donald Trump's life, were "respectful" of each other's position, but their relationship changed after they moved into the White House, a report says.

The Trumps will be leaving the White House soon as President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration approaches. CNN's Kate Bennett examined how the relationships between the members of the Trump family changed over the course of the president's term, noting that Melania and Ivanka's "tenuous friendship" became the "most fractured of the bonds" within the past four years.

Unnamed sources "familiar with the dynamic" told CNN that Melania and Ivanka were both "aware and respectful of one another's turf" prior to the White House years.

However, one source told the outlet that Ivanka's "perceived incursions into first lady Melania Trump's lane have led to tension between the women that's so bad ... there is little desire by either to be in the same room," per Bennett.

Bennett noted that Melania and Ivanka have not been photographed together in recent months. The two were last seen together at the presidential debate in September. They also appeared at the Republican National Convention in August, but Melania sat on one side of the president with their son Barron, her parents and the Pences, while Ivanka was on the other side.

Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, have a separate living space at Mar-a-Lago, but the first lady "hasn't exactly rolled out the welcome mat," one insider told CNN.

The elder Trump siblings allegedly have their own issues as well due to their father's behavior over the past two weeks.

"There's been some finger-pointing," an insider with knowledge of the situation said. "I think this is one time the family has to acknowledge that their actions have had consequences.”

In 2019, Bennett wrote in her book "Free, Melania: The Unauthorized Biography" that there was "friction" between Ivanka and Melania due to the "odd dynamic" that developed after the former went on presidential trips and appeared in events when the latter was absent. She noted that the dynamic of the two women began to change during Trump's presidential campaign when Ivanka stepped up and served as a campaigner during Melania's absence, per CNN.

However, body language expert Bruce Durham of BelievingBruce suggested earlier that Melania is critical to Ivanka's growing confidence. Based on his observation, Ivanka sees her stepmother "as her comfort blanket when she is feeling a little outside of her comfort zone."

Ivanka and Melania Trump
Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump watch as President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts