When President Donald Trump announced his eldest daughter, Ivanka, had been appointed assistant to the President, one question immediately came to mind (well, other than the possibility of a conflict of interests with her former eponymously named company and the blatant nepotism of it all) – what about Melania?

Of course, on entering the White House, Melania took the title of First Lady, a role involving public and ceremonial duties, and work on education, women's equality and family issues.

But, ever since Trump became President, talk of the female influence in his life and his career has largely been focussed on his daughter, not his wife.

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However, according to CNN pundit, Angela Rye, there might be more to Ivanka's new role in the Oval Office than meets the eye.

According to the Independent, there's an unspoken rule that the First Lady is 'almost always the first person to see the president in the morning and the last who speaks to him before bed'.

The First Lady is the President's main line of support, a confidant and unofficial advisor.

However, with Melania and Trump's son, Baron, currently living in New York, and Ivanka's family now relocated to Washington D.C., it appears his eldest daughter is already stepping up as First Lady.

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Yesterday, Rye responded to an argument made by CNN contributor, Paris Dennard, over Ivanka's role of 'senior advisor' and how it has varied in previous adminstrations,

She argued: 'When we challenge these roles being ill-defined or undefined in these spaces, it means there's nothing to hold them accountable to in terms of benchmarks. They are also hoping that this type of loose association with a job description means that they can tiptoe into conflicts of interest without any issue.

'I think the real challenge is she doesn't have a real defined role because we all know what role Ivanka is playing, and that's the role of the first lady because Melania is not checking for Donald,' she added.

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Just think, during the controversy surrounding Trump's airstrike on Syria and the administration's on-going battle with Planned Parenthood, it has been Ivanka who has been at the forefront of political debate, voicing her opinions on all subjects concerning feminism, women's rights and Syrian refugees.

Not Melania.

Of course, Ivanka isn't the first daughter of a President to fulfill the role of First Lady in the past, with the children of Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Zachary Taylor and Benjamin Harrison all acting up to the role.

However, when it comes to Ivanka, it's not so much she's Trump's daughter that's provoking debate but the question of the blurred lines and responsibilities concerning her own business endeavors, contact with world leaders and her vague job title that sees her giving her input on international relations.

While tensions might be mounting between Ivanka and Melania, it appears the First Lady's step-daughter is keen to show all is well in the First Family.

Yesterday, the 35-year-old mother of three posted a birthday post to Twitter, wishing her a happy 47th birthday.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the White House.

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Katie O'Malley
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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.