US First Lady Melania Trump on Tuesday publicly pushed for the dismissal of deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel -- a rare criticism of a senior administration official by the president's wife. The rebuke -- via a brief statement from the first lady's spokeswoman -- came amid swirling speculation about a possible shake-up of President Donald Trump's cabinet following last week's midterm elections.

"It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House," Melania Trump's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal claimed Ricardel had been fired and escorted out of the White House, but an administration official denied that to reporters.