We once lived in a world where reality television and the White House were two very separate entities. One involved diagnosable rage problems, ignoring your best friend for an entire season because she didn’t visit you enough when your husband was sick, and gaslighting Kelly Bensimon for three days on an island in the Caribbean from which she couldn’t easily escape. The other involved decorum, very careful speechwriting, and rules about where and when you could use government dollars to fly private.

Not anymore. The lines have become irreversibly blurred — and that’s where Andy Cohen comes in.

The longtime Bravo host of the “Real Housewives” reunions has seen it all — but even he is rendered speechless by the drama that’s currently taking place between Donald Trump’s first and third wife.

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In an interview with ABC News Monday about her forthcoming memoir, Ivana Trump took a swipe at Melania Trump’s claim to the title of “First Lady.”

“I have the direct number to White House but I don’t really want to call him there because Melania is there and I don’t really want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that because I’m basically first Trump wife,” Ivana said. “I’m first lady, OK?”

Melania spokesperson Stephanie Grisham wasted no time in responding to the slight with a burn of her own:

“Mrs. Trump has made the White House a home for Barron and The President,” reads the released statement. “She loves living in Washington, D.C. and is honored by her role as First Lady of the United States. She plans to use her title and role to help children, not sell books. There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex. Unfortunately only attention seeking and self-serving noise.”

In this clapback worthy of Bethenny Frankel, Andy Cohen immediately recognized a unique opportunity that was essentially, perfectly, inexorably made for him.

A reality star brought this country to its knees. Maybe it’s going to take a reality star to heal it.

And a face-to-face discussion between Melania and Ivana Trump moderated by Andy Cohen and broadcast at primetime for millions to witness seems as good a place to start as any.

Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter, @arr_scott

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