Stormy Daniels has slammed Melania Trump over a leaked tape in which the US First Lady called the adult film star a “hooker”.

The feud erupted as Melania continues to battle the coronavirus in the White House and is at the centre of a growing cluster involving US President Donald Trump and more than a dozen of his close contacts.

Ms Daniels is one of several women with whom the president has been accused of having affairs.

On Tuesday (local time), an author and former friend of Melania, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, released a recording of the First Lady calling Ms Daniels a “porn hooker” in 2018.

The recording was released on Mea Culpa, a podcast presented by disgraced lawyer and Trump campaign fixer Michael Cohen.

That same day, Melania posted on Twitter that she was “feeling good” following her COVID-19 diagnosis last week.

My family is grateful for all of the prayers & support! I am feeling good & will continue to rest at home. Thank you to medical staff & caretakers everywhere, & my continued prayers for those who are ill or have a family member impacted by the virus.

— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) October 5, 2020

But after news of the leaked recording spread, it’s unlikely her spirits remained high.

Ms Daniels swiftly hit back at the First Lady’s “porn hooker” comment on Twitter, saying she’d much prefer to be a “hooker” than Melania.

“Although I wasn’t paid for sex and therefore technically not a “hooker” I’ll take being that over what you are any day,” the 41-year-old wrote. 

“You sold your pussy AND your soul … and I’m legal.”

Hahaha! Although I wasn't paid for sex and therefore technically not a "hooker" I'll take being that over what you are any day. You sold your pussy AND your soul…and I'm legal. Keep talking about me. I like your new tits btw. Post (more) nudes? #bebest lol

— Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) October 6, 2020

During the podcast interview, Ms Wolkoff played a snippet of the tape in which Melania, 50, complained about a Vogue photoshoot featuring Ms Daniels in 2018.

“Annie Leibovitz shot the porn hooker, and she will be (in) one of the issues, September or October,” Melania says.

“What do you mean?” Ms Wolkoff asks.

“Stormy,” Melania replies.

“Shut the f— up. For what?” Ms Wolkoff responds.

“It was yesterday it came up,” Melania says.

“For Vogue. It will be in Vogue. Annie Leibovitz shot her.”

Ms Leibovitz, a well-known American celebrity photographer, photographed Ms Daniels and her then attorney, Michael Avenatti, for a story titled Stormy Daniels Isn’t Backing Down in August 2018.

At the time, Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, was suing Mr Trump over a “hush agreement” in which she was paid $180,000 to stay silent about his alleged cheating scandal before the 2016 election.

Mr Trump allegedly pursued Ms Daniels in 2006, shortly after the First Lady gave birth to their son, Barron, though he strongly denies the affair.

It’s not the first time that Ms Wolkoff has thrown her ex-friend Melania under the bus in recent days.

During the weekend, she leaked a separate recording of Melania saying “Who gives a f— about Christmas?” while complaining about supervising Christmas decorations in the White House.

In the recording, Melania can also be heard saying the media should give her “a f—ing break” over Mr Trump’s widely criticised child separations policy at the southern border.

Ms Wolkoff is the author of Melania & Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady, a tell-all about their relationship, which was published in August.

Before release, it was reported that Ms Wolkoff had taped her former friend.