There's no question that, of all the Trumps, President Donald Trump is the one who gets
the most public criticism, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Trump's second-oldest
child, Ivanka, has had her fair share of controversy. Here are some of Ivanka Trump's most cringe-worthy
moments.
In 2009, Ivanka published her first book, The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and
Life, which is marketed as:
"A business book for young women on how to achieve success in any field, based upon what
Ivanka has learned from her father and from her own experiences."
But it seems like some of those young women weren't quite looking for her advice. The
book received lukewarm reviews, which likely had something to do with the fact that it
was full of arguably cringe-worthy quotes. While some statements were simply confusing,
like:
"Success isn't something that happens to you; you happen to it."
Others were criticized for being tone-deaf. For example, writing about harassment, Ivanka
noted that it is "never acceptable," but added,
"At the same time...learn to figure out when a hoot or holler is indeed a form of harassment
and when it's merely a good-natured tease that you can give back in kind."
She even appeared to allude to the idea of "fake news" long before her father ever did,
writing,
"Perception is more important than reality. If someone perceives something to be true,
it is more important than if it is in fact true. This doesn't mean you should be duplicitous
or deceitful, but don't go out of your way to correct a false assumption if it plays
to your advantage."
When Redbook published "Ivanka Trump's Guide to Looking Like a Boss" in 2012, it included
a number of pretty standard fashion tips, but one did stand out. Ivanka told the outlet,
"A timeless piece of jewelry, like pearls or stud earrings, has lasting value. I bought
a vintage ring for $600 with my first paycheck; I plan to pass it down to my daughter."
The problem is that Ivanka's first paycheck was largely made possible thanks to her family
connections, connections that also gave her the privilege to blow an entire paycheck on
a piece of jewelry because other bills, like rent, were being taken care of. As The New
York Times asked back in 1997 when a 15-year-old Ivanka was getting her start in modeling,
was her success due to, quote, "her cheekbones or her name?" According to the article, it
seemed like the latter. For one, the agency that signed her had a longstanding relationship
with her father. Also, the owner of a competing agency called Company Management told the
paper.
"[If] Ivanka walked into my agency, I would not sign her as a model...I don't think she
has that edge."
"I model because I love to model, and that's really all there is to it."
Donald Trump has long been involved in beauty pageants and reality TV and, as Jezebel uncovered,
in 2013, he tried to merge the two in an effort to launch his daughter's own television career.
According to sources who spoke with the outlet, Ivanka was gearing up to host a reality competition
show called Trump Town Girls.
Although the show never made it to air, Jezebel gained access to press materials and clips
from the pilot episode, which was being produced for E!, and deduced that its main premise
was:
"Pitting beautiful, leggy contestants in Trump's beauty pageants against the hardened real
estate brokers of Trump International Realty."
Apparently, teams of two women were tasked with competing to see who could earn the most
commissions in any way possible. As the outlet noted, the clips portrayed the women as being:
"Intensely competitive and catty with one another, aware that working for Trump International
means being replaced at any time with someone hotter."
The show lacked the necessary star power to move forward, and, soon enough, all mention
of its existence was wiped from the Internet before it ever saw the light of day.
Donald Trump's relationship with his daughter has been heavily scrutinized over the years
as he has amassed, what The Independent calls, an "unsettling record of comments."
"Although she does have a very nice figure. I've said if Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps
I'd be dating her."
While it's not often that Ivanka's part in the relationship is explored, in September
2017, she became the subject of great Twitter ridicule when it was revealed that she still
refers to the President as "daddy." It was the President himself who, while inviting
Ivanka to join him up on stage during a speech in North Dakota, told the crowd:
"She's so good, she wanted to make the trip. She said, 'Dad, can I go with you?' She said
actually, 'Daddy, can I go with you?' I like that, right?"
Although Ivanka brushed off the comment, video of the proclamation soon began making the
rounds on Twitter as it was shared by reporter David Mack who quipped,
"The replies to this tweet are why I re-downloaded Twitter."
In addition to countless gif replies showing people either shocked or throwing up, one
user slammed Ivanka, saying,
"So the moral of this story is that [Ivanka] doesn't have anything to do so she wants to
take a ride on the big airplane with her daddy."
When Fox News asked Ivanka in February 2019 to comment on the Green New Deal pushed by
congressional Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which would, quote, "[guarantee] a job with
a family-sustaining wage, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement
security to all people of the United States," the POTUS' daughter had quite the reaction.
She said,
"I don't think most Americans, in their heart, want to be given something. I've spent a lot
of time traveling around this country over the last four years. People want to work for
what they get...They want the ability to be able to secure a job. They want the ability
to live in a country where there's the potential for upward mobility."
"I think this idea of a guaranteed minimum is not something most people want."
Ivanka went on to point out that she believes the U.S. was doing better than it had in recent
years. Ocasio-Cortez quickly took to Twitter to clap back, pointing out Ivanka's inadequacy
to speak on behalf of the average American worker. She wrote,
"As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having
to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to
live. A living wage isn't a gift, it's a right. Workers are often paid far less than the value
they create."
Here's something you might not know about Ivanka: Her sister-in-law is none other than
Karlie Kloss, the supermodel is married to Joshua Kushner, the brother of Ivanka's hubby,
Jared Kushner.
Kloss has rarely spoken publicly about their family connection. However, if you follow
the President's daughter on social media, you'll know she's repeatedly gushed about
being related to Kloss. Their relationship appears to be painfully one-sided, according
to Harper's Bazaar. In July 2018, for example, Trump gushed over Kloss' engagement announcement
on Instagram, commenting,
"I feel blessed to have you as a sister (!!!) Karlie and look forward to the decades of happy memories
we will create together as a family!"
In March 2019, she shared a video of herself watching Kloss host the Season 17 premiere
of Project Runway in which she screamed with excitement.
"Girly, it's happening!"
However, Kloss has never responded to any of these signs of affection, nor does she
follow Ivanka on social media, as Express noted. In fact, during an interview with British
Vogue, Kloss talked about being related to the President's family, saying,
"It's been hard. But I choose to focus on the values that I share with my husband, and
those are the same liberal values that I was raised with and that have guided me throughout
my life."
"I voted as a Democrat in 2016 and I plan to do the same in 2020."
When President Trump decided not to attend the 2019 Gridiron Club Dinner, which got its
start in 1885 and is described by the Washington Post as an "exclusive gathering of politicians
and media elite," he sent his daughter on his behalf. Traditionally, the evening is
kicked off by the President, who shares some light remarks before "a prominent Democrat
and Republican" do the same, all leading up to a number of comedic sketches performed
by top journalists.
Clearly doing her best to stick to tradition, Ivanka tried to show off her sense of humor
at the top of the evening, but according to the Washington Post, she bombed in front of
700 guests. Revealing that she had been asked to attend the dinner that same afternoon,
she quipped,
"The press seems to think it's ironic that I, born of great privilege, think people want
to work for what they are given. As if being Donald Trump's daughter isn't the hardest
job in the world."
In May 2018, President Trump and his administration made headlines when they introduced a new
policy that called for the separation of families who crossed the US-Mexican border illegally.
Initially, Ivanka spoke out against family separation, but when Face the Nation asked
her about the subject in December 2019, she tried to wash her hands of the issue. Host
Margaret Brennan told her,
"We went and looked, and Homeland Security says there's still around 900 children who
remain separated from their families. Is that something that you continue to remain engaged
on?"
Rather than giving a definite yes or no response, Ivanka deflected responsibility, saying,
"Obviously, I think everyone should be engaged and the full force of the U.S. government
is committed to this effort to border security, to protecting the most vulnerable."
"Well, immigration is not part of my portfolio, obviously."
She then switched gears and went on somewhat of a tangent, talking about human trafficking
and praising her father. She added,
"That includes those being trafficked across our border, which this president has committed
to countering and combatting human trafficking in an incredibly comprehensive and aggressive
way."
The official White House website may have Ivanka listed as "Advisor to the President,"
but her role has been the topic of many questions and great debate since Day 1. And it's not
just Americans who appear to be confused by her duties. When Ivanka appeared at the G-20
summit in Osaka, Japan, in July 2019, it was a whole slew of world leaders who publicly
turned on her.
In a video, which was originally posted by the French presidential palace, Ivanka was
shown trying to awkwardly take part in a conversation with the French President, the British Prime
Minister, the Canadian Prime Minister, and the managing director of the International
Monetary Fund, and being repeatedly snubbed. The awkward exchange inspired a slew of memes
online. Meanwhile, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, in part,
"It may be shocking to some, but being someone's daughter actually isn't a career qualification."
While Ivanka didn't comment on the awkwardness, she definitely must have felt it. As one body
language expert summarized to Refinery29,
"She stood slightly outside the circle, in a way that shows she felt unwelcomed. Also,
the group didn't turn toward her to allow her in fully."
In September 2019, Ivanka flew to Colombia, where she met with the country's president
and vice president, inaugurated the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs, and visited a Venezuelan
migrant camp.
First, a slight wardrobe malfunction stole the show and made the rounds on Twitter, then
media began to turn on her with the New Zealand Herald dubbing the trip "a mission of benign
diplomacy" and GQ asking,
"What about the immigrant detention camps here in the U.S.?"
Just a few months later, in February 2020, Ivanka's travels were criticized again when
she joined the President on a state visit to India. While Vogue asked,
"What exactly is Ivanka Trump doing in India?"
The Huffington Post didn't hold back when it proclaimed,
"Americans can't figure out what Ivanka Trump is doing in India. Besides tagging along with
dad on the taxpayers' dime."
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