Ivanka Trump, who is currently picking out furniture for her new second-floor office in the West Wing, has inserted herself into American politics in a way that has left many people, both Democrats and Republicans, scratching their heads.
Last week it was announced that the first daughter would not only get her own government office, computer, email address, and phone (paid for by American taxpayers), but she would also be given security clearance. She would not, however, be given an official position or required to take an oath of office.
“No one really knows what she does exactly,” one West Wing insider tells The Hill.
Even hardcore Republicans aren’t sure what the hell Ivanka is doing.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Nobody knows,” Republican strategist Amanda Carpenter recently told Cosmo. “What qualifies her? Apparently being the president’s daughter. There’s a word for this: nepotism.”
Carpenter went on to say the whole thing has turned the idea of working women “into a farce.”
“By taking this role, Ivanka is taking away a life-changing opportunity from another woman, who undoubtedly would have more expertise than the first daughter.”
Related: There’s something sinister behind Ivanka Trump’s poise
Of course, what the “role” is remains unclear. The White House has floated a wide range of vague non-job job descriptions for the first daughter, including: being the “eyes and ears” for her father, focusing on the “economic empowerment of women,” overseeing efforts to “rid the world of human trafficking,” concentrating on “workforce development” and paid maternity leave, and offering her dad suggestions and ideas for how to lead the nation.
In a recent statement to Politico, Ivanka said:
I will continue to offer my father my candid advice and counsel, as I have for my entire life. While there is no modern precedent for an adult child of the president, I will voluntarily follow all of the ethics rules placed on government employees.
(For the record: There actually is a modern precedent for adult children of the president. The Bush daughters didn’t meddle in their father’s presidency. Chelsea Clinton turned 18 and went off to college while her dad was in the White House and managed to stay out of things. H.W.’s adult kids were politically active in their own rights but didn’t have unofficial jobs and offices in the White House. And all five of Reagan’s offspring managed to avoid his presidential spotlight.)
Friends of Ivanka tell The Hill that her intentions are nothing but pure, and that the criticism directed at her has been “wrong” and “incredibly unfair.”
“She’s being held to a standard that makes no sense,” one friend tells The Hill. “She spent her life as an entrepreneur, and she has an opportunity here to empower women in a real way!”
Related: Shocker: Ivanka Trump’s D.C. neighbors absolutely cannot stand living next to her
What makes the whole thing even more confusing (not to mention, hypocritical) is that Ivanka once led a marketing campaign for her company that encouraged women to speak out about their jobs and job titles.
The campaign was called #WomenWhoWork and made its rounds on social media back in 2014 with a video of Ivanka asking women to record themselves stating their extended job title followed by their actual job title. The purpose was to “inspire” and “encourage” other women to celebrate what it means to be a working girl.
“The women I know who are working today are working hard to create and build the lives that they want to live, and there’s nothing more compelling and powerful than that,” Ivanka said in the video. “Let’s show the world what it looks like to be a woman who works!”
In a new op-ed published by Vox, Liz Plank says Ivanka ought to take her own advice.
“Trump’s brand emphasizes empowering women at work, and there is nothing feminist about a woman stepping in to do all the work with no credit or pay,” she writes. “If Trump truly wants to preserve her commitment to the cause she supposedly takes the most pride in, she would disclose what her own work entails.”
Somehow we don’t think that’s gonna happen.
Watch Ivanka’s 2014 #WomenWhoWork video below.
DCguy
““She’s being held to a standard that makes no sense,” one friend tells The Hill.”
Except she has no job title, but has a West Wing Office. IT was already determined that there was a conflict of interest if she had a job, so gee, what does her dad do? Gives her an office with no OFFICIAL job to try to skate by the Ethics rules, the same way he would try to avoid regulations in a shady business deal.
Additionally, Trump doesn’t like to work or study and has relied on his kids to do everything for him. So he can’t function or do any kind of job without people there to actually do the work.
trusgold
I love how the article says it is denying another woman for the job. Trump hired few women this is a good thing idiots
1EqualityUSA
This Trump fiasco scares the pie out of me. If Hillary had moved her daughter in there, the GOP would have never shut up about it.
Giancarlo85
Look up François Fillon giving his wife a fake job. This is the same sort of corruption. Let’s not fool ourselves.
In France there was huge fallout because people are actually held accountable. LePen also misused public EU funding too. The right wing is always corrupt.
Giancarlo85
BTW, Fillon’s wife was questioned by magistrates. There is transparency and accountability in France, which is absent in America with Dumpster.
arcoarconcio_passivy
It´s ReinuUniddus Englaterra Brittus Royal Familly Princeses Rei Duke Monarcu Elizabett Rainha II Because It´s yes are no people .
natekerchel
Ms Trump/Kushner is not the ‘First Daughter’ of anything. Her deluded father did not win the popular vote and, therefore, has no political legitimacy. If he has no legitimacy then she has even less as she was not even a candidate in any kind of election. In addition, there is no tradition of Presidents, illegitimate or otherwise, creating White House jobs for their adult children. There are of course ‘political families’ like the Roosevelt or Kennedy clans. In both cases all were elected to office on their own merits. There are two words to describe what is going on here – nepotism and unaccountability. Another expression comes to mind – conflict of interest.
DCguy
Interesting, non of the multiple Screenames of the Log Cabin bigoted troll “Mo Bro, Hoffman, Alisair Wisman, BJ etc…” have come in here to attack commenters or defend this.
I guess their waiting for Breitbart to write an article on how to claim that this is ok before they do that.
whatsaywhat
Keep your friends close and your daughterwife closer.
trusgold
You pin heads don’t know but she is gay friendly. Remember Chelsea is who got Bill and Hill to support equality. She is close friends with Chelsea and I do not see that happening if she’s this huge bigot. Open you closed minds and see this opportunity to get some support.