Trump tweets that Nordstrom treated daughter ‘so unfairly’
• President Donald Trump criticized Nordstrom on Wednesday, tweeting that the department store chain that decided to stop selling his daughter’s clothing and accessory line has treated her “so unfairly.”
In the message, Trump said, “My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @ Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!”
Posted first on his personal account, it was re- tweeted more than 6,000 times in less than an hour. It was also retweeted by the official @ POTUS account. Companies such as the U. S. automakers, Boeing and Carrier have been the targets of Trump’s tweets in the past, but that this one was about a business run by his daughter could raise conflict-of-interest concerns.
Trump’s presidency has raised unprecedented concerns about ethical conflicts. His plan to separate himself from his real estate business has been criticized by ethics experts who say it doesn’t do enough to make sure that Trump won’t make decisions to personally benefit himself, his family or his company.
Nordstrom didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s shares had dropped after the tweet, but later recovered to be up about three per cent.
A social media campaign called “Grab Your Wallet” has urged a boycott of stores that stock Ivanka Trump or Donald Trump products, though the companies that have stopped ordering or cut back on the Ivanka Trump brand have not mentioned it.
Nordstrom said last week its decision was based on the brand’s performance, and that each year it replenishes about 10 per cent of its supply with new products.
Retailer Belk Inc. told The Associated Press in an email Wednesday that it will no longer be carrying the Ivanka Trump brand on its website, but will still offer the merchandise at its stores. The New York Times reported that TJX Cos., which operates T. J. Maxx, told employees not to display Ivanka Trump goods separately and to discard the brand’s signs, according to a memo obtained by the paper. In an email to The Associated Press, TJX spokeswoman Doreen Thompson said that “at this time, we continue to offer the line of merchandise.”
Rosemary K. Young, senior director of marketing at Ivanka Trump, said last week that the brand saw “significant” revenue growth last year compared to the previous year. Ivanka Trump has said she would take a leave of absence from her clothing and accessories business.