Ivanka is navigating social and political worlds in Washington
washington — With her move to Washington, Ivanka Trump isn’t just taking on a new city; she’s navigating a different world.
A few weeks into her father’s administration, the first daughter is settling into a life that might look familiar to a certain type of urban mom. She’s been visiting her kids’ new schools, taking spin classes at Flywheel and hitting local restaurants for date nights. But because she is Ivanka Trump there’s more to it. She’s also welcomed Microsoft founder Bill Gates to her home, and hosted other dinners with CEOs and thought leaders — all part of her effort to plot out a policy agenda around women in the workplace.
Her early moves are playing out under intense scrutiny, including Trump’s attempt to untangle herself from her old life as chief executive of a fashion brand.
She was publicly silent this week as she found herself at the center of the latest debate over ethics and Trump family business conflicts. A person close to her said she was not involved in her father’s decision to fire off a tweet slamming Nordstrom for dropping her fashion line, a move that looked to some like a dad defending his daughter, and to others like the president ripping a private enterprise for the financial benefit of a family member.
Ivanka Trump stayed mum because she takes seriously her pledge to separate herself from her business, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share private conversations.
Trump aide Kellyanne Conway stirred up the controversy further on Thursday when she offered her support by telling people to “go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” boasting in a television interview that she was giving the brand “a free commercial here.” Conway’s comments endorsing a product from the White House riled ethics experts and got her “counselled” by the White House. Before moving to DC, Ivanka Trump officially stepped away from executive roles at the Trump organisation and with her own lifestyle brand. But she retains ownership of her brand and is receiving fixed payments, rather than profits, from the Trump Organisation. —