Ivanka Trump, White House adviser, says she "stays out of politics"

Ivanka Trump's views of her role in the White House seem to be rather confusing

Published June 26, 2017 11:41AM (EDT)

 (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Even before Donald Trump took public office, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner have been tangling with a group of nationalist and traditional anti-government conservatives who helped the businessman win the presidency last year. Several months into the Trump administration, it appears that Ivanka Trump and her allies have been losing more battles than they've been winning.

With her father's approval ratings at record lows, in a Monday interview with "Fox & Friends," she appeared to distance herself from her father when asked about the president's habit of getting himself into trouble via his Twitter account.

“I try to stay out of politics,” Ivanka said. “His political instincts are phenomenal. He did something that no one could have imagined he’d be able to accomplish."

She said later in the interview, "I don't profess to be a political savant," adding, "So I leave the politics to other people."

While claiming to stay out of the political fray, Ivanka Trump also told interviewer Ainsley Earhardt, "I advise my father on a plethora of things."

And yet, according to conservative commentator Amanda Carpenter who is closely linked to congressional Republicans, Ivanka Trump has been lobbying on Capitol Hill for family leave policies.

Ivanka Trump was also asked about a recent Us Weekly cover with the headline "Why I disagree with my dad."

Said Ivanka: I think it's normal to not have 100 percent aligned viewpoints on every issue. I think that would be a strange scenario. I don’t think anyone operates like that with a parent or within the context of an administration. And I think all the different viewpoints being at the table is a positive thing,” she added. “One of the things that in this country we don’t have enough of is dialogue and substantive dialogue where people who have different opinions can speak freely and candidly.”

The president's massive unpopularity and frequently controversial actions appear to have taken a toll on the family's global brands. A number of upscale companies have publicly ended associations with companies owned by Ivanka  as well as others in the Trump family.

Ivanka Trump's brand took a hit in May when three labor-rights activists in China disappeared while investigating working conditions at a factory that manufactures shoes for her company.


By Matthew Sheffield

Matthew Sheffield is a national correspondent for The Young Turks. He is also the host of the podcast "Theory of Change." You can follow him on Twitter.

MORE FROM Matthew Sheffield


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Ainsley Earhardt Donald Trump "fox & Friends" Ivanka Trump