Ivanka Trump wants to get in on the Oprah praise, too!

When the president's daughter offered sanitized praise for Oprah, people noticed a glaring logical flaw

By Matthew Rozsa

Staff Writer

Published January 9, 2018 9:29AM (EST)

Ivanka Trump   (Getty/Chip Somodevilla)
Ivanka Trump (Getty/Chip Somodevilla)

In the wake of Oprah Winfrey's Golden Globes speech, which set off speculation that the Hollywood icon would run for president, Ivanka Trump waded into the conversation online to serve up her own self-serving and empty version of praise for a speech that should have hit close to home.

Trump ignored the numerous accusations of sexual assault made against her own father, many of which became centerpieces of the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump refused to confront those accusations during the election and in the subsequent months.

Winfrey's speech included several sections that implicitly criticized the Trump administration for its attacks on journalists as well as its involvement in Trump's sexual misconduct scandals.

"I want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association because we all know the press is under siege these days. We also know it's the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and to injustice," she declared.

Winfrey also praised the women who have spoken out against sexual abusers, a statement that by its nature includes the nearly two dozen women who came forward against Trump.

"To tyrants and victims, and secrets and lies: I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this: what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I'm especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories. Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year we became the story," Winfrey said.

Trump's sanitized and upbeat message is a trend for her. And behind the scenes, she's proven to be ineffective as a White House adviser to her father, President Donald Trump. It's only fitting, then, that Trump is being called out for her statements.


By Matthew Rozsa

Matthew Rozsa is a staff writer at Salon. He received a Master's Degree in History from Rutgers-Newark in 2012 and was awarded a science journalism fellowship from the Metcalf Institute in 2022.

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Donald Trump Golden Globes Ivanka Trump Oprah Winfrey