Just as Donald Trump was getting back into the political game in November 2022, his eldest daughter Ivanka Trump was exiting — and she meant it.
She released a statement two years ago that affirmed her strong relationship with her father but noted that her private life was much more important than another White House job. “I love my father very much. This time around I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics,” she shared with Fox News.
Now, her Miami socialite life is generating plenty of interest and criticism as she navigates what her post-Washington, D.C. world looks like. “She is very brand aware, very conscious of wanting to do something positive – and that’s not a bad thing – but has a little bit of reputational buildup to accomplish and reach that bigger goal,” an anonymous PR crisis expert told CNN. “I don’t doubt the sincerity, but if I were advising her, I would just encourage her to take a little bit of the polish off.”
Her “glossy, polished photography” on her Instagram page gives her followers a glimpse at what she possibly thinks her life should look like. Still, it’s hard to know the real Ivanka, who takes a measured approach even in her rare interviews. In her July 2 appearance on The Lex Fridman Podcast, she barely batted an eyelash when she spoke about the “pretty dark world” of politics.
“There’s a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and it’s just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being. And, you know, it’s a really rough business,” she explained in an even tone. “So, for me and my family, it feels right to not participate.” That’s a dramatic take (and probably the right one for what she experienced in her father’s first administration), but it’s hard to see her emotion behind it all sometimes.
Ivanka has preferred to settle into a privileged life that involved philanthropy, her family with Jared Kushner, her active pursuits like surfing, and a circle of friends that includes Kim Kardashian. That elite bubble probably won’t be popped, and the public sheen probably will stay “glossy” and “polished” because Ivanka realized that political battles in Washington, D.C. were more cutthroat than any socialite clique.
Before you go, click here to see every time Ivanka Trump has tried to distance herself from the Trump family:
