Melania Trump is no longer useful (whatsoever) to the Trump Campaign. I really do think Melania has been shuffled back to New York, never to be heard of again, especially if questions about her immigration persist (and they will persist). So the Trump campaign needs a woman they can count on, which is why Ivanka is being pushed constantly. To be fair, any campaign would be lucky to have Ivanka: she’s fast on her feet, she’s smart, she’s capable and she’s the most likeable Trump. So that’s why Ivanka has a feature in the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar. She’s the only person on Trump’s campaign who actually has the task of “softening” her father and trying to make him more palatable to female voters (it’s not working, but hey, Ivanka is trying!). You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
Whether she’s calling the shots in her father’s campaign: “I’m definitely not. His campaign is his campaign. We have worked together for over a decade, and I love my father, I respect my father. I also understand him and how he thinks. My role is daughter. I’m his daughter. He undertook something incredibly daring, which required a lot of self-sacrifice… he worked alongside his three adult children at a company he built himself and that he’s deeply passionate about. He put all of that aside for what he’s doing today, and I, as a daughter, am very proud of him.”
Being in charge of the Trump Org. with brother Eric & Donald Jr.: “We work alongside one another. I don’t even know what my title is. We said to each other when we first got into the business that collectively we could do much more than any one of us could do individually.”
She would definitely have a role in a Trump administration: “The presidency of the United States is an incredible thing. You have an ability to effectuate change at the highest level. There are issues I am deeply passionate about.” Such as? “Well, obviously, I’m a huge advocate for women and women’s issues, like child care. The cost of child care is incredibly onerous. In half the country, the cost of child care exceeds the cost of housing. It’s the largest expense for households. It’s not sustainable or appropriate.”
Her husband Jared Kushner in completely supportive: “I can’t imagine that I would be the person I am today if, over the last seven years, I had been married to somebody who didn’t feel 100 percent comfortable with my drive, my ambition, my interest in thinking big and swinging for the fences… From the first time Jared and my father met, they liked each other. They initially bonded over me, and then they bonded over real estate.”Standing up for working women: “There’s a certain caricature that comes to mind when someone says ‘working woman.’ Yet that doesn’t exist for men. In fact, I’ve never heard anyone say ‘working man.’ Ever. Because there’s an assumption that they work. But that doesn’t mean we should all work 100 hours a week. It may mean for some of us staying home and taking care of our children. It’s about celebrating women and their personal choices.”
Does she consider herself a real feminist? “Yeah, I am. Absolutely.”
And is she pro-choice? “I don’t talk politics. I made that decision at the beginning of this campaign because I am not the candidate.”
On Chelsea Clinton: “I still consider her a very close friend, and she considers me as well. We have a great relationship… I’m not running for public office, and neither is she, so of course we’re still friends.”
I actually laughed out loud at Ivanka’s abrupt cut-off when she was asked about whether she is pro-choice. Like, honey, did you know you were answering political questions this whole time? Did you think that if you refuse to say out loud that you’re pro-choice that somehow no one will know? On one side, I want to ring a little bell and shout “SHAME!” at her repeatedly for betraying all of womankind. On the other side, I do understand how she’s rationalizing her choice as “supporting her father.”
Also, Christie Brinkley had some words about Bazaar’s choice to do a feature with Ivanka. Brinkley posted some images from the shoot and wrote: “And we all know we can’t seriously consider a hate monger as President. Supporting Trump makes YOU complicit in his racism and bigotry.”
Photos courtesy of WENN, Harper’s Bazaar.
I would think she is pro choice but knew saying that would cause a shit storm.
Actually she gives off the anti-choice vibe. I think if she were pro-choice she would come out and say so because it would be similar to her father’s view (or should I say his view on any given week). She seems to be hiding behind no politics for this one item – she has been vocal about many other topics (sexual harassment most recently).
She is pro-choice as is the Donald. He switched when he decided to run as a Republican. They were Democrates since she was born and as stated close to the Clintons. She can’t say it because her Daddy needs the Religious Right to vote for him. Another reason he got the boring VP.
I actually think she is is “Pro-Birth” as I like to call those that say they are “Pro-Life”. Her husband’s Jewish faith was strong enough that she felt the need to convert to marry him so I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that also took the more religious view of Pro-Birth. I think she didn’t answer because it doesn’t fit her image of Pro-Women.
And the term “working man” does get used a lot. It is a man who actually does physical work (rancher, farmer, etc) but I don’t imagine she would hear that term in her circle.
Actually, abortion is totally kosher in Judaism, since life is started at first breath / birth. You can’t assume her husband is anti-choice based on his religion in this case, and most Jews (even orthodox ones) are actually pro-choice.
I totally agree with @boohoohoo. In Judaism, the soul doesn’t enter the body until birth.
She’s pandering to the rabid Christians by her silence.
No one person gets to unilaterally decide what makes a feminist. Abortion isn’t the only issue feminists fight for, and feeling conflicted about it doesn’t mean you are not a feminist. This attitude is exactly the kind of thing that is greatly dividing. Feminism should be inclusive and understanding, not excluding and stone walled.
Exactly Bluebear!! I am not a supporter of abortion (in no way third term except for strictly dire medical reasons, ie life or death) but would also NEVER use my voice or vote to deny other women who need or want one the opportunity to have one…however I also do not think my considerable tax money (or anyone who disagrees with abortion for any reason, personal or religious or otherwise) should be spent on federally funded abortion services without unanimous consent. It’s an incredibly personal issue, NOT a political one…or at least, in a fair country, it should not be a political issue.
Feminism should not be “inclusive” to the point of loosing all meaning. Reproductive rights are the center tenet of feminism.
Please read more about women’s history and the rise of patriarchy. The reason for women’s oppression is women’s reproductive role in providing men with “heirs” to whom they can pass down property. All other economic and political oppression of women stems from this source.
I don’t care how people personally feel about abortion, but if they support denying it to other women, then nope, sorry, they are not feminists.
She should not have to state one way or the other. People have a right to privacy and personal choice, even her.
Then she should stay out of magazines, and stop using her interviews to help her father’s political campaign. Ivanka has been front and center helping her father, and there has been a lot of talk about a place for her in her father’s cabinet. You bet she should be required to air her politics when it comes to abortion, as it’s one of the things the Republicans are looking to attack if they get a chance to appoint the next supreme court justice.
“Well, obviously, I’m a huge advocate for women and women’s issues,” – Okay, so what about abortion, Ivanka?
Yes, but she has put herself and her life way out there as part of the campaign. I mean we know all about her husband Jarod but do we even know the names of Eric or Donald Jr.’s wives? Ivan has always lived her life publicly and seems to have been very comfortable with that.
@brunswickstoval : ITA. Her public profession of pro-choice would cause a political shit storm for more conservative republican supporters, so she is keeping quiet. Not very authentic of her IMO.
She cannot be authentic as long as she is Trump’s daughter. Trump is not known for being authentic about anything.
By the way, where are Donald’s tax returns?
Thank you, Christie!!! I’m so tired of people falling over Ivanka. Him being you father isn’t an excuse for you actively supporting his racism, bigotry, and all over stupidity.
Completely agree!!
Gals, the press has always had a hard on for Ivanka, even back when she was a blond teen model she got huge magazine spreads because she was a Trump. And when she was a judge on the apprentice. She’s attractive and intelligible, even if you hate what she’s saying. Personally I don’t get the vitriol here. I understand you dislike Trump and his platform but why so much blind hate for Ivanka? Just cause…?
And nope, not voting for Trump nor am I a repub, soooo… hm, guess I shouldn’t let the door smack my ass on the way out.
+1
Kaiko: She is too much like her dad when it comes to “business”
She is being sued for allegedly copying Italian shoe designs and then selling the copied shoes for less money.
Her clothing line is all manufactured overseas, just like Donald’s clothing line. Now, what was he saying about bringing jobs back to the US? He could start with his own company 🙂
Getting sued in business just like Dad. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ivanka-trump-sued-copycat-shoe-designs_us_576ac4b5e4b09926ce5d54c2
Or for fashion magazines to give you front page exposure.
THIS SO MUCH
Testify Christie! People need to stop giving her a pass because she’s generically pretty and has photogenic kids she pimps out all the time. She has laughed off every terrible thing he’s done, thus condoning his actions.
I want Ivanka to be banished to the dust bins of obscurity after this election. I don’t want to hear about her shoddily made clothes, shady husband or kids again after November 9.
+100
Seriously, even in this interview she comes off as calculating and snake like talking about her passion projects and how great her Father would be and then shutting down hard when it came to female autonmy.
I understand from her words that she is also trying to explain to us how many sacrifices her daddy made in building an empire, working with his kids in said empire and then leaving it to join this gruesome campaign. It is her attempt to extricate Trump from the Khan scandal but, you know, she doesn’t do politics.
What bugs is that she doesn’t come to the front and fight, she stays behind her daddy, next to whom she appears a princess and pulls strings from there. Hillary is slammed for shadiness, why isn’t this girl ( because she is daddy’s little girl in this campaign) held accountable. Yeah, she is not the candidate, but she is pushing like crazy for one. Maybe if Hillary had longer legs, people would have liked her more and found her smarter.
I think there are a lot of different reasons people do not like Hillary. Justifiably so. Please watch the documentary “Clinton Cash” on YouTube. I think it is very informative.
Well in this election, more than ever, likability is irrelevant. What Hillary brings to the table is her ability to control her base instincts, deliver coherent messages, use her intelligence towards policy, not want to blow up/shoot/punch anyone that disagrees with her and finally not behave like a 2-year old in desperate need of a time-out.
leah- I see you’ve also posted this comment today’s Trump article (No 40). I’ve responded there.
ABSOLUTELY! Loving and understanding your “kookie” dad is one thing, but not recognizing the vile things he says every day and the lies he uses to whip up more hatred and possibly violence is quite another. If she does not distance herself from the role her father is playing in grossly lowering the bar, then she is as guilty as he is.
I think she has been ex posed as a shallow and really out-of-touch personality. The fact that Chelsea was (maybe still is) close friends with her make me question Chelsea’s character too.
When did it get lost in translation that pro choice is only about abortions. I always thought of pro choice was supporting a persons right to do what they want with their body, religion, sexuality, etc.
Prochoice is about reproductive freedom. Has the term ever been about religion or sexuality?
Supporting other people in their right to practice their faith and not repress their sexuality (barring their decisions infringing someone else’s rights) is obviously good and the right thing to do, but the term prochoice is for a woman’s right to control what happens to her body.
Yes, freedom of worship (and freedom from government control OF worship) is protected explicitly in the Constitution but abortion was not, which is why the Supreme Court had to rule on it as a constitutionally protected right (to my view, because religion was denying that right). Similar for rights for LGMTQ people. Founders couldn’t get it all covered more than 200 years ago. That’s why the upcoming Supreme Court appointments are so important – they will interpret the Constitution in the context of modern times.
Have to agree with this. Pro-choice is explicitly about reproductive rights. What it is NOT is about being pro-abortion but about adult women being allowed to make up their own minds about their health, body, and family planning.
Pro-choice refers exclusively to a woman’s right to choose. It’s never been used in the context of religion, and definitely not in the context of sexuality, as that is not a choice.
I used to give Ivanka a pass because she is not HeWhoShallNotBeNamed but at this point she is just as equally guilty as HE is in my book. Using her smart, pro-woman image to make people “forget” about the hateful, insane, and psychopathic things HE has said and did is reprehensible and she should be ashamed.
I don’t know, I’m sort of the opposite: I was surprised that people praised her so much. She is attractive, but then her Mom was a model or something. She is successful, but can we *really* claim that she would be just as successful if she wasn’t a Trump? She doesn’t strike me as THAT smart. I really feel like people fawn over her because she’s reasonably articulate. So am I, yet I don’t see anyone praising me in national media. 🙂
But she got me with her talk of affordable childcare. Has any other politician really talked about it? I feel like it’s such a “socialist” issue in the US that it’s never seriously on the table. Now I wonder if she is figuring that maybe she can turn a bad situation into some good.
Of course, I’m still not sure that affordable child care will do us a lot of good if we nuke the Earth…
A tax credit for child care is his platform. It’s not like universal pre-knot anything progressive really. Wouldn’t help actual in need families that don’t even make enough to file taxes.
But we already have a tax credit for child care (or a tax deduction, I forget). Is he proposing a drastically bigger amount?
Non US here. I am also surprised (and alarmed) about the dissociation a lot of people make between her and her father. To me their dynamic is very similar to the Le Pen’s (french extreme right wing) : there’s the father, the daughter and the granddaughter. The father is outrageous, the women smooth it all. Despite being all over the place with hate speech, physical assault on woman, war crimes and the likes, the father was a serious candidate for presidency in 2002. Surprising everyone. He was largely beaten by Chirac at round 2 because he was waaaay too much, and also quite sabotaging himself as Trump is doing now. He didn’t expect to get this far and the party was never a government party.
Now that France is a huge freaking mess since january 2015, and since it was already quite the mess way before that, I’m truly afraid about the daughter. She started like Ivanka Trump in her father’s campaign, then she took the party. During all those years she did really good PR for the party, even excluded her outrageous father and too “visible” members. Cooled down the public hate speech and the woman-controlling speech. She added a lot of “socialists” themes instead, which really worked. But it’s truly just PR and a polished turd is still a turd. She consistently does good numbers at every election, she is a candidate for presidency 2017 and sadly, she has real good chances to win. She is ready. They are ready this time. There’s a lot of anger and nihilism in the country for them to grow on. It’s freaking me out.
The pretty granddaughter won in my local area to be a representative. She was 22-years-old at the time and had zero politic experience or even a work experience. She won on her name, and on hate.
TL;DR Keep a wide opened eye on Ivanka Trump, she is the snake that will maybe run in the end, with her father’s ideology in a pretty package. To me, her non-response means she is not pro-choice but will not take a politic stance on that.
Anyway she is part of this campaign, that says it all.
Hillary’s been talking about affordable Day Care with Subsidies for parents and increased pay for Daycare workers for the last 3 MONTHS but no one pays attention to her detailed plans. Only Trump’s offer of a program that already exists and benefits upper middle to rich parents. Sigh.
The delusional apple doesn’t fall far from the crazy tree.
“The delusional apple doesn’t fall far from the CRAZY TREE”.
:::mic drop:::
You just won the internet today.
Bwahahahaha!!!!
Yup, Ivanka’s job is to step in front of her Dad when he has his plan outfit on and smile wide and pretty and talk about what a great Dad he is.
Klan not plan.
This X 1,000,000
Way to demonstrate ladder safety there, Ivanka!
How does feminist you feel about your father inciting people to kill your friend Chelsea’s mother?
Right on!
Let’s hope she never gets a chance to, um, ‘effectuate’ [sic] change at the highest level. May that ladder be as high as she goes.
Also not-nice nod to the Khan family there, Ivanka, about your father’s “self sacrifice” and all …
I don’t understand how Chelsea can be friends with her after what Ivanka has revealed. On the other hand, the Trumpkin has learned at the feet of the master who wrote ‘the psychopath’s handbook of manipulation, easy charm and fake concerns’, so yeah, there’s that.
Are you saying one can’t be a feminist without being pro-choice? I honestly don’t think the two are mutually exclusive. Some people consider abortion to be a human rights issue. Not saying it is or isn’t, but I don’t like the idea of alienating huge swaths of women who feel this way yet still consider themselves feminists.
For the record, Hillary voter here.
I think for a lot of people being pro-choice is not the same as being for abortion but for women’s rights. This is the case for me. I don’t believe in abortion but I FULLY believe in a woman’s right to have a safe one. To be a feminist and supports women’s rights means supporting their choice (abortion or not) which is why pro-choice is seen as a feminist platform
You said it perfectly.
You can’t believe in or not believe in abortions really… they exist.
I will never support the notion that a collection of (possibly unwanted) cells overrules a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. That is literally insane. Get abortions or don’t get abortions but you can’t claim to not believe in them! You can say flat out you’ll never get one for this reason or that but don’t actively stop others from doing so.
I’d love for no woman to ever need an abortion because I do think it can be traumatic for her but we will never live in that world. BC fails, accidents happen, rapists exist, young people are encouraged to abstain and given no other information. We need abortions.
Has anyone met a woman who is “for abortion”? Is that a ‘hell yeah!’ and a high five? Abortion is a grievous necessity but I doubt that most women have ever, ever, has rooted for abortion (but I’m sure there’s a swath of men who do, including the orange one). It’s as if a woman doesn’t go through emotional and mental and physical challenges when that decision is made and realised.
Geez, women are held so cheaply, with no soul, not heart, no say. Women need that choice, should have that choice. No man *ever* should have a say especially in law.
You can’t call yourself a feminist if you’re too chicken to voice your opinion in Harper’s Bazaar.
no you cant be a feminist if you are not pro choice. thats like a praying, church going atheist.
Yup. Either women have equal rights or they don’t, and if abortions are denied to them, they don’t have equal rights.
The problem is that your personal feelings and opinions about the duty of someone else’s body end at the tips of your fingertips. You can be morally opposed to abortion for yourself but you can’t just decide that other women must have their bodies controlled and effected in a way based on more of morals and feelings than science and fact.
We put too much stock into the feelings of unborn fetuses that we make the actual breathing women carrying them collateral damage. I’m not comfortable with that, feminine is about female equality and autonomy of the body is an equality issue.
just here to co-sign. why are we still debating this stuff in the 21st century? enough already! my body, my choice.
Eternal-side eye/ anna: i’m amazed that in 2016, THIS is still an issue.
Pro-choice and policing of Women’s bodies shouldn’t be a debate and it definitely shouldn’t be a political issue. It should be a done deal.
Anna/LAK: YES. So much yes. My facebook feed occasionally has some ignoramus (and usually male to boot) sharing a Hillary quote about being pro-choice with some commentary about how “EVIL” she is. And that’s my reaction exactly: what is this, 1995? Why are conservatives going after her about this?? This issue should’ve been put to bed years ago! This is not a new issue, and it’s HAPPENING so DEAL WITH IT. We shouldn’t be revisiting it, and people shouldn’t still be clutching their damn pearls about it like they’ve just never in their life heard of such.
Yep. Maybe you should read up on what feminism actually is. No, not the neoliberal “Freedom! Choice!” version. The actual political movement.
Reproductive rights are fundamental to women’s rights.
Of course one can be a feminist and not be pro choice
le sigh.
And a snort.
Also I’d just like to point out HOW EASY it is for a rich woman to be “pro life”, because the situation of having a child you can’t support (and will suffer because of you) will never be a reality. I know what is like to be 22 and afraid a condom broke because I could barely get myself food, let alone raise a baby (I’m from a country that doesn’t allow abortions), and I always find that rich women usually can pay for a safe abortion if they want to (here and anywhere else) or they usually just have the money, at age 17, to raise a kid with lots of perks and good school/health care. At Ivanka’s age, she’s got an amazing job, a family and a huge house and stuff that most people her age don’t have (not because of talent, but because she’s got the Trump fortune to work with. We would all be successful at 34 with that kind of money). I personally think Trump didn’t care at all about abortions and probably had his wives/girlfriends have them before he became “republican” and needed the republican vote. So there’s that.
I don’t personally believe a single pro-life politician or wealthy person. It’s do what I say not as I do. They’re always willing to have their dirty little secrets but then claim they’re for the ‘family values’.
Agreed Helena. I don’t believe in abortion but I m pro choice because no one should tell a woman what she can and can’t do with her body and decisions that effect her life
Part of me believes she may have said that because she is pro-choice but knows that won’t sit well with her father’s followers. Then again, I really don’t feel like defending her just because she’s supporting her father.
It renders her a hypocrite and not worthy of esteem.
There is so much to unpack here. I am fuming.
“It’s about celebrating women and their personal choices.” Like reproductive choices? Honey, for some women it is about not having choices. And if you don’t comment on certain rights, you’re at MOST a fair-weather feminist.
You’re not a feminist if you support a tiny-handed, orange hate-monger lunatic Teletubby. You’re a blonde, pretty puppet and you should be ashamed. Traitor.
And of COURSE your slimey excuse for a father bonded with your boyfriend over you. They probably talked about your … let’s not go there.
“You’re not a feminist if you support a tiny-handed, orange hate-monger lunatic Teletubby. You’re a blonde, pretty puppet and you should be ashamed. Traitor.”
I can’t tell you how much I love this excoriating comment. It’s so on point!
I’m really tired of magazines asking women that question! I really don’t think I care whether the flavor-of-the-day starlet considers herself a feminist or not, especially since half of the time, they have very little idea of what feminism really entails. Her life is hers, and it has very little impact on mine. I understand that young girls may need role models to look up to, etc., but saying you’re a feminist does not necessarily MAKE you one or make you able to articulate what it means for a young girl somewhere in the Bible Belt. I seriously doubt there are girls out there who are raised as lesser beings who can overcome that challenge just by reading that – I don’t know – Mila Kunis is a feminist.
As far as politicians or people who have a say in politics in general go, while I don’t disagree with asking them about feminism, I also don’t see what the point is. I can tell you what they will answer right now: Republican women will get all wishy-washy and claim that you don’t have to be a feminist to be a strong independent woman, but that they still love men; Democrats will say yes. I say SHOW us that you’re a feminist, don’t say it. If I have to ask, then you aren’t doing anything useful, because if you did, we wouldn’t have to ask.
Now, if Ivanka (God forbid) gets into the office and does something about the cost of daycare, then I’ll be the first one to applaud her, whether she calls herself a feminist or not.
you are right, it is silly to ask starlets that. i think it could even be damaging because it portrays an image of feminists only caring about themselves and other rich people.
at the end of the day if someone like Trumps daughter says she is a feminist its probably not so meaningful to say it anymore.
i mean if you asked Trump if he is a racist he would say no. so why would we ask him that?
@Nina,
exactly… No politician would every bear his soul or stick to his promise. Let him actually DO something about it (or at least try), then we’ll know where he stands.
@LAK
well, but you were inspired by what Madonna DID, not by what she said? I mean, you probably read her interviews, and perhaps loved what she had to say on issues, but it sounds like it was secondary to what she was ACCOMPLISHING. Do we need to ask Madonna if she is a feminist?
Given that I have never heard of Mila Kunis being on the forefront of feminism (no reproach, she doesn’t have to be there), I think she is far more likely to change the life of a Ukrainian immigration with dreams of Hollywood than of a girl growing up in a conservative and patriarchal family.
Not necessarily related to the concept of feminism though possibly unexpected considering i was raised by a houseful of feminist women, BUT i was hugely influenced by Madonna’s path to stardom as a very young tween. Not the fame, but the idea that you could simply pick up and make your dreams, whatever they happened to be, come true. That if you really worked hard, there was a strong chance that you would or could make it happen.
Nevermind that i had feminist examples living with me, who were living Madonna’s exact path. For some reason as a tweeny hopper, i was really, REALLY impressed by that aspect of Madonna’s career path. And Madonna. My mother worked her way from a secretarial pool to top official at a govt institution, yet for some reason, her effort didn’t impress me as much as Madonna’s effort.
Of course there were other things that Madonna did to get there, but it sincerely blew my young impressionable mind in a way my day-to-day living feminist mother did not.
Of course now that i’m an adult, i’m impressed by my mother’s effort as much as i’m impressed by Madonna, but the lesson stayed with me.
There might be some impressionable young child in Boise, Idaho who is impressed that Mila Kunis is a feminist and actually change their life as a result.
Yep, good point. You don’t have to be a feminist to care about daycare.
When it comes to politicians, not that Ivanka’s is one but homegirl clearly has plans if her Father wins, it is absolutely integral to get them on record asking a variety of questions.
Do you know how many things Donald Trump claims he never said or did that people will literally show him the proof of and he’ll jut shrug? For his most obsessed followers that’s fine but I know quite a few minds that were turned off Trump when they realized how much of a liar and flip-flop he was. This Ivanka interview will turn off some of the people who thought she was a woman of character and not as manipulative or self-serving as her Father.
In that case, reporters need to ask these questions often.
Psychopath’s MO- gaslighting. Say it never happened, pretend it didn’t. Very crazymaking on a personal level.
Yes, Ivanka wants to ride daddy’s coattails to success if he wins, just like she’s always done.
True. I would think their past behaviour would be more indicative of their ‘feminism’ than any soundbite.
I know who she reminds me now: Lady Macbeth.
The whole supporting affordable daycare thing is such a joke. That has never been anything Il Duce Cheeto has cared about or said he would support as President. It’s hilarious that Ivanka even included that in her speech at the RNC.
Love the news stories that have come out about the dreadful conditions in which Ivanka’s branded apparel are manufactured. She’s a hypocrite–prettier and more palatable than her dad, but still a hypocrite.
I want to build a wall around everything Trump.
and he doesnt even have to pay for it!
I will help pay for it.
Jenna, I will help pay for that wall. What forms of payment do you accept? 🙂
Ivanka Trump is absolutely not a feminist. But she is a terrific liar just like her dad. Terrific. Believe me, she’s the best liar, a fantastic liar. The family’s so proud of her.
I don’t know if it’s true, but people say she is a tremendous liar. Yuge. I don’t know, you tell me.
LOL. I love your Trump impression so much, Pedro 45.
Hillary is a much better liar than all of them! Please do yourself a favor and watch the documentary “Clinton Cash ” on YouTube.
Oh, please. Knock it off with the Hillary bashing already. It’s all Republican lies. They have nothing on her. When it comes to lies, no one beats Trump.
I would be interested to know who financed and produced the documentary you keep suggesting @leah. There are groups out there designed to take down Hillary. She may walk the line between legal and opportunist, but I doubt you could find many politicians, CEOs, lobbyists etc who don’t. The final evaluation should be how much she is willing to do for the country versus how much her policies will benefit her. I think she wants to make a positive impact on the country. I also believe that Obama, Romney and McCain did too, just that they had different values and visions of what that looks like. I wouldn’t say that about Trump for any amount of money.
So we taking any odds how long Trump’s marriage to Melania lasts?
He’s hardcore buried her and even for what I’m sure is all his fault I’ve no doubt Orange Cruelius is raging and blaming her in private.
Agreed. She’s been consigned to purdah and it’s just a matter of time that he drops her…like after the election. Ivanka is her surrogate.
So they are still doubling down on the fiction that Trump has made sacrifices? Really? Also, I think you mean the company your grandfather built and which your father turned from an actual real estate company (albeit a slumlord) to nothing but a single marketing brand.
spoiler: she’s pro-choice and is actually a socially liberal New Yorker but she doesn’t wanna alienate the conservatives
This is what I think. I still agree with most of the commenters here though, that she’s cowardly af.
Actually, it no longer matters what her true stance is. The fact is she is willing to lie, to be a hypocrite, to engage in dishonesty by withholding. On top of that, no, she’s still not a feminist.
I’m gonna think of Ivanka as an inside operative; much easier on the blood pressure.
Join me in this fantasy [swirly lines fade into alternate reality…..]
Ivanka will be the deep throat that delivers the goods for an explosive October surprise against her father — and it will be something so terrible that only the 1% of the stratospheric far-right will tolerate. [Spit balling a possible October surprise scandal: he’s never paid personal income taxes; is a member of the KKK; has been personally involved in 666 abortions; caught on tape calling all military personnel “sucker, losers”.] Even your grampy, who’s voted Republican for 60 years, will say something like, “Oh no. This has gone too far.” Boom! In one strategic long-con gamble, Ivanka helps to further decimate the Republican Party and plays a hand in ushering in the First female U.S. president.
And then, 5 years from now, we’ll all be able to sit back, after reading her tell all, “Done and Done. How I fired the GOP and Pops”, and offer up a hearty well-played-toast to Ivanka.
[End fantasy]
And then there’s the alternative, which, I’d rather not think about right now.
That’s the only fantasy involving Trump that I want to hear about…good stuff….
Ivanka is an Orthodox Jewish woman. I actually wouldn’t be surprised to find that she’s pro-life.
You mean opposed to women’s rights, right?
Sure.
This is patently wrong. As mentioned upthread, in Judaism it is believed that the soul doesn’t enter the body until birth. That is very different from having a passel of kids, to “go forth and multiply”. She is also Modern Orthodox not Orthodox, a significant difference in streams about religious law. Still, she hasn’t even bothered with the modesty bit which is darned easy to follow for all streams.
Brinkley gets all the claps from me.
Brainwashed by pappy, she probably THINKS she is a feminist, but was probably raised to know her “place” as a woman.
Since it is pretty much impossible to consider yourself a feminist without taking women’s reproductive rights into consideration….We all know she is contractually obliged to say this so her father gets right wing votes. In fact, didn’t Trump change his tune as well.
On the hand, it sure is fun seeing the Republican party explode to the point that people like McCain’s daughter have publicly vowed to vote Clinton, on the other hand: god help us all.
It’s McCain’s granddaughter who will vote for Hillary. Meghan, who loves to talk about Republicans loving sex, has called Hillary “evil” and “Darth Vadar”.
THIS is why I do not care if somebody calls themselves a feminist. THIS is why, okay?
It’s a word. A word that can be used by anyone to mean whatever they like. That does not make them so. But is it more meaningful that Ivanka uses the term? I hope not.
Compare this to the Sarah Jessica Parker flap. I’ve been familiar with SJP’s career for a while. She’s pretty straight progressive, she’s done charity work for womens’ causes, etc. She just doesn’t want to be called a feminist. By judging by this site’s postings, that’s some kind of sacrilege. But Ivanka Trump, who works on behalf of what is possibly the most misogynistic campaign in modern American history – since she’s willing to embrace the label, that’s cool? Since, you know, what’s important is that you identify as a feminist and all. This is why I’m over it several times. I do not care what a woman calls herself. I care about her actions.
I remember we also had this discussion when Streep refused to call herself a feminist, and I agree with you.
I don’t agree. We’re humans and we have an advanced language. Words matter because they convey ideas. It’s why we balk at calling black people the N word. If words didn’t matter, no one would lose their minds over that word.
I disagree completely. A word only matters if it has a strong, defined meaning. The N-word holds the sway it does because most people agree on its offense. However, surely you’re aware that there are black people who don’t consider the word offensive. There are black people who believe they can reclaim that word into something empowering. So no, not everybody agrees on it.
Words only have the meaning you give them. That’s it. “Feminist” as a word has no objective meaning. There are “libertarian feminists” “pro-life feminists” “conservative feminists” “individualist feminists” “radical feminists” “anti-trans feminists” – the list goes on. Feminist has no strong, central definition. Thus, anybody can just pick up the mantle. That’s why I place no weight in that word as opposed to action.
@Sam: I agree with your list. I think that the third wave feminism spread the meaning (of it) too thin- now we see the pendulum going back. I can’t explain otherwise what “humanist” may mean.
Agreed, language shapes perception, shapes cultures, shapes the world. Check out the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. (And no, it’s not related to Klingon. Heh.)
Another example: The orange one and his minions are trying to wrench common sense and meaning from language and distort it to their ends. To change perception. Orwell completely understood this.
Wait – she was asked several politically focused questions including “Would you be a part of your father’s presidency” but when asked if she’s pro-choice she says “I don’t talk politics.”. You have been talking about politics the ENTIRE interview!!
WTF!?!?!?! The interviewer should be ashamed of themselves for letting that go.
Ummm – totally not a Trump fan, but I didn’t realize that in order to be a feminist you couldn’t be pro-birth on religious grounds. Didn’t realize that the two were mutually exclusive. Thanks for letting me know that as a devout Catholic, I can’t call myself a feminist.
Well it boils down to not believing a woman should have control over what happens to her own body. Men have that right. Ergo women are not equal to men.
Catholicism is also anti BC and anti sex before marriage. Two other beliefs that do not let women choose what to do with their bodies.
What is feminism other than believing woman are equal to men? If they’re equal, why do men have rights that women don’t? Because made up male led religions said so? Oookay…
But – and this is a big but – what if you fundamentally believe that the fetus is not part of the woman’s body? And what if you believe that pregnancy is basically workable under an “assumption of the risk” framework? I’m a lawyer, and I’ve always wondered that. We create the law in a way that says “If you know every risk of the action you are about to take and you do it anyway and a consequence you don’t want befalls you – we generally don’t allow you to recover or evade the inevitable consequences, because you assumed the risk.” It’s why now smokers can’t sue smoking companies for making them sick, or why fast food eaters can’t sue McDonalds for their obesity, etc. You know the risk, you take the risk, oh well.
I’ve wondered whether that’s applicable to pregnancy. At this point, every human knows that unprotected p-in-v intercourse is how humans naturally reproduce. It is also made clear that BC can fail (it reduced the risk, doesn’t eliminate it). Knowing these things, if a woman chooses to engage in intercourse and gets pregnant, why shouldn’t an assumption of the risk framework apply? And why not view it as the “right-responsibility” model that is prevalent under the law we have today? Under that framework, every right you have comes with an attendant responsibility. If one has the right to use one’s body in however they see fit (like, for example, having sex with who and how they wish) then shouldn’t the attendant responsibility to bear the foreseeable consequences be equally pursued?
I’m not saying this as my genuine view – I’m saying that I’ve never particularly understood the “right to control my own body” argument as a pro-choice argument. I tend to adopt the Hitchens’ harm-reduction argument over all, because it actually makes sense.
But Sam, does your argument take into consideration victims of rape?
The Catholiic Church is anti-feminist. I speak as an ex-Catholic. No women priests, bishops or of course Pope. Celibate priests. No abortion. Is “artificial” birth control still banned? No divorce. Lesbianism? How dare you! The ideal woman being Mary, a woman who had a son but was ever virgin: so even after she gave birth, she still didn’t consummate her so-called marriage. I sincerely hope that as a feminist you are working to try and change this.
For crying out loud, child care is not a woman’s issue, it’s a PARENTAL ISSUE!
Well said.
“I don’t talk politics. I made that decision at the beginning of this campaign because I am not the candidate.””
How do you avoid talking about politics if you’re volunteering for a campaign? This statement sounds dumb even when it’s coming from her mouth.
I fail to see what people find so impressive about Ivanka. She works for Daddy (nepotism: the opposite of an accomplishment) and she’s had more plastic surgery than Cher. Oh, yeah, she also has a fashion line, but so do Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson, and they are not exactly MENSA material.