There is a strange feeling around the Trump campaign these days. The feeling is… “Whoa, what happens if our numbers don’t drop?” Even though Donald Trump has always claimed that he was in it to win it, there was a quixotic, half-assed feel to his campaign. But the numbers have had Trump at the top of the polls for months now. And the feeling, especially over the last month, is that some people in the Trump campaign are trying to take everything a bit more seriously. Since the beginning, Donald name-checked his daughter Ivanka as one of his closest advisors, and I’m not even joking about this: I genuinely think Donald adores, admires and respects Ivanka. Like, Ivanka is the one kid he really likes as a person. So, as the campaign starts to sober up, they’re starting to put Ivanka out there on the trail and in the media to defend her dad. Here are some assorted quotes from her Politico, CNN and Fortune interviews this week:
How Ivanka feels about her dad’s campaign: “That’s a complicated question. I’m proud of him, but it’s a very difficult thing to do. My father has achieved tremendous success and he’s not a politician but he’s changing the dialogue and disrupting the process in a very meaningful way. The level of interest and scrutiny is beyond anything you have experienced.”
On the Megyn Kelly situation: “That was very sensationalized…that was very much for TV, what transpired, both during the debate and following. In terms of the amount of interest and analysis, truthfully, it didn’t interest me that much.”
Whether Donald has a problem with women: “Look, my father is very blunt. He’s very direct. He is not gender specific in his criticism of people, and people that he doesn’t particularly like or people that he does like but thinks they’re wrong on a particular issue. So I don’t think that he’s gender-targeted at all. I wouldn’t be the person I am today, I wouldn’t be a high-level executive within his organization if he felt that way.”
She’s friends with Chelsea Clinton: “It has not been an issue for us. I have great respect for her, she’s been a great friend to me. I’ve been a great friend to her. So, you know, the politics of our parents is not relevant to our friendship.”
On nepotism: “I don’t have a problem if somebody who has never met me wants to say that I wouldn’t be where I was today without my family because you know what? They may be right. They probably are right. Who the Hell knows? It’s an impossible argument.”
[From Fortune, CNN and Politico]
I don’t really blame Ivanka for standing up for her dad. What’s she supposed to do? Call him an a—hole and wash her hands of him? She’s one of the vice presidents of the Trump organization and she’s always been close to him. In a perfect world, Donald should make her one of his senior campaign advisors because even Politico wrote about her in glowing terms, basically saying that she comes across as less desperate, more cultured and more nuanced than her father could ever hope to be. All that being said, of course Donald Trump has a problem with women. He has a HUGE problem with women and the fact that he has a great relationship with Ivanka doesn’t make it all better.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
When Donald Trump said women deserve to be on their knees,then I’m sorry, Ivanka is full of sh*t. Donald Trump has disdain for women. He is not our ally , he doesn’t have our interests he is not our friend.
+1
He’s so very full of sh!t. Last month Gawker posted an article about the gross things he’s said about women he finds sexy, including his daughter! SO, so, so very gross.
Here’s a link. You’ll want to bleach your brain afterward. http://gawker.com/the-collected-quotes-of-donald-trump-on-sexy-women-he-i-1730126883
He’s a walking/talking joke. In his sick mind his daughter is prettier than Angelina Jolie… I’d be glad to be considered ugly by him.
He’s disgusting. And she is an idiot for saying this.
No, he just insults and hates everybody.
You’re right, Ivanka, your dad is an a-hole all the way around.
Well, she loves her father and what’s she going to say? But she avoided the real question on his calling women derogatory names because of their looks, etc.. He has a problem with women. They are required to be pretty. She is pretty, so she probably always had his approval. Anyway, I can’t fault a woman for supporting her father.
Yes. She’s had at least two nose jobs and got huge fake boobs because that’s how she was raised–no matter how smart or educated women are, they have to look like blow up dolls.
Ugh I get you don’t like Trump but I don’t think his daughter has had plastic surgeries.
No, she absolutely has and I say that with no judgment. Nose job and I think work on her chin
So what? 99% of celebrities have had plastic surgery and/or boob jobs. Is this considered body shaming too?
Hillary Clinton has had at least one face lift and Nancy Pelosi has had about 10. I can think of at least one A-list actress with new gigantic bolt-ons
She has had plastic surgery that includes a nose job, chin and breast implants.
And as of today Trump is still leading but no longer by a landslide. His lead has shrunk from a month ago. Carson is closing the gap according to NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls .
And male celebrities and politicians as well. I remember John Kerry looking “freshened up” during his presidential run.
looks like cosmetic dental work as well
Neoda, are you kidding? Look at young pictures of Ivanka. She’s had a lot of work done.
It’s her business, of course. But with that father she got the message that women have to look sexy.
Yeah if you google “Ivanka Trump before surgery” you will be shocked. She is gorgeous, no doubt, but it took a lot of work to get her that way.
@meme and Natalie No one is saying they have a problem with her plastic surgery. They are responding to @Neoda who said Ivanka hasn’t had any plastic surgery.
@Minx was just pointing out that even as smart and intelligent as Ivanka is she too decided to conform to a standard of beauty set forth by men such as Trump by going under the knife. No one was attacking or body shaming her.
I’m not sure Ivanka ever had any hope of self-acceptance being raised by those two. There’s a picture of Ivanka – maybe about ten years old – and her hair has been dyed platinum blonde. It’s obviously not natural. Besides the two inch brown roots, there’s the childhood pictures. Who does that to their kid? Well, who does that to their kid other than Michael Jackson and pageant mothers.
1. He loves his daughter because she is what he covets in women, conventionally attractive and manipulable enough to conform to his standards.
It doesn’t hurt that she also potentially valuable in his campaign.
2. She supports him for the same reason her mother loved him – money. Her mother and father had one quality in common and that was opportunistic drive for cash cash cash.
And Trump loves this too because it makes the women in his life all the more easy to predict and control.
@V4Real, Apologies for the confusion, I was replying to @Neoda who thought Ivanka was thought to have had plastic surgery as an indirect attack against Donald. I don’t think anyone was judging her for having had plastic surgery but I can see how it could have be taken that way.
Exactly. Of course he loves and respects her…she’s beautiful. If she were fat, ugly and disgusting she’d be working at Home Depot with no support from Daddy.
I’m sure the eating disorder she had while modeling was as much due to her internalizing what she heard him say about women as it was due to the industry
and, while she denied having an eating disorder, there were too many stories about her puking in restrooms of restaurants/clubs/fashion shows for the stories to die down
I listened to him; and yes it looks like he is getting nervous that he may actually have to follow this to the end. I heard him say if the numbers drop he’ll go back to his businesses.. He was complaining about the long Debate schedule. I don’t think he ever really meant to go this far.
I still can’t believe that he actually has supporters. I just don’t understand the mindset behind that.. And his children may be backing him; but they seem to be very silent. Ivanka is stepping forward (reluctantly it seems to me) to give him a push for the Woman vote. And to smooth over his Dumb/ and ignorant comments about women. NOT just during this campaign.. but look at the past. he has a long history of this.
This race so far is just SMH
If you had told me before this all began that Donald Trump would be a front runner, I would have laughed. I simply cannot believe what I’m seeing.
I’m SMH right there with you, and agree about him. He’s done this in the past, put himself in the race for attention and ego boosting, and then drops out when it’s time to really step up. I bet he’s been looking for an excuse to bail for a while now, but hasn’t had a good chance yet.
How come we never see his wife with him on the campaign?
I still believe that he was hired to run as a divisive ploy or distraction by someone with big money. He thought that he’d get a fat paycheck as well as massive unmatched publicity for his current and future endeavors and then just when the wind started to change he would bow out.
But – Frankenstein might be loose in the town now. Whoever was paying him is no longer in control.
Just a theory but something about it just feels right.
I can’t stand the whole family they have this creepy vibe, most of all her father.
I actually applaud her last response re:nepotism.
yes, that was a great response, wasn’t it?
Me, too.
It was actually a very classy reply, however, it is the same situation as with his wife. When asked if she would have married Donald if he had no money, she replied “would he have married me if I was not beautiful”? It is such a sad testament in this day and age that a woman’s worth is still attached by some, to how attractive she can make herself, and that surgical enhancement is often required to do so. As far as Ivanka goes, she may do an excellent job as a VP at her, you know, father’s company, but we all know in the real world she would have zip, nada, no chance of qualifying to be where she is, in spite of her well earned education. Her connections have more than served to grease the wheels of her career. It is actually disingenuous for her to attest otherwise. Silence on her part is probably the best answer.
“It is such a sad testament in this day and age that a woman’s worth is still attached by some, to how attractive she can make herself..” It’s only as sad as the man’s worth being attached to…his worth. LOL both are shallow reasons for two people getting together, but they get what they ask for and it happens everyday.
Oh, please, Ivanka.
I don’t expect her to trash her father, she loves him. But she should just be quiet about his rotten personality and sexism.
Oh Ivanka your so cute. (Pat her on the head and walk away)
That’s patronizing as hell. Do you speak like that to all women who disagree with you?
perhaps only the ones defending misogyny?
Yes, Ivanka, he had changed the discussion but no, not in a meaningful way. At least, not in a way that is meaningful to anyone but bigoted morons
Yes, he bullies everyone..but would he spend half the night tweeting crude remarks about a man who asked a question he didn’t like? He can dish it out, but he can’t take it…especially from a woman.
I believe you are right – especially when it comes from a woman.
Actually I have a real problem with her comment on Nepotism. There is absolutely no way she’ would be where she is at her age and possible ever, without nepotism. Who’s to say she would have gotten into Wharton without the Trump name and without Trump dollars it’s likely she couldn’t have afforded it.
She doesn’t deny neither
?
She acknowledged that she got help from her connections. I don’t think there is anything wrong with her comments.
Chelsea Clinton, the Bush daughters and other act like they genuinely made it on their own and deny nepotism. Even Obama had the audacity to say Malia didn’t get her Hollywood gig though connections. LOL yeah right.
yeah, it’s not an “impossible argument” to have because THERE IS NO ARGUMENT there.
she absolutely would not be where she is today without Daddy’s help and for her to say “who knows?” is disingenuous at best and, more accurately, an outright lie.
She doesn’t deny that. Still, she did go on to higher education and do well, unlike many wealthy famous parents’ children who just feel entitled. But she is a very articulate, intelligent, and driven business woman who handles herself with grace. She’s not a rich, spoiled brat who is just partying and coasting on daddy’s money, like so many children of famous, wealthy parents whining about their lot in life.
I thought it was a pretty good statement. At least she acknowledged the possibility that he helped. Maybe the question isn’t “impossible” to answer, I can see that, but who’s to say that she wouldn’t have done well on her own? She seems intelligent enough and hard working. Your parents can get you into a good school, but she graduated on her own, I assume.
And what’s more, she clearly LOVES to work. Remember when she said she only spends a couple of hours a day with her kids because of how much time she spends at the office? I may not agree with her work ethic, but the woman is smart, ambitious, and successful. Whether she is where she is because of her dad is moot at this point.
+1
I think she definitely benefited from nepotism, but if she was terrible at her high-powered executive job I think her dad would have fired her. I can see him firing his daughter with no guilt, if she happened to display a lack of competency or was a bad influence in terms of profit-making. Or maybe he wouldn’t? I don’t know….I saw Ivanka Trump boots in the store, and was surprised at how attractive they were so I figured she must be good at what she does on some level.
I think she turned out well, but I feel like giving credit to her mom, not her dad, for that. I’m actually surprised she chose to go the business route instead of trying for acting or singing, which some offspring of wealthy people are dumb enough to go into without understanding the game plan you need to succeed in those industries. I know she tried modelling, but it seems she knows her limits and stuck to business. This is what Tori Spelling should have done!!!
Actually I have a real problem with her comment on Nepotism. There is absolutely no way she’s be where she is at her age and possible ever without nepotism. Who’s to say she would have gotten into Wharton without the Trump name and without Trump dollars it’s likely she couldn’t have afforded it.
And Chelsea Clinton would have never gone to Oxford or Stanford if she wasn’t a Clinton either. Malia Obama would not be an intern working on the Girls set if her father wasn’t the President. RDJ, Angelina Jolie, Nick Cage, Miley Cyrus, Patrick Schawanagger, The Kenndey family, the Bush family, etc all had the help of their parents to be where they are today. Most of these people deny nepotism. Atleast the Trump girl admits she had help.
Amen to that.
Wow.. I knew that Malia Obama had an “internship” on a Hollywood set…but is it really for ‘Girls?’ What?! I have seen every episode of that show and it is very R-rated. I have no respect for parents who would let their kids watch that, let alone watch those graphic scenes be filmed repeatedly in-person. It’s basically just a sex show with some odd verbal exchanges thrown in to make everyone seem normal/struggling through life…Ugh there really wasn’t a more appropriate show for her to be around everyday? Come on, that is just shameful.
@ Winnipeg, Malia has already done 2 internships in Hollywood. Last year she interned for Extant produced by Steven Spielberg and this year she interned for Girls under Lena Dunham.
I agree with you that its a highly inappropriate tv show for a teenager to watch, yet alone intern and cannot believe the POTUS and the FLOTUS were okay with their daughter interning for that vulgar show. Especially with the negative press surrounding Lena Dunham and what she admitted doing to her little sister. Gross. Its not a show meant for teens and children to watch.
Actually, I’m not sure about Chelsea being on that list. Her parents both went to top, top schools without the connections, especially her father, who came from humble beginnings and got many scholarships and honors. So I’m guessing Chelsea isn’t dumb and was well able to get into schools in her own merit. Beyond that, she always acknowledges her connections for her work prospects. But let’s not pretend she’s a dummy who wouldn’t be able to hack it on her own, because that’s just not true.
She is very well spoken. I am going to be nice today.
I can understand Ivanka defending her father. I don’t understand why he thinks this will help. The world is full of horribly sexist men who dislike women as a rule but claim to love their mothers, their wives, and their daughters. I think most women know that and don’t buy the use of human shields against allegations of sexism, too.
The female mra crowd buys it all the time.
Ivanka love$$ her dad.
how $$$urpri$$ing.
what he said to Megyn Kelly didnt interest her very much. what?
Ye$$$$$$.
What a long neck she has, Wow! But her dad loves her because she is beautiful and he would marry her himself if he weren’t her dad….If she had been fugly, they may not have been as close, he is so superficial!
He’s full of it. She’s full of it.
Of course he likes her. He has said that he wants to date her and marry her, but he can’t because she’s his child. He’s a disgusting jerk.
As for him being surprised that his numbers aren’t dropping, my guess is that he thought that he’d just take the money for running a short campaign when the real politicians started having a go at him. Unless things have changed, people who run for President and don’t win get to keep their donations. It’s a nice money grab. He’s most likely upset that he’s having to actually work for the money now. (Hoping to God that he doesn’t win!)
According to new recently released polls Carson is gaining on Trump. His lead has shrunk from a month ago.
And I am not sure which one scares me the most. Carson is absolutely terrifying.
trump is quite popular with immigration restrictionist crowd.
Who is the dog in this scenario?
” I wouldn’t be a high-level executive within his organization if he felt that way.” – you are smart but not THAT smart, Ivanka. Plenty of women would do a great if not better job if given your position but you are his daughter, so you got it, mmmkay?
She’s in a tough spot, having to comment on that carnival of a campaign. I’m sure she loves her dad and wants to be supportive, but what she’s saying about his attitude towards women is simply incorrect, and there’s way too much proof to the contrary.
She’s in a bad position for sure, but I wish she hadn’t said that his comments about Megyn “didn’t interest her.” Apparently she’s uninterested in rampant sexism, bullying, immature behavior, classless behavior, etc. I think any woman would be interested in hearing about an immature man resort to the lowest, lowest slam against a woman. Really, I think only very, very low IQ people pull out the “she must have her period” line because they are incapable of doing any better. They no doubt have tons of PR working for them. Someone should have come up with a better response for her.
Ivanka turned out very well given who her parents are.
I’m not crazy about her dad because I’ve met too many egoists and egotists like him, however, I am impressed with Ivanka’s confidence and intelligence. I do like her response to the “nepotism” question. She sounds very honest and real, and it’s nice that she is grateful to her father for all the opportunities opened to her in order to become the businesswoman she is today.
I think they’re all gross. Typical high society family: standard looks, well spoken, but everyone has an idea of what happens behind their mansion’s doors.
I hope anyone wins but him.
I try to dislike her, but I can’t. I just find her pleasant to listen to, I don’t mind her at all, and I think she’s stuck in a weird space right now, she’s got to defend him and she does pretty well at it.
I’ll also admit to having some Ivanka brand clothes, on accident, because they are perfect black staples and I wear them all the time. The black leggings/cigarette pants are outstanding, and I have the best black button front top.
I never minded her mother either, when she was in the spotlight I found her over-the-top and amusing as H*ll.
It’s the Donald I can’t stand.
He is very puzzling to me. He knows if he really wanted to win he needs to tone it down on some of his comments. The fact he doesn’t tells me that he just wants to stir things up in the political circus. Many of his ideas appeal to people that are tired of seeing their country declining in every way. Most media is nothing but a liberal smokescreen these days and people love he is calling them out.