Critics of Ivanka Trump pointed to an NBC interview with the White House advisor involving a question about the numerous women who've accused her father of sexual abuse and misconduct, as more evidence of her problematic role in the administration.
When asked by Peter Alexander if she believes the 16 women who have come forward to accuse President Donald Trump of groping them, forcibly kissing them, and other misconduct, Ivanka shot down the question as "inappropriate."
"I think it's a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he's affirmatively stated there's no truth to it," she said. "I don't think that's a question you would ask many other daughters. I believe my father, I know my father, so I think I have that right as a daughter to believe my father."
Watch:
“Do you believe your father’s sexual assault accusers?”
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) February 26, 2018
“It’s a pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter if she believes the accusers of her father when he’s affirmatively stated there’s no truth to it.” Ivanka Trump
She thinks 21 women are liars. pic.twitter.com/ygY4D07o8y
Over the weekend, Ivanka traveled to South Korea to represent the White House at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. She also attended a dinner at the residence of President Moon Jae In, where she spoke about efforts "to ensure that the Korean Peninsula is denuclearized."
As an administration official traveling internationally to discuss foreign policy, critics argued, Ivanka cannot invoke her status as First Daughter to avoid answering uncomfortable questions.
You can’t have it both ways, @IvankaTrump. You can EITHER be the dutiful daughter and stay out of politics OR you can be the White House advisor who gets (and must answer!) the tough questions. You don’t get to switch back and forth at your leisure.#AnswerTheQuestionIvanka
— Tennesseine (@Tennesseine) February 26, 2018
Of course it's a legitimate question, of course all WH staffers should be asked it, of course she's asked it because she's participating in public life working for her father's administration, of course the questions would stop if she resigned.
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 26, 2018
Ivanka Trump works for the federal government as a senior advisor to the President of the United States.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) February 26, 2018
If she thinks it's "inappropriate" to be asked these questions she should resign. https://t.co/yrix0WgQ1o
In addition to representing her father abroad, Ivanka has branded herself in the Trump administration as an advocate for women—despite her support for the reversal of an Obama-era equal pay rule and her paid family leave proposal which, rather than offering government-funded maternity leave to women, draws from their individual social security benefits to pay for their time off.
Despite Ivanka's implication that the allegations against the president are a closed case, Trump himself was caught on tape bragging about sexually assaulting women in the "Access Hollywood" recording that was released just before the 2016 election.
