Ivanka Trump, the girl, could play the role of first lady
Donald Trump's daughter is about to move to Washington. His brothers, also heavily involved in the presidential transition, are accused of wanting to monetize access to the elected president. A disturbing “family affair”?
Ivanka Trump, future most powerful First Lady in the world? This is how many American media are talking about her. Adored daughter of the elected president, she is at the heart of speculation. In particular, he is being said to intend to occupy an office in the White House, information partly denied by the transition team. What is certain, however, is that she and her husband Jared Kushner, a successful real estate developer very close to her stepfather, are looking for an apartment in Washington. In fact, according to Luxury Listings, the couple's apartment at 502 Park Avenue in Manhattan is already on sale. A 140 m2 three-room apartment offered for $ 4.1 million.
It didn't take much to arouse suspicion. What if she was the future first lady? Ivanka, 35, like her brothers Donald Jr and Eric, was ubiquitous during her father's campaign. Also after the election. She is part of the transition team tasked with making up the Trump administration. She was present during the first meeting between Donald Trump and a foreign leader, in this case Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Again, during the telephone conversation with Argentine President Mauricio Macri. She also attended, like her brothers, the recent meeting with the bosses of Silicon Valley.
It didn't take much to arouse suspicion. What if she was the future first lady? Ivanka, 35, like her brothers Donald Jr and Eric, was ubiquitous during her father's campaign. Also after the election. She is part of the transition team tasked with making up the Trump administration. She was present during the first meeting between Donald Trump and a foreign leader, in this case Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Again, during the telephone conversation with Argentine President Mauricio Macri. She also attended, like her brothers, the recent meeting with the bosses of Silicon Valley.
As the Washington Post reminds us, the First Ladies have not always been the wives of presidents. Martha Jefferson Randolph, daughter of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), for example, was born because of the untimely death of her mother. Rose Cleveland was the First Lady of her brother Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 and 1893-1897) until the latter married. Or: Susan Ford was temporarily First Lady, at the age of 17, during President Gerald Ford's first diplomatic reception (1974-1977), the sitting First Lady recovering from a mastectomy. In Ivanka’s case, it would be a little different, as the real first lady was able to perform her duties. Different, but not impossible. In fact, Eleanor Roosevelt had for several years preferred to give this role to her daughter, when she was perfectly able to play it.
Risks of conflicts of interest
Due to US anti-nepotism law, however, neither Ivanka nor Jared Kushner should be granted an official title. And the risks of conflicts of interest have already been pointed out. Ivanka came under fire for promoting one of her brand's jewelry pieces - a $ 10,000 bracelet - after wearing it in her father's first post-election TV interview. She has been suspected of taking advantage of the presidential podium to grow her business.
The brothers sell seats for the nomination
Since Monday, it is his brothers who have been in the sights of the media, accused of monetizing access to their father. The Center for Public Integrity, an investigative journalism platform, noted that they are behind a brand new charitable foundation that offers, for sums of up to $ 1 million, funny offers for the weekend. end of the nomination: participate in a private reception with Donald Trump "with the possibility of photo", or in hunting and fishing parties with the sons. Without precision as to the charities that would benefit from the generous sums collected.
On Tuesday evening, the transition team deemed it necessary to clarify, in a statement, that these were "initial concepts that have not yet been approved by the family", and that the two brothers were " involved in any way ”. It would not be surprising to see their names soon disappear from official documents (note, this is what happened: CNN confirmed it a few hours later).
