Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the former President Donald Trump, has always been someone who catches attention. During her father’s four-year term in the White House, she shifted roles from a successful businesswoman to an influential advisor, raising intrigue about the internal dynamics of the Trump household. A question that lingers for many is whether Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, will keep their toes dipped in the political waters now that the White House chapter has ended.
The bond between Ivanka and her father has always been a close one. However, during her younger years, there was one thing she smartly kept under wraps from him, alongside making a quip that a leading newspaper called “cringey”.
From her early years, Ivanka Trump was never far from the limelight, considering her father’s fame as a business mogul and a television personality, eventually rising to the role of the 45th President. The expectations were sky-high for the family, prompting Ivanka and her siblings to attend elite schools before diving into their respective careers within the powerful Trump empire. Ivanka has had an array of pursuits, from modeling to launching her own businesses. Yet today, she stands at a turning point.
The question now steams: what’s on Ivanka’s agenda after her stint as a White House advisor? Balancing her career while nurturing her kids and being married to Jared Kushner was a challenging feat. Yet, hints suggest she is gearing up for something more. Throughout her life, Ivanka shared a steadfast relationship with her father, only keeping one titanic secret during her younger years.
So, how did Ivanka find her way into contributing considerably to the White House as an advisor? And how did she juggle parental duties and joining forces with her father during the 2016 presidential campaign? Here’s a detailed look into Ivanka Trump’s life, the celebrated daughter of Trump!
Born in Manhattan, New York City, on October 30, 1981, Ivanka Trump was the child of the notable Ivana Trump, a Czech-American model, and Donald Trump. When Ivanka was just ten, her parents divorced after a strenuous 13-month legal battle over financial settlements. The court granted Ivana a $25 million settlement on grounds of “cruel and inhumane treatment,” including $10 million in cash. Post-divorce, Ivanka was sent to boarding school, marking a turbulent period in her young life.
She initially attended the Chapin School before transferring at age 15 to Choate Rosemary Hall, a prestigious academy in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Despite her achievements, Ivanka was not the rebellious teenager. Yet, her mother didn’t approve of everything she did. In 2007, Ivanka recalled to Marie Claire, “I think my mother threatened to put me up for adoption a couple of times.”
While at Choate Rosemary Hall, Ivanka shared quarters with two other girls. Despite being seen as a typical adolescent, there were peculiarities; Ivanka was the only student with a car and a mobile at school. She struggled with boarding school life, even though she believed she was excelling academically.
She stated, “All my friends in New York were having a ball, and suddenly I was in the confinement of boarding school.” Although the Trump family was affluent, Ivana wanted Ivanka to be self-standing, warning she’d make her pay for her phone bill. This drove Ivanka to earn her own keep.
Venturing into modeling, Ivanka once walked for Versace and graced the cover of Seventeen magazine in 1997. However, modeling wasn’t her long-term ambition. “The act itself wasn’t something I truly enjoyed,” she said about the cut-throat industry. “I used it as a means to break the monotony.” It was amazing, but at this phase of my life, it’s a somewhat confusing distraction. More often than not, I still encounter people who ask, “How’s modeling going?” They think of me that way, whereas I would like to be taken a bit more seriously, hehe!
An epiphany hit her once, whilst gazing out a friend’s window.
“There was this sort of gap where a beautiful tower should have stood, gazing at this beautiful skyline,” she said. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Ivanka resolved that she would someday reign over the Big Apple.
After two years at Georgetown University, Ivanka continued her studies at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, bagging a B.A. in economics in 2004. Following graduation, she worked alongside real estate tycoon Bruce Ratner.
Leaving shortly after, she joined the family business, and soon both her father and producer Mark Burnett expressed interest in her joining The Apprentice. Initially confident this wasn’t her cup of tea, she eventually shifted gears.
“I knew for ‘Trump’ to be sustainable, it couldn’t just be about my dad alone; it had to be a family affair on a grander scale, with shows like The Apprentice paving the way. That’s why I agreed to do it,” she shared.
Ivanka may not have kept many things secret from her father, but she held back one crucial thing: she never brought her suitors to meet Donald Trump. Why? She shared with Express, “I was too smart to bring home a date or a boyfriend.” The truth is, Jared Kushner was the first to meet Daddy Donald. Their relationship was unique by default.
She reflected, “I reckon I only brought my husband home, that was all — he wasn’t my husband at the time.” “But unless I was completely certain, I didn’t want to subject boyfriends to either my father’s or mother’s scrutiny.”
In 2011, Ivanka and Jared Kushner welcomed their first daughter, Arabella Rose, followed by their son, Joseph Frederick in 2013, and Theodore James, their third child, in 2016.
Juggling these responsibilities was no small feat. Ivanka once noted, “My life is chaotic right now.” About ninety percent of the time, I feel weary. Yet, the joy of being a mother is unparalleled, albeit demanding.
With Donald Trump’s presidential victory in 2016, Ivanka promptly stepped into an advisory role alongside her brothers, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, as well as her husband Jared Kushner. Her role focused on “the education and economic empowerment of women and their families,” and “job creation and economic growth through workforce development, skills training, and entrepreneurship.”
In 2019, during Gridiron’s dinner—a prestigious 134-year-old tradition bringing politicians, media, and other famous personalities together for some good-natured roasting—Ivanka stood in for her father in front of over 700 distinguished guests. Making light of the situation, she jested about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s green job proposal, quipping, “When my father asked me to represent him tonight — no, this isn’t a comedic bit — I didn’t have a moment to hash out jokes of my own.” “I was wary the funniest thing might just be to read aloud passages from the Green New Deal.” Ivanka then remarked on the difficulty of being Donald Trump’s daughter and facing critique for advocating hard work despite her privileged beginnings, earning a “cringeworthy chuckle.”
Observe that Ivanka Trump faced criticism for her White House tenure beside her father. Entering August 2020, a San Francisco apparel company accused Ivanka’s business of “improperly leveraging White House power for personal benefit.”
The lawsuit in California’s Superior Court alleged, per USA Today, that her company employees exploited “government events for promotional piggybacking” and abused the prestige of the White House for personal gain.
Per USA Today, John Coffee, a professor at Columbia Law School, indicated that the case had tenuous grounds. Presently, with Donald Trump having vacated the White House following his electoral defeat by Joe Biden, Ivanka was visibly emotional witnessing her father’s last Presidential address at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C.
As it stands, the future for Ivanka Trump is uncertain.
Speculation swirls about her possibly venturing further into politics, with rumors hinting at her running for President come 2024. A former White House insider told Politico that Ivanka might be taking a step back post-White House. Without doubt, more developments on Ivanka Trump’s next moves are anticipated in the near future as she unfolds her plans.
Do you think Ivanka Trump might emerge as an adept politician? Should she contemplate a Presidential run in 2024? If you believe in her potential, share this story with your friends and family!
