search
Sections List
American Journal News

Ivanka Trump is painfully out of touch with the lives of everyday Americans — just like her dad

Ivanka Trump is out with a new book, undoubtedly intended to humanize her by describing the struggles she faces as a working mom, like so many millions of mothers in America. But recently released excerpts reveal her to be as out-of-touch with the lives and concerns of regular Americans as her father. Of her life on the […]

By Leah McElrath - May 02, 2017
Share
Trump US Jordan

But recently released excerpts reveal her to be as out-of-touch with the lives and concerns of regular Americans as her father.

Of her life on the campaign trail, she writes, “During extremely high-capacity times, like during the campaign, I went into survival mode: I worked and I was with my family; I didn’t do much else.”

But what she describes as “survival mode” is what the vast majority of Americans call simply “life.” And the very next lines in the book make it clear that Trump is coming from a very different place:

Honestly, I wasn’t treating myself to a massage or making much time for self-care. I wish I could have awoken early to meditate for twenty minutes and I would have loved to catch up with the friends I hadn’t seen in three months, but there just wasn’t enough time in the day.

For Trump, “survival mode” is merely a temporary remove from a vastly privileged life, in which indulgences that most Americans rarely or never experience are simply everyday “self-care” — a lack of self-awareness, or awareness of others’ reality, which is notably similar to her father’s attitude.

Furthermore, while Trump has repeatedly stated her intention to be a voice for gender equality during her father’s presidency, in practice her efforts are weak.

In a recent puff-piece interview in the New York Times, Trump credits her interest in gender issues to her “‘Women Who Work’ hashtag and marketing campaign she devised a few years ago to help sell $99 pumps and $150 dresses.” The goal of the campaign was to reform “the outdated caricature of a ‘working woman’ — frazzled, androgynous and entirely one-note” — which, in itself, demonstrates a distinctly shallow and rather condescending view of the lives of every-day American women.

In keeping with that narrow view, Trump’s company initially offered no benefits to employees. And when one employee asked about paid maternity leave, Trump told her that “I went back to work one week after having my child, so that’s just not something I’m used to” — displaying an utter lack of comprehension of the challenges the vast majority of American women, who lack Trump’s level of personal wealth, face in obtaining quality, affordable child care when they want or need to return to work.

As if to prove the point, during brand development for her clothing line, internal testing revealed Trump was seen as “rich and unrelatable.” To appeal to the mass market from whom she wanted to profit, Trump set about changing her public image to be less dramatically different from the brand identity.

According to Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, a conscious and strategic decision was made to use photographs of Trump’s children in an effort to make her more relatable as a mother. “We certainly had conversations about whether it was O.K. to put her kids on social media and we felt it was important to show who she was as a whole person.”

However, in her book, Trump claims that the decision was an organic outgrowth of responses she received from posting an initial photo of her daughter on Instagram:

I didn’t want the first photo of my daughter to be sold to the press, so I posted an image myself on one of my social media accounts; after that, I began posting photos of our family more frequently.

I wasn’t expecting the overwhelming number of comments I received in response to these candid family snaps. So many people expressed surprise and relief that I was comfortable revealing a more private side of myself. …

I realized that it might be helpful in changing the narrative—even in a small way—to, for example, debunk the superwoman myth by posting a photo that my husband candidly snapped of me digging in the garden with the kids in our backyard, my hair in a messy ponytail, dirt on my cheek.

Despite Trump’s occasionally laudable words about women’s rights, her father’s administration is proving to be one of the most anti-woman White Houses in history, gutting funding for Planned Parenthood and eliminating former first lady Michelle Obama’s global initiative to educate girls.

By actively working for father’s destructive agenda, while claiming to be a champion for working women and families, Trump shows that she is not only out of touch with everyday Americans — she is also willfully covering up her father’s anti-woman, anti-child, and anti-family policies.


AJ News
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Read More
AJ News
Latest
Wife of Lombardo campaign manager marched with Jan. 6 rioters

Wife of Lombardo campaign manager marched with Jan. 6 rioters

By Jesse Valentine - October 16, 2026
Examining Mike Turner’s pro-war record

Examining Mike Turner’s pro-war record

By Jesse Valentine - October 16, 2026
Collins backed DOJ officials who dismantled public corruption unit

Collins backed DOJ officials who dismantled public corruption unit

By Jesse Valentine - October 15, 2026
Mike Rounds’ private flights cost taxpayers millions

Mike Rounds’ private flights cost taxpayers millions

By Jesse Valentine - October 15, 2026
Sununu opposed crackdowns on corporate tax shelters

Sununu opposed crackdowns on corporate tax shelters

By Jesse Valentine - October 15, 2026
David Flippo’s campaign is backed by election deniers

David Flippo’s campaign is backed by election deniers

By Jesse Valentine - October 15, 2026
Misleading ads attack Democrats over ACA subsidies GOP let expire

Misleading ads attack Democrats over ACA subsidies GOP let expire

By Jesse Valentine - October 14, 2026
Tom Kean helped Big Pharma protect billions in cancer drug sales

Tom Kean helped Big Pharma protect billions in cancer drug sales

By Jesse Valentine - October 14, 2026
Biggs voted against barring sex offenders from security jobs

Biggs voted against barring sex offenders from security jobs

By Jesse Valentine - October 09, 2026
Greg Cunningham ad omits required military disclaimer

Greg Cunningham ad omits required military disclaimer

By Jesse Valentine - October 09, 2026
Paxton signals openness to Social Security cuts in leaked audio

Paxton signals openness to Social Security cuts in leaked audio

By Jesse Valentine - October 09, 2026
Science, healthcare, and the wealth gap: Why Stefany Shaheen is running for Congress

Science, healthcare, and the wealth gap: Why Stefany Shaheen is running for Congress

By Bonnie Fuller - October 09, 2026
Stelson campaign did not employ undocumented immigrant, despite WH claims

Stelson campaign did not employ undocumented immigrant, despite WH claims

By Jesse Valentine - October 08, 2026
Zach Lahn Wants to ban H-1B hiring after benefitting from it

Zach Lahn Wants to ban H-1B hiring after benefitting from it

By Jesse Valentine - October 07, 2026
Ryan Elijah says mother’s debilitating fall was “God opening a door”

Ryan Elijah says mother’s debilitating fall was “God opening a door”

By Jesse Valentine - October 07, 2026
Garrity slams executive order protecting abortion seekers

Garrity slams executive order protecting abortion seekers

By Jesse Valentine - October 07, 2026
Finstad voted against lower drug costs on first day in Congress

Finstad voted against lower drug costs on first day in Congress

By Jesse Valentine - October 07, 2026
Lombardo administration fell short on infant opioid care

Lombardo administration fell short on infant opioid care

By Jesse Valentine - October 02, 2026
Dan Sullivan took $95,000 from alleged veteran scammers

Dan Sullivan took $95,000 from alleged veteran scammers

By Jesse Valentine - October 02, 2026
Sununu worked for telecom giants that fought privacy rules

Sununu worked for telecom giants that fought privacy rules

By Jesse Valentine - October 01, 2026
Collins’ husband did work for data center lobbying firm

Collins’ husband did work for data center lobbying firm

By Jesse Valentine - September 30, 2026
Whatley’s Iran war windfall

Whatley’s Iran war windfall

By Jesse Valentine - September 30, 2026
Sununu’s health insurance ties follow him into Senate race

Sununu’s health insurance ties follow him into Senate race

By Jesse Valentine - September 29, 2026
Kiggans’ net worth may have grown by millions in Congress

Kiggans’ net worth may have grown by millions in Congress

By Jesse Valentine - September 28, 2026
Sullivan backs policies that enrich his family’s business

Sullivan backs policies that enrich his family’s business

By Jesse Valentine - September 28, 2026
Bobby Charles has ties to Dennis Hastert and Mark Foley

Bobby Charles has ties to Dennis Hastert and Mark Foley

By Jesse Valentine - September 25, 2026
Huizenga’s revolving door: at least a dozen staffers became lobbyists

Huizenga’s revolving door: at least a dozen staffers became lobbyists

By Jesse Valentine - September 25, 2026
Victor Marx says abortion is “evil” and “occultic”

Victor Marx says abortion is “evil” and “occultic”

By Jesse Valentine - September 24, 2026
Biggs opposed 2005 law targeting child sex traffickers

Biggs opposed 2005 law targeting child sex traffickers

By Jesse Valentine - September 23, 2026
After her near-fatal pregnancy crisis, Amanda Zurawski is finally a mom

After her near-fatal pregnancy crisis, Amanda Zurawski is finally a mom

By Bonnie Fuller - September 23, 2026
Brinker Harding has up to $125,000 invested in Big Pharma

Brinker Harding has up to $125,000 invested in Big Pharma

By Jesse Valentine - September 21, 2026
Stavros Anthony criticized government handouts while billing taxpayers for car expenses

Stavros Anthony criticized government handouts while billing taxpayers for car expenses

By Jesse Valentine - September 18, 2026
Husted took $630K from data center interests

Husted took $630K from data center interests

By Jesse Valentine - September 18, 2026
New report: tailgating is more expensive under Trump

New report: tailgating is more expensive under Trump

By Jesse Valentine - September 17, 2026
Barrett’s health care record undercuts campaign ad

Barrett’s health care record undercuts campaign ad

By Jesse Valentine - September 16, 2026
Max Miller ad misrepresents Poindexter’s positions on taxes, health care

Max Miller ad misrepresents Poindexter’s positions on taxes, health care

By Jesse Valentine - September 16, 2026
Whatley’s 183% health care claim doesn’t add up

Whatley’s 183% health care claim doesn’t add up

By Jesse Valentine - September 15, 2026
Sharice Davids will transfer $250,000 to DCCC

Sharice Davids will transfer $250,000 to DCCC

By Jesse Valentine - September 15, 2026
Fralick’s political career began with Obamacare lawsuits

Fralick’s political career began with Obamacare lawsuits

By Jesse Valentine - September 14, 2026
Dan Sullivan skipped half of fisheries hearings

Dan Sullivan skipped half of fisheries hearings

By - September 11, 2026

Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .