Here’s How Ivanka Has Defended President Trump All Throughout The Campaign
With Election Day right around the corner, President Donald Trump's eldest daughter has been hard at work on the campaign trail. From speaking during the final night of the Republican National Convention (RNC) to making appearances in key swing states, the White House adviser has tried to smooth over her father's rough edges by praising him for being "real" and having "strong convictions." Here are some Ivanka Trump quotes about Donald Trump from the 2020 campaign trail that show she'll always defend him.
The president has made no secret of admiration for his eldest daughter and adviser. He has praised her political inclinations, going so far as to say he could see her as the country's first woman to be president, per The Hill. "I want to see the first woman president also, but I don't want to see a woman president get in to that position the way [Sen. Kamala Harris would] do it," he said during an Aug. 28 rally in Londonderry, New Hampshire. "They're all saying, 'We want Ivanka.' I don't blame you."
While Ivanka has not said whether she would consider a presidential run in the future, she was in full support of her father throughout his first presidential campaign and his first term in office. His second run for the Oval Office is no different. Here's what she's had to say about her feather during this year's campaign.
On The "Real" Donald Trump
The 39-year-old praised her father in a speech before he accepted the 2020 Republican nomination for president at the RNC on Aug. 27. Ivanka addressed critics of the president's rhetoric by highlighting her personal relationship with him.
"I want to tell you about the leader I know and the moments that I wish every American could see when the cameras have left, the microphones are off, and the decisions really count," she told supporters gathered at the White House South Lawn. "I stand before you as the proud daughter of the people's president. He is our commander-in-chief, champion of the American worker, defender of common sense, and our voice for the forgotten men and women of this country," she closed.
On Trump's Tweeting
During the RNC, Ivanka argued that Trump's "unapologetic" beliefs inspire his supporters to ask themselves important questions.
"I recognize my father’s communication style is not to everyone’s taste, and his tweets are unfiltered, but the results, the results speak for themselves," she said. "He is so unapologetic about his beliefs that he has had me and so many Americans ask ourselves, 'What do we stand for?'"
On The Trump Administration's Coronavirus Response
The president has come under widespread criticism for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which as of Oct. 27 has led to 8.78 million positive COVID-19 cases and more than 226,000 people dead in the United States. Ivanka defended her father's pandemic response in October.
During a rally in Raleigh on Oct. 20, per The Charlotte Observer, Ivanka argued his response was facilitated by "creativity, and thinking about innovation, and just plain common sense," citing the creation of the May 15 Farmers to Family Food Box Program, which delivers food purchased from farmers to families in need.
She told supporters, "He called me and said, 'What can we do to make sure that American produce — fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy — get from our small farms to those in this country who are most vulnerable and need it the most during this unique period of time?'"
Ivanka also said her father had done more to support small businesses during this time than before the pandemic, citing the bipartisan CARES Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 27. She claimed, "In 14 days, the Small Business Administration did more loans in the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) than in the 14 years prior of the Small Business Administration." By mid-April, the $349 billion PPP fund was entirely depleted, and there was criticism that some publicly-traded companies received loans ahead of small businesses.
On Trump & The Economy
During a campaign appearance on Oct. 19 near Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ivanka pointed to her father's economic track record, claiming the "great American comeback" was already starting to happen, per The Detroit Free Press.
"I think part of the reason you see the great American comeback starting to happen is because the foundation is so incredibly solid because of so much of the work that’s happened over the past three-and-a-half years," she told the crowd. The unemployment rate for September 2020 was at 7.9%, which was down from August by .5%, but was 4.4 points higher than the same time in 2019. In addition, an Oct. 15 study from Columbia University found that 8 million Americans are below the poverty line as a result of the pandemic, with people in minority groups more likely to be affected.
On Trump's Criminal Justice Reform Efforts
Also during her Oct. 20 Raleigh appearance, Ivanka touted Trump's criminal justice reform record, per The Charlotte Observer. "He didn’t campaign on criminal justice reform," she told the crowd. "He did it because it was the right thing to do. Politicians weren’t talking about this issue four years ago. It’s this president who amplified this as an issue and is actually working on advancing real solutions."
During his first term, Trump saw Congress reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) in 2018, after Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) asked for harsher concessions around juvenile offenses, according to Mother Jones. The JJDPA was first signed into law in 1974 and recommended again for reauthorization by President Barack Obama in 2016, but it didn't pass in Congress at that time. As for The First Step Act, which was passed in 2018, many critics have said the sentencing reform law didn't have as great an impact as expected in terms of releasing people from prison.
On Why Criticism Doesn't Bother Her Father
While President Trump has weathered his fair share of criticism, Ivanka has said he views it as a sign he's doing something right, and he's attacked because he's "unconventional."
In response to questions about how she and her family are able to keep going despite being "attacked every day" during Oct. 20 event in Raleigh, Ivanka responded, "If you’re not angering people, right, the status quo is so easy to maintain. And there’s tremendous resistance to change, so [President Trump] views it as a source of pride when the swamp kicks back."
Ivanka is one of her father's biggest advocates, and it's likely she will continue to sing his praises whether he wins or loses in November.
