It remains to be seen what role Ivanka Trump will play in her father’s administration, but the early signs are that she’ll have a hotline to the Oval Office.
In a recent report by The New York Times speculating about Ivanka’s position in the White House, it revealed a telling detail about Donald Trump’s former co-star on The Apprentice.
When Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, called Donald Trump shortly after the election, they talked about domestic policy and infrastructure, reports the Times.
But when Ms. Pelosi raised the specific subject of women’s issues, the president-elect did something unexpected: He handed the phone over to another person in the room — his 35-year-old daughter, Ivanka.
He used the same strategy throughout his campaign, counting on Ivanka’s polished presence to draw support from female voters. Her speech at the Republican National Convention was one of the only times the Trump campaign specifically addressed policies designed to benefit women, such as paid leave and affordable child care.
The Times notes that people such as Sheryl Sandberg of Lean In fame and Anne-Marie Slaughter, who’s also advocated for women’s equality in the workplace, have reached out to Ivanka hoping to start a “dialogue” about women’s issues in the Trump administration.
“She is really serious about the ‘care agenda’ and can be a strong inside force,” Sheryl said. (She also pointed out, “I don’t know anyone else.”)
Activists involved with the “Dear Ivanka” Instagram account site, which juxtaposes glamorous shots of Ivanka with concerns from people who feel that they will be marginalised under a Trump presidency, list similar reasons for appealing to daughter in lieu of father.
“[She’s] always had a very good head on her shoulders, she’s always been a really kind person,” says socialite Arden Wohl, who’s known Ivanka for years.
