Ivanka Trump has long been a pivotal figure in Donald Trump’s political journey. She was a key figure during her father’s first presidency. As a senior adviser, she played an instrumental role in shaping policies related to workforce development, family leave, and women’s empowerment. A new book also claimed that she had disputes with Melania Trump over First Lady duties.
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Her unique position as both a family member and a trusted political aide made her one of the most influential figures in the Trump administration, reports Newsweek. However, recent years have seen Ivanka take a significant step back from the political spotlight.
Ivanka Trump on stepping away from politics: ‘It’s a pretty dark world’
In 2022, Ivanka made the surprising move and announced her decision to step away from politics as her father announced his third presidential run.
Speaking candidly about her decision during her interview on the Lex Fridman podcast in July 2024, she reflected on the challenges of the political world and prioritising her children.
Citing her desire to prioritise her kids, she explained her decision to step away from politics was ‘rooted in me being a parent.’ She added:
You know, politics is rough, rough business and I think it’s one that you also can’t dabble in. I think you have to either be all in or all out and I know today the cost they [my children] will pay for me being all in, emotionally, in terms of my absence at such a formative point in their life and I’m not willing to make them bear that cost.
Instead, she has embraced community service and family-focused initiatives, finding fulfilment in quieter yet equally meaningful ways. From volunteering in disaster relief efforts to spending quality time with her children, Ivanka has changed. She explained:
Politics is…it is a pretty dark world. There’s a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity and it’s just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being…it’s a really rough business. So for me and my family, it feels right not to participate.
Ivanka Trump is still an informal adviser to her father
Despite stepping away from formal politics, Ivanka remains a key behind-the-scenes figure for her father. Sources close to Ivanka reveal that she continues to act as an informal adviser to Donald Trump and offers her input on critical matters.
Maggie Cordish, a longtime friend of Ivanka told CNN:
She’s still his daughter and a trusted voice, so in that sense an informal adviser, as we all are with our family members.
Meanwhile, another source ‘familiar with her thinking’ told the publication that if Ivanka chooses to weigh in and influence her father’s second term ‘it’s never going to be something that people are going to see publicly.’
Like Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner is shying away from a formal role in the incoming administration.
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Sources used:
Newsweek: Ivanka Trump Still an 'Informal Adviser' to Donald Trump, Friend Says
Lex Fridman podcast interview on YouTube
CNN: Ivanka Trump is done with politics and says she isn’t coming back
