Ivanka Trump Faces Backlash for Praising Father's Executive Order

Ivanka Trump Faces Backlash for Praising Father's Executive Order·InStyle
Sam Reed
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I'd like to ask you, what is your role? And whom are you representing? Your father as the President of the United States, the American people or your business? Well, certainly not the latter, and I am rather unfamiliar with this role as well, as it is quite new to me. It has been a little under 100 days, but it is Just been a remarkable and incredible journey. So as an entrepreneur and as an individual prior to this, and in the private sector, I cared very much about Empowering women in the workplace. I am humbled to be here with so many formidable leaders to engage in dialogue, to learn, to bring the advice, to bring the knowledge back to the United States, back to both my father and the president. I've certainly heard the criticism from the media and that's been perpetuated, but. I know from personal experience and I think the thousands of women who have worked with and for my father for decades when he was in the private sector are a testament to his belief and solid conviction in the potential of women

After days of relentless criticism from both sides of the aisle regarding his "zero-tolerance" immigration policy, which has led to the separation of more than 2,300 children from their parents at the southern border of the U.S., President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order which halts the practice. (Children will still be detained, however they will now be held with their families.)

Immediately after the order was signed, Ivanka Trump tweeted for the first time since June 15 in praise of her father. "Thank you @POTUS for taking critical action ending family separation at our border," she wrote. Like her dad, she then called upon Congress to find a larger, long-term solution.

After all five living first ladies, including her stepmom, Melania Trump, issued statements regarding the policy (some more strongly worded than others), Ivanka's silence at the height of the crisis was as surprising as it was deafening. After all, Ivanka has often touted herself as a champion of maternity and paternity leave, and regularly posts loving photos of her own family—even when it's not perhaps the best timing—in an attempt to promote a "family-first" image.

Maria Shriver, the former First Lady of California, as well as Meghan McCain, daughter of John McCain, both called out the First Daughter for her silence on the topic. "Step up or step down," wrote Shriver after her call for a request to Ivanka went unanswered.

According to CNN, Ivanka may have been working behind the scenes to persuade her dad to take action. Regardless, her social media silence felt resounding in an age when politicians—and Ivanka, specifically—regularly use their platforms to add to the conversation.

On Twitter, users reacted unfavorably to Ivanka's congratulatory tweet. While many were relieved to hear that children were no longer going to be separated from their parents, they refused to praise Trump for reversing a practice that was a direct result of his administration's "zero-tolerance" policy.

Elsewhere on Twitter, organizations like the Women's March and the ACLU warned that while children may no longer be separated from their families, there is still a humanitarian crisis at hand—beginning with the children who are currently detained away from their parents. There is not currently information regarding how or when families will be reunited.

Additionally, given that Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy is still in effect, all those who cross the border illegally will still be detained—albeit, as families.

While we can all breathe a sigh of relief that families are no longer being separated, there is still work to be done.

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