Why Ivanka Trump was missing from the Donald Trump campaign in 2024 US election
In an interview, Jared Kushner said that Ivanka Trump has “closed this chapter of her life,” referring to her involvement in politics.
While Donald Trump's sons and wife, Melania Trump, made public appearances for the presidential candidate during his campaign, his eldest daughter and former aide, Ivanka Trump, has been missing and keeping herself away from the spotlight. During Trump’s former bids for office, she was involved deeply in his campaigns, including appearing in TV, accompanying him in rallies, and making her bid to appeal to female voters.
Why did she step away from politics?
During her father’s third, and probably final, push for office, she and her husband, Jared Kushner, announced that they would be taking a step back from politics, reported the New York Times (NYT). “While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena,” she said.
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In a podcast with Lex Fridman, Ivanka revealed that she made this decision with her children in mind. “I’m not willing to make them bear that cost,” she said, adding that politics is a “bloody sport.” Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, are parents to three kids.
Will she return?
In an earlier interview, given by Kushner, after Ivanka declined to be interviewed, the American businessman said that they are rooting for Donald Trump, but his wife has “closed this chapter (politics) of her life.”
“(Ivanka Trump) made the decision when she left Washington that she was closing that chapter of her life. And she’s been remarkably consistent,” Kushner told NYT.
“We’re rooting for him — obviously, we’re proud of him,” he explained, adding, “But, you know, either way, our life will just continue to move forward.”
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Did Jared Kushner’s business play a role in Ivanka Trump’s decision?
According to the NYT, Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, runs a $3 billion private equity fund. If Trump returns to the White House, questions would arise about whether Kushner and Ivanka are getting “special treatment” in terms of their business, which are “bankrolled by the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.”
Kushner told the NYT that he and Ivanka are “still close” with Donald Trump, and they regularly converse over calls. “If he calls her for advice or help on something, we’re always there,” Kushner said.