This was published 7 years ago
Ivanka Trump, adviser to US president, says she 'stays out of politics'
By Mary Ward
What exactly is Ivanka Trump's role working for her father's administration in the White House? Apparently it has nothing to do with politics.
The daughter of US President Donald Trump, who was made a federal employee in March following months of speculation about whether she would be stepping up to take on the traditional roles of a "First Lady", has said she tries to "stay out of politics".
Speaking on conservative morning television show Fox & Friends, the fashion mogul turned White House occupant revealed she is more than happy to take a step back from the political world, saying she feels "blessed" to be part of her father's rise to power, but is no "political savant".
"His political instincts are phenomenal. He did something that no one could have imagined he'd be able to accomplish," she said. "I feel blessed just being part of the ride from day one and before... But I don't profess to be a political savant."
Ivanka Trump with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Credit: Getty Images
Trump is employed as an "unpaid adviser" to her father. However, even before she took on this role she had been by his side during official duties, including his meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Her husband, Jared Kushner, has been a senior adviser to the president since January.
The comment seems strange from Trump, given she resigned from her fashion brand at the start of this year following conflict of interest concerns.
The former model faced backlash after her company sent out a "style alert" press release, providing a link to buy a bracelet Trump wore during a 60 Minutes interview shortly after her father's election.
Ivanka and Donald Trump on the White House lawn.Credit: AP
With the release of her book, Women Who Work (which she reportedly completed in October, before her father's election), Trump announced she would not be going on a promotional book tour and would be donating the profits from sales to charity.
"In light of government ethics rules, I want to be clear that this book is a personal project," she said in April.
"I wrote it at a different time in my life, from the perspective of an executive and an entrepreneur, and the manuscript was completed before the election last November."