Can Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump’s friendship survive this election?

THEY may be friends — despite all that’s been said — but Chelsea Clinton hasn’t hesitated in calling out Ivanka Trump.

WHEN Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump were introduced by their husbands a few years ago, they clicked instantly.

And the two daughters of the aggrieved rivals have remained firm friends ever since, despite months of campaigning marked by vitriol.

Their unique relationship has fascinated both the media and American voters over the past 13 months, with reports earlier this year that the two high-profile and politically savvy women had decided to put their friendship on ice, during what has been a gruelling and grubby election campaign.

Once largely a behind-the-scenes supporter, Chelsea — who is the only child of Hillary and Bill Clinton — has been playing a more active role in her mother’s campaign in recent months. Today, the 36-year-old mother-of-two will take the stage to introduce Hillary as she officially accepts the Democratic nomination (just as Ivanka did for her father at the RNC last week).

And her first major moment in the international spotlight could be a sign of things to come, should Hillary Clinton become president of the United States in November.

Earlier this week, Chelsea gave America a taste of just how commanding she can be when she called out Ivanka Trump during a live Facebook panel discussion with Glamour magazine, leading to speculation that the ladies’ friendship might currently be strained.

Seated beside actresses and fellow DNC speakers Lena Dunham and America Ferrera, Chelsea challenged a part of her longtime pal’s convention speech that proposed things her father would do for equal pay.

“As president, my father will change the labour laws that were put in place at a time when women were not a significant portion of the workforce and he will focus on making quality childcare affordable and accessible for all,” Ivanka told a crowd of more than 20,000 in Cleveland.

Glamour’s editor-in-chief Cindy Leive asked Chelsea how she would respond to Ivanka’s promise that her father “would fight for” equal pay, equal work and quality childcare.

“I would ask, ‘How would your father do that?’” Chelsea challenged. “Given it’s not something he’s spoken about, there are no policies on any of those fronts on his website, not last week, not this week. So I think the ‘how’ question is super important. In politics and in life.

“So it really matters to me that my mum in this election consistently has told you how she’s going to do everything, whether that’s on gun control or protecting a woman’s right to choose ... she also tells you how she’s going to pay for it,” she added.

Cindi Leive, Chelsea Clinton, Lena Dunham and America Ferrera during a Glamour magazine panel discussion. Picture: Getty

Ivanka, 34, is yet to respond to Chelsea’s counter made during the 25-minute panel discussion, which has been viewed nearly one million times.

But the eldest daughter of the Republican presidential nominee did confirm in an interview with People magazine earlier this week that the pair remain on good terms despite the “tremendous intensity around both of our lives right now”.

“Our friendship has never been about politics. I don’t expect it will be about politics in the future,” she said.

Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton at the 2014 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards in NYC.

During a Thursday appearance on the Today show, Chelsea revealed she would consider a “daughter’s summit” with her pal to discuss the cruel words their parents have said about one another on the campaign trail.

“It isn’t something that had occurred to me, but it’s certainly something I would consider,” she told host Matt Lauer. “I think it was clear last week when Ivanka introduced her dad that she’s so proud of him. I hope it will be kind of at least as clear why I’m so proud of my mum when I introduce her here in Philadelphia.

“And yet clearly Ivanka and I have different views about who we think should be our president and who we think best represents our country.”

Asked whether she would ever call on Ivanka to pull Donald Trump into line when attacking the Clinton’s personal lives, Chelsea replied: “I don’t expect her [Ivanka] to always have to defend her father. I think it’s clear that Mr Trump is running his campaign and saying what he thinks is important in this election … my mother’s not engaging in divisive, bigoted rhetoric.”

Chelsea and Ivanka’s friendship will certainly be one that continues to captivate America — and the rest of the world — as the presidential election enters the next critical phase. Let’s not forget the Clintons famously attended Trump’s wedding to Melania in 2005, Ivanka even donated money to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid. So perhaps it will all be water under the bridge for the fiercely loyal daughters after November rolls around.

Would @ChelseaClinton be open to a 'daughter summit' with @IvankaTrump?Watch what she told @MLauer: https://t.co/ZwqBRlN5Om

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 28, 2016