Ivanka Trump’s controversial new job at the White House

DONALD Trump’s daughter Ivanka has a mysterious new job at the White House with an office in the West Wing. Critics say it’s an “insulting” move.

IVANKA Trump’s mysterious new job is creating all kinds of problems.

The president’s daughter has moved into her own office in the West Wing of the White House, where she is doing ... something. Nobody knows precisely what her job description is.

Ms Trump isn’t officially employed by the government, nor does she earn a salary. But she is set to receive government-issued communication devices and a security clearance, giving her access to classified information.

It’s an extremely unusual arrangement. Donald Trump’s critics say it reeks of nepotism and is, at best, ethically dubious. What is really going on?

The president’s influential daughter, Ivanka. Pic: AP

THE JOB THAT ISN’T A JOB

When Mr Trump was elected president, his daughter moved to Washington DC, but stressed she was not going to take a job at the White House. Mr Trump shot down reports he wanted to give her security clearance.

I am not trying to get "top level security clearance" for my children. This was a typically false news story.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016

Clearly, things have changed.

In her new role, Ms Trump will “be the eyes and ears of her father and provide candid advice, as she has for her entire adult life,” her lawyer told NPR. “She is intending to spend some time on initiatives that she cares about, particularly with regard to women in the workplace.”

She works at the White House, with her own office. She develops policy. She sits in on meetings with world leaders. She certainly sounds like a White House employee, but the administration insists she isn’t one.

Why? One possible explanation is that federal employees are subject to stringent ethics regulations — and much like her father, Ms Trump appears to have some conflicts of interest, particularly when it comes to her fashion business.

“Donald Trump’s eldest child will be moving into a taxpayer-financed office while still effectively controlling her fashion company, all while shielded from government oversight into corruption and illegal activities,” argues political writer Oliver Willis. “Ivanka Trump is the only one who will be providing oversight of her role in her private business interests.”

Ethics experts agree the situation is dicey.

“Even though the White House denies it, Ivanka is a ‘special government employee’. So we are headed for yet another Trump ethics dispute in a White House and administration that is already chock full of them,” former White House Ethics Counsel Norm Eisen told Fox News.

Ms Trump claims she will voluntarily follow the ethics rules that would apply to a federal employee. She has already relinquished some control over the day-to-day management of her fashion brand, although she is still involved in high level decisions. And she has stepped back from her role as an executive in the Trump organisation.

“Ivanka has taken on several measures to promote high standards of ethical conduct,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said yesterday. “Even though she’s not a federal employee, she’ll follow the restrictions that would apply if she were.”

Donald and Ivanka Trump on the White House lawn. Pic: AFP

THE BACKLASH

Ethical concerns aside, there are two key criticisms of Ms Trump’s role: the public has no idea what she’s actually doing, and she is only there because she’s the president’s daughter.

Conservative political commentator Amanda Carpenter encapsulated those points best in a scathing opinion piece for Cosmo.

“What’s she doing exactly? Nobody knows. What qualifies her? Apparently, being the president’s daughter,” Ms Carpenter wrote.

“If Ivanka Trump were not the president’s daughter, would she be given a White House office to perform a job that has no description? Of course not.”

Ms Carpenter said the non-existent job description gives Ms Trump “cover to do whatever she or her father wants,” and makes a mockery of her advocacy for women in the workplace.

“Ivanka has said she doesn’t want to be thought of as First Lady, but she should know she’s giving off the air of an entitled royal princess,” she said.

“Ivanka will continue to pretend she’s a model for working women, applauding herself for having a ‘seat at the table’ with foreign dignitaries. Just remember she’s only sitting in that seat because her daddy let her. That’s not the case for the overwhelming majority of working women in America.”

If taxpayers are giving Ivanka Trump office space we have every right to know what she's doing with it.

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) March 20, 2017

Ivanka is seeking national security clearance? Someone tell me what qualifies her for this. GO. And how is this not an official position.

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) March 20, 2017

There is no earthly reason why Ivanka Trump belongs in a meeting with a foreign leader, let alone seated immediately beside them.

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) March 17, 2017

So many people defending Ivanka being given a West Wing office would have been livid if Hillary won and gave Chelsea an office

— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) March 20, 2017

THE POWER COUPLE

Throughout Mr Trump’s rise to the presidency, Ms Trump was one of his greatest assets and closest advisers. No one seriously believed that would stop once he became president. In fact, there was once rampant speculation she would serve as the country’s “de facto First Lady”.

Ms Trump was reportedly the secret power behind the best moment of Mr Trump’s political career so far — his speech to Congress several weeks ago, which was seen as the moment he finally managed to be “presidential”.

A senior White House official told Reuters Ms Trump had her “fingerprints” all over the tone of the speech, which was more conciliatory and hopeful than Mr Trump’s previous rhetoric.

“He had a lot of voices around him giving him ideas and suggestions that he incorporated, but he really set out to achieve that optimistic tone and that was something she was supportive of. She encouraged him to do that,” the official said.

Ms Trump has been a confidant of her father since their days in business together. Pic: AFP

But Ms Trump isn’t the only strong familial influence on the president. Her husband, real estate developer Jared Kushner, has his own role in the White House as Mr Trump’s highly rated senior adviser.

Mr Kushner is said to be part of the administration’s “power centre”, alongside political adviser Steve Bannon and chief of staff Reince Priebus. The New York Times has described him as “the closest thing to a steadying influence” there is in the White House.

“Jared has the trust, confidence and ear of the entire inner circle of the Trump administration, including the most important member of that group,” the Times reported.

The difference between Mr Kushner and Ms Trump? The former is officially a White House employee — which makes it all the more bizarre that his wife isn’t.