US election: Ivanka Trump slammed for tweet labelling protesters ‘patriots’

Donald Trump’s daughter has been slammed for posting a “despicably shameful” tweet. Now her sister-in-law has also spoken out.

Senior adviser to the President Ivanka Trump is facing intense backlash after labelling violent protesters “patriots” in a hastily deleted tweet.

The First Daughter’s tweet was posted this morning Australian time in response to the chaos unfolding in Washington D.C, where pro-Trump supporters have stormed the Capitol building in a bid to overthrow the results of the November 3 election.

US President Donald Trump and his supporters have consistently refused to accept Democrat Joe Biden’s win, and “anarchists” swarmed the Capitol as a joint session of Congress convened to confirm Mr Biden’s victory.

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Ivanka Trump has since deleted the controversial tweet. Picture: Twitter

“American Patriots – any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable,” Ms Trump posted today.

“The violence must stop immediately. Please be peaceful.”

But while Ms Trump clearly called for calm, critics were quick to seize on her use of the word “patriots”, which many interpreted as praise or support for those wreaking havoc.

Her own sister-in-law Karlie Kloss, a model, also hit out at the riots calling them “unAmerican”.

Kloss is married to Joshua Kushner, the brother of Ivanka’s husband Jared.

Accepting the results of a legitimate democratic election is patriotic. Refusing to do so and inciting violence is anti-American.

— Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) January 7, 2021

When someone responded, asking her to tell Ivanka and Jarden Kushner that, she replied: “I’ve tried”.

Ivanka’s sister-in-law on Twitter.

The choice of words in Ivanka’s tweet sparked an outpouring of anger, with Twitter users labelling her tweet “despicably shameful” and describing her as “complicit”.

Ms Trump deleted the tweet soon after the backlash began, but not before furious Americans had the chance to screenshot it and share it widely online.

She went on to insist: “Peaceful protest is patriotic. Violence is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

The protests have been anything but peaceful, with a woman shot, a pipe bomb discovered and several police officers injured at the scene.

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Ivanka Trump’s tweet has been slammed as ‘despicably shameful’. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

Ivanka’s brother, Donald Trump Jr, has also condemned the violence on the streets of Washington D.C, tweeting: “This is wrong and not who we are. Be peaceful and use your 1st Amendment rights, but don’t start acting like the other side. We have a country to save and this doesn’t help anyone.”

But pressure is mounting on the President to take a stand and order his supporters to desist amid the growing mayhem.

So far, Mr Trump has not spoken publicly about the crisis, instead issuing several tweets urging those at Capitol to “remain peaceful”.

In contrast, incoming president Joe Biden has fronted the public in an attempt to calm the escalating situation.

“At this hour, our democracy’s under unprecedented assault. Unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times. An assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself. An assault on the people’s representatives and the Capitol Hill police, sworn to protect them. And the public servants who work at the heart of our Republic … Let me be very clear. The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America. Do not represent who we are. What we’re seeing are a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s chaos. It borders on sedition. And it must end now,” Mr Biden said on Thursday morning Australian time.