Ivanka Trump played a major role during her father Donald Trump’s first presidency, serving as a White House advisor after helping lead his 2016 campaign. Alongside her husband, Jared Kushner, she focused on women’s economic empowerment, workforce development, and entrepreneurship while balancing family life and intense public pressure.
Her time in politics brought heavy criticism. Former friends, including Chelsea Clinton, publicly distanced themselves because of her support for Trump’s policies. Ivanka later admitted the backlash, threats, and loss of friendships deeply affected her and her family. Her fashion brand also suffered, with major retailers dropping her clothing line before she eventually shut the company down.
Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham later claimed in her memoir that Ivanka and Jared once tried to join Donald and Melania Trump during a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, despite royal protocol. Grisham also criticized the couple’s influence inside the White House.
After leaving Washington in 2021, Ivanka announced she was done with politics and wanted to focus on her private life and raising her three children in Florida. Friends say she has found peace away from public life and now avoids political involvement, only offering advice to her father privately if needed.
Although Ivanka still maintains a close relationship with Donald Trump, reports suggest she no longer wants to be publicly tied to political controversies. According to Michael Wolff’s 2025 book All or Nothing, Ivanka and Jared Kushner reportedly refused to sign a statement defending Trump against accusations of antisemitism after the October 7 attacks, saying they did not want to “get in the middle of things this time.”