Many Flags but No Ivanka’s?
There was a time when Ivanka Trump was much more than an object of ridicule to many who felt she was the President’s daughter. She was a valuable asset to the White House who could help carry out its policies. As a high profile and high paid aide to one of the President’s political allies, Ivanka Trump was often the focus of criticism and mockery from her own father.
Though some mocked her for only marrying the President’s son, she was often in the public eye as an unpaid aide to a prominent President. She was the first female Chief of Staff to a President who was the Commander in Chief and the first female Presidential spouse to hold that office. She was a successful businesswoman who was also married with three children.
While her father was able to laugh off the attention she was receiving, she was sometimes not amused and felt it would hinder the work of the administration. She wrote in a blog post: “I realize I may not be a ‘normal’ person, in that I am, as President, the first woman of colour serving as President of the United States. In that sense I will forever be an exception to President Trump‘s usual “inclusion: over representation.”
When Donald Trump was elected President, Ivanka became one of her top aides and she would later become White House Chief of Staff. Under this position, she was in charge of the federal agencies – Health and Human Services, Treasury, State, and HUD – that were responsible for housing and urban development. While President Donald Trump has had a reputation for micromanaging most of his administration, there were some instances where he has shown himself to be more hands on than many others.
I have been fortunate to have been able to work in the administration at a number of different agencies. Each one taught me something about leadership, organization, and politics. In some cases I had the chance to work with people I am now friends with. This included the late Deputy Secretary Rob Porter, who was a friend and advisor to President Trump dating back to the presidential campaign.