The couple has never been ashamed of their mutual love of power. When they got engaged, Ivanka Trump said in an interview that she knew Kushner was the one when she found that his ambition matched hers.
Now, however, they are facing the end of the blasphemous Trump presidency: the American Capitol still showing signs of the deadly mob attack that broke the seat of democracy, thousands of National Guard troops blocking the city, President Donald Trump charged (again) for his role in inciting the mob and robbing the family patriarch of his most powerful outlet after being permanently banned from Twitter.
To achieve their goals, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner must reach the pivot of all pivots.
Instead of a smile-and-wave finale chapter in the White House, the couple is trying to stop the president from saying too little or too much, and throwing themselves at a grenade they are not sure about , but who also can not take the chance. manner.
A White House official made the statement when asked to comment: “Ivanka came to Washington to give back to a nation that has given her so much and to fight for a policy that hard-working American families help. Over four years, she led the policies that created jobs. , empowered American workers, fed families in need, and supported small businesses throughout the pandemic. She is proud of her service and excited for the future. ‘
According to a White House official, Ivanka Trump was among those who pressured her father to make the Twitter video that eventually banned him after the riot.
In it, he told rioters to “go home,” but in a moment outside the scripture said, “We love you.”
From her office in the West Wing, Ivanka Trump brought calls from Capitol Hill politicians who were literally hiding from a cruel and violent crowd. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a ubiquitous presence with the president during golf outings and holiday trips to Mar-a-Lago, could not get in touch with Trump to urge him to stop the uprising in public, a source familiar with the conversation told CNN. So Graham called Ivanka Trump and begged her to help talk to her father.
It was again the Ivanka Trump key among the assistants who pushed the president to release a subsequent video following his accusation, refusing to denounce any future violence or plans to wreak havoc in the country set. There were no words of ‘love’ this time.
The latest move was motivated by fears of possible legal exposure by the president, a source familiar with the survey told CNN.
And according to sources who worked and socialized with Ivanka Trump and Kushner, their motivation was probably their fear over the condition of their beloved money maker – the Trump brand.
“They are trying to keep the little bit left for them in terms of the currency for sale as Trumps,” said one source, who added the change from “before insurrection” to “after insurrection” to move Trump’s state. rich from dangerous to benard.
“The proof here of how worried (the family) is is how quiet they are,” said another source, noting the muzzled Twitter cover floors and the backsliding bravado, especially from Ivanka Trump’s brothers Donald Trump jr. And Eric Trump.
Ivanka Trump’s planned ‘farewell tour’ to cultivate policy victories is now being scrapped, said someone with knowledge of the discussed public relations. The eldest Trump daughter did not keep her desire to investigate the candidate for office secret, several sources confirmed, two of whom loudly wondered to CNN whether the dreams were now impossible to achieve.
“The idea that anyone will forget that her father incited these attacks is about zero,” said one political activist in Republican politics. “If she wants future voters to overlook how devastating the end of this government is, it’s a big lift.”
The future is Florida?
Adam C. Smith, former political editor of the Tampa Bay Times and now a consultant at Mercury Public Affairs, said Ivanka Trump can still get a pass in Florida, where the MAGA crowd is strong and forgiving.
“Until there is real evidence that the Trump brand is diminished by the activist base and dominant MAGA wing of the party, and not just among elected Republicans and establishment types, I think Ivanka will remain the clear forerunner against Marco Rubio,” he said. he said.
Trump may also sit back to see what public sentiment prescribes for her future, or she may want to wait the required seven years of Florida residency and then be elected governor. One source who knows her noted that Trump has never had a problem believing in her own importance.
“Lack of self-confidence is not something she suffers from,” the source said.
Politically or not, Florida offers at least one more life-friendly environment than New York, where several former friends have said the couple will not be welcomed back into social circles with open arms.
The Kushner-Trumps also have a cottage at the Trump Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, which was recently renovated to add more bedrooms. It is possible that they may land there for some time, but politically, New Jersey is also not a Trump country.
Florida, where Ivanka Trump ran several times in the run-up to the presidential election, may offer a biased haven, but the ease with which she and Kushner had to turn their years in Washington into new personas in the Sunshine State is now gone.
Family dynamics
The Trump family itself is not the same as it was in terms of relationships from the years before Washington to today.
The most broken bond is probably the slight friendship Trump previously had with her stepmother, Melania Trump. The two women are undoubtedly the most powerful and influential in the president’s life, and before the White House years, both were aware and respectful of each other’s grass, according to sources familiar with the dynamics. However, Ivanka Trump’s alleged attacks on the lane of first lady Melania Trump have led to tensions between the women that are so severe, one source told CNN. There is little desire to be in the same room.
In recent months, Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump have not been photographed together in public, with the exception of the presidential debate in September and the Republican National Convention in August, where Melania sat with their son on one side of the president . Barron, her parents and the Pences, with Ivanka Trump on the other side of the stage.
On Thanksgiving, Ivanka Trump and the adult siblings went to Camp David while Trump had dinner with Melania Trump, Barron Trump and her parents in the White House. Over the Christmas holidays, Ivanka Trump and Kushner did not visit Mar-a-Lago as before. Although Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have a separate living space in Mar-a-Lago, where the retiring first couple plans to move to the White House, one source said Melania Trump “did not roll out the welcome mat.”
The oldest Trump siblings also have troubling issues, most stemming from the way the president has acted over the past two weeks.
“Finger pointing has been done,” says someone with knowledge of the situation.
But if ever there was a time for the Trump family to get on with their bunker mentality and try to do an image upgrade, it would be now – whether the hotels, real estate, brands and future businesses affected by Trump , can be irreparably damaged.
“I think it’s one time the family has to admit that their actions had consequences,” the source said.