Can Ivanka Trump be the next US President? Former First Daughter is laying the groundwork for a political push
After four years of posing for the cameras in finely tailored suits and glamorous dresses, a rare avatar of Ivanka Trump was spotted a few days ago at her brand new luxury home in Florida. Donning a casual sundress, she was seen indulging in the little pleasures of life -- breakfast with her kids or some quality time with husband Jared Kushner on the beach.
These photographs circulating on the internet might make one assume that the former First Daughter and advisor to the ex-POTUS has decided to put politics to rest for good. However, insider reports suggest quite the opposite.
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Ivanka for senator in 2022?
Speculation has been rife for quite a while that Ivanka is eyeing an ambitious political career away from father Donald Trump's shadow. This career might be kickstarted with her running against Sen. Marco Rubio in the 2022 Florida elections. A more recent report by news.com.au hints that Ivanka's ambitions might be even loftier with plans to run for president in near future.
For a long time, her husband Jared Kushner was considered a frontrunner to fly the Trump family flag in politics. But now it appears that Ivanka is the one more determined to catapult herself into mainstream politics soon. In fact, earlier reports reveal that the couple entered into a deal at the beginning of Trump's presidency that in case an opportunity arose, Ivanka would run for president instead of Kushner.
Back in Florida, Ivanka might have a low public profile at the moment, but she is already laying the groundwork for a solid footing by the time she announces her political initiation.
Ivanka's elaborate plans for 're-emergence'
The tumultuous presidency of Donald Trump witnessed its worst phase towards the very end during the horrific Capitol Riots of January 6, 2021. The attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters marked a dark day in the history of the United States. Needless to say, the incident instantly saw the Trump family receive scathing criticism nationally and internationally.
Amid the chaotic upheaval, Ivanka has reportedly stayed fixed on her long-term plans of political 're-emergence', chalking out an elaborate strategy for the same. Her focus on criminal justice reforms deserves a special mention in this context.
An insider close to the former First Daughter revealed to Axios that she has cleverly decided to champion this particular cause. Criminal justice reform has already been advocated for quite some time now by A-list celebrities from Kim Kardashian and Kevin Hart to Jay Z.
Ivanka has been working with a number of NGOs like Americans for Prosperity and #cut50, which advocates for the reduction of the prison population, especially focusing on individuals who are serving long sentences for nonviolent offences like drug abuse or the like.
Trump himself rushed to issue a swarm of Presidential pardons in the final days of his Presidency. As it appears now, Ivanka Trump had been closely associated in lobbying for many of the receipients of these pardons and commutations and securing the same for as many as 140 people. "It gives her a way of worming herself back into liberals’ good books without alienating conservatives," remarked The Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi in a scathing review of the subject. Experts and political analysts believe that the move can definitely help launch Ivanka into political prominence, as she has carefully chosen a cause that ubiquitously appeals to all parties and an extended community in general.
Why Ivanka might find political leverage?
Despite being a staunch supporter of her father's policies, Ivanka has always projected herself as more 'polished' and 'elegantly presented' in public, believes author and political commentator Spencer Critchley. Her celebrity status, age, and gender, coupled with the 'cutting-edge' sophisticated demeanor she portrays, is perhaps what makes her more likely than her brothers to follow in the footsteps of the Trump family patriarch.
"She is probably the best of the Trumps to make a run in future – she’s young and she’s got a cutting-edge image the Republicans would like to portray," said Andrew Hughes, a lecturer at Australian National University.
Ivanka has always maintained her profile as a moderate version of her father, The Week argues, whose social circle has been branded as the 'West Wing Democrats' by Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon. Though Bannon has also referred to her as 'the second most fire-breathing populist' in the White House and advised her to challenge Marco Rubio in the next Florida elections.
To clear her political path of potential roadblocks, Ivanka has already distanced herself from controversial GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was recently ousted from House committees for her problematic political stances and beliefs in unfounded conspiracy theories.
The only segment of MAGA supporters Ivanka cannot appeal to are probably the hypermasculine, right-wing extremists, segments like Proud Boys for instance, who are more spurred by Trump's appeal of alpha male showboating, says The Week. Ivanka, who has consistently shown herself to be a believer in women empowerment, cannot possibly win over the supporters who endorsed Trump's misogynistic attitude.
Where is Ivanka Trump now?
Ivanka and Jared reportedly signed a one-year-lease on a luxury condominium in one of Miami's most coveted and most expensive oceanfront buildings -- Arte Surfside. The house is quite close to the Mar-a-Lago estate where her father is currently residing.
It is believed to be a temporary residence while the construction of their new house on Miami's Indian Creek Island is ongoing (they purchased a $32 million plot there recently). Their penthouse in New York was sold for $33 million to a private equity executive, reported Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, it has come to light that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner together amassed around $120 million between January 2020 and January 2021, reveals a report by Vanity Fair. Additionally, the couple reported earnings between $172 million and $640 million in outside income while they were serving as advisors in the White House.
It now remains to be seen how Ivanka attempts to restore her family's damaged public image before launching herself officially into the political stratosphere.