Ivanka Trump To Act as an ‘Informal Adviser’ in Father’s Second Term
Ivanka Trump is reportedly acting as an “informal adviser” in President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming administration, sources tell CNN.
Trump’s oldest daughter, Ivanka, previously served as the First Daughter and Advisor to the President during his first term but announced her decision to step back from politics in 2022 upon his third run for presidency. “I love my father very much. This time around I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family,” she said in a statement at the time. “I do not plan to be involved in politics.”
While Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner have been enjoying their private life with their children in Florida, a Trump administration staffer and longtime friend Maggie Cordish told CNN that Ivanka is likely to continue to advise her father throughout his second term in an unofficial capacity.
“She’s still his daughter, and a trusted voice, so in that sense as an informal adviser, as we all are with our family members,” Cordish told CNN. Another source told the outlet that any advice Ivanka gives her father will likely stay under the radar, noting, “It’s never going to be something that people are going to see publicly.”
Similarly, Kushner also declined an official role in Trump’s incoming administration, but CNN reports that he’s expected to be a “pivotal outside adviser” to the president-elect’s work in the Middle East. His father, Charles Kushner, has notably been selected as the U.S. ambassador to France.
In a statement to CNN, a representative for Trump said, “Ivanka proudly spearheaded the White House’s efforts and promoted the administration’s success,” when commenting on the businesswoman’s past efforts in the West Wing including her work on criminal justice reform and human trafficking.
Multiple friends also told the outlet that Ivanka is happy with her decision to stay away from politics, with Cordish adding: “Her children are in a sweet spot where they’re all critical ages, they’re tweens and teens, and it’s short – it’s really brief. She loves being with her children, and she’s found a lot of peace and happiness in her private life.”
Another source said that she’s “choosing to use her influence now on a more personal level” to “positively impact her own community.”
“Being able to have an impact in that way, while allowing her the time to be prioritizing her young children and their privacy, is where she wants to be,” they continued.
In a July episode of The Lex Fridman Podcast, Ivanka candidly reflected on her time in the White House and described politics as a “pretty dark world.”
“There’s a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and it’s just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being,” she said. “And you know, it’s a really rough business. So for me and my family, it feels right to not participate.”