IVanka Trump reappeared in Israel this week, smiling beatifically as her father’s admirers applauded and the cameras clicked. She’s radiant, modestly dressed – and by the way, did you know that when she converted to Judaism in 2009, her father didn’t even know she was going to do it?
It’s now a done deal, because of course the President of the United States added a long aside about all of this, an hour into his speech to the Knesset on Monday. This was after she and Jared spent the weekend addressing the crowd at a rally in Tel Aviv, taking a victory lap for something they weren’t even really supposed to have anything to do with.
Because it is relevant to remember that Ivanka’s political CV is in fact limited to “the daughter of Donald, wife of Jared”. And Jared Kushner himself has no official role in this administration either, but that didn’t stop him from participating in the most delicate geopolitical diplomatic operation in about a decade.
Now he is planning Gaza’s future alongside Tony Blair, which I am sure will provide complete reassurance to anyone who has followed, even casually, developments in the region.
The whole show feels like something out of a low-budget Netflix satire about American decline, like maybe House of Cards got a more dystopian reboot. The president’s kid, who once sold $500 blouses on Instagram, now behaves like an unofficial ambassador to a foreign parliament. And her husband – a guy who was a lousy real estate guy – decides the future of Gaza alongside a former British prime minister whose most famous political move was following George W. Bush to Iraq because of weapons that didn’t exist.
Historically speaking, presidential children have traditionally been accessories rather than proxies. They wave from parade floats, pose with turkeys and Christmas trees, and disappear into the private lives their parents bulldozed. If they are really unlucky, they will be called ugly by a Republican candidate for political reasons. But jumping on a plane to Israel to tout Dad’s accomplishments in the Middle East? That’s not how it’s supposed to work.
Then again, Melania recently called Putin, so maybe it’s nonsense.
One can only imagine the field day Fox News would have had if Malia Obama had showed up to the Knesset in a shaky diplomatic moment. In fact, even the Kennedys – America’s first political dynasty – understood the need for plausible qualifications. When JFK appointed his brother attorney general, Bobby was at least a famous lawyer. (Obviously, the less said about Bobby’s son, Brain Worms Jr, the better.) Likewise, Beau Biden served as Delaware’s attorney general — but only after serving as an army officer and federal prosecutor.
Ivanka’s most relevant experience, on the other hand, was being photographed near a peace treaty. She is an “advisor,” according to the White House, although it is entirely unclear what she might be qualified to advise on. (Somewhere in the distance, Eric is still waiting for his signal with emotion.)
Donald Trump, of course, tore up the old rules about nepotism years ago and replaced it with a family group chat. Ivanka and Jared became senior White House advisers for the first time, despite no prior government service, and by the end of their terms, they were participating in international summits.
During a particularly strange moment in 2017, Ivanka took a seat at a G20 table among other world leaders like Xi Jinping and Angela Merkel. She is extremely comfortable, which means she places herself at the center of geopolitical action, qualifications be damned. Because politics is just another Trump business, and every business is a family business.
Now, with her father once again making global headlines and the world in various stages of panic over what that means, Ivanka’s return to public life seems both inevitable and slightly surreal. She remained largely silent during this second, much more unbalanced administration, apparently attempting to “distance” herself from toxic politics. But now, here she is in Israel, once again at the center of the action.
Ivanka has been asked to soften the Trump brand a hundred times since 2016. Unlike Melania – whose “I REALLY DARE, RIGHT?” This jacket launched a thousand opinion pieces when she wore it to visit a detention center for migrant children in 2018 – she’s a savvy operator. Each appearance is short, sweet and scripted. In the old days, before JD Vance, everyone thought “Ivanka 2028” was a real possibility. Maybe that’s still the case.
Trumpism has reframed corruption itself, so that things like this – once glaring missteps or at least moments to pretend to be mildly embarrassed – can never be used against them. Nepotism has long since ceased to be shameful for Republicans and is now an aspiration — proof that you trust your own blood more than the Swamp. The fact that Ivanka has no diplomatic experience is a feature rather than a bug. She is the anti-expert, the elegant embodiment of the idea that pedigree alone constitutes a sufficient qualification.
So yes, it’s a little weird to see Ivanka bowing to international developments that she didn’t design. But perhaps it’s the perfect image for our times: a woman born into power, blessed with privilege, bathed in soft light, and applauded for her mere presence. Meanwhile, in the background, thousands of CDC scientists have just been laid off and years of data on pregnancy safety and birth outcomes are disappearing forever. What about charity that begins at home? Oh, come on, spoilsport, who cares?
If America’s founding fathers could see Ivanka now, maybe they would cry. Or maybe they would just shrug and say, “Ah. So the monarchy is back. I guess the experiment failed.”
