Ivanka Trump was put on the spot over her father’s statements while participating in a panel discussion at the W20 Women’s entrepreneurship summit in Berlin, Tuesday.
Trump said that one of her goals as an unofficial adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump is to promote women’s issues in the White House, but drew hisses and boos from the crowd while describing her father as a “tremendous champion of supporting families.”
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She was repeatedly asked about her role in the Trump administration, to which she responded that she is still “rather unfamiliar” with the responsibilities of her new position. The moderator of the discussion, Miriam Meckel, asked Trump where her allegiances as a White House adviser lie; to the United States, the American people or her business?
Trump was quick to dispute the notion that she represents her business interests while serving as a government employee. This comes shortly after her brand was scrutinized for commercial dealings with China in the midst of public discussions about President Trump’s policies regarding the United States’ relationship with China.
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“Certainly not the latter. And I am rather unfamiliar with this role as well, as it is quite new to me,” Trump responded. She added that “it has been a little under 100 days but it has just been a remarkable, incredible journey.”
When the moderator went on to challenge Trump on her father’s statements about women during his presidential campaign, the she countered that the positive experiences of thousands of women who have worked for him in the private sector “are a testament to his belief and solid conviction in the potential of women and their ability to do the job as well as any man.”
“He encouraged me and enabled me to thrive. I grew up in a house where there was no barrier to what I could accomplish beyond my own perseverance and my own tenacity,” Trump said.
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She emphasized that there was “no difference between me and my brothers. And I think as a business leader you saw that, and as a president, you will absolutely see that.”
During the panel discussion, Trump identified herself as a feminist along with many of the panel participants. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who invited Trump to the summit, declined to label herself a feminist. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freedland, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and the Netherlands’ Queen Maxima, were also in attendance.
During the campaign, Ivanka Trump promoted policies regarding family leave, child care, and other initiatives for women in the workplace. Almost 100 days into the new administration however, she hasn’t offered any specifics on how these policies will be carried out.
President Trump tweeted Tuesday about the event, and praised his daughter for “her leadership on these important issues.”
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