In an interview with Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, journalist Vicky Ward took a hard look at President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, saying there is no evidence she has any influence of her father’s policies and that her main objective in the White House is to sell her clothing line.
Beginning with the now-infamous Mar-a-Lago dinner the presidential daughter had with President Xi Jinping that appears to have led to Ivanka Trump becoming the recipient of three exclusive trademarks from China to sell her merchandise, Ward said it shouldn't come as a surprise.
"I’m spending half my time in D.C. these days—actually looking at this subject of the commercialization of the White House in real time, which I think is a narrative that has been slightly drowned out because of the theater and chaos of the last 80 days," Ward explained. "We’ve all been so consumed with the fight between the Kushner camp and the Bannon camp that this very real kind of story of horrifying kleptocracy, you know, that’s never happened to this country before—and, you know, the White House is turning into the [Jared] Kushner piggy bank and the Trump piggy bank. I mean, and it’s outrageous."
"I have sources covering this every day, who say, 'Well, let’s look at Ivanka.' What is she doing policy-wise? Nothing," Wade bluntly stated. "But what she is doing is wearing clothes. She’s in a business that sells clothes, shoes. That’s what she does. So, what she’s doing every day is using — you know -- they’re very good at public relations, Jared and Ivanka. They’ve just hired a Hollywood public relations person. I know from personal experience, having reported on them, having reported on Jared, all the leaks, every time you see a person close to Jared, that is Jared talking."
Ward went on to touch upon financial dealing of Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared, saying his real estate dealings and "self-interest, I think, is huge—and Ivanka’s self-interest has sort of been ignored. I mean, it’s been covered, but it’s been overcome by the noise of the other stories."
"Well, in addition to the three trademarks that Ivanka Trump was granted with China, last year China granted preliminary approval for 38 trademarks protecting Trump’s name," correspondent Nermeen Shaikh interjected. "So explain why this issue of trademarks is relevant and what kinds of regulations apply to Ivanka and Kushner relative to compared to what apply to Trump, President Trump."
"Well, so, you know, he is protected by a conflicts clause, isn’t he?" Ward replied. "There’s some clause that he can hide behind. They are not supposed to do—if they’re working in the White House, to do anything that might leverage their position there for their own commercial gain."
Asked about Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's qualification for advising the President, Wade was brutally blunt.
"Their only experience is working for their parents. That’s it. It seems to me it’s all about self-interest," she concluded. "They’re not qualified to do anything else."
Watch the video below via Democracy Now!
