(RepublicanWire.org) – Former President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, sent shockwaves through the political realm Tuesday by releasing a statement announcing that she will not be participating in her father’s second bid for the 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. I do not plan to be involved in politics,” she said in a statement released around 10:00 pm.
“While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena. I am grateful to have had the honor of serving the American people and I will always be proud of many of our Administration’s accomplishments,” she added.
The statement was released shortly after her father announced his candidacy for office. Ivanka reportedly didn’t attend the announcement rally, but her husband, former senior Trump administration advisor Jared Kushner, did.
Ivanka’s decision comes despite a concerted effort by her father to convince her to participate in his campaign just as she’d done so six years earlier.
“Trump spent part of daughter Tiffany’s lavish Mar-a-Lago wedding this past weekend trying to convince his much-loved elder daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner to be with him on stage when he announces his third consecutive run for the presidency at the Palm Beach resort Tuesday night,” the New York Post reported Monday, citing insider sources.
“Trump thought he could convince Ivanka this weekend to come back and campaign for him as she was the most requested speaker after the president himself last time around … but so far she’s resisting his entreaties and holding firm, as is Jared,” one of the sources said.
“They both feel they got burned in Washington and don’t want to go back and expose themselves and their children to another bitter campaign,” the source added.
It’s not entirely clear why Kushner wound up showing up anyway, though this reportedly doesn’t mean he’s changed his mind and will be participating in his father-in-law’s reelection campaign.
Neither are Eric Trump and his wife, Lara Trump, nor the president’s wife, Melania, expected to hold any significant roles in the administration, despite all three being in attendance at Tuesday’s rally.