Ivanka Trump, daughter of US presidential hopeful Donald, cut short an interview after being asked about some of her dad’s past comments on childcare and maternity leave.
The interview, which was conducted for Cosmopolitan by Prachi Gupta, was focused on Donald Trump’s new childcare and maternity leave plan. During the phone questioning, Ivanka criticised Ivanka for having “a lot of negativity” in her questions.
Ivanka had hoped to highlight the Republican candidate’s new childcare policy, which she helped craft and introduce. But she reacted unfavourably when the interviewer asked: “In 2004, Donald Trump said that pregnancy is an ‘inconvenient thing for business’. It’s surprising to see this policy from him today. Can you talk a little about these comments, and perhaps what has changed?”
Donald Trump’s daughter then replied: “So I think that you have a lot of negativity in these questions. So I don’t know how useful it is to spend too much time with you on this, if you’re going to make a comment like that.” She added that the question was an “unfair characterisation of his track record and his support of professional women”.
Gupta continued: “I would like to say that I’m sorry the questions – you’re finding them negative, but it is relevant that a presidential candidate made those comments, so I’m just following up.” To which Ivanka replied: “Well, you said he made those comments. I don’t know that he said those comments.” Gupta then assured Trump that the comments were made in an interview with NBC in 2004.
Ivanka also bristled later in the interview when Gupta questioned her on why the plan didn’t apply to gay couples or include paternity leave.
She said: “The original intention of the plan is to help mothers in recovery in the immediate aftermath of childbirth.” Gupta then replied: “So I just want to be clear that, for same-sex adoption, when the two parents are both men, they would not be receiving special leave for that because they don’t need to recover or anything?” Ivanka said: “Well those are your words, not mine. Those are your words”. She added that child-bearing mothers in lesbian couples would be eligible under the plan.
Shortly afterwards, Ivanka said: “I’m going to jump off, I have to run. I apologise”.
She later tweeted “@Cosmopolitan, your readers do & should care about issues impacting women & children. Keep the focus where it belongs – advocating change.”
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