On Saturday night, Ivanka Trump gave a speech at the Gridiron dinner in Washington, D.C. For reference, the Gridiron is an event where (some) journalists get to socialize with politicians; it’s considered very elite and white-tie. Also, it’s an event where the president (not his daughter) is expected to speak. But Trump is Trump, so he didn’t show up.
The first daughter amped up the weirdness of the evening by making a joke about how hard her life is...because she’s Trump’s daughter?
“The press seems to think it’s ironic that I, born of great privilege, think people want to work for what they are given,” Trump said, as reported by the Washington Post. “As if being Donald Trump’s daughter isn’t the hardest job in the world.”
Jokes are the norm at the Gridiron… But if this was her attempt at one, it fell pretty darn flat.
It’s unclear precisely what she’s alluding to, but it’s very possible it’s a reference to the statement she’s been (rightly) criticized for about how she doesn’t believe “most Americans, in their heart, want to be given something.” This jab came about during an interview with Fox News, when she felt it necessary to blast Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal, and the jobs guarantee program that comes with it.
As pointed out at Daily Kos when we first covered her remark, Trump is pretty far from reality with this one. After all, she has grown up with enormous privileges and opportunities, even before her father became involved in politics. Between her father’s wealth and status and her own privileges as a white, cisgender, and able-bodied person, she is far from hurting when it comes to having guaranteed work. “Most” Americans will never come close to the access and opportunities she’s had since birth.
Now, that said, being Trump’s daughter may be difficult depending on how you feel about him. Trump faces numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. He backs transphobic policies. He wants to build a racist, horrifying border wall. He mocks people with disabilities. He fatshames women. He fearmongers about Muslims. The list goes on, and on, and on.
Is she out of touch with “most” Americans? Absolutely. Is she complicit? At this point, that puts it lightly.