Though the majority of white women who voted in the 2016 presidential election chose Trump, it seems his daughter's close ties to her father are having a negative impact on her business: a brand that, ironically, appears to cater primarily to white women.
At least that's the implication of a new post on IvankaTrump.com, which announces an official separation of the company’s social media platforms from the personal accounts of its founder and namesake. The letter, penned by the site’s “editorial board,” says that in light of Ivanka’s new position as a political influencer, they will be separating brands in order to remain “inclusive” of all women, no matter their political views.
“We launched our #WomenWhoWork initiative in 2014 with the intention that it would become a network of women supporting other women, and it has,” the letter reads. “We respect that we each have different points of view. Our goal from the beginning has been to be a community that’s inclusive of all.”
In order to remain “not political” as Ivanka takes advantage of what they call her “opportunity to advocate for women and be a positive force for change,” the company announced their social media accounts will now live at @IvankaTrumpHQ on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
The company faced much criticism after leveraging a Trump family 60 Minutes appearance to sell an Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry bracelet. Addressing this in the letter, the company said, “This is an unprecedented time for our company and we are being intentional in how we move forward, working hard to ensure we’re creating the best possible community for our readers. We’ve been listening to the feedback we’ve received, both positive and not, and we’ve been taking it into consideration as we plan for the future.”
However, the letter only speaks to the separation of social media accounts, and it’s probable the distancing of the Ivanka Trump’s company brand from her personal one is merely for show. Ivanka Trump has not yet claimed she will limit her involvement in the company or will stop benefiting from the company financially. In fact, in a tweet announcing the separate social media accounts, Ivanka spoke of the company in the first person plural.
If she does maintain a hand in the company while holding close access to the White House, it will hardly surprising. Conflicts of interest and shady deals seem to run in the Trump family.
