Major Controversies Surrounding Ivanka Trump: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Ivanka Trump.

Ivanka Trump is an American businesswoman and the daughter of former U.S. President Donald Trump. She served as a senior advisor in her father's administration from 2017 to 2021, holding the title of Director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship. Prior to her role in politics, she was known for her business ventures and involvement in the Trump Organization.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

2014: Richard Prince Received Payment

In 2014, the artist Richard Prince received a $36,000 payment for a work depicting Ivanka Trump as a protest against her father.

April 2017: W20 Women's Summit and Financial Times Op-Ed

In April 2017, Ivanka Trump hired Julie Radford as her chief of staff and planned to travel to the W20 women's summit. At the conference, Trump spoke about women's rights and faced some backlash when praising her father. Also in April 2017, Trump co-authored an op-ed in the Financial Times on women's economic empowerment with the World Bank president Jim Yong Kim and advocated for revisions to the Senate tax bill.

2017: Richard Prince Returned Payment

In 2017, the artist Richard Prince returned a $36,000 payment he received in 2014 for a work depicting Ivanka Trump as a protest against her father.

2017: Income During Father's Administration

In 2017, while serving in her father's administration, Ivanka Trump's incomes and her husband Jared Kushner's income totaled at least $82 million. During this period, Ivanka retained ownership of businesses, drawing criticism from ethics experts due to conflicts of interest.

December 2018: Negotiating Rates at Trump International Hotel

In December 2018, WNYC and ProPublica reported that Ivanka Trump partly negotiated rates of hotel rooms, rental spaces, and meals at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., on which her father's inaugural committee spent funds it privately raised.

2018: Income During Father's Administration

In 2018, while serving in her father's administration, Ivanka Trump's incomes and her husband Jared Kushner's income totaled at least $29 million. During this period, Ivanka retained ownership of businesses, drawing criticism from ethics experts due to conflicts of interest.

May 2019: Request for Documents Regarding Inauguration Role

In May 2019, the United States attorney for the District of Columbia requested documents about Ivanka Trump's role in her father's inauguration.

June 2019: G20 Osaka Summit

In late June 2019, Ivanka Trump and her father attended the 2019 G20 Osaka summit. A video of her inserting herself into a conversation with world leaders was released by the French government, leading to online parodies and memes.

November 2019: Settlement for Foundation Misuse

In November 2019, Ivanka Trump's father was ordered to pay a $2 million settlement for misusing the Donald J. Trump Foundation for his business and political purposes. The settlements also included mandatory training requirements for herself and her two elder brothers.

2019: Income and Trump Hotel Stake

In 2019, Ivanka Trump's incomes and her husband Jared Kushner's income ranged from $36.2 million to $157 million. She earned $3.9 million from her stake in the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C. Trump retained ownership of businesses, drawing criticism from ethics experts due to conflicts of interest.

July 2020: Goya Foods Endorsement

In July 2020, Ivanka Trump tweeted a picture of herself with a Goya Foods bean can, endorsing the product. This occurred after the owner of Goya Foods praised President Trump, leading to a backlash against the company, and raised ethics concerns due to her position as an official adviser in the White House.

January 6, 2021: U.S. Capitol Riot

On January 6, 2021, Ivanka Trump was in attendance at the rally at the Ellipse, but refused to address the rally. During the ensuing riot at the U.S. Capitol, she encouraged her father to make a video on Twitter condemning the riots, acting as an intermediary between besieged U.S. officials and the President. (Donald Trump's video resulted in him being banned from the platform as he said "we love you" to the rioters.)

2021: Government Accountability Office Audit

In 2021, a Government Accountability Office audit concluded that Ivanka Trump's initiative, which spent $265 million a year of taxpayer money on 19 women's empowerment projects, failed to target the money towards projects that related to women's empowerment, and did not measure the impact of the spending.