Ivanka Trump's eldest daughter mysteriously 'disappears' from her father's election campaign

Ivanka Trump went surfing. She posed in front of the Eiffel Tower and attended a Formula 1 party in Miami in a red race car dress. She soaked in a hot tub with her kids, hung out with Kim Kardashian in Malibu and walked with her husband, Jared Kushner, at the Acropolis in Greece.

The one place Ivanka hasn’t been, however, is the campaign trail. And while she’s been candid about her absence, politically, it’s still a bit of a mystery. During former President Donald J. Trump’s last two campaigns, Ivanka Trump appeared at rallies, in television ads, and on national convention stages, often in the covert role of appealing to women voters.

But nearly two years ago, as her father began his third run for the White House, Ivanka announced that she and her husband would be stepping back from politics to prioritize their children and family life. "While I will always love and support my father, I will do so outside of the political arena in the future," she said.

So in what is likely to be her father’s most fraught and likely final campaign, Mrs. Trump — his eldest daughter, one of his former top aides and perhaps his closest family member — has been a largely silent observer, seemingly with no intention of advancing her father’s candidacy in any public way.

Ivanka Trump's decision to distance herself from politics comes as Trump faces the prospect of four separate criminal trials, including one in the family's former Manhattan home — where he was charged with 34 felonies in late May — and one in Washington, DC, related to the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. One of her most prominent recent appearances was at Trump's civil fraud trial last fall, when she testified that she had "no knowledge" of her father's finances.

Mrs. Trump, 42, declined to be interviewed, instead asking Mr. Kushner to speak for her and her family. And when asked about the possibility of her re-entering the race in the final stretch, Mr. Kushner replied bluntly: “Zero.”

Mr. Kushner said the outcome of the contest between Mr. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris would have little impact on their family.

While “obviously the world would be different for us in four years if her father were president”, Mr Kushner said, there had not been “a major change in what our priorities are”.

“We’re rooting for him — we’re obviously proud of him,” Kuchner said. “But, you know, no matter what, our lives are going to move forward.”

The benefits behind

However, critics of the couple argue that even if Mrs. Trump does not join the government, the couple could still benefit financially if their father is re-elected.

Mr Kushner, a former senior White House adviser to Mr Trump, now runs a $3 billion private equity fund funded by the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, along with Terry Gou, the Taiwanese billionaire who founded Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer.

If Donald Trump returns to the White House, there will be a constant stream of questions about whether Ivanka and Kushner will receive special treatment in any new deals they make, especially when the deals directly involve foreign governments, as is the case with some of the projects the Kushners are working on.

“He says it in a humble way, but at the end of the day, he sits there directing traffic around the world,” said Vicky Ward, author of “Kushner Inc.,” about the couple’s other businesses, who suggested that Mr. Kushner could wield influence behind the scenes as a kind of “shadow secretary of state” or “Kissinger 2.0.”

Other women support Mr. Trump

Ivanka Trump’s lack of or absence from other high-profile events with her father in recent years has also been notable: Unlike her brothers Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., she did not attend her father’s Manhattan trial, where he was convicted on 34 counts. And although she made a brief appearance on the final night of the Republican National Convention in July, she did not speak — a stark contrast to the previous two conventions, when she introduced Mr. Trump.

Ivanka Trump was also absent this month from an all-female town hall-style meeting held in Georgia and hosted by Fox News.

In the past, women close to Mr. Trump have tried to present him as a champion for women and to position his presidency as one that has elevated the status of women in the workforce, especially at a time when Mr. Trump’s comments and behavior have been closely scrutinized.

Susan Del Percio, a Republican political strategist, said it was unclear whether — after several political campaigns in which Mr. Trump alienated and insulted women — his daughter or wife could be effective substitutes. But her absence was telling, she added.

“The positive things she can achieve along this path are negligible, but the very fact that Ivanka and Melania are not on this path could be significant,” Susan said, noting that issues like reproductive rights have motivated many voters.

Mr Trump’s businesses — and his political career — have always been closely tied to his family. In place of Ivanka Trump and first lady Melania, Mr Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, has taken on a larger role since he campaigned to make her co-chair of the Republican National Committee in March.

Lara Trump appeared at the “Team Trump Women’s Tour” event last week, with more scheduled in the final days of the race.

Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancee, Kimberly Guilfoyle, also appeared at campaign stops and fundraising events.

Ivanka Trump's current life

Ivanka Trump’s retreat from her father’s political circle was a low-key affair. She and Kushner left Washington, DC, for Miami in 2021 with their three children.

The family moved to a waterfront condo in Surfside, north of Miami Beach, before buying a mansion in Indian Creek Village, a gated island community in Biscayne Bay that is sometimes called Florida's "billionaire bunker." The enclave has just a few dozen homes, including homes said to belong to Tom Brady and Jeff Bezos, and has its own private police force. Accessible only by boat or a single, heavily guarded bridge—and with a country club at its center—the village is perhaps Miami's most exclusive location.

Mrs. Trump is currently self-employed, but has invested in businesses, according to friends and advisers, although she has not yet disclosed which ones. She also participates in social activities, such as volunteering, recently helping victims of Hurricane Helene with CityServe, a Christian organization.