Washington - US President Donald Trump
defended his daughter Ivanka Trump on Monday after she took his
place at a meeting of G20 world leaders, an event that raised
some eyebrows and drew sharp rebuke from the daughter of a rival
former presidential candidate who was drawn into the fray.
"If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her
mother, as her mother gave oDonald Trumpur country away, the Fake News would
say CHELSEA FOR PRES!" he tweeted, referring to the daughter of
Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival in last year's
presidential election.
If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother,as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
Chelsea Clinton responded on Twitter: "Good morning Mr.
President. It would never have occurred to my mother or my
father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not."
Good morning Mr. President. It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not. https://t.co/4ODjWZUp0c
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) July 10, 2017
White House adviser Ivanka Trump briefly sat in her father's
chair on Saturday at a Group of 20 summit meeting in Hamburg,
Germany, during a closed-door session on African development as
the World Bank president spoke.
Her appearance prompted a string of reactions on Twitter and
caught the attention of the German media and other outlets.
Donald Trump, in a separate tweet, called the arrangement
"very standard" and also noted that German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, who was hosting the G20 summit, agreed.
Merkel had dismissed the move at a news briefing after the
summit.
"Ivanka belongs to the U.S. delegation," Merkel, who has
worked with her on various issues, said last week.
When I left Conference Room for short meetings with Japan and other countries, I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, also
defended Ivanka, saying on Sunday that the president's daughter
had often sat in on meetings with her and Trump, especially
those regarding women and business.
Ivanka Trump ran a clothing and jewelry business before
taking a formal job at the White House after her father took
office in January and has adopted women's issues as a signature
policy area.
At the G20, she also took the spotlight at a separate event
alongside World Bank President Jim Yong Kim for a public-private
loan program aimed at boosting female entrepreneurs in
developing countries.
Lawrence Summers, a former World Bank official and economic
adviser under former Democratic president Barack Obama, said it
was rare for government heads to leave during major summits and
that, when they must, foreign ministers or other very senior
government officials normally fill in.
"There is no precedent for a head of government’s adult
child taking a seat," he wrote in the Washington Post. "There is
no precedent for good reason. It was insulting to the others
present and sent a signal of disempowerment regarding senior
government officials."