During a Monday morning appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Ivanka Trump said she was caught off guard by the “viciousness” and “ferocity” directed at her father, President Donald Trump.
In a discussion that touched on the president’s infrastructure and economic initiatives, co-host Brian Kilmeade asked her if it was hard to focus on issues important to her when there were “distractions” ― like the investigations of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia and Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.
The first daughter said she was surprised by the harsh criticism Trump is facing.
“It is hard. And there is a level of viciousness that I was not expecting. I was not expecting the intensity of this experience,” she said.
“But this isn’t supposed to be easy,” she continued. “My father and this administration intends to be transformative. And we want to do big, bold things. And we’re looking to change the status quo. So, I didn’t expect it to be easy. I think some of the distractions and some of the ferocity was — I was a little blindsided by on a personal level.”
Trump also said she was “trying to keep my head down, not listen to the noise and just work really hard to make a positive impact in the lives of many people.”
Trump’s “viciousness” comment left many Twitter users incredulous, given her father’s actions on the campaign trail and as president.
Viciousness is telling ppl to beat up protesters at your rallies. Demanding accountability for breaking the law is not vicious. It's normal. https://t.co/eSEsZYL6Aq
Your father attacked the Khan family, women, reporters...you brought it with you to my town. You should feel free to leave at any time https://t.co/jVwg7Y8mTu
There's a level of viciousness in suggesting that second amendment people assassinate your political opponent in a public speech. https://t.co/wIWtgibsb5
The first daughter spoke after her brother, Donald Trump Jr., appeared with Judge Jeanine Pirro on Saturday night during Pirro’s segment on “Fox & Friends.” The conversation was friendly, glossing over some of the more pressing issues facing the Trump administration, like the Russia probe.
Ivanka Trump did say on Monday that her father felt “very vindicated” after former FBI Director James Comey’s hearing last week before the Senate Intelligence Committee. However, Comey suggested during his testimony that Trump had privately requested that he drop an FBI investigation and later lied and defamed him.
“My father felt very vindicated in all the statements that he’s been making and feels incredibly optimistic,” she said. “[We’re] incredibly focused on the reason we all went to Washington and what we’re fighting for.”
.@IvankaTrump: With all the noise and intensity surrounding the Comey hearing, we're focused on why the American people elected Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/G0Ils9I31j
She also discussed the administration's first international trip and said she was particularly taken with their visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
“Every day in this experience has been surreal, but that was truly an unbelievable moment,” she said.
She also proceeded to wave off rumors about her husband -- who is reportedly being investigated as part of the Russia probe -- by saying that she and the rest of Team Trump are “really focused on why the American people elected Donald Trump president.”
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