Politics is a 'dark' and 'negative' world, left it to protect my kids, says Ivanka Trump

Former US President, Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump has spokenup on her dad's conviction for the first time. Speaking on a podcast, Ivanka said "it’s painful to experience, but ultimately, I wish it didn’t have to be this way." She had earlier supported her dad by posting an old picture of her and her dad, writing "I love you dad". Notably, Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the hush money payment matter to porn star Stormy Daniels while he was campaigning for the 2016 presidential elections.

Ivanka has so far been away from the limelight as her father campaigns for the 2024 presidential elections. However, reports suggest that Ivanka will be present to support her dad at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, later this month. The RNC this year will run from July 15-18 at the Fiserv Forum.

Ivanka was visibly present next to Trump during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. During the 2020 convention, Ivanka was the one who introduced Donald Trump. The 2016 RNC convention had Ivanka play a major role. However, this time around, she is away from all the action and people in the know say that Ivanka will only be present to witness the speech and will not serve in any political capacity at the event.

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Ivanka took a step back from politics for her kids

Speaking with podcaster Lex Fridman, Ivanka said that she needs to be with her children and protect them, which is why she announced that she won't be a part of Trump's 2024 campaign and moved base from Washington DC to Miami.

“I think first and foremost, it was a decision rooted in me being a parent, really thinking about what they need from me now,” she told Fridman.

“Politics is a rough, rough business and I think it’s one that you also can’t dabble in. I think you have to either be all in or all out."

“And I know today, the cost [my children] would pay for me being all in, emotionally in terms of my absence at such a formative point in their life. And I’m not willing to make them bear that cost," Ivanka added.

Ivanka has three kids, Arabella, 12, Joseph, 9, and Theodore, 7, with her husband Jared Kushner.

Ivanka added that she thinks politics is a "pretty dark world". "There’s a lot of darkness, a lot of negativity, and it’s just really at odds with what feels good for me as a human being,” she said.

The couple served at the White House during Trump's tenure as president, where Ivanka was a senior advisor in the administration.