As much as Ivanka Trump is trying to distance herself from her father, the former first daughter has to admit that she shares many similarities with her dear dad. Up until recently, Ivanka has succeeded in putting distance between herself and her dad’s campaign for re-election.
Although Ivanka’s brothers and their wives are proud to shout their support for Donald from the rooftops, Trump’s eldest daughter has been trying to find her inner zen. The day before the vice-presidential debate, Ivanka shared an image on Instagram of her enjoying a cup of java in a cozy pajama set in honor of National Coffee Day.
But a short time ago, Ivanka accidentally made a gesture that those who know Donald Trump are very familiar with. Indeed, the adage “like father, like daughter” applies!
Following the catastrophic aftermath of the destructive Hurricane Helene, Ivanka and her sons flew to a part of North Carolina that was particularly destroyed to provide additional volunteer support to rescue organizations. On Instagram, she wrote, God bless all the families affected and the first responders working tirelessly to aid them.”
She thanked Elon Musk, a self-professed Trump supporter, for his donation of hundreds of Starlink satellite devices in an attempt to bring back critical communication services. One image that startled people the most, though, was of Ivanka posing alongside an unnamed rescue worker, giving a smile and a thumbs-up.
The thumbs-up pose looked just like her father’s signature move, and the internet had a field day, attacking her for being tone-deaf. Donald is no stranger to being publicly perceived and, thoughtless, and inconsiderate. Ron Filipowski of Midas Touch posted an image to X with the ironic caption, “Have fun, everybody.”
Followers agreed that Ivanka’s cheery disposition, given the context, was unbecoming. One of them dubbed her “Disaster Barbie,” complete with an eye-roll emoji, while another called her grin and thumbs-up pose “sickening” in the midst of bodies being recovered and debris being cleared.
Her outfit was also a strange choice for someone looking to get their hands dirty. She wore sneakers without socks, tight jeans, and a cropped sweater top, leading commenters on social media to call her an “opportunist” and say that the look wasn’t exactly suitable for distributing supplies to people who had just experienced a life-changing disaster.
The question remains: did Ivanka come to help, or did she come for a photo op?
Dear Trumps: Not every situation warrants a thumbs-up
The Trump family seems to think that every event is thumb-worthy, but it seems as though they need to read the room. Donald loves to make this gesture every time a camera is faced in his direction, and while we’re not surprised to see a thumbs-up at Mar-a-Lago parties or a campaign event, he also does it at cringe-worthy moments like at a courthouse for his own trial regarding criminal charges.
He also made the gesture in August 2024 at Arlington National Cemetery while visiting a soldier’s tombstone. The ex-POTUS posed in a restricted area where he wasn’t allowed and gave off the same “everything’s great!” vibe with the motion that Ivanka did in North Carolina.
While those who are critical of the Trumps seem to be grossed out by the family’s behavior, MAGA fans don’t seem too bothered about Ivanka’s happy-go-lucky mood at the disaster site. In fact, many commended the fact that she showed up with a faster response time than President Joe Biden.
However, Democrats argued that Biden and VP Kamala Harris humbly worked hard behind the scenes, letting first responders arrive first so that they wouldn’t get in the way of those providing help and support.