Ivanka Trump's Shade For Donald Doesn't Go Under The Radar In Cryptic Birthday Post
If anyone had the slightest hope Ivanka Trump would join dad Donald in the final days of his campaign, that notion was crushed in short order. Ivanka vowed to focus on her family and stay out of politics, and she has proven to be a woman of her word. Not once during the former president's rallies leading up to November 5 did his older daughter appear at his side — not even at his last rally in Michigan. We can't even be sure she was "sitting at home watching every second of it," as Donald assured the crowd (via YouTube). But as much as she claims to distance herself from her father's business, her most recent social media post seemed to be aimed directly at him.
Having turned 43 on October 30, Ivanka reflected on 16 lessons she's learned over the past four-plus decades of life in her November 4 post. Among them: #3, "Everyone is a teacher" and #13, "Get curious." Wise words that we should all take to heart. But then there was #4: "Avoid Lashon Hara/Gossip. Choose words that heal, not harm." An interesting sentiment from the child of a man famous for calling his opponents "stupid," "trash," "crooked," "lying," and worse (via The New York Times).
And #14 is another gem: "Approach life with love and positivity. Dolly Parton said, 'I don't criticize and condemn; I love and accept.'" Yet her father's rally speeches are all about criticism and condemnation. Hmmm. Or how about #11: "Guard your peace. ... Mastery over self means others don't control your state of mind." Again, good advice for dad; Trump is still fuming about Kamala Harris' jab about the size of his rally crowds a full two months after the fact.
Could Ivanka be telling her dad to clean up his act?
Ivanka Trump's birthday life lessons are wise, no doubt about it; her statements on being peaceful, curious, and open-minded could have come from self-help experts like Deepak Chopra or Oprah. But it really does feel like some of them were meant to drop a subtle hint at dad Donald Trump and his lifestyle — especially considering that the post was made several days after her actual birthday to coincide with the eve of Election Day. Let's look at #6. "Nourish your body," Ivanka writes. "Eat whole, nutritious foods." How interesting, considering just days earlier Trump worked a shift at McDonald's, one of his favorite eateries. (She does go on to say one should enjoy a piece of cake on occasion, but for her dad, such indulgences are a way of life.)
We're sure Ivanka's pearl of wisdom about "be[ing] open to the truth, wherever it leads" (#12) wasn't meant to refer to any particular election results or news coverage. And #16, "what you judge, you cannot understand," couldn't possibly be a hint to certain family members who have strong opinions about certain segments of the population, could it? However, her advice in #7 to "get sunshine daily" just has to be a shout-out to the family patriarch. After all, Trump did seem to explain his excessive bronzer at recent rallies when he spoke about how he could be out tanning his "beautiful white skin" on the beach if he weren't so busy trying to become leader of the free world (via X, formerly Twitter).
On Instagram, friends of Ivanka — including Paula White and Jewel — praised her insights, and Kimberly Guilfoyle's name was among the likes. No comment from the former president yet, but perhaps he'll have some extra time to read and follow his daughter's advice after the election.