What Mary Trump Thinks Of Ivanka's Political Future

When political commentator Rachel Maddow first picked up Mary L. Trump's book about her uncle Donald, she told The Tonight Show that she was chilled by a prediction that Mary had made: that there would be no way Donald Trump would leave the White House peacefully if he lost the election. Maddow then said, "I don't know if that's true, but for her to say 'Listen, I've known him since I was a kid, I've known him since I was a toddler, and I can tell you from a life's worth of observation and every other hard thing I've ever seen him go through, there's no way" (via The Independent).

Now Trump's niece is back with another prediction, but this time it involves her cousins Don Jr. and Ivanka, who have been positioned as potential candidates for the GOP. Mary tells Sirius XM that, "I think it's over. I think it's completely over and they have their father to thank for that (because) the insurrection was a bridge too far" (via HuffPost). 

She also saved her harshest criticism for Don Jr., who she's certain was a part of the insurrection that engulfed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6; she said that if there is any justice, Don Jr. "will be indicted at some point as well."

Mary L. Trump's prediction wasn't made in a vacuum. Until the insurrection took place, Ivanka Trump viewed herself as her father's political heir. After all, while her brothers were left within the Trump Organization to mind the store, she and her husband Jared were moved to Washington D.C. where she served as an adviser to the president.

The Atlantic, which profiled Don Jr. and Ivanka's roles within the family sphere, have said that no one can trump Ivanka when it comes to extracting what they want out of their father. Former White House aide Cliff Sims was even quoted as saying that Ivanka "is the archetype of what he wants — the most beautiful face, the most buttoned-up message, everything just exactly the way it should be."

After much speculation over where Ivanka and her husband Jared might settle after Trump left the White House, it was announced that the couple had moved to Miami, Florida, where they took out a one-year lease on a condo, and it is speculated that they will live there until a house which will be built in the exclusive Indian Creek Island will be ready. From there, Trump allies have said Ivanka will be in a good position to challenge incumbent Marco Rubio for his Senate seat (via Slate).

Running for office now means that Ivanka and Don Jr. will have to find a way to get past their father's legacy. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen told The Washington Post that: "There's too much potential dirt that she doesn't want released. It's easy to say, 'I'm doing this, I'm doing that,' but it's different to put your entire life out there for the media to excoriate you." 

Further, in running for public office, Ivanka will also have to contend with her own past. She may be long remembered as the person who called those who took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection "American Patriots" in a tweet that was later taken down.

She will also be remembered for her role in the Trump White House, which saw her and her husband Jared Kushner earn between $172 million and $640 million from their business interests during the four years of the former administration, even as most Trump White House advisers got salaries that topped $183,000 a year, per HuffPost. Some of the profits were made through the Trump Hotel in D.C., as well as deals on new voting machines. The head-turning amounts were reported by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in a report that bluntly states that "Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump should never have been allowed to work in the White House."

While Mary L. Trump's prediction could well come to pass in the end, we still have to contend first with those around Ivanka trying to keep a positive spotlight shining on her for as long as they can. Trump adviser Jason Miller has said, "Ivanka only got into politics to help her father and help his agenda but what's now clear is that Ivanka is a political powerhouse in her own right" (via Slate).

Politico, which profiled Ivanka's potential in the days before her father stepped down, also quoted one Republican official as saying, "We're taking the possibility seriously, and so is [incumbent Senator] Marco [Rubio]. And that's a good thing. But you never know. She's a Trump and the Trumps move on their own timetables."

Another GOP strategist has said: "Their brand was certainly stained and it's a stain we'll never be able to erase. At the same time, the name of the game is winning a primary and someone with the last name of Trump could win."