Why was Ivanka Trump not involved with the election?

If nepotism was a person, it would sport thinning, bleached hair, waxy skin, and the worst fake tan this side of Friends season 10.

Donald Trump wasted no time, during his first campaign for president, before involving every member of his inner circle he could stuff into various teams, task forces, and eventually government positions. He leveraged his son-in-law into a senior advisor position, and soon after secured a similar position for his entirely unqualified daughter, Ivanka Trump. She was, as a result, deeply involved in his first run for president and his first term, helping her dad to morph the presidency into a for-profit business venture. 

This time around, Ivanka has been strangely absent from her father’s side. She’s made exceedingly few campaign appearances, was far less vocal in the lead-up to her father’s victory, and even missed several major events — including a ‘Women for Trump’ rally (which his wife also notably missed) — in a major reversal from 2016.

Ivanka seems to be putting increased distance between herself and her father, but it comes at a strange time. She’s already profited massively off her dad’s mishandling of the U.S. government, so why is she spurning that patented Trump special treatment this time around?

Why isn’t Ivanka Trump more involved with the Trump campaign?

The majority of Donald Trump’s children — even Eric, his least-favorite son — were involved in at least some aspects of his 2024 campaign, but Ivanka’s been keeping her distance from daddy dearest. That’s despite her status, the first time around, as a senior advisor to the president. She took up the role, alongside her husband, in 2018, and zeroed in on the economy, job creation, and education during her time at Trump’s side. 

She was even involved in his 2020 campaign, introducing her father at the 2020 Republican National Convention. But when he began his 2024 bid for the Oval Office, Ivanka kept her distance. That was entirely purposeful, according to her husband Jared Kushner, who told the New York Times in late October that Ivanka “made the decision when she left Washington that she was closing that chapter of her life.” She’s apparently been “remarkably consistent” since making the decision, which led her to remove herself from the most recent campaign.

Presumably, that means Ivanka will likewise be absent from the Trump White House, though things could change now that her pops has secured a victory. Ivanka and Kushner have a trend of ditching the Trump team when things get bad, but reemerging when things are good, which could see them happily enjoying that nepotism now that the nasty campaign rhetoric has passed. 

Last time around, Ivanka was a major factor in recruiting women to the Trump base. The incoming president’s pull with women is by far his weakest, and Ivanka previously worked to narrow that divide. Her absence was notable in his third campaign, but clearly not as severe as analysts thought. He still won the election, with or without Ivanka, and we’re headed into four years of consequences as a result.