Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka listens to a speaker on the second day of the Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Getty)
Ivanka Trump has become a central figure in her father’s quest for the White House. Ivanka has softened her father’s strong persona and served as a trusted advisor.
The 34-year-old businesswoman has been a constant presence in her father’s campaign. Politico has even described Ivanka as the “quiet power behind the Trump throne.”
Ivanka introduced her father Donald Trump before his own speech at the Republican National Convention last week.
Chelsea Clinton will introduce her mother, democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on the final night of the Democratic National Convention.
The former first daughter is expected to give a speech that reflects on being raised in the public eye, and the values her mother instilled in her.
As every aspect of the Trump and Clinton families is placed in the public eye, rumors have swirled about Ivanka and Chelsea Clinton’s friendship.
Here’s what you need to know about their relationship:
1. Ivanka & Chelsea Were Introduced by Their Husbands
Ivanka Trump, daughter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, greets her father as he arrives in Cleveland on the third day of the Republican National Convention. (Getty)
Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump were introduced by their husbands a few years ago, according to an article by Politico, which states the two “clicked immediately.”
As the L.A. Times reported, Chelsea Clinton attended Ivanka and Jared Kushner’s wedding in 2009.
Both women have spoken warmly of each other in previous interviews.
Chelsea opened up about her friendship with Ivanka in the February 2015 issue of Vogue:
She’s always aware of everyone around her and ensuring that everyone is enjoying the moment. There’s nothing skin-deep about Ivanka. And I think that’s a real tribute to her because certainly anyone as gorgeous as she is could have probably gone quite far being skin-deep.
Chelsea even told Vogue that Ivanka reminded her of her father Bill, who is known for his charismatic personality.
“She’s always aware of everyone around her and ensuring that everyone is enjoying the moment,” she said to the magazine.
2. Ivanka Has Been Vague About The Status of Their Friendship
I’m both honored and excited to introduce my father @realDonaldTrump on this historic night in Cleveland. #ProudDaughter #RNCinCLE #RNC
Ivanka has diplomatically avoided revealing too much information about her current relationship with Chelsea.
In a town hall with CNN’s Anderson Cooper in April, Ivanka said:
Well, look, we’re children and we love our parents, so that’s the great equalizer, and that’s the great common ground. So I’m incredibly proud of my father. I’m amazed and truly in awe of what he’s accomplished and what he’s accomplished throughout the course of his life up until this point.
Ivanka then made a statement which implied the two hadn’t spoken recently:
But, you know, the last 10 months have really been a whole different level. So I think that she would probably say the same about her mother, so she’s probably very proud of her mother, and we certainly would share that, I would think.
During a Thursday appearance on the Today show, Chelsea Clinton said she’d consider a “daughter’s summit” with Trump to discuss their parents’ campaigns.
“It isn’t something that had occurred to me, but it’s certainly something I would consider. I think it was clear last week when Ivanka introduced her dad that she’s so proud of him,” Clinton told Matt Lauer after the he asked if she would discuss the “tone” of the election with Trump.
“I think it was clear last week, when Ivanka introduced her dad, that she’s so proud of him. I hope it will be at least as clear why I’m so proud of my mom when I introduce her, here, in Philadelphia. And yet clearly Ivanka and I have very different views about who we think should be our president, who we think best represents our country.”
In a Facebook Live event with Glamour magazine’s editor-in-chief Cindi Leive on Tuesday, Clinton was asked about Ivanka’s speech at the GOP convention last week.
“[Ivanka] talked about how [her father] would fight for equal pay for equal work and would focus on making quality childcare accessible for all. … If you got to ask her a question about how her father would do that, what would it be?” Lieve asked.
Clinton responded, “It would be that question: ‘How would your father do that?'”
“Given it’s not something that he has spoken about, there are no policies on any of those fronts that you just mentioned on his website — not last week, not this week,” she said. “So I think the ‘how’ question is super important. In politics as it is in life.”
3. They’re Both Mothers & Have Successful Careers
Chelsea Clinton, holds her newborn son Aidan, alongside her mother, Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (Getty)
Despite their parents’ polarizing political stances, Ivanka and Chelsea share a lot in common. They both grew up in the public eye, come from powerful families, and graduated from Ivy League schools.
Both women are in their mid-thirties, live in Manhattan and are mothers to young children. Chelsea recently gave birth to her second child and Ivanka had her third child in March.
Ivanka and Chelsea serve as board members and hold high positions within their parents’ organizations, the Trump Organization, and Clinton Foundation, respectively.
4. Their Friendship is Reportedly ‘On Hold’
Ivanka and Chelsea are known to be in the same social circles in New York and have been spotted together on the red carpet at high profile events.
However, sources close to Ivanka and Chelsea told Politico that the pair have made a decision not to appear in public together during what is expected to be a grueling campaign.
A source close to Ivanka recently told the New York Post: “They basically have to put their friendship on pause because their parents are ripping each other to shreds.”
The source also told the paper, the two look to continue their friendship after the campaign is over.
Politico reported that the two opted not to be seen together months ago.
5. Ivanka Previously Said ‘Friendship Is More Important Than Politics’
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, flanked by his daughter Ivanka, gives the thumbs-up on day three of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on July 20, 2016. (Getty)
Ivanka told Cosmopolitan in January that “friendship is more important than politics,” and that the two do not discuss their parents’ campaigns with each other. “And we were friends before the campaign and I have no doubt that we’ll be friends after the campaign,” she told the magazine.