Anne Mahlum: Solidcore Owner Goes Viral, Claims Ivanka Trump Used Alias In Gym

A controversial Facebook post from a leading Washington, D.C., gym owner didn’t take too long to go viral earlier in the week. That was because Solidcore owner and founder Anne Mahlum had made the allegation that first daughter Ivanka Trump had taken a class in one of her gyms, but used an assumed name while doing so.

On Thursday, Anne Mahlum earned almost instant notoriety when she took to her Facebook account to complain that one of the most famous women in America – the eldest daughter of President Donald Trump, no less – had been using a pseudonym while enrolled in a Solidcore class. Although Mahlum’s Facebook account now only shows posts from 2013 or earlier, publications such as the Washington Times were able to quote Thursday’s post in its entirety.

“What you do when you find out Ivanka Trump just took [solidcore], but used an alias to sign up for class? You reach out and ask for a meeting. While I don’t know her and I always seek to understand…I do know her father is threatening the rights of many of my beloved clients and coaches and as a business owner, I take my responsibility to protect and fight for my people very seriously.”

This statement came about as ironic, and quite interesting, as Solidcore had become a household name when it was reported that the gym’s “Pilates-inspired” workouts had appealed to then-First Lady Michelle Obama. CNBC cited unnamed sources in writing that Obama did not use an assumed name when she signed up to the classes, but had given the heads-up to her workout friends each time she would plan to attend.

Anne Mahlum went through a few nasty legal battles en route to making Solidcore the hottest gym in DC.https://t.co/tCc0JYcCDw pic.twitter.com/prRSso2vVy

— Washingtonian ? (@washingtonian) November 29, 2016

According to the Daily Mail, Solidcore classes are typically small ones, with only about 12 people per class at the most. The classes are “high-intensity, full-body, low-impact” training sessions on a resistance machine, and last about 50 minutes each.

As CNBC added, Anne Mahlum’s Facebook post had triggered a flurry of negative comments from Trump supporters, including those suggesting a boycott of Solidcore, a gym that has five locations in the District of Columbia and eight others in Georgia, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania. Social media users accused Mahlum of being a “bully” and of being “biased and hypocritical,” and noted that it isn’t unusual for famous people to use aliases in order to maintain a low profile and keep media at bay. CNBC wrote that the critical comments were more prominent than those in support of the post.

Hours after making her original post, Anne Mahlum issued a press statement, stressing that she fosters an inclusive environment at her gyms. Mahlum also invited Ivanka Trump to communicate with her on the issue, though she didn’t elaborate on this point.

“I am extremely proud of the inclusive community at [solidcore] that respects everyone’s age, race, religion, sexual orientation, or otherwise, and it is my key priority to protect that community. As I said in my Facebook post, I do not know Ivanka, but I welcome the opportunity to open up the communication channels, and I hope she takes me up on my offer.”

A subsequent email clarified what Mahlum meant by opening up communication, as the Solidcore owner explained that she wanted to invite Ivanka to attend private classes, much like previous “high-profile” clients had in the past.

CNBC wrote that neither Anne Mahlum nor Ivanka Trump’s representatives had responded to requests for comment on the issue. Mahlum, however, appears to have switched her Twitter settings to have her tweets protected, and closed the Solidcore account following the backlash.

[Featured Image by Andrew Harrer – Pool/Getty Images]