The focus on the president’s family is shifting again, this time to Ivanka Trump. Her public role sits at the intersection of politics and celebrity. As a close aide to her father at key meetings, she has cultivated a dual identity as both a political figure and a celebrity.
Bill Maher questioned Ivanka Trump
In 2017, Bill Maher defended LGBTQ citizens when the White House prohibited transgender citizens from serving in the military. He did not just criticize the policy, however. He went further to criticize Ivanka Trump’s role in the development of the policy.
I am proud to support my LGBTQ friends and the LGBTQ Americans who have made immense contributions to our society and economy.
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 2, 2017
He said, maybe she does not actually have power. This, of course, raised the question of whether Ivanka Trump was actually a moderating force in the White House or just along for the ride.
Alyssa Milano called out Ivanka Trump
In 2017, Ivanka Trump was involved in a controversy regarding allegations of using a personal email for work-related activities. Most of these emails were work- or family-related. However, Ivanka claimed that none of these were sensitive. This issue reminded many of the Hillary Clinton email controversy and how it dominated the 2016 presidential election. Perhaps there was some irony involved. Ivanka engaged in a similar practice, but it received less scrutiny.
When asked about the worst moment of 2018 for her, Ivanka stated that it was the implementation of family separations, admitting that immigration is a highly complex issue.
Social activists including Paola Mendoza, Alyssa Klein and Sophie Flicker launched a social media campaign against the Trump administration’s family separation policy. They targeted Ivanka Trump’s Instagram account, urging followers to post messages opposing the policy.
Chrissy Teigen trolled Ivanka Trump on Twitter
The famous model and food enthusiast, with more than 12 million Twitter followers, has been known to speak out against Ivanka Trump. She responded to a Twitter post by Ivanka Trump in March 2020, in which she shared pictures of her children playing at home with a tent and “packed sandwiches.”
— Harish Chandra (@HarishChan20246) March 18, 2026
Chrissy Teigen sarcastically asked when people could get tested. Chrissy Teigen wrote, “After we quote pack unquote sandwiches, can we please have Covid tests?” The famous model has not limited her criticisms to Twitter. While speaking at a Democratic Caucus conference in 2019, Chrissy Teigen spoke out against Ivanka Trump’s response to the migrant family separation situation. While speaking out against Ivanka Trump’s actions, Chrissy Teigen criticized what she described as a lack of empathy.
Scarlett Johansson Criticizes Ivanka Trump’s Role
In March 2017, Scarlett Johansson hosted Saturday Night Live, taking a sharp jab at Ivanka Trump with her satirical sketch. The pre-recorded sketch was part of a fake ad promoting a new fragrance called “Complicit” that Johansson starred in, portraying Ivanka as dazzling but morally ambiguous. The ad, delivered by Cecily Strong, implied that Ivanka had power but failed to act on it, blending comedy with politics.
Johansson’s sketch was praised as a great example of blending pop culture with politics. Ivanka responded on CBS’s This Morning by saying that trying to do good could mean being “complicit.” Johansson retaliated with her speech at the Women in the World conference, saying that Ivanka’s response was “really cowardly.”
