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Awkward Public Moments That Put Ivanka Trump in the Spotlight

Ivanka Trump’s most awkward public moments, from G20 snubs to family drama, revisited.

By Sohini Sengupta
Over the years, Ivanka Trump has been a teen model, fashion mogul, first daughter, White House adviser, and even an Instagram wellness influencer. But many of her public appearances have been relentlessly awkward. There have also been moments where world leaders visibly wondered why she was in the room at all. Her public life has been marked by cringe moments we can't unsee. Plus, recently, the National Enquirer reported that Ivanka has “zero intention” of watching Melania Trump’s new Amazon documentary. Indifference has been a recurring theme for her, as you'll be able to gauge below. Here’s a walk-through of some of her most memorable uncomfortable moments!

The interview she walked out of (2016)

During a Cosmopolitan interview in 2016, Ivanka became visibly flustered at pointed questions about her father’s maternity leave policy and how he had once called pregnancy “inconvenient” for businesses. She accused the interviewer of negativity before abruptly ending their conversation.

The G20 photo-op shuffle (2019)

At the 2019 G20 summit in Japan, Ivanka stood at the center during a photo with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. But that spot is traditionally reserved for a first lady. Soon, we saw Secretary of State Mike Pompeo awkwardly hover behind her and then gently nudged Ivanka aside.

The conversation no one invited her into (2019)

This incident occurred at the same summit as above, but this was a different nightmare. Ivanka had wandered into a tight circle of world leaders (including Emmanuel Macron, Theresa May, Justin Trudeau, and IMF head Christine Lagarde) and was excluded from the conversation. Her body language said it all as social media photoshopped Ivanka into historic moments she did not belong in.

The Goya beans era (2020)

In July 2020, Ivanka posted a photo holding a can of Goya beans to support the company as it was getting political backlash. Late-night hosts mocked the image as dystopian product placement, and the part-time influencer, now 44, never lived it down.

Melania’s visible annoyance at the RNC (2020)

Donald Trump invited Ivanka onstage during the 2020 Republican National Convention. But Melania Trump was seen rolling her eyes. There's a tell-all book about an “Operation Block Ivanka” that makes us question this reaction more.

The handsy dad moment (2016)

Everyone was uncomfortable with how Donald Trump placed his hands low on Ivanka’s hips at the 2016 RNC. The greeting played out on live TV, and body language experts weighed in. While Ivanka smiled through it, we doubt she ever forgot it.

Testifying against her father (2022)

Ivanka’s testimony to the House January 6 committee was undeniably awkward. She accepted Attorney General Bill Barr’s conclusion that there was no election fraud and that her father watched the Capitol violence unfold. Unusual for a family known for unity, right?

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