Ex Friend’s Tell-All Essay Revealed Ivanka Trump’s Harsh Response to Book About ‘Poor People'

A former close friend of Ivanka Trump, Lysandra Ohrstrom, has offered a rare glimpse into the life of the eldest daughter of former President Donald Trump. In a scathing tell-all essay published in Vanity Fair, Ohrstrom paints a vivid picture of a friendship that began in high school and eventually fell apart due to stark political differences. It reveals a side of Ivanka that appears to contradict her carefully curated public image, as per The Guardian.

The essay, which was published in November 2020, details their friendship, which began at Chapin, an exclusive all-girls private school on New York City's Upper East Side. Ohrstrom recounts their adventures as they navigated their adolescent years together, both in Manhattan and abroad. The two were inseparable, engaging in typical adolescent activities and exploring their hometown. Their friendship, however, began to deteriorate as political differences and Ivanka's support for her father's presidential campaign became more apparent. While Ivanka presented a public image of altruism and refinement, Ohrstrom's essay suggests that she harbored a different set of values beneath the surface.

Ohrstrom's essay dove deep into one such revealing incident from their friendship. She recalled a phone call they had in their twenties during which she recommended a book to Ivanka, which was Empire Falls by Richard Russo. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel follows the life of a diner manager in a working-class community in Maine. "Ly, why would you tell me to read a book about fucking poor people? What part of you thinks I would be interested in this?" Ivanka responded. 

Ohrstrom also discusses Ivanka's habit of making comments about other people's financial situations, even while at the movies. She would point out inconsistencies between a character's profession and lifestyle, such as how a teacher could afford a BMW or why a police officer lived in a certain type of house. According to Ohrstrom, this behavior reflected Ivanka's 'Trumpian edges.'

Given her ability to 'blend' into old-money circles and project a refined image, Ivanka appears to have shared her father's taste for status, money, and power. Ohrstrom claims that beneath the guise of privilege, Ivanka was willing to throw others under the bus in order to protect her own interests, per People. In another portion of the essay, Ohrstrom recalls how when she was in Beirut, Ivanka emailed her saying, "When are you getting your ass back to NYC? You’re going to be replaced." 

Their friendship had already frayed by the time of Ivanka's wedding, where Ohrstrom was one of two maids of honor. However, their relationship deteriorated after the wedding because Ivanka failed to provide support and check in on her friend. Ohrstrom concludes her essay by expressing her hope that Ivanka is aware of the millions of people who delight in her family's political demise, implying that a reconciliation between the two former friends appears unlikely.