Former President Donald Trump's Manhattan hush money trial has garnered all sorts of headlines in recent weeks, including some about the absence -- and silence -- of key members of his family.
Former first daughter Ivanka Trump, in particular, has been notable for her lack of involvement in her father's current legal entanglement, opting to engage with the public in other, unrelated ways, as Newsweek reports.
As Donald Trump continues to spend his days in a cold, New York courtroom for a trial on 34 counts of falsifying business records, the lack of involvement of many members of his immediate family has stood out.
The subject area covered in the allegations, namely, substantial “hush money” payments made to adult entertainer Stormy Daniels to quash reporting on an alleged affair, may be too awkward and sensitive for Ivanka Trump – and her stepmother, Melania Trump – to directly confront.
Despite the significant role Ivanka Trump has historically played in her father's 2016 presidential campaign as well as his tenure in the White House, she has consciously taken a series of steps back from public engagement with his legal difficulties as well as with his 2024 campaign.
She has, for all intents and purposes, refrained from offering any commentary whatsoever about the current court battles in which her father is engaged.
Instead, Ivanka Trump has remained in the public eye in other ways, using social media accounts as a way to update fans and admirers on the comings and goings of her young family and the new lives they are leading in Florida.
Earlier this month, Ivanka Trump posted a photo of herself and her kids at a motocross park, adding the caption, “Moto Mama!”
She also used the medium to share images of recent travels to Utah, including pictures of herself among majestic mountain vistas.
Ivanka Trump also took time out to offer a book recommendation for author Jonathan Haidt's recent release, The Anxious Generation.
The former president's eldest daughter wrote, “Highly recommend @JonHaidt's compelling new book,” noting that the author “explores the complexities of anxiety gripping today's kids and offers profound insights into navigating this modern, technology induced epidemic” and pointing to what she called her “key takeaways” from the work.
Divergent approaches prevail
Notably, it is not just Ivanka Trump who has kept silent about Donald Trump's legal woes, with the former president's youngest daughter Tiffany also refraining from comment.
Though she has begun to re-enter campaign activities on behalf of her husband, former first lady Melania Trump has not provided public comment on the current New York criminal case, nor has she appeared in court by her spouse's side.
Despite their sisters' reticence in the face of their father's legal difficulties, former first sons Eric and Doanld Trump Jr. have spoken publicly about what they view as the ongoing injustice to which the former president has been subjected, touting the vigor and stamina they believe their dad will continue to bring as the presidential campaign heats up.
