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Fast Forward

Ivanka Denies Being Force Behind Syria Strike

Ivanka Trump disputed claims that she was the main cheerleader in the White House for a strike against Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime after the dictator used chemical weapons on his own people.

“That would be a flawed interpretation… It was informed at the highest levels of military and state. I of course shared my perspective and opinion,” she said on a visit to Germany, where she’s currently on her first trip abroad as a government official.

President Trump’s decision to fire missiles at a Syrian airbase following the chemical weapons attacks was upsetting to many in his base, given the isolationist positions he often took during the campaign. Members of the racist “alt-right” movement alleged that Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner were the motivators of the administration’s decision.

Brother Eric Trump seemed to confirm that speculation when he told Britain’s Daily Telegraph that he thought his sister was a main advocate for intervention. “Ivanka is a mother of three kids and she has influence. I’m sure she said: ‘Listen, this is horrible stuff,’” he said.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

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