Life

Eric Trump: Ivanka Is Too ‘Strong’ to Experience Sexual Harassment

By Veronika Bondarenko August 2, 2016

Eric Trump delivers a speech on the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Image by Getty Images

To hear Donald Trump’s son Eric tell it, his sister Ivanka is too “strong” and “powerful” to ever be affected by sexual harassment.

The declaration comes at the heels of Donald Trump telling Kirsten Powers, a columnist at USA Today, that his Jewish daughter Ivanka would be able to find another job or career if she were sexually harassed at a current one.

Eric Trump on handling workplace sexual harassment: “Ivanka is a strong, powerful woman. She wouldn’t allow herself to be subjected to it”

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) August 2, 2016

After USA Today broke the story, Trump’s second-oldest son Eric told CBS’s Charlie Rose on “CBS This Morning” that everyone had simply misinterpreted his father’s comments — his sister Ivanka is not someone who should be concerned about experiencing sexual harassment.

“Ivanka is a strong, powerful woman, she wouldn’t allow herself to be [subjected] to it,” Eric Trump said in the interview.

On @CBSThisMorning, Eric Trump defended his dad’s remarks about how Ivanka Trump would’ve handled sexual harassment pic.twitter.com/oWAfCyBeS4

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 2, 2016

Both Trump and Eric’s comments drew the necessary ire for a wide range of reasons — the victim blaming, downplaying sexual harassment and equating women who get sexually assaulted as “weak” and less deserving of protection are just a few of the ones that are easiest to spot — and Twitter was quick to respond.

Because all other women born without Ivanka’s privilege go around “allowing” themselves to be harassed. https://t.co/OeW49Fmy1d

— Madiha Waris Qureshi (@MadihaQ) August 2, 2016

Also worth adding: the whole point of anti-harassment law is precisely to protect the weak and non powerful. https://t.co/H9hiCgbdRK

— David Frum (@davidfrum) August 2, 2016

If only I knew this 2 years ago when I was assaulted on metro. Had I been “strong & powerful”, I’d have been ok! https://t.co/SIsMdzG4dX

— The Sassiest Semite (@LittleMissLizz) August 2, 2016

While Eric Trump later tried to downplay the significance of what he said on Twitter, the internet wasn’t convinced.

I said sexual harassment is a “no go” and should be addressed by Human Resources. It’s totally unacceptable behavior https://t.co/nttmptuc4M

— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) August 2, 2016

Perhaps next time Eric Trump will think twice about how he chooses to “stick up” for his family.

Contact Veronika Bondarenko at [email protected] or on Twitter, @veronikabond.

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