Ivanka Trump as First Jewish Veep? No Thanks.
Image by Getty Images
With four months to go until Election Day, thoughtful people on both sides of the political aisle are desperately searching for a silver lining in this epically grim election cycle cloud.
For some, that silver lining is the rumor percolating around the Internet that Donald Trump might make his daughter Ivanka his VP. CNN reported that Ivanka Trump, 34, had her name floated as a potential candidate by Senator Bob Corker on Wednesday, just after he withdrew his own name from contention.
This would make her the first Jewish vice president, which some have expressed excitement about.
Gang, take a deep breath. Yes, the theoretical idea of a Jewish VP is exciting. We all want to see these communal milestones realities achieved. But let’s consider the, frankly, nightmarish scenario that would have to happen to make Ivanka veep: namely, the election of her bloviating, loved by the white supremacists, neo-Nazi re-Tweeting father.
Not to mention the fact that Ivanka herself isn’t really a stellar representation of politically capable Jewish women. She has no political experience, and has espoused zero views to date beyond “I agree with what my father says.”
It’s particularly telling that reportage on Ivanka, even from her advocates, focuses pretty much entirely on her youth and beauty. Beyond being a symptom of general misogyny when it comes to reporting about physically attractive women, her physical assets also seems to be the main qualification offered by both The Donald and his son, Eric Trump, who recently endorsed an Ivanka vice presidency on the basis of his sister’s “beautiful looks”.
And for those of you rocking the first female veep angle, Ivanka doesn’t exactly have a sterling track record in the women’s rights department. Regarding her father, who has an ardent history of straight up misogyny and alternates between objectifying and vilifying women, Ivanka has stolidly denied any sexism on his part, calling him, instead, “gender neutral.”
Sure, Ivanka is well-spoken, composed, and possibly has some business acuity, but these skills alone do not qualify her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Even if she were an experienced candidate with political beliefs that went beyond Trump’s hardline rhetoric, would we really be willing to stomach a man who literally hesitated to distance himself from the actual KKK just to get one of the tribe close to the White House?
In an election that’s swung so far out of orbit, in which the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party has a Twitter feed that features anti-Semitic propaganda, it’s easy to wish for a win.
I’d love to see a Jewish vice President or even president in my lifetime. But not at this cost. Not one named Trump.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
