Update | Ivanka Trump slammed after praising Oprah’s speech about sexual abuse despite father’s history
Some scorn Trump’s daughter because of charges of sexual abuse against her own father
Welcome to the resistance?
Ivanka Trump praised Oprah Winfrey one day after the media mogul delivered a rousing speech at the Golden Globes that sparked widespread support for a 2020 presidential bid against President Trump.
“Just saw @Oprah’s empowering & inspiring speech at last night’s #GoldenGlobes. Let’s all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP! #United,” she tweeted, before following Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi on the social media site.
But that didn’t sit well with several prominent personalities, who complained that she had not denounced her father, President Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by several women.
Winfrey envisioned a future without sexual harassment and assault while accepting a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes.
She and other actors donned black on the red carpet to support Time’s Up, a new initiative to tackle “systemic inequality and injustice in the workplace.”
But support from Ivanka Trump, who was not present at the event, was less well received.
The First Daughter’s tweet left social media dumbfounded, while others were quick to point out that President Trump has faced accusations of sexual harassment and assault from more than a dozen women.
“Great! You can make a lofty donation to the Time’s Up Legal Defence Fund that is available to support your father’s accusers,” Alyssa Milano wrote.
Actor Tara Strong tweeted, “I’m sorry @IvankaTrump but unless you wish to call out your own father for his taped admission to assaulting women, your desire to join the sisterhood cannot be taken with any validity … I know it’s difficult but #TIMESUP for your dad too.”
Model Chrissy Teigen was less diplomatic in her response when she wrote, “Ew go away.”
As for Donald Trump himself, the US President said Tuesday that a Winfrey presidential run would be “a lot of fun”, but said there was “no way” she would stand in 2020. And if she did, he’d beat her.
Ivanka Trump has previously been lashed out at by the US right wing over her support for victims of sexual abuse, and for much the same reason.
In November she came out against Republican candidate for Alabama Senate Roy Moore, who had been accused of historic child abuse crimes.
“There is a special place in hell for people who prey on children,” she tweeted, adding that she believed Moore’s accusers.
After that remark, Alex Marlow, editor-in-chief of right-wing website Brietbart, said in a radio broadcast that “especially when there’s been so many allegations against President Trump, I don’t know why the daughter of President Trump, who has been accused by [lawyer] Gloria Allred and some dozen, maybe two dozen, women over the years doing something inappropriate, and nothing’s ever come of that. So why does Ivanka want to continue to pile on?”
Donald Trump also seemed to welcome Oprah as a 2020 presidential candidate, if only as competition.
“Oprah would be a lot of fun,” said Trump.
“I’ll beat Oprah,” the president declared flatly at a White House meeting Tuesday — though he quickly added, “I don’t think she’s going to run.”
Asked about all the presidential speculation suddenly swirling around Winfrey, the typically pugilistic Trump steered clear of nasty nicknames and colourful insults while sizing up such a potential celebrity showdown.