Why Donald Trump decided against nominating daughter Ivanka as head of World Bank
- He wants to avoid charges of nepotism even though she is ‘very good with numbers’
US President Donald Trump considered nominating his daughter Ivanka Trump for a variety of jobs including one at the World Bank, according to a new interview.
“I even thought of Ivanka for the World Bank,” Trump told The Atlantic magazine in an interview. “She would’ve been great at that because she’s very good with numbers.”
Trump said he has thought of his daughter, who works in the White House as an assistant to the president, for several different positions, including United Nations ambassador, but has been dissuaded because of the appearance of nepotism.
“She would’ve been great at the United Nations, as an example,” Trump said, adding that his oldest daughter is “a natural diplomat”.
If he did nominate her, Trump said, “they’d say nepotism, when it would’ve had nothing to do with nepotism. But she would’ve been incredible”.
New World Bank President David Malpass, who was nominated by Trump in February, is a loyal supporter who had been sharply critical of China and called for a shake-up of the global economic order. No other countries proposed any candidates to challenge Malpass, making his selection by the board all but assured.
Malpass, who was approved last week as chief of the development lender, has put an emphasis on worldwide economic growth and said he sees no need for a restructuring there.
Donald Trump’s nominee David Malpass, a World Bank sceptic who wants loans to China cut, is elected to lead the global lending organisation
The position of World Bank president has historically gone to an American, while a European has led its sister organisation, the International Monetary Fund. Some observers have called for the bank to break with tradition and appoint a non-American in recognition of the growing clout of emerging markets such as China and India, and the lender’s focus on development.
The White House previously said Ivanka Trump was involved in the selection process for the post, but was not a contender for the job.
She has been involved in World Bank initiatives on women’s economic development and has worked closely with the bank’s leadership over the past two years, which is why she worked on the nomination, spokeswoman Jessica Ditto said.
Meanwhile, Trump’s job approval rating has rebounded following the release of a four-page summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings related to Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to a new poll.
A Gallup survey released on Friday finds that 45 per cent of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance, up from 39 per cent in March.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s clashes with White House officials come under microscope
While more Americans – 51 per cent – continue to disapprove of the president’s performance than approve, the latest approval figure matches two previous highs in Gallup polling.
Trump’s earlier 45 per cent readings came during his first week in office in January 2017, and in June 2018 after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
According to a summary of top-line findings of Mueller’s report provided to Congress on March 24 by Attorney General William Barr, Trump and his campaign did not illegally coordinate with Russia, but Mueller left open the question of whether Trump obstructed justice. Barr announced that he concluded Trump did not commit obstruction.
The attorney general’s brief account also quoted the Mueller report as saying, “While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”
Additional reporting by The Washington Post
