Ivanka Trump Is Skipping Her Book Tour and Giving the Proceeds to Charity
When Ivanka Trump wrote her second book, Women Who Work, few expected her father to become president. Just before Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, she pushed back the book’s release from March to May to accommodate the “momentous changes” in her life. That’s when she announced that she would be donating net proceeds from the book to charity. On Thursday, the first daughter and White House adviser took to Facebook to reassure the public that she will not violate government ethics rules to promote the book.
“In light of government ethics rules, I want to be clear that this book is a personal project,” Trump said. “I wrote it at a different time in my life, from the perspective of an executive and an entrepreneur, and the manuscript was completed before the election last November. Out of an abundance of caution and to avoid the appearance of using my official role to promote the book, I will not publicize the book through a promotional tour or media appearances.”
Women Who Work aims to equip readers with tips on subjects such as “identifying opportunities, leading teams, starting companies, managing work and family, and building cultures where multidimensional women can thrive,” Trump said. When the book was first announced last year, she called it “highly tactical, solution-oriented content.”
Now that she’s officially a federal employee, Trump is facing scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, such as the fact that China approved new trademarks for her brand just as she and her family were meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.
Trump said she has established the Ivanka M. Trump Charitable Fund to distribute funds from the rest of her book advance, about $425,000, and any future royalties in excess of the advance until May 2022. First, the National Urban League and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America will receive $100,000 each.
The National Urban League will use the money to create a Women’s Initiative within its Entrepreneurship Center Program, which will provide women with “mentorship and tools they need to start and grow successful businesses and achieve economic self-sufficiency.” The Boys & Girls Club will put its grant toward programs that promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for girls and “underrepresented youth.”
It’s worth noting that the Boys & Girls Club stands to lose significant funding under President Trump’s proposed budget. The 13.2 percent cut to the Department of Housing and Urban Development would eliminate Community Development Block Grants, which fund local programs by such organizations.
Some Facebook followers pointed out the difference between Ivanka’s stance and her father’s actions.
“With all due respect, how about empowering women by asking your father to not defund Planned Parenthood,” wrote Jamie Abbott. “Or assuring equal pay for women. How about not punishing a woman for having a child in corporate America. Affordable child care. Affordable higher education. Basically anything that makes women in America second-class citizens.”
Though there were also some who found Trump’s statements too left of center, most commenters praised the first daughter and even called for her to run for office too.
“You are truly inspirational to young women who are currently (or thinking of) balancing motherhood, work and a personal life,” Christine Gambacorta said. “As a working mom, I commend your charitable heart and forward-thinking spirit.”
Others used this space as a forum to promote the causes they hoped the presidential adviser could take up next.
“Can we extend maternity leave benefits for women to be on parity with [the] rest of the world and give men as well good paternity leave?” asked Marina Bisker. Susanne Smith suggested, “Hi Ivanka, please have u and your father address the Pennsylvania Coal miners insurance and pensions for retired miners it is about to run out, I thank u.”
If a book tour weren’t possibly unethical, and now canceled, one can imagine it would be flooded with such requests.
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