Ivanka Trump introduces her father at RNC as ‘the people’s president’ and a ‘warrior of the White House’
LOS ANGELES - Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, introduced her father at the Republican National Convention Thursday night.
“Four years ago, I introduced to you a builder, an entrepreneur, an outsider and the people’s nominee for president of the United States. Tonight I stand before you as the proud daughter of the people’s president,” Ivanka told the large crowd at the White House to witness her father’s re-nomination acceptance speech.
About 1,500 people gathered on the South Lawn of the White House so President Donald Trump could accept his party’s nomination for reelection in front of a roaring crowd. Masks were not required and chairs were placed inches apart from one another, with no room for social distancing, in violation of public health recommendations.
Only those the White House expected to be in “close proximity” to the president and vice president had been tested for COVID-19.
In her speech, Ivanka focused on the help President Trump offered for working families and her personal insights into his personality and decision making.
Ivanka also drew contrasts between her father and Democratic rival Joe Biden. She took a swipe at the former vice president, whom she called "another empty vessel who will do whatever the media and the fringe of his party demands."
“You don’t achieve different results by doing things the same way,” Ivanka said.
She said she loves her father for "being real" and respects him for "being effective."
“Four years ago, I told you my father would focus on making child care affordable and accessible,” Ivanka said.
She added, “As part of Republican tax cuts, in 2019 alone, our child tax credit put over $2,000 into the pockets of 40 million American families.” The Treasury Department's Office of Tax Analysis said in a May 2019 report that an estimated 40 million families would benefit.
The 2020 RNC wasn’t the first time Ivanka introduced her father — she also introduced him at the 2016 convention. She joined him in the White House as an unpaid senior adviser, focused mostly on workforce development and job training issues, child care, paid family leave and helping women in developing countries.
Ivanka defended her father’s unconventional attitude in an apparent effort to humanize him. “He says what he thinks. Whether you agree with him or not, you always know where he stands.”
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“I recognize that my dad’s communication style is not to everyone’s taste,” Ivanka said, acknowledging the frequently abrasive nature of her father’s tweets. “But the results — the results speak for themselves,” she said.
Instead of letting Washington change him, she said President Donald Trump changed Washington.
“America needs four more years of a warrior in the White House,” Ivanka said.
After Ivanka’s introduction, the president accepted the GOP nomination in a speech from the White House lawn, despite questions about the propriety and legality of using government property for such an overt political purpose.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.