Ivanka Trump booed and hissed after mentioning father Donald at summit in Germany

President’s second child drew audible boos after she suggested her father was a 'tremendous champion' of families

Maya Oppenheim
Tuesday 25 April 2017 13:17 BST
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Ivanka Trump gets booed for trying to defend her father at major international summit

Ivanka Trump has been booed and hissed at by an audience in Berlin after she praised Donald Trump’s stance on women.

During her first international outing as a White House advisor, the first daughter argued her father was "a tremendous champion of supporting families”.

The statement immediately drew audible boos and rumbling from the audience who did not appear to agree with the assertion.

Ms Trump, the President’s second child who is said to be his “favourite”, is in Germany for talks on encouraging women’s economic empowerment.

When pressed about President Trump's past attitudes toward women during the W20 Summit, she told the audience: "I've certainly heard the criticism from the media, and that's been perpetuated."

But Ms Trump, a former executive of the Trump Organisation, insisted her own personal experience and those of the "thousands" of women who have worked with Mr Trump for decades did not tally with the media's criticism.

She said: "They are a testament to his belief and solid conviction in the potential of women and their ability to do the job as well as any man".

The first daughter added: "He encouraged me and enabled me to thrive. I grew up in a house where there was no barrier to what I could accomplish beyond my own perseverance and my own tenacity."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also attended the panel discussion which focused on female empowerment in the global economy and entrepreneurship. The summit was a women-focused effort within the Group of 20 countries titled "Inspiring women: Scaling up women's entrepreneurship."

Other guests include IMF director Christine Lagarde, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and the Netherlands' Queen Maxima.

During her trip, the first daughter will visit the German capital's memorial to the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis. Ms Trump converted to Orthodox Judaism before she married Jared Kushner, also an unpaid White House advisor, in 2009.

The booing from the Berlin audience is by no means the first time Ms Trump has found herself subject to criticism. She was impersonated by Scarlett Johansson in a Saturday Night Live sketch cuttingly titled “complicit” last month. The actor's faux perfume advert which quickly went viral suggested the first daughter was complicit in the actions of the Trump administration.

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