Ms Trump’s brand, which she has stepped down from, has taken a hit since increasing numbers of Trump critics have boycotted her clothing and accessories line
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Getty
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Kellyanne Conway upset a fair few people when she made a sales pitch for Ivanka Trump’s line of products on live television. Not only did the White House rebuke its senior adviser, she was also accused of violating federal ethics law.
However, according to a report, the damage of Ms Conway’s saga hit closer to home than anyone realised and she inadvertently enraged the very person she sought to protect – Ms Trump herself.
Ms Trump, the President’s second child who is said to be his “favourite”, is reported to have reproached Ms Conway for endorsing her brand on air.
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A source close to the President told Politicothe First Daughter “scolded” Ms Conway for “dragging her brand into an ethics mess and told her not to mention it again on TV”.
According to the unnamed source, this was linked to a conversation that Ms Trump reportedly had with her father weeks before the saga about keeping her business out of the politics – a chat Ms Conway is said to have been unaware of.
Ms Conway, Mr Trump’s former campaign manager, sparked controversy after she weighed in on Nordstrom department store’s decision to stop selling Ivanka-Trump branded products.
"Go buy Ivanka's stuff, is what I would say," she told interviewers on the Fox & Friends TV programme last week. "It's a wonderful line."
The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued
Show all 9
The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued
1/9 Trump and the media
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing
Getty Images
2/9 Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC.
Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal
Getty
3/9 Trump and the Mexico wall
A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office
Getty Images
4/9 Trump and abortion
US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House.
Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States
Getty Images
5/9 Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline
Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York.
US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation
Getty Images
6/9 Trump and 'Obamacare'
Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California.
US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter
Getty Images
7/9 Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities'
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law
AP
8/9 Trump and the travel ban
US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March
SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images
9/9 Trump and climate change
US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
1/9 Trump and the media
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing
Getty Images
2/9 Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC.
Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal
Getty
3/9 Trump and the Mexico wall
A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office
Getty Images
4/9 Trump and abortion
US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House.
Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States
Getty Images
5/9 Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline
Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York.
US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation
Getty Images
6/9 Trump and 'Obamacare'
Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California.
US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter
Getty Images
7/9 Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities'
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law
AP
8/9 Trump and the travel ban
US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March
SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images
9/9 Trump and climate change
US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
She claimed Ms Trump was being targeted by people who disliked her father, saying: “They’re using her to get to him.”
Mr Trump also attacked the decision by the retailer, rushing to the defence of his daughter on Twitter. White House press secretary Sean Spicer called the department store’s decision to stop selling some of her merchandise a “direct attack” on the President.
Nevertheless, Ms Conway was seen to have overstepped the mark after her on-air plug. Chris Lu, the former US Deputy Secretary of Labour, highlighted a section of statute in a screenshot on Twitter.
"This is the federal ethics law that @KellyannePolls just violated". He tagged Congressman Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the Congress oversight committee.
Norm Eisen, who served as Special Counsel for Ethics and Government Reform in the White House, before going on to become the US ambassador to the Czech Republic, backed him up.
The law, 5 CFR 2635.702, which Mr Lu cited, states: "An employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity".
The White House also made it clear they were not best pleased with Ms Conway’s remarks. After being probed about the blunder, Spicer appeared to change his tune, saying: “She has been counselled on that subject, and that’s it”.
Ms Trump’s brand, which she has stepped down from, has taken a hit since increasing numbers of Trump critics have boycotted her clothing and accessories line. A recent report by The Wall Street Journal said her brand’s sales fell by nearly a third in the past financial year, with a sharp decline in the weeks running up to Mr Trump’s win.
The Grab Your Wallet boycott campaign (a reference to the President’s leaked sexually aggressive 2005 “pussy-grabbing” comments) emerged last autumn and urges consumers to boycott shops which sell products affiliated with Mr Trump’s family businesses.
A representative for the White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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