Ivanka Trump, once a trusted White House adviser, recently made it clear she will not rejoin her father's political circle, bluntly stating: "I hate politics" and emphasizing her commitment to family.
Ivanka Trump has firmly ruled out any return to the White House for her father's second administration, citing her deep dislike for politics. Speaking on the Skinny Confidential's "Him & Her Show" podcast, the 43-year-old former adviser offered a stark, three-word explanation for staying away: "I hate politics."
Despite her well-known passion for "policy and impact," she insisted that politics is "a very dark, negative business,"she said. "There is a darkness to that world that I don't really want to welcome into mine. To some degree, I'm at the center of the storm because my father is about to be president, but it's a very dark, negative business. And some people love the gladiator aspect of it — the fight. That was never me."
Since leaving Washington, she has lived in Florida with her husband, Jared Kushner, and their three children. She will continue to show support for her dad in personal ways: "I think I'm most looking forward to just being able to show up for him as a daughter and be there for him to take his mind off things, to watch a movie with him, or watch a sports game.
"To know that he can be with me and be himself and just relax and for me to be able to provide that for him in a very loving way as his daughter."
In reflecting on Donald Trump's presidency, she called it "the world's loneliest position — the enormity of the decisions you're making on a daily basis, how transactional everyone is with you."
While she "did love the impact" of her former White House role, her current priorities revolve around motherhood: "The main reason I am not going back to serve now is I know the cost, and it's a price that I'm not willing to make my kids bear."
Ivanka also spoke about missing moments with her children during her earlier White House duties.
"My primary goals were just to like, be the best freaking mom. It's hard. I mean, I did the best I could — and I think I was there for all the really critical moments — but you don't want to miss the small ones either. Every time I had to miss something, I'm like, 'I will never let this happen again in the minute I leave the White House.'"
While acknowledging pushback for declining a return, she said, "It really feels like it's very easy to make a decision when it aligns around your core values. And my highest, most core value is family."
Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, has also acknowledged the strain on Jared and Ivanka during the first administration. Still, Ivanka Trump believes that period brought "extraordinary personal growth for me and learning. I went through years of craziness, and I've never become cynical about the fundamental goodness of people. Hopefully, I'll live a life that continues to be impactful, regardless of where I do it."