Ivanka Trump is poised to play an active role in her father’s administration, assuming some of the duties normally assigned to the first lady.
Trump transition aides are already planning for an “Office of the First Family,” in the East Wing where the current office of the first lady is located, sources familiar with the plan told CNN.
Melania Trump is still expected to play a role in the White House. However, Ivanka is expected to have a prominent slot as well. A source said she is likely to play the part of Washington hostess as well as advise her father on issues including family leave to climate change.
“No decisions have been made regarding Ivanka’s role,” Hope Hicks, Trump’s spokeswoman, told CNN.
Titles for Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, have not been determined. But Kushner, a publisher and businessman, is expected to have his own role outside of the family office — the latest indication that he could be bound for the West Wing.
Kushner has played a key role in Trump’s campaign, as a top adviser, alongside President-elect Donald Trump’s three adult children — Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka.
Trump has indicated Don Jr. and Eric will retain control of his business operations while he’s in the White House, while Kushner and Ivanka are reportedly expected to move to Washington and work closely with him in government. The couple spent Sunday house-hunting in Georgetown, two other sources told CNN.
“Two of my children, Don and Eric, plus executives, will manage them. No new deals will be done during my term(s) in office,” Trump tweeted.
The details remain murky, however, both because of Trump’s opaqueness and a federal nepotism law. Passed in 1967, the law states no public official — from the President down to a low-level manager at a federal agency — may hire or promote a relative.
Kushner, who is related to Trump by marriage but not blood, would still be ineligible. The law specifies “son-in-law” as a type of relative covered by the rule.
However, there could be a loophole for the ban. The law states that any appointee found to have violated the law is “not entitled to pay” by the federal government, which offers the opportunity for Ivanka and Kushner to forgo paychecks while still serving the administration.
Trump postponed a news conference previously expected on Thursday to answer questions about how he will avoid conflicts of interest as president. It’s now expected sometime in January before his inauguration.
