The biggest and most obvious part of Trump’s appeal that Ivanka lacks is his inherently masculine showboating. Trump’s macho act is a facade but much of it is predicated on the Republican idea of an alpha male. His demeaning of “nasty” women as getting “schlonged” and his deriding of male politicians as “low-energy” Jeb Bush or “pencil-neck” Adam Schiff are a matter of asserting dominance over his opponents.
Conversely, Ivanka has consistently crafted her brand to focus on women’s empowerment, even if it’s as facile as her father’s cosplay masculinity. From her books about women in the workplace to her fashion brand before she entered the White House, Ivanka focused on softening the Trump image to be more compatible with her own sensibilities.
She took that same approach when she was on the campaign trail in 2016, mostly focusing on issues that mattered to her. Neither the speech she gave to introduce her father’s campaign announcement nor her 2016 speech at the Republican National Convention address mentioned themes from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” mantra like immigration or trade. Rather, she most frequently talked about equal pay and child care. Not exactly “Build the Wall and Make Mexico Pay for It.”
