The viral video of Ivanka Trump at the G20 perfectly captures the problem with nepotism

The glaring disconnect between how President Donald Trump views his daughter’s diplomatic skills and how the rest of the world sees them came to a very public head this weekend thanks to a viral, cringeworthy of Ivanka Trump attempting to interact with world leaders at the G20 in Japan.

Ivanka has no real qualifications to serve as a diplomatic representative of the United States. She hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate for a government position. Her signature Trump Organization real estate projects were linked to alleged money laundering, and she only received a security clearance after her father reportedly overruled top aides who thought giving her one was a bad idea.

In short, it’s unfathomable Ivanka would be one of the most powerful people in the White House if nepotism wasn’t at play.

That reality, however, hasn’t stopped Ivanka from acting as though she deserves a seat at the table at events like her father’s just-completed trip to Asia for the G20 and a visit to the Demilitarized Zone for a photo op with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, where she and her husband Jared Kushner were in the room during Trump’s closed-door meeting with Kim — something that couldn’t be said for National Security Adviser John Bolton, who instead traveled to Mongolia.

But the most memorable Ivanka-related moment of the trip came courtesy of the aforementioned viral video that, notably, was originally posted to Instagram by the office of French President Emmanuel Macron in a move some think was calculated to embarrass the White House. The 19-second clip shows a gesticulating and smiling Ivanka trying to insert herself into a conversation between a group of world leaders, including Macron, departing British Prime Minister Theresa May, and Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary Fund managing director.

Though none of the world leaders seem thrilled by her presence, Lagarde in particular looks visibly annoyed and shoots side-eye in Ivanka’s direction as she seems to say something about how “male-dominated” the defense industry is.

Ivanka Trump appears to be trying to get involved in a talk among Macron, May, Trudeau and Lagarde (IMF head).
The video is released by French Presidential palace. pic.twitter.com/TJ0LULCzyQ

— Parham Ghobadi (@ParhamGhobadi) 29 juin 2019

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