Angela Merkel looks very awkward when Ivanka Trump praises her father's record on women

Ms Trump says her father believes women can 'do the job as well as any man'

Emily Shugerman
New York
Tuesday 25 April 2017 22:39 BST
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Angela Merkel looks incredibly awkward when Ivanka Trump says her father 'enabled me to thrive'

Appearing on a panel with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, First Daughter Ivanka Trump claimed her father treats her no differently than her brothers.

“As a daughter I can speak on a very personal level, knowing that he encouraged me and enabled me to thrive,” Ms Trump said.

The first daughter was responding to questions from panel moderator Miriam Meckel, editor-in-chief of “Wirtschaftswoche,” about her father’s public comments regarding women. Mr Trump’s past statements – including calling some women “bimbos” and “fat pigs” – stoked controversy throughout his campaign.

His daughter attempted to excuse these comments for her international audience on Tuesday.

“I think the thousands of women who have worked with and for my father for decades when he was in the private sector are a testament to his belief and solid conviction in the potential of women and their ability to do the job as well as any man,” Ms Trump said.

Ms Trump, who advises her father on issues concerning women in the workforce, is in Germany this week on the invitation of Ms Merkel. The German chancellor invited her to participate in the Women20 Summit after a visit to the White House last month.

Appearing on the panel with the first daughter on Tuesday, Ms Merkel looked somewhat uncomfortable as Ms Trump praised her father’s record with women. Mr Trump and the German leader had several awkward exchanges during her visit to the White House, including a moment in which he appeared to refuse to shake her hand.

Mr Trump has previously accused Ms Merkel of “ruining Germany.”

Ms Merkel and Ms Trump spoke at the “Inspiring Women: Scaling up Women’s Entrepreneurship” panel alongside Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs; Christine Lagarde, managing director of IMF; and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, among others.

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