Ivanka Trump takes heat for acting as secretary of state: 'This is blatant nepotism'
Ivanka Trump is acting as secretary of state, meeting with the South Korean foreign minister in lieu of Rex Tillerson, whom President Trump fired earlier this week.
On Friday, the White House confirmed the meeting between Ivanka and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha in a statement to Newsweek: “Ivanka and members of the NSC are meeting with the foreign minister, as they developed a close relationship during the Olympic Games. The foreign minister asked for the meeting while they were at the Olympics together.”
The date and agenda of the meeting are not known, but the publication reports that it centers on summits between North and South Korea and between North Korea and the U.S., as part of President Trump’s intention to conduct talks with the North Korean dictator.
Many on Twitter were shocked by the notion of Ivanka conducting foreign policy.
When President Trump’s Secretary of State is fired and can’t meet with South Korea, Trump sends his daughter, who doesn’t have a full security clearance but does have business interests in the country.https://t.co/v9k2qIAuuT
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 16, 2018
Ivanka is not qualified to “fill in” for Tillerson with South Korea.
That’s like having a Kardashian fill in for Mike Pompeo at the CIA until that position is filled.
— One Little Voice (@1singlevoice) March 16, 2018
Ivanka was sent to brief South Korea's president on the new NK sanctions, suggesting daddy may make her Tillerson's replacement.
— Martin Dillon (@LeRapt) February 27, 2018
Let’s be clear:@IvankaTrump is not Secretary of State, & has no business meeting with foreign dignitaries on behalf of the United States. This is blatant nepotism, & she should be stopped before further creditably of our country suffers #StopTrump
— SingleGirl (@SingleGirlLife) March 16, 2018
On March 13, Tillerson, who had served as secretary of state since February 2017, was ousted from his position after clashing with Trump over a number of policies, including the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate accord, and charges that Russia meddled in the U.S. presidential election. (Trump has called the claims “fake news,” while Tillerson directed a comment to Russia during an interview, “You need to stop.”) Trump plans to nominate former CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace Tillerson.
Despite February reports that Ivanka lacks complete security clearance, notes Newsweek, the first daughter is very involved in government affairs. In February, she led the U.S. delegation at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, dining with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife, Kim Jung-sook.
Ivanka also garnered criticism for taking her father’s seat among world leaders at the G20 Summit in July, a move that Trump called “very standard,” and for leading Congress in a bipartisan roundtable discussion in May.
When I left Conference Room for short meetings with Japan and other countries, I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
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