Ivanka Trump, one of the White House’s most vocal advocates of social distancing, isn’t practicing what she preaches. President Donald Trump‘s eldest daughter and senior advisor recently urged Americans to stay at home and follow federal guidelines about self-isolating, social distancing, and ceasing unnecessary travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Those lucky enough to be in a position to stay at home, please, please do so,” Ivanka said. “Each and every one of us plays a role in slowing the spread.” But, rather than staying put for Passover, she and husband Jared Kushner traveled 200 miles away from Washington, DC, to celebrate at a Trump property in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Ivanka, 38, has publicly thanked Americans for self-isolating during the coronavirus crisis. On April 1, DC, like many cities throughout the United States, issued stay-at-home orders for all residents, unless they’re going out for essential reasons. Vacation is not essential. As of April 15, there are 2350 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 81 deaths associated with it, according to DC public health officials. Nevertheless, the Kushners spent the first night of Passover (April 8) at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. New Jersey is one of the hardest hit areas in the United States, and Governor Phil Murphy has urged people with vacation homes in the state to stay at home to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
A White House press officer confirmed to The New York Times that Ivanka, Jared, and their children celebrated Passover “in private with her family” at a “closed-down facility considered to be a family home” in New Jersey. They said that the family did not fly commercial to New Jersey. While Jared has returned to DC to focus on the coronavirus response at the White House, Ivanka is still at Bedminster with their three kids — Arabella, 8, Joseph, 6, and Theodore, 4. Voters aren’t exactly buying Ivanka and the White House’s argument that the family’s social distancing defiance isn’t a big deal.
🤔 I see Ken & Barbie, (Jared & Ivanka) broke all the social distancing rules last week, by driving to Bedminster to the Trump Hotel, who the hell do they think they are? Oh I know, a pair of spoilt brats, 👊
— Terry Sylvester (@Terry_Sylvester) April 16, 2020
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— b-boy bouiebaisse (@jbouie) April 16, 2020
“I see Ken & Barbie, (Jared & Ivanka) broke all the social distancing rules last week, by driving to Bedminster to the Trump Hotel, who the hell do they think they are? Oh I know, a pair of spoilt brats,” The Hollies guitarist Terry Sylvester tweeted. “What made you think that it was okay for you and your little husband to travel to NJ for the holiday? Are you exempt to every set of rules? I hope they sanitize the hell out of the West Wing when you two are finally gone,” an Ivanka critic wrote. “How much did @IvankaTrump travel cost the American taxpayer?”, one person asked. “Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner don’t think the coronavirus rules apply to them.”
This isn’t the first time that Ivanka has been criticized for her coronavirus response. She posted a cute video of her kids singing their ABCs as they washed their hands on March 26, along with instructions on how to do so properly. “We ALL have a role to play to slow the spread!” she captioned the post. Followers, however, immediately noticed that Ivanka was using $39 soap to get the job done. Considering that 22 million people have now lost their jobs due to the shattered economy during the pandemic, and children are going hungry with schools closed, it was thought to be a bit tasteless.