Ivanka Trump is no more a diplomat projecting an accessible imagine than I am the Princess of the Imagine Nation. The entire concept is beyond silly and ridiculous.
10
The Trump family is truly the bottom of the barrel.
And that there are a few rotten apples, one can assume all are tainted.
5
I am exhausted by Trump and his kin. Everything about them is self serving, not in service to the country. And we have to pay for their traveling and secret service. While funding for after school and mental health funding has been cut. It baffles me.
6
Let me get this straight -- our democratic country which has railed for years against the Kim dynasty is sending a president's daughter? And we're not a a dynasty, why?
7
This is ridiculous.
A son I law is the envoy to the Middle East and now Ivanka Trump is our contact with North Korea?
The US government is now a family owned business.
This is disgusting. We are now a. Anna Republic.
5
I’m fine with this as long as the Trump family pays out of pocket for this junket. Sending Ivanka is another Trump family boondoggle.
4
Let’s hope she isn’t taking top secret classified information with her to barter or sell to highest bidders. Isn’t that what this family does for walking around money??
4
Their can be no better envoy than Ivanka. The president has said he would engage in talks with North Korea, if the conditions were right. Look at all the great interviews that Barbara Walters has had. Ivanka is a good listener, and she has the president's ear. The bottom line is to continue toward a unified Korea. All deals are on the table - timeline, economic trade, energy packages, and IPOs. Ivanka' s daughter speaks and can sing in Chinese. Ivanka is probably working on her Korean.
1
Yes, they would fit well together.
Neither has any true accomplishment outside of their respective familial ties.
Nepotism. Ain't it great?
Monarchies should be a thing of the past.
North Korea is no more Communist than Libya.
Dictatorships are dictatorships. Plain and simple
3
Oh, great. The filthy, corrupt, entitled rich of one country will meet the filthy, corrupt, entitled rich of the other. NOT what the Olympics needs.
7
"In some ways, Ms. Trump is a natural fit to attend the Winter Games. She is an avid skier, a sport she picked up from her mother, Ivana, who skied competitively for what was then Czechoslovakia. Ms. Trump, friends say, has watched the Olympics with her daughter, Arabella, taking particular interest in the super-G event.'
You've got to be kidding me. Well, I finished eighth place in my age group in the Bobby Crim race in the early 1980's. On stage also stood Ellison Goodall, Joan Benoit, Lorraine Moeller, but this fact truly does not qualify me to work as a sportscaster. New York Times, pull it together.
39
The President could have sent Stormy Daniels or Karen McDougal. After all, aren't they now a bigly expensive part of the happy presidential family? Why not give them permanent security clearance into the bargain?
Clearly, all the Trump administration intended for the Olympic Opening Ceremony was to send its VP carrier pigeon to deliver an angry lecture with threats and insults. That's what tough guys do. Just as clearly the DPRK grandees, as reprehensible as they are, did not choose to sit there simply to take delivery of the VP's message in a bottle. Who would? What would be the point?
13
Lacking full top security clearance, why is Ivanka Trump meeting with the leaders of any country? They could send me, too, and it would have the same purposelessness unless I was peddling a jewelry or clothing line I do not own. Our country looks so foolish to the rest of the world. Unqualified, unprepared, misdirected and misguided. Waste of taxpayer money. Destroying our international goodwill (almost gone in a year... amazing).
29
One of the things the Koreans evidently liked about their northern visitor was that she did not dress in a notably fancy or expensive manner, yet nicely. There is something to posing as a normal human being. Ivanka clearly won't compete on that basis, but I'd still prefer Ivanka to a representative of a criminal torture state.
3
This damage control surrogate tactic of sending Ivanka is as stale as North Korean bravado. How is this going to contribute anything to the situation?
2
Melania would be a much better envoy. Invanka may be a woman, but she's hard and inpenetrable like her father. Melania would be a softer, sweeter envoy even if she spoke more haltingly.
6
“In some ways, Ms. Trump is a natural fit to attend the Winter Games. She is an avid skier, a sport she picked up from her mother, Ivana, who skied competitively for what was then Czechoslovakia. Ms. Trump, friends say, has watched the Olympics with her daughter, Arabella, taking particular interest in the super-G event.”
Oh please, give me a break already. Judging by this assessment, my older sister could be considered a natural fit to attend the Winter Games. She is an avid figure skater, she designs and sews her own costumes; and she too watches the Olympics with her granddaughter, taking a particular interest in the halfpipe in which Chloe Kim won the gold medal.
I rather see the First Lady attend the closing ceremonies than the President’s daughter. The audacity and arrogance of that family never ceases to amaze me, although neither lady has an ounce of diplomacy in their colorful background.
18
If the Trumps want to avoid comparison to the Kims, then they should separate family and politics. When you have family members crawling all over the White House with security clearances and mingling private enterprise with government business, it looks a whole lot like the Trumps are turning the US Presidency into their family enterprise.
15
It is indeed strange that America press keeps harping about "North Koreans cancelling out at the last moment". This is really an effort to make the North Koreans look oafish. America LIKE propaganda! The reason for the cancellation is not often clearly stated. North Koreans opted out for the American Vice President had been programmed to INSULT the North Koreans in public statements prior to the meeting. North Koreans were told to agree to give up their Nuclear option, which is their only,and real, defence against American predatory behavior. People who know what happened to Gaddafi (or Libya) and Saddam Hussein would know better than to trust America, especially a deranged person like Trump
3
While Ivanka Trump "is a natural fit to attend the Winter Games" she is unfit to lead the U.S. dOlympic team at the closing ceremonies and unfit to even meet with Pres. Moon to discuss anything of importance regarding "maximum pressure" and North Korea. She has no official title except daughter and knows as much about North and South Korea as her father, which is practically nothing. Like her father though, the only thing she knows and really cares about is using the office of the presidency to enrich these Trumps even more.
14
I'm a corporate media producer with no credentials or experience in international diplomacy -- but if I were Trump's daughter, he'd send me on this trip. Unlike Ivanka (or her Fauxtus father), I recognize that I'm not qualified.
Expectations that she'll outdo Mike Pence are meaningless. So could my late dog.
21
The ship of state as empty vessel.
How low we've sunk.
10
"... thrusting Mr. Pence into situations for which he was not prepared" is emblematic of an administration that does not have a named (let alone confirmed) ambassador to South Korea, and is still without a permanent Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs. Career officers who are "Acting" in the stead of confirmed individuals are likely more competent than individuals the administration may appoint. However, they are likely to lack credibility with the administration and send the clearest message to South Korea and Asia as a whole that this administration has only a superficial interest in conducting normal relations. As the Vice President's conduct shows, insensitive amateurs with flawed briefs are unlikely to succeed.
4
Can Trump's daughter, or anyone else in the entire Trump family for that matter, point out North and South Korea on an unmarked map?
What makes her qualified to represent America, out of this vibrant nation of 300 million plus citizens? Even Dennis Rodman is eminently more qualified! And even the banana republics and oil sheikdoms have better suited blood relatives for such tasks!
The depths that we have plumbed, and keep plumbing even deeper with each passing day of this bad TV show also known as, regrettably enough, the Trump Presidency, is simply beyond comprehension.
But then, this sideshow is yet another diversion from the monumental failures, and ongoing graft, of this Trump dispensation (I refuse to call it an administration - as there is none - it is just pin-balling from one item du jour to the next) that we are living through.
16
Our nation could also send Stormy Daniels as part of the envoy: She would be well received...well spoken and would draw a great deal of attention.
6
She is just another "smoke bomb" who can distract again from Trump's inevitable fall.
5
So this is what it comes to. America is now using blood relatives of the Great Leader for diplomatic matters, because family ties trump actual expertise or experience.
We have a de facto monarchy in the making in all but name here. The White House resembles a royal court more than the executive branch of a functioning democracy. The Borgias and the Medecis have nothing on this crew for putting family interests above all.
And what does it say that our response to a petty dictator's sending a relative for a diplomatic offensive is to dispatch a relative of our own 'leader' - and that the Times article tries to normalize it?
10
Despite all the obvious reasons why someone shouldn't be qualified to "represent" the United States in a situation like this just because of a family relationship, I'm still more comfortable with Ivanka going to the Olympics than her father.
1
We are going to pay to fly her back and forth? For what? And naturally it will be first class - or some military plane, God forbid she would fly like the rest of us, she has to have security and an entourage.
The Trumpovas have to go.
8
Ivanka Trump officially representing The United States of America at an official overseas function. Please, please somebody wake me up.
12
This country sinks deeper and deeper into the abyss ... and where is the OUTRAGE from the Democrats? Are they too afraid to cry foul ?
7
I will be really mad that after these criminals are found guilty they are given light or no jail time. That is the one thing I was very disappointed with Obama about, letting the Wall Street criminals off to do what they continue to do. Wells Fargo should have been shut down and the executives should be behind bars.
5
That must have been a thrilling chapter in Art of The Deal: always miss an opportunity to negotiate.
Since she'll be on that side of the world, maybe Ivanka could swing over to India and help her brother sell luxury condos and admire the smiles of poor people.
I am sick of this administration insulting our and the world's intelligence by sending bobbing heads and Barbie dolls to conduct foreign policy.
12
There is a little Ivanka could do to “smooth” relations.
Mind you, N Korea is not giving up its nukes, and Trump/Pence aren’t giving up on their giving up. So no progress there.
But maybe Ivanka can peddle building a Trump Convention Center in Pyongyang where all the parties could meet for unending talks about nothing, held over Trump Steaks with vintages from the “great” Trump Winery? Or maybe N Korea has a great oceanside location where a Trump Golf Course could be built. Either would “smooth” relations with Trump!
5
If the Trump administration was really serious about sticking a thumb in the eye of NK, better to send Katherine Heigl than Ivanka.
3
Whiplash again. Secretary of State Tillerson tried to open a path to negotiation with the North Koreans and received a presidential tweet that he was wasting his time. Pence snubs Ms. Kim at the Olympics and Ivanka jumps on a plane to smooth things out?
Is this Administration ever going walk a straight path?
8
She's trying to open up a new market for her clothing line.
4
Is anyone home at State? First young Jared is sent to the Middle East then pretty Ivanka to North Korea. They are daisies. An oak is needed for this work.
9
There really is no substitute for experienced diplomats. Sending Donald's favorite daughter is nepotism. Ivanka Trump has no training in foreign affairs, nor in the complexities of the Korean situation.
6
Like father, like daughter. And NOT in a good way. Just saying.
6
Third paragraph here seems to say it all: Ms. Trump's trip is a "news media narrative" event. Although farther along we learn that administration officials say she's "fully prepared to discuss Mr. Trump's 'maximum pressure' policy" with South Korean officials; no additional information given. So, are we to assume then that Ms. Trump -- volunteer Advisor to the President -- speaks for the United States government? What about her brother, touring India as a private businessperson and giving foreign policy speeches on the side? Does he speak for the US government? It's getting confusing.
8
"In some ways, Ms. Trump is a natural fit to attend the Winter Games. She is an avid skier..."
Hey so am I, and I bet that I get out a lot more than she does, so can I be an envoy?
5
With Jared Kushner taking charge of the Middle East and Ivanka Trump of Norht Korea, the greatest trouble spots of the world , we can go back to sleep. No need for the likes of Kissinger.
6
Maria and Katerina will not be making an appearance. Russian directed cheating saw to that.
It might be more effective to send Stormy Daniels to North Korea to have a private meeting with Kim Jong Un.
3
So Ivanka is America's "envoy" now for this international event. Hopefully she will refrain from saying something as stupid, insulting and embarrassing as Dotard Jr. said about the "smiling" impoverished in India yesterday.
6
Pence made a complete fool of himself and now Trump sends his daughter into the breech.
“Have you no decency, sir?”
7
And what is Ivanka's security clearance status? Will she offer to open an Ivanka store in North Korea?
Nepotism on the same scale as North Korea!
5
Wait, lets send over some puppies from the Puppy Bowl. That should softened some Koreans heart.
2
Where did the name "Ivan-ka" come from anyway?
2
I see no reason and surely no qualifications to have her represent this Country in anyway. As a matter of fact, I believe, she is a joke around the world as nothing more than Trumps daughter. It's ridiculous.
5
Everyday the trump administration finds new ways to insult, embarass and degrade America. 'Advisor' ivanka trump as a representative for the USA? Please! An advisor, one would hope, is a person who has experience and deep understanding of a particular field. No doubt she is a cluey woman, but a background in handbags, fashion trends and hotel decor is no qualification for a presidential advisor.
1
Ivanka trying to establish new business opportunities, nothing but money grubbing grifters.
4
Having Ivanka present is simply optics and it is what South Korea wanted. She is not going to negotiate or do anything that involves intricacy. She is perfect to simply show the flag. The NYT gets it. Most of the comments are wrong headed and simply nasty for no good reason.
1
Who cares. Honestly. These people have no credentials beyond who they are related to. And even then...
2
She is a big nothing and has no business representing the US.
Maybe they can keep her?
7
When will we be rid of this family?
7
I prefer the North Korean Ivanka - not a fan of morally corrupt Ivanka Trump.
4
I guess Pence needed to wear a dress to get a job done.
How's that for irony.
4
For all the negatives that can be said about DT, your readers have to attack his family too. And, the NYT in a separate article today seems to go after the parents of Mrs. Trump because they just might bee legally in the US under a program Trump wants ended. They are 70 plus and it looks like they baby sit, their grandson. It is just like Mrs Obama's mother living in the White House and taking care of the girls. And, she traveled on Air Force One as well. Yes, it is irony if not hypocrisy, if they have green cards. But, does not DT do enough to attack? Was not family off limits? I guess not anymore.
1
seriously, the article equates a US citizen with a killer from NK?
And who gets to pay for this “my Ivanka is better than your Ivanka” trip?
2
This is just a variation on Trump comparing Melania to Heidi Cruz. "Look how much prettier our envoy is. We have the BEST envoy."
2
When he got elected some said everything would be fine, we had Ivanka and Jared to rein him in. Well, Jared is being investigated just like daddy and Ivanka has been les than successful with keeping him from not being him. Any other time I would say , she's not responsible she's only his daughter , not a hired career emissary. But when you "play" at these situations you take the responsibility of posing as someone with the experience, the acumen. For shame. There are people with training , knowledge, in this country better qualified, Who could actually accomplish more for our two countries.
5
How terribly sad it is to see the US descending into a Banana Republic where the Dictator and family run the country. Sad!
3
"The New York Times" should stop acting like some fan magazine. Ivanka Trump should have no public or private role in the Trump Administration for all the reasons too obvious to mention.
7
Well, this will about hit bottom for the depths of embarrassment we can feel as Americans.
4
This is a joke, right?
Just think of all the qualified, civilized, real, scholarly, and knowledgeable people in our country who could (and should) represent us in S. Korea!
7
Interesting that President Trump, who clearly believes he has greater powers than actually afforded our President, thinks the answer to the appearance at the Olympics of the sister of a murderous, totalitarian dictator tyrant is to send his daughter. It definitely is time to end any government roles for these grossly unqualified adult Trump relatives, who are where they are only because of nepotism; and time for Mueller to finally bring charges against Ivanka Trump's both gullible and corrupt husband.
3
Throw her out of the White House--with her interim limited clearance.
5
She does not represent me or my family. Sorry Ivanka, get a life.
5
Before Ivanka travels to South Korea, does she have security clearance to the White House? Just asking? At least, North Korea's Kim Yo-jung had clearance, real or fake Ivanka!
2
A shocking waste of taxpayers money to send her to Korea. But then we are all paying exhorbitant costs to ship big mouth tweetster back and forth to Florida. There is always plenty of money for Trump ego but next to nothing for the common man.
4
You go girl! Show them some class! Let these grouchy people here simmer in their range and angst. Get a life, people!
If this was the intention, i.e. rival Kim's sister, then it is silly.
1
Ivanka Trump represents my country? I officially live in a banana republic.
4
Fashion icon, real estate business deal maker...obviously the perfect choice to handle tension with Korea.
3
Being the spawn of Trump does not make a representative of the USA. Then again the plastic surgery she has had does represent some of the superficiality of our nation.
4
It will good to have Sarah Huckabee Sanders out of the country for few days. South Korea will think they are watching reruns of The Beverly Hillbillies. She can't possibly be any more of an embarrassment there than she is here.
8
Olympic Trump-TV Tonight! Don't miss this downhill diplomacy classic when Runway Ivanka vs. North Korean Kim Jo Jong in the nepotism slalom match-up set to Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony.
2
So happy my tax dollars are being used to provide Ivanka with another photo opp, and another opportunity to shill for her company.
2
Oh yes, a hand bag designer is most assuredly the best choice to negotiate with North Korea.
What could possibly go wrong?
3
This is by far the funniest and dumbest thing I have read all week.
This is pure travesty of statescraft and diplomacy.
To send an unqualified novice with no portfolio to do this task is the height of arrogance and stupidity. I knew Mr. Trump was both those things. And now I know Ivanka is too.
72
Oh please! Why don't we just send the real power in the Republican Party. Wayne LaPierre.
6
Not too surprised to see the open minded and tolerant readers of the NYT cast their lots with the brutal North Korean regime. To quote someone from the 1950's; "Have you no shame ?"
She is as complict and unqualified as the rest of the administration.
8
Seems like another scam where US taxpayers will pay for Ivanka to promote her fashion line in South Korea.
6
Say what!? Jared solving the Mid East crisis and Ivanka solving the North Korea crisis? Sweet.
I thought Jarvanka were going to be kicked out tomorrow, per John Kelly's new rule, because they can't get security clearances. So, how can she talk policy and be diplomating with S Korea and with her counterpart in North Korea?
Also, I thought she was a devout Jew and practiced Shabbat from sunset Friday to Saturday night? How's she gonna work that out if she's partying at the Olympics and doing her version of fashion diplomacy.
Of course Daddy thinks it's a good idea to send her, but she's almost as risky as daddy. She has proven time and again that every time she speaks in public she puts her foot in her mouth.
6
Spare us of Ivanka Trump, the little princess who is where she is because she is the daughter of the "moron" (in the words of the Secretary of State) running our country into the ground.
She has absolutely no business representing our country to anyone, never mind this: "Administration officials said she was fully prepared to discuss Mr. Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy with Mr. Moon, the South Korean news media or with North Korean officials, should she run into any."
Imagine the howls of and outrage of the Republicans if President Obama or President Clinton had sent his daughter to represent the US overseas, never mind to the potential flashpoint of the Third World War.
6
Oh this is a perfect scenario. Hmmmm....does Ivanka have access to top secret documents? Is she taking over Rex Tillerson's job?
6
Coverage on Ivanka belongs in a new section for vapid news. She is the ultimate empty vessel.
5
Ha ha, North Korea, we’ll see your Dear Leader’s silent sister and raise you our Dear Leader’s vapid daughter! Take that!
14
Ivanka trump is a bigger fraud than her father. Why is this OK??? What a complete embarrassment.
8
Good try. Ivanka and what's her name have NOTHING in common. Despite your shameful attempt to compare. You should not elevate North Korea in any way. You are a disgrace by not condemning them daily for their human rights atrocities. Only cowards or liars would hide this from the American people.
2
OMG, I wouldn’t send Ivanka out to grab my dry cleaning for fear she’d screw it up, let alone this.
8
Sending a perpetually air-brushed dilettante and beneficiary of nepotism is insulting to South Korea.
18
Hmm, I wonder if Ivanka, described as "dumb as a brick" by Steve Bannon, is actually up to this job.
15
The main goal of the US has become trying to stroke the egos of needy narcissists.
Reality tv at it’s finest.
27
Pence was a disastrous enjoy who embarrassed our whole country. Ms. Trump will be useless. They should have asked President Obama to go...or Mrs. Obama. The streets would have been filled.
56
ENOUGH with this wishful myth that the people in Trump's closest orbit are ameliorating, positive forces that we should look to, with hope and thanks, as counterpoints to his wild, impulsive, uninformed careening. They are blasted from the same stone. Yes, the parallel with the North Korean princess makes for a catchy angle but this is really a story about how Ivanka Trump is getting yet another taxpayer-funded opportunity to travel in six-star luxury and promote her brand. It's emblematic of what the Trump presidency really has ever been all about.
51
As Chris Rock said, the cast of the Apprentice is running the country. They are so clueless.
43
Best thing the Trump administration has done lately. (I know, not saying much)
Good optics & PR after the North Koreans have been outplaying us on the diplomatic/international PR front.
Ivanka will look good and have more to say than Kim's sister. And this is only about appearances, nothing about diplomacy.
3
Not surprised. This Olympics, the US is falling short in sports where speed, distance, and other quantifiable metrics decide a winner, while leading in sports where "style" counts (halfpipe board and ski, slopestyle board and ski, big air). It is only fitting that someone who has made her name in fashion and style represent the country that is winning in "style."
4
Yes, as she participates in the closing ceremonies she can have her company highlight what she's wearing on their web-site so she can close some deals prior to leaving. All at taxpayer expense!
What a gal!
48
Can anyone list the qualifications or personality characteristics Ivanka Trump has that would facilitate her ability to be a diplomat? All I ever hear from her are skull-crushing banalities.
And "fashion industry glamour" (you've got to be kidding me) really doesn't cut it.
39
Why do I get the feeling that the phrase "they're laughing at us" takes on a whole new meaning each time that this nepotistic substitute for a non-poly-synthetic person is put in front of a camera?
"Well, if you define 'complicit' as..."
29
Really? Ivanka and Sarah? Where's Rex? This is why we are the laughing stock of the world...and far, far, far from being considered a "great" country.
33
Have they no shame?
52
No. I think not.
2
The trump administration will throw out any kind of distraction to take our minds off the Russia investigation. Sending Ivanka on a diplomatic mission is just the outrage du jour. Tomorrow there will be another, Sarah Huckabee Sanders will rationalize as only she can, and then the weekend will quiet down as trump golfs.
So predictable.
36
Last time I checked, Ivanka Trump wasn't elected to any office whatsoever. What in the world is she doing in S Korea anyway? Debriefed for what? Isn't Pence over there now? Why not send the S Korean diplomat to the games. Oh right. We don't have one.
61
Great send the one who doesn’t know what it means to be complicit. Way to go donnie.....btw, they’re laughing at us.
25
Talk about your "empty barrel".
28
Great maybe she can make a deal for her clothing amd acessories lines too...
Let make the Trump Family Great...on our dime.
24
Huge waste of taxpayer's money to send her to S.Korea. This looks like a thinly disguised marketing trip for the Trump brand. Grrrr.
49
Maybe Jared will accompany her and they can defect!
30
Oh please, YES!
4
We can hope!
2
What a puff piece! We don't yet have a US ambassador in place in South Korea after Trump being in office for over a year. We've conducted many military exercises in that region since then. South Korea's and Japan's pleas for taking a more diplomatic approach (or at least a carrot-and-stick one) have been spurned by this White House. There is no mention of any of the above in this, front page, below the fold article (in the print edition). Where is the context? This piece reads like an infomercial article written by a White House stenographer.
14
Just another opportunity to shill the Trump Brand, taxpayer funded.
Thanks, GOP. November.
50
Oh my God. Strip Ms. Trump’s of her security clearance. Negotiating with North Korea? Almost as ridiculous as her husband solving the Arab/Israeli conflict. They both must be removed from the White House to prevent achieving their goal of using top secret information to further their business interests.
43
I don't want Ivanka to represent me anywhere. At least she'll bring Sanders along to lie for her. Using Air Force One or such are they? How many millions to fly them over to watch the ceremonies? Geezuz. This is the best we can do?
44
Well said.
1
The Trump family has turned the USA into a banana republic. They are the face of corruption and the baseless entitlement of the wealthy. If Ivanka Trump wants to go to the 2018 Olympics, then she should pay her way as a private citizen. She does not represent the USA for me in any way, shape or function.
54
I would think that the most appropriate person would be the Secretary of State would be the perfect envoy in a "normal" administration. Please explain to me what specific skills Ivanka Trump has in geopolitical negotiations and national security. only in a Trump administration would his children be considered the "best" candidates for world diplomacy. Such a sad state of affairs.
20
Glenn, what I think you meant to say was: Sad!
2
Right. The U.S. has no ambassador to South Korea, arguably one of the world’s most pressing geopolitical hotspots, so instead they send an utterly unqualified mannequin whose only accomplishment is her DNA association with our equally incompetent so called president.
I have loved ones performing military service in South Korea, and worry is my constant companion. Ironically,they feel safer there than in the U.S. with our devolving violent society.
I wish I could awaken when this national nightmare is over. Everyday I feel like my head is exploding.
38
trump-america. it is happening as the nation watches.
10
Ms. Trump and Ms. Sanders - the Dynamic Duo. Neither of these empty shells represent the People of the US. They are both propaganda puppets for Trump.
23
The only purpose Ivanka could serve at the Olympics closing is selling shoes and handbags for the departing athletes to take home with them. The woman is useless for any other activity.
19
Actually, she seems to be pretty good at making more Trumps/Kushners.
2
I hope this woman keeps a low profile. She is not a diplomat or an elected official and I'm sure many Olympians will be embarrassed that she is the face of our government at the closing. And her brother, also with no credentials, is in India planning to give a policy speech. (Along with vacuuming up of money for trump projects). How can we forget that she actually negotiated with her husband over who would run for President? The hubris of these people is endless, and frightening. They, and their supporters need to be reminded that we are not a hereditary monarchy or banana republic dictatorship which is where this kind of egregious nepotism can lead.
26
OK, at the risk of having my fellow commenters go off on me, Ivanka is the right person for this job. One commenter says "the Trump 'kids' are totally incompetent at achieving any useful functions, other than smiling." I'm not sure I completely agree, but even so smiling is a nice starting point.
VP Pence's "gonna kick butt" mission was a disaster, so now we need to smooth the waters, and I think Ivanka will do better--if she does no more than simply be nice. The South Koreans are trying to take baby steps to at long last coexist somehow with their brethren in the North, and we're wrecking that. A modest goal for Ivanka would be to at least act diplomatically and patch up things a bit with our allies the Southerners.
I dislike Ivanka’s dad as much as most Times readers, but I kind of like Ivanka. You can say she’s part of this evil family, but I kind of view her like the Michael character in the Godfather; she’s stuck with this evil dad, and she’s trying to make the best of it. Unlike her dopey brother and her totally evil husband I believe there’s good in her. Should be interesting to see how she handles this job; I’m cautiously optimistic.
1
LOL. You haven't seen any of her instragram or twitter pix from the White House - adorable child perched on her knee, wearing a frock which the busy mom can purchase from her 'designer' line, making America chic again? Well, better than DJTJr in India, shilling the brand and delivering an address on Indo-American relations/business, costing us half a million in security while he retweets conspiracy theories mocking Fl. shooting survivors. Family of grifters.
8
You’re probably right. She’s the best person they have. Well, at least, she’s the least offensive.
1
You are so wrong! Ivanka is all in with her father's doings. She, like her brothers are greedy and never miss an opportunity to advance their business at any cost.
She is just subtler about her ambitions than her brothers who seem as unfiltered as their father.
Because she is probably smarter than her bothers, and his favorite child, she is actually in more of a position to do damage to this country. Remember it is she, not her brothers, who was chosen to take a position in the White House. The public is supposed to be so so dazzled by her "good looks" and "intelligence" that we will not notice where her hand is reaching.
11
Trump has taken his reality TV show to the White House. Up until now, it was celebrities competing and now his children are competitors in the world stage?
What a shame to reduce the Executive Branch to this level? Ivanka Trump is going with just one agenda -- to sell her brand.
14
Ivanka has not done at all well in public since Trump won. Ivanka acts like a stuffed-shirt, big shot and makes awkward statements and recommendations that are completely inconsistent with Trumpism. Just made-up stuff that everyone knows, she does not believe. Ivanka seems quite stupid these days. Then, acts very self-important. Unbearable really.
20
Is fashion model daughter better equipped than reality show host dad in international diplomacy? What luxury jewelry items or elegant dress will be showcased and subsequently hawked diplomatically online? Or should Mike Pence's wife, "mother" take a stab at this diplomacy thing? The surreal nightmare continues.
16
Shall I be shocked yet again by another shameless embrace of nepotism, subjective inflation of oneself, of well, "the family" narcissism on display? In comparison to Pence who has the charisma of a pencil, yet whose "skill" did get him to the White House after all, Ivanka can be a welcome fragrance. Brand Trump again expands its geographic scope, another business trip gets written off by combining "diplomacy" with a vacation to attend the Olympics, and we are left to believe that no Trump business is being set into play, no contacts being established, no business conducted but say yes to diplomacy. Bring in the clowns. The proverbial "emperor" had no clothes when he began his reign, and has proved he and his entourage continue to be clothed in the shadows of deceit. That what is at stake is far greater than another business deal, a potential war perhaps, explodes her friendly smile and the facetious press releases into a real world collage. Donald Trump, Jr. in India, Ivanka in South Korea, Evan Trump dealing Trump business with the President,
Melania knowingly married to a womanizer, and not least is Jared Kushner affixed to his legal team.
The collage is multi layered and the dam will not hold forever.
7
I think the Pence comparison can easily be defined as pencil abuse.
4
Nepotism v. Nepotism.
First the administration sent Ice Man Pence. To shatter the DPRK 'charm and lipstick' diplomacy, all VP Pence had to do was to turn around on that podium and offer a handshake to the 90 yo president of the Presidium of North Korea Kim Yong-nam. Respect for the elderly is the hallmark of diplomacy and good manners in Asia. That one missed photo opportunity could have changed everything.
But Ice Man remained steadfastly icy. The administration blames the South Koreans for making Pence 'uncomfortable' by sitting him close to the DPRK leaders on the podium? That's laughable. He responded completely in character, looking like a tough guy, but overtly revealing his inability to respond to a golden opportunity, even if the DPRK had cancelled a secret meeting. He didn't even stand to respect athletes of North Korea or any other nation than his own. In matters of diplomacy, he is functionally illiterate.
Now the Administration is copying the North Korea playbook by sending the President' daughter, a fashionista, its own version of lipstick diplomacy, sending a rank amateur who does not hold a fell security clearance.
The Administration has gutted the Diplomatic Corps. No wonder they think that calming tensions in the Korean peninsula can be handled like a scripted TV show.
8
Pence just basically pulled another Colt's game stunt.
2
Their only 'gold' is the bling that daddy's real estate ventures have bought. They couldn't earn 'bronze' if they had to rely upon n their own smarts and talent.
5
What is it about the Trump-Kushner family that they lack all capacity to understand their own limitations? This young woman has already humiliated the U.S. numerous times under the glaring spotlight of international attention. A normal person would hang it up. It is like watching someone who is tone deaf repeatedly trying to sing opera at Lincoln Center, with the seats packed with opera buffs and the top culture critics in attendance. If Ivanka weren't so clearly enamored of herself, I'd say it was masochism. I guess this is what happens when someone has lived since birth without reality checks.
31
Pence “ignored “ (his word) Kim Jong-un’s sister. No surprise NK was the one that cancelled the scheduled summit among high-level US, NK, SK officials to discuss tamping down tensions. If you endanger humanity, don’t treat your enemies as inhuman.
Don’t blame SK for seating Pence and Kim Jong-un’s sister near one another. It would have been a perfect opportunity to show civility. Certainly Pence had the ultimate say on where he would be ensconced in relation to other government officials. This was staged as an insult to NK, just as Pence’s walkout from other events.
15
First Pence acts like a ten year old boy who's afraid of girls, and now we send over our delusional "president's" kid because she's... Well, who knows why. Maybe she likes Korean food and spectacular closing ceremonies.
Our credibility is in the dumper right now.
113
What a JOKE......the Trump "kids" are totally incompetent at achieving any useful functions, other than smiling.
Neither has ever been to South Korea, know nothing about Korean history or culture, and are MORE AN INSULT to the Koreans than just leaving all the Trump family at home!
And, if they did open their mouth, the result would be even worse for the U.S.
43
I have no use for anything Trump related. However, the fact that they have never been to SK is meaningless. How do you know that they "know nothing about Korean history or culture"?
I am not in favor of sending Ivanka anywhere---except packing and heading back to NYC. I do not think she should represent the US at the Olympics. Just for different reasons than those you espouse.
5
NYC does not want her back. We, as a state, a city and a borough (Queens) overwhelmingly did not vote for Trump.
10
But she can promote her Brand.
And she is an expert in what exactly? kakistocracy
30
Really appalled by the fawning coverage that the Times gives to Ivanka. The article actually suggests that she is somehow qualified to conduct diplomatic meetings on behalf of the United States, which is patently absurd.
I hope she makes no attempt at getting the photo-op with our gay Olympic athletes that Pence so desperately craved. They will remember that Ivanka said nothing when Trump tried to ban our trans brothers and sisters from the military. In terms of LGBT rights Ivanka is a huge phony. And, BTW, her dresses are ugly.
93
Actually I think that the article slyly implies that Ivanka is being sent because the North Korean envoy was unexpectedly popular and successful at making a diplomatic push during her trip.
Send the "real Ivanka" is a silly response, but given how Trump reacts to media coverage I would not be surprised to read one day that he sent his daughter for this very reason.
4
Ivanka is the best that we can hope for in international diplomacy? Yikes.
73
Heaven help us. Ivanka Trump conducting US foreign policy in one of the most dangerous places on earth and her unique qualifications being that she likes to ski and she watches the Olympics with her daughter? Time to retire, Gail Collins, your brilliant satire can never surpass the Kafkaesque reality that we all must endure in Trump's America.
42
Let's pretend for a moment that it is Chelsea Clinton going to the closing ceremonies. I hear OUTRAGE from the G.O.P.
39
How can they send Ivanka who also is about to lose her security clearance the day she,arrives in Korea? Obviously,it's an attempt at a "charm offensive." But, if Ms. Trump opens her mouth she'll once again reveal her inexperience and immaturity.
27
Of the Trump family, Ivanka comes across as the most reasonable and knowledgeable. But then again, she married a Kushner.
She represents this administration perfectly. What a shame this administration does not represent the American people. Maybe Jared will go too, since he has nothing else to do.
34
It's great to learned that "the council has briefed Ms. Trump about the political situation on the Korean Peninsula" -- perhaps she didn't know her father is threatening to attack North Korea with nuclear weapons? -- but it's still disconcerting to learn that "administration officials acknowledge that Ms. Trump, who will arrive in South Korea on Friday to watch the closing ceremony of the Games, could smooth some of the tensions that flared during the vice president’s visit."
"Acknowledge" supposes Ms. Trump is capable of international diplomacy. I think the word this reporter wants is "hope", absurd as that expectation may be, unless he's channeling the WH?
11
Even as a Trump voter, I'm sick of seeing these under-qualified family members handle international relations. Send someone else.
29
Too bad your boy hasn't appointed an ambassador—that would have been the ideal choice.
7
Talk about sad. We are not a dictatorship but are acting like one -- sending a non diplomatic family member to represent the USA to "hold talks". Glad she's been briefed! Maybe she can even read. How embarrassing!
32
Maybe I don't understand how international diplomacy works, but I can't understand what's wrong with Pence. Why can't he at least say hello to people? There is a vast difference between being tough and being impolite. Why would he allow Kim's sister to overshadow him as a result of his boorish behavior? If a diplomatic war was being fought, he lost.
222
Really!, this is the same pious Christian that will not attend a dinner without his wife if other females are present. It's hard to tell with pence if his snub was politically motivated or religiously motivated, either way he has no business in the federal government.
8
I agree with you, but it's not really a diplomatic war, it's simply more posturing for the base.
8
Pence is a mannequin, a non-threatening looking white man hired to stand in the back of photo's to assure the base that the WHITEhouse is all white.
2
Maybe Ivanka can be an envoy to her father on behalf of the American people.
8
I will be shocked, shocked if Ivanka was not there to peddle her wares.
24
Such as they are.
1
What a dilemma for some of our Olympic athletes this will be. Consider: though you might be appalled by many things Trump and feel the need to make some kind of statement, would you deprive yourself of the thrill of participating in the closing ceremony just because of the ludicrous Trump show? Terrible choice.
I must admit, though, almost anything is better than a US delegation being led by grumpy VP Pence and his mommy.
26
They can participate in the closing ceremonies without having any actual contact with her. They do not have to meet with her or talk to her.
1
We could ease a lot of tensions here at home if she and other members of the Trump family were appointed as ambassadors to North Korea. Ship them out, important work. She's free to market her fashion line over there too.
29
My level of disgust with this administration and anyone that supports it has no bounds. She DOES NOT have security clearances and has NO BUSINESS representing our country in anything. What a joke we have become in one quick and depressing year.
130
Quick and simultaneously in slo-mo.
Yes, put Jared in charge of Middle East peace and Ivanka in charge of North Korea. The best people for our toughest problems.
83
What is this women supposed to demonstrate? Does she represent the ideals of American democracy or the synophantic nepotism of her father? She has no business at the closing ceremonies and the sooner we are rid of these grifters the better.
65
Seriously? This is above the fold news at NYTimes? Whether Ivanka goes to Olympics or not? Whether she waves with her right hand or left hand? Wears what color dress? What pulp. The real world is based on political deals, spying, global trade, global trade deals, global inflation rates, changes in exchange rates, major legislation passed, and so on. Whether Ivanka sits in one place or another at the Olympics ceremony is meaningless. It's like whether a cloud over the Capitol looks like a bunny or a puppy this hour. It's crazy to think we will or won't have a Pentagon surgical strike against North Korea based on the color of Ivanka's dress or her brand of shoes.
5
"The council has briefed Ms. Trump about the political situation on the Korean Peninsula, according to officials."
Was Ms Trump briefed about the following? It probably is beyond her comprehension and she has no business being there anyway....she's into bags and baubles; not history and international affairs. But Ms. Kim Yo-jong does know it well.
The Korean War (1950-53) was bloody, with the US carpet bombing North Korea's cities and civilians with more than 635,000 tons of explosives, including 32,557 tons of napalm. By comparison, in the Second World War, it had used 503,000 tons in the South Pacific. It was a bloody conflict in which up to 3 million Koreans were killed, most in the North.*
*Source: World Economic Forum
8
Strike my comment, I misread she was going to North Korea also...
God help us.
8
How about sending a US Ambassador to S Korea? Post is still vacant.
57
One started a fashion line and the other has sent families to death camps. As much as the MSM would like them to be the same, they are not. Stop with the narrative
6
Both attempt to mitigate dangerous toxic men. Both represent their own interests; neither care about the people being impacted by those dangerous men.
12
What was the purpose of Ivankas trip? Keeping up with the Jong-uns.
7
This proves he really is not an analytical thinker; for goodness sakes, he's sending his daughter to meet with a truly hostile and fanatical regime.....
3
You needed proof? I find listening to him speak (or, more correctly, vomit out words) tells me he's not an analytical thinker.
1
You know what's sad. That Ivanka is apparently seen as a better diplomat than the VP. Is this what American foreign policy has turned into? We really need Ivanka to clean up Mike Pence's mess?
279
First, she should clean up the Trump mess...maybe by suggesting that her con man father and Pence just resign, and save us all even more heartache.
1
One may disagree with the politics of North Korea, but there is never a reason for rude and boorish behavior, both of which were exhibited by Pence. Hopefully, Ivanka will at least exhibit a bit of social polish, since daddy will not be along.
8
Ivanka is what stands for US diplomacy these days? Absolute disgrace. And btw - shouldn't Sexie Rexie Tillerson be involved somehow? First Pence and now Ivanka.
24
Just how much is this entourage costing US taxpayers?? Ivanka's bad enough (shudder) but Huckabee? The Mouth? Come on, now. Here we are, hard at work, busily planning the defunding of all manner of agencies, and we can come up with the cash for this? I am somewhere between disgusted and outraged.
84
You can be both disgusted and outraged...they're not opposites, more like kissing cousins.
4
She has to do better than Pence. Well...she couldn't do worse. Plus, she would probably be allowed to meet with Kim Yo-jong without Mother present.
2
I wish Ivanka and her handlers would stay home. Let our athletes enjoy their closing ceremonies without anymore pretenders. Pence and his wife were so sour, their beliefs so mean . Enough already.
112
Every FOUR years Olympic athletes take the stage and the world's focus should be on them and their accomplishments. But no, the Trumps, as usual, will do their best to steal the show. Tragic, classless insult to the world's top athletes and another move by Trump that will diminish America's standing in the world.
258
Its actually every TWO years that the Olympic athletes take the stage . . . - Winter this year and in two years it will be the Summer Olympics. However, each Olympic - Winter and Summer - is held every FOUR years.
Window dressing. ( even less than that )
The greatest nation on earth ( and supposed super power ) is sending a woefully inadequate and inexperienced representative\diplomat to somehow send signal(s) that may smooth over a potential nuclear crisis. ( with implications of destroying the entire world )
Considering that China pulls the strings of North Korea and at any time put leverage on them, I wonder what ''deals'' are or have been negotiated behind the scenes for the daughter's personal businesses ?
This is YOUR taxpayer dollars at work.
First class for them and chattel or coach for you.
22
Ivanka should sell clothing, something that is her specialty and stay clear of politics. This is another example of the absurdity and fantasy of the Trump administration. Laughable but also dangerously miscalculated.
11
I'm ashamed to think our country is represented by such a hypocrite. Although I guess if any politician is going to represent us, it's almost certainly going to be a hypocrite of some kind. Sigh...
4
Window dressing. ( even less than that )
The greatest nation on earth ( and supposed super power ) is sending a woefully inadequate and inexperienced representative\diplomat to somehow send signal(s) that may smooth over a potential nuclear crisis. ( with implications of destroying the entire world )
Considering that China pulls the strings of North Korea and at any time put leverage on them, I wonder what ''deals'' are or have been negotiated behind the scenes for the daughter's personal businesses ?
This is YOUR taxpayer dollars at work.
First class for them and chattel or coach for you.
3
Oh, right! Ivanka! Hasn’t she been placed next to world leaders, like Angela Merkel and Christine Lagarde, in the past?
Why not send the equivslant of a gaudy bauble to an international event? It’s fitting for the Trump Administration, itself gaudy, inane and tone deaf.
10
I'm embarrassed that this - Ivanka - is all the U.S. has to send as an envoy.
11
As far as photo ops go, Ivanka poses in a chair with as much grace and poise as anyone can. That's real diplomacy in action. Throw in drinking tea with pinkie extended and it's the complete package.
4
I am not buying what the White House is selling. Ivanka Trump our new Korean diplomatic state person? Yet another Trump family member with ZERO qualifications other than birth. If she is considered a pretty body helping the numbers of Americans at the closing ceremonies that is the most we should expect of her. Trump needs to stop pushing his unqualified children into the serious workings of American government. We are stuck with his lack of ability.
The voters spoke. The voters did not elect the Trump children and their self-serving avarice combined with their total lack of skill.
12
The Electoral College spoke. That is why we have this Fake President.
A natural fit? She puts on skis? Her husband, who is on the same committee as her and puts on skis as well, lied to the FBI concerning his meetings with Russians and she knew it.
Judge Judy says if you catch someone fudging their stories, you can bet money they've been doing it a lot more.
There's a reason questions about security clearance come up.
8
Or is Ivanka the real Kim Yo-jong?
Actually, they are each other's equal. But for their close blood relationship to the man in charge, neither one of these women would be attending the games in an "official" un-official role.
That said, Ms Trump Kushner seems to have better manners than Mr. Pence.
3
"He later missed out on a meeting with North Korean officials after they canceled at the last minute." This is the same line repeated on all the US media the past few days (even PBS). The fact is they cancelled AFTER Pence went on & on about their human rights abuses just before the meeting. After Pence's diplomatic idiocy, of course they cancelled.
Of course NK's human rights abuses are true, but why broadcast this just before a chance to meet? And then, why does the US media ignore Pence's gaffes while blaming NK? Any more gas to the flame is inviting & igniting a global catastrophe.
18
Nepotistic sickness.
18th & 19th century revolutions are making a comeback.
11
The president's wisest choice would have been to send the suit Ivanka would have worn to the occasion and left the first daughter at home. Once again we have further validation of the unseriousness of not only what passes for Trump diplomacy, but of the complete world of delusional fantasy that defines this TV reality-show administration. Never mind Ms. Trump's level of acquaintance with Korean history, culture, geopolitics, economics, security agreements, treaties, military doctrine, defensive capabilities, or relaions with nations of the North Pacific, just to name a few.
Find Ivanka's favorite suit, get it dry cleaned, nicely packaged, and send it on its way.
16
Why in the world would the president of the US send his completely inexperienced daughter to No. Korea to negotiate what? Where are his experienced diplomats in the first place? Does Ivanka speak Korean? A pretty face is not politics, at least not a naive American. It is a childish move on his part and dangerous.
14
Read the article. She is NOT going to NK. She is going to South Korea, and she is not scheduled be talking with anyone representing North Korea... please stop spreading non-factual partisan fueled nonsense...
1
"Fashion industry glamour" you mean shoddy cloths made in foreign sweatshops?
"Simply by virtue of her age and background, Ms. Trump will project a more accessible image than Mr. Pence, 58." Is that a fact. Her background as the privileged daughter in the Trump family of liars and grifters? And what has her age to do with it?
This report is a travesty.
82
If Ivanka Trump represents American values then we are ethically and morally bankrupt as a nation, just like Joel Osteen' s brand of evangelicalism doesn't represent Christianity.
1
Please please please don’t give her a moment of TV exposure or a nanobyte of coverage.
Put her on IGNORE.
17
So, Ivanka, Sarah and Allison are our diplomatic "dream team?"
Good grief!
13
Why not send Stormy Daniels? She’s probably got as much diplomatic experience as Ivanka.
60
Where are Ivanka and Jared?
2
Just when one thinks that this Fake Administration cannot be more impoverished of critical thinking and execution, the bar is further lowered. Now Daddy dispatches his glam "shiny object", Ignorant Ivanka, to deflect attention away from how Pence was beautifully played by the North Koreans, while promoting her make-believe foreign policy chops. Nepotistic ineptitude shamelessly continues.
27
Window dressing. ( even less than that )
The greatest nation on earth ( and supposed super power ) is sending a woefully inadequate and inexperienced representative\diplomat to somehow send signal(s) that may smooth over a potential nuclear crisis. ( with implications of destroying the entire world )
Considering that China pulls the strings of North Korea and at any time put leverage on them, I wonder what ''deals'' are or have been negotiated behind the scenes for the daughter's personal businesses ?
This is YOUR taxpayer dollars at work.
First class for them and chattel or coach for you.
9
Maybe all the issues with North Korea would have been settled years ago if Bush had sent his twin daughters to pay a glamor visit to the Koreas. Kim-Jong-il would have immediately entered into negotiations when they both showed up and Ivana wouldn’t have needed to show Kim-Jung-Un how she’s more beautiful than his sister.
3
Another ONION headline?
No?
A vapid heiress who has nothing to do with sports, never earned her role in politics, and does not represent the US, is closing the ceremonies? WTF?
163
Ivanka's primary mission is to sell her perfume, bags and clothes. There is nothing more important than Trump products!
She won't call NK's leader DT's names since they want their business, which always comes first!
17
South Korean women are some of the world's most seriously addicted women to mindless shopping.
This is a wonderful opportunity for the soulless and vapid Ivanka to hawk more handbags and dresses to the Korean masses.
Thanks for keeping the Trump Toilet front and center on the world stage.
214
@Socrates: Not just South Korea; Vietnam also; actually the majority of Asia. Women (of Ivanka's age and younger)- obsessed with mindless consumerism; Clothing, Jewelry, and- particularly make-up and skin care products that make one's complexion more European (read: White). Facebook pages devoted to every conceivable product that can be purchased. It is an astounding display of almost vulgar proportion.
Yet this neophyte will be meeting with South Korea's President?
6
Ivanka Trump is a not the person for this role. Send Mr. Obama.
142
Or, Mrs. Obama.
Better still, both Mrs. & Mr. Obama!
9
Or, how about Michele?
6
She is an embarrassment to USA and as a mother , disgraceful she is what is represented us .
Koreans are laughing
72
I’m so happy we elected the Trump Organization to the Presidency! It’s really helping Lil’ Don and Eric get a leg up in this world. And Ivanka is really showing all Women how real work should be done. Ask not what you can do for your country, Trumps, we are here for you!
41
For all the mud that's been so righteously slung at them, they do a pretty good job keeping their smiles.
1
John Doe - Of course they're smiling, they're getting away with millions of dollars of our tax money.
2
Shame on the New York Times for turning into a mouthpiece for Jarvanka’s press offices. This is getting really weird. Both of these people, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, should not be representing the United States of America in any official capacity nor receiving one penny of recompense, whether salary or perks. Maybe, they can come to state dinners as guests of the President, but that is about it. And outside of bribery for the President or appointed officials in the Executive Branch, no foreign leader is going to look upon them as anything other than the fool who whispers the number of the off-shore account.
155
What's the point of commenting? Ivanka doing foreign relations? Really?
77
Great, she should stay as Kim’s house guest.
19
Gods bless Ivanka.
3
Ivanka Trump has no business discussing "maximum pressure" policy or any other policy with these two countries or media. Sending her after Pence made a mule's behind of himself, looks like another "I have a bigger button" statement - my daughter beats your sister - nah nah nah!
I pity President Moon - trying to find a peaceful solution between a ruthless dictator to the north, and an American administration that's somewhere between a Jerry Springer show, Beavis and Butthead, and the Three Stooges.
316
I think it's "nyah nyah nyah"
2
Please don't insult the Stooges. They may have been a little rough around the edges, but their hearts were in the right place, and usually things turned out for the best.
1
Ivanka is going to Korea as a representative of the White House? Oh good, I feel much better.
16
You’d feel even better if you were to read the article. She’s going to SOUTH Korea....
Ivanka will make everything better, believe me. It’s gonna be great.
20
Is it just a coincidence that Don Junior and Ivanka are both out of the country as Mueller's investigation closes in around them?
37
Ridiculous. We’re a banana republic. Family members as advisers (with top security clearances)! Disgraceful. Yes, Trump, the world is laughing at us.... because of you!
The sooner these grifters are gone from our government the better. And even better if they’re in jail.
440
When they are gone, there will be others to replace them ; unless you change the system
1
Actually they cannot get top security clearances, which makes it worse.
4
Not sure how how Ivanka’s legendary brick-like intelligence and experience running sweat shops makes her of any use except how to find another way for The Trump Family Grifters to squeeze ever more profit from the presidency. Probably just sibling rivalry, since Trump Jr. got to go to India to hawk condos.
212
Maybe she's checking out NK labor to save money making her "luxury" goods!
8
In 1529 Louise de Savoie, mother of the King of France François I and the archiduchess Marguerite, aunt of the king of Spain and the Germanic Roman Emperor Charles Quint negotiate peace between France and Spain. It was called "la paix des dames", having be negotiate between ladies. Do Ivanka Trump and Kim Yo-jung will be able to conclude a "paix des dames"?
1
Ivanka is her is her own person as far as I can tell from all that I have read about her. I believe she will make a good impression and will not be under the same pressure as VP Pence. He as an elected number two had to toe a given position on NK. At this point it would be folly to cozy up to NK folks at an Olympic event. Hopefully, there are very secret messages being given or exchanged withNK at this time by our Government similar to the way Nixon approached CommunistChina in the Seventies. This is the true way to get things done.
Ivanka will make us satisfied with the role she will play during the visit.
This reasoning is flawed in many respects so I will just limit myself to noting that Kissinger was an experienced diplomat not an amateur whose only recommendation is her father’s position.
14
There was not an iota of a hint that I thought Ivanka was going to play such a role as Kissinger. The reference to Nixon was merely to suggest that I hoped that would be the Administations approach to NK, secretly.
Her own person? Like she would be anywhere near a top policy position at the White House, the State Department, or any other lever of power were it not for the fact that her daddy decided to ignore the laws on the books against nepotism and have her act on his behalf. She hasn't a single qualification. And every time she has represented us she has made a fool out of herself.
6
"When the sister of Kim Jong-un made her historic visit to the Winter Olympics in South Korea two weeks ago,..."
"And for the closing ceremony, the North Koreans will have less star power than Kim Jong-un’s sister."
Why do so rarely use her name in your reports? You seem to identify her predominantly as "Kim Jong-un's sister"?
I think she (and women generally) would have the right to feel offended by this kind of behaviour. No??
22
Two reasons for the reporting method. 1 - If they used her name, they would still have to identify her as "Kim Jong-un's sister", since no one would know who she is. 2 - The importance of her visit is that she IS "Kim Jong-un's sister". Otherwise, there is no particular importance. And the article did include her name. But the specific reason she was important was her relationship to the leader of DPRK.
5
She also seems to be fairly normal unlike Pence, who has to have Mother on hand in case another female looms into view.
11
With all due respect Ivanka is normal!
1
Pence was the wrong person to send to the Olympics. He missed an opportunity and came off as a hard line war monger. Maybe Ivanka can show a softer side of America, one not so willing to get involved in nuclear confrontation.
4
The purpose of Ms. Trump's visit is to open a dialogue between US and N. Korea. I think Ms. Trump is definitely a better candidate than Vice President Pence to negotiate with N. Korea. At least, she poses more soft power and attractiveness to people of all ages including people of N. Korea. With the help of Ms. Sanders & Hooker, Senator Risch & General Brooks, she should be able to do that. I have high hope for her.
I don't share your optimism: her father being president for a year doesn't make Ivanka a diplomat.
240
is the sister of the NK despot a diplomat or just a sister of a killer?
Most household pets are better qualified than Pence.
4
After Trump's performance yesterday, using cue cards that told him how to respond to the grieving families of gun violence at his "listening event"; he's now sending his daughter to the Olympics simply because she impressed the South Koreans previously? Hoo ! Boy! Ya gotta' love it!
Hmmmmmm! Mainstream media,surely you are you following this story. SO be sure to note on your evening news that Trump is surely "acting presidential" with this brave and courageous decision!
20
I resent that Ivanka Trump - unelected and unqualified - is representing my country abroad.
I resent that her brother Don Jr. is hawking Trump luxury condos in India - again, unelected and unqualified, save for his fiduciary interests.
No one is calling this out. I am horrified and very angry.
NOT my president
321
You are not alone. The fact that by stealing millions buys a pass from criminal prosecution is disgusting.
4
Everyone is calling this out. Loudly. It's just that republicans control all the cards. So nothing can be done about it. Mueller is moving as deliberately as possible, hopefully able to remove the illegitimate president and his cabal of criminals - family included. It's not clear he can succeed. It may take other measures.
4
Since WHEN does mere family relationship (be it direct or by marriage) qualify a person (in and of itself) to represent our nation? To represent you and me? I for one have have far more than enough of this "family business" that has occupied our presidency. This is such a disastrous administration. We need to get these RANK AMATEURS out of the Whitehouse and return dignity and respect back to the Presidency!
453
Did you feel this way when we had a president’s spouse — Pat Nixon, Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama for example — on solo trips to other countries, playing a sort of informal ambassadorial role?
1
Really, this is how we do diplomacy and represent our nation now? Competence, commitment, experience, elan and gravitas replaced by sadly empty minds fronted by pretty faces?
Whom are we trying to compete with here?
39
An "envoy" for what exactly? Ivanka represents nothing more than one of the boxes we can check on Bill Maher's "Dictator checklist" (installation of unqualified family members for important positions, questioning a legitimate press and relying on State Media (Fox News), military parades, etc.). The only thing Trump is missing is a cartoonish military outfit he can wear. The Olympics represent achievement based on true merit, not based on nepotism, which is the only thing people like Ivanka and Jared can claim...
99