Trump dismisses report on Ivanka VP pick in 2016

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• President Donald Trump on Monday called reports saying that he wanted his own daughter, Ivanka Trump, to be his running mate in 2016 “ridiculous.”
• The report, made by several news outlets, came from a new book entitled “Wicked Game,” which was released by Trump’s former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates.
• Trump reportedly pressed Ivanka to become his vice president in 2016 until his daughter finally told him that it would not be a good idea.

On Monday, President Donald Trump tagged reports saying that he wanted his daughter Ivanka Trump to be his vice-presidential running mate as “ridiculous.”

“Now Fake News @CNN is actually reporting that I wanted my daughter, Ivanka, to run with me as my Vice President in 2016 Election. Wrong and totally ridiculous. These people are sick!” Trump wrote on Twitter before midnight Monday.

The report made by CNN was based on an initial story reported by the Washington Post and Bloomberg News.

Both reports obtained the information which is cited in a new book entitled “Wicked Game.” It was launched on October 13 by Rick Gates, Trump’s former deputy campaign manager.

Back in June 2016, when Trump was the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, the Trump’s chosen vice president was a deliberation among his top campaign officials.

“I think it should be Ivanka. What about Ivanka as my VP?” the president allegedly said, adding that “she’s bright, she’s smart, she’s beautiful, and the people would love her!”

Trump repeatedly pushed the option of picking Ivanka, who was then an executive of a fashion company, as his running mate, Gates claimed.

The suggestion finally came to an end when Ivanka told her father that becoming his vice president was not a good plan. Ivanka was also supportive when the team picked then Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate.

Trump’s campaign quickly shrugged off the report when it was released last week.

“This is not true and there was never any such poll,” Trump’s campaign communication director Tim Murtaugh said.

Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, have assumed senior roles in the White House when her father became president-elect. Ivanka is now involved with President Trump’s 2020 campaign. 

In February 2018, Gates, an associate of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators when he and Manafort aligned with Ukraine prior to their stint with the presidential campaign team.

Gates’ 45-day imprisonment was suspended in April following the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: New York Post