While Donald Trump has been distracting the American public by stocking his Cabinet with bad decisions, his transition team has been reportedly preparing the office usually reserved for the First Lady for his wily daughter Ivanka.
In an astonishing display of nepotism, CNN reports that ‘Vanks is gearing up to take a very active role in her father’s administration. Sources close to the matter also tell CNN that the office in the East Wing currently occupied by the First Lady will be transformed into something called “The Office of the First Family.” Melania will remain in New York until June 2017 so that Barron, the littlest Trump, can finish out the school year, so in the interim, it looks like Ivanka will gamely step up to the challenge.
None of this is entirely clear and none of it is technically legal either. CNN points out that a handy law passed in 1967 specifically prohibits nepotism, stating that “no public official — from the President down to a low-level manager at a federal agency — may hire or promote a relative.” This shouldn’t be surprising at this point; Ivanka’s been warming up for this since the election and hoping that you wouldn’t notice. She is just as slippery as her father and certainly as dangerous; saying that she has no experience and does not deserve a position in the administration is an understatement. Watch her closely, for who knows what she’ll do.
The boy Trumps Eric and Donald Jr. will be in charge of Trump’s business dealings while Daddy’s in the White House, but Ivanka, that shining star, and her husband Jared Kushner will reportedly have some role in the administration, though it’s not entirely clear what.
Hope Hicks, spokeswoman for Trump, told CNN that “No decisions have been made regarding Ivanka’s role.” I’m confident they’ll figure something out.