Ivanka Trump, 32, is a businesswoman, designer, developer, writer, television star and former model. As an executive vice president with the Trump Organization, she is helping head the redevelopment of the Old Post Office Building in Washington into a luxury Trump International hotel.
People often wonder what it’s like to be rich. Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be poor?
Of course. I think part of being a human being is that you have to have empathy for what people are experiencing around you and around the world. Certainly I grew up with unbelievable privilege and surrounded by people who were fortunate and blessed as well. But I also spent a lot of time travelling the world, and certainly that’s not the case in most places you go. And truthfully, that’s not the case in most places you go here in the United States. I recognise that with the privilege I’ve been afforded I have a lot of responsibility to give back, and that’s a priority to me.
You went to Georgetown University for a couple of years. Did you like living here?
I loved it. I love DC. I think it’s an unbelievable city. It’s got such spirit. In some ways it’s actually not as well branded as it should be. Obviously DC is considered one of the great cities in the United States and the world, but it’s not often considered as a particularly youthful city, and I think that’s a component people overlook. It’s got an unbelievable youthful energy to it.
What feature of the Post Office building project interests you the most?
Everything. The location is not replicable. You realise its unbelievable significance being on the country’s main street, right between the White House and the Capitol. The asset itself is breathtaking. This is not something you could build today.
The building is on Pennsylvania Avenue, and renovation is expected to be completed for Inauguration Day in 2017. Who would you like to see as president in that parade?
I’m going to reserve that answer. [Laughs.] It’s too soon.
Your father has always been well known and has welcomed attention and publicity. Do you ever roll your eyes even a tiny bit at things he says or tweets?
As a daughter, of course there are times when I don’t 100 per cent share his views. I mean, I’m a person. What I love about him is that he says everything with conviction, and no one has ever accused him of being contrived or insincere.
Do you think he should run for president?
As a citizen, I do. I think we’d be fortunate to have him as a president. I think he’s a remarkable person. As a daughter, it’s much more complicated. But as a voter, we should be so lucky.
— Washington Post
