President Trump on Saturday claimed that his daughter Ivanka had been “abused” by news media following renewed scrutiny over the family’s potential conflicts of interest.
“I am so proud of my daughter Ivanka. To be abused and treated so badly by the media, and to still hold her head so high, is truly wonderful!” Trump tweeted.
{mosads}It wasn’t immediately clear what media coverage Trump was referring to, as most press coverage the past few days has instead focused on his senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway touting Ivanka’s clothing brand on TV.
Conway, appearing in an interview early Thursday on Fox News, called on viewers to “go buy Ivanka’s stuff.” Members of both parties viewed the hawking of the clothing brand as a violation of government ethics rules.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) urged the Office of Government Ethics to recommend disciplinary action, and White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Conway had been “counseled.”
Conway’s appearance was aimed at defending the Trump family following an announcement by Nordstrom that it would stop carrying Ivanka’s branded merchandise.
Trump’s tweet Saturday appeared to be his first public comments about his daughter since he slammed Nordstrom on Wednesday over its decision to remove her line.
“My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!” Trump tweeted then.
The White House defended Trump’s attack later that day, with Spicer claiming that the department store chain was “targeting” Ivanka for political reasons. The company said the decision was based on performance.
Conway has said in interviews since Thursday that Trump supports her “100 percent.”