Ivanka Trump issues muted statement after hours of silence: ‘I love my father’

NEW YORK - Former US president Donald Trump’s adult sons were quick to defend him on Thursday against charges, as yet unspecified, and to rage at the Manhattan district attorney who

secured an indictment from a grand jury.

But his elder daughter?

After hours of silence, Ms Ivanka Trump – who served in Trump’s administration alongside her husband Jared Kushner and who has frequently defended her father – weighed in with a comparatively muted statement on Friday.

She posted a short message on Instagram, saying simply: “I love my father, and I love my country. Today, I am pained for both. I appreciate the voices across the political spectrum expressing support and concern.”

Mr Kushner, for his part, did not comment until a previously scheduled public appearance on Friday morning. “As Americans, it’s very troubling to me to see the leader of the opposition party be indicted,” he said. “And I think that that shows obviously the fear that the Democrats have of Trump and the political strength that he has.”

The statement from Ms Trump was in sharp contrast to those of her brothers.

The former president’s eldest son, Mr Donald Trump Jr, responded to the news immediately on Thursday on his online show Triggered, describing the grand jury’s vote to indict his father after a months-long process as “stuff that would make Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, it would make them blush”.

His second son, Mr Eric Trump, wrote on Twitter that the indictment was “third world prosecutorial misconduct” and “the opportunistic targeting of a political opponent in a campaign year”.

Donald Trump has announced his presidential campaign,

but the election is not until 2024.

Hours later, on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show, Mr Eric Trump made no distinction between law enforcement and his father’s political opponents, describing them as “evil” and “wicked”.

He denounced “the weaponisation of politics and of the justice system” and said: “At some point the guy deserves a pass.”

In response, Mr Hannity complained that Mrs Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016, “got a pass”.

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly said Mrs Clinton should be prosecuted, and the chant “Lock her up” became a staple at his rallies.

The former president has also called for retribution against his political opponents if he is elected again in 2024.

A years-long investigation into Mrs Clinton’s use of e-mail found no systemic or deliberate mishandling of classified information.

Donald Trump’s younger daughter, Tiffany, had not said anything about the indictment as at late Friday morning. But, as she rarely speaks publicly, her silence was not unusual. NYTIMES