Ivanka Trump is being accused of staging a fake interview during the Doha Forum where she took questions from her own spokeswoman in a room full of high-level officials.
Ivanka being interviewed by *State Dept PR person*, a former Fox News contributor, at the #DohaForum. Never quite seen anything like it. pic.twitter.com/OVfBHBi5ml
— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) December 14, 2019
The event, held annually in Qatar, is a platform for leaders to discuss policy and innovation on key global issues.
Ivanka Trump spoke mostly about her work on women’s economic empowerment around the world.
It was a pleasure to attend the #DohaForum today to highlight the #WGDP mission. pic.twitter.com/lN7pjR9mNd
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) December 14, 2019
But unlike other high-ranking officials at the forum, Trump fielded softball questions from US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.
Ortagus mostly posed leading questions mostly about Ivanka's Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, of which she too is a part.
"You were able to put women's prosperity into the national security strategy," Ortagus said in one of her questions. "That was so important to me that you did that and I’d love for you to explain that.”
She went on to ask her about her recent trip to Morocco and future plans for the success of her initiative.
"What can the countries represented here do to support you on Pillar Three," Ortagus also asked Ivanka, referring to a core pillar in her women's economic program
Her responses seemed to highlight her main talking points about the impact of development assistance and the role women can play in recipient countries.
Some reporters at the event took note of the softball interview including Buzzfeed News' editor-in-chief, Ben Smith who commented on the matter extensively.
Other, higher ranking figures, including the Malaysian PM and Turkish foreign minister, did tough interviews with journalists.
— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) December 14, 2019
MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin also reflected on what appeared to be Ivanka's staged interview.
Ivanka Trump could have requested to give a speech, as other government officials did, instead, rather than fielding fair and independent questions from any journalist, local, American, or European, she decided to sit down and be interviewed by the official State Dept spokeswoman
— Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) December 14, 2019
Online, many criticized Ivanka for the interview, lashing out at her and the Trump administration.
Everything about this family is fake and disingenuous - such a sad way to live and view the world.
— Akbar Hasan (@S_AkbarHasan) December 14, 2019
There were some who defended her, reminding the public that politicians on both sides of the isle are no strangers to softball interview questions.
Awwww. The liberals give softball interviews to every Democrat and spit on republicans. Suck it up.
— GallowsPole (@kbrochhausen) December 14, 2019
There has been much curiosity about Ivanka's attendance at the forum despite the Trump administration having avoided it the prior year amid Saudi-Qatari tensions. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also attended this year.
