Chelsea Clinton Says Former Friend Ivanka Trump Has Turned To 'The Dark Side'
As the daughters of famous political figures, Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump already have one major thing in common. However, something you probably never knew about Trump and Clinton is that once upon a time they had a notable friendship. Though it appears to have been relatively low-key, their relationship did seem to be one of mutual support, with the women often shouting each other out.
Fast forward several years though, and things are definitely not the same. According to People, in September 2022 Clinton discussed why her relationship with Trump had changed during an interview on "Watch What Happens Live." Speaking to host Andy Cohen, Clinton confirmed that she did previously think of Trump as a friend.
Clinton clarified, "I mean, she's not the person I called when I was curious about something for my kids or was debating a life decision. But we were definitely friends." However, their friendship all but shattered when, as Clinton put it, Trump "went to the dark side."
Their political differences became too much
Interestingly, Chelsea Clinton also shared that Donald Trump's bad relationship with her mother, Hillary Clinton, didn't seem to perturb Ivanka Trump, which Ivanka somewhat confirmed by informing People that she and Chelsea still had "great respect for one another." After Donald won the fateful 2016 presidential election, things quickly went downhill. However, Chelsea did reveal that she'd spoken to Ivanka shortly afterward. "It is true that I spoke to Ivanka in November of 2016 — the last time I've spoken to her," she told Andy Cohen on "WWHL."
Chelsea later elaborated on why exactly she stopped speaking to Ivanka, explaining, "We were in touch at the beginning of the campaign. But it's just really hard when there's someone who's actively embracing their candidate, whether it's their father or not, who is trafficking in racism and sexism and anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and homophobia and transphobia and conspiracy theories and lies and is so fundamentally corrupt." Chelsea also called Ivanka "more than complicit" and explicitly stated that she didn't want to continue their friendship as a result, per the Independent.
Their friendship was once relatively strong
As mentioned earlier, Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump's prior friendship actually dated back a while. In 2014, both attended the Glamour Women Of The Year Awards, where they were seen hugging and smiling. In February 2015, Clinton praised Trump in a 2015 Vogue article. "She's always aware of everyone around her and ensuring that everyone is enjoying the moment," she shared. "It's an awareness that in some ways reminds me of my dad, and his ability to increase the joy of the room. There's nothing skin-deep about Ivanka."
Also in 2015, Trump returned the favor by sharing a quote from Clinton on Twitter and captioning it simply "Well said." After Trump's father became the Republican presidential candidate, it's clear things began to decline significantly, and Clinton has been somewhat open about the loss of her friendship with Trump. In 2016, during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," she acknowledged they hadn't been in contact "for a long time." Now Trump has fully "turned to the dark side," it seems unlikely that there will be a reunion between these first daughters anytime soon.
The differences between them became too strong as of 2016
Their political differences made them an unlikely pair, but the 2016 election was the final nail in the coffin for Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump's friendship. Not only did Clinton cite Trump being "complicit" as one of the main reasons she could no longer be her friend, but her strong choice of words about Trump going to the "dark side" show that she means it.
Interestingly, Trump commented on her prior friendship with Chelsea in a positive light. In a 2017 interview with "20/20", Trump shared, "She's been a friend of mine long before the campaign. I haven't spoken about the specific challenges about this next chapter with her just yet, but I intend to."
Though Trump brought up her willingness to speak to Clinton, considering what Clinton said about Trump in recent years, it seems unlikely that this talk ever happened and that the pair remain distanced from each other.