Donald & Ivanka Trump's Shady Habit Doesn't Bode Well For Their Marriages

It's long been suspected that Donald Trump favors Ivanka Trump over his other four children. The president clearly admires his eldest daughter's work ethic, frequently relying on her wisdom when Ivanka served as a senior advisor during his first administration. Despite the mother-of-three's decision not to return to the White House, she and her family were prominently featured at Donald's 2025 inauguration ceremony, and just days later, Ivanka and one of her sons joined the divisive politician in his VIP section at the Super Bowl. But, although their father-daughter relationship appears solid, the same can't be said about the state of their respective marriages. One sign in particular has us intrigued: Both Donald and Ivanka often appear in public without their wedding rings on. 

A typically cynical commentator on X, formerly known as Twitter, noted, "Soooo #Ivanka doesn't wear a wedding ring just like #Trump doesn't? She takes after her dad in all aspects." But does this really mean the two are covertly speaking to divorce lawyers? To get an expert's take on the topic, The List spoke exclusively to Nicole Moore, celebrity love coach and host of the podcast "Love Works," who pointed out that there are plenty of practical reasons why the president and first daughter would opt to go bare-handed — many of which are also completely innocent.  

As Moore noted, "Some married people choose not to wear their rings because they've lost their ring before when taking it off to wash their hands or they've left it on the nightstand when traveling." Fear can also play a part, too. "For wealthy people, not wearing a wedding ring is often a safety measure to protect against theft," she explained. "In Ivanka's case, her wedding ring was likely very pricey, and she may keep it at home when out in public, in order to avoid losing it or getting stolen." 

Considering all the rumors that Donald and Melania Trump have separated and are just making a show of togetherness for the sake of PR, the fact that the president doesn't usually wear his wedding ring seems to back this up. Not so fast, says celebrity love coach Nicole Moore. As she explained exclusively to The List, it would be more problematic if Donald's ringlessness was a sudden development. "The timing of when one stops wearing their wedding ring out and about might give important clues," Moore argued. "If someone has worn their ring intermittently since the beginning of their marriage, them not wearing the ring is likely just a personal preference and not a sign of a relationship issue. If someone has always worn their ring, but lately they are seen without it, then it's likely a sign that their relationship is on the rocks." 

Because a wedding ring symbolizes commitment to your spouse, she added, taking it off during times of tension or fighting typically sends the message: I'm not connected to this person anymore. Is that true of the Trumps? The expert offered a much likelier scenario. "Another common reason that married people don't wear their wedding ring when out is that they've gained weight since they first got the ring and the ring is now uncomfortable," Moore professed, noting, "Donald Trump appears to be heavier now than when he married Melania, and he's also an older individual, so it's possible that his ring doesn't fit as well or he experiences intermittent swelling, which makes wearing his ring uncomfortable."

Happily married since October 2009, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner are also the proud parents of three children. Once dad Donald Trump lost his initial bid for re-election, the Kushners fled D.C. for the relative privacy of Palm Beach, Florida. There, they carved out a quiet (albeit entitled) life with occasional appearances at charity events and volunteer work in disaster areas. There have been murmurs that Ivanka and Jared's marriage might be in trouble; in 2022, an insider told Radar Online that the couple was "always fighting and can barely contain their growing animosity toward each other." And yet, the Kushners continue to present a united front, regularly posing for date night shots alongside taking frequent family vacations, which are also documented on social media. 

Ivanka is often seen without her engagement ring and wedding band, as shown here during a March 2025 trip to New York City, but that's not necessarily a sign that her marriage is in trouble. As celebrity love coach Nicole Moore posited, the bling in question is a massive, half-million-dollar, multi-diamond number — not exactly the most practical accessory for jiu-jitsu, surfing, or visiting hurricane-stricken sites.

In fact, when she first got married, Ivanka confessed to People that she occasionally forgot to put her "hardware" on in the morning because she was still getting used to it. Also worth noting: Both the president and first daughter are quite comfortable going without their rings when they're posing with their significant others. Moore sees this as another good sign, asserting, "It's unlikely that they are using not wearing a ring as a way to signal that they are open to connections other than their spouses."