Ivanka Finally Opens Up About Trump Shooting Like Never Before & Gives Major Erika Kirk Vibes
Years before Donald Trump's second presidential victory, Ivanka Trump explained she would not be participating in his future administration. Just before Donald's 2025 inauguration, Ivanka reiterated her position, and she was even more outspoken about her distaste for politics. Even so, one chilling aspect Ivanka didn't touch on at the time was the threat to her father's life during the campaign. Donald was never the same after the July 2024 assassination attempt, and now Ivanka's delineating the cascade of emotions she experienced during that time.
Ivanka Trump says she found out about the assassination attempt on her father from the TVs near the pool at Trump Bedminster, where President Trump was scheduled to meet her family later that evening:
"Two of my children were there, so my first reaction was to turn them away." pic.twitter.com/hkOV1nB9ac
— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) April 9, 2026
Like Melania Trump, Ivanka saw the violence unfold on TV. In an April 2026 episode of "The Diary of a CEO" podcast, Ivanka described watching the shooting live at her father's New Jersey golf club. Some of Ivanka's kids were there, too, so she had to balance multiple priorities. "I was horrified and I was scared and I was protective of my children, but I also I didn't believe like the worst possible outcome had transpired," Ivanka explained. Besides feeling relieved as she saw her father get up, Ivanka also got to see Donald in person hours later.
When asked about the violence's lasting impact, Ivanka's stance bore striking similarities to Erika Kirk's decision to forgive Charlie Kirk's alleged killer during her husband's public funeral. However, Ivanka was realistic about the complexities of the situation. "I think that forgiveness is a difficult thing," she admitted. "I could look at what happened and be rightfully traumatized... but you have to you have to move through it."
Both Erika and Ivanka have navigated emotionally challenging situations
Although Ivanka Trump and Erika Kirk were both motivated to forgive, their situations are dramatically different, since Donald Trump survived and Charlie Kirk did not. While Ivanka's viewed footage of Donald multiple times, Erika's opted not to see footage of Charlie's murder. In addition, some of their motivations appear to be varied. Months after Charlie's memorial service Erika revealed that her spiritual beliefs played a big role. "I wasn't up there for anyone else but for the Lord and my husband," she stated at The New York Times' 2025 Dealbook Summit.
In contrast, Ivanka seemed to approach forgiveness from a position of gratitude that her father was safe. Sadly, the shooting occurred almost exactly two years after her mother, Ivana Trump, died. Ivana's death reportedly left a lasting impact on Ivanka and in this case, she made the deliberate decision to focus on her dad's survival.
For all their differences, Erika and Ivanka have one other thing in common: their actions enable them to exert autonomy amid such violence. At the Dealbook Summit, Erika noted that forgiveness had personal benefits. "It frees you from a poison and it frees you to be able to think clearly and have a moment where your heart is free," she explained. Similarly, Ivanka remarked on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast, "In life, you have a choice only in how you respond, and I choose to see the positive outcome."