Why Ivanka Trump's First Tweet In Three Months Is Raising Eyebrows
Life has been very different for the former first family since Donald Trump left office. The one-term president and first lady retreated to the comfort and familiarity of their Mar-a-Lago resort home, along with their son Barron. There, they have set up offices from which they will be pursuing their personal causes. Despite his social media restrictions, Trump has been finding ways to make his many opinions known, either through spokespeople or through opportunities such as making a speech at a wedding reception.
Older daughter Ivanka, on the other hand, has been keeping a much lower profile. In fact, it appears that she's taking full advantage of the break from the pressures of White House life and the hectic pace of her father's re-election campaigning. She and her family — husband Jared Kushner and their three children — are living in an exclusive condo complex in Florida while their permanent home is under construction. They appear to be content with civilian life for the time being; the children are enrolled in local private schools, and the family has been seen going out for ice cream and visiting an Everglades wildlife park to see the alligators and other native animals.
Unlike her father and brother, Ivanka has been keeping quiet on social media. Until this week, she hadn't posted a new tweet since Jan. 19, when she promoted the Farmers to Families Food Box program, which benefits food-insecure families affected by the pandemic. Then on April 14, she posted two photos that sparked reaction from fans and critics alike.
Ivanka Trump joined the ranks of vaccinated Americans
On her personal Twitter feed, Ivanka Trump posted two photos of herself at what appears to be a local CVS pharmacy (judging by the stickers seen on the table), receiving the COVID-19 vaccine from a nurse clad in magenta scrubs. She wrote enthusiastically, "Today I got the shot!!! I hope that you do too! Thank you Nurse Torres!!!"
Per the CVS website, Florida residents over 16 years of age are eligible to receive the vaccine at their locations. There is no indication of whether the pharmacy is offering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, but it's likely the former first daughter did not get the Johnson & Johnson shot, which has been paused due to concerns about the risk of blood clots.
Some followers praised the former first daughter for setting a good example. One wrote: "Got my 2nd shot last week. Your Dad worked hard to make sure our country had it. Thank you DJT." Others had a dimmer view, pointing out that President Trump's delayed response to the pandemic — and his confidence that the virus would "disappear like a miracle" — helped contribute to the high American death toll.
Critics and fans alike had plenty to say in response to Ivanka's vaccination news
"But I thought it was gone by Easter 2020 and it was all a hoax anyway," tweeted one critic. Still other tweets in response prove that there are plenty of Americans who distrust the vaccine despite Trump's example. Sample comments included, "Still won't be getting my experimental gene therapy (mRNA)," and this: "Ivanka Trump, you and your dad are making HUGE mistakes promoting these vaccines."
Ivanka's decision to get vaccinated might come as a surprise to many, as her family as well as the majority of the Republican party have notoriously spoken against the vaccine. Per Insider, according to a Frank Luntz poll (via de Beaumont), about 25 percent of Trump voters said they "definitely will not” get vaccinated, while another 21 percent said they would wait for over a year to get the shot. Furthermore, the voting polls revealed that 55 percent think that COVID risks have been exaggerated.
Not surprisingly, many people were critical of Ivanka Trump
Presumably, Ivanka Trump predicted that getting the vaccine and subsequently posting photos of it would go over quite well. And according to Vanity Fair, the overwhelming majority of rhetoric in response appears to be critical. Many seem justifiably angry that the former first daughter would decide to get vaccinated when she spent much of her time in the White House spewing narratives of COVID being a "Dem hoax." Her father was the ringleader behind those claims, dismissing fears of COVID-19 and not responding in a timely manner to science that proved the danger of the virus.
As a result, over 565,000 Americans have died from the novel coronavirus. However, hopefully, with more public figures being an example and getting vaccinated, perhaps life will finally get back to what people remember — or as close to it as can be expected post-COVID-19.