The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021

by Peter Baker

Jared and Ivanka were polarizing figures in the West Wing. Some aides viewed them as calming influences and appealed to them to stop reckless decisions or nudge the president in a more responsible direction. They were seen as the more rational members of the family, not hotheaded screw-ups like Don Jr., and willing to listen in a way that the president did not. But others came to resent the pair, seeing them as entitled, pampered, arrogant, and self-aggrandizing. They always seemed to be trying to get into the photograph at major events. They were widely accused of leaking flattering stories about themselves and scathing stories about their rivals. And their preternatural confidence in their own judgment rankled many. Although in their late thirties, both Jared and Ivanka had spent most of their working lives at their own family businesses. Some in the White House began referring to them as “The Interns”; John Kelly called them “the Royal Couple” and eventually adopted Melania’s nickname for Ivanka, “Princess.”