A spokesperson for President-elect Donald Trump has refuted reports that his daughter, Ivanka, and not his wife Melania, would occupy the first lady’s office.
“This is false. No decisions regarding Ivanka’s involvement have been made,” Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks told the Hill on Wednesday.
CNN had initially reported that Ivanka Trump would move into the office exclusively reserved for the president’s partner. It followed a tweet by reporter Lisa Miranda. Other news networks, national and international, picked up the story.
Via @SaraMurray: Ivanka Trump to get office in same space reserved for First Lady in WH; Ivanka's title still TBD, per transition source
— lisa mirando (@LisaMirandoCNN) December 14, 2016
Ivanka Trump is an influential member of her father’s team, and she is actively involved in his transition activities, adding greater scrutiny on her potential future role within her father’s administration. Trump has reflected in the past on the possibility: ”If you look at Ivanka—she’s so strongly, as you know, into the women’s issues and childcare … nobody could do better than her.”
Last week, Ivanka announced that she would be departing from her vice-president role in the Trump Organization to move to Washington with her husband, Jared Kushner, who also serves an adviser.
H/T The Hill