Chelsea and Ivanka: Friends and Daughters of Political Rivals
— -- It might be hard to believe, but Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump are known to be friends.
The two women haven’t made public appearances together since their parents became political rivals in the upcoming presidential election. But it wasn’t too long ago they were spotted hanging out in New York City and posing on red carpets.
Clinton and Trump reportedly first met a few years ago through their husbands and hit it off, and despite the political spotlight shining on both their families, Trump recently told People magazine they have remained friends.
And when you look at how much the pair has in common, their friendship isn't so unbelievable.
They’re Professionals
Both Clinton and Trump are working women with successful careers. Clinton was a special correspondent for NBC News for several years before devoting herself to her family’s work. The 36-year-old is currently the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, one of the world’s fastest-growing nongovernmental organizations. She holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Oxford.
Trump graduated from her father’s alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious business school. The former model later joined the family business and serves under her father as executive vice president at the Trump Organization, where she negotiates deals for development and acquisitions. Trump, now 34, also has her own fashion line named after herself.
They’re Authors
Clinton is the author of the 2015 book titled “It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!” which aims to empower kids and inspire them to get involved in their communities and the world around them.
Trump, meanwhile, published her first book in 2009 titled “The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life,” in which she details her experiences working at her father’s organization and gives advice to women on how to thrive in uncertainty, focus at work and negotiate with gumption. The book was a New York Times best-seller.
Trump is hard at work on her second book, “Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success,” which is based on her company’s #WomenWhoWork initiative and is expected to come out next year.
They’re Moms
Clinton and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, welcomed their second child, Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky, in June. Their first child, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky, was born in 2014.
Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, welcomed their third child, Theodore James Kushner, in March. They are also parents to Arabella Rose Kushner, 5, and Joseph Frederick Kushner, 2.
Both women, who grew up with non-Jewish parents, married Jewish men from prominent families. Trump converted to Judaism in 2009 prior to marrying the real estate investor.
They've Both Had to Cope With Scrutiny of Their Families' Personal Lives
Clinton and Trump have both lived through their parents’ scandals being splashed on the front pages of newspapers. Bill Clinton’s affair with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, came to light during his presidency in 1998. The political sex scandal triggered an investigation that led to charges of perjury and the initiation of the president’s impeachment, followed by his subsequent acquittal.
Hillary Clinton has had her fair share of controversies as well. Most recently, the former secretary of state came under federal investigation for her use of a personal email server during her tenure at the State Department. Attorney General Loretta Lynch ultimately decided to close the investigation without criminal charges after the FBI recommended no charges against Hillary Clinton.
Likewise, Donald Trump has been sued countless times for various allegations and his companies have entered bankruptcy four times in his career.
They're Vocal on the Campaign Trail
Both women have been important figures on the presidential campaign trail, delivering speeches and giving interviews in support of their parents. Ivanka Trump delivered a keynote speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last week, and Chelsea Clinton will introduce her mother at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia tonight. But this hasn't impeded their friendship.
"We're both incredibly supportive of our parents, as we should be," Ivanka Trump recently told People magazine. "But we also continue to have great respect for one another."
During her speech at the convention, Ivanka Trump proclaimed that her father would support women in and out of the workplace. Chelsea Clinton didn't hold back in challenging her friend's claim at a Facebook Live event with Glamour magazine on Tuesday.
"So you and Ivanka are friendly, I know," Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leiveprompted said. "If you got to ask her a question about how her father would do that, what would it be?"
Chelsea Clinton responded: "It would be that question: 'How would your father do that?'"
"Given it's not something that he has spoken about, there are no policies on any of those fronts that you just mentioned on his website -- not last week, not this week," she continued. "So I think the 'how' question is super important. In politics, as it is in life."
