Ivanka Trump Faces Backlash Over Coronavirus Video Shared on Social Media

Ivanka Trump is facing serious backlash for the video she shared of her children washing their hands as she rides out the coronavirus pandemic in her home with daughter Arabella, 8, and sons Joseph, 6, and Theodore, 4. The First Daughter has been self-quarantining with her family since Friday after an Australian official she recently met with tested positive for coronavirus, the White House announced last week.

After Trump’s meeting with Australian minister for home affairs Peter Dutton on March 5, Dutton tested positive for COVID-19, although the White House claims he was asymptomatic at the time.

White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere told reporters Friday that Trump was quarantining “out of an abundance of caution” and had not experienced any symptoms, as per The Hill. Saturday, it was revealed that she tested negative for COVID-19 and has been cleared to go back to work.

Throughout the health crisis, Trump has been sharing numerous videos on her social media, but her latest video shared Thursday garnered plenty of criticism. Keep scrolling to read all about the scandal.

Ivanka’s Video

The video, which shows Trump’s three children with husband Jared Kushner washing their hands to the “ABCs” for the recommended 20 seconds to demonstrated proper technique was accompanied with a PSA caption.

” We ALL have a role to play to slow the spread! Wash your hands,” she wrote, adding later, “(ohhh…and turn off the sink with your elbow or a towel while you do to save [water] … still a work in progress with these guys 10 days in [shrug emoji).”

Water Usage

Despite Trump’s disclaimer, plenty of people were quick to point out just how much water she and her kids were wasting by leaving the tap on full blast for the full 20 seconds. 

“Why is the water running while they scrub [their] hands?” one commenter wrote, as another added, “I want to turn off the water!”

“Omg,” a different person chimed in. “Look how much water you wasted daaamn.”

Soap choice

Others took issue with the expensive brand of soap the family was using, which is reportedly a $39 soap from Aesop, according to Hollywood Life, including ingredients like “botanical extracts” and “finely milled pumice.” 

Tell your Dad

Still others begged Trump to speak with her father, President Donald Trump, who said Tuesday he wants the United States “opened up and raring to go by Easter,” despite health officials warning of the catastrophic impact such a shift in policy would have on not only the spread of the coronavirus, but the U.S. economy. 

“Have you spoken with your father recently? He does not seem to share your concern,” one commenter wrote.

Another added, “But on a serious note, tell your dad this is a kinda very serious deal.”

A third pleaded, “Tell your dad we need to continue social distancing measures until our country is safe! Do YOUR part to stop the spread!!”

Other posts

Trump’s hand-washing video might not have struck the right chord with her followers, but the mother-of-three has shared plenty of other updates that went over better with the public. 

On March 17, Trump offered suggestions for parents stuck at home and trying to entertain their kids.

‪”Staying home today with kids?‬ ‪Plan a living room camp out!” she advised. “‪Throw a bedsheet over some taped together brooms or a rolling rack to create a tent. Plan a menu together and ‘pack’ sandwiches, salads … whatever you enjoy. (S’mores optional, but recommended!) ‪This is a tried and true activity that will also bring your family together for a meal!‬ Share your family friendly ideas below with #TogetherApart! We’re in this together! #SocialDistancingWorks.”

 

Home schooling

She also offered a look inside her home schooling efforts after schools across the nation closed amid the pandemic.

“I thought that my respect for our Nation’s teachers couldn’t get any higher…but after this past week it’s definitely at peak level!” she wrote on March 18. “It is with deep gratitude that I thank all the educators and administrators who dedicate their lives to educating our children. Home School Day 3…Ready Set Go! #TogetherApart.”

Updates from Home

Trump also took to social media on Tuesday to share an update into her life working from home as well as to thank people on the frontlines of the coronavirus fight.

“It’s Monday morning here in D.C. as we wake up to this brave new world,” she said in an Instagram video. “For those who are self-isolating and self-quarantining and following the CDC guidelines, we thank you as your weekend blends into your weekday. For our heroic first responders, health care professionals and the front line in this effort to keep our nation functioning, our grocers and our truckers who are ensuring our strong food supply, we thank you and we send our collective prayers for your safety and thoughts and gratitude your way.”

She added, “We’re all in this together. We’ll emerge from this stronger than ever before and maybe more deeply and profoundly connected with our own humanity and our core values. So I wish you a good beginning to the week. Let’s do everything we can to stop the spread, and let’s remember that we are all united in this together.”

Photo credit: MUSTAFA ABUMUNES, Getty