Ivanka Trump Accused Of Using Taxpayer's Money During India Trip

U.S. presidential daughter Ivanka Trump drew flak on Monday as she and her husband, Jared Kushner, accompanied Donald Trump on his Indian trip with American taxpayers footing the bills. The wave of criticisms started when Ivanka posted a photo of herself in front of Taj Mahal and responded to a tweet by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stirring scads of Americans to question what U.S. national interests she and her husband were serving there.

On Tuesday, Ivanka Trump took to Twitter to thank Modi for hosting her and Kushner throughout their two-day Indian trip. It can be recalled that when Donald Trump assumed office in 2016, he appointed his daughter and son-in-law as White House senior advisers despite their lack of political experience. “Thank you PM Narendra Modi for your warm hospitality as we visited your beautiful country and celebrated the strength, spirit, and unity of the U.S. & India!” she wrote.

The tweet was quick to spark outrage on social media, with Twitter users accusing Ivanka and Kushner of spending precious government money to network their brand and globe-trot. “They weren’t elected, aren’t qualified and couldn’t get security clearances but for nepotism,” one Twitter user wrote.

“You brag about making $80m plus last year yet you have to take a vacation on the taxpayer’s dime, most of them making less than $40k a year. Nice job,” another user wrote.

Other critics also pointed out Ivanka’s insensitivity, saying she basked in the picturesque places in India while ignoring the people dying in New Delhi at the time of their visit. Ivanka’s post came after violence broke out in several areas across India’s capital, just miles away from where Donald and Modi met for talks.

Last week, Walter Shaub, the former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, also slated Ivanka’s taxpayer-funded corporate junket to Dubai, where Ivanka participated in photo ops and met with some Dubai officials. Interestingly, the trip happened to coincide with promotions for the anniversary of the Trump International Golf Club in Dubai. The Trump-branded golf property was developed by a major Dubai real estate developer three years ago and financially benefits the Trumps.

“How convenient. It was nice of you taxpayers to sponsor her corporate trip,” wrote Shaub.