Ivanka Trump’s love for her father is a beautiful thing to see.
Most of the time.
It becomes a bit less beautiful when she says things about the “contribution” dear ol’ Dad has made to the level of discourse in this year’s campaign for the presidency of the United States.
Donald J. Trump — Ivanka’s father — has “elevated (the debate)Ā — heās created dialogue around issues. Itās a powerful thing,ā she said.
I don’t believe that’s the case.
Trump has come under intense criticism from leaders in both major political parties for, let’s see, doing the precise opposite of what Ivanka Trump says he has done.
He has lowered the level of discourse. He has taken it to depths not seen in at least two generations.
Daddy Trump’s insults of other candidates have topped the charts.
He has ridiculed other candidates’ physical appearance, their eating habits, their level of “energy.” He has hurtful things about a journalist’s physical disability. Trump has said amazingly crass things about the alleged reasonsĀ another journalistĀ asked him tough and pointed questions at a televised debate.
Ivanka Trump also disregards the lies Trump has told all along the way as he moves closer to becoming the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.
One stands out: Donald Trump saidĀ he watched “thousands of Muslims” cheering the collapse of the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. He’s also said the Mexican government is sending rapists, drug dealersĀ and murderersĀ to commit mayhem and misery on this side of the countries’ common border.
This is how his daughter — by all accounts an accomplished young woman — describes as “elevating” the level of discourse during the campaign for president.
She said her father is “honest.” He says what’s on his mind at the moment, Ivanka said.
There’s something to be said — although I don’t know what that would be — for that brand of “honesty.” Let us not, though, suggest that it elevates the quality of what has passed so far for political debate.