US President Donald Trump sent his daughter Ivanka Trump to represent the US at a key Middle Eastern political forum in Qatar. However, her appearance in Doha, Qatar sparked controversy and came under intense scrutiny for her choice of interviewer – a US State Department spokeswoman. The First Daughter faced a pile-on of criticism from leading journalists who savaged the President’s daughter for being interviewed by a Trump administration spokesperson at a forum known for its hard-hitting questions.
Speaking to a packed room of high-level political officials, Ivanka Trump was questioned on so-called “softball” questions about her pet project advocating for women’s economic development from a spokesperson who is also working on the project.
Morgan Ortagus, a current State Department spokesperson and former Fox News contributor, said: “One of the things that I love about what you’re doing to help women around the world is that you have tied economic security, global stability and countries national security interest with how they treat women.”
BuzzFeed’s editor-in-chief Ben Smith, who was at the Doha Forum, tweeted about the bizarre interview: “Ivanka being interviewed by *State Dept PR person*, a former Fox News contributor, at the Doha Forum. Never quite seen anything like it.”
Other questions included Ivanka Trump’s impressions of South America and Morocco following recent trips there.
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Ortagus also said: “You were able to put women’s prosperity into the national security strategy. That was so important to me that you did that and I’d love for you to explain that.”
For her final question, Ortagus wondered: “With all of the successes of the initial launch what are you doing to ensure this lasts much beyond your time in the White House?”
MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin tweeted: “No other government official attending this forum is being interviewed by a spokesman for that government.
“Ivanka Trump could have requested to give a speech, as other government officials did, instead, rather than fielding fair and independent questions from any journalist, local, American, or European, she decided to sit down and be interviewed by the official State Dept spokeswoman.”
Other global leaders at the forum were faced with tough questions from journalists.
Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu responded to allegations of war crimes committed by his government in Syria.
Long-time Rwandan President Paul Kagame was asked about term limits.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham also argued with an interviewer over impeachment.