After Oprah Winfrey addressed the Golden Globes audience while accepting the Cecil B. Mille Award on Sunday night, the world was erupting with applause. Praise for Winfrey’s iconic, eye-opening speech was so powerful that rumors of an Oprah 2020 presidential run have begun to spread, even reaching President Donald Trump. One of many celebrities to speak about her speech was the president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, who used the hashtag #TIMESUP in the following tweet:
Just saw @Oprah‘s empowering & inspiring speech at last night’s #GoldenGlobes. Let’s all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP! #United https://t.co/vpxUBJnCl7
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 9, 2018
Ivanka’s sudden interest in human rights was a shock to the world. The history that she and her family have with this issue, especially her compliance with her father’s atrocious behavior, have made us wonder if Ivanka Trump actually understands what the Time’s Up Now movement is about.
In 2003, Donald Trump bragged about his 22-year-old daughter Ivanka, saying “she’s got the best body.” In 2006 he joked that “if Ivanka wasn’t [his] daughter, perhaps [he’d] be dating her.” In 2008 he boasted that girls would “flip their top, and they’ll flip their panties” when they saw him, adding that he’d been with women “with extraordinarily bad breast jobs” and “pancake tits”. And in his 2016 run for president, a video of Donald Trump surfaced where gloated that about grabbing women “by the pu**y.” This is only the beginning of the list: as of December 2017, there are 21 women that have accused President Trump of sexual misconduct, including his ex-wife (Ivanka’s mother) and a 13-year-old girl. The organization Time’s Up Now, the association that Ivanka suddenly claims to support, was created specifically to protect the people her father has endangered or others in similar situations. But despite all of this, Ivanka Trump has never before spoken up for any of these women. Even while knowing the influence she could have on their wellbeing, she has chosen to stay silent for years in favor of her political reputation.
The internet was quick to speak up about Ivanka’s hypocrisy. Actors, models, journalists and regular old people clapped back with many tweets, including the following:
She was talking about your Dad, girl. https://t.co/Ts2WS7l0L9
— Girls Really Rule. (@girlsreallyrule) January 9, 2018
ew go away
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 9, 2018
Many blatantly called out her hypocrisy:
Cool! Hey remember when your dad bragged about walking in on teenage beauty contestants when they were changing? Or how your mom testified that he raped her? Anyway… #TIMESUP #Indeed https://t.co/770EgGXulL
— Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) January 9, 2018
Are you kidding? pic.twitter.com/hscjfkQSY8
— Laura Sesana (@lasesana) January 9, 2018
This is the most hypocritical, clueless statement in her regrettable time in the WH. Your father has a trail of victims and supported Roy Moore, Ivanka. YOU are indeed part of the problem Ivanka. #complicit
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) January 9, 2018
And others suggested she takes real action towards helping sexual assault survivors:
Great! You can make a lofty donation to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund that is available to support your father’s accusers.https://t.co/A8HCVa715v
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) January 9, 2018
The bottom line is that it is not okay to suddenly speak out against issues, especially when you’ve been working against them for your entire adult life, just because it seems “cool.” It makes meaningful, crucial social issues into a way to promote one’s personal brand or reputation. If Ivanka Trump truly wants to support a cause as imperative as survivors of sexual harassment and assault, she needs to stop tweeting about it and start making a real difference in the world.
