Ivanka Trump is publicly snubbed as major human rights groups refuse to attend her summit
First Daughter Ivanka Trump, one of the president’s most prominent enablers, is once again play-acting as an activist. Since the beginning of her father’s catastrophic administration, she has sought to peddle herself as a moderating influence in the White House, often working overtime to sell herself to the public as some brave women’s rights crusader.
The reality, of course, is that she’s every bit as self-serving as the president and his two oldest sons. What kind of women’s rights advocate remains silent after her father admits on tape to being a serial sexual predator? What kind of defender of human rights stands by as that same man tears families apart, locks children in cages, and regularly dehumanizes nonwhite people? Ivanka Trump is interested in accumulating power and wealth for herself, nothing more. Her actions—or more accurately lack thereof—prove that.
Thankfully, few beyond the frothing masses of the MAGA movement seem to have fallen for Ivanka’s schtick. The Washington Post is now reporting that eight anti-trafficking organizations have decided not to attend an Ivanka-planned White House event on Friday ostensibly dedicated to combatting human trafficking, citing the administration’s inhumane policies. The event is centered around a new federal law that designates trafficking as a felony offense.
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“We have such a chasm between rhetoric and reality. I don’t think any of us have the desire to be a part of a photo op,” said Martina Vandenberg of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, one of the organizations set to boycott the occasion.
Vandenberg’s assessment is spot-on. This event is just a glorified photo op, a scheme by the Trump administration to boost Ivanka’s public profile and sell the lie that this White House cares about anything other than entrenching the rich and powerful in their stations.
The Post further reports that several of the groups focused specifically on the Trump administration’s stance on T visas, which are designed to allow trafficking victims entry into the United States.
“During that time, they are unable to work and unable to get medical care. We are talking about years where people are just stuck,” one victim explained of the lengthened process.
Once again, we see the Trump administration pretending to be an ally to a marginalized and abused demographic when a closer look reveals them to be an enemy. This president wants to use human trafficking as an excuse to impose his draconian immigration laws by saying his wall and stricter treatment of migrants will prevent trafficking when the reality is that most trafficking victims enter the country with valid papers. By twisting the reality of the problem to suit his own xenophobic agenda, Trump is doing grave damage to victims.
