Ivanka Trump has long promised to “fight” for “issues [she feels] strongly about,” but although the First Daughter has made at least a few passing references to things like a child-care tax credit and “promoting the role of women in the economy,” she’s so far remained quiet on issues surrounding women’s health. But on Thursday, news leaked that Ivanka met with Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards to “seek common ground on the contentious issue of abortion.”
A Planned Parenthood spokesperson confirmed the two had “a cordial and informative meeting shortly after the inauguration,” and that its purpose, from Planned Parenthood’s perspective, was to dispel any misinformation around the abortion issue and to explain why defunding the organization would be a “disaster.”
It’s hard to parse whose agenda the sudden surfacing of this news is meant to serve. On one hand, the story is full of quotes from Planned Parenthood denouncing her, which could mean the group hoped she would help them but has now given up. On the other, it seems to confirm the First Daughter’s assertion to CBS’s Gayle King that she’s working silently behind the scenes to sway her father.
“I would say not to conflate lack of public denouncement with silence,” she told King on Wednesday. She added, “I think there are multiple ways to have your voice heard … But I think most of the impact I have, over time most people will not actually know about.” That is, unless she wants them to.