![Fox & Friends](https://cdn.statically.io/img/deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ivanka-fox-friends.png?w=681&h=383&crop=1)
First Daughter and Assistant to the President, Ivanka Trump appeared on Fox & Friends this morning, kicking off the segment by sharing an anecdote about the family baby shower that brought her to New York this week. Turning to the slightly more intriguing issue of dad Donald Trump‘s response to the testimony of ousted FBI Director James Comey last week, Ivanka echoed something POTUS himself said on Friday.
Regarding Comey’s revelations in front of the Senate Intel Committee last Thursday, Ivanka said, “My father felt very vindicated in all the statements that he’s been making and feels incredibly optimistic.”
On Friday morning, POTUS had broken his social media silence on the issue to write:
Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication…and WOW, Comey is a leaker!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2017
Trump also plugged the Fox & Friends appearance early this morning:
Ivanka on @foxandfriends now!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2017
Ivanka then stressed the “reason we all went to Washington and what we’re fighting for… Last week, while it didn’t get the level of headlines, what will ultimately have a much more important impact, was Infrastructure Week — focusing on the commitment to rebuild this country.”
So, she continued, “with all the noise, with all the intensity of the media coverage and obviously what makes headlines, we’re really focused on why the American people elected Donald Trump as their president and implementing that plan.”
Asked if it was harder than she may have thought “to stick to things you want to do because of what keeps coming up? Whether it’s the Russia investigation or something else?,” Ivanka responded, “It is hard and there’s a level of viciousness that I was not expecting. I was not expecting the intensity of this experience, but this isn’t supposed to be easy.”
"There is a level of viciousness that I was not expecting…but this isn't supposed to be easy." –@IvankaTrump pic.twitter.com/viiMQ2ij1d
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) June 12, 2017
“My father and this administration intends to be transformative and we want to do big bold things and we’re looking to change the status quo, so I didn’t expect it to be easy. I think some of the distractions and some of the ferocity, I was a little blindsided by on a personal level. But for me, I’m trying to keep my head down, not listen to the noise and just work really hard to make a positive impact in the lives of many people.”
On reports of her husband Jared Kushner clashing with others inside the White House, Ivanka responded, “There is a 24-hour news cycle that gets fed by and is encouraged by lots of salacious details. But at the end of the day, we’re all focused on the work and that’s very true for Jared… He doesn’t get involved in sort of all of that.”
Other talking points included Dad’s recent “wildly successful” overseas trip and bringing together 54 Muslim and Arab leaders to talk about the goal of eradicating terrorism.
So what’s next for Team Trump? “Workforce development” by investing in vocational education and skill-based training to highlight “there is a viable path other than a four year college experience… Apprenticeship, actually. That’s the model,” the First Daughter said, noting it was something her former reality-TV star father and The Apprentice host, “knows very well.”