Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner may well be happily settled into their sprawling family home in Washington, D.C. – but it turns out the property is a far cry from the decadent and historic place they first stayed upon their arrival in the city.
The 35-year-old revealed in a recent interview that she and her husband spent their first weekend staying at the White House, where they were given the Lincoln Bedroom, one of best known guest suites in the presidential property.
It is the first time that Ivanka has spoken out about the couple’s stay in the room – which was first created under the Truman administration, and is usually reserved for visiting political heavyweights.
Special status: Ivanka Trump has revealed that she and Jared Kushner stayed in the historic Lincoln Bedroom during their first weekend in Washington, D.C.
VIP: The guest suite, which is on the second floor of the White House, was first created under the Truman administration, and is usually reserved for visiting political heavyweights
Family first: Mother-of-three Ivanka, pictured witih her family in August, admitted that she has found it ‘incredibly difficult’ to balance her White House role with motherhood
‘When we first arrived in Washington, we spent the weekend at the White House,’ Ivanka explained during an interview with US Weekly, before adding that she and her husband were given the suite over her other siblings.
‘Jared and I stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom and my siblings all stayed over as well,’ she noted. ‘All of the kids were running through the halls – they had an amazing time.’
In the interview, the mother-of-three also opened up about her life in Washington, her ongoing struggle to balance her White House role with motherhood, and the sacrifices she has had to make in order to focus on her job as a senior advisor to her father, President Donald Trump.
Speaking about how she juggles motherhood with ‘such a demanding job’, Ivanka admitted that she finds creating and maintaining that balance ‘incredibly difficult’, noting that ‘some days I do a really good job’ while ‘other days, I don’t’.
‘It was much easier when I was my own boss, where I could set my own schedule, but working in the White House doesn’t lend itself to that because of the gravity of the issues that you’re dealing with,’ she confessed.
‘When you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something – the things you’re worrying about just have so much more consequence.’
As well as missing out on the freedom of running her own business, Ivanka also admitted that she has struggled with the loss of her role as an entrepreneur, noting that it was something she ‘loved’ doing, however she insists that what she is doing now is ‘more important’.
Sacrifices: The 35-year-old confessed that she has missed being able to make regular trips to the gym, but said she enjoys her Saturday morning runs through her D.C. neighborhood
Balance: Ivanka noted that Jared has to work ‘incredibly long hours’ and as such she tries to ensure she is at home as much as possible to look after their children
Lucky: The senior White House advisor said she relishes the chance to work so closely with her father, and praised his ‘remarkable’ ability to ‘interact with people’
But that demanding job has seen her miss out on more than just the day-to-day running of her eponymous fashion label, it’s also forced her to sacrifice other more personal things, like spending time with her siblings, and going for sessions at the gym.
‘I go for runs on Saturdays but I work out very infrequently,’ Ivanka, who was a regular visitor to the gym in her New York building, explained. But, she said, the opportunity to work so closely with her father makes it all worthwhile.
As well as lamenting the many sacrifices involved in her family’s move to Washington, Ivanka also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Jared, praising him for coping with a hectic working life while also finding time to fulfill his duties as a parent.
‘My husband has incredibly long hours,’ she explained, before adding: ‘We wake up around 5am to get as much done as we can before the kids wake around 7am. We eat breakfast as a family every morning. Jared, albeit, is taking his toast and running out the door.’
However the tough working hours don’t appear to have put a damper on the couple’s relationship.
‘[Jared] is my best friend. He’s the kindest, smartest, most thoughtful person I know,’ Ivanka gushed. ‘When I’m down he always knows it and he’s going to reinforce me.’
The couple certainly seems to be managing the co-parenting balance well, managing to work out a schedule that allows them to spend time with their kids and meet their commitments at the White House.
Dad duties: Jared was spotted leaving the family’s Washington, D.C. home this morning with his son Joseph, holding the three-year-old’s backpack in his hand
Fun: The 36-year-old father headed out in a suit and tie, his business attire contrasting with the bright colors of Joseph’s backpack, which seemed to be adorned with red and blue cars
Ready for PE? The little boy walked a few feet away from his father, dressed in a sweater, Nike pants, and sneakers for his day of school
Mother and daughter: Meanwhile, Ivanka left about 10 minutes later with their six-year-old daughter Arabella via a blacked-out SUV
On Wednesday Jared was spotted leaving the family’s D.C. home with their son Joseph, holding the three-year-old’s backpack. Meanwhile, Ivanka left about 10 minutes later with their six-year-old daughter Arabella via a blacked-out SUV.
Jared was all smiles as he and Joseph headed out for the day. The little boy walked a few feet away from his father, dressed in a sweater, Nike pants, and sneakers for his day of school.
His father headed out in a suit and tie, his business attire contrasting slightly with the bright colors of Joseph’s backpack, which seemed to be adorned with red and blue cars.
Ivanka and Arabella were hidden by the blacked-out windows of the Secret Service vehicle as they headed out for the day.
Yesterday, the First Daughter made her usual trip from the front door of her home to her car, as always attended by a bevy of photographers who snapped her picture as she smiled and stepped into the Secret Service SUV.
She seemed to be sticking with the mod theme she has been trying out this week, mixing plaid pants and a snug top with a wide cut-out across her chest.
Ivanka added a pop of color with low pointy-toe slingbacks, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and slipped on a pair of large hoop earrings, making for a decidedly ’60s look.
The First Daughter seems to be committing to this ’60s theme this week, as she wore a similarly retro outfit on Monday.
Event: The First Daughter said that, while she misses being an entrepreneur and having the freedom of running her own business, she feels what she does now is ‘more important’
Leaving her house, she was seen sporting a bright yellow sweater with a crew neck, which she paired with a plaid skirt with a slit.
She wore her hair in loose curls around her shoulders, which she pushed back to show off the most eye-catching element of her look: a pair of oversized earrings several inches wide and long.
Her heels, too, were an unusual choice for the First Daughter: though black and understated in the front, they featured a trendy clear heel.
Ivanka and Jared both came under fire last week along with his wife for using private email addresses to conduct official business.
Jared is among six White House officials who discussed White House matters using private email addresses, along with Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, the New York Times reported citing ‘current and former’ officials.
As for Ivanka, she used a private account to communicate with a government official while working as an unofficial adviser in the early days of her father’s administration, Newsweek wrote.
Last week, their accounts were re-routed from a server hosted by Microsoft to two housed at the Trump Organization after coming under public scrutiny,USA Today reported yesterday.