Ivanka Trump says the US can learn so much from the American athletes who have just finished competing at the Winter Olympics after she visited Pyeongchang to lead the presidential delegation at the closing ceremony.
The First Daughter spent Sunday cheering on Team USA at various events before mingling with medal winners and making friends with the children of competitors prior to the closing ceremony.
She honored the athletes by saying they represent the ‘best of American spirit’.
‘We have so much as a country we can learn from these incredible athletes’ spirit, and unity and tenacity and grit and sports woman-ship, I’m going to go with, but so really they represent the best of American spirit,’ she said in an NBC interview set to air on Sunday night.
Ivanka Trump honored the Tean USA athletes in Pyeongchang saying they represent the ‘best of American spirit’ and that the US could learn so much from them
The First Daughter spent Sunday cheering on Team USA at various events before mingling with medal winners prior to the closing ceremony
Ivanka had earlier said the trip had been ‘so incredibly inspiring’ and expressed gratitude at the chance to watch competition and – in a subtle nod to Korean Peninsula politics – ‘be here with our allies in South Korea’.
She spent part of Sunday morning watching the US team compete in the bobsled competition and meeting with athletes, including American bobsled silver medalist Lauren Gibbs – who offered Trump a taste of Olympic glory by letting the first daughter try on her hardware.
‘I feel like this almost is like trying on someone’s wedding band. Am I allowed?’ Ivanka said before Gibbs placed the medal around her neck.
‘That is so cool,’ the First Daughter added as they posed together for a photo.
Trump also met with the family of bobsledder Nathan Weber, who competed Sunday, and chatted briefly and took pictures with US lugers Taylor Morris and Matt Mortensen, telling them their sport was ‘wild.’
She gave the three athletes presidential challenge coins and thanked Morris and Mortensen, both sergeants in the US Army, for their service.
Among Trump’s other weekend sports sojourns: watching speedskating and Big Air competitions, and seeing the Americans take gold in curling on Saturday night.
Trump had previously said she was in Pyeongchang to support Team USA athletes, but politics was an unavoidable ingredient for an adviser and daughter of a president.
Olympian Lauren Gibbs places her silver medal around Ivanka’s neck on Sunday
Ivanka said: ‘I feel like this almost is like trying on someone’s wedding band’ when Gibbs let the first daughter try on silver medal
Ivanka watched the bobsled competition with the daughters of Team USA bobsledder Nathan Weber on Sunday morning
Trump also posed with US athletes Taylor Morris (left), Matt Mortensen (center) and Lauren Gibbs (far right) on Sunday prior to the closing ceremony
At the closing ceremony on Sunday, Ivanka was seated near North Korean General Kim Yong Chol in a VIP area in the arena.
Ivanka did not interact with Kim.
She shook hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and sat next to Moon’s wife.
Moon had an hour-long meeting with Kim ahead of the closing ceremony, in which the North Korean delegation said Pyeongchang was willing to talk to Washington.
The North, which carried out multiple missile tests last year, including those capable of reaching the US mainland, has long expressed its desire to talk to Washington without preconditions.
But the US says it must first take concrete steps towards disarming.
Washington imposed fresh sanctions on Friday, with Donald Trump describing them as the heaviest ever. Pyeongchangdenounced them on Sunday just as Moon was meeting Kim.
In Seoul on Friday night with the South Korean President, Ivanka said she would use her visit to push for joint efforts by the US and South Korea to apply maximum pressure on North Korea.
US Vice President Mike Pence attended the games’ opening ceremony two weeks ago and sat in the same VIP box as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, but did not interact with her.
Ivanka watches the men’s snowboard big air event with Kim Jung-sook, the wife of South Korean President Moon Jae-in
Ivanka held another Olympian’s child as she watched the men’s curling final beside Team USA curler Becca Hamilton on Saturday night
During the closing ceremony, Ivanka interacted with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (right) and his wife (left) but did not speak to the North Korean general seated behind her
Ivanka was seated in front of North Korean General Kim Yong Chol in a VIP area in the arena.