Donald Trump has defended a decision to have his daughter briefly sit in for him at a table with world leaders at an international summit.
A Russian delegate tweeted a photo of Ivanka Trump in her father’s seat at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Saturday, sparking criticism from those who felt the move was inappropriate.
But German chancellor Angela Merkel brushed it off, saying it was perfectly normal.
Trump tweeted Monday: “When I left Conference Room for short meetings with Japan and other countries, I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees!”
Soon afterward, he argued: “If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother, as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES!”
Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Hillary and Bill Clinton, later replied: “It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not.”
In the UK, prime minister Theresa May said it was “entirely reasonable” that Trump had allowed his daughter to take his seat at the negotiating table. To jeers from MPs in the House of Commons, one of whom shouted “pull the other one”, the prime minister justified the move by stressing that Ivanka Trump had led a session on female entrepreneurship earlier in the day during a World Bank initiative.
Donald Trump Jr also came under fire this weekend, for agreeing to meet with a Kremlin-linked lawyer during the 2016 campaign after being promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
Anushka Asthana and the Associated Press contributed to this report
