Ivanka Trump boldly opposes family separation a month after her father reversed the policy


Ivanka Trump is taking some stances against her presidential father — some of which might be coming a little too late.
At an Axios event Thursday, Trump boldly claimed she doesn't believe the media is "the enemy of the people," which is how President Trump often describes the press. She also came out as "vehemently against family separation," more than a month after the president walked back the policy put in place by Attorney General Jeff Sessions this spring.
Axios' Mike Allen started his talk with Trump by asking about the separation of children and parents at the border. The much-derided policy was a "low point," Trump said, declaring her strong opposition to it. Trump stopped short of truly expanding on her views, instead describing how, as the daughter of an immigrant — her mother Ivana was born in the Czech Republic — she experiences this "incredibly complex" topic "in a very emotional way."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump's braver statement came when Allen asked if, like the president, Trump believes the media is "the enemy of the people." "No, I do not," Trump succinctly answered, bringing on a chorus of laughs that moved her to elaborate. As the occasional subject of inaccurate reporting, Trump said she has "some sensitivity around why people have concerns and gripe, especially when they feel targeted." But "no," she said, she does not agree with her father's very common criticism.
Watch Trump's responses below. Kathryn Krawczyk
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Alcatraz: America's most infamous prison
The Explainer Donald Trump wants to re-open notorious 'escape-proof' jail for 'most ruthless and violent prisoners' in the US
-
The best historical fiction of 2025
The Week Recommends Let these compelling tales whisk you away to another century
-
Taz Sarhane's mallard with pine nut sauce and boulangère potatoes
The Week Recommends Bold duck, crispy potatoes and silky pine-nut sauce come together in this earthy yet refined dish
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment
-
Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law
speed read A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal
-
Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role
speed read President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
-
Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction
speed read The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported
-
Trump says he could bring back Ábrego García but won't
Speed Read At a rally to mark his 100th day in office, the president doubled down on his unpopular immigration and economic policies
-
Canada's Liberals, Carney win national election
Speed Read The party of Prime Minister Mark Carney beat Conservative Pierre Poilievre thanks in part to Trump's trade war