Ivanka Trump Opens Up On Her Time In Her Father's First Administration: 'I Wasn't Prepared'

President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter took an outsized role in his first term, but eight years later she’s conspicuously absent from the goings-on of the Oval Office.

In a new interview, Ivanka Trump shared some details from her experience in the White House and why she’s decided to put that chapter of her life in the rear view.

According to the Daily Caller:

“I worked as hard as I could and I’m incredibly proud of what I was able to accomplish in those four years and I don’t regret it in any way,” she told Bartlett. “I left it all in the field.”

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As for the overall experience, Trump admitted, “I wasn’t prepared for — you’re not prepared for any of it. There’s nothing that trains you for the experience.”

Trump spoke of the toll that political life took on her family. “It’s a sacrifice to my children and its hard work,” she said.

“I feel both incredibly privileged for the opportunity, but also, I don’t have what they refer to as Potomac Fever. You know, there’s some people that once they have the experience of being in those rooms and close to that type of power, they just hang around the hoop, constantly like cycling back in.”

Her remarks drew some attention on social media, including from interviewer Steven Bartlett:

What is it like to grow up in one of the most talked about families in the world?

Well, today’s guest is Ivanka Trump – someone who’s lived much of her life in the public eye, from childhood through business, and all the way to the White House.

From a young age, her life was… pic.twitter.com/ElynuBcoJZ

— Steven Bartlett (@StevenBartlett) April 9, 2026

Here’s the full text from his post:

What is it like to grow up in one of the most talked about families in the world?

Well, today’s guest is Ivanka Trump – someone who’s lived much of her life in the public eye, from childhood through business, and all the way to the White House.

From a young age, her life was anything but normal. She grew up surrounded by media attention and moments that most people could never relate to.

At just nine years old, she was dealing with reporters outside her school during her parents’ divorce – an experience she says shaped how she saw trust and the world around her.

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As she got older, that pressure didn’t go away. She built a career in real estate before stepping into government and working at the highest level during one of the most intense political periods in recent history.

I found myself coming back to something we discussed around how living under that kind of scrutiny forces you to get really clear on who you are, because if you don’t, the world will define it for you.

And a lot of this conversation comes back to that idea.

Being intentional with your time and your decisions, and even what you allow into your mind, because without that, it’s very easy to get pulled in a direction that isn’t really yours.

I wanted to know:

– How do you grow up under constant public scrutiny?
– What does pressure actually do to a person over time?
– How do you know who to trust when you’re in the spotlight?
– What is power really like behind closed doors?

There’s a moment where she reflects on how, for a long time, protecting herself meant building walls and not trusting people, but over time she realised those same walls can stop you from having real connection.

Let me know your thoughts after watching this one.

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Ivanka Trump also shared her thoughts:

This conversation meant a lot to me.

On @thediaryoface, I opened up with @StevenBartlett about some of life’s more defining moments: loss, growth, and the perspective that comes from navigating both.

We talked about creativity, love, boundaries, building, parenting and what…

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) April 10, 2026

Meanwhile, her husband, Jared Kushner, is still a key figure in President Trump’s Middle East strategy:

US Vice President JD Vance, along with senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Islamabad for peace talks with Iran. pic.twitter.com/vkXTLL2Wwu

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) April 11, 2026

Ivanka Trump shared her thoughts on a range of other topics, as Fox News reported:

Ivanka Trump grew visibly emotional at several points during the interview, pausing to compose herself as she reflected on her mother’s sudden death after a fall in 2022 at age 73.

“Losing a parent — it hits differently,” she said, noting the impact of the loss on her and her family.

She added that her family continues to keep her mother’s memory alive through stories and shared experiences.

Ivana Trump, born in 1949, was the first wife of President Donald Trump. The couple had three children together and divorced in the early 1990s.

The former White House advisor also spoke about her grandmother, who helped raise her and now lives with her family in Florida.

And later in the same article:

The interview also touched on a traumatic moment involving her father.

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She recalled watching in real time as President Trump was shot during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.

She said she was at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, at the time. She was by the pool with two of her children when the frightening incident was broadcast in real time on TV.

“I was horrified, and I was scared. And I was protective of my children,” she said.

Despite the shock over the shooting, Ivanka Trump said she felt certain her father would survive the attack.

Here’s the full interview: