The first daughter was seen alongside the president at a UFC fight on Saturday, June 7, at the Prudential Center, sparking speculation about a renewed political partnership. The outing included Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son Eric, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the Irish Star.
Notably absent was Elon Musk, previously viewed by some as Trump’s informal “heir” figure — a perceived “conscious uncoupling,” as the expert put it. “It was once Ivanka appearing as Trump’s anointed and even FLOTUS-by-proxy,” said body language expert Judi James, reflecting on Ivanka’s prominence during Trump’s first term in office.
“During Trump’s first term in office, it was always only Ivanka by his side, sharing the spotlight and gaining the approval signals from her father as she posed in ‘corporate power-mode,’ launching herself on the world stage as a political leader-in-waiting,” James noted.
James also contrasted Ivanka’s early prominence with the growing public appreciation of former First Lady Melania Trump during the administration’s later years.
“There was a slow realization of the real FLOTUS’s worth. Melania was popular and admired and her body language and her charisma seemed to radiate the kind of ethereal elegance that Trump was sadly lacking,” she said.
Following her father’s departure from the White House, Ivanka largely stepped out of the spotlight, appearing only sporadically and with a notable shift in personal style.
“Ivanka faded from view once Trump left the White House and, with a court appearance in her diary, she seemed to switch the power-posturing and appear in several different guises like Barbie, from ‘rock-chick’ to ‘surfer gal,’” James remarked.
However, Ivanka’s recent reappearance suggests a shift in dynamics, particularly as Melania Trump’s public presence remains limited but impactful.
“Her White House official portrait showed her posing and dressed as a CEO, in full power and confidence mode,” James said of Melania. “When she and Trump have appeared together, their non-verbal bonding signals look fiercer, and there have been rituals that have suggested affection and even flirtation.”
James added that while Melania is often portrayed as Trump’s equal, “these new photos suggest that Ivanka is back on the scene.”
According to James, Donald Trump appeared highly receptive to Ivanka’s presence. “He looks very agreeable with this new dynamic, face-gazing Ivanka and even indulging in what looks like a private, whispered and intimate conversation as though he now treats her as a confidant.”
She concluded with an observation of physical closeness and intent: “In one pic she has her hand on her father’s back… a gesture of affection but also of control and protection.”