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Ivanka “I Try To Stay Out Of Politics” Trump Will Lead A U.S. Delegation In India Next Year

by Bronwyn Isaac
Win McNamee/Getty Images News/Getty Images

On Thursday, President Trump announced that his oldest daughter, Ivanka, will lead the U.S. delegation to India for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in November. The announcement was made Thursday afternoon when both Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the plan on Twitter.

"[Ivanka Trump] will lead the U.S. delegation to India this fall, supporting women’s entrepreneurship globally," wrote Trump. The decision was also confirmed by Prime Minister Modi on his personal Twitter, where he expressed excitement for Ivanka's role in the upcoming summit.

"Look forward to Ms. Ivanka Trump’s presence at #GES 2017 Hyderabad as the leader of the US delegation," wrote Modi.

This fall's summit will last three days, with the objective of helping connect American investors and entrepreneurs with international partners and startups. In the past, it's been hosted by the U.S. State Department. However, this year, the United States and India will co-host the summit in Hydearabad.

While the first daughter's position at the conference was officially announced on Thursday, Modi initially invited President Trump and Ivanka to lead the U.S. delegation to the summit back in June, when he was stateside for a meeting. The invitation was made during a meeting with Trump in the White House Rose Garden, while the world leaders talked about growing their respective economies.

While this move certainly marks an ethically questionable delegation of responsibility to a close family member of the president, it certainly isn't the first time Ivanka has accepted White House responsibilities that would normally be allotted to experienced officials.

In early July, Ivanka sat in for Trump at the G-20 summit when her father briefly stepped out. During Trump's short absence, Ivanka joined the table and struck up conversation with Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank.

Some critiqued Ivanka's action, pointing out the fact that typically, the replacement of heads of state in those situations falls on government officials. Others present, however, defended the authority of the president's daughter. "Ivanka Trump was part of the American delegation, so that is something that other delegations also do, and it is very well known that she works in the White House and that she is also engaged in certain initiatives," Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany told reporters.

Regardless of where you sit when it comes to Ivanka's involvement in government, her career in the White House appears to be steadily chugging along.

On Thursday afternoon the president's daughter announced her excitement to lead the fall summit. "Honored to lead the US delegation to #GES2017 in India [and] meet with Prime Minister Modi [and] passionate entrepreneurs from around the globe!" she wrote.