Donald Trump Needs Ivanka On This Important Issue

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may be all kinds of controversial, but at least he's got his daughter Ivanka. For years, Ivanka Trump has served as a valuable member of her family's organization, while simultaneously building a brand for herself as a successful businesswoman and working mother. With the race of his life ahead of him against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Trump could need Ivanka on the campaign trail more than in the boardroom.

Trump has said before that Ivanka is a trusted adviser to his presidential campaign. She has accompanied him to campaign events, she attended several of his debates, and she even introduced him back at his campaign kickoff event last year. In each instance, she does more than counter his outspoken demeanor. She also represents an audience he has been criticized for failing (and one which Clinton seems to have a pretty clear shot of winning): women.

Whether Ivanka actually helps her father appeal to female voters or not isn't entirely clear. As a trusted member of the candidate's inner circle, though, it's probably not too much of a stretch to think that she could have some influence over his political positions. If that's the case, then issues like paid family leave and support for working mothers could get a little more complicated for Trump.

Ivanka's Women Who Work initiative is all about supporting women in the workplace. Through the initiative, Ivanka highlights the work of inspirational women and creates content which empowers women to feel more comfortable, more driven, more of whatever they want to feel at work and in life. On Tuesday, Ivanka (or, more likely, her staff) tweeted about a topic that she knows a thing or two about: returning to work after having a baby. Ivanka gave birth to her third child, a son named Theodore, in March. She often posts about balancing her life as a mother and her busy career on her social media profiles.

To compare, her father has spoken less positively about women for much of his campaign and public life. For instance, in October, Trump told a Fox News host that the U.S. should be "careful" about offering paid family leave, suggesting that it could hurt the country's competitiveness. Last July, an attorney who deposed Trump for a 2011 lawsuit told CNN that Trump had called her disgusting after she asked for a break to pump her breast milk. In a 2004 interview with NBC's Dateline, Trump called pregnancy a "wonderful thing for the woman" but "an inconvenience for a business." If you think 2004 is too long ago for a relevant example, consider that earlier in June, The Boston Globe reported that Trump's campaign paid women less than men.

When it comes to finding a woman's perspective on issues like family leave and workplace equality, perhaps Trump should look no further than his own daughter. In addition to serving as executive vice president of the Trump Organization, Ivanka has built a brand for herself — which includes work and family — and a platform for empowering working women. Now if only he let her run his notorious Twitter account.