A video of Ivanka Trump surfing has gone viral on social media, sparking jokes and memes, after she tried to dodge a court appearance over claims it would create childcare problems.
The former president's daughter is a witness in her father's $250 million civil fraud trial in which he and his adult sons Eric and Donald Jr. are accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of inflating the value of his assets to secure financial benefits such as more-favorable loan terms. Trump has denied wrongdoing.
Earlier this month, Ivanka Trump, who was initially a co-defendant in the trial, but is now a witness, made a request to pause her testimony because she would face "undue hardship" as it was scheduled on a Wednesday "in the middle of a school week." But an appeals court denied her request, sparking jokes on social media from people who suggested she should find a babysitter.
On Monday, these jokes were sparked once more after the Republican's daughter shared an image of herself surfing on a wave simulator while on vacation in the Bahamas after the Thanksgiving holiday.
While she also uploaded a photo of her younger son, Theodore, seven, playing on the fake waves at the waterpark, people joked on social media that she had found a babysitter after all.
Newsweek contacted representatives for Ivanka Trump by email to comment on this story.
Adam Parkhomenko, a Democratic political strategist wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Guess she found a babysitter."
"I can't stop laughing because apparently she did find a babysitter and then wiped out," wrote another X user.
Another said: "No school this week?"
"Guess she found a babysitter," wrote another X user.
Meanwhile, others mocked her for being thrown off the board by the wave, which is known as wiping out.
"Wait until you see how badly her dad wipes out in federal court," one user said.
In September, Judge Arthur Engoron issued a partial summary in the civil trial, stating that they had committed fraud. He ruled that Trump had grossly inflated the value of his assets to obtain more favorable terms from lenders and insurers.
The court will decide on six other accusations, including falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy claims, as well as decide how much he must pay in damages.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who is the frontrunner in the Republican primaries, is also facing four criminal indictments, with 91 charges in total.
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Kate Plummer is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. politics and national affairs, and ... Read more
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