Ivanka says she’s developed a greater appreciation for her father as she has become a parent herself.
“The 14-year-old Ivanka loved her father very much but didn’t realize just how great he was,” she says. “The parent Ivanka appreciates him all the more. Now that I’m a parent I realize how difficult it is. He was tough, firm, but always available to us.”
Already, her four-year-old daughter Arabella has been learning of her grandfather’s high standards.
“My daughter saw a pothole and said, ‘Grandpa would not like that,’ ” Ivanka recalls with a laugh. “The fact that my daughter sees a crack and says that would be unacceptable to grandpa is a testament to the fact that she has observed him time and time again walking job sites, pushing the team to do the very best.”
And, after two difficult divorces, Trump’s kids credit him for maintaining great relationships with both ex wives – and fostering closeness among the kids.
