Report: Ivanka Was Finalizing Japanese Business Deal During Abe Meeting

Ivanka Trump was reportedly in the middle of finalizing a Japanese business deal for her clothing line when she sat in on a meeting between her father, President-elect Donald Trump, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last month. According to The New York Times, the meeting with Abe happened at the same time a meeting was underway in Tokyo between Ivanka’s clothing line and Sanei International, whose largest shareholder is owned by the Japanese government. Ivanka’s presence at the meeting with abe—Trump’s first face-to-face with a foreign leader—raised eyebrows and further fueled concerns about Trump’s ability to separate the presidency from his business. While there’s no evidence to suggest Ivanka met with Abe to push her business deal through, the Times report highlights the possible conflicts of interest inherent in a Trump presidency. Trump announced last week that he would leave his business behind to “fully focus on running the country,” though it remains to be seen how he intends to do that.