Reuters
President Trump on Monday defended his daughter’s taking his seat at the Group of 20 summit, which was widely criticized over the weekend. The elder Trump tweeted, “When I left Conference Room for short meetings with Japan and other countries, I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees!” German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday did stand up for Ivanka Trump’s place at the table, arguing that “the delegations themselves decide, should the president not be present for a meeting, who will then take over and sit in the chair,” Merkel said. “Ivanka Trump was part and parcel of the American delegation, so that is something that other delegations also do. It’s very well known that she works at the White House and is also engaged in certain initiatives.” But Trump kept going Monday. He tweeted, “If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother, as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES!” Most criticism of the younger Trump’s participation in the high-level meetings focused on her lack of experience, not her name.