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Trump Got ‘Incredibly Close’ to Installing Ivanka as World Bank President, Says Report

Trump argued at the time that his daughter deserved the role “because she’s very good with numbers.”

In January 2019, when the World Bank’s Jim Yong Kim abruptly announced his resignation, then-President Donald Trump was tasked with identifying a well-qualified candidate to fill the top role. According to a new report, he landed on his daughter Ivanka, and got terrifyingly close to getting his wish. The Intercept reports that Trump was adamant that Ivanka would be the perfect replacement despite her complete lack of experience or relevant skill. And it could have happened if Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin didn’t step in to block the appointment. “It came incredibly close to happening,” one unnamed source told the site. The report throws doubt on Ivanka’s claim from April 2019 that she turned down the job of World Bank head because she was “happy with the work” she’s doing as White House adviser. Trump argued at the time that Ivanka was the best candidate “because she’s very good with numbers.”