Trump defends Ivanka role at G-20, suggests Chelsea Clinton held to different standard

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Democrats blast Ivanka Trump for sitting in for her father

Political panel reacts on 'Fox & Friends'

President Trump on Monday defended his decision to have his daughter Ivanka sit in his place during a G-20 meeting last week -- calling the move "standard" and suggesting Chelsea Clinton never would have faced such criticism subbing for her mother.

Ivanka Trump's role at the G-20 caused a social media frenzy after a photo surfaced showing her sitting beside British Prime Minister Theresa May and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump critics mocked the president for letting his daughter represent him on the world stage.

But President Trump fired back on Monday.

“When I left Conference Room for short meetings with Japan and other countries, I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees!” he tweeted, followed by a hypothetical.

“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!”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel indeed defended Ivanka on Saturday, saying it was “very well known” that she worked at the White House and was “engaged in certain initiatives.”

Trump Counselor Kellyanne Conway also noted on “Fox & Friends” that Ivanka Trump is an adviser at the White House.

“This is an administration with Ivanka Trump’s help that’s empowering women in the workforce, trying to get child care tax credit and family leave through the tax code to help families struggling making those obligations met,” Conway said, adding that Ivanka has been encouraging other nations to invest money in these programs as well. “That’s the news coming out of this, not the fact that she did a standard thing by taking her father’s seat—the president’s seat—for a short time.”

Chelsea Clinton responded to the president’s tweet later Monday morning saying: "Good morning Mr. President. It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not."