Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(PHILADELPHIA) — At the first of three campaign stops in Pennsylvania Thursday, Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, kept the focus on her view of her father as a “mentor,” declining to address the sexual assault allegations made against him in the past 24 hours.
In front of a crowd of local Republicans, the majority of whom were female, at a “Coffee with Ivanka” event outside of Philadelphia, Ivanka Trump stuck to comments detailing the campaign’s child care plan and discussed how she admired her father and sought to emulate him as a parent.
“My parents were strong, they were disciplinarians, both of them,” said Ivanka Trump, whose mother, Ivana, was Donald Trump’s first wife. “They didn’t tolerate rudeness, there was sort of an expectation of what was appropriate and … I think they raised us to be sensitive to that.”
The appearance by Donald Trump’s eldest daughter came as the candidate faces a wave of accusations from women claiming that the New York businessman touched them inappropriately. The New York Times, Palm Beach Post and People magazine all reported on the complaints Wednesday evening.
Ivanka Trump honed in on her father’s positive traits, framing him as a strong leader who helped many employees rise through the ranks of his company.
“There are a lot of people who manage people well, and there are other people who meet people and inspire people,” she said. “We have thousands of thousands of employees at the Trump organization and he sets these large and lofty goals but he also helps people realize them and he helps people grow into their full potential.”
Following the event, Ivanka Trump ignored questions from reporters seeking comment on the allegations.
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