Ivanka Trump to Take Part in Presidential Trip

WASHINGTON — 

Ivanka Trump will travel with the president to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Italy on his upcoming foreign trip, a White House official said.

A senior adviser to President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump will be present for six days of the nine-day trip, which begins Friday, the official said. She'll join her father for some events, but will also hold some of her own, the official said.

The official said that in Saudi Arabia, Ivanka Trump will take part in a roundtable discussion with Saudi women about women's economic issues. Ivanka Trump wants to hear about the challenges women in the country face and the progress they have made, the official said.

The person was not authorized to be quoted by name discussing the details of the plan in advance of the formal announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.

In Israel, Ivanka Trump - who converted to Judaism when she married husband Jared Kushner - will visit the Western Wall with the president. And in Rome, she will take part in a discussion about human trafficking with the Community of Sant'Egidio, an aid group with ties to the Vatican. She will also take part in a meeting with the Pope.

The meetings build on some issues the first daughter has already worked on at the White House. She has held meetings on women's economic empowerment and human trafficking.

This is the president's first international trip, but Ivanka Trump made a brief trip to Germany in April to appear on a panel at a conference dedicated to helping women in business.

The foreign trip comes amid tumult for the White House after a series of damaging reports, culminating with the appointment of a special counsel to probe ties between Russia and President Donald Trump's campaign and associates. Many White House aides have been hoping the trip will provide an opportunity for the young administration to refocus.

Ivanka Trump stepped away from running her clothing brand and from an executive role at the Trump Organization before she joined her father's administration as an unpaid adviser. She still owns the brand, which could be boosted by her high-profile stint at the White House.

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