White House explains Ivanka Trump’s travel to New Jersey during Passover

Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter and senior adviser, is known as an advocate of social distancing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. But Ivanka herself broke federal guidelines advising against discretionary travel when she left Washington and traveled to New Jersey.

Ivanka Trump traveled with her husband Jared Kushner and their three kids to celebrate the first night of Passover, according to the NY Times. However, many noted that Ivanka’s travel is a violation of federal guidelines that urged the public to “avoid discretionary travel, shopping trips, and social visits.” The CDC also encouraged people in the tri-state area to “refrain from non-essential domestic travel” for at least two weeks, according to Indy100.

Ivanka received backlash when the story was made public. Millions of Americans had to endure not seeing their loved ones as they forgo traveling in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Ivanka -- with her immediate family -- celebrated Passover at a closed down facility considered to be a family home,” a White House official told CNN in a statement. “Her travel was no different than had she been traveling to/from work and the location was less populated than the surrounding area near her home in D.C.”

The official also explained that Ivanka practiced distance during her stay at the facility. “While at Bedminster she has been practicing social distancing and working remotely,” the official added. “Her travel was not commercial. She chose to spend a holiday in private with her family.”

Meanwhile, Ivanka later posted a suggestion for bored Americans who are staying at home. The senior White House advisor suggested that people can try making shadow puppets to beat the boredom during the COVID-19 lockdown, according to Salon.

“Looking for a Saturday-night activity?” Ivanka posted on Twitter. “Try making shadow puppets from Henry Bursill’s recently unearthed 1860s book of engraving.”

For those who are shadow puppets are, it is the shadow formed on the wall when a hand is placed in front of a light. By varying the hand’s position, one can change the shape of the shadow into different animals. In her post, Ivanka posted images on how to position the hands to make the images of a greyhound, a camel, a goat, and a goose.

Unfortunately, not everyone was pleased with Ivanka’s suggestion. In fact, some commented on her post and asked why she traveled to New Jersey despite the guidelines.