Is Trump at the Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony?

Ivanka Trump speaks next to her father US President Donald Trump following a tour of the H
Ivanka Trump speaks next to her father US President Donald Trump following a tour of the H /
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The Closing Ceremony at the Olympics is not just a place for athletes, but world leaders as well. Ivanka Trump is attending, but will Donald Trump join her?

While the 2018 Olympics have largely went off without a hitch, it hasn’t been without controversy. The biggest ones, so far, have come from the Opening Ceremony.

North and South Korea marched together despite heavy backlash. It became even more politically charged when Vice President Mike Pence was seated next to Kim Jong-un’s sister and refused to stand during the playing of the North Korean national anthem. It was capped off by the appearance of a Kim Jong-un impersonator, who also found his way to a unified Korean hockey game.

Pence incurred the wrath of world leaders, as well as openly gay American athletes. Conversely, he criticized certain media outlets for “fawning over” Kim Jong-un’s sister at the Conservative Political Action Conference (or CPAC, for short).

Pence won’t be attending the Closing Ceremony, but someone else close to Donald Trump will be — her daughter Ivanka. She has already arrived in South Korea and has been seen dining with President Moon Jae-in and attending sporting events. Trump, as he often does, marked her arrival in Pyeongchang with a tweet:

We don’t know yet if Donald Trump will be joining her, but it’s highly unlikely. He just completed a speech at CPAC in which he announced new sanctions on North Korea. Considering the North Korean delegation and their cheerleaders will be back for the Closing Ceremony, it would be unwise for him to make an appearance.

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Several of Trump’s critics have questioned Ivanka’s appearance at the Olympics, since she’s not an elected official. But the hope is that she can avoid another international incident and that the Closing Ceremony can go off without a hitch.