Donald Trump claims Ivanka drove him 'crazy' over Child Tax Credit during his White House term

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump recently revealed at a Fox News town hall that his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, drove him "crazy" to address the Child Tax Credit during his presidency.

Speaking on a panel hosted by Harris Faulkner, a single mother named Rachel shared her struggles with affording child care after breaking her neck last year. She asked the GOP presidential nominee how he planned to help make raising children more affordable.

In response, Trump reminisced about Ivanka's tireless advocacy for the Child Tax Credit while serving as a senior adviser in the White House.

He shared, "You've never heard of Ivanka, right? Ivanka? My daughter drove me crazy on this. You know I gave you the largest tax cuts in the history of our country. She was driving me crazy. Then I did it, and I got it just about done. 'Dad you've got to double it up.'"

Donald Trump highlights 2017 Child Tax Credit success but offers few details on future plans

Though Donald Trump emphasized his administration's efforts, including doubling the Child Tax Credit in 2017 from $1,000 to $2,000 a child, he admitted there were still gaps, particularly for lower-income families. While the Biden administration expanded it in 2021, efforts to make the changes permanent failed.

Trump reiterated that Ivanka "got it started" and defended the credits as a Republican initiative, saying, "Those were not the Democrat credits." 

Despite outlining these past achievements, Trump remained vague about his future plans, offering no specific details on how he would enhance the Child Tax Credit or address the ongoing child care crisis in the nation. 

Rachel, visibly nervous during the town hall, revealed her own financial hardships, noting her Child Tax Credit had decreased by 80%, while daycare costs remained as high as $1,400 per child each month. Struggling to hold back her anxiety, she confessed, "I'm having a panic attack right now," as she finished her question.

Donald Trump struggles to stay on topic of child care costs amid growing crisis

Donald Trump has consistently faced challenges when addressing child care affordability on the campaign trail, often diverting the conversation to other topics like tax cuts for companies.

Last month, the MAGA spearhead delivered a meandering response when questioned about prioritizing child care legislation at the Economic Club of New York, as per Daily Mail.

He began by referencing Ivanka before shifting the conversation to taxing foreign nations. Later in his reply, Trump downplayed the significance of child care costs, stating they are relatively low compared to other economic concerns.

"I want to stay with child care, but those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that I’m talking about, including growth, but growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just — that I just told you about," said the former president.