Ivanka Trump On $2 Trillion Coronavirus Stimulus Package: ‘President Had A Mandate’ To ‘Think Big And Swing For The Fences’

Senior Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump in an interview with Yahoo Finance discussed the $2 trillion fiscal stimulus package and the key role she played in advocating for small businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Small businesses employ close to 50% of the American workforce, and obviously are the most vulnerable from a cash flow situation and in these turbulent times.” Ivanka said to Yahoo Finance’s Sibile Marcellus Tuesday in a cyber interview from her office at the White House via Skype. “So we have been fighting for small business for a long time, but in this particular bill, in addition to all of the other relief-oriented elements that may help a small business owner individually or their family, there is over $350 billion in the form of loans, but they are really more grants than loans.”

She added, “What we are seeking to do is help bridge people. We were incredibly healthy economy, so we want to just bridge people until the world reopens. We want to get people through this horrible health crisis that was no fault of their own.”

Highlight: “When you think about businesses in America, a lot of people tend to think towards the big businesses,” @IvankaTrump says. “But the small businesses employ close to 50% of the American workforce and obviously are the most vulnerable from a cashflow situation.” pic.twitter.com/x0z8GOwXm0
— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) March 31, 2020

President Trump signed the historic economic stimulus package on Friday to provide financial emergency relief for for American families and businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. Ivanka praised the massive coronavirus stimulus package and touted the bill, stating all $2.2 trillion are “going directly to workers, frontline responders and small businesses.”

“The president had a mandate, which was to think big and swing for the fences,” Ivanka said. “And with these unprecedented times and with a forced closure of what was the healthiest economy ever, we thought big and this is $2.2 trillion of relief that’s going directly to workers, frontline responders and small businesses.”

The Senior Advisor said despite the federal government stepping in to help small businesses, individuals and the private sector can also do their part to help and encouraged people to think of “creative ways” in supporting local businesses.

“Individually, we all have a part to play in this, right,” Ivanka said. “So I think it’s really awesome to hear from so many people who are thinking about creative ways – those who have the means to do so — to support small business within their communities. Whether it’s pre-paying for a service that they know they’re going to avail themselves of sometime in the next 6 to 12 months.”

“I did it on a personal level with my local dry cleaner and my local florist, just to sort of assist in a small way during during this time. “So it’s really heartening to see that even people, you know, buying local produce and being really cognizant of that when they go to the grocery store to support farms and local protein and then freezing it. So there’s a lot we can do individually,” she shared.

On social distancing, Ivanka said she is currently working from home as often as possible and adhering to the federal social distancing guidelines.

“I’ve been doing everything I can,” Ivanka said. “I have been working from home when I can, coming in only when I need to. I’m doing as much telephonically as possible.”

She went on to discuss her personal experience that millions of parents are currently going through at time of working from home and taking care of their kids who are not in school, calling it a “tough balancing act.”

“I’ve got three young kids who are growing more restless by the day, which I’m sure is an experience, many of – pretty much every parent around the country is going through,” she said. “Juggling working from home and caring for kids who are out of school is a tough balancing act for millions of parents during this era of social distancing. So it’s a unique time but I’m trying to reframe all of it through the lens of the joy of having this family connectivity even if it’s sometimes toxic, and you know, on weekends and now in the evenings where normally we would have had a work-related commitment or something else, a school function.”

Ivanka added that during this extra time social distancing,” she is expanding her “own mind and explore things I normally wouldn’t have prioritized” such as rereading the classics and learning how to play the guitar.

“So I’ve got a Coursera free course going in Greek and Roman mythology,” Ivanka said, listing what she does to pass the time. “So I’m rereading ‘The Odyssey,’ and started to learn to play the guitar. And now I’m really working on it, as I sit with my kids and when they’re asleep or napping. That’s what I’m doing.”