Ivanka Trump to stump for dad, Donald Trump in Tampa ‘fireside chat’

Ivanka Trump will be in Tampa for a 'fireside chat’ this week. Image via AP.

Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter and an advisor, is traveling to Tampa Thursday for a “fireside chat” with her father’s supporters, the President’s campaign announced Tuesday.

“Florida holds a special place in my heart and I am excited to visit Tampa once again to support my father’s campaign,” Trump said. “The President has fought for Florida priorities, including combatting human trafficking, lowering prescription drug costs, increased access to childcare, cutting taxes for hardworking families, and prioritizing our great military. President Trump will continue to be a champion for the people of Florida in his second term!”

Details about the visit are sparse. The Trump campaign did not say exactly where the event will be, only that it is at noon in Tampa. Vikki Brill, chief of staff for Sen. Joe Gruters, will also participate.

Fireside chats first began under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the early 1930s through 1944. During those addresses, Roosevelt addressed millions of Americans over the radio to quell tensions related to the recession, New Deal initiatives and World War II.

President Trump and his surrogates, many of whom his own children, have been, even before the COVID-19 pandemic landed on American soil, hosting fireside chats to address various issues in his presidency including his impeachment.

Ivanka Trump’s appearance in Tampa is part of a massive swing state effort to ramp up support ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Florida is considered a must-win for Trump who is down in national polls and in a statistical dead heat with former Vice President Joe Biden in Florida polls.

Both candidates have been targeting the Sunshine State, making plays for the Hispanic vote, which is prevalent in Tampa and South Florida. Biden was in Kissimmee for a Hispanic voter outreach event Tuesday night.

Strategists hope Trump can over-perform among Hispanic voters to put a dent in voting demographics to help carry Trump to victory in Florida this fall.

The Florida Democratic Party, responding to Ivanka Trump’s planned visit to Tampa, said she lied about her father’s accomplishments.

“It’s sad that Ivanka Trump can’t talk about the president’s time in the White House without making stuff up,” said Frances Swanson, FDP spokesperson. “Here in reality, Donald Trump hasn’t come close to achieving any of what Ivanka’s claimed — in fact, drug prices have risen, Trump’s tax scam will end up raising taxes for 3.6 million Floridians, and he’s actively undermined protections for trafficking victims. Donald Trump will lose this election because he failed to deliver on his promises and then spent months gaslighting Floridians instead of getting the job done. A smoke and mirrors visit for an aptly named ‘fireside chat’ with the president’s daughter isn’t going to change the fact that Donald Trump’s inability to lead has strapped this state with the worst health and economic crises on record.”