Ivanka Trump is once again at the center of a storm of speculation about her future after an article suggested she was revamping her image while living in Miami, Florida, with a little help from paparazzi.
The businesswoman and eldest daughter of former President Donald Trump has long been rumored as a contender for office, perhaps even a bid for the White House, and her future became a focal point after her father's loss last year.
She trended for several hours on Twitter across Sunday and into the early hours of Monday after The Daily Beast published an article by style writer Alaina Demopoulos arguing that Trump's recent sartorial choices and activities suggested political ambitions.
Trump has not ruled out a return to politics, though she has, per Axios, decided not to challenge Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) in a primary. She reportedly wants her political re-emergence to center on criminal justice reform in order to cultivate a bipartisan appeal.
Unlike her brothers Donald Jr. and Eric, Ivanka has largely kept a low profile since exiting the White House, with no social media updates to date.
Tabloid outlets have published photographs of Ivanka Trump flanked by her children and husband Jared Kushner in Floridian vacation-like settings, such as beach outings, boating trips, and rounds on the golf course.
Demopoulos described Trump as "her own best publicist" and said she appears to be "in the midst of a precarious rebranding" after years of controversy around her father's presidency, culminating in his second impeachment after the Capitol riot.
Not everyone is on board with her alleged rehabilitation.
Ana Navarro-Cárdenas, a Republican strategist and vocal critic of Donald Trump, said Ivanka "should try rehabbing her soul and her humanity—assuming a spawn of Trump's is genetically capable of having a soul."
But Kimberly Klacik, a former Republican congressional candidate and a supporter of Trump, suggested Ivanka's critics might be motivated by jealousy.
"Does @IvankaTrump have an image problem or a hater problem?" Klacik tweeted. "She has a rich, powerful dad that loves her more than life. Too many people in this country can't relate & wish they could. Let's be honest."
Various members of the Trump family were rumored to be vying for future political careers on the heels of Donald Trump's tumultuous presidency.
Lara Trump, Eric's wife who has worked closely with her father-in-law, is reportedly considering a run for Senate representing her native North Carolina.
Family patriarch Donald Trump has himself hinted at another presidential bid in 2024. But Ivanka's name also keeps coming up.
"Ivanka only got into politics to help her father and help his agenda but what's now clear is that Ivanka is a political powerhouse in her own right," Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Donald Trump, told Politico in January.
Newsweek has asked Trump's office for comment.
