Trump Attacks Nordstrom Using Presidential Office to Promote Daughter Ivanka's Business After Brand Dropped

President Trump used his official presidential Twitter account on February 8, 2017, to attack Nordstrom department store for dropping daughter Ivanka Trump’s clothing and shoe line, writing: “My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person — always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!” Trump posted the message on both his personal account and the official @POTUS government account.

Nordstrom had announced on February 2, 2017, that it would discontinue Ivanka Trump’s line due to declining sales, stating: “Over the past year, and particularly in the last half of 2016, sales of the brand have steadily declined to the point where it didn’t make good business sense for us to continue.” The decision followed a successful “Grab Your Wallet” boycott campaign organized by anti-Trump activists targeting retailers carrying Trump family products.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer defended Trump’s attack, calling Nordstrom’s business decision a “direct attack on his policies” and claiming Trump had “every right to stand up for his family.” This absurd characterization framed a private company’s routine merchandising decision as a political attack requiring presidential retaliation.

Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter told CNBC that Trump’s tweet constituted “the use of public office for private gain,” a clear violation of ethics standards prohibiting government officials from using their positions to benefit private financial interests. Trump’s attack demonstrated he viewed the presidency as a tool to protect and promote his family’s business empire rather than serving the public interest.

Nordstrom’s stock actually rose 4% after Trump’s attack, as the company gained positive publicity for standing up to presidential intimidation. One day after Nordstrom’s announcement, Neiman Marcus also removed Ivanka Trump’s jewelry line from their website, signaling growing corporate willingness to distance from the Trump brand despite presidential retaliation threats.