Tuesday at Trump Tower in New York City, real estate mogul Donald Trump was introduced by his daughter, Ivanka Trump, before his 2016 Republican presidential campaign announcement.
The younger Trump praised her father’s work ethic, passion and respect for tradition.
Transcript as follows:
Welcome everybody. Today I have the honor of introducing a man who needs no introduction. His legend has been built and his accomplishments are too many to name. That man is my father. Most people strive their entire lives to achieve great success in a single field. My father has succeeded in many. At the highest level and on a global scale. He’s enjoyed success in a vast diversity of industries because the common denominator is him—his vision, his brilliance, his passion, his work ethic and his refusal to take no for an answer.
I’ve enjoyed the good fortune of working alongside my father for 10 years now and I’ve seen these principles in action daily. I remember him telling me when I was a little girl, ‘Ivanka, if you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well be thinking big.’ And that’s how he approaches any task that he undertakes. He thinks big. My father has employed tens of thousands of people throughout his career and he has inspired them to do extraordinary things. He has the strength to make hard decisions, and motivate those around him to achieve the impossible. He is an optimist who chases big dreams and sees potential where others do not. He leads by example and will outwork anyone in any room. My father is the opposite of politically correct. He says what he means, and he means what he says.
He is also the best negotiator I have ever met. Countless times I’ve stood by his side and watched him make deals that seem to impossible to get done. He has the discernment to understand what the other party means and the commitment to get exactly what he wants. My father knows how to be a fierce opponent, but also how to be a very loyal friend. When it comes to building bridges, he can do so figuratively, but also has the rare ability to do so literally, on time and under budget.
Throughout his career my father has been repeatedly called upon by local and federal government to step in and save long stalled grossly over budget public projects. Whether it’s building a skating rink in the heart of Central Park, meticulously restoring the exterior facade of Grand Central Terminal, enabling the development of New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, creating a championship public golf course for the city of New York, or redeveloping the iconic but totally underutilized old post office building on Pennsylvania Avenue and the heart of Washington, D.C., my father succeeds time and time again where government has failed before him.
I consider myself fortunate to have learned from the best, both as an entrepreneur and as a parent. My father is a man who is deeply grounded in tradition, raised my siblings and me to work hard and to strive for excellence in all that we do. He taught us that we have a responsibility to make a positive contribution to society. Here today, my father is again leading me by example. My generation finds itself at a crossroads. Our leadership has been mired in bureaucracy of its own creation. If we don’t adapt politically and economically, our country will be left behind to address the many challenges we face. We don’t need talk, we need action, we need execution. We need someone who is bold and independent, with a proven track record of successfully creating and building large and complex and complicated organizations, and in the process enabling many, many Americans to better their lives. I can tell you that there’s no better person than my father to have in your corner when you’re facing tough opponents or making hard decisions. He is battle tested. He is a dreamer, but perhaps more importantly he is a doer. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you today a man who I have loved and respected my entire life, my father, Donald Trump.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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