Donald Trump says he considered his daughter Ivanka Trump to lead the World Bank

Donald Trump says Ivanka Trump is "a natural diplomat". Photo / AP

US President Donald Trump considered nominating his eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, to be president of the World Bank in part because "she's very good with numbers," according to a new interview published Friday.

Speaking to the Atlantic, Trump lavished praise on his daughter, a 37-year-old White House adviser, and suggested she would be suitable for other administration positions, including U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, reports The Washington Post.

"She's a natural diplomat," Trump said. "She would've been great at the United Nations, as an example."

Asked why he didn't nominate her, Trump replied: "If I did, they'd say nepotism, when it would've had nothing to do with nepotism. But she would've been incredible."

Trump added: "I even thought of Ivanka for the World Bank. . . . She would've been great at that because she's very good with numbers."

Trump wound up nominating David Malpass, the Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, to be president of the World Bank in February. He was unanimously approved by its executive board last week.

Donald Trump says he considered his daughter Ivanka Trump to lead the World Bank. Photo / AP

In the Atlantic interview, the president also praised Ivanka Trump for possessing "a great calmness."

"I've seen her under tremendous stress and pressure," he said. "She reacts very well - that's usually a genetic thing, but it's one of those things, nevertheless."

"If she ever wanted to run for president, I think she'd be very, very hard to beat," Trump added.

According the Atlantic, Trump made clear he was also proud of his other children.

"Barron is young, but he's got wonderful potential," Trump said. "And Tiffany's doing extremely well. Don is, uh, he's enjoying politics; actually, it's very good. And Eric is running the business along with Don, and also very much into politics. I mean, the children - the children have been very, very good."