A defiant Donald Trump addressed media from The White House slamming a "corrupt" mail-in voting system, media and the Democrat machine. Video / AP
Ivanka Trump has spent virtually her whole professional life linked to her famous father – but now that his presidency is in its dying days, attention has turned to what she will do next.
The 39-year-old has served as Donald Trump's adviser since 2017 along with her husband Jared Kushner.
In her role, the mother of three has focused on the education and economic empowerment of women and their families as well as job creation and economic growth through workforce development, skills training and entrepreneurship.
But following President Trump's stunning election defeat, attention is now turning to Ivanka Trump's strategy once the family exits the White House in January.
IVANKA'S CV
From left, President Donald Trump Jared Kushner and Tiffany Trump and Ivanka Trump during a campaign rally at Kenosha Regional Airport. Photo / AP
Ivanka Trump graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 2004.
She went on to join the family business, the Trump Organisation, the following year, overseeing development and acquisitions with brothers Eric and Donald Jr.
Ivanka also launched her own lifestyle brand, which includes fashion, accessories, jewellery and other products and has penned two best-selling books, The Trump Card and Women Who Work.
She was also a boardroom judge on Donald Trump's reality television show, The Apprentice.
Now it appears her diverse career background has provided her with a raft of options come inauguration day.
CAREER CHANGE
One of the most obvious options on the table for Ivanka is a return to the Trump Organisation, especially given she previously helped to lead "some of the company's largest and most complex transactions", according to her White House biography.
However, she may choose to sidestep that route, given the business – and her father – are facing ongoing legal investigations.
Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to President Donald Trump, speaks at a campaign rally at Ault Park in Cincinnati. Photo / AP
Another option is to return to her own brand, but as it shut down in 2018 as a result of her White House involvement, that also seems unlikely.
A less obvious career path could be reality television, with a source telling OK! magazine the First Daughter had been inundated with offers in recent days.
"You have to remember that reality TV made this family superstars. It was appearing on The Celebrity Apprentice next to their father, Donald Trump, that made Ivanka, Donald Jr and Eric into prime time stars," a source told the publication.
"For the kids to return to reality TV shouldn't be a surprise and neither should be the fact that Ivanka is the family member that is getting the most offers, including interest from Dancing With The Stars."
But the rumour mill is increasingly pointing towards a fourth choice – following in father's footsteps and launching her own presidential bid for 2024.
IVANKA FOR PRESIDENT?
A Facebook page entitled "Ivanka for President 2024" has emerged. Photo / Facebook
A Facebook page entitled "Ivanka for President 2024" has emerged, and many Republican supporters reportedly want to see a member of the Trump family take on Joe Biden again in 2024, with Ivanka and Donald Jr the favourites if their father rules himself out of the race.
More and more commentators are speaking about a possible President Ivanka in four years' time, and Australian National University marketing lecturer Andrew Hughes told news.com.au her actions in the wake of the election debacle provided a huge clue about her presidential plans.
And he said the First Daughter had a long list of secret weapons up her sleeve that means she may just pull it off.
"She is probably the best of the Trumps to make a run in future – she's young and she's got a cutting-edge image the Republicans would like to portray," he said, adding her gender, social media savvy and celebrity status would give her a significant edge.
"There's a trend in politics around the world towards celebrity politicians – people desire a leader with charisma, whether they are on the left or right or anything in between.
Tiffany Trump, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Kenosha Regional Airport. Photo / AP
"With career politicians who rise through the union movement or business lobby groups, we don't know who they are until they are suddenly thrust upon us at an election, but celebrity politicians are a more modern way of engaging and we feel like we already know them as they are more accessible."
Hughes predicted Ivanka would spend the time before a hypothetical nomination taking on high-profile charity work with selected, on-brand organisations as well as getting involved with think tanks to improve her image when it comes to public affairs and policy.
He said she might also work in fashion, property development or hotels in the meantime in order to bulk up her persona as a self-made success story independent to her father.
Hughes said Ivanka's deliberate silence in the wake of her father's election fraud claims also hinted at potential political hopes.
"She will need supporters to help her in 2024 so she won't do anything to burn bridges or come out publicly one way or another – she won't want any words to come out that could be used against her three years from now," he said.
"She has time up her sleeve – she can wait to lay the groundwork and she doesn't need to go big and loud."
Ivanka Trump arrives to speak at a campaign event at Bayfront Park Amphitheater. Photo / AP
Meanwhile, Hughes said Eric and Donald Jr's vocal support of their father had the benefit of displaying family solidarity while allowing their sister to remain quiet and avoid harming her own chances down the track, which would in turn benefit the entire clan.
"It's a smart move – the sons are protecting their dad, but acknowledging that while they probably can't win the next election, it's better if one of them does, which means they will be close to power anyway," he said.
"If you can influence power directly, why would you need to be in the top job?"
When Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, he picked up 306 electoral college votes compared with her 232, but lost the popular vote by almost three million ballots.
At the time, he declared his win a "landslide" – but this time around, he is refusing to accept the results, despite losing the popular vote to Joe Biden by more than 4.5 million votes so far.
More importantly, Trump has so far received just 214 electoral college votes compared with Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden's 290.
To win a US election, a candidate must secure a crucial 270 electoral college votes to claim victory, and while three states – Alaska, Georgia and North Carolina – are still counting, they would not make a difference to the final result.
Trump has repeatedly, and with no evidence, insisted his Democratic Party rivals were trying to "steal" the election and made baseless allegations of voter fraud.
