As part of promoting the president’s newly released infrastructure plan, Ivanka Trump toured a job-training science facility in Waukee, Iowa. Part of the tour included her participation in several experiments, one of which was to measure the nicotine content of “vape juice” in an electronic cigarette.
“This is so amazing. This is such a cool place to come,” Trump said. “It’s going to be hard to get rid of us.”
Trump then went on to tweet a photo of herself in safety goggles, a lab coat and gloves, pouring something into a test tube. “I can’t promise that I’ll get this right, but at least we’ll look the part, right?” she said.
Talking #WorkforceDevelopment and Infrastructure in Iowa today! @realDonaldTrump’s #Infrastructure initiative includes a robust plan to expand skills-focused learning to prepare the next generation of American workers for 21st century job opportunities. pic.twitter.com/10md8d5tnz
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) March 19, 2018
Twitter, of course, couldn’t handle the photos and quickly proceeded to call Trump out for “cosplaying” a scientist and “doing science.”
Hey @IvankaTrump it’s great that you like to cosplay as a scientist on Instagram but some of us are an #ActualLivingScientist. Tell us about what you’re doing in this picture. I’m making a battery. #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/fW5CFxLYAF
— Holly aka Leia ? (@absolutspacegrl) March 20, 2018
This is Ivanka’s dumbest photo op yet. lookie me, doing science. https://t.co/CM75mqZ8bk
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) March 19, 2018
One twitter user even decided to turn the photo into a meme, because isn’t that what twitter is for?
Ok, here’s my meme; I hope everyone looks at it, cause I’d love some opinions. There was so damned much material to choose from. pic.twitter.com/Ko2XSUWI4H
— never claimed i was funny (@veronicamariez2) March 20, 2018
Some have pointed out that the photos make little sense when put in contrast with the Trump administration’s aversion to science. They pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate accord and have blatantly revealed their skepticism surrounding climate change despite the copious scientific evidence that proves it.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Trump has come under fire for contradicting herself. Last April she was booed at the W20 Summit in Berlin, where she called the president “a tremendous champion of supporting families and enabling them to thrive.”
She has been heavily scrutinized for her high up position in the Trump administration considering her lack of prior political experience. In Michael Wolff’s controversial book “Fire and Fury,” Steve Bannon held nothing back when discussing her.
“She became a White House staffer and that’s when people suddenly realized she’s as dumb as a brick,” Bannon said in the book. “A little marketing savvy and has a look but as far as understanding actually how the world works and what politics is and what it means—nothing. Once you expose that, you lose such credibility.” Ouch.