Ivanka influenced decision to take military action against Syria, says brother Eric

This article is more than 12 months old

Apr 13, 2017 06:00 am

WASHINGTON The son of US President Donald Trump said he was certain his elder sister Ivanka influenced their father to take military action against Syria in response to the chemical attack last week that killed at least 87 people, including more than 30 children.

"Ivanka is a mother of three kids and she has influence. I'm sure she said: 'Listen, this is horrible stuff'," Eric Trump told The Daily Telegraph in an interview published on Tuesday.

"My father will act in times like that. And by the way, he was anti doing anything with Syria two years ago. Then a leader gasses their own people, women and children.

"At some point America, as the global leader and the world's superpower, has to come forward and act and they did with a lot of support from our allies, and I think that's a great thing," said the 33-year-old third child of the president.

Ms Ivanka Trump, 35, had said on Twitter that she was "heartbroken and outraged by the images coming out of Syria following the atrocious chemical attack" in the rebel-held Idlib province on April 4.

Mr Eric Trump, who has taken over the running of his father's property empire with elder brother Donald Jr, added that his sister has a positive influence over their father because she is never afraid to say "no".