Ivanka Trump visited Iowa on Monday, joining Republican Governor Kim Reynolds in a tour of the Aspiring Professional Experience (APEX) program at the Waukee School District.
The tour was meant to be a promotion of the Trump administration’s infrastructure plans.
Side by side, the two women joined students in performing an experiment designed to test the nicotine content of “vape juice”:
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
Proud of Iowa’s innovation in education! #WorkforceDevelopment is my #1 priority & we showcased it at @WaukeeAPEX during @IvankaTrump’s visit yesterday. Teaching skills to help students land high-demand jobs is critical to Iowa’s – and our nation’s – future. #iagov pic.twitter.com/xJCnAqKx6Z
— Gov. Kim Reynolds (@IAGovernor) March 20, 2018
Before stepping out to make a public appearance, both Trump and Reynolds stopped at Salon Spa W in Des Moines for a touch-up — and the salon made the fatal mistake of posting a photo of the two women on Facebook:
In response:We believe everyone matters and deserves our indiscriminate care and kindness.We were taken aback by the…
Posted by Salon Spa W on Monday, March 19, 2018
The initial caption, which has since been edited, simply read: “Our Monday kicked off with styling Ivanka Trump for her visit to Iowa! We [love] supporting women in politics.”
But the responses to the photo, many posted by Facebook users claiming to be clients of Salon Spa W, quickly turned ugly:
- “I love all the wonderful things Salon W does for our community so it’s such a bummer to see this post as a business brag. Only problem with supporting women in politics is when those women support decisions that weaken and disenfranchise other women.”
- “I prefer my “women in politics” to be both, a) elected, and b) principled. Salon Spa W, you’ve definitely lost my business with this cheap publicity ploy.”
- “Do you know how much money I spend at Salon Spa W? I get my nails and hair done there exclusively, and literally have my appointments booked till years end. THIS makes me not want to give you another penny, and makes me really REALLY angry for all your amazing LGBTQ staff whose lives these women threaten. Please take this down.”
Amid the flood of nasty comments, Salon Spa W President China Wong offered her own response — which was added to the original photo’s caption:
In response:
We believe everyone matters and deserves our indiscriminate care and kindness.
We were taken aback by the response to the image below of our Governor with Ivanka Trump who received services from our salon. We also recognize impact matters more than intent. While we are not a partisan organization we do see it as part of our mission to welcome people to Des Moines and serve everyone. We share images of our clients, some that are recognizable public figures, to showcase our work.
We are honored to serve clients from all walks of life. Our East Village location, with proximity to the State Capitol and Civic Center, provides a unique opportunity to serve musicians, actors, Broadway stars, presidents-elect (including Barack Obama), those in town for the Iowa Caucuses, lawmakers, activists, commentators, and artists of every medium –– we have shared images of many along the way.
We also serve you –– our beautiful, diverse, and passionate community. We proudly share our work and celebrate all of you because our purpose is making people look and feel beautiful.
Again, we believe everyone matters and deserves our indiscriminate care and kindness.
Wong’s eloquent words in the face of such backlash prompted yet another wave of comments from people all over the United States, many promising that they would happily bring her business if they should find themselves in Des Moines.