Trump claims Ivanka treated unfairly by Nordstrom

The White House took on retail giant Nordstrom yesterday in the first family's potential business conflict, and president Trump's penchant for attacking businesses he perceived as foes.

Nordstrom stopped carrying Ivanka Trump's line of clothing and accessories from its stores last week, saying that it would sell its remaining inventory but would not renew its agreement to sell products in her brand (See: Nordstrom Inc to stop selling controversial Ivanka brand).

According to the retailer, the decision was taken on the basis of poor product sales, although critics had noted that outside groups threatened to boycott stores that carried the Trump family products on their shelves.

Hitting back at the retailer, the president tweeted yesterday, ''My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person - always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!''

Defending Trump's attack at a media briefing, White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that the company was ''targeting'' Ivanka Trump for political reasons.

Spicer said that Trump had the right to defend his daughter.

''There's clearly a targeting of her brand and her name was out there, so even if she's not running the company, it's clearly her name on it and there's clearly efforts to undermine that name based on her father's positions on particular policies he's taken,'' Spicer said. ''This is a direct attack on his policies and her name and so there's clearly an attempt for [Trump] to stand up for her being maligned because they have a problem with his policies.''

According to commentators, there was no question the president had the right to defend his family. In 1950, president Harry S Truman took The Washington Post's music critic, Paul Hume, to task for a negative review of his daughter Margaret's singing performance.

''I've just read your lousy review of Margaret's concert. I've come to the conclusion that you are an 'eight ulcer man on four ulcer pay,''' Truman wrote. ''Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!''

However, Truman did not charge that the review was politically motivated. In contrast, Trump and his White House claimed the president's daughter was treated unfairly and maligned due to politics.