Ivanka Trump visits S.C. to talk child tax credit

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Ivanka Trump was warmly praised Friday during a visit to Greenville that also sparked a protest. 

Speaking in a ballroom packed with friendly audience at the Westin Poinsett Hotel, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., hailed the president’s oldest daughter, a senior White House adviser, for her efforts to double the child tax credit in a recently approved tax overhaul bill.

“Ivanka has a strong, powerful backbone that helped us to get to $2,000 on the child tax credit,” said Scott, who worked closely with her on the tax-reform process.

Trump joined Scott as more than 100 women gathered for the downtown event. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Trey Gowdy, both South Carolina Republicans, also attended.

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Trump said the recently approved tax bill has a two-fold purpose.

“We wanted to cut corporate taxes so our businesses could compete and could thrive, but we also wanted to ensure middle-income tax relief," she said. “We cut trillions of dollars' worth of loopholes that benefited special-interest groups, and we gave that money back to American workers and American families where it belongs.”

Women invited by Scott's staff started arriving at the event about an hour before it began. 

About a dozen members of the Upstate Republican Women organization attended. One of the group's members, Mary Vause of Greenville, said she wanted to show support for President Trump and his family.

“I think they are a very special family," she said. "I really admire everything that Trump is doing for our country.”

Vause said it must be difficult for Ivanka Trump to hear some of the "ugly" things that are said about her father.

“I think that is uncalled for and it shouldn’t be part of our culture," she said.

Cheryl Teague Cuthrell, the president of Upstate Republican Women and chairwoman of the Anderson County Republican Party, also attended.

“We are very excited about the tax breaks. We are very excited about a lot of $1,000 bonuses going to people who need it,” she said.

She said she supported the increase in the child-tax credit that Scott and Trump worked to pass.

“They are going to be helping lower-income parents get child care. I would prefer to be paying for child care than paying for welfare," Cuthrell said. "Right now it does not pay for some women to work because child care expenses are so high.”

Trump stopped at Coffee Underground, a popular downtown coffee shop, before her speaking engagement. People swarmed her to take pictures.

There was a notable police presence around the Westin Poinsett. Police and Secret Service were stationed at nearly every corner of the lobby and mezzanine levels of the hotel.

A group of about 50 protesters on the plaza outside the hotel voiced their views on a number of issues ranging from tax reform to immigration.

The protesters were friendly and funny, with the exception of one confrontation with a Trump supporter, but the event's organizer, Inge Leland of Indivisible SC 4, said their message to Ivanka Trump was serious.

"We have to represent," said Leland, a Greenville resident. "We have to let people know that South Carolina is a progressive state.

"I'm a New Yorker, too, so girl to girl, New Yorker to New Yorker, talk to your dad and tell him to stop the war on women."