Ivanka Trump And Chelsea Clinton Come To Malia Obama's Defense Against The Tabloids

Former first daughter Malia Obama spent a good part of her adolescence in the national spotlight as her dad, you know, led the free world for eight years. For the better part of 2017, she’s been a private citizen.

But certain media outlets aren’t making it easy for her.

After two stories about the 19-year-old’s personal life appeared in tabloid and conservative media, voices from both ends of the political spectrum called for giving the young Obama her privacy.

“Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school aged peers,” Ivanka Trump tweeted on Friday. “She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits.”

Chelsea Clinton, a persistent advocate for privacy when it comes to kids living in the White House, chimed in shortly afterward.

“Malia Obama’s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait,” she wrote. “Be better.”

Since President Donald Trump ’s family moved into the White House, Clinton has also been moved to call out media outlets that focus attention on Barron Trump , who is 11 years old. 

Leaked video published by the conservative site The Daily Caller and other outlets appeared to show Malia Obama smoking. Another video, published by TMZ along with still photos, showed her kissing someone during a tailgate party for the annual Harvard-Yale football game.

Tabloids claim to have identified the young man as a student at Harvard, where Obama has just begun her freshman year after taking time off following high school. She has expressed interest in pursuing a career in the film industry.

Noticing that Obama’s name was trending due to the gossip headlines, people on social media reacted with pointed jokes about the media’s choices and sober criticisms but mainly jokes.