• Newsfeed

Ivanka Trump’s Latest Photo Op Became a Meme Because Of Course It Did

2 minute read
By Ashley Hoffman

First Daughter Ivanka Trump‘s photo ops have a way of turning into memes, so it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that when she donned a lab coat and safety goggles the internet would react.

Since her father got into politics, the White House adviser has received mixed reactions from even fairly standard photo opportunities, whether it’s an Instagram with her husband in formal wear or an awkward hug with a senator.

The cycle repeated again as Trump toured The Waukee Innovation and Learning Center in Iowa Monday.

A longtime advocate for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (or STEM), Trump spearheaded an Education Department effort to address the sweeping shift of jobs to the worlds of computer science and coding. And she got vocal about representation of women and minorities in the at the World Assembly for Women summit in Tokyo in November.

“Female and minority participation in STEM fields is moving in the wrong direction,” she said at the summit. “We must create equal participation in these traditionally male-dominated sectors of our economy.”

But critics found the image of her in a lab coat irresistible.

While it’s possible that all visitors are required to wear protective gear, that didn’t stop people from saying she was “cosplaying” as a scientist. Here’s how the internet transformed the photo.

Enter the inevitable pop culture takes.

Some people praised her efforts.

Some have argued that having fun at Trump’s expense is sexist.

Or simply that it’s just her critics targeting her.

The photo even launched a Photoshop Battle on reddit where people edited Ivanka into all of the scenarios it wished to see, from styling her father’s hair to playtime with dinosaurs.

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com