Donald Trump’s children Eric and Ivanka won’t be able to vote for their father in the New York primary because both failed to register as Republicans before an October deadline, the presidential hopeful said Monday.
The billionaire businessman told the hosts of Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” that neither Eric, 32, nor Ivanka, 34, had registered as members of the Republican Party in time to be eligible to cast ballots next week.
“They were unaware of the rules, and they didn’t register in time,” Mr. Trump said. “So Eric and Ivanka, I guess, won’t be voting.
“They feel very, very guilty. They feel very guilty” Mr. Trump said. “But it’s fine. I understand that.”
New York State Board of Elections records show that both Trump siblings are registered voters but “not enrolled in a party,” ABC News reported.
Since New York is a closed-primary state, they would have had to register with the Republican Party ahead of an Oct. 9 cutoff. New Yorkers not registered to vote in the state had until March 25 to list their party affiliations.
“Each state differs greatly in terms of the rules and requirements — most allowing you to change your status on or close to the date of voting, if even required,” Ivanka Trump said in a statement. “Eric and I are fully supportive of our father and look forward to casting our vote for him in November.”
Results of polling released Sunday by Fox News have Mr. Trump as the likely Republican Party winner in New York and Pennsylvania when those states hold primaries April 19 and 26, respectively.
Donald Trump Jr., 38, is a registered Republican in New York, as are his father and stepmother, Melania Trump.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.