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Disagree with Ivanka Trump all you want, but she doesn't deserve public humiliation.

Commercial flights around Christmas time are an arduous affair at the best of times, but it’s not every day that the experience is heightened by the presence of a Trump child. But for one couple, that was exactly what happened earlier this week, and it’s how they responded to the situation that’s got everyone talking.

Boarding a flight in New York city on Thursday morning, Dan Goldstein and his partner Matthew Lasner first noted Ivanka Trump‘s presence while still on the ground, tweeting “Ivanka and Jared at JFK T5, flying commercial. My husband chasing them down to harass them.”

ivanka trump abused on flight
Ivanka Trump on the campaign trail earlier this year. Source: Getty.
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According to TMZ, Ivanka was confronted during the boarding period by a passenger, identified by media reports as Goldstein, while she was sitting with her three children. The passenger reportedly said, "Your father is ruining the country," and asked, "Why is she on our flight? She should be flying private."

Another eyewitness account says the passenger "didn't accost her directly," but "when he got on and saw her, sitting behind me, he said "oh my god. This is a nightmare" and was visibly shaking.

The witness also says he heard the passenger say, "They ruin the country now they ruin our flight!" but added, "He did not yell. He was also not what I would describe as calm. Agitated maybe."

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Multiple witnesses also claim Ivanka remained focussed on her young children and told both JetBlue staff and her security detail that she did not want a scene to be made.

JetBlue staff, however, ultimately made the decision to escort the irate passenger from the plane.

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The company issued a statement saying, “The decision to remove a customer from a flight is not taken lightly ... If the crew determines that a customer is causing conflict on the aircraft, the customer will be asked to deplane, especially if the crew feels the situation runs the risk of escalation during flight.”

According to passenger Marc Scheff, who was sitting in the row in front of Trump at the time, "I overheard Ivanka say to them 'I don't want to make this a thing.' My assessment is that she was happy to let the man take his seat. Security made a different call."

Ivanka Trump with her youngest son, Theodore (Tedd) Kushner. Source: Instagram.

Scheff said, "Honestly, if I was her security I would have made the same call. I don't think the man was capable of violence, sure. But I would worry that he would leave his seat or cause a scene in some way.  And his husband had tweeted that he planned on doing that. So, again you know my politics, but I would have made the same call here."

Scheff also said, "She [Trump] handled the situation calmly and with class."

Ivanka Trump. Source: Instagram.

Irrespective of where you sit on the political spectrum, it's worth remembering that just like Hillary Clinton isn't her husband, Ivanka Trump isn't her father.

And just because she supports him and holds different political opinions to many other Americans doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to do 'regular people' things like using commercial airlines during the holiday period without having to cop public hate.

Sadly, though, it's something she's likely going to have to get used to.