Trump - Nordstrom controversy heats up — is TJX next?

Nordstrom’s decision to stop carrying the Ivanka Trump brand continues to generate controversy.



On Thursday, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, endorsed the first daughter’s products during an appearance on the television show, “Fox & Friends,” saying, “Go buy Ivanka’s stuff … It’s a wonderful line. I own some of it. … I’m going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today. You can find it online.”



Conway’s remarks drew immediate criticism from legal experts who said she had broken a key ethics law that bans federal employees from using their public office to endorse products. And Republican House Oversight Committee leader Jason Chaffetz said Conway should be investigated for potential violations of the law.



Conway appeared on “Fox & Friends” the day after President Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning that Ivanka had been treated “so unfairly” by Nordstrom.



The department store’s shares fell shortly after his tweet, but recovered their losses by late Wednesday afternoon. In fact, the company’s stock price had climbed more than 7% (as of Thursday afternoon) since Trump tweeted his displeasure with the company.



In related news, The New York Times reported that employees at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls (both of which are owned by TJX Cos.) were instructed not to display Ivanka Trump merchandise separately and to throw away Ivanka Trump signs.



“The communication was intended to instruct stores to mix this line of merchandise into our racks, not to remove it from the sales floor,” TJX spokeswoman Doreen Thompson wrote in an email to the Times.



“We offer a rapidly changing selection of merchandise for our customers, and brands are featured based on a number of factors.”