US President Donald Trump has criticised a department store chain for dropping his daughter Ivanka's clothing line, prompting critics to accuse him of misusing public office to benefit his family's business empire.
After Mr Trump's highly unusual move to use a White House platform to intervene in a commercial matter involving his daughter, Nordstrom reiterated that its action last week was based on declining sales of the Ivanka Trump products.
But White House spokesman Sean Spicer characterised the move as a "direct attack" on the president's policies.
"My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by@Nordstrom. She is a great person - always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!" Mr Trump wrote on both his personal and official presidential Twitter accounts.
My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2017
"This is misuse of public office for private gains," Richard Painter, who served as Republican President George W Bush's chief ethics lawyer, said in an email to Reuters.
"And it is abuse of power because the official message is clear – Nordstrom is persona non grata with the administration."
The wealthy New York real estate developer who became president on 20 January has declined to sell off his businesses despite demands from critics that he do so to avoid thorny conflicts of interest.
Mr Trump on 11 January said he would maintain ownership of his global business empire but hand off control to his two oldest sons during his presidency.
His web of international companies remains a bit opaque since he has refused to release his tax returns, which experts have said would provide a clearer view of his business interests.
Ethics experts have said Mr Trump's arrangement does little to address potential conflicts because he would still know what assets he owned, such as Trump-branded golf courses and hotels, and his family would continue to profit from them.
Ivanka Trump ran a clothing and jewellery business bearing her name, in addition to other work for the Trump Organisation, before saying she would resign when her father was sworn in as president.
During a White House press briefing, Mr Spicer painted Nordstrom's action as an attack on the president's daughter.
"For someone to take out their concern with his policies on a family member of his is just not acceptable. And the president has every right as a father to stand up to them," Mr Spicer said.
A spokeswoman for the Ivanka Trump brand declined to comment.
Democrats pounced on Trump for the tweet.
"I think it's inappropriate, but he's a totally inappropriate president, so it's totally in keeping with who he is," said Nancy Pelosi, the top US House of Representatives Democrat.
Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat, in a tweet indicated the matter should be referred to the federal Office of Government Ethics.
Nordstrom said it informed Ivanka Trump about its decision in early January.
"Over the past year, and particularly in the last half of 2016, sales of the brand have steadily declined to the point where it didn't make good business sense for us to continue with the line for now," the retailer told Reuters.
Nordstrom shares initially fell after the president's criticism but closed up 4% on the New York Stock Exchange.
"President Trump said he is going to have nothing to do with his family businesses," said Robert Weissman, president of liberal watchdog group Public Citizen.
"His reaction to developments with his daughter's business line suggests that claim is untrue."
