In the late afternoon sun, Eric Trump raised his fist and led a chant of “Fight!” fight! fight! “Donald Trump’s second son told an enthusiastic audience: “They tried to smear us, they tried to bankrupt us, they came after us, they impeached him twice… and everyone. , they tried to kill him.”
MAGA movement officials gathered at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, less than three months after the Republican presidential candidate survived an assassination attempt there. President Trump was joined on stage by his running mate, J.D. Vance, and billionaire Elon Musk. But if he wanted emotional support from his family, he would have had to settle for Eric. His other children, as well as his wife, were conspicuously absent.
President Trump’s recent no-shows to large events show that there is a family divided, keeping a lower profile than in past election cycles. When he took the political world by storm in 2016, the Trump family’s businesses were part of his brand. This time, we get a more isolated portrait of him on the campaign trail, delivering incoherent and inflammatory speeches.
President Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, is absent from the election because her second daughter, Tiffany, is pregnant. His youngest son, Barron, 18, is a freshman at New York University. Eric, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, occasionally appears on the campaign trail with his wife, Lara, who currently serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
“I go to bed every night and wake up every morning hearing about voter integrity,” Eric, 40, joked on The Butler with Lara by his side. “That’s really great. I’m really, really looking forward to November 6th when Lara doesn’t roll over and talk about voter integrity.”
President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., 46, has been keeping a lower profile on the campaign trail than in previous election cycles. But looks can be deceiving. Off stage, Don Jr. is more influential than ever as a political operative. He built a loyal following in the Maga universe through Rumble’s Triggered podcast and gained powerful allies like Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA.
It was Don Jr. who recommended his close friend and relatively inexperienced senator from Ohio, Vance, as Trump’s running mate. There has been speculation in Washington that the two have struck a deal to name Don Jr. as his running mate if Vance runs for the White House himself. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone, other than his father, have such a strong natural connection to our base,” Vance previously said.
Some suspect that Don Jr. will become a powerhouse supporting the throne of the second Trump administration. Speaking on the sidelines of July’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, he said he wants “veto power” over hiring decisions during the presidential transition. “I don’t want to elect one person to a position of power. All I want to do is block people who are going to be a disaster,” Don Jr. said during an Axios House event. “I want to block a liar, I want to block a guy who pretends to be with you.”
Joe Walsh, a former Republican lawmaker, Tea Party activist and Trump critic, said: “What I’ve heard is that Junior is very active behind the scenes, has a lot of influence behind the scenes, and if… “If Trump wins, that’s what Junior is going to do.” Basically, it becomes a power broker. He will become an important figure in the government. ”
The rise of Don Jr. and Eric coincides with the decline in influence of Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, who worked in President Trump’s White House. This is seen as evidence that populist extremism is spreading even within President Trump’s own family, which has taken control of the Republican Party.
“There are a lot of different families in this story, but who are they? More of a Maga. Junior is clearly a Maga. Lara Trump is a Maga idiot, and so is her husband Eric.
“Jared Kushner and Ivanka were never like that. They’re more polite, kind of high society people, so they didn’t really mesh with the whole MAGA thing. It’s all going to be more MAGA crazy.”
Despite growing up in New York, Don Jr. has styled himself as an outdoorsman who hunts, fishes, and connects with Central America. He also spent a decade honing his brash political persona, giving fiery speeches, tweeting conspiracy theories, and “getting his freedom” by egging on liberal critics. We have worked in a suitable manner.
Joshua Kendall, author of First Dads: Parenting and Politics from George Washington to Barack Obama, agrees. He said, “Trump has become much more authoritarian, so Don Jr. is a much better fit for this orbit than he was in 2016, when Trump was still trying to give the presidential nod from time to time.” .
“Now he really doesn’t care. That fits well with Don Jr.’s character. He’s a real firefighter, and just like his father, he doesn’t put down or get dirty with stump speeches or harsh things.” I enjoy doing it.”
Children have long played an important role in presidential elections. Jimmy Carter worked tirelessly to promote himself in the 1976 New Hampshire primary. As the oldest candidate in history for a major political party, Trump, 78, turned to his grandchildren to soften his image.
Kai Trump, the 17-year-old daughter of Don Jr. and ex-wife Vanessa, told attendees at the Republican convention: But I know him for who he is. He is a very caring and loving person. He truly wants what’s best for this country. And he will fight every day to make America great again. ”
However, President Trump’s wife Melania also attended the convention, but broke with tradition and did not give a speech. The former first lady has kept a low profile except to promote her memoir, in which she expressed support for abortion rights, potentially causing political headaches for her husband. There is.
This is in contrast to past elections in which spouses such as Laura Bush and Michelle Obama have been key allies, as well as Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff, who has made significant campaign contributions with unwavering loyalty. It’s a complete contrast.
Kendall added, “Melania is doing the bare minimum. She comes out as pro-abortion in that book, so you can’t expect her to go all MAGA. Don.” The appeal of Junior and Eric is that President Trump can count on them; they are the two family members he has the most connections with and are most willing to do his dirty work for.
“Melania has also drawn a line in the sand. She wouldn’t speak at a convention, but that’s not common these days, and she doesn’t go out on the stump.” Compare that to how little she does.”
Some commentators believe there are other practical reasons for President Trump’s wife and daughter to refrain from action this time. Rick Wilson, co-founder of the pro-democracy and anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project, wrote in X: If he really had the upper hand, they would have been on the campaign trail like jackals attacking the carcass of a two-day-old gazelle. ”
