We Can't Get Over Kai Trump's Stunning Height Transformation
Donald Trump's oldest grandchild, Kai Trump, is already a teenager. That may be hard to believe, but Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump's first kid is on her way to becoming a pro golfer. Growing up in the spotlight of her family, Kai has transformed from a baby who made appearances at Trump events in her parents' arms to a talented athlete who inherited her family's stature. Kai's golf achievements will surely make her grandfather proud — or perhaps he's more impressed with her 5-foot-9 frame.
After all, the former president would probably resent being outplayed by a girl, and he seems to have an obsession with stature. Donald Sr. can't seem to stop boasting about Barron Trump's stunning height and has a penchant for using size to attack his opponents. Or maybe Kai is still too young for Donald Sr. to pay much attention to her. As his late ex-wife, Ivana Trump, said multiple times, Donald Sr. isn't great with kids.
Not even the children of Donald Sr's supposed favorite child, Ivanka Trump, have managed to change that. In a March 2024 video, Donald Sr. caught flak for seemingly ignoring Ivanka's son, Joseph, who looked sad after the encounter, Page Six reported. But Kai will become an adult soon enough and one invested in his favorite sport. Kai likes to hit the golf course with her grandfather and seems to be fond of him. Only time will tell what kind of relationship they'll have. But judging by how fast she's growing, it shouldn't take very long.
Kai made Donald Trump a grandfather
On May 12, 2007, Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump welcomed Kai, marking the beginning of a new generation of Trumps. Kai showed she was in a hurry to take her first breath, arriving unexpectedly three weeks before her due date. "[Yesterday was] a hectic day [due to the early birth, but] it's definitely a changing experience. It's very cool," Donald Jr. told People in a statement. Just the previous day, Donald Jr. and Vanessa had attended a gala at 7 World Trade Center, thinking they still had time before meeting their bundle of joy.
Despite the early arrival, Kai weighed a healthy 6 pounds 14 ounces. Donald Trump hadn't exactly been looking forward to his grandfather days but was happy in his new role nonetheless. "It's not something I had necessarily in mind, but it feels very nice," he told the New York Post. Kai's status as Donald Sr.'s only grandchild wouldn't last very long, though. The following year, Donald Jr. and Vanessa announced they were giving Kai a sibling.
Kai wasn't super excited about the idea. To be fair, she had no idea what the news meant. "I point to my belly and tell her there's a baby in my belly. She points to her belly button and thinks there's a baby there," Vanessa told People in August 2008. "I say, 'Not for you, for Mama.'" Kai became a big sister to Donald III in February 2009, a few months before her second birthday.
Kai Trump was practically raised on the golf course
Is Kai Trump's golfing prowess an example of nature or nurture? It's probably both, as the girl was practically raised on a golf course. By the time she was 2 and a half, Kai was having a blast at her family's Trump National Golf Club Westchester in New York, as seen above in September 2009. When she was just months old, Kai was hanging out at the Trump National Golf Club, where she showed she is definitely a Trump with a comb-over that surely made Donald Trump proud.
Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump continued to expand their brood over the next several years, making Kai the eldest of five. In 2011, she became a big sister for the second time when Tristan was born in October. Donald Jr. and Vanessa welcomed another son, Spencer, in October 2012, making Tristan just a year and a couple of weeks older than him. Kai was done welcoming little siblings in June 2014, when she finally gained a sister following Chloe's birth.
It was a big day for the family. "Chloe Sophia is now sleeping on my belly after a hectic afternoon meeting her sister and brothers," Donald Jr. tweeted when he and Vanessa brought Chloe home from the hospital. Kai seemingly shares a close bond with the youngest of the brood. "Happy birthday to my little sister Chloe! I love u so much!" she wrote on social media in 2020 (via AmoMama).
Kai Trump supported her grandfather on the campaign trail
When Donald Trump hit the campaign trail in 2016, he leaned on the support of his family. That included Donald Sr.'s grandchildren. By this point, Kai Trump had already shown her interest in golf, posing with her grandfather at the groundbreaking of his controversial golf course in Scotland in June 2016. She had recently turned 9 and was already reaching Donald Sr.'s chest. A few months later, Kai was showing off her skills next to none other than Tiger Woods.
In December 2016, the golf legend hit Donald Sr.'s course in Palm Beach, where he played against the then-president-elect and his eldest grandkid. "How many strokes do you think Kai is going to give @tigerwoods and @realDonaldTrump???" Donald Trump Jr. boasted on X, previously known as Twitter. Years later, Kai posted a photo from that encounter to her Instagram to send him her best wishes amid the February 2021 car crash that sent him to the hospital. "Wishing his family all the best in these incredibly trying times. Get well soon!" she wrote.
Kai was paving the way to become the best golfer in the family, which seems to be the consensus with the Trumps. When Donald Jr. and Eric Trump were asked to name the best golfer among them at a May 2017 event, Eric didn't waver. "It's not Don," he said, according to Town & Country. Donald Jr. agreed. "It's my daughter," he said, clarifying she was the one with the most potential.
Kai Trump was a preteen when her parents divorced
When Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump divorced in March 2018, their eldest kid was about to turn 11. By then, Kai Trump had gone from a cute tot the length of her dad's torso to a preteen who reached to Donald Trump's shoulders, as seen above during a golfing session in April 2019. Divorce is never easy on children, but some puppy love helps a little. For her 11th birthday that May, Kai Trump got a dog. "Kai got her birthday present a day early and boy is she cute," Donald Jr. shared on Instagram.
Donald Jr. revealed that Vanessa's sister, Veronika Haydon-Gabriel, was the one behind the special birthday present. "This one is going to be trouble... just like Kai!" he wrote. Kai couldn't have loved the newest addition to her family more. As her Instagram suggests, Kai named the pup Ella. But she wasn't the only Trump who fell in love with her. "Looks like I may be stealing Kai's birthday present. She won't be happy but I believe dads can do that," he joked on Instagram, sharing a picture of him holding the puppy.
Ella made the Trumps a dog family. In August 2019, they adopted a second dog. "We just got a new dog named Ralph!!!!" Kai captioned an Instagram post. Around that time, Kai also experienced a big perk of being the then-president's granddaughter. In March 2019, Kai flew aboard Marine One with Donald Trump.
Kai Trump is on the way to becoming a pro athlete
Between 2019 and 2022, Kai Trump had an impressive growth spurt. At Ivana Trump's funeral in July 2022, the then-15-year-old reached her grandfather's eyes, as the above picture shows. Kai became a teenager on her way to becoming a pro golfer. On her Instagram bio, she describes herself as an athlete sponsored by Callaway, noting she has grown to be 5 feet 9 inches. While Kai won't graduate from high school until 2026, many believe she is working toward getting into college on a golf scholarship, the Daily Mail reported in 2023.
Per her bio, her carry distance is already 275 yards, the average of a PGA Tour pro golfer. In March 2024, she won the women's club championship at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, after winning it in 2022. "She works so hard at her game and in school and is an absolute rock star. I love you Kai congrats and well deserved," Donald Trump Jr. raved on Instagram.
And golf isn't the only sport Kai enjoys. On a winter trip to Aspen with her father, Eric, and Lara Trump in March 2024, Kai showed off her skiing skills in a clip shared to Instagram. Her followers were quick to point out how good she was. "Wowzers looks like you're a strong athlete Kai!" one commenter wrote. Another wondered if she just had a talent for every sport. "What can't she do? Amazing Kai!" the user wrote.