What Donald Trump's Family Says He's Really Like As A Grandfather
Donald Trump has never been shy about claiming he's the top dog in just about everything — presidential prowess, business savvy, mental might, and even dad skills. The latter is evident in his children's praise, as Donald's offspring often laud him as a wonderful father — but is he also a good grandfather?
Some have questioned his children's claims regarding his parenting skills. One of those who went against the party line was Donald's first wife, Ivana Trump. In her memoir, "Raising Trump," Ivana is decidedly lukewarm about Donald's parenting prowess. "I believe the credit for raising such great kids belongs to me," Ivana wrote. "I was in charge of raising our children before our divorce, and I had sole custody of them after the split."
Then, there are the times Donald has acted inappropriately towards Ivanka Trump. The former president has raised eyebrows by boasting about her physical attributes and allegedly telling Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Donald, that she reminded him of his oldest daughter before Stormy purportedly spanked Donald with a magazine. Still, gossip about Ivanka's relationship with her father aside, Donald's five children claim he's a fantastic dad — and granddad. Donald has 10 grandkids: three from Ivanka, five from Donald Trump Jr., and two from Eric Trump. So, what has Donald's family said he's like as a grandfather?
Ivanka thinks Donald is an incredible grandfather
Ivanka Trump opened up about what an excellent grandfather Donald Trump is during a chat with Yahoo! Parenting in January 2016. "He's really, really amazing with the kids. They see him most weekends during the summer," she said. "We're together in New Jersey with one of our golf clubs. They spend a lot of time rolling around with him on golf carts. They adore him."
In December 2020, Ivanka posted a photo on Facebook of her husband, Jared Kushner, showing his phone to Donald as he sat at his desk in the White House. "A proud grandfather (and proud father!) watching a video of his grandchildren performing at a school recital," she captioned the pic. Not everybody was buying it, though. "I hope someone pointed out which were his grandchildren," one comment reads.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. showed how close his grandkids are with Donald in a photo he posted to Instagram in November 2016, shortly after his father won the presidential election. "Kai and her grandpa last night. A moment I'm sure she will remember forever. #MAGA," he captioned the pic, which captured Donald scooping the little girl up and kissing her head. However, some picked up on the seeming awkwardness of the embrace. "She looks scared," a commenter wrote. "The little girl [looks like] she is trying to stay back from his lips [as much] as possible without being rude to The Trump," another opined.
Lara claims Donald puts his grandkids first
Donald Trump is a very busy man with his presidential campaign schedule, legal woes, and a litany of court appearances. However, he still manages to find plenty of time for his grandkids. Lara Trump, who's married to Donald's second oldest son, Eric Trump, posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, of Donald with her daughter, Carolina Trump, in November 2023.
In the clip, Donald is seen holding Carolina's hand and kissing her head as she takes him on a classroom tour. "When your top priority is showing Grandpa your desk at school #GrandparentsDay," Lara captioned the clip. The video was met with a mixed response. "Put aside hatred and politics for a minute and just appreciate how proud this little girl is to show her grandpa her desk," one commenter wrote. Some questioned the video's sincerity, though, and claimed it was just a hollow photo op. "Are we supposed to think this is a regular routine from the man who dismissed the idea of taking his own kids for walks as the wife's responsibility? I don't even see any warmth here," a detractor sniffed.
Lara posted another video in March 2024. "When Grandpa makes a surprise visit, and you're so excited to see him," she captioned the clip, which shows Donald picking up Carolina as he walks through the door at Mar-a-lago. "Grandpa! You're not in prison!" a detractor joked.