Inside The Trump Family's Future Political Plans
The Trump family seems to share similar interests. Patriarch Donald Trump went into real estate and created the Trump Organization, then sure enough, his brood of children followed suit and worked in the family business. Then, Trump goes into politics, and what do you know? The entire Trump family seems to have a sudden interest in political life. The most evident cases of the Trump family following in his path came when he named Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump became White House advisors. The appointments gave off a whiff of nepotism to some, but this didn't seem to bother the Trumps, nor slow them down.
But the Trump business suffered while Donald was in the White House, The New York Times notes, and after his departure from the presidency, many wondered if he would return to the helm, taking his children with him. It's a fair question since the real estate mogul openly spoke about his flagging brands while serving as POTUS. During a speech at the Shell Petrochemical plant in Pennsylvania, he mentioned what he was losing. "It's probably costing me from $3 to $5 billion for the privilege of being — and I couldn't care less — I don't care," he said, according to NBC News. "You know if you're wealthy, it doesn't matter. I just want to do a great job."
Despite this conversation around the family business, it looks like a few members of the Trump family are scoping out a future in politics.
Don Jr. would be unstoppable with his dad at his side
Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has sparked conversation about his potential run for office and many feel that he'd be a shoo-in should he move in that direction. Political strategist Seth Weathers, who worked with Trump Sr. in Georgia, felt that with his father's clout behind him, Don Jr. would be a success. "Name one person who could beat Trump Jr. with Trump Sr. pushing him through the Republican primary," Weathers told NY1 News. "It's just not possible."
When Don Jr. wrote his book, "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us," The Guardian pointed out that the text acts as one of the most successful campaign strategies of any Republican candidate. This is because, oddly enough, Don Jr. actually connects with the MAGA group even more successfully than his father did. "Don Jr. represents the emotional center of the MAGA universe," senior advisor Jason Miller told The New York Times Magazine.
This stance was reiterated by strategist Liz Mair to NY1 News. "I think Donald Trump Jr. is interesting on this front because, while I wouldn't say I'm a fan of his, on some things he's actually far more closer to Republican Party orthodoxy than what his father is," she explained. Since Don Jr. aligns more closely with the sense of conservatism that the Republican party likes, he could reasonably expect a successful campaign should he choose to move in that direction. The question is, does he want that?
Is Don Jr. thinking about a run for the presidency?
By all accounts, Donald Trump Jr. could face a successful political run and, unsurprisingly, he has hinted at this possibility. On October 24, 2020, Don Jr. posted a photo to Instagram of himself standing in front of a banner that read "Don Jr. 2024." His caption was deflective, but the simple fact that he posted the photo indicates some interest. "Hahahahaha. Oh boy," he began. "This was a sign I saw up at the Fallon Nevada Livestock Auction. This will make the lib heads explode. To whomever made that thanks for the compliment... but let's get through 2020 with a big win first!!!!"
Interestingly, Don Jr.'s Instagram post came right as his father, Donald Trump, was nearing the end of his contentious run against Joe Biden, and it's likely that as Don Jr. saw the writing on the wall in terms of his father's loss, he began testing the waters for his own campaign.
Don Jr. certainly has what it takes to convince the Republican party, at least when it comes to the primaries. In a survey completed by YouGov/Economist, Don Jr. scored a 71% likability score among Republican polls. But he can't rest on his laurels just yet. Among Americans in general, Don Jr. only scored at 36% for favorability. He likely has what it takes when it comes to Republicans, but for the country at large, it's tough to say how Don Jr. would fare.
What about Kimberly Guilfoyle?
Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr's fiancé, is no stranger to the political life. Prior to joining allegiance with the Trump family, Guilfoyle was married to Gavin Newsom, the Democratic Governor of California, from 2001 to 2006, per The US Sun. Not only was it a new relationship, it was an entire shift in political parties.
Guilfoyle was a prosecuting attorney in San Francisco, according to The Mercury News, and then went on to pursue a career in media. She worked for Fox News as a co-host on the show "The Five," but was prematurely let go by the media source, The New Yorker notes, after an assistant accused her of inappropriate practices and sexual harassment claims.
Guilfoyle then did her part for Donald Trump's campaign by working as a fundraiser, CNN notes, and the experience is something that she could use to leverage for future political roles. In fact, Republican insiders guess that she and Don Jr. might be planning on taking up prominent positions within the Republican National Committee in order to pave the way for long term political goals.
"Don Jr. and Kimberly have an eye on the RNC, through themselves taking over or somebody close to them taking over," an insider told CNN. Considering Don Jr's likelihood of running, it's equally plausible that Guilfoyle would consider a future in politics too.
It's all about Ivanka
Of any of Donald Trump's children, Ivanka Trump has been the most talked about when it comes to a future in politics. This was because she actually worked in the White House while her dad was president, while other Trump family members were mostly seen endorsing the old man on his campaign trail. This indicates she has at least considered political aspirations.
For Ivanka, she might have to strategize a political path before she can put in her bid for the presidency, likely through a seat in the Senate. "She wants to run, but she can't run until she holds elected office, because she's not her father," a Trump advisor told Vanity Fair. "At the end of the day, Ivanka was only an employee at the Trump Organization."
Ivanka certainly has the most promise of anyone in the Trump family, and her time in the White House only primed the pump for her. "Ivanka only got into politics to help her father and help his agenda but what's now clear is that Ivanka is a political powerhouse in her own right," political advisor Jason Miller said to Politico. It looks like she enjoyed herself! With all of this speculation, when is Ivanka planning on making a move? All that we've heard about her since leaving the White House is that she moved to Florida. For those hoping Ivanka will take a political stance, a Republican official reminded Politico: "She's a Trump and the Trumps move on their own timetables."
Public reaction might stall Ivanka
While discourse around Ivanka Trump and her political future has not stopped since she entered the White House, it might not be so simple for her. Polls indicate that Trump might not fare well should she decide to run.
In November 2020, the Independent ran a poll asking for public opinion on either Donald Trump Jr. or Ivanka Trump running for politics and 61% of the participants were against the idea of either family member pursuing the idea. Amongst supporters of Donald Trump, Ivanka also didn't score favorably. 31% of Trump supporters liked the idea of Ivanka taking a role in politics while 36% didn't.
Not only that, but Ivanka and husband Jared Kushner had a tough transition out of the White House and left their New York life behind for a new life in Florida, per People. By all accounts, Ivanka doesn't seem ready to make a move and seems to be relishing her time out of the spotlight with her children. In fact, in April 2022, she was photographed on the beach in Miami with Kushner and their kids, per the Daily Mail. Maybe she's done with politics or maybe she's just taking a break.
Nevertheless, should she decide to do it, Ivanka will certainly have the clout of her dad's presidency and at least some of his MAGA supporters and she certainly wouldn't be hesitant to reach for her dreams. "Lack of self-confidence is not something she suffers from," an insider told CNN. That sounds about right.
Where does Jared Kushner stand in all of this?
Jared Kushner has been busy since his time as a senior advisor to Donald Trump with a pending memoir and a new private equity firm, Affinity Partners, per Reuters. By all accounts, of any Trump family member, Kushner seems the least likely to pursue a career in politics.
However, Kushner's future plans tie into his past in the White House in an uncomfortable way. Speaking of Kushner and Ivanka Trump, an insider told Politico, "A big part of their time in the White House was connecting with Fortune 100 CEOs, but especially in areas where they were interested in or had future business." The insider stressed that Kushner made sure to rub shoulders with other rich and powerful figures while working as a senior advisor. "More so than most in the administration, they sought to capitalize on the social aspect of things," the insider added, noting that many staff members didn't have this luxury while they were hemmed in by duties.
But Kushner, like his wife, has been seen unwinding in Florida with his kids. "Jared's spending a lot more time with his family because over the last four years that was something neither of them could do as much as they wanted to," an insider told People. "Jared will say, 'The nice thing about Miami is the moment you stop working, you're on vacation." Nevertheless, Kushner was careful to create solid connections in the White House that would serve him later in work outside of politics.
Eric Trump was dropping hints
Eric Trump seemed like a compelling or at least likely candidate for a while during Donald Trump's presidency. In October 2020, as it became evident that Trump would lose to Joe Biden, Eric teased the idea of carrying on the Trump torch in the political arena. As Forbes pointed out, Eric liked a tweet that pitched the idea of him running in 2024. Many took this as a foreshadowing of an ambitious journey ahead for the younger Trump.
However, of any of Trump's brood, as time has revealed, Eric is the least likely to pursue any future political plans. There has been almost no indication since Trump left the White House that Eric plans on following in his father's footsteps. In fact, Eric has lifted the veil on some of the Trump family's alleged schemes during Trump's time in office, and before that, showed he's not trying to look good for potential voters.
On the podcast "Uncut" with the former NFL player Jay Cutler, Eric got shockingly candid about the allegations that the Trumps colluded with Russia in order to secure his father's position in the White House. "We weren't smart enough to collude with Russia," Eric said, (via Insider). "We didn't know what the hell we were doing. We didn't know what a delegate was." For Eric, the familiar pre-political life is better. He still serves as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization and that's the name of that tune.
Lara Trump is making waves
While Eric Trump doesn't seem keen on a political future, his wife Lara Trump might not be so quick to shut it down. Reports speculated that she might try for a bid in 2022 for the North Carolina Senate, the Independent notes, but that didn't come to fruition.
Nevertheless, Lara did get her feet wet while father-in-law Donald Trump was in office. In 2020, she worked as a senior advisor on Trump's campaign, The New York Times notes, and even though she didn't end up running for Senate, many took her seriously for the position. "She's very charismatic, she understands retail politics well, and has a natural instinct for politics," campaign advisor Mercedes Schlapp told the outlet. Not only that, but Lara connected with many people in North Carolina while working for her father-in-law. "In North Carolina, in particular, she's a household name and people know her. She worked really hard on the campaign and was very involved in a lot of decisions throughout."
It's worth adding that Lara has the name for the job. "The Trump brand and Trump family is probably the strongest brand that's ever existed within the base of the party," Joe Gruters, Chairman of Florida's Republican Party told Fox 13. So it's not entirely off the table, but in the meantime, Lara is certainly getting her fair share of airtime working as a contributor for Fox News. Whether she plans to stay put or venture on to more political pastures is yet to be determined.
What will Tiffany Trump do?
Tiffany Trump was one of the lesser seen of the Trump family while Donald Trump was in office. The daughter to actor Marla Maples, Tiffany made headlines for her engagement to Michael Boulos, an heir to a billion dollar fortune, who proposed to Tiffany in the Rose Garden, according to People, keeping things close to the White House.
Tiffany graduated from Georgetown Law School in 2020, per CNN, and hasn't been explicitly clear about what she plans on doing next. But this could also be an advantage because she has avoided much of the turbulence of the rest of the Trumps and their entanglement both with the family business and with politics. As E! points out, the fact that she wasn't raised with the rest of Trump's children also functions as an asset should she want to forge her own path. She can't, of course, escape that famous last name.
Tiffany herself is well aware of her differences among the Trump family. "Since I have grown up on the West Coast, I'm definitely different from all of them growing up on the East Coast," she said in 2013 to Oprah Winfrey (via E! News). "It was great for me getting to grow up as a normal kid just out of the spotlight, versus all of them growing up in New York. They always had that intense media and spotlight on them." So, what will she do with this advantageous separation? Only time will tell.
Mary Trump isn't opposed to the idea
Another Trump who emerged during Donald Trump's presidency was his niece, psychologist and author Mary Trump. Mary was a vocal and tireless dissenter of her uncle and wasted no time writing "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" in 2020 and "The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal" in 2021. Thanks to her contentious relatives, Mary became an overnight celebrity and a recognized face on news outlets when her uncle was a theme in news cycles which, it seemed, he always was. With all this experience and exposure, Mary has admitted that she's toyed with the idea of a political future for herself.
During an interview with the Advocate, Mary was asked if she would ever run. "People have asked me that before, and they thought that I was giving them a typical political answer when I said that I didn't know, or that I didn't consider it," she began. "But I was truly just being honest. I don't know what life has in store for me."
"I can't say that I would never do it, on the one hand, but on the other hand I really think there is something to be said for staying outside of politics and having a voice," she added, and later concluded with, "But that's a question that I honestly don't have an answer for, at least not yet." Sounds like a promising possibility.