Donald Trump
The president’s children and their partners play important roles in his re-election campaign, rallying his base and trashing opponents
- Why Donald Trump’s children are key to his re-election campaign
Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP
Donald Trump Jr
Age: 42
Twitter bio: EVP of Development & Acquisitions The @Trump Organization, Father, Outdoorsman, In a past life Boardroom Advisor on The Apprentice.
Twitter followers: 5m
Role: Lead attack dog for his father, firing up crowds, goading liberals and savaging the media. A graduate of his father’s alma mater, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, he went into the family business. Chris Cillizza, CNN editor-at-large, wrote: “The easiest way to understand Donald Trump Jr is this: he is his father on steroids. With a lot more internet savvy.”
Kimberly Guilfoyle
Age: 51
Twitter bio: Mother, Sister, Patriot, Proud American. National Chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee 2020 and Senior Advisor to @TeamTrump.
Twitter followers: 1.7m
Role: A lawyer, she started appearing on Fox News as a legal analyst in 2004 and a full-time host from 2006. She was previously married to Gavin Newsom, then the Democratic mayor of San Francisco (they were billed as “the new Kennedys” by Harper’s Bazaar magazine), but is now dating Don Jr and frequently appears as his sidekick at Trump campaign events.
Eric Trump
Age: 36
Twitter bio: Executive Vice President of The @Trump Organization. Husband to @LaraLeaTrump. Large advocate of @StJude Children’s Hospital @TrumpWinery #MakeAmericaGreatAgain.
Twitter followers: 3.5m
Role: An energetic campaigner for the cause, though much mocked as the dumber younger brother. He is a graduate of Georgetown University who, with Don Jr, stepped in to run the Trump Organization after their father became president. Like Don Jr, he has been criticised for posing with wild animals they killed during big game hunts in Africa.
Lara Trump
Age: 37
Twitter bio: NC girl in NYC #MAGA.
Twitter followers: 880,000
Role: Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, the former TV producer is arguably the most prominent face of Trump campaign broadcasts. She is generally less combative than her husband, Eric, and more focused on building support among women. But last year she declared that German chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to accept refugees from Syria in 2015 was “the downfall of Germany”, adding: “It was one of the worst things to ever happen to Germany.”
Ivanka Trump
Age: 38
Twitter bio: Wife, mother, sister, daughter. Advisor to POTUS on job creation + economic empowerment, workforce development & entrepreneurship. Personal Pg. Views are my own.
Twitter followers: 8.8m
Role: Senior adviser to the president, who once said: “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.” In 2018, she announced the closure of her namesake fashion brand amid concerns over a conflict of interest. Introducing her father at the 2016 Republican national convention, she said: “Like many of my fellow millennials, I do not consider myself categorically Republican or Democrat. More than party affiliation, I vote on based on what I believe is right, for my family and for my country.”
Jared Kushner
Age: 39
Twitter bio: None (he has never tweeted).
Twitter followers: 107,000
Role: Senior adviser to the president with a seemingly endless portfolio. He is the son of property developer Charles Kushner, who was imprisoned on charges of tax evasion, witness tampering and illegal campaign donations. Kushner took over the family business and also went into publishing. He married Ivanka in 2009 and oversaw the Trump campaign’s digital strategy in 2016. He recently described the White House’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as a “success story”.
Source: Elections - theguardian.com
