“It is the imperial presidential family. On this occasion, they will not play such a visible role within the administration. Although there are a couple of people who will be more visible and will have positions close to the administration. All of his blood children are not going to be in the government as such, but they will play a role,” Octavio Pescador, a UCLA professor and CNN en Español commentator, tells El Comercio.
Barron and Kai
Barron Trump is no longer the child away from the public eye that he was in 2017. About to turn 19, the young first-year business student at New York University does not go unnoticed. And not only because of his size (he measures 2.01 meters). The president’s youngest son is considered an advisor by his father and a strategist to approach the younger public. It was he who urged the Republican leader to appear on popular podcasts during the campaign and promoted the type of cryptocurrency projects his parents are involved in, according to “The New York Times.”
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As he prepares to launch a luxury real estate business, the younger Trump is already a rising figure. Nevena Tarjkov, chair of the Department of Political Science at Jacksonville University (Florida), explains that Barron knows how to connect with young white people inclined toward the Republican Party and motivated by a feeling of disillusionment with liberal policies that they believe have undermined their ability to achieve the American dream. “At 78 years old, President Trump relies heavily on Barron’s acumen, especially given that this demographic played a critical role in Trump’s victory in November. Barron’s contributions have been fundamental in this effort, and it is reasonable to expect that he will continue to advise his father on strategies to keep this generation engaged and mobilized,” Pescador tells El Comercio.
Another figure with potential is Kai Trump, daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and who, in addition to being an impressive golfer, is becoming a social media powerhouse. At 17 years old, the president’s granddaughter stands out for her friendliness and closeness to women her age.
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For Trajkov it would be a missed opportunity for the presidential team not to use Barron and Kai. In the case of the young woman, the expert highlights that the teenager has committed to attending the University of Miami next year and is about to become the national face of conservative young women of college age, if she is still there. it is not.
“Both Barron and Kai attract attention for their youth and wealth, but Kai stands out for his likability, especially among young women, thanks to his open and accessible presence on social media. Since Kai won’t officially come of age until next year, his social media content will likely be subject to additional oversight by Trump’s team, but it’s reasonable to expect the administration to use his platform strategically. It has the potential not only to promote its policies among its own demographic group, but also to resonate with young men who are part of the same conservative movement,” explains the specialist.
Melania
“This time, I have everything, I have the plans,” Melania Trump said in an interview with Fox News before moving into the White House. It was already clear then that experience will be on her side in her second round as first lady, something she demonstrated by acting with security and confidence at public events this week.
“Compared to the first Trump administration, we can expect the first lady to take a more active role, at least at first,” Trajkov notes. Melania will continue with Be Best, the social initiative that began in Trump’s first term, and has said she will spend more time in Washington, although she will also manage an agenda in New York and Florida.
In recent weeks, the 54-year-old former model launched her own ‘memecoin’ and will begin promoting an Amazon Prime documentary after publishing an autobiography late last year.
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Trajkov believes that for this second administration, Melania Trump seems more comfortable with the responsibilities of the position. “She has gained experience and confidence since the 2017 inauguration, when her inexperience as a political spouse was reflected in her somewhat formal and restrained public interactions. “In addition, she is now the mother of an adult and has more freedom to pursue the traditional duties of the first lady.”
Pescador sees factors that indicate the first lady will be more independent in her husband’s second term. Although he points out that it is difficult to know exactly why she wore a hat that prevented her husband from kissing her at the inauguration ceremony, the expert points out that Melania showed greater decision-making power by rejecting the invitation to have tea with the Bidens. after last year’s elections.
Donald Jr.
The first-born son of the head of state has gained influence among the Trumpist base and is credited with the election of JD Vance as vice president. While Donald Jr., 47, is not expected to take an official position in the White House, it is likely that, in addition to maintaining his position as executive vice president of the Trump Organization, he will likely remain a figure who publicly defends his agenda. father.
Proof of this has been the trip he made to Greenland earlier this month, after the then president-elect expressed his desire to buy the island, an Arctic territory under the sovereignty of Denmark rich in minerals.
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Pescador claims that Trump’s oldest sons – Donald Jr. and Eric – are the ones who lead the way in promoting their father’s political project outside the White House.
“It is a personal and heritage project, but also one of social transformation and mobilization of a base that has expanded primarily with white youth, but that has also included African-American and Latino men. And this transgenerational project is championed, on the one hand, by Donald Jr., who was key in the selection of the vice president, and all the cybertechnocrats. So, they tie the family with those anchors to the party, they add young people and they have this whole social movement that they defend. They have an agenda that is in line with their father’s way of thinking. The family is not visible, they are behind, they are collaborating from the outside,” he points out.
Eric
Like his older brother, Eric Trump, 41, will also maintain his support for his father, although his main mission is to take care of the family emporium.
“Eric has always been in charge of Trump’s business and business side, and that is where he will stay. Now, he and his wife, Lara Trump, are very involved in controlling the Republican Party to continue the political project of their father and his family,” says Pescador.
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Lara Trump has built an active public career. She was co-chair of the Republican National Committee during the last campaign, a position from which she resigned after the end of the electoral race. Although she has been tempted to run as a senator, for now she has decided not to take that course.
Ivanka
The main family change in Donald Trump’s White House is that his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner will no longer be part of the government, as they did during his first term as his key advisors. Ivanka, 43, said in a podcast that politics is a “very dark and negative business” and said she prefers to focus on raising her three children in her Miami mansion. Therefore, this time she only wants to be present for the president “as a daughter.”
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Despite this, local media indicate that Jared will continue to informally advise the president on issues in the Middle East. Additionally, Trump chose Charles Kushner, Jared’s father, as the next US ambassador to France.
Regarding Jared, “The New York Times” points out that He currently runs a $3 billion private equity fund financed by the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as Terry Gou, the Taiwanese billionaire and founder of Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer.
Tiffany
Tiffany Trump is the daughter of the president who had the least political visibility in his first government, something that is not expected to change for now. The 31-year-old law graduate, the only daughter of Donald Trump’s second marriage to Marla Maples, is pregnant and expecting her first child with her husband, Michael Boulos.
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While she stays away from political office, her father-in-law, Massad Boulos, has been named advisor for the Middle East. Boulos father is a Lebanese-American businessman who helped Trump with the Arab-American community in the state of Michigan.