Meet the Trumps: America’s first family moves back in
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Donald Trump’s family will likely be less formally involved in White House business in his second term as they were in the first.
PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON - Donald Trump’s family will likely be less formally involved in White House business in his second term than they were in the first, but some will remain key to his political operation as unofficial advisers. Here is a look at how Trump’s wife, five children and other relatives will play a role in the new administration after the US presidential inauguration on Jan 20.
Melania Trump
Melania – who met Trump at a party in 1998 and wed him in 2005 – returns as First Lady to the White House, which she plans to make her primary residence.
PHOTO: AFP
Mrs Melania Trump – who met the President-elect at a party in 1998 and wed him in 2005 – returns as First Lady to the White House, which she plans to make her primary residence.
This would differ from Trump’s first term, when his wife did not join him at the official residence for several months so that their son Barron, then 10, could finish school in New York.
She fulfilled traditional First Lady duties when she finally moved in – taking charge of state dinners and promoting her favourite causes, including a campaign against online bullying.
She has always been her own boss – feeling little obligation to accompany her husband to rallies and other events – and courting controversy with a coat bearing the slogan “I really don’t care, do you?” as she headed to a migrant children’s shelter.
Donald Trump Jr
Donald Trump’s eldest son, known as Don Jr, is a darling of the Maga movement and is considered to have his thumb on the pulse of the base.
PHOTO: AFP
Trump’s eldest son, known as Don Jr, is a darling of the Maga (Make America Great Again) movement and is considered to have his thumb on the pulse of the base.
His Triggered podcast is influential among the President-elect’s most ardent supporters, and he is said to have had significant sway in the selection of J.D. Vance as vice-president.
But the 47-year-old is reportedly planning to forgo an official White House role to continue in his job as a Trump Organisation executive vice-president.
Mr Trump Jr and former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle reportedly broke off their engagement after six years of dating, but she will remain in the “family business” as ambassador to Greece.
Ivanka Trump
Ms Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Centre in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov 6, 2024.
PHOTO: AFP
Ms Ivanka Trump, the eldest Trump daughter, largely checked out of politics after leaving the White House, where she had worked as a top adviser to her father.
“The main reason I am not going back to serve now is, I know the cost, and it’s a price that I’m not willing to make my kids bear,” the mother of three, 43, told the Him & Her Show podcast ahead of Trump’s inauguration.
She had already previewed her decision in a statement about stepping out of public life when her father launched his 2024 campaign.
Eric Trump
Mr Eric Trump and his wife Lara Trump on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024.
PHOTO: AFP
Trump’s second son Eric, 41, spent his father’s first term, like his older brother, as an executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation, overseeing its high-end real estate portfolio.
And, like Mr Trump Jr, he has been at his father’s side as an unofficial adviser throughout the President-elect’s political career, frequently appearing at rallies and defending him on cable news.
He is expected to continue in both roles.
His wife Lara Trump, who is pursuing a pop music career, stepped down as Republican National Committee co-chair in 2024 and withdrew from consideration as Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s replacement when he joins the administration.
Tiffany Boulos
Mrs Tiffany Boulos, 31, was largely out of the spotlight during her father’s first term, only making occasional public appearances with him.
PHOTO: AFP
Mrs Tiffany Boulos, 31, was largely out of the spotlight during her father’s first term, making only occasional public appearances with him.
The Georgetown University law graduate attended some campaign events but did not speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention for the first time in three election cycles.
The only child from Trump’s marriage to Mrs Marla Maples, she is reportedly expecting a baby and is planning to remain distanced from politics.
Barron Trump
Donald Trump’s youngest boy emerged as a surprise vital cog in the President-elect’s 2024 campaign machine, as his unofficial advisor on how to appeal to Gen Z.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Mrs Melania Trump was at pains during her husband’s first term to shield her son Barron from the harsh glare of the press, but he is now 18 and beginning to chart his own political path.
Trump’s youngest boy emerged as a surprise vital cog in the President-elect’s 2024 campaign machine, as his unofficial adviser on how to appeal to Gen Z. In an August interview with high-profile YouTuber Adin Ross, the President-elect shared that Barron had told him to appear on the channel as a guest, saying: “Dad, he’s really big.”
The teenager – who is more than 2m tall – is studying at New York University.
In-laws
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, like his wife Ivanka, was a senior White House adviser in Trump’s first term, cultivating ties with Middle Eastern leaders while brokering the Abraham Accords.
He is not expected to rejoin the Trump administration, but CNN has reported that he will serve as an unofficial adviser to the president on Middle Eastern affairs.
His father Charles Kushner – a pardoned felon – and Mr Massad Boulos, Mrs Tiffany Boulos’ father-in-law, will have formal roles as ambassador to France and Middle East adviser, respectively. AFP
