Trump family reshapes Republican Party in its own image

MILWAUKEE - For Donald Trump, the campaign to return to the White House is a family affair.

His sons Donald Jr and Eric have been ubiquitous at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, flanking their father at almost all his public appearances.

During Trump’s first term in office between 2017 and 2021, they helped him make key decisions, and they now work to ensure the party leadership comprises loyal allies.

Most recently, their input helped tip Trump towards

picking Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate,

a new addition to the inner circle.

“He couldn’t choose one of his sons or daughters or daughter-in-law, that just wouldn’t work, of course,” Professor Natasha Lindstaedt, a political scientist at the University of Essex, told AFP.

“J.D. Vance and Don Jr are very close. So he chose someone that maybe reminds him of his son or is close to his son,” she said.

A notable absence on the campaign trail in 2024, however, has been former first lady Melania Trump, who has been all but invisible throughout Trump’s rallies and protracted court appearances.

Where is Melania?

In a marked break from precedent, Mrs Trump has been largely absent in recent months from her husband’s political life, with the notable exception of a fiery statement after an attempted assassination attempt on him on July 13.

Prior to that, however, she had spoken sparingly and not accompanied her husband during court appearances in a case that saw him convicted of covering up hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleged she had a sexual encounter with the real estate tycoon.

“She’s a complete enigma,” Prof Lindstaedt said, adding that the former model did not “play the typical role” of a former first lady.

“Although she seemed to share similar views to Trump on a lot of issues, not on all, but on a lot of issues, she has a very conservative world view, she doesn’t seem to care that much what people think and kind of does her own thing.”

Three generations

The rest of Trump’s family has offered the former president a way to soften his image in the aftermath of the recent convictions and other legal woes.

His eldest granddaughter, 17-year-old Kai, spoke at the Republican National Convention on the night of July 17 to describe the “very caring and loving” patriarch.

“He’s just a normal grandpa; he gives us candy and soda when our parents aren’t looking,” said the daughter of Donald Jr.

Kai spoke of their shared love of golf, even when the former president tries to psych her out when playing against her.

“I don’t let him get to me, but I have to remind him I’m a Trump, too,” she said.

Nepotism

Like wagons hitched to their father’s train, Donald Jr, Eric and Ivanka have been pulled along to success, along with their friends and families.

Prof Lindstaedt pointed to two examples of Trump spouses achieving power: Eric’s wife, Mrs Lara Trump, who was recently appointed co-chair of the Republican National Committee, and Ivanka’s husband, Mr Jared Kushner, who Trump appointed as an advisor and entrusted with figuring out peace in the Middle East.

“Suddenly people who have no expertise, no training, no ethics training, maybe they’re not even going properly through security clearances, are given access to the most powerful positions,” Prof Lindstaedt said.

“And we see when this happens in non-democracies and the dictatorships, how it usually goes very badly.”

Dr Natalie Koch, who researches geopolitics and authoritarianism at Syracuse University, said Trump’s nepotism is nothing new.

“The Trump organisation is a family business, but once he took office the first time, and then you could really see that he brought that into the political realm and into the White House,” Dr Koch told AFP.

Children’s roles

Each of Trump’s children has been entrusted with different duties during this campaign.

Donald Jr, the eldest at age 46, is a big proponent of his father’s far-right Make America Great Again ideology.

Speaking at the Republican National Convention, he extolled the image of his father raising his fist after the assassination attempt last weekend.

Ivanka, 42, had played a role in Trump’s administration but has since devoted herself to personal matters.

Eric, 40, has doubled down on Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged. At the convention, he appeared with delegates from Florida and claimed – without evidence – that the Democratic Party was planning to win the 2024 election fraudulently.

Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, 30, was also in attendance at the Republican National Convention.

His youngest child, 18-year-old Barron, whom he had with his current wife, appears to take after his mother’s preference for the background, declining to be a delegate from Florida at the convention in 2024. AFP