Image source, Getty Images
- Author, Brandon Livesay
- Role, BBC News, at the Republican convention in Milwaukee
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When Lara Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, it symbolized the changing of the guard within the Trump family that has taken place since his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.
Wearing a black dress and a glittering American flag brooch on her head, she used the prime-time spotlight to convince voters of her father-in-law’s soft side, emphasizing his role as grandfather to her two young children.
And partygoers cheered as she raised her fist and spoke of a gunman’s attempt to kill him on Saturday, comparing it to Trump’s actions onstage at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a bullet narrowly missed his head.
“Maybe you saw a side of Donald Trump on Saturday that you didn’t know existed until you saw it with your own eyes,” she told the crowd.
Mrs. Trump, 41, now co-chair of the Republican Party, was handpicked for the role by her father-in-law, who is running for another term in the White House and heads a party apparatus that is firmly under his control.
Mrs. Trump, her husband Eric and his older brother Don Jr. are the family’s most important voices in Donald Trump’s campaign against US President Joe Biden. They are among the most influential figures in his political circle.
In contrast, Ivanka Trump, Trump’s eldest daughter, and her husband Jared Kushner — a powerful couple who rose to prominent roles in the White House after Trump’s 2016 victory — have stayed out of politics over the past four years.
Lara was the first family member to officially speak at this conference, and her presence has not only fueled interest in her role within the family, but also in her possible future political ambitions.
“I thought she was fantastic,” said Alina Habba, Trump’s spokeswoman who rose to prominence defending him in his civil sexual assault lawsuit in New York.
“I think she spoke from her heart. She spoke about mothers. She spoke about him as a grandfather – things that only she can talk about.”
Long-time followers of Lara Trump expect her role within the family to only grow in prominence.
“Her speech was an important introduction to the country. She’s campaigned before and been part of Trump’s inner circle and family for the past eight years, but this is the first time she’s held a role of real power within the Republican Party,” said Eric Cortellessa, a reporter who recently interviewed Trump for a Time magazine profile.
“And she’s in a position where she wants to prove herself not only as an effective surrogate for Trump, but as a political operator. And we’re going to see that happen over the next four months as she co-chairs the RNC.”
Image source, Getty Images
Michele Merrell, a Republican state committeewoman for Broward County in Florida, said Mrs. Trump’s appointment to the RNC has made “a world of difference.”
“The fundraising has gone through the roof…we weren’t doing so well before. The change in leadership has been the difference,” she said. “It’s really breathed new life into the party.”
Some have seen parallels between Lara and Eric Trump’s roles in this presidential campaign and that of Jared and Ivanka in 2016. Eric, however, holds a prominent role in the Trump Organization and would likely serve as the eyes and ears for his father’s sprawling business empire if Trump were to win the White House.
Lara is positioned to continue her rise within the Republican Party, but there is another Trump who may also have ambitions to build a political dynasty, according to Eric Cortellessa.
“Don Jr. says he’s not interested in politics, but everyone around him, including his sister-in-law and brother, thinks he’s very interested in politics,” he said.
“Lara Trump recently said to me in an interview, ‘If there’s anyone who’s Trump running for higher office, watch out for Don.’”
Eric and Don Jr. have been a constant presence around their father and have rallied around him since the attempt on his life. They were also reportedly among the loudest voices when it came to choosing JD Vance as Trump’s running mate.
Don Jr., a favorite of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) constituency, appeared to be in tears Monday night as Donald Trump walked into the convention hall and was welcomed as a hero.
Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the convention, he spoke with charisma about his father’s softer side, selling him, like his sister-in-law, as a grandfather and family man.
It is a public messaging strategy that attempts to soften Democratic attacks on Trump, who would pose an authoritarian threat to democracy if he returns to the White House.
“We’re having conversations that could change the world and he interrupts us and talks about his grandchildren for 15 minutes,” Don Jr. told the audience.
But the emphasis on family unity and love doesn’t hide the fact that some key members have been absent from the Republican Party convention so far.
Trump’s wife Melania rarely appears in public with her husband and has not been seen in public next to him since the shooting.
Their son Barron, 18, has also not yet appeared at the convention. He has been kept out of the public eye for years, but recently received a standing ovation at a Trump rally in Miami, signaling that he too may have a political future.
Linda Stoch, vice president of Club 47 USA, where Trump celebrated his 78th birthday in June, dismissed the idea that Melania and Barron would not appear at the convention.
“His family has always been there for him, from day one,” she said.
When asked whether a particular member of the Trump family would usher in the next phase of Maga politics, Ms. Stoch replied that we would have to wait and see.
She paused for a moment and then said, “Maybe Barron.”