Lara Trump’s rapid rise as family tries to build a political dynasty

When Lara Trump strode onto center stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, it was a moment that symbolized the change in the Trump family since his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

Wearing a black dress and a sparkling American flag brooch, she used the prime-time spotlight to convince voters of her father-in-law’s gentle character, focusing on his role as a grandfather to her two young children.

And party loyalists cheered as she raised her fist and spoke about a gunman trying to assassinate her on Saturday, echoing Trump’s actions on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a bullet nearly hit him in the head.

“You may have seen a side of Donald Trump on Saturday that you weren’t sure existed until you saw it with your own eyes,” she told the crowd.

Mrs. Trump, 41, who is now co-chair of the Republican Party, was handpicked by her father-in-law for the role as he seeks another term in the White House and heads a party apparatus under his tight control.

Mrs. Trump, her husband Eric and his brother Don Jr. have emerged as leading family voices in Donald Trump’s campaign against U.S. President Joe Biden, and they are some of the most influential figures in his political orbit.

In contrast, Ivanka Trump, Trump’s eldest daughter, and her husband Jared Kushner — a powerful and high-profile couple in the White House following Trump’s 2016 victory — have kept their distance from politics over the past four years.

Lara was the first family member to officially speak at the conference, and her presence sparked interest not only in her role in the family but also in any other political ambitions.

“I think she’s fantastic,” said Alina Habba, Trump’s legal spokeswoman who famously defended him in a civil sexual assault lawsuit in New York.

“I think she spoke from the heart. She talked about mothers. She talked about him being a grandfather – things that only she could talk about.”

Longtime observers predict Lara Trump’s prominence in the family will only increase.

“Her speech was an important introduction to the nation because while she has been on several previous campaigns and has been part of Trump’s inner circle and family orbit for the past eight years, this is the first time she has taken on a role of real power within the Republican Party,” said Eric Cortellessa, a reporter who recently interviewed Mrs. Trump for Time magazine.

“And she’s in a position to prove that she’s not just an effective surrogate for Trump but also a political operator. And we’ll see that play out over the next four months as she co-chairs the RNC.”

Michele Merrell, a Republican state committee member in Broward County, Florida, said Mrs Trump’s appointment to the RNC made a “huge difference”.

“Fundraising is through the roof… we weren’t doing so well before. The change in leadership has made all the difference,” she said. “It’s really reignited the party.”

Some have drawn parallels between Lara and Eric Trump’s roles in this presidential campaign and those of Jared and Ivanka in 2016. However, Eric has a prominent role in the Trump Organization and would likely serve as the eyes and ears for his father’s vast business empire if Trump wins the White House.

Lara is in a position to continue to rise in the Republican Party, but there is another Trump who also has ambitions to build a political dynasty, said 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 really into politics,” he said.

“In fact, Lara Trump told me in a recent interview that – ‘if any Trumps want to run for higher office, look to Don’.”

Eric and Don Jr. have been a constant presence around their father and have been at his side since his assassination. They are also said to have been among the biggest voices in choosing JD Vance as Trump’s running mate.

Don Jr, the favorite candidate of the Make America Great Again (Maga) group, was in tears on Monday night when Donald Trump entered the convention hall and was welcomed as a hero.

Speaking at a conference side event, he spoke engagingly about his father’s softer side – and like his sister-in-law, he presented him as a grandfather and family man.

He even introduced his 17-year-old daughter, Kai Trump, on stage, who described Donald Trump as a “normal grandpa.”

“When I was honored, he printed it out to show his friends how proud he was of me,” she said.

It’s a public messaging strategy aimed at undercutting Democratic attacks on Trump as an authoritarian threat to democracy if he returns to power.

“We were having conversations that could change the world and he interrupted and talked about his grandchildren for 15 minutes,” Don Jr. told everyone in the room.

But the emphasis on family unity and love did not mask the fact that some key members were still absent from the Republican National Convention.

Trump’s wife, Melania, rarely appears in public with her husband and has not been seen by his side since the campaign shooting.

Their son, Barron, 18, has also not appeared at the convention. He has avoided public view for years but stood up to receive applause at a recent Trump rally in Miami, signaling that he too may have a political future.

Linda Stoch, vice president of Club 47 USA, which hosted Trump’s 78th birthday party in June, dismissed the idea that Melania and Barron would not appear at the conference.

“His family has been there for him from day one,” she said.

Asked whether she saw any member of the Trump family ushering in the next phase of Maga politics, Ms Stoch said we would have to wait and see.

Then she paused and added, “Maybe Barron.”