Donald Trump Jr. takes on a new role of senior advisor to the Trump family
Behind the scenes, Trump's eldest son has become one of the former president's main political advisers, according to several sources close to Trump or involved in his political operation. Like his brother-in-law Jared Kushner, who has spent much of the past four years attempting to run the Trump show from inside the West Wing, Trump Jr. has worked closely with his father's team. to ensure the next iteration of the 45th president. the political career is going well and his father reliably endorses conservative candidates.
But its role goes far beyond operational guidance. In the months since Trump left Washington, Trump Jr. - who has never worked in the White House and is undeniably the most conservative member of the Trump family - has consistently influenced his father's political instincts. . Aides describes their relationship as significantly more affable than Trump's with Kushner, who took a break from politics.
Trump Jr.'s impact was fully on display earlier this month, when Trump caught himself fuming during a television interview with Gov. Asa Hutchinson about the Republican of Arkansas' stance on transgender issues, a position that previously would have escaped her attention. Unlike when Trump camped in an annex of the Oval Office, complaining to assistants about critical cable coverage he had seen of himself or his administration, this time he was angered by the veto. by Hutchinson on a Republican-backed gender-blocking bill. claiming treatments for transgender youth in her condition.
The former president had watched one of his favorite prime-time shows, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," from his club's Mar-a-Lago residence when Carlson and Hutchinson clashed over it. A person familiar with the episode said Trump was "insulting television" and was increasingly frustrated by Hutchinson's rebuttals. Two days later, the ex-president issued a statement through his Save America PAC leadership accusing Hutchinson of supporting "chemical castration of children."
To outside observers, it seemed odd that Trump, who largely avoided LGBTQ issues during his presidency beyond banning transgender Americans from serving in the US military, was issuing a statement distorting one of the most conservative governors. of the country on a veto related to transgender youth. But within the orbit of the former president, it was perfectly clear who influenced him.
For years, Trump Jr. had made basic statements about various extensions of transgender rights to his right-wing followers on Twitter and Instagram. When Cece Telfer, a transgender woman, qualified for the 2019 NCAA Women's Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Trump Jr. claimed her success was a "grave injustice to so many young women. In a tweet. He again slammed transgender athletes during a brief appearance at his father's "Stop the Steal" rally since the White House Ellipse on January 6.
“Don has the grassroots pulse and knows where the party's energy is, so he's sort of the go-to person now on a lot of political things,” a Trump aide said.
A leading role
Trump Jr.'s growing influence was first visible to his father's assistants in February, when Trump gave his first major speech since leaving office at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando. There, the 45th President made a long riff on transgender athletes participating in interschool supports - a topic he had previously ignored as it was bubbling up in state legislatures across the country and his own administration threatened to suppress the federal funding of schools that implemented trans-inclusive sports policies. Aides later said it was Trump Jr. who encouraged his father to weigh in on the issue at CPAC, knowing it would be red meat for the extremely conservative crowd.
"He has always fought for the cause as a whole, but now Don is playing an increasingly important role in shaping the political direction of Trump's post-presidency," said a person close to Trump Jr.
Relatives of the former president say Trump Jr. has also become a key channel for GOP candidates vying for support for the 45th president. He has been intimately involved in the process of vetting Republican hopefuls seeking Trump's coveted endorsement, intervening when he suspects a candidate is unworthy of his father's blessing or urging Trump to avoid investing. prematurely his finger on the scale during the crowded Senate primaries.
When former Ohio Republican Party President Jane Timken sought Trump's approval for his fledgling Senate campaign in March, for example, Trump Jr. warned his father to "slow things down" and let the main contest unfold, several people familiar with the episode recalled.
“It recognizes applicants who are genuinely invested in the America First program and can spot those who are faking it. While it's true that all roads lead to Mar-a-Lago, smart candidates know there's a pit stop with Don that guarantees a higher degree. success, "said former White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
The younger Trump has also advised his father on messaging, as Trump navigates bitter divisions within the GOP over issues such as voting rights, the so-called 'cancellation culture' and corporate accountability . And as the party grapples with major philosophical questions about its future, those close to Trump Jr. have said he has urged his father to stay in the trenches on cultural issues in particular, arguing that they are more likely to animate grassroots groups and MAGA voters before and beyond the 2022 midterm elections.
Trump family member 'talks the most'
That Trump Jr. went from a campaign substitute who never worked in the White House to one of his father's most trusted political strategists is no coincidence.
Unlike his time in Washington, Trump no longer has a rotating team of campaign strategists and West Wing advisers surrounding him on a daily basis or the heavy operational demands that the executive office needs. As a result, he turned more and more to his longtime friends and staunch political allies - from former White House top aides Mark Meadows and Kellyanne Conway to his eldest son and Ohio Rep. Jim. Jordan - for advice on building his political machine. and keeping his pole at the top of the GOP.
“Much of what you see of Trump's operation these days is coming from the top,” said a second person close to Trump Jr., who noted that Trump sometimes calls 15 people in a single day to solicit them. opinion on potential riders. and the growing number of 2024 presidential hopefuls who risk tossing their hats in the ring if Trump gives up on another race.
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"He often calls you to be more of a bowel control than a GPS," said one person the former president speaks to regularly. Trump Jr., this person added, is "definitely the family member [Trump] speaks to most" at times like this.
Kushner's obvious absence has also been a factor in Trump Jr.'s rise to prominence as Trump's son has positioned himself closer to the former president since leaving office - including with a recent home purchase in Jupiter, Florida just 35 minutes from his father's luxury resort - Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump kept their distance from his post-presidential device and showed little interest in to re-engage soon. Kushner is reportedly busy with a book about his time in Washington and his efforts to negotiate peace in the Middle East, according to reports.
In addition, three people close to Trump's thought said he is still preparing for his defeat in the 2020 election, for which he largely blames Kusher, who has been de facto campaign leader throughout the quest for re-election. from Trump.
“I don't think the president is looking to Jared for advice these days,” said someone close to Trump.
Several Trump aides have cautioned against the idea of Trump Jr. replacing Kushner in Trump's orbit, noting that the two men have served different roles since Trump entered politics. Kushner, who is less ideological than his brother-in-law, has mostly provided operational input in his role as senior White House adviser and campaign strategist. Meanwhile, Trump's eldest son spent much of 2016 and 2020 cruising the country promoting his father at campaign rallies - often mimicking Trump's belligerent style and rhetorical tricks - before diving head first into his father's political operation after the White House.
Among some Trump aides, young Trump was also named a potential successor to the throne if his father refused to run for a second non-consecutive term in 2024.
Despite his deep involvement in Trump's post-presidential machine, as well as his keen understanding of the GOP base, aides who have worked closely with the former president and Trump Jr. insist that there are notable differences between the father and son duo.
On the one hand, while Trump has spent most of his post-presidency chilling out on the green with almost daily appearances at his namesake golf club in West Palm Beach, his son recently escaped during a hunting trip in the Alaskan wilderness. A person familiar with the whereabouts of Trump Jr. described the excursion as his own brief political reprieve.
