The other Trump: Donald’s daughter-in-law who’s now Republican Party boss

American politics is not particularly known for its political dynasties, though there have been family politicians who rose to the top of the ladder. But few families have captivated the public’s attention as much as the Trumps. Donald J Trump, the former president who is running for the job the third time this year, has dominated headlines for years, but recently, another family member has stepped into the spotlight: Lara Trump.  

As the wife of Eric Trump and now the co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), Lara’s journey from apolitical television producer to a key figure in the GOP underscores the unpredictable nature of American politics.

A family affair

Moments before Thomas Crooks fired shots targeting Trump addressing a crowd of supporters last week, it was a quintessentially Trumpian scene. Donald Trump, surrounded by his family at a rally at his Doral golf resort in Florida, proudly listing his children and grandchildren to the adoring crowd — Don Jr , Eric and Barron.  

Yet, one family member was notably absent. “You like Lara, right,” Trump asked, with his characteristic showmanship. “Lara is [not] only the head of the Republican Party, she’s upwardly mobile.”

Lara Trump’s rapid ascent within the Republican Party has been nothing short of meteoric. From her beginnings as a producer for “Inside Edition,” she has become a formidable presence in American politics. Her new role as co-chair of the RNC places her at the helm of the party’s electoral machinery, just as the Republicans gear up for the presidential election.

This is particularly remarkable given all other Trumps have decided to step out of the limelight and media scrutiny that Donald Trump, the politician, brings to the family. His wife learnt it quickly after Trump became the president. She never agreed to appear on the front page of fashion magazine Vogue. Her successor First Lady Jill Biden has been featured on the cover page a few times.  

Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, who played prominent roles during Trump’s presidency, stepped aside and shifted to Miami as the constant and intense media scrutiny was getting tough on their kids, Lara told New York Times in an interview. Don Jr, Eric and Barron too have stayed away from political limelight.

But after a Trump aide phoned Lara in January this year with her father-in-law’s proposal to run for the Republican Party president, she decided to do the job that “scared” her the most.

Stepping into the spotlight

However, Lara Trump’s political journey did not begin this year. It began in earnest when Donald Trump first ran for president in 2016. Despite not having a political background, she became an enthusiastic supporter and effective campaigner. Her articulate defence of Trump’s policies and charismatic presence made her a valuable asset to the campaign. Her transition from the media to politics was swift, and by the time Donald Trump sought re-election in 2020, Lara was a prominent surrogate.

On January 6, 2020, when thousands of Trump supporters ran riot at the Capitol Hill, refusing to accept the presidential election result, Lara helped spread the former president’s allegation that the election was rigged. Lara and Eric were there on the stage and Lara was one of the speakers who addressed Trump supporters before they ran to capture the Capitol.

Four years later, Trump’s decision to appoint her as co-chair of the RNC in March 2024 came as a strategic move to ensure loyalty within the party’s ranks. “When he called and talked to me initially about it, I was shocked,” Lara told the NYT in the interview, in which she also said that encouraging phone calls from Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner helped her overcome her hesitancy and accept the responsibilities of the high-profile political role.

The challenges of leadership

Taking on the role of RNC co-chair was a key part of Trump’s strategy for his renewed presidency bid. For Lara, it was full of challenges. Since 2017, the Republican National Committee was led by Ronna McDaniel, who had had a tense relationship with Donald Trump. McDaniel was not on the same page with Trump on the alleged rigged election charge. With McDaniel as the RNC head, many Trump detractors in the party got louder voices than what he liked.  

This explains Trump’s insistence on having a trusted family member in the key position, which has been seen by some as an attempt to consolidate control over the party. Critics argued that Lara’s appointment was a clear example of nepotism. Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s former aide Rob Stutzman was quoted as saying in US media reports, “It’s not normal. It’s not healthy.”

Despite the scepticism and muted criticism, Lara Trump approached her role with determination, playing an instrumental role in fundraising efforts — helping the party raise over $280 million since March.  

Her influence extends beyond finances; she has also spearheaded initiatives to recruit poll watchers and promote “election integrity,” a key issue for Trump loyalists. Her goal is to enlist over 100,000 poll watchers in battleground states, a move designed to bolster Republican confidence in the electoral process.

Balancing family and politics

Lara’s rise in the political arena has also brought her personal life into the public eye. Her relationship with Eric Trump, whom she met in New York City shortly after moving there for culinary school, has been scrutinised and often sensationalised by the media. Despite this, she has maintained a down-to-earth perspective, focusing on her family and her responsibilities.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Lara comes from a socially conservative but not especially political family. She graduated from North Carolina State University and did odd jobs—personal trainer, bartender, waitress— for about three years before moving to New York City to attend a French culinary school. While in NYC, she met Eric in March 2008. They married six years later, in 2014, after which she moved closer to the Trump home and took the job of a producer for the television programme Inside Edition.

Lara’s first brush with serious politics came when her father-in-law ran for the US president as the family travelled to Iowa ahead of the caucuses. She got more involved in Trump’s 2020 campaign. And now The 41-year-old mother of two is the “trusted guy” Trump was looking to have in charge of the Republican Party as he eyes a return to the White House.

A new chapter for the GOP

It is not the first time that a Republican presidential nominee has an aide or a family member for the RNC top job. Presidents have regularly placed trusted aides inside the RNC — George HW Bush had Lee Atwater chair, his son George W Bush chose Ken Mehlman. As for family members, Ronald Reagan picked his daughter Maureen Reagan to be RNC co-chair in 1987.  

Trump’s plan this time was to have Lara as co-chair with the loyal pro-Trump operative Michael Whatley as chair. She has now become the face of the organisation. Within days of her appointment as co-chair, Whatley and Lara removed a number of old-timers in the organisation, bringing in those committed to the Trump Campaign.

Lara, in a rare occurrence, has made the RNC a part of the Trump campaign. The party and the campaign have merged for all practical purposes. Her influence on the party is stamped from the fact that at the Republican National Convention, Lara was scheduled to speak for 15 minutes, longer than seasoned Republicans.  

Lara is also credited to have convinced Trump to drop his reservations about the mail votes, something he blamed for his loss in the 2020 campaign. He maintained that the mail votes were vulnerable to fraud. However, with the view not finding resonance either with voters or the party leaders, Lara persuaded Trump to embrace vote-by-mail, reversing his long-standing opposition to the practice. This strategic shift aims to maximise Republican voter turnout and mitigate risks associated with relying solely on Election Day voting.

Looking ahead

While Lara remains a key figure in the Trump Campaign, speculation abound about her future role if Trump wins the presidency for the second time. The first Trump presidency saw his daughter Ivanka taking the adviser’s role, in which she was said to have influenced the US’s foreign policy significantly.  

Whether Lara steps into Ivanka’s shoes or something meatier is not yet clear. But her rise in American politics, especially the Republican Party, is a story of not just ambition but also of resilience. Some American commentators are already saying that regardless of the November outcome, someone from the Trump family will inevitably try to carry the MAGA (Make America Great Again) torch once Trump exits the scene.