Lara Trump’s meteoric rise as her family attempts to build a political dynasty

When Lara Trump took center stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, the moment symbolized the transformation of the Trump family since their defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

Wearing a black dress and a glittering American flag brooch, she used the prime-time spotlight to sell her father-in-law’s softer edges to voters, focusing on his role as a grandfather to two young children.

Party loyalists roared as she raised her fists and spoke of a gunman’s attempt to kill him on Saturday, echoing Trump’s behavior on stage at a rally in Butler, Pa., when a bullet nearly struck Hit him in the head.

“Maybe on Saturday you’ll see a side of Donald Trump that you weren’t sure existed until you saw it,” she told the crowd.

Ms. Trump, 41, now Republican co-chairman, was handpicked by her father-in-law during his campaign for re-election to the White House and has a firm grip on the top of the Republican establishment.

Ms Trump, her husband Eric and his brother Don Jr have become the main faces of Donald Trump’s family in his campaign against US President Joe Biden and are among the most influential in Trump’s political circle one of the characters.

By contrast, Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, a couple who enjoyed a lot of power in the White House after Trump’s 2016 victory. The high-profile power couple – have spent the past four years keeping their distance from politics.

Laura was the first member of the family to formally speak at the conference, and her presence sparked interest not only in her role within the family, but also in any further political ambitions.

“I think she’s fantastic,” said Alina Habba, Trump’s legal spokesperson who rose to prominence defending Trump in a civil sexual assault case in New York.

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

Longtime observers expect Lara Trump’s status in the family will only grow.

“Her speech was very much her introduction to the country, because while she has had previous roles in 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 been positioned in Trump’s inner circle and family orbit, said Eric Cortellessa.

“She’s now in a position where she’s going to prove that she’s not just an effective surrogate for Trump, but a political operator. We’re going to see that over the next four months as she serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.”

Michelle Merrell, a Republican state committeewoman in Broward County, Florida, said Ms. Trump’s appointment to the Republican National Committee made “a world of difference.”

“Fundraising is in full swing… we didn’t do that well before. The change in leadership has made all the difference,” she said. “It reignited the party spirit, it really did.”

Some see similarities between Laura and Eric Trump’s roles in this presidential campaign and those of Jared and Ivanka in 2016. plays an important role and is likely to serve as the eyes and ears of his father’s vast empire if Trump were to win the White House.

Eric Cortleza said Laura is expected to continue to rise in the Republican Party, but another Trump may also have aspirations to build a political dynasty.

“Little Tang said he was not interested in politics, but everyone around him, including his sister-in-law and brother, thought he was very thirsty for politics,” he said.

“In fact, Lara Trump said to me in a recent interview, ‘If Trump is running for higher office, look out for Don.'”

Eric and Don Jr. have been by their father’s side, rallying around him since his assassination. They were also reportedly among the loudest voices when it came to choosing J.D. Vance as Trump’s running mate.

Don Jr., a favorite among the Make America Great Again (Maga) base, burst into tears as Donald Trump walked into the chamber to a hero’s welcome on Monday night.

At an event on the sidelines of the convention, he spoke charmingly of his father’s softer side – how his sister-in-law regarded him as a grandfather and family man.

He even introduced his 17-year-old daughter Kay Trump to the stage, who she described as a “normal grandpa.”

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

It’s a public messaging strategy aimed at undermining Democratic attacks on Trump as an authoritarian threat to democracy upon his return to the presidency.

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

But the emphasis on family unity and love cannot hide the fact that the Republican National Convention has so far lacked some key members.

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

Their 18-year-old son Barron also didn’t show up at the convention. He has stayed out of the public eye for years, but he received a standing ovation at a recent Trump rally in Miami, suggesting he may also have a political future.

Linda Stoch, vice president of America’s 47th Club, which hosted Trump for his 78th birthday in June, dismissed suggestions that Melania and Barron would not attend the convention.

“His family has been with him since day one,” she said.

Asked if she saw any particular Trump family member leading the next phase of MAGA politics, Ms Storch said we would have to wait and see.

Then she paused and added: “Maybe Barron.”