NEW YORK (AP) Donald Trump Jr. was sat in the middle of the power foursome that just circled around aboard the president-elect’s plane over some McDonald’s burgers and fries with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Elon Musk, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Trump Jr. has emerged as a major figure in his father’s political circle and a possible successor to his Make America Great Again campaign, as seen by the central position occupied by his eldest son in a picture that has gone viral online.
Trump has already significantly impacted the future White House for the son of a president-elect. He vigorously advocated for the former president to select Ohio Senator JD Vance, a close friend, as his running mate.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson on election night, Trump Jr. claimed to have used 10,000% of his political capital. In 2076, for example, my father might do me a favor. I used it all up.
Trump Jr. is a member of a core group that makes decisions on who will hold important positions in the incoming White House, and his influence is evident as an honorary chair of the Republican president-elect’s transition team.
FILE – Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump hugs Donald Trump Jr., at a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena, Nov. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)
Image: Matt Freed/Associated Press
Trump Jr. specifically campaigned for positions for Kennedy, who is expected to head Health and Human Services, and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who the president-elect has selected to be director of national intelligence.
The personnel office will be managed by Sergio Gor, another close buddy. Two of the former president’s books have been published by Winning Team Publishing, the publishing company he and Trump Jr. manage.
Like his younger sister Ivanka Trump did during the first Trump term, the younger Trump has stated that he has no plans to join his father’s administration. Though he hasn’t been as involved in politics, his brother Eric is also an honorary chair of the transition. As co-chair of the Republican National Committee, Eric’s wife Lara has taken an increasingly active role.
According to someone familiar with Trump Jr.’s thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, he has made it clear that he wants to be a powerful voice from the outside and is expected to continue to be a loud advocate of his father and his agenda.
His son embodies the boisterous, impolite, and pugilistic demeanor of the president-elect. Donald Trump Jr. frequently adopts a more combative approach than his father, as evidenced by his vows to upend the status quo, his eagerness to engage in trolling, and his fervor for culture warfare.
According to Republican political analyst Scott Jennings, he is most likely the best example of the Republican Party’s “take no crap” mentality.
Part of the appeal, according to Jennings, is that Trump Jr. doesn’t seem like a typical political figure because of his demeanor and communication style.
One thing about the Trumps, in my opinion, that is probably true in general but definitely true for him is that they simply don’t engage in the typical political pablum that politicians were taught or educated to do before Trump.
The 46-year-old is well-versed in conservative politics online and sensitive to cultural concerns that resonate with MAGA supporters.
Trump’s X account, which has over 13 million followers, frequently uses emojis and exclamation points in its postings. He frequently posts conservative memes on Instagram.
In addition to hosting his own podcast, Triggered With Don Jr., twice a week, he also flexes between interviews on well-known media sites like Fox News and a variety of other podcasts that are popular among young conservatives. He pushed for the former president to participate on podcasts, such as the well-liked Joe Rogan podcast, throughout the campaign in an attempt to connect with young males.
Younger men find Trump Jr.’s combative demeanor especially appealing.
According to Jennings, “I believe that’s one of the reasons a lot of these young men like it because that’s how they talk.”
Trump Jr. has stated that he has no intention of running for government himself, but he has been fostering the next generation of his father’s movement by supporting Republicans who share his views and are adept at communicating.
In addition to his political involvement, the father of five has started a new cryptocurrency platform, is executive vice president of the Trump organization’s primary family business, and just announced that he is joining a venture capital firm that makes investments in conservative-leaning companies.
Trump Jr. previously appeared alongside his father on The Apprentice, the reality show that fueled the billionaire’s initial bid for presidency. Trump Jr.’s outreach helped his father gain more support when Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015 and was met with skepticism from large segments of the Republican Party. This was particularly true among conservatives who saw someone who shared their beliefs as a fervent supporter of the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms and an enthusiastic hunter and fisherman.
Since then, he has been more well-known in Republican politics, running campaigns for candidates that share his views in addition to his father. In 2022, he encouraged his father to support Vance in his Ohio Senate campaign. This year, he threw his support behind successful Republican Senate candidates Tim Sheehy in Montana, Bernie Moreno in Ohio, and Jim Banks in Indiana.
While the Democrat-turned-independent Kennedy paused his presidential candidacy, Trump Jr. helped negotiate a relationship with Kennedy in an effort to get him to support his father and join MAGA. In an interview with conservative host Glenn Beck, he suggested that Kennedy would join the government early, saying, “I loved the idea, of Kennedy joining a Trump White House.”
In referring to the many initials for government agencies, Trump Jr. stated, “I love the idea of giving him some sort of role in some sort of major three-letter entity or whatever it may be and let him blow it up.”
The two clicked, and in October, Trump Jr., who loves the outdoors, posted pictures of a day he spent with Kennedy taking part in his favorite pastime—falconry—on social media.
Even though the Senate has a Republican majority, the appointment of anti-vaccine activist Kennedy to lead the country’s public health institutions is certain to come under intense scrutiny during confirmation hearings.
In a recent Fox News interview, Trump Jr. admitted that some of his father’s decisions will be criticized.
He declared that they would be real disruptors. The American people want that.
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