As Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in for his second term, his family is also preparing to return to the spotlight. What role will Melania, Ivanka, Jared and the others play? Deciphering the issues for the Trump clan…
As Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office this Monday to begin his second term as President of the United States, the entire Trump clan is making its grand return to the White House. From his wife Melania to his youngest son Barron, including Ivanka, Jared, Eric and Donald Jr, the entire family is preparing to return to their quarters in Washington, not without raising many questions about the role that each will play there.
A highly anticipated family comeback
If those close to Donald Trump should, according to information circulating, be less involved in this second term compared to the first between 2017 and 2021, the fact remains that certain members of the family will retain a key role as unofficial advisors to the president.
Melania Trump, a part-time First Lady
For Melania Trump, the 54-year-old former Slovenian model who has shared Donald’s life since 2005, this return to the White House should be intermittent. According to sources close to CNN, the First Lady would only reside in Washington for periods, as was already the case during the first term. Its role, which traditionally consists of organizing state dinners and defending causes of public interest, should remain in line with its previous commitments, like its fight against online harassment.
Donald Jr and Eric, strategic assets
On the son’s side, if Donald Trump Jr and Eric should not occupy an official position at the White House, their influence will be no less decisive. “Don Jr”, at the age of 47, has demonstrated his ability to take the pulse of the Trumpist electoral base and would have weighed in with all his weight in the choice of Senator JD Vance as his father’s running mate for the 2024 campaign. As for Eric, 41, he should also remain a strong support behind the scenes, while continuing to serve with his brother as vice-president of the Trump Organization.
-Ivanka and Jared, withdrawal time
The couple formed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who were among Donald’s main advisers during his first term, however seem determined to distance themselves. The president’s eldest daughter, a mother of three, made it clear that she was “not ready to pass on this price” to her family. Jared Kushner should retain a role as unofficial advisor on Middle East issues, drawing on his experience in negotiating the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Barron, the new face of youth strategy
The most scrutinized personality of this new Trump era will undoubtedly be Barron, the president’s youngest son. While his mother tried to keep him out of the spotlight during the first term, the 18-year-old seems ready this time to shape his own political destiny. A student at the prestigious New York university of NYU, he would have actively participated in his father’s strategy towards the young electorate, not hesitating to grant a notable interview to the famous YouTuber Adin Ross during the campaign.
The in-laws are also there
Other members of the Trump galaxy should also do well. Charles Kushner, the father of Jared pardoned by Donald in 2020 despite his legal setbacks, was thus appointed ambassador of the United States to France. Massad Boulos, Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, will be advisor for the Middle East.
Beyond the establishment of the Trump administration and the distribution of ministerial portfolios, it is therefore a real comeback of the presidential clan that is expected. A family comeback which will not fail to raise questions about the boundary between the public sphere and private interests, but which above all testifies to the lasting influence of the Trump “brand” on American political life. It remains to be seen what shape this second term will take and what impact the role of each member of this extraordinary family will have on the presidential orientations.
