Donald Trump Jr. has been by his father’s side for his entire life. The eldest son of the President of the United States had a role during Donald’s first term at the White House, while today he serves as executive vice president of the Trump Organization.
While he and his father have had their ups and downs, things have been reasonably stable of late. Donald Trump Jr. might well become the second Trump to hold office, as he’s now revealed his ambition of potentially running for president.
Donald Trump Jr. has been part of the Trump organization for over two decades. He played an essential role during his father’s first presidential term, defending him more fiercely than anyone, even if that meant attracting extensive criticism.
Trump Jr is not afraid to tell the world exactly how he feels, which has landed him in trouble in the past, though his has never publicly apologized for his son’s outbursts.
Just like the POTUS’ other children, Donald Trump Jr. attended prestigious schools and was taught and trained from the very beginning to follow his father into the Trump organization. As the oldest son of the now-president, Trump Jr. faced enormous pressure – life, though comfortable, has not been an easy ride.
Born on December 31, 1977, in New York City, Trump Jr. ‘s childhood occurred at the same time as his father and grandfather, Fred Trump, were trying to establish themselves as the real estate moguls of Manhattan.
Donald was extremely busy during this time. As a result, Trump Jr. spent a lot of time with his mother, Ivana, but even she had less time than the average mom. Therefore, Trump Jr. spent much of his summers with his maternal grandparents in Czechoslovakia.
When Donald Trump Jr. was about 12 years old, his parents divorced. Ivana received a $25 million payout, $10 million of which was in cash, and custody of the three children. Donald Sr., however, remained a part of their lives. Alongside his siblings Ivanka and Eric, Trump Jr. was sent to the boarding school Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump Jr
According to Vanity Fair, this was to remove them from the “New York society scene.” But before they left, Donald Trump Jr. had some well-chosen words for his father, blaming him for the ugly divorce.
“How can you say you love us?” the 12-year-old Trump Jr. told his father, according to a 1990 Vanity Fair article. “You don’t love us! You don’t even love yourself. You just love your money.”
Trump Jr. attended Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania following boarding school, just like his father before him. In September 2001, after spending some time in Colorado, he returned to New York City to join the family business full-time. Donald Trump Jr. quickly climbed the ranks inside the Trump organization and was named executive vice president. As the years went by, Donald Trump decided to enter politics. Donald Trump Jr, naturally, followed suit.
When Donald moved into the White House for the first time, Trump Jr took the reins of the Trump organization, foremost to avoid potential conflicts of interest. The eldest son of the current POTUS was a fervent supporter of his father, to the extent that his incessant spreading of controversial conspiracy theories and fake news got him trouble.
He later played a crucial role in his father’s reelection bid in 2020 and was often on the campaign trail with Donald, speaking and arranging fundraisers. When Donald won his second presidential term in 2024, Donald Trump Jr. became one of the leading men in the Trump organization, being promoted to executive vice president.
In recent months, he, his siblings, and even the president received hefty criticism for using the presidency to make money for themselves. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that there is no conflict of interest as his sons, Trump Jr. and Eric, run the Trump organization.
Donald Trump Jr criticised over possible “conflict of interest” deals
The brothers have appeared at several events in the Middle East to try and get deals for luxury penthouses and cryptocurrency, but the fact that their father recently visited Qatar and even got a $400 million jet as a “gift” has left people questioning the president’s intentions.
Speaking with NPR, New York Times reporter Eric Lipton said that the Trump family’s business is capitalizing on the president’s position and has created ‘unprecedented’ conflicts of interest.
“I mean, the White House has said to us the same statement each time we ask about this – that President Trump has no conflicts of interest because his sons are running this business, and that he has divested of his interest to his sons of his corporations. And he did sign a statement in January of 2017, when he – after his first, you know, term started, in which he transferred control of his assets to his sons. And that is true. But the issue is that Trump is still the financial beneficiary of these companies,” Lipton said.
“And so when he files his financial disclosure every year, as he’s required to do under federal law, we can see that the same entities that are earning revenue from the crypto business or the hotel business or the golf business, or in the many businesses that he’s in, that Trump himself is financially benefiting from them.”
“None of this is an amazingly good look”
As per the Daily Beast, Donald Trump Jr. has joined at least eight corporate boards or advisory committees since his father won the 2024 Presidential Election. Meanwhile, because of his deals, several pro-Trump supporters, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, have stated that there could be corruption involved because of the deals struck with countries in the Middle East in the last months.
Another who has negative opinions of Donald Trump Jr.’s money-making tour is Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro. Once called a “Maga-ally,” Shapiro dished out hefty criticism to the eldest son of Donald Trump for his latest business ventures.
“Many of the organizations that Donald Trump Jr. is connected to are making an enormous amount of money during this period of time when his father is president. This raises awkward questions, certainly about Trump administration policy ranging from Trump memecoin to World Liberty Financial to gigantic real estate deals in Qatar,” Shapiro told the Daily Beast. “None of this is an amazingly good look.”
Donald Trump Jr. has been in the public eye for decades, and through his father’s two presidential terms, he has learned a lot about how politics works. So, is it his time to shine once Trump leaves the White House? Well, the possibility that Trump Jr. could run for President of the United States is now a reality.
Donald Trump Jr says he ‘might’ run for president
Fox reported that Trump Jr. was asked about possibly running for office at the Qatar Economic Forum. He said he wouldn’t close the door, saying, “I don’t know. Maybe one day … that calling is there.”
Later, on his X account, Donald Trump Jr. elaborated, saying he wouldn’t run for office in 2028.
“And FWIW, I’ve always said, while I’ll never 100% rule it out down the line, I have ZERO interest in running for office in 28 or anytime soon,” Donald Trump Jr. said.
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