Members of President-elect Donald Trump’s family circle may not fill as many official roles in the White House in his next presidency as they did in his first term, but they will remain vital parts of his political operation.
Melania Trump will return as first lady. Charles Kushner and Massad Boulos, both fathers of Donald Trump’s sons-in-law, will also serve in the Trump administration.
Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, began entering politics and advising his father on how to attract young voters. Other members of the Trump family, such as Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump, will stay away.
Here’s a look at how people close to Donald Trump will (or possibly not) be involved in his administration.
During Donald Trump’s first term, Melania Trump fulfilled first lady duties such as planning state dinners, promoting children’s well-being with her “Be Best” campaign, and decorating the White House for Christmas.
Still, she was also known to break White House tradition and defy expectations of the role.
She made occasional appearances with her husband on the 2024 campaign trail and declined Jill Biden’s invitation to meet at the White House after the election, indicating she would likely play by her own rules during Biden’s second term. Triumph.
CNN reported that Melania Trump is “unlikely” to live in the White House full time.
Melania Trump did not respond to a request for comment.
Cofounded by former Bank of America executive Omeed Malik, 1789 Capital defines itself as “anti-ESG,” which stands for environmental, social, and governance. Instead, it focuses on “EIG,” or entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth.
The venture capital firm financed, among other things, the independent media company of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, as reported in the last Business Insider. Trump Jr. joins the company as a partner.
Representatives for Trump Jr. responded to a request for comment.
Guilfoyle advocated for Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign and made appearances at rallies and events in support of his 2024 bid. He also served on the RNC 2024 platform committee.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle have reportedly broken off their engagement after six years of dating, but Guilfoyle will remain in the Trump orbit as ambassador to Greece in Donald Trump’s second White House administration.
“For many years, Kimberly has been a close friend and ally,” Donald Trump wrote in Truth Social. “Her extensive experience and leadership in the legal, media and political arenas, as well as her willing intelligence, make her incredibly qualified to build the United States and safeguard its interests abroad. “
Guilfoyle’s representatives responded to a request for comment.
When Donald Trump presented his 2024 campaign, Ivanka Trump announced that she would retire from politics.
“I love my father very much,” he said in a message shared on social media. “This time I choose to prioritize my children and the privacy we create as a family. I have no plans to get involved in politics. Although I would love and help my father at all times, in the future I will. ” outside the political arena.
He made a few appearances with his father at the crusade, but has largely returned to his life as a socialite. In a July interview on the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” Ivanka Trump reiterated that she has no plans to return to politics. calling it a “complicated, very complicated issue” that is “at odds with what makes me feel intelligent as a human being. “
Representatives for the Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
Kushner told Axios in February that he would not join Trump’s administration as a senior adviser for a second term, however, CNN and the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that he would serve as an unofficial adviser, depending on the relationships he established with the government of the country. leaders. Middle East while the Abraham Accords were being negotiated.
Representatives for Kushner did not respond to a request for comment.
In an article for Truth Social, Donald Trump called Charles Kushner “a formidable leader, philanthropist and dealmaker who will be a strong defender of our country and our interests. “
Donald Trump pardoned Kushner, a billionaire real estate developer who pleaded guilty to tax evasion and witness tampering in 2004, his first term. Kushner donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s super PAC in 2023.
Eric Trump served as an advisor on all of Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns, appearing at rallies and on cable news. He remains executive vice president of the Trump Organization, overseeing the Trump family’s luxury real estate portfolio, as he did during Donald Trump’s first term.
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a years-long investigation into allegations of fraud at the Trump Organization. In February, the civil fraud case resulted in a $364 million fine against Donald Trump and corporate executives. The Trump Organization has denied any wrongdoing and welcomes the verdict.
The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lara Trump was elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee in March after receiving the endorsement of Donald Trump.
She shared the job with Michael Whatley, a Trump loyalist and former North Carolina’s GOP chair. Together, Lara Trump and Whatley oversaw the RNC’s platform and funds, further cementing Donald Trump’s hold over the Republican Party.
Some members of the Republican Party, Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, have called on DeSantis to nominate Lara Trump for the Senate seat that Sen. Marco Rubio will vacate if He presents himself as Secretary of State.
In December, Lara Trump resigned as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and wrote in X that she had to withdraw her bid for the US Senate nomination, but announced a “big announcement” to come.
Representatives of the Republican National Committee and Lara Trump did not respond to a request for comment.
Georgetown Law School graduate Tiffany Trump attended some campaigns and shared supportive messages and videos on social media, but she was never active in politics.
Unlike in 2016 and 2020, he spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
She and her husband, Michael Boulos, are her first baby.
Representatives for the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Boulos joined Tiffany Trump at the Republican National Convention and at some Trump campaign rallies in the days before the election, but was not otherwise involved in politics.
Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman who owns an auto company in Nigeria, campaigned with Donald Trump in Michigan ahead of the 2024 election in an effort to appeal to Arab-American voters.
In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump called Boulos “an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world” and said he was “instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community” during the campaign.
While Boulos is widely considered to be the billionaire owner of the Nigerian company Boulos Enterprises, it is owned by another Boulos family.
Boulos previously told The New York Times that his company, SCOA Nigeria, was worth billions. It’s actually worth about $865,000, the Times reported. Boulos later said that he was referring to his father-in-law’s business ventures — his wife’s father, Michel Zouhair Fadoul, is a wealthy Lebanese businessman who runs The Fadoul Group.
There is also no evidence that Boulos is an “accomplished lawyer,” as Donald Trump has described him. An investigation via Business Insider found that, despite Boulos listing a law degree on his LinkedIn profile, he does not appear to be authorized to practice law in any of the countries in which he has lived.
“The fact is that Mr. Boulos is a highly reputable businessman who has proudly served as CEO of some of his family’s business teams founded in West Africa for more than 27 years, and his family has hired tens of thousands of other people. around the world,” Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Business Insider in an email, adding that media reports questioning Boulos’ credentials were “fake news. “
Before the 2024 election, Barron Trump began entering politics after turning 18, serving as Florida’s at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention.
In an August interview with streamer Adin Ross, Donald Trump shared that Barron Trump had told him to appear on the show, saying, “Dad, he’s really big.”
While Barron Trump will be busy with his studies at New York University during his father’s second term, he may continue offering advice to appeal to young citizens.
Representatives for Trump’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
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