(NewsNation) — Several members of former President Donald Trump’s family will be at the Republican National Convention as he accepts the GOP nomination for the 2024 general election Thursday.
Many of Trump’s children and in-laws have played a big role in his campaign and in his business ventures.
Here’s a breakdown of who they are.
Melania Trump
Melania Trump is Donald Trump’s wife and mother of his youngest child, Barron.
Born on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, she is the only first lady to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Her campaign as first lady, “Be Best,” aimed to promote “a world for children based on healthy living, kindness, and respect,” according to the White House. It quickly drew criticism, however, with CNN noting that it didn’t have specific policy or legislation goals and that much of what it accomplished came through partnerships that already existed in the federal government.
Melania Trump won’t give a speech Thursday, though she will be accompanying the president at the Republican National Convention.
NewsNation’s Robert Sherman reports that Melania Trump has missed several key moments of her husband’s campaign, including the announcement that he is running in 2024 and the first presidential debate.
Barron Trump
Barron Trump graduated high school in 2024. His childhood consisted of attending “prestigious” private schools on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, People magazine wrote.
When his dad was elected president, Barron Trump and Melania stayed in Manhattan so he could finish the school year, then moved to Maryland and into the White House that summer. He graduated high school in May.
People writes that even though he’s Donald Trump’s son, Barron Trump has largely stayed out of the spotlight.
Donald Trump Jr.
Donald Trump Jr. is the former president’s eldest son and an executive vice president of the Trump Organization.
The Trump Organization website states that Donald Trump Jr. “works to expand the company’s real estate, retail, commercial, hotel and golf interests” as an executive of their Florida-based business.
“He is involved in all aspects of the company’s development, from deal evaluation, analysis and pre-development planning to construction, branding, marketing, operations, sales and leasing,” the website said.
At the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump Jr. made a speech praising his father for his actions after the assassination attempt at a rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“It’s a choice between one team that wants to build this country up and another that wants to tear this country down,” Donald Trump Jr. said.
Eric Trump
Like his older brother, Eric Trump is an executive vice president at his father’s company, overseeing its management and operations, including new project acquisition, development and construction, per the Trump Organization.
Speaking to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Wednesday night, Eric Trump said the attempted assassination of his father changed his father’s message and that he “probably realized what’s important in life.”
“He realized he could have been dead,” Eric Trump said. “Had he not moved his face one inch … you would have had a former president, very likely future president, get executed on TV.”
Kimberly Guilfoyle
The fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, is an American TV personality and prosecutor who received a law degree from the University of San Francisco in 1994, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said.
Before entering a relationship with Donald Trump Jr., Guilfoyle was married to Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, making her a first lady from 2003 to 2005 when Newsom was mayor of San Francisco.
While the Journal Sentinel writes that she’s probably best known for being on the Court TV show “Both Sides” and Fox News’ “The Five,” she’s made other television appearances as well and even has her own eponymous show.
On Tuesday, Guilfoyle spoke at the RNC to say November will be “the most important election in our lifetime,” according to USA Today.
Ivanka Trump
Oldest daughter Ivanka Trump was an adviser to her father when he was president but has since said she does “not plan to be involved in politics” because she wants to prioritize her children and “the private life we are creating as a family.”
She previously served as an executive at the Trump Organization and appeared on Donald Trump’s reality TV show, “The Apprentice.”
As part of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into the Trump Organization, Ivanka Trump testified about the company’s business practices.
Jared Kushner
Jared Kushner is married to Ivanka Trump and was in her father’s closest circle of White House aides, Business Insider writes.
The publication pointed out that while Kushner’s family has a background in Democratic politics, like the former Republican president, they made their money in real estate. A former owner of the “New York Observer,” Kushner took over the family’s real estate company when his father, Charles, was convicted in 2005 of filing false tax returns, retaliating against a cooperating witness and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission.
Donald Trump later pardoned Charles Kushner in 2020.
After serving in Trump’s administration, Kushner founded the investment firm Affinity Partners.
Tiffany Trump
Donald Trump’s youngest daughter and only child with ex-wife Marla Maples, Tiffany Trump, went to the University of Pennsylvania before getting a law degree from Georgetown.
Tiffany Trump married Michael Boulous two years ago.
Marla Maples
Tiffany Trump’s mother, Marla Maples, is Donald Trump’s ex-wife. The two met in 1984, and the year after, Maples moved to New York to be a model and actor.
Maples told The Evening Standard in a recent interview that she has never been a fan of politics but found herself “in the throes of it” when her ex-husband ran for president.
“My role was to give Tiffany strength,” Maples, now a “spirituality and wellness advocate” running marlamaples.com, said.
Now, though, The Evening Standard reports that Maples wants to “join the frontline.”
“I’m ready. I am available if needed, and I’m not sitting back anymore,” she said. “I want to step out more, share more and not be afraid of positive or negative outcomes that come from speaking out.”
Lara Trump
Lara Trump is the Republican National Convention’s co-chair. She’s been married to Eric Trump since November 8, 2014, with whom she has two children.
In her earlier years, she worked for Inside Edition and was a contributor to Fox News.
Most recently, Lara Trump spoke at the RNC on Tuesday. While she initially had a “very different” speech planned, Lara Trump said to CBS News that she rewrote it in light of the assassination attempt on the former president.
In her interview with the news outlet, Lara Trump said her focus is “on this election right now to get my father-in-law reelected.”
“And then you never know,” she added. “Never say never with Trump.”
Kai Trump
Kai Trump, Donald Trump’s eldest grandchild, made her first foray into the political arena when she made a speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday.
“I’m speaking today to share the side of my grandpa that people don’t often see. To me, he’s just a normal grandpa,” Kai Trump said, according to NewsNation partner The Hill. “He gives us candy and soda when our parents aren’t looking. He always wants to know how we’re doing in school.”
Her social media shows her to be an avid golfer, along with Donald Trump, with whom she posted a picture after winning a tournament on one of his Florida golf courses.
Vanessa Trump
Vanessa Trump is Donald Jr.’s ex-wife and mother of Kai as well as four other children.
She’s a former model, working both on the runway and in commercials.
