Several members of the Trump clan turned out to mark the high school graduation of Donald Trump Jr.’s daughter Kai Trump. But the apparent absence of several key relatives set tongues wagging, Wonderwall.com can report.
Rumors of a family feud were fueled by the fact that Don Jr.’s sister, Ivanka Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, appeared to be absent from the celebratory meal despite their reported proximity to the South Florida gathering.
Some family members attended Kai’s graduation dinner
Kai Trump graduated from high school on May 15. By: @KaiTrump/YouTube
Following Kai’s graduation from the Benjamin School in Jupiter, Fla., on May 15, family members gathered at Blackbird restaurant in the tony oceanfront enclave.
Don Jr. brought along fiancée Bettina Anderson while his ex-wife, Vanessa Trump, attended without boyfriend Tiger Woods.
The golf icon, who recently left the Swiss rehab center he’d checked into following his March DUI arrest, reportedly snuck in to watch Kai walk the stage at her graduation ceremony but skipped the dinner that followed.
Also turning out for the celebratory graduation dinner were Kai’s aunt Tiffany Trump and her businessman husband, Michael Boulos.
The president and more loved ones missed the dinner
Kai Trump is very close with her grandfather, President Donald Trump, but he returned from a summit in China on the same day she graduated from high school, making it difficult to attend. By: @kaitrumpgolfer/Instagram
President Donald Trump was notably absent from his eldest grandchild’s high school graduation festivities, though he had just returned from a high-stakes China summit hours earlier that day.
Kai’s uncle Eric Trump and his wife, Lara Trump, were also missing from the celebration after accompanying the commander-in-chief overseas.
But it was the no-shows who’d remained in the U.S. that really got political watchers buzzing.
First lady Melania Trump did not join her husband on the trip to China, sparking questions about why she skipped Kai’s milestone altogether. Even more eyebrow-raising was the absence of her son, Barron Trump, who is just a year older than his niece.
Ivanka skipped Kai’s graduation celebration
Ivanka Trump shared a photo of herself watching a movie poolside at her South Florida home shortly before niece Kai Trump’s graduation celebration. By: @ivankatrump/Instagram
Ivanka has been spending time in Washington, D.C., in recent weeks. She and Jared were on hand at the state dinner her father hosted for King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, when they visited in late April.
The former fashion brand owner shared a “life lately” Instagram post on May 14 — the day before Kai’s graduation — featuring photos that showed her balancing her time between the nation’s capital and South Florida.
One of the shots showed her sitting poolside at her family’s $24 million Indian Creek Island mansion watching a movie on a big screen as one of her sons lounged in the water on a floatie.
While Jared has become an integral part of the president’s second administration as a special peace envoy and diplomatic negotiator, he didn’t accompany his father-in-law on the trip to China.
The couple’s lavish home, which they share with their three children, is roughly 90 minutes south of where Kai’s celebration was held.
A possible explanation for Ivanka’s absence
Ivanka Trump has said she regularly observes Shabbat with her family. By: @ivankatrump/Instagram
One reason Ivanka may not have been present is that she observes Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, which begins at sundown on Friday nights.
She converted to Judaism in 2009 before marrying Jared.
Ivanka previously shared that her family is very observant when it comes to honoring the Sabbath.
“From sundown Friday to Saturday night, my family and I observe the Shabbat. During this time, we disconnect completely — no emails, no TV, no phone calls, no Internet. We enjoy uninterrupted time together, and it’s wonderful,” she wrote in her 2017 book, Women Who Work.
Ivanka added, “It’s enormously important to unplug and devote that time to each other. We enjoy long meals together, we read, we take walks in the city, we nap and just hang out.”