Kai Trump, 17, the eldest of President Donald Trump’s grandchildren, has worked diligently to spread her grandfather’s beliefs to a Gen Z audience.
04:00, 08 May 2025Updated 04:01, 08 May 2025
Kai Trump is the daughter of Don Jr. and his ex-wife Vanessa (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Kai Trump’s growing prominence on social media shows a contrast from Melania as the 17-year-old treks deeper into the US political landscape
“Kai offers a window into the Trump family that feels more real,” Kate Andersen Brower divulged to the Washington Post, an author who has covered first families for years. “She’s not as guarded as Melania. And she’s clearly great on camera.”
The importance of image has long been recognized by the Trump family. The Trumps are experts at creating a strong brand, as evidenced by the glittering skyscrapers that bear their name and their meticulously polished public appearances. Trump’s return to the White House is already positioning a new generation for political significance.
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Kai’s rise differs from other adolescent social media success because of its timeliness and polished appearance(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Kai, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife Vanessa, has 3 million TikTok followers, 1.7 million Instagram followers, and over 1 million YouTube subscribers—numbers that would make professional influencers jealous.
Her programming appeals to Gen Z viewers while quietly promoting the Trump political brand by fusing behind-the-scenes access to her grandfather’s world with peeks into her life as a competitive golfer.
The eldest Trump grandchild has reportedly received advise from her uncle Barron(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Kai’s rise differs from other adolescent social media success because of its timeliness and polished appearance, Kara Kennedy of The Spectator writes. Although her social media videos seem spontaneous, the majority are created by a skilled management team. She officially entered politics last year when she made an appearance at the Republican National Convention, at which she gave a professional speech.
According to people close to the Trump administration, Kai’s increasing fame aligns with Barron, Donald’s son.
Kai’s path is remarkably similar to that of her aunt-by-marriage, Lara Trump(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
In order to reach Gen Z voters, the president’s youngest son reportedly suggested that his father connect with podcasters and social media influencers. As a result, Trump appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast and had discussions with influencers like the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, Andrew Schulz, and Theo Von.
The plan worked. Trump’s campaign was successful in reaching young men via online forums, which some refer to as the “manosphere.” The Trump campaign machine now seems to be pursuing a parallel strategy targeting young women through Kai.
This strategy is demonstrated by her recent YouTube venture in which she interviewed the Cavinder brothers, collegiate basketball players who have a sizable social media following of their own, at a UFC event in Miami.
The informal, seemingly unplanned interview, which featured open conversations about relationships and breakups, garnered millions of views and demonstrated Kai’s closeness to authority while also making her sympathetic to her peers. As a not-so-subtle reminder of her grandfather’s role, the video prominently showed her voyage on Air Force One.
Kai’s path is remarkably similar to that of her aunt-by-marriage, Lara Trump, who went from being a little-known person to being a powerful political operative and co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
