The evolving roles of the Trump children
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - President Donald Trump’s children have been involved with his journey to the White House since the inception of his campaign.
Over time, those roles have evolved from supportive family to members to trusted advisors within the White House and president’s inner circle.
Here’s how the roles of the president’s children have journeyed from the campaign trail to the Washington beltway.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
In the lobby of Trump Tower, both Ivanka and Jared Kushner attended Trump’s announcement to run for the White House. Ivanka gave the introductory remarks for her father while Kushner stood beside the stage erected in the middle of the tower’s lobby. In her remarks, she spoke of her siblings.
“He raised my siblings and me to work hard and to strive for excellence in all that we do. He taught us that we have a responsibility to make a positive contribution to society,” Ivanka said.
Shortly after the announcement, Ivanka and Kushner both became advisors to the president’s campaign. Kushner worked heavily with the campaigns digital strategy. In an interview with Forbes magazine, Kushner said he reached out to friends in Silicon Valley to target potential voters through social media.
Both Ivanka and Kushner attended numerous events on the campaign trail. Ivanka often stumping for her father and coming to his defense after his controversial remarks. She also delivered the opening address for his convention speech.
While Kushner did not make as many public speeches as his wife, he did write an op-ed defending his father-in-law in the New York Observer. The Observer is owned by Kushner.
"Donald Trump is not anti-Semitic and he’s not a racist. Despite the best efforts of his political opponents and a large swath of the media to hold Donald Trump accountable for the utterances of even the most fringe of his supporters—a standard to which no other candidate is ever held—the worst that his detractors can fairly say about him is that he has been careless in retweeting imagery that can be interpreted as offensive," Kushner wrote.
When Trump was elected president, he said he would place his holdings into a blind trust managed by his children. But Ivanka and Kushner were both named to take on roles with the transitions executive team and the administration.
A May 2016, a New York Times report said Kushner was charged by the president during the campaign to create the “blueprint” for a transition team should he win the White House.
During the transition, Kushner was named as a senior adviser to the president. His responsibilities would include brokering peace in the Middle East, acting as a channel for diplomatic talks with China, criminal justice reform and cleaning up the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to CNN. Kushner was also asked by the president to run the White House Office of American Innovation.
Shortly after the announcement, Kushner’s lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, told Politico during an interview he was taking the necessary actions to step down as CEO of his company.
Ivanka was then named as an assistant to the president. As a federal employee, she is bound legally to ethics rules that are meant prevent conflicts of interest. She also took leave from her fashion line and the Trump Organization.
In 1967, an anti-nepotism law was passed by congress prohibiting the president of the United States from hiring members of his family to work in the office or agency they oversee. However, neither Ivanka or Kushner are being paid in their government positions.
The Justice Department released a statement regarding Kushner’s appointment at the White House.
“We conclude that section 3110 does not bar this appointment because the President’s special hiring authority in 3 U.S.C. 105(a) exempts positions in the White House Office from section 3110,” the memo stated.
As an assistant to the president, Ivanka has taken on several key initiatives like advocacy for women in business, paid family leave and gender equality.
Most recently, Ivanka was part of her father’s delegation at the G-20 Summit. In Hamburg, Germany. She participated in the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative and sat alongside World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. They discussed programs supporting women and women-led businesses.
Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump
Both Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump acted as surrogates and advisors during the campaign. During the election season, they gave speeches on the campaign trail, conduced television and radio news interview on behalf of their father.
Donald Trump Jr. also had a hand in advising his father on future potential cabinet members. According to Politico, Donald Trump Jr was part of Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke’s vetting for the cabinet position.
During the New York primary election, Eric and Ivanka were unable to vote for their father because they did not meet the registration deadline.
In an interview with Fox News Channel’s morning show the president said that his children felt guilty about the error.
"No. They had a long time to register, and they were unaware of the rules, and they didn't register in time,” Trump stated.
Both Donald Trump Jr and Eric also came under criticism for participating in a big-game safari hunts in Africa. Donald Trump Jr has also sparked controversy for several Tweets likening Syrian refuges to Skittles.
“If I had a bowl of Skittles and I told you three would kill you, would you take a handful?" the meme said in Donald Trump Jr’s Twitter posting. "That's our Syrian refugee problem."
The meme posted as an image to his tweet, has been removed.
Mars, Incorporated, the makers of skittles issued a statement on Twitter in response.
During the transition, Donald Trump Jr and Eric were both named as part of the president executive committee.
Since their father’s inauguration, both brothers are now responsible for managing the blind trust and Trump Organization while Trump serves as president.
He has also stumped for Republican congressional candidates Karen Handel and Greg Gianforte. Handel ran for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District and Gianforte ran for Montana’s at-large district.
Donald Trump Jr has been criticized recently for meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign, who claimed to have damaging information on presidential opponent Secretary Hillary Clinton and her campaign.
Tiffany Trump
Like her other siblings, she was present when her father launched his presidential bid for the White House at Trump Tower.
Tiffany Trump often appeared on the campaign trail alongside her father and other siblings. Tiffany would also stump for her father taking time to meet with volunteers.
On the second night of the Republican National Convention, Tiffany addressed the convention and spoke of her father’s drive.
“His desire for excellence Is contagious. He possesses a unique gift for brining that trait out in others,” Tiffany said. “He has always help me be the best version of myself. By encouragement and by example he motivates me to work my hardest at to always stay true to who am and what I believe.”
On election night, she was with her father and siblings at headquarters watching election results.
In May 2017, her father announced she would attend Georgetown Law School.
Barron Trump
Barron Trump remained in New York for much of the presidential campaign as he was attending school. On occasion, he would make appearances on the campaign trail alongside his mother, Melania Trump.
On election night, Barron joined his family onstage for his father’s victory speech. But after the election, Barron returned to New York to finish the school year.
He did attend his father’s Inauguration and festivities. After the ceremony, Barron was seen playing a game of peek-a-boo with is nephew as his father signed his first presidential orders.
In early June, Barron and his mother, Melania Trump moved to the White House. In the fall, he will attend St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland.
