On the day Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president, four years of proximity to power ended for Donald Trump's adult children, who had moved through the White House and campaign trail as a kind of family household. Their next chapters are unsettled, shaped by the damage that the January 6 siege, which left five people dead, has left on their names. Each is weighing whether public life still beckons, and whether a reputation shadowed by the presidency can be mended enough to allow it.
What's next for Donald Trump's adult children after the White House
The January 6 Washington D.C. siege that followed Trump's presidency left five people dead.
Left high and dry careerwise, with reputations torn to shreds
Mark
Why does this story matter beyond family gossip?
Mimi
Because the children held real roles. Ivanka and Jared were formal advisers, and Don Jr was a major fundraiser. Their next steps could shape Republican politics.
Mark
Ivanka's Florida land purchase seems to be the main clue.
Mimi
Yes. She spent $US30 million on a lot on a high-security island, and a source told CNN the move was politically motivated.
Luke
Careful, though. That is one anonymous source, and the same source said what she would run for still needs to be figured out. The governor and Senate ideas are rumours.
Mark
And Don Jr?
Mimi
He has the clearest political profile: 11 million followers, fundraising, and talk of a Pennsylvania Senate seat in 2022.
Luke
The Senate suggestion and the 2024 hint are described as suggested and apparent. Nothing here shows he has said he will run.
Mark
What about Eric and Tiffany?
Mimi
Eric liked a tweet saying "Eric Trump 2024," but he looks more business-minded. Tiffany has shown no political interest and has a law degree.
Luke
A liked tweet is thin evidence, and Tiffany's 2016 comment about the company is also not a plan.
Mark
Can their reputations recover?
Mimi
Critics like Meghan McCain say no one should let them off the hook, and former friends are reportedly distancing themselves.
Luke
Much of that rests on unnamed insiders and former friends. Whether it translates into voters' views is unknown.
Le Pouls
- The sudden end of four years of access has left Ivanka, Donald Jr, Eric and Tiffany facing an unfamiliar, unsettled future.
- Critics are openly condemning the children as complicit in their father's conduct, and former friends are pulling away.
- Ivanka's $40 million Florida purchase and talk of a governor or Senate run suggest she is quietly plotting a political path.
- Donald Jr is building a political profile through rallies and fundraising, while Eric looks likely to stay in the family business.
- Whether any Trump name appears on the 2022 ballot will show how far their reputations can be rebuilt.
On the day Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president, four years of proximity to power ended for Donald Trump's adult children, who had moved through the White House and campaign trail as a kind of family household. Their next chapters are unsettled, shaped by the damage that the January 6 siege, which left five people dead, has left on their names. Each is weighing whether public life still beckons, and whether a reputation shadowed by the presidency can be mended enough to allow it.
On the day Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president, the years of access the Trump children had enjoyed came to an abrupt close. Ivanka, Donald Jr and Eric had been fixtures at the White House and on the campaign trail, and the family had clung to hopes of "four more years" until the final moment, even as polls pointed the other way.
The exit has not come cleanly. The January 6 siege in Washington left five people dead, and many critics now blame the children for their part in their father's conduct. Their futures depend on what each wants and on whether their reputations can be repaired enough to keep them in public life.
Ivanka, who advised her father alongside her husband, Jared Kushner, has been the subject of growing speculation about a political career. While her siblings pushed baseless claims of election fraud, she stayed quiet and promoted the administration's achievements, a move many read as damage control. In December she bought a $US30 million lot on a high-security Florida island, fuelling talk of a run for governor or a challenge to Marco Rubio in 2022. A source said plainly that she has political ambitions.
Donald Jr has moved decisively toward politics, becoming a key fundraiser, a stand-in for his father and a loud voice for the cause, with a social media following of 11 million. He has been floated for a Pennsylvania Senate seat and has reportedly hinted at a 2024 presidential run. Eric, by contrast, seems less drawn to office and more likely to remain in the family business. Tiffany has long kept her distance from politics, and Barron, at 14, has yet to say anything about his own goals.
The harder problem is reputation. Ivanka and Kushner have absorbed much of the public anger, and former friends have reportedly turned away. Whether any Trump name appears on the 2022 ballot will be the first real test of how far that repair can go.
On the day Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president, the four years of access the Trump children had enjoyed came to an end. Ivanka, Donald Jr and Eric had been permanent fixtures at the White House and on the campaign trail while their father led the world's largest economy. The family had been confident of "four more years" until the last moment, even though polls had pointed to a Biden win.
The exit comes with damage. The January 6 siege in Washington, D.C., left five people dead, and many critics have since condemned the Trump children as complicit in their father's conduct. Their futures now depend on what each wants to do and on whether their reputations can be repaired enough to keep them in public life.
Ivanka, 39, advised her father from 2017 alongside her husband, Jared Kushner. She represented the United States at international events and has a number of high-profile business ventures behind her. In recent months speculation has grown that she is building toward a political career. While the rest of her family kept pushing baseless claims of election fraud, she stayed notably quiet and promoted the administration's achievements on social media. Many read that as damage control to protect her prospects.
The strongest clue came in December, when she bought a $US30 million ($A40 million) lot on a high-security island known as the "Billionaire's Bunker" in Florida. Rumours say she could run for governor, since Republican Ron DeSantis, a staunch Trump ally, finishes his term on January 3, 2023. Another suggestion is a challenge to senior senator Marco Rubio when he faces re-election in 2022. A source told CNN the move was politically motivated: "Ivanka definitely has political ambitions, no question about it," the source said, adding that she wants to run for something but that still needs to be figured out.
Donald Jr, 43, stayed in New York with Eric to run the Trump Organization while his father and sister went to Washington. He was executive vice-president, but he gradually gave up many of the duties and moved toward politics. By the re-election campaign he was front and centre, serving as a key fundraiser, standing in for his father at countless events, echoing his slogans and building an 11 million-strong social media following. Commentators believe his appearances at the right conservative rallies signal ambition. He has been floated as a candidate for an open Pennsylvania Senate seat in 2022 and has apparently hinted at a 2024 presidential run.
Eric, 37, seems the least drawn to office, though last October he liked a tweet reading "Eric Trump 2024." Also an executive vice-president at the company, he was more actively involved in the business throughout the administration and appears likelier to stay in it. Tiffany, 27, daughter of Marla Maples, has never shown serious interest in politics. She graduated from Georgetown law school last year, studied sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, and had a very brief pop career in 2011. This week she announced her engagement to Michael Boulos. In 2016 she told George Stephanopoulos she was "interested" in bringing a different skill set to the family company. She was often absent from her father's campaigns or stood apart at events, and the media has long called her "the forgotten Trump." Barron, 14, has not spoken publicly about his goals, though "Barron 2052" badges appeared at a November rally, and a Sky News commentator picked him during the inauguration as the child most likely to become president.
The harder question is reputational. Ivanka and Kushner have taken the brunt of the anger as prominent advisers. Meghan McCain said on The View this week that the family must be held accountable and that viewers should not let Ivanka and Jared off the hook for their current silence. Former friends have turned away from Ivanka, and insiders have told US outlets she is now an outcast. Brand mogul Donny Deutsch told The New York Times the couple may have a harder time in New York than Trump himself. A former friend told Vanity Fair that anyone with self-respect or a career would steer clear.
Whether the 2022 races draw any Trump name will be the first test of how far that rehabilitation can go.
Citations marquantes
Ivanka definitely has political ambitions, no question about it. She wants to run for something, but that still needs to be figured out.— Source speaking to CNN
His family needs to be held accountable for this too.— Meghan McCain, on The View
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