If you keep seeing headlines about Lara Trump and thinking, Sorry, I don’t have space in my brain for another Trump, I get it. I would also like to live in a world where I’ve never seen her Taylor Swift lip-sync video. But now it seems like Lara may be the next Trump to run for office. Though she’s publicly turned down an appointment to the U.S. Senate (which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis didn’t seem inclined to give her), Lara teased that she’ll make a “big announcement” in January. So I feel a professional obligation to know things about her. And now I am going to answer all your Lara Trump questions as painlessly as possible.
Is Lara Donald Trump’s daughter or something?
Close! She is Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law.
Who is Lara Trump married to?
Eric Trump, the president-elect’s second-eldest son.
Lara Trump has been around this whole time?
Yup! Lara and Eric started dating in 2008. Here’s a photo of them from Thanksgiving of that year:
Lara is from Wilmington, North Carolina. On her podcast, she said she grew up in “a very normal American family” and was initially intimidated by the idea of meeting Donald, Ivana, and Ivanka (but didn’t know that Don Jr. existed):
Eric and Lara were married at Mar-a-Lago in 2014. (Naturally, the wedding was featured in a magazine. But we’re talking Eric, not Ivanka, so it’s a title you’ve never heard of.)
They now have two children: Eric “Luke” Trump, born in 2017, and Carolina Dorothy Trump, born in 2019.
What’s Lara Trump’s role in the family business?
Lara was a producer for the TV show Inside Edition when she met Eric. She left that job to help her father-in-law’s presidential campaign in 2016 and was hired as an adviser and consultant for Donald’s reelection campaign in 2017. That year, she also launched a Facebook show called “Real News” (as opposed to fake news), in which she touted the Trump administration’s accomplishments.
Lara joined Fox News as a paid contributor in March 2021, but she was let go in December 2022, as the network said it would not employ people connected to an active presidential campaign.
In March 2024, Lara was unanimously elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee, along with North Carolina GOP chair Michael Whatley. She resigned from that role in early December.
What were Lara’s qualifications for the RNC job?
Being part of the Trump family. Donald handpicked the co-chairs to replace Ronna McDaniel, solidifying his takeover of the GOP.
As the Washington Post noted, the job is “well-suited to a nepotism hire,” since “the role carries no real authority or responsibilities, per the party’s bylaws. Typically, the co-chair is just dispatched to raise money and glad-hand at GOP gatherings.”
Is Lara Trump running for the Senate?
Not anymore! But it sure seemed like she was angling for a Senate appointment.
Donald Trump is nominating Senator Marco Rubio to serve as secretary of State. If he’s confirmed (which seems likely), Florida governor Ron DeSantis will need to appoint someone to fill Rubio’s Senate seat. The replacement will serve until 2026 and then there will be a special election to decide who will serve the last two years of Rubio’s term.
Various Trump allies — including Florida Senator Rick Scott, Elon Musk, and Elon Musk’s mom — pushed for Lara Trump to get Rubio’s seat. On December 9, The Wall Street Journal reported that Donald Trump spoke with DeSantis to put in a good word for Lara.
Lara added fuel to the rumors when she resigned from her RNC role on December 9, and told the Associated Press that a Senate appointment “is something I would seriously consider.”
But on December 21, Lara announced she was taking herself out of the running for the Senate job:
Is it illegal to appoint the president’s daughter-in-law to the Senate?
It feels like it should be, but no. There are federal anti-nepotism laws, but they did not prevent Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner from serving in Trump’s first administration. And they wouldn’t have applied in this case because the decision lies with DeSantis, who is not related to Lara.
What did DeSantis say about appointing Lara Trump?
The governor never discussed Lara specifically. In a November 18 X post, he said candidates would undergo “extensive vetting” and that he’d likely make his decision by the beginning of January:
Was DeSantis ever seriously considering Lara?
Maybe not! In early December, The Bulwark reported that DeSantis was resistant to the idea of appointing Lara:
Many top Trump advisers dislike DeSantis for running against the once-and-future president, and some have been frustrated behind the scenes by the governor’s unwillingness, so far, to pick Lara Trump as a replacement for Rubio.
DeSantis resented being told whom to appoint and was uncomfortable with making Lara Trump, a newly minted Floridian, a senator. “She hasn’t paid her dues in the state. If she wants to become a senator, she can run for it in two years,” a DeSantis adviser said.
On December 4 The Wall Street Journal reported that Donald Trump was considering DeSantis as a replacement for his troubled Defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth. This sparked speculation that DeSantis and Trump were working out some sort of deal that would put Lara in the Senate and DeSantis in the Cabinet. But Hegseth’s prospects quickly improved, and the chatter about DeSantis leading the Pentagon died down.
What has Donald Trump said about Lara serving in the Senate?
He played coy when asked if he expected DeSantis to appoint Lara to the role during a December 16 press conference.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “I probably don’t, but I don’t know. Ron’s doing a good job. That’s his choice, nothing to do with me.”
He then gushed about what an amazing job Lara did at the RNC for several minutes.
“Lara is unbelievable,” he said. “She was incredible. The job she did at the RNC as chairman … she is so highly respected — by women. I mean even her workout routines are through the roof. She lifts 150 pounds, I don’t know how the hell she does it. She’s a bad example for men and women. I wouldn’t be able to beat her, I don’t believe. I’d try like hell. But no, she’s an incredible woman.”
#BREAKING: President-elect Trump doesn't expect DeSantis to appoint Lara Trump to the Senate
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) December 16, 2024
"No, I don't [expect her to be appointed], but I don't know. Ron's doing a good job, that's his choice - nothing to do with me."
"Ron is gonna have to make that decision - and he'll… pic.twitter.com/EbyLGIH9kr
Wait, what does Lara Trump’s workout routine have to do with her Senate qualifications?
Nothing, the president-elect was just sharing some rambling praise for his daughter-in-law.
Lara regularly posts videos of her workouts on social media, and in November she became the latest Trump to slap their name on a clothing brand. Lara Trump Collection is a line of American-made activewear. Actually, scratch that: According to Lara, “The LT Brand by Lara Trump Collection isn’t just activewear — it’s a celebration of strength, resilience, and patriotism.”
Does Lara have any other marketable skills?
In the past two years she’s attempted to launch a music career, releasing original songs and this cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”
But to answer the question, I’m going to go with “no.”
