Meet Lara Trump, Donald Trump's daughter-in-law whom he handpicked to lead the RNC
Talia Lakritz
- Lara Trump, a former TV news producer married to Eric Trump, is the new cochair of the RNC.
- She's been heavily involved in Donald Trump's presidential campaigns through the years.
Lara Trump, who is married to Donald Trump's son Eric, has been a loyal supporter of her father-in-law's political career since his first campaign in 2016.
Leveraging her background in TV news, she has produced promotional videos, represented the campaign at events, and become a regular face on Fox News.
Now, with Donald Trump's support, Lara Trump is gaining even more power in the GOP as the new cochair of the Republican National Committee.
She runs the RNC alongside its chair, Michael Whatley, a close Trump ally who served as North Carolina's GOP chair. The move puts Trump loyalists in control of the GOP's platform and funds.
Here's a look at Trump's background, relationship with the Trump family, and rise to power.
Lara Trump (née Yunaska) grew up in North Carolina.
She graduated from North Carolina State University in 2005 with a degree in communications.
After college, she went to culinary school and also spent time as a personal trainer.
Lara Trump earned a degree in pastry arts from the French Culinary Institute, according to her bio on the nonprofit organization Concordia's official website.
A formal personal trainer, Trump said in an interview with The Trump Organization's official website that she competes in triathlons "on a regular basis."
"Fitness has always been an important part of my life, be it competing in triathlons and marathons or using it to cope with stress," she said.
She met Eric Trump in 2008, and they wed in 2014.
Trump told "Fox & Friends" that she was "immediately intrigued" when she first met Eric Trump while out with friends in New York City.
He proposed after five years of dating, and they wed at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Their dog, a beagle named Charlie, was the ring bearer at their wedding, and Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, officiated the ceremony.
The couple lives in a $3.2 million estate in Jupiter, Florida.
She's a former TV news producer.
Trump worked as an associate producer at Inside Edition until 2016, when she left to campaign for Donald Trump, Star News Online reported.
She has two children with Eric Trump.
Their son, Eric "Luke" Trump, was born in 2017. Their daughter, Carolina Dorothy Trump, followed in 2019.
During Donald Trump's presidency, she worked as a campaign consultant and hosted a "Real News" show on Facebook.
In 2017, Trump began hosting a weekly "Real News" show streamed through Donald Trump's official Facebook page highlighting accomplishments and activities from the president's week.
The show garnered criticism for exaggerated descriptions of even mundane presidential activities as "historic" and false claims about policies such as Republican tax-cut proposals, Salon reported. The Hollywood Reporter compared the show to "state-run" media.
Lara Trump responded to critics in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, saying, "It's not propaganda because it's true."
Trump is passionate about dog rescue charities and owns two beagles.
Trump and Eric Trump adopted their first dog, Charlie, after two years of dating. They added a second beagle, Ben, in 2016.
Trump also serves on the board of directors of The Big Dog Ranch Rescue, according to the charity's official website. Her involvement raised questions in 2021 when HuffPost reported that the organization had spent nearly $1.9 million holding events at Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Golf Club since 2014.
In a statement to the publication, The Big Dog Ranch Rescue's president Lauree Simmons said that events at the Trump properties have netted over $12 million for the organization.
"The sole objective of our fundraisers is to raise as much money as possible to save as many lives as possible," the charity's spokesperson told the outlet. "Politics play zero role within our organization and to infer they do does a disservice to the many who work and volunteer with a passion to heal and home our beloved dogs."
She worked as a contributor for Fox News until leaving in 2022 due to her involvement in Donald Trump's reelection campaign.
Fox News ended Trump's employment in 2022 due to the network's policy of not employing those working on active political campaigns, but she still makes unpaid appearances. Eric Trump is also a regular guest on Fox News programs.
She hosts a podcast called "The Right View."
On "The Right View," which premiered in July, Trump answers questions from listeners and discusses current events with Trump-world personalities like My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and Libs of TikTok founder Chaya Raichik.
In February, she was elected cochair of the Republican National Committee.
Donald Trump endorsed his daughter-in-law as she ran for the RNC leadership role, calling her "an extremely talented communicator" who is "dedicated to all that MAGA stands for." He also threw his support behind Michael Whatley, a close ally who served as North Carolina's GOP chair.
Both handpicked candidates were elected as cochairs of the RNC, putting Trump loyalists in control of the GOP's platform and funds.
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