He has been intimately involved in the vetting process for Republican hopefuls seeking Trump’s coveted endorsement, intervening when he suspects a candidate is unworthy of his father’s blessing or urging Trump to avoid prematurely placing his finger on the scale in crowded Senate primaries. has also become a key conduit for GOP candidates vying for the 45th President’s support. Those close to the former President say Trump Jr. Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal/USA Today NetworkĪrkansas becomes first state to outlaw gender-affirming treatment for trans youth “He was always fighting for the cause big-picture wise, but now Don is taking more of a leading role in shaping the political direction of Trump’s post-presidency,” said a person close to Trump Jr.Īrkansas State Capitol building in Little Rock, Ark. who had encouraged his father to weigh in on the matter at CPAC, knowing it would be red meat for the overwhelmingly conservative crowd. There, the 45th President went on a lengthy riff about transgender athletes competing in interscholastic supports – a topic he had previously ignored as it was bubbling up in state legislatures across the country and as his own administration threatened to axe federal funding for schools that implemented trans-inclusive sports policies. Trump Jr.’s rising influence was first visible to his father’s aides in February, when Trump delivered his first major speech since leaving office at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando. “Don has the pulse of the base and knows where the energy of the party is, so he’s sort of the go-to person now on a lot of political things,” one Trump aide said. He again panned transgender athletes during a brief appearance at his father’s “Stop the Steal” rally from the White House Ellipse on January 6. claimed her success was a “grave injustice to so many young women” in a tweet. When Cece Telfer, a transgender woman, qualified for the NCAA Women’s Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2019, Trump Jr. had made base-pumping statements about various expansions of transgender rights to his right-wing followers on Twitter and Instagram. But inside the former President’s orbit, it was abundantly clear who had influenced him.įor years, Trump Jr. To outside observers, it seemed odd that Trump, who largely avoided LGBTQ issues during his presidency beyond banning transgender Americans from serving in the US military, would issue a statement skewering one of the nation’s most conservative governors over a veto related to transgender youth. Two days later, the ex-President released a statement through his Save America leadership PAC accusing Hutchinson of supporting the “chemical castration of children.” A person familiar with the episode said Trump was “cursing at the television,” and became increasingly frustrated by Hutchinson’s rebuttals. The former President had been watching one of his favorite primetime programs, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” from the residence at his Mar-a-Lago club when Carlson and Hutchinson got into a sparring match over the matter. Unlike the days when Trump would camp out in an annex off the Oval Office, griping to aides about critical cable coverage he’d seen of himself or his administration, this time he was incensed by Hutchinson’s veto of a Republican-backed bill blocking gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth in his state. Asa Hutchinson over the Arkansas Republican’s stance on transgender issues, one that would have previously escaped his attention. Trump Jr.’s impact was on full display earlier this month, when Trump caught himself fuming at a televised interview with Gov. Aides describe their relationship as notably more affable than Trump’s ever was with Kushner, who has taken a break from politics. – who never worked in the White House and is undeniably the most conservative member of the Trump family – has been steadily influencing his father’s political instincts. In the months since Trump left Washington, Trump Jr. His properties are still serving itīut his role extends far beyond operational guidance. Trump gave defiant Thanksgiving remarks at the White House Thursday, insisting falsely that he beat Joe Biden and wavering on whether he would ever concede or attend Bidens inauguration. President Donald Trump listens during a videoconference with members of military in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Nov.
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