Who is Lara Trump? Here's how the RNC co-chair is related to Donald Trump.
Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referenced where Lara Trump's single peaked on the Billboard charts.
From the real estate sector to the White House, the Trump family name has become ubiquitous in recent years. The Republican National Committee became the next stop after former President Donald Trump tapped Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, to run for co-chair.
Trump took the position of co-chair in March of this year alongside chairperson Michael Whatley, the former chair of the North Carolina Republican Party.
But, who is Lara Trump? Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Lara Trump?
Lara Trump married Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s third child, in 2014. They have two young children together, a son Luke and a daughter Carolina.
Trump, born Lara Yunaska, is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina. She was a personal trainer and a television producer for “Inside Edition” before her involvement in the Trump campaign. She spoke in her hometown to appeal to Republican voters ahead of the 2016 election.
Lara Trump emerged as a top campaign adviser to her father-in-law’s campaign in 2020, again with a focus on female voters. She spearheaded the “Women for Trump” initiative, encouraging women to “speak out” with their support for Trump.
“Whether you don’t like everything he says, or the way he says it, or his hair or whatever it is, you can’t argue that what he’s done hasn't worked in this country,” she told USA TODAY in 2020.
In 2020, she also notably campaigned with Laura Loomer, a far-right, self-described “proud Islamophobe” known for spreading baseless conspiracy theories and controversial posts.
She briefly teased a run for a vacant Senate seat in North Carolina in 2022 but decided against it.
"No for now, not no forever," she said. "At the right time I would absolutely love to come back and consider running for something here in my home state because I love it dearly.”
Aside from her political commentary and advising career, Lara Trump is also taking a stab at country music. She released a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” in September 2023, which reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart.
Lara Trump blasts Gov. Larry Hogan: His comments on Trump verdict
Why did Lara Trump leave Fox News?
Lara Trump became a paid contributor in 2021 for Fox News, departing the following year after Trump announced his 2024 reelection campaign.
Her exit is based on Fox protocol that says it won’t employ those running for office or directly contributing to active campaigns. Notably, Lara Trump left after Fox Corporation head Rupert Murdoch expressed his disapproval of Trump’s 2024 bid, the LA Times reported.
Co-chair nomination for Republican National Committee
Lara Trump took on the role of RNC co-chair in March.
"Lara is an extremely talented communicator and is dedicated to all that MAGA stands for," Trump said in a statement when he threw his support behind her in Feb. 2024. "She has told me she wants to accept this challenge and would be GREAT!"
Lara Trump told Newsmax Tuesday that the RNC needed to become “the leanest, most lethal political fighting machine we’ve ever seen in American history.”
“Every single penny will go to the number one and the only job of the RNC – that is electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States,” she said.
The RNC is supposed to stay neutral during presidential primaries, but Lara Trump's comments added to questions about whether that's the case in the 2024 race for the White House.
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Contributing: David Jackson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Lara Trump? Her path to RNC co-chair, explained.
