Donald Trump's Tender Moment With Granddaughter Leaves Critics Unconvinced

Lately, when we have heard from the children of former President Donald Trump, it has been on the witness stand in Trump's New York fraud trial, in which he lost his courtroom cool. Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump have all recently been called to testify in the trial.

But, in a more human moment for the family, Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, featuring her 4-year-old daughter, Carolina, showing her grandfather, Donald J. Trump, around her classroom. Lara captioned the video, which was posted on November 15, "When top priority is showing your Grandpa your desk at school." Lara also posted a picture of the event with the caption, "Strong team for Grandest Friends Day!!!"

Whether this adorable family moment was shared with sincerity or as a PR stunt to help boost Trump's reputation in the face of his massive legal woes seems to be in the eye of the beholder. While several people on social media are complimenting the cute moment, others are sneering at what they see as nothing more than a cheap photo opportunity.  

Lara Trump's video and photo have garnered millions of views and thousands of comments across X and Instagram, where both the video and photo are cross-posted. While some of the responses are positive, many of them are not. Considering the polarizing figure that Donald Trump is, the wildly differing responses on social media make sense. One supporter tweeted of former President Trump letting his granddaughter lead him around her classroom: "Trump showing up for the people who matter the most, no matter how small. Class act." Another cheered, "He's awesome." 

While documenting Trump's moment with one of his grandchildren won't top Lara's most controversial moments, critics were quick to point out how convenient of a photo op the video was, considering the precarious legal situation in which Trump finds himself in the midst of running for president. One critic said, "He sure slathered on a lot of makeup just to supposedly bring his granddaughter to school." Another jeered, "LOL His top priority is trying to figure out how to stay out of prison," referencing the comments suggesting the video is evidence that Trump's family is his priority.