Trump Amps Up Family Man Act At Latest Rally (& We Smell Lara All Over The Stunt)

However you feel about Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, there's no question that it — like his past presidential bids — has been a family affair. Many of the Trump children have been heavily involved in the campaign, speaking on their father's behalf and helping him make crucial political and social connections. In September 2024, a whole new generation joined the cause when Eric and Laura Trump's children, Carolina Dorothy Trump and Eric Luke Trump, were spotted alongside their famous grandfather at a rally. 

This attempt to portray himself as a family man may seem like an innocent stunt for Trump, but some naysayers have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to express their disgust with what they see as unnecessarily putting the children in harm's way. To these netizens, two assassination attempts should dissuade Trump (or any candidate) from inviting such young family members on stage, and the decision to involve them in the September 2024 rally was irresponsible. For example, one user tweeted: "It's crazy to me that I haven't seen Trump drag his grandkids out at his rallies until AFTER he was shot at during a rally." Another said: "Donald Trump is worried about getting offed but he brings his grandkids to a rally? Gross."

Although Trump is certainly culpable, another X user pointed the finger at the true force behind the stunt: the children's parents. The user asked: "Does that strike you as responsible parenting if you believe there's an authentic, active assassination plot in play? Really?" Inviting children into the political sphere may seem like a risky proposition, but it's just business as usual for Lara, who has a history of using the siblings in social media-based campaign messaging of her own. An in-person rally is just one step up from the extensive content she's shared featuring her young children. 

Although the North Carolina rally was a huge public appearance for the youngsters, it's far from the first time that Donald Trump's grandchildren have been on display for all to see. Carolina Dorothy Trump and Eric Luke Trump are frequent fixtures on their mother Lara Trump's social media accounts, appearing in photos and reels that sometimes accompany political messages. For example, Lara featured both children in an Instagram reel on September 10, 2024, wishing their grandfather good luck in an upcoming debate. 

There's no doubt that Lara has had her fair share of controversial moments over the years, and some of the seemingly pedestrian content she has posted about Carolina and Eric is equally eyebrow-raising. For example, her Instagram account features multiple photos and reels of the children in bathing suits. According to The Innocent Lives Foundation, sharing these kinds of photos may seem innocent, but it can attract the attention of child predators. As Houston-based Sergeant Luis Mendez-Sierra explains, these predators are often very active on social media: "They live on those things, especially like (on) Instagram." Lara and the rest of the Trump family may feel perfectly comfortable including Carolina and Eric in the campaign, but they may want to think twice about whether the positive optics are really worth the potential safety risk — both digitally and IRL.