Signs Lara Trump Might Not Be As Close To Donald As She Pretends To Be

Lara Trump never misses a chance to paint her father-in-law, Donald Trump, as a devoted supporter and someone she shares a close bond with. At the 2020 RNC, she gushed about his unwavering belief in her, saying, "Though I had no political experience, he believed in me. He knew I was capable, even if I didn't" (via People). But history tells a different story. Lara was always seen as the outsider of the Trump family, even earning the label of the "least controversial Trump" by multiple outlets. That might sound like a good thing, but in a family that thrives on controversy, it made her different.

This all started to change when Donald's reported favorite child, Ivanka Trump, stepped away from politics to focus on her family. Lara saw an opening and jumped in with both feet. She became a regular on Fox News in March 2021, pushing Trump's agenda with more aggression than Ivanka ever did. Lara took over as his new voice to suburban women and, in May 2024, was elected RNC co-chair.

So, does all this mean Lara is truly close to Donald? Well, all signs point to her being a useful political tool — but not much more. Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer put it bluntly on the Political Beatdown podcast: "Donald didn't even like her for many, many years. He didn't want Eric to even marry her. He had found somebody else that was working at the Trump Organization that he wanted Eric to marry." And it gets worse. According to Cohen, Trump was outrightly cruel to her behind the scenes: "Not only did Donald make fun of her looks, but so did Don Jr. and Ivanka — they all made fun of her. They just didn't like her at all."

One of the clearest signs that Donald and Lara Trump aren't as close as she claims is that he barely acknowledged her during his first tenure. Don Jr. and Eric took over managing the Trump organization while Ivanka and Jared Kushner were his aides. This glaringly left out Lara, who had no official role beyond being a mouthpiece for the family. And when she did try to offer advice, Trump made it clear that he wasn't listening. Take the First Dog situation as an example. Traditionally, U.S. presidents have had a White House pet, but Trump made it clear he wasn't interested.

Lara, a known dog lover who worked with a dog charity, hoped to change that. In a 2020 interview on Mornings with Maria, she confidently claimed she was working on it: "I'm working on it as hard as I can! You know, I think they probably will. We've got to find the right fit, but I think they will," she said (via The Washington Post). However, although Lara did all she could to get Trump to adopt a White House dog, she was unsuccessful. Fast-forward five years, and it's safe to say Lara overestimated her influence because Trump is still as pet-free as ever.

One of the biggest reasons the internet is convinced Donald and Lara Trump aren't exactly close is that he once butchered her name on national television. During an interview in her home state of North Carolina, Trump hyped up his chances of winning the state, giving Lara a shoutout: "I think we're going to do good, and we have Lara. So, Laura is a fantastic person, an unbelievably smart person who works with and knows everybody here and she loves this state" (via Newsweek). Oof.

But that's not the only awkward thing Trump has said about Lara. Michael Cohen once shared a cringeworthy story on "Political Beatdown" about Donald Trump attending an event at the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C., and revealing how he realized he actually liked his daughter-in-law: "He's watching TV and sees this blonde talking about him. It catches his attention, and he's like, 'Whoa, whoa, these are beautiful things, these are really incredible, beautiful things.' Then he looks closer and realizes, 'Oh my God, that's my daughter-in-law, that's Lara Trump.' And from that moment on, as he called it, it was a 'love fest.'" Yep. According to Cohen, Trump only liked Lara after realizing she looked good talking about him on TV.

Another big clue that Lara and Donald Trump aren't as close as she pretends? Her past friendship with Omarosa Manigault Newman, who is one of Trump's biggest enemies. If you missed the drama, Omarosa went from Trump family insider to whistleblower, secretly recording private conversations and airing the family's dirty laundry. And some of her leaked tapes tell a very different story from the one Lara tries to sell.

One of the first recordings to drop was of Lara offering Omarosa what sounded a lot like hush money. "It sounds a little like, obviously, there are some things you've got in the back pocket to pull out. Clearly, if you come on board with the campaign, we can't have it," Lara is heard saying (via YouTube). Lara defended herself, claiming Omarosa had twisted her words and betrayed their friendship.

But the former aide fired back with an even bigger bombshell during an appearance on the Mea Culpa podcast: "I have [tapes of] Lara badmouthing Ivanka. I have Lara badmouthing Donald. I have Lara badmouthing Melania" (via Daily Mail). Lara never responded to that particular threat, but knowing Donald Trump's obsession with loyalty and his inability to let a betrayal slide, it's safe to assume he hasn't forgotten.