'Feels more real': Granddaughter Kai may be Trump's secret weapon for next gen GOP

Donald Trump's teenaged granddaughter Kai Trump is being credited with "humanizing" the president she calls "just a normal grandpa," and acting as a White House conduit to the next generation of Republicans.

The 17-year-old social media influencer is the eldest child of Donald Trump Jr. and ex-wife Vanessa Trump. In a Washington Post profile, she is described as the "Gen Z White House vlogger" who gives an unprecedented look behind the political scenes to her more than six million followers.

"In her most-watched YouTube vlog, Kai recorded herself doing Trump’s signature dance aboard Trump Force One with her friend Emma on their way to a SpaceX rocket launch in November, where she later mingled with lawmakers and asked Musk whether he had ever played the popular video game 'Fortnite,'" according to the article.

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Author Kate Andersen Brower told the Post, “Kai serves a unique role because she humanizes her grandfather in a way that feels very authentic. And frankly, because of his harsh stances on so many issues, he can use that softening.”

Brower added that "Kai is in many ways playing that role" of first lady, since Melania Trump has skirted the Washington spotlight.

“She’s not as guarded as Melania. And she’s clearly great on camera,” Brower said.

Kai built her initial social media following as a student athlete, who has already committed to play golf for the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. And, "thanks to endorsement deals and sponsorships, her personal brand or NIL — name, image and likeness — as a college athlete is already estimated at over $1.2 million."

After her "political debut" at the 2024 Republican National Convention, it's been full steam ahead for Kai's career in the public eye, whatever that may be.

The Post reported that Republican strategists are looking to influencers like Kai "as a new entry point for young women into the party." Her videos "reach very different corners of the internet than other types of Trump content, serving to create an online identity that, despite her fame and family, feels familiar to other young people — regardless of their politics."

Read The Washington Post article.