Like all notable figures whose legacies endure longer than their lifespan, Donald Trump’s presidency will have an impact for generations to come, and his children will be the most direct inheritors. Trump has five children, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump and Barron Trump. The three oldest Trump children have always been professionally associated with their father in one way or another. They established businesses and built their professional lives around their father’s celebrity, even more directly so when he won the presidency.
News coverage usually focuses on ranking the Trump children in terms of their father’s affection or comparing their political gaffes with his but they each have made their own contributions to building the family business.
Trump Jr worked on building relationships to expand the Trump brand before his father took office. It will be difficult for him to resume that role in the same way after working in political circles because the Trump brand gained international spotlight with the presidency and international businesses will likely be more cautious about associating with their company. It might also be more difficult for him in America. Although he spent quite some time at events and fundraisers with his father, it is very different from the boardrooms and management boards he was more familiar with before moving in political circles. In any case, he would also have to consider his new associations with his father’s base.
His brother, Eric Trump still serves as executive vice president of development and acquisitions for the Trump Organization and one of his most enduring challenges will be to decide what to do with properties that have been and continue to be associated with political leaders. While they are sure to have many supporters, only time will tell if it will be enough to sustain their businesses or if there will be a need for a pivot either in the location of their properties, or in the price of their offerings.
Their sister Ivanka spent a lot more time getting hands-on with political policy. She served as a west wing adviser and has visited more than a dozen countries shoring up support for her outreach in providing economic opportunities for women around the world. Although, if she has political designs, the support she needs for projects like hers would likely not come from her father’s base. Support for her clothing line has already been negatively affected by her political involvement and is not likely to improve after her father leaves office.
Compared to their siblings, Tiffany and Barron Trump have a lower profile in the media and were not directly involved in their father’s administration. However, Tiffany was still blasted in the media for simply wishing her brother a Happy Birthday. Whatever media fire Trump lights, his children’s public actions will appear like a ‘firewood for sale’ sign and vice versa.
The Trump legacy is not one they can avoid being associated with. They will be dealing with the effects of his presidency for generations after he is out of office.
