Donald Trump Jr, eldest son of US President Donald Trump, said on Wednesday (May 21) that he might consider running for president one day, stating, “that calling is there.”
The 47-year-old Trump Jr was asked at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, if he would “pick up the reins” after his father’s tenure in office. He replied, “So the answer is I don’t know, maybe one day. You know, that calling is there.”
“I’ll always be very active in terms of being a vocal proponent of these things,” Trump Jr said referring to the ideals of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
Political force in Trump family
Donald Trump Jr has increasingly become a significant political figure in his own right.
Reuters reported last November that he was the most influential member of the Trump family during the presidential transition, playing a key role as his father formed one of the most controversial cabinets in modern US history.
Don Jr has been known to influence appointments by championing some figures, like now-Vice President JD Vance, and opposing others, such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
He remarked on the transformation of the Republican Party under his father’s influence: “I think my father has truly changed the Republican Party, I think it’s the America First party now, the MAGA party, however you want to look at it.”
He added, “For the first time ever, the Republican Party actually has a bench of America First fighters.”
Continued business interests
When initially asked about a presidential run, Don Jr joked, “Here we go. Well… oh boy,” receiving faint applause from the audience. He continued with humor, “It’s an honour to be asked and an honour to see that some people are okay with it,” joking that those clapping were “the couple of people we know.”
In addition to his political ambitions, Trump Jr is also a partner in 1789 Capital and serves as executive vice president of the Trump Organization. At the forum, he stated the Trump Organization is currently not doing business with government entities.
Trump family business ties in the Gulf
The Trump family has secured multi-billion-dollar deals in Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
During his recent visit to the Arab Gulf states, Donald Trump focused on securing business agreements but denied any discussions about building a Trump Tower in Syria or golf resorts in Saudi Arabia.