Lara Trump’s meteoric rise as the family tries to build a political dynasty

As Lara Trump strode on to centre stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, it was a moment that symbolised a change of guard in the Trump family that has taken place since his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

Wearing a black dress and a shimmering USA flag brooch, she used the primetime spotlight to sell voters on her father-in-law’s softer edges, focusing on his role as a grandfather to her two young children.

And the party faithful roared as she raised a fist and spoke about a gunman’s attempt on his life on Saturday, mirroring Trump’s actions on the rally stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a bullet narrowly missed his head.

“Maybe you got to see a side of Donald Trump on Saturday that you were not sure existed, until you saw it with your own eyes,” she told the crowd.

Ms Trump, 41 and now the co-chair of the Republican Party, was hand-picked by her father-in-law for that role as he runs for another White House term and stands atop a party apparatus firmly under his grip.

Ms Trump, her husband Eric and his older brother Don Jr have emerged as the family’s leading voices in Donald Trump’s campaign against US President Joe Biden, and they are some of the most influential figures in his political orbit.

By contrast, Ivanka Trump, Trump’s eldest daughter, and her husband Jared Kushner – a power couple who enjoyed a high profile in the White House after Trump’s 2016 win – have kept their distance from politics over the last four years.

Lara was the first family member to officially speak at this convention and her presence has ignited interest in not just her role in the family but also any further political ambitions.

“I thought she was fantastic,” said Alina Habba, Trump’s legal spokeswoman who shot to prominence defending him in his civil sexual assault case in New York.

“I think she spoke from the heart. She spoke about moms. She spoke about him being a grandfather – things that only she can speak about.”

Long-time observers expect Lara Trump’s prominence in the family to only grow.

“Her speech was her introduction to the nation in a big way because while she’s had roles in campaigns previously and while she’s been a part of Trump’s inner circle and family orbit for the last eight years, this is the first time she is positioned in a role that has real power inside the Republican Party,” said Eric Cortellessa, a reporter who recently interviewed Ms Trump for a Time magazine profile.

“And she’s in a position where she’s out to prove herself as not just an effective surrogate for Trump, but a political operator. And we’re going to see that play out in the next four months as she’s co-chairing the RNC.”

Michele Merrell, a Republican state committeewoman for Broward county in Florida, said the appointment of Ms Trump in the RNC had made a “world of difference”.

“The fundraising is going through the roof… we were not doing very well before in that. The change in leadership has been all the difference,” she said. “It’s reignited the party,…