We’re mere months away from cleansing Capitol Hill of all signs of the Trump family, but of course, any celebration is too premature given that there’s always the possibility of a future Trump run. It’s not just Donald Trump who may someday weasel his way back into politics, though — it's the other members of the family as well. While rumors of Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and even Jared trying to cement their spots in the government are aplenty, a new (and surprisingly horrifying) name has been thrown into the mix: Lara.
Now, the outgoing president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump — who’s married to his lesser-loved son, Eric — has her sight set on running for office. According to the New York Times, Lara Trump is eyeing a 2022 Senate run in her home state of North Carolina, which President Trump is projected to have won in the 2020 presidential election. Since senior Republican Senator Richard Burr will be retiring soon, Lara would be making a play for his seat. Yikes!
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It’s unclear what kind of experience Lara thinks she has to be a governing official, though. Despite the fact that she’s acted as a campaign adviser to President Trump since the 2016 election, her appointment has been more about nepotism and not her résumé. Up to this point, she’s been a television host and producer, and has frequently appeared on Fox News to bolster the "Women for Trump” base.
She's also proven her loyalty to Donald Trump again and again by showing a willingness to repeat his lies. During this campaign cycle, she’s repeated baseless claims of voter fraud, has smeared Biden for “cognitive decline,” and even mocked his stutter.
And yet, despite her apparent lack of political experience prior to this administration, she seems to resonate with right-wing voters the same way Trump does. When speaking to the New York Times about her potential North Carolina run, Kellyanne Conway called her a “formidable” candidate, saying, “She connects with people and is a compelling messenger” — so Republican party support for Lara Trump as a candidate may not be a long shot.
But perhaps it's worth rehashing some of her less-than-flattering moments while working in the Trump administration. Recently, she found herself at the center of controversy in September after campaigning with Laura Loomer, an alt-right conspiracy theorist and internet phenomenon who ran for Congress in Florida. Last year, she also appeared on Fox News to say that German chancellor Angela Merkel's acceptance of Middle Eastern refugees to settle in the country "led to the downfall of Germany." As terrifying as these things are, Lara has also made mistakes that can only be laughed at, like when she misquoted Abraham Lincoln at the RNC this summer, unknowingly referencing a meme and taking it for fact.
If Lara does decide to run, it’s likely she’ll face competition for this particular Senate seat, including from White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows (also yikes). It’s also predicted that a flood of other GOP candidates will vie for Burr’s Senate seat. But, at the very least, other candidates do not have the Trump family name attached to them, and in 2022, we will likely still feel too triggered to see another Trump in office.
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