Team Barron: Who’s IN and Who’s OUT in the Trump Family Dynasty

Donald Trump takes the oath of office as Barron Trump and Melania Trump look on during inauguration ceremonies in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Pool/Getty Images

With his slicked-back hairstyle, athletic good looks, and serious bearing, Barron Trump is already being groomed as the prince-in-waiting of the family dynasty.

Make no mistake, the 78-year-old president, the oldest in history to be sworn into office, has one eye on the future as he makes the White House his own in the coming weeks.

Business has taught Donald Trump that he can have as many advisers and hangers-on as he likes—but he can only really trust family.

Like it or not, the Trumps are the new American royalty. As different as they may be from the Kennedys, and as differently as they will govern, they are the natural heirs to the Democrat blue bloods.

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There was a time when the world’s water cooler conversation revolved around how JFK, Jackie or JFK Jr., or any of the acolytes around them, them liked their eggs. How they wore their hair. Who they had dinner with. There hasn’t been such fascination with another American family… until now.

But families come with their own issues. Loyalty may not be an issue, but every family has a hierarchy, and it doesn’t always remain the same. A petty spat, under such public scrutiny, can quickly result in a place further down the table. An heir can quickly become the spare.

Trump Family 2.0 was on display over the inaugural festivities, and so was the new pecking order. It may be many of the same faces as 2016, though there are some additions, but there has been a very obvious shuffling of the pack.

It is the ultimate family power play with the whole world watching.

With any game of succession, it’s helpful to know who’s in favor right now. So here’s the Daily Beast’s Trump guide to who’s in and who’s out.

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IN

BARRON

Barron Trump. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Barron Trump. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump’s youngest son and brightest hope is so far in he’ll likely never be out unless he seriously blots his copybook, which is unlikely on the evidence so far. The 18-year-old is studying business at NYU, and he’s already smart enough to have helped his dad focus on rabble-rouser podcasts to snag the “bro vote” that Kamala Harris so woefully failed to capture. There’s an argument that Barron played a decisive role in the Trump victory. At 6-foot-8, you can’t ignore him. You’d normally expect him to wait until he’s in his mid-30s even to consider a run at the top job, but who knows what might happen? Papa Trump might rewrite the Constitution so Barron can run at 20.

MELANIA

Melania Trump. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Melania Trump. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

When she was first first lady, Melania Trump checked out pretty fast, to such an extent that she wore a coat splashed with the words “Really don’t care, do u?” on the back during a visit with migrant children at the border. But now she is back. Full on. The president showed more concern for his wife’s foot care at the inauguration than he did for his lawmakers attacked on Jan 6. There was genuine affection in their interactions, at least on his part. She will not be hiding away this time in New York and Mar-a-Lago. She’s an important face of the Trump White House. And she’s a best-selling author.

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LARA

Lara Trump. / Variety via Getty Images
Lara Trump. / Variety via Getty Images

You couldn’t escape Lara Trump’s face in TV coverage of the inauguration marathon, unmoving and all knowing. She’s been married to Trump’s second son, Eric, since 2014, and they have two children together, but it is Lara who has moved ahead in the power list. She delivered when Trump installed her as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and could have had Marco Rubio’s Senate seat if she wanted it. But the president has her down for something bigger. We will find out what it is soon, but she’s a major player. Eric will look after the business… and the kids.

DON JR.

Donald Trump, Jr. / Grant Baldwin/AFP via Getty Images
Donald Trump, Jr. / Grant Baldwin/AFP via Getty Images

OK, he has a past, but the Kennedys certainly weren’t saints. Under any other administration, being sent to Greenland would mean he was out in the cold. But his dad meant it as an honor—a statement of intent. The eldest son will remain the consigliere to the Trumps, whoever is the front man—or woman. He persuaded Dad to bring JD Vance on board and is behind many of the Cabinet picks, including RFK Jr. He is confident, good-looking, and ruthless. He could be a Kennedy.

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KAI

Kai Trump. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Kai Trump. / Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

OK, she’s just a kid but she’s only a year younger than Barron and already being prepared for big things, addressing the RNC in July. The eldest of Don Jr.’s children, she’s also her grandfather’s favorite. The inauguration is an opportunity for her to expand her brand through her YouTube videos, which routinely get more than a million views. And she loves to golf, just like her grandpa. Watch her rise.

OUT

IVANKA

Ivanka Trump. / Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Ivanka Trump. / Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump’s eldest daughter was in many ways the face of the first Trump White House and it was never really a great fit. Nothing quite screams nepotism like “First Daughter and adviser to the president.” Ivanka didn’t drink the Kool-Aid over the “stolen” 2020 election, and Dad didn’t appreciate it. Her stern appearance at the inauguration was among her first of the campaign, and she was literally shoved down the table this time after standing right next to her dad in 2016. She is smart and ambitious and will always be a Trump princess, but may never be the queen.

JARED

Jared Kushner. / Pool/Getty Images
Jared Kushner. / Pool/Getty Images

Ditto, but read prince and king. And he may no longer even get a prince rating.

TIFFANY

Tiffany Trump. / Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Tiffany Trump. / Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

There will always be a seat for Trump’s daughter with Marla Maples, but she’s always at the kid’s table. Attractive and adoring, she appears to have little interest in climbing the slippery pole of politics. She won’t rock the boat. She won’t be driving it, either.

ERIC

Eric Trump. / Pool/Getty Images
Eric Trump. / Pool/Getty Images

Being the most powerful man in the world leaves a businessman little time for business, so second son Eric has an important role in preserving the cash cow that drives the dynasty. He was at his dad’s side during last year’s fraud trial hearings, showing his importance in the family dynamics. But he’s unlikely to play a major role in government. He’s a stubbly manny with a billion-dollar portfolio.