According to reports from The Guardian and Agence France-Presse, Eric Trump, the second son of U.S. President Donald Trump, recently hinted that he or other members of the Trump family might run for president after his father’s second term in office ends.
The 41-year-old Eric is currently the Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization. Since his father first took office in 2017, he has mostly stayed away from politics, focusing on the operation of the family business. However, in an interview with The Financial Times, he stated that if he decides to enter politics, “the path will be easy.”
In an interview released on June 28, Eric said, “The real question is: Do you want to involve other family members?… Do I want my children to go through what I went through over the past ten years?” He continued, “If the answer is yes, I think the path will be easy, meaning I can do it. By the way, I believe other members of our family can do it too.”
However, Eric admitted that while he has always focused on corporate management, he has also been continuously paying attention to politics and “completely disdain[s] half of the politicians,” believing he can “very effectively” excel in political work.
When asked whether 2024 would be the last time the Trump family participates in the presidential election, Eric replied, “I don’t know… Time will tell everything. But it’s not just me.” He added, “The question is, do you want to do it? Will you let your loved ones suffer under this system? I still can’t answer that question.”
Regarding external accusations that the Trump family profited from the presidency, Eric firmly denied them. He said, “If there’s a family that hasn’t benefited from politics, it’s the Trump family.” According to him, had his father not run for president, the overall economic gains would have been higher because “opportunity costs, legal costs, and the pressure on the family would have been massive.”
Eric mentioned that Trump family members spent nearly $500 million in legal fees defending themselves against investigations into the “Russiagate” scandal and other issues.
The Guardian pointed out that last year, Trump only earned about $630 million through a series of authorized products, including cryptocurrencies, real estate projects, watches, guitars, and more. Meanwhile, the stock value of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) was approximately $2 billion, and the family’s cryptocurrency holdings were substantial. Eric stated that the current valuation of the Trump Organization is between $8 billion and $12 billion.