President Donald Trump’s second son Eric Trump did not rule out running for president in the future, but he didn’t seem thrilled with the idea.
During a book talk on Oct. 19 about his recently published book, “Under Siege: My Family’s Fight to Save the Nation,” Eric Trump was asked if he or his siblings had any future political ambitions. The 41-year-old has helped run the Trump Organization with his brother since their father was elected to the White House. Along the way, he helped his father with his campaign, but seemed ready to leave the world of politics behind.
“It’s a terrible job. It’s a terrible career. We’ve seen the best and we’ve seen the worst,” he replied. “I’m not saying never, but I hope we can avoid the political nightmare just a little bit more.”
Eric Trump says California is where he bought the most MAGA hats
The book signing and lecture took place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
“We love California,” Eric Trump said. “More MAGA hats were sold to California than any other state in the nation. We will take it back and we will take back our state.”
California is a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, and it was unclear whether Eric Trump was referring to conservatives, his father (who is toying with a third term despite being prohibited by the constitution), or someone else in the Trump family.
As Eric Trump considers his political future, he said he called his father the day after the 2024 election to tell him he was retiring from politics.
He said he hopes his father will have a lasting positive impact on the Republican Party. But Eric Trump said his answer about whether to run is the same answer Donald Trump gave long before he entered politics.
“In a 1988 interview with Oprah Winfrey, she asked him if he would consider running for president,” Eric Trump writes in his book. “His response? ‘If it gets this bad, I’m not going to completely rule it out.'”
What you need to know about Eric Trump’s mother, family and children
Who is Eric Trump?
Eric Trump, the son of President Donald Trump and the late Ivana Trump, is executive vice president of the Trump Organization. Eric Trump holds the same title as his brother Donald Trump Jr. Eric Trump has spearheaded several recent Trump family companies, including Trump Mobile, World Liberty Financial, and the Trump Organization golf resorts.
In his book, Eric Trump described his family’s upbringing as one of tough love. He writes that his mother was a strict woman who spanked him frequently. When Eric Trump was in first grade, his father told him before he went to school, “Remember, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, and never trust anyone.”
Eric Trump is also a podcast host and former television personality. When her father appeared on NBC’s hit reality show The Apprentice, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and her future stepmother Melania Knauss also made frequent guest appearances.
Eric Trump is married to FOX News’ Lara Trump
The book deals with some of the Trump family’s legal issues that have put them under “siege” as “legal issues.” Eric Trump wrote that he is “probably the most subpoenaed person in American history.”
Eric Trump and his wife, Fox News host Lara Trump, moved from Westchester, New York to Jupiter, Florida in May 2021. The couple purchased a home in the gated community of Trump National Golf Club for $3.2 million. Eric Trump wrote in his book that pandemic restrictions at his son’s school were the “last bit of madness” that led to his move to Florida.
Eric Trump and Lara Trump have two children, Carolina and Luke.
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky (@kinseycrowley.bsky.social).
