In this day and age, there’s no-one more powerful or influential than a teenager with a camera and a large online presence. You only have to take one look at Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign to clearly see that harnessing the power of content creators pays off in the end. It also helps if you happen to have a social media star in your own family. Introducing Kai Trump, the 17-year-old influencer solidifying Trump’s hold on conservative Gen Zers.

@thekaitrumpgolfer

I was in such a rush. Haha #fyp #homecoming

♬ original sound - Kai Trump

The Trump family has always been a fascinating subject. And although it’s Barron Trump who is predicted to follow in his father’s footsteps, Kai is bringing up the rear as not only the president’s granddaughter but also his most valuable asset. Let’s unpack who Kai Trump is and what role she might play over the next four years. 

Kai Trump is the 17-year-old daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Haydon and the granddaughter of Donald Trump. People first caught wind of Kai during the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) when she was brought out by her father to address the audience.

During her speech, Kai’s goal was to clearly attempt to humanise Trump, stating: “I’m speaking today to share the side of my grandpa that people don’t often see. To me, he’s just a normal grandpa. He gives us candy and soda when our parents aren’t looking. He always wants to know how we’re doing in school. When I made the high honour roll, he printed it out to show his friends how proud he was of me. I know. He calls me during the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going, and tells me all about his, but then I have to remind him that I’m in school and I’ll have to call him back later.”

“The media makes my grandpa seem like a different person, but I know him for who he is. He’s very caring and loving. He truly wants the best for this country, and he will fight every single day to make America great again,” she continued.

If you look at Kai’s socials, showing this so-called different side of Trump is clearly a priority and focal point. And it’s no overstatement to say that her reach is extensive, the 17-year-old has 599,000 followers on Instagram and 1.1 million followers on TikTok.

In terms of the kind of content Kai posts, the teenager’s primary interest appears to be golfing—a hobby she evidently shares with her grandpa and a sport that acts as a strong bonding activity for the pair.

@thekaitrumpgolfer

Come with me through the first half of my day #fypage #floridalife #viral #kaitrump #golf #golftiktok #tiktok

♬ Hey Ya! (My baby don't mess around) - Outkast

@thekaitrumpgolfer

Tiktok blow this up! Come with me to play with @President Donald J Trump #fypage #floridalife #viral #kaitrump #golf @donaldjtrumpjr

♬ misses - Dominic Fike

And while her TikTok offers viewers a bit more insight into Kai’s mindset and personality, it’s her YouTube channel, which has 215,000 subscribers, that allows us a proper peek into her life as the granddaughter to arguably one of the most controversial men in the world.

One video on her channel that recently went viral captured Kai’s experience on election night. The 10-minute vlog followed Kai getting her hair and makeup done before heading to Mar-a-Lago, watching the polls come in with the entire Trump family, taking pics with the president’s new bestie Elon Musk, and gassing up her grandpa in a pretty lengthy face-to-camera monologue.

While there were a lot of cringe–worthy moments in Kai’s vlog, watching her sing along to ABBA potentially might have been one of the most agonising moments. I’ll never be able to cope with the fact that Trump supporters are also allowed to enjoy the Mamma Mia soundtrack.

When you think about it, Kai is an incredibly important advantage for Trump, uniting a strong message across all of her socials that he alone is the answer to America’s problems. Indeed, with her social status climbing day by day—and her ability to attract a strong young female fanbase—it’s likely that Kai will soon become an integral part of the president’s political strategy.