Lara Trump's Most Controversial Moments
No president in the history of the US has involved so many of his family members in political affairs quite like Donald Trump. Not only was his nuclear family included in the decision-making process in various areas when Trump was in the White House, but his in-laws were, too. Lara Trump was no exception when it came to holding an important role. Lara, Eric Trump's wife, was one of the key background players during the 2016 presidential election that saw her father-in-law become one of, if not the, most notorious presidents the country has ever seen.
Despite having no prior political experience, Lara was one of the head figures of the all-female Trump-Pence Women's Empowerment Tour team, whose goal was to appeal to women voters during Trump's 2016 election campaign. Four years later, the ex-first daughter-in-law was a prominent figure in the former president's re-election campaign, headlining several "Make America Great Again" rallies across the US as a senior advisor. As the 2024 election approaches and Trump is running for office yet again, Lara's role this time around remains to be seen.
Despite having a relatively minor role in the larger political landscape, Lara Trump has faced her share of controversies, which have stirred the public's opinion of her. From misappropriating public resources to racist remarks, Lara's legacy will undoubtedly continue to be a subject of debate and discussion.
Lara Trump was at the center of a self-dealing scandal
Have you ever heard of an animal charity investing almost $2 million just to host their fundraisers at a specific place? That's exactly what happened with the Florida-based dog rescue organization with links to Lara Trump. Despite requesting donations on its website, The Big Dog Ranch Rescue doled out the aforementioned sum starting in 2014 to hold its charity events at Donald Trump's properties, according to HuffPost. While everyone has the right to direct their money where they see fit, this particular situation caught everyone's eye because Lara is listed as one of the rescue's chairwomen.
According to Internal Revenue Service filings, the infamous Mar-a-Lago was the site of the organization's multiple fundraisers, as was the former president's golf course in Jupiter, Florida. This also wasn't the first time the Trumps were accused of misappropriating donor funds, which is why the family charity, simply named the Trump Foundation, was prohibited from operating in 2019.
Despite the funneling accusations, Mar-a-Lago continued to be the site of the shelter's fundraising events, per the Daily Mail. In 2021, a charity fashion show was held at the resort, and surprisingly, the 45th president was in attendance. However, expectedly, he took the opportunity to deliver a speech with indubitable political connotations, ending it with "We will Make America Great Again."
She mocked Joe Biden's speech impediment
Some of Lara Trump's controversial behaviors simply cannot be given the benefit of the doubt, as they were so blatantly inappropriate. While delivering a campaign speech on stage in Iowa in 2019, Lara decided it would be a good idea to make fun of President Joe Biden's speech impediment, as reported by The Independent.
"I feel kind of sad for Biden ... I'm supposed to want him to fail at every turn, but every time [the cameras] turn to him, I'm like, 'Joe, can you get it out? Let's get the words out, Joe,'" Lara spoke into the microphone while discussing President Biden's performance in debates. This garnered criticism from various quarters, as it was widely perceived as lacking sensitivity and respect. In the aftermath of the incident, the senior advisor to the Trump 2020 campaign attempted to clarify her intent in a talk with CNN's Jake Tapper. Lara claimed she never even knew about the president's speech problems and stated she was trying to highlight what she perceived as his struggles to articulate his thoughts during debates.
When talking to The Atlantic, President Biden opened up about his lifelong struggle with stuttering and shared his experience of being bullied as a child because of it. Little did he know he would be mocked for it decades later for the world to see.
Lara Trump has continuously minimized the severity of COVID-19
In several instances, Lara Trump was seemingly trying to downplay the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, during one of Donald Trump's and Joe Biden's presidential debates, the Trump family members refused to wear masks during the event, as reported by USA Today, despite being instructed not to remove them. Fox News host Chris Wallace later called Lara out for it and asked whether she thought general rules didn't apply to her family. The Trump campaign aide responded that none of the venue staff asked them to put their masks back on.
At yet another event she attended maskless, Lara stated that the seasonal flu was more deadly than COVID-19. About a year later, she went on air at Fox News, claiming that making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory was a means to control people. "It's never been about following the facts and the truth. It's been about control from day one," she said, "I think it's insane."
The entire Trump clan was criticized for minimizing the impact and severity of the virus during their 2020 nationwide rallies, as noted by Fox 28 Savannah. When inquired about the safety of the gatherings, Lara said, "We're implementing further measures to make sure that people are safe [at the rallies], but look, we're ready to hit the ground running," clearly emphasizing her priorities.
She was found to be spreading misinformation
The Trumps are no strangers to spreading falsehoods. So much so that the ex-POTUS ultimately got banned from social media for spreading misinformation and was even accused of inciting his supporters to attack the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Lara Trump was yet again a crucial background player amid the ordeal, as she claimed her father-in-law's innocence on multiple occasions, leaving Twitter in a tizzy with her comments.
"[Donald Trump] didn't tell people to go to the Capitol and break in. He said, 'Let's peacefully and patriotically make our voices heard,'" Lara stated in a since-gone-viral Fox News clip. She then claimed that the former president even warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others of the oncoming invasion but that none of them did anything to prevent it.
This also wasn't her only time advocating false news. When the 2020 presidential election results went public, the Trumps immediately dismissed them, claiming the election was rigged in Joe Biden's favor. "We think it's going to be a landslide victory, and we aren't even going to need to take this into further days," Lara said of overturning the election outcome, per Politico. Despite the narrative of the stolen election being debunked, the former president continues to claim it as fact.
Lara Trump was accused of inciting violence
Donald Trump's wall separating the United States and Mexico was one of the former president's key points in 2016 when he ran for office for the first time. The Trump family has since talked about the ongoing border crisis numerous times, but none quite like Lara Trump.
When she was still a Fox News contributor, the ex-POTUS' daughter-in-law urged people living close to the border to get guns to protect themselves from migrants trying to enter the US. "I guess they better arm up, get guns, and be ready, and maybe they're going to have to start taking matters into their own hands," she stated. Her controversial comment caused backlash on social media, with many users labeling it a call for violence. "This is rather demonstrating an increasing tendency towards violent rhetoric from the pro-Trump far-right," one person wrote in a Quora thread.
Texas lawmaker Joaquin Castro shared the same sentiment when speaking with CNN. "That's the kind of dangerous rhetoric that gets people targeted and gets [them] killed," Castro said of Lara's comment. Anchor Pamela Brown agreed that Lara's remark was inappropriate, characterizing it as brutality incitement.