Trump Kids Who Don't Agree With Donald's No-Pet Policy
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been home to dozens of presidential families — and almost as many animals. Over the last two centuries, a menagerie's worth of creatures has taken up residence in The White House. Dogs are the most popular choice; among them were FDR's Scottish Terrier Fala, George H.W. Bush's Springer Spaniel Millie, and Barack Obama's Portuguese Water Dogs, Bo and Sunny. Other notable POTUS pets include Herbert Hoover's opossum, John Quincy Adams' silkworms, and Jimmy Carter's Siamese cat.
President Joe Biden is also an avowed animal lover, despite the troubles he's had with Commander Biden, who has been aggressive toward staff members and has undergone extra behavioral training to make him a more model citizen. Fortunately, WH cat Willow Biden is a purr-fect lady. However, the centuries-old tradition of First Pets came to a screeching halt in 2016, when Donald Trump became only the second president in history not to have any kind of animal companion (James Polk was the other holdout).
Although he reluctantly shared his home space with Ivana Trump's poodle, Chappy, during their marriage, Donald publicly admitted that apart from having no time to care for a pet, it "[felt] a little phony" to have a dog just for the optics (via ABC News). It remains to be seen which side of the pet fence young Barron Trump will occupy once he's out on his own, but his four older half-siblings all share their homes with various furry friends.
Donald Trump Jr. has a soft spot for pups
Donald Trump Jr. shares his dad's name, his fatherhood record (both have five children), and his loathing of liberals, but they have very different opinions when it comes to pet ownership. Don Jr. has welcomed at least two dogs into his home, and he's as smitten with them as his children are. In 2015, he shared photos on Facebook featuring one of the pooches, a shaggy white pup named Faluffa. The name, according to the post, is a "long story." The Trump children were home from school on a snow day, and they found an, um, interesting way to play with their pet.
The photos show the dog walking around with goldfish crackers on its back. "Apparently, according to [son] Tristan, Faluffa [...] loves goldfish and wants to give them a ride around the house," Don Jr. wrote. The following year, the future first son announced the arrival of another fur baby, a puppy gifted to his daughter, Kai, for her birthday.
Kai had been asking for a new dog, and when her aunt offered the pup, her parents couldn't resist. The adorable fluff bundle appears to be a Shih Tzu. Posing with the new pet, Don Jr. wrote on Instagram: "Looks like I may be stealing Kai's birthday present. She won't be happy but I believe dads can do that. This little guy is the cutest."
Ivanka Trump keeps a pet-friendly house
Ivanka Trump's furry family members to date include two dogs. Winter, a possible Pomeranian-Husky mix, joined the family in 2019 as an 8th birthday gift for daughter Arabella. Then, in November 2023, Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, adopted "big-hearted and goofy" puppy Simba, a German Shepherd-Labrador Retriever mix. Rescued from the side of an Alabama highway, Simba was nursed back to health at Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a Florida-based no-kill shelter. In the comments section of her Instagram post announcing the adoption, Ivanka thanked her sister-in-law, Lara Lea Trump, the wife of Eric Trump, for introducing her to the organization.
The Kushner household also boasts a smaller resident: A hamster belonging to son Theo. In the comments of her post, Ivanka explained the rodent's name is still a work in progress. Theo originally wanted to call him Chester, after the main character in "The Kissing Hand," a classic children's book. Then things got complicated: "Within a few hours, Theo changed his mind and wanted to named him 'Summer' (a nod to our sweet dog Winter/ his sister's suggestion) then 'Hammy' then 'Buster' ... I think we are back at Chester ... but to be honest I'm not really sure."
Though her father was ambivalent about keeping animals around, Ivanka's mother, Ivana Trump, was devoted to dogs and owned several after her divorce from The Donald. "My mama loved animals — one of the many traits I inherited from her!" Ivanka noted proudly.
Eric Trump used his dogs to make a political statement
Eric Trump, the youngest child of Donald and Ivana Trump, also takes after his mother when it comes to pets. He and his wife, Lara Lea Trump, owned two beagles even before they welcomed their two children. Like sister-in-law Tiffany Trump, Lara is a passionate advocate for animal rescue, and both their pups came from shelters. Charlie was the first to join the family, followed by Ben in 2016. According to the Daily Mail, Ben was desperately ill with mange when he was brought to a Texas shelter. The Trumps took him as a foster after he recovered, but quickly fell in love and gave him a forever home.
The dogs figure prominently in family pictures like the one above, wearing Halloween costumes and getting treats on their birthdays. A third dog was spotted on Lara's Instagram feed in October 2023 but she has yet to identify the pup — who appears to be a terrier — or to clarify whether it's another foster or a permanent resident.
Like his father, Eric never misses an opportunity to make a political statement on social media. In October 2021, he posted a reaction to news about a cruel scientific study involving beagles. The story claimed the experiment had been funded by the infectious-disease agency headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci. The rumor proved false, but Eric disregarded that detail as he shared a photo of Charlie and Ben with the caption: "As if I needed another reason not to like Dr. Fauci."
Tiffany Trump loves rescue cats
Tiffany Trump is not only an unabashed animal lover; she's an advocate for adopting pets rather than buying them from breeders. Unlike her siblings, though, she's more of a cat lover. The younger daughter of Former President Trump has owned at least three to date. Her first was a long-haired charmer named Cupcake; it's not known whether the cat is still with her. In 2019, she and her future husband, Michael Boulos, fell in love with a kitten named Petals, whom they met at a D.C. animal shelter. Petals' markings indicate it's a Siamese or Snowshoe cat.
Just a few months later, the couple returned to the facility to get a companion for Petals. This time, they went for the adorable orange tabby seen here. According to the Daily Mail, the little one was originally named Orange Crush, but Tiffany decided to give it a new name fit for a (lion) king: Simba. "This kitten was found abandoned under a house and would surely have died if not for the great rescuers at the Humane Rescue Alliance," she wrote on Instagram. "I'm so grateful to them for rescuing him! I can't wait to spoil this little guy, and give him the love, like he (& all animals) deserve!" Like his namesake, Simba is no doubt ruling the roost and proud of it.