Meet Kai Trump, the president's granddaughter who calls him 'an inspiration'

Kai Trump is President Donald Trump’s granddaughter. She spoke at the Republican National Convention and called him “just a normal grandpa.”

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Kai Madison Trump, 18, is the eldest grandchild of President Donald Trump.
She is the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife, Vanessa Trump.
She spoke about her grandfather onstage at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

While the benefits of being a president’s kid are well-documented, being the grandchild of a sitting commander in chief can come with its own perks.

Kai Madison Trump, 18, is Donald Trump’s eldest grandchild and, over the past year, she’s stepped into the spotlight.

In January, she attended the presidential inauguration and was mentioned by Trump during his address at Capital One Arena.

During her first public appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention in July, Kai Trump spoke about her close relationship with her grandfather.

“To me, he’s just a normal grandpa,” she said. “He gives us candy and soda when our parents aren’t looking. He always wants to know how we’re doing in school.”

“A lot of people have put my grandpa through hell, and he’s still standing,” she continued. “Grandpa, you are such an inspiration, and I love you. The media makes my grandpa seem like a different person, but I know him for who he is.”

Here’s what you need to know about Kai Trump, the president’s eldest grandchild.

Kai Madison Trump is the 18-year-old daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump.

Vanessa Trump, Kai Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. at the Republican National Convention on July 17, 2024.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump was born on May 12, 2007, and is the eldest granddaughter of President Donald Trump.

Her parents are Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife, Vanessa Trump.

At 18, she’s just one year younger than Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son.

Her parents were married from 2005 to 2018.

Vanessa Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump, and Melania Trump.
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

Vanessa Trump and Donald Trump Jr. share five children: after Kai, there’s Donald John III, 16; Tristan Milos, 13; Spencer Frederick, 12; and Chloe Sophia, 10.

She was born and raised in New York and now lives with her mother in Jupiter, Florida.

Donald Trump Jr. onstage with his daughter Kai Madison Trump during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

USA Today reported that she attends The Benjamin School, a private school in North Palm Beach, Florida. She is expected to graduate in 2026.

She moved to Florida when she was 13 and lives a short distance from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

In a recent YouTube vlog, she said she hoped to spend more time in Washington, DC, after her grandfather took office.

Kai spoke onstage at the Republican National Convention in 2024.

Kai Trump spoke onstage on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“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,” Trump said in her first official address.

“Even when he is going through all these court cases, he always asks me how I’m doing,” she continued. “He always encourages me to push myself to be the most successful person I can be.”

Trump also addressed the assassination attempt on her grandfather, saying that after she heard about it, she “just wanted to know if he was OK.”

“It was heartbreaking that someone would do that to another person. A lot of people have put my grandpa through hell, and he’s still standing. Grandpa, you are such an inspiration, and I love you,” she said.

She’s an avid golfer and often utilizes her grandfather’s golf courses for training.

Donald Trump with his niece Kai Trump and her mom, Vanessa Trump, during the ProAm ahead of the LIV Golf Team Championship in 2022.
Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Trump, an avid golfer, wrote on Instagram in 2024 that she’s made a “verbal commitment” to the University of Miami after she graduates high school.

In the post, she thanked Donald Trump, writing, “I would like to thank my Grandpa for giving me access to great courses and tremendous support.”

Her grandfather owns more than a dozen golf courses around the world.

In her speech at the Republican National Convention, she spoke about playing golf with her grandfather.

“When we play golf together, if I’m not on his team, he’ll try to get inside of my head,” she said. “And he is always surprised that I don’t let him get to me, but I have to remind him I’m a Trump, too.”

Trump has also attended golf events with her mother, Vanessa Trump, and her new boyfriend, golf pro Tiger Woods. They were seen at the Genesis Invitational in La Jolla, California, in February.

(Woods’ daughter graduated from The Benjamin School — where Kai Trump is a student — in 2025, while his son still attends the school.)

Kai Trump also showed her support for the couple when she liked an Instagram post that Woods shared announcing their relationship.

She has her own YouTube channel.

Kai Trump onstage on the third day of the Republican National Convention.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump posted a vlog on Inauguration Day that showed behind-the-scenes footage of her prepping to attend pre-inauguration events, such as a formal dinner at the Building Museum, where she wore a navy-blue Sherri Hill gown with cutouts.

Since then, she’s shared vlogs from vacations, inside the White House, and playing golf with professional players.

Kai Trump has 1.15 million YouTube subscribers, 1.7 million Instagram followers, and 3.1 million followers on TikTok.

This story was originally published in January 2025 and most recently updated in June 2025.

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