Trump's granddaughter -- his 'new Ivanka' -- dismisses boos at NBA Finals

Donald Trump’s adored, 19-year-old granddaughter Kai Trump was front and center with him as he faced loud, “thunderous” boos from the thousands in the crowd at Madison Square Garden, as she, the president and their entourage attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.

People on social media wondered if Kai Trump was taken aback by the boos but tried to put on a brave face, smile and even laugh them off. But the usually Trump-friendly Daily Mail was very pointed about Kai’s demeanor, asserting that the college-bound influencer and aspiring pro golfer appeared to “smirk” in response to her grandfather’s “haters.” The “brutal” chorus of boos erupted when the president was shown on the Jumbotron during the presentation of the national anthem before the game, in which the San Antonio Spurs defeated the hometown New York Knicks.

Later, a “desperate” Trump insisted to reporters that he received a warm reception at Madison Square Garden, the Daily Beast reported. Meanwhile, his loyal granddaughter went along with his version of events, posting on Instagram Stories overnight: “The atmosphere was amazing. Let’s get that win. Go Knicks.”

As part of Kai’s Madison Square Garden appearance, the Daily Mail also highlighted her “MAGA makeover” — the new, long blond tresses that the natural brunette has been sporting since she posted a YouTube video in May about going to the salon to get “a hair transition” ahead of her high school graduation. The Daily Mail said: “Her new layered ‘Palm Beach blonde’ hair is synonymous with (the MAGA elite).”

Indeed, Kai’s “hair transition” bolsters the view of those online who have dubbed her the “new Ivanka” — a lookalike of her famously blond aunt Ivanka Trump. According to this view, Kai, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., has become the favorite new female star of the Trump family, the one who will sometimes appear by Trump’s side, especially if he wants to emphasize that he’s a family man and a loving patriarch.

During Trump’s first administration and during his first and second runs for president in 2016 and 2020, Ivanka Trump played that role and even became his White House senior adviser. Critics of Ivanka Trump, his rumored favorite child, often said that the Ivy League-educated mother of three let herself be used as her volatile father’s “calm, reasonable surrogate,” to soften his public image and to fend off accusations of misogyny by showing that he cares about the hopes and dreams of women.

Kai Trump appeared to serve a similar function at the Republican National Convention in 2024 when the then-17-year-old delivered a speech that focused on her personal relationship with the former reality TV star and characterized him as a sweet and supportive grandparent.

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

Since then, the teen has become known for going on social media to occasionally tout her relationship with her grandfather — including when she can use the White House for photo shoots to promote her line of golf sweatshirts or her Secret Service entourage for YouTube content.

But even when Kai Trump was in the salon chair, getting her “MAGA makeover,” she shared a video, showing how her phone started ringing as she revealed to the camera that “Grandpa” was calling, the Mirror.US reported.

After speaking to the president, Kai turned to her stylist and said, “Isn’t it so cute that he just calls me whenever? He’s literally just, like, a grandpa, I swear. He literally is on the way back from China and he’s calling me. I know, very very cute.”

As for the MAGA makeover, HuffPost reported in April that Melania Trump, also a long-time brunette, sported the new “honey-blonde hair color” when she appeared at the White House Easter Egg Roll, adding, “It’s no secret that in the MAGA orbit, there is no shortage of blond hair.”

According to HuffPost writer Kate Brennan, the blond archetype ranges from Ivanka Trump, “whose buttery highlights have long been part of her signature look, to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose icy waves make regular press appearances, and extends to figures like Pam Bondi, Kellyanne Conway and Erika Kirk.” These women show “how a very specific kind of blond has become the hallmark hair color of White House figures and the Mar-a-Lago set,” Brennan also said.

“Blond is a luxury hair color to have,” Angela Haight, a stylist at the celebrity-loved Marie Robinson Salon in New York, told HuffPost. “It’s a lot of maintenance. It’s a luxury hair color, and it’s expensive. That can almost be perceived as a status symbol to a degree.”

While some said that Kai Trump’s new blond look helps her look more like her mother, Vanessa Trump, others say it also makes it easier for her to ingratiate herself into her grandfather’s power circle. No doubt, Trump was happy to have his granddaughter by his side — though her presence didn’t make the Madison Square Garden Crowd less likely to boo him.

Still, it appeared to make Trump fans appreciate Kai Trump more. “Kai Trump in the house at Madison Square Garden,” one person posted on X, along with a video of Kai, seated next to Knicks owner James Dolan. “Poised, present, and part of history as the first sitting President attends the NBA Finals.”

To the Daily Mail, Kai Trump appeared to relish the attention of being with her grandfather, even if the attention was largely negative. “When the national anthem was played, Kai stood proudly alongside her grandfather, raising a wry smile when the crowd booed him ferociously,” the Daily Mail said.

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