Politics - News Analysis

Trump Didn’t Want Son Donald, Jr. to Date Kimberly Guilfoyle Because He Wanted to Date Her Himself

There’s an epic new piece in The Atlantic on the making of the Trump dynasty — from Friedrich Trump, brothel baron, to Fred Trump, New York outer-borough real estate developer, to Donald Trump, president, to two children vying to be the next heir: Don Jr. and Ivanka.

And there is one snippet about Trump and son Don Jr., along with Don Jr.’s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle.

According to writer McKay Coppins, Trump was NOT “enthusiastic” when his son started dating Kimberly Guilfoyle, then a Fox News host.

Her attendance at a White House Fourth of July party “sparked a round of fawning press coverage—upstaging Jared and Ivanka,” which apparently rankled aides. “And as Thanksgiving approached, the president made it known that Guilfoyle wasn’t welcome to join the family at Mar-a-Lago,” two sources told Coppins.

There’s also a disturbing suggestion in The Atlantic piece, sourced from a “longtime Trump adviser,” that the president disapproved of his son’s relationship because he has long had the hots for Kimberly:

Some suspected that the president was simply fed up with the distraction the relationship posed. But according to one longtime Trump adviser, there may have been another reason for his displeasure. Over the years, Trump had frequently made suggestive comments about Guilfoyle’s attractiveness, the adviser told me, and more than once inquired about whom she was dating.

Nonetheless, as Coppins notes, Don Jr. and Kimberly have emerged as a hit on the campaign trail:

But while Trump may have been less than thrilled about the relationship, among rank-and-file right-wingers “Donberly”—as the couple nicknamed themselves—was a hit. Appearing side by side at Republican rallies, they bantered about each other’s pet names—she was “Pooh Bear,” he was “Junior Mint”—and railed against Democrats. They went on hunting trips and posted selfies with rifles on social media. Fans on Twitter began referring to Guilfoyle as the “future first lady,” and she made little effort to tamp down the speculation.

The Atlantic piece is mostly dedicated to outlining the intense rivalry between Jared Kushner — who earned the president’s respect as a close adviser in Washington — and Don Jr., who despite political aspirations was trapped in New York.

After the 2016 Trump Tower meeting was made public — which propelled the Russia probe into a nightmare for Trump — Jared released a lengthy statement “effectively blaming the radioactive meeting on his brother-in-law while absolving himself,” Coppins writes.

That statement — which included a brutal email revealing Jared sought an excuse to skip Don Jr.’s meeting — “infuriated” the president’s son. It also convinced Trump who screwed the pooch on the fiasco.

Per The Atlantic:

Watching cable-news coverage of the fiasco from the West Wing, Trump shook his head wearily. “He wasn’t angry at Don,” a former White House official recalled. “It was more like he was resigned to his son’s idiocy.”

“He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer,” Trump said with a sigh.

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