Kai Trump Says She Gets Her Motivation to Succeed From 'Grandpa' Donald Trump

Fox & Friends fawned over 19-year-old Kai Trump during an interview on Thursday, July 16, in which she attributed her drive for success to grandpa President Donald Trump.

During the interview, co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and Ainsley Earhardt discussed her rising social media presence, golf career and her upcoming first year playing Division I golf at the University of Miami.

"You still have the hunger even though you've had this success so young?” Kilmeade asked.

“For sure,” she replied.

“Where do you get that from?” the Fox host probed.

“Probably grandpa,” she said.

The ubiquitous Trump teen described him as a "cool grandpa" who slips her candy and soda when her parents aren't watching and frequently checks in on her academics and golf game.

She credited him with her competitive drive and "hunger" to succeed, noting they often trash-talk each other on the golf course, where he is notorious for allegedly cheating.

She noted that when they play golf on opposing teams, he actively tries to get inside her head, though she jokingly reminds him, "I'm a Trump, too."

While Kai firmly maintained that politics is "not her thing" and that she intends to stay completely out of the political arena to focus on golf, she remains fiercely supportive of him as a family member.

Following the 2024 assassination attempt against him, she expressed she was "shocked and heartbroken," adding that while "a lot of people have put my grandpa through h---," he is an inspiration who "is still standing."

No mainstream journalist or major media outlet has ever publicly asked Kai about her grandfather's felony convictions, civil liabilities for sexual abuse or criminal cases.

As a teenager who is not a political figure or administration official, she has been shielded from aggressive political press questioning, which has not stopped her from using her privileges to drive her social media following. However, she has faced unscripted encounters and has proactively addressed the legal cloud surrounding her polarizing grandpa in her own public statements.

She has frequently claimed that the media portrays her grandfather as "a different person" than the caring family man she knows, using her platform to push back against his public and legal reputation without litigating the specific crimes.

In an appearance on Logan Paul’s "Impaulsive" podcast, Kai recalled an incident in which a total stranger approached her in public to tell her that her grandfather "sucked."

She was widely mocked when she openly acknowledged that many people refuse to "give her a chance" because of her last name and the heavy political and legal baggage it carries.