Kai Trump Received Special Call From Grandpa Donald on Air Force One Before Her High School Graduation Ceremony

President Donald Trump called his granddaughter, Kai Trump, from Air Force One to wish her a happy graduation day as he flew back from a two-day diplomatic summit with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China.

Kai was sitting in a salon chair getting her hair styled for her commencement ceremony when the surprise call came in.

The 19-year-old golf recruit shared the private family moment in a personal graduation vlog posted to her YouTube channel. She looked at the camera and exclaimed, "Oh, my grandpa is calling me," showing her screen, which had him saved under "DT" and "Grandpa.”

While the president's voice was kept off-camera, Kai was heard saying, "Yeah ... Alright. Love you. Goodbye," before hanging up and calling the gesture "so cute.”

Chatting with her stylist afterward, Kai gushed, "He just calls me whenever. He literally is just like a grandpa, I swear.”

Because the president was traveling internationally for the high-stakes summit, he was unable to attend the actual commencement in person.

However, the rest of the family rallied to support Kai as she graduated from The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Attendees at the ceremony and subsequent family celebratory dinner included her father, Donald Trump Jr., her mother, Vanessa Trump, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Vanessa's boyfriend, Tiger Woods, and her aunt Tiffany Trump.

After high school, Kai committed to play competitive golf at the University of Miami.

Kai faced significant online backlash in early 2026 after posting a YouTube vlog where she shopped at the high-end grocery store Erewhon with a Secret Service detail.

Viewers criticized the 18-year-old for tone-deaf spending and misusing taxpayer-funded security during a period of economic hardship.

The vlog, originally titled "I Brought My Secret Service to Erewhon" (later amended to "I Tried the World's Most Expensive Grocery Store"), featured her browsing the luxury grocery chain in Santa Monica, Calif., buying a $21 smoothie, a $14 bottle of water, and $17 dates. Her total spend for a single bag was $233, and she joked about needing to file for bankruptcy while passing up a $165 sweatshirt.

Critics labeled the content "Marie Antoinette"-esque and tone-deaf. Many viewers expressed frustration that taxpayer-funded Secret Service agents were being utilized for an influencer shopping haul during a time of high domestic inflation and global conflict. Some internet users also launched a viral "Draft Kai" movement in the comment sections to protest the socio-economic disparities highlighted in the video.

Donald’s eldest granddaughter claimed that about 50 percent of the world doesn't like her solely because of her last name, without actually knowing who she is, recalling a specific incident where a woman walked up to her in public, explicitly to tell her that her grandfather was toxic. She handled the confrontation by thanking the stranger for taking the time to share her thoughts.

Her dad, Don Jr., is scheduled to marry Florida socialite and model Bettina Anderson on Saturday over Memorial Day weekend.

The POTUS confirmed he will not attend the wedding, citing bad timing due to the ongoing Iran war and other presidential responsibilities. While speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump claimed he would "try and make it" but labeled the situation a "no-win" scenario regarding expected media coverage.