CNN
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Donald Trump heard closing arguments Tuesday surrounded by his three adult children and several of their spouses, the largest family gathering in a Manhattan courtroom since the former president’s hush money trial began six weeks ago.
But the family’s show of support also drew attention to his wife and eldest daughter, who were conspicuously absent from the head of the family.
With a jury verdict possible within days, Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump have yet to be with the former president as he awaits his defense on 34 charges. Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, a key adviser to Trump during his four years in Washington, has also not been to 100 Centre Street for the trial.
Eric Trump, meanwhile, has made several appearances behind his father inside the dingy Manhattan courthouse. Donald Trump Jr., who is recovering from knee surgery, has also visited several times. On Tuesday, the couple were joined by Eric’s wife, Lara, and, for the first time, Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany, and her husband, Michael Boulos.
During a break in closing arguments, Trump’s eldest sons attacked the credibility of the prosecution’s main witness, Michael Cohen, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who sued Trump. Trump Jr. also attacked Robert De Niro, who spoke outside the courthouse early Tuesday on behalf of President Joe Biden’s campaign. Trump Jr. said De Niro “has been a while since he’s made a good movie and he needs to be noticed.”
“I understand this is political persecution,” he said, “and that was evidenced today by the Biden campaign having a rally here.”
The Trump family’s appearances in New York, or lack thereof, offer a clear indication of their reaction to the attention that Trump’s third bid for the White House will bring.
While the Trump children have not been as involved as previous campaigns overall, Eric Trump has attended campaign events and legal proceedings for different cases. Trump Jr. has made select appearances during the campaign, hosting a regular segment on Rumble TV where he promotes his father’s policies and interviews some of Trump’s most staunch supporters. Lara Trump has been heavily involved in the former president’s political activities, recently becoming co-chair of the Republican National Committee after former chairwoman Ronna McDaniel lost the confidence of the party’s presumptive nominee.
But Melania Trump has never attended one of Trump’s rallies and rarely accompanies him in public. A Trump campaign spokesman declined to answer questions about whether she plans to accompany him to the trial’s final day. A source familiar with the matter said it was not surprising that the former first lady was not there or would not comment on the allegations at the heart of the case.
Trump is accused of arranging illegal payments to silence porn actress Stormy Daniels, who told jurors she had a sexual relationship with the former president a year after he married Melania Trump. The initial reports of the alleged sexual relationship and subsequent payment, which were made public while Trump was in the White House, embarrassed the then-first lady and put stress on her marriage. During the trial, jurors also heard testimony about Karen McDougal, a Playboy cover girl who publicly claimed to have had an affair with Trump for eight months that overlapped with the time Melania was pregnant with their son, Barron.
Ivanka Trump’s absence from the Manhattan trial came as no surprise to many close to the former president, given that she and Kushner have publicly distanced themselves from Trump’s recent presidential campaign. A source close to the campaign did not rule out the possibility that the two could appear in court together before the sentencing. Both served as senior advisers during his presidency, but Ivanka Trump announced she would not be involved in the 2024 election, citing a desire to focus on her family.
“I love my father very much,” she said. “I have decided at this time to prioritize the private life we are building as a family with our young children. I do not intend to get involved in politics.”
One source close to Trump said Ivanka was particularly worried that her children would find the intense attention they receive from their famous grandfather.
“when [Ivanka Trump] “When he was in the White House, his kids were still at an age where they didn’t understand exactly what was going on,” the source said. “They’re older now and that’s not the case anymore.”
According to multiple sources, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner faced backlash from friends and were snubbed by some in their social circles after their father’s tenure in the White House ended, and after leaving Washington, the couple left New York and moved to Florida.
Kushner’s parents, Charles and Seryl Kushner, were co-hosts of a New York fundraiser organized by billionaire Howard Lutnick during his trial. President Trump pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner at the end of his term. Kushner served time in prison in the mid-2000s after pleading guilty to 16 counts of tax evasion, one count of retaliating against a federal witness (his brother-in-law) and one count of lying to the Federal Election Commission.
Trump, who at times railed against the sense of isolation his court appearances brought and complained privately and publicly early on about the lack of presence of his allies inside and outside the courtroom, responded by pouring into the Manhattan courtroom in droves, Republican lawmakers, vice presidential candidates, donors and allies, as interest grew with each passing day about who would appear in his defense.
Eric Trump became the first family member to attend the trial, sitting behind his father on the ninth day as witnesses presented documents linking Trump to the payments to Daniels.
On Tuesday, Eric Trump apologized to the jury while defending his father.
“It was the most enormous waste of time,” he said.
CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
