Donald Trump Jr has signalled he may consider a future bid for the U.S. presidency, telling an audience at the Qatar Economic Forum that “maybe one day” he could run and admitting “that calling is there.”
The 47-year-old son of former President Donald Trump and executive vice president of the Trump Organization made the remarks during a live interview with Bloomberg’s Joumanna Nasr Bercetche on Wednesday, May 21.
Reacting to a question about whether he would consider running for the White House, Trump Jr chuckled and paused as the audience applauded. “It’s an honour to be asked and an honour to see that some people are OK with it,” he said. “So the answer is: I don’t know, maybe one day. You know, that calling is there. I’ll always be very active in terms of being a vocal proponent of these things. I think my father has truly changed the Republican Party.”
While Trump Jr has never held a formal government position, he has exerted considerable behind-the-scenes influence in Republican politics, particularly in shaping staff appointments during his father’s administration. He is also credited with lobbying strongly for Ohio Senator JD Vance to be selected as Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024—a move that ultimately proved successful with Vance now serving as Vice President.
His standing remains high among supporters of the MAGA movement, and he has maintained a strong online presence. Earlier this week, he drew attention on social media by casting doubt on the transparency surrounding President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis, calling it “another coverup” by Democrats.
Despite the U.S. Constitution’s two-term limit for presidents, Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of running again in 2028, adding further speculation to his family’s ongoing political ambitions. Betting markets have already begun offering odds on a Trump Jr candidacy, ranging from 12/1 to 33/1 depending on the bookmaker.
Also speaking at the Bloomberg-hosted event in Doha, Trump Jr addressed concerns about his father’s controversial trade policies, arguing that the global market turbulence resulting from tariffs was exaggerated by media “hysteria” and insisting that “change takes time.”
Elon Musk, a major Trump donor and ally, appeared at the same forum a day earlier and announced plans to scale back his political spending. Musk said he had “done enough” after contributing $288 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign, and would now shift his focus back to his core business interests, particularly Tesla.