Former President Donald Trump officially launched his 2024 presidential comeback bid on Wednesday before a crowd of about 1,000 guests at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, but only two of his children — Eric and Barron — attended the event, the New York Post reports. Daughter Tiffany is presumably on her honeymoon, having gotten married at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend, while Don Jr. "was unable to make it back from a hunting trip out West in time for the spectacle due to his scheduled flight being scrapped."
Ivanka Trump, a presidential adviser during Trump's four years in the White House, issued a statement before the speech saying she's done with politics. "While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena," she said on Instagram. "This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my young children and the private life we are creating as a family," she added. "I do not plan to be involved in politics."
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Ivanka's absence Tuesday night is notable because "Trump spent part of daughter Tiffany's lavish Mar-a-Lago wedding" over the weekend "begging" Ivanka and Jared "to be with him on stage when he announces his third consecutive run for the presidency," the Post reported Monday, citing sources.
"Trump thought he could convince Ivanka this weekend to come back and campaign for him ... but so far she's resisting his entreaties and holding firm, as is Jared," one insider told the Post. "They both feel they got burned in Washington and don't want to go back and expose themselves and their children to another bitter campaign." The couple's resistance to Trump's pleading created "extra behind-the-scenes tension" at the wedding, the source added.
If Trump couldn't "persuade Jared and Ivanka to present a united Trump family front to the watching world," the Post reported, he was likely to give his speech alone on the stage. And he did. But while Ivanka skipped the campaign launch, "Kushner and Kimberly Guilfoyle attended to show their support," Fox News reports. Don Jr., Eric, and Eric's wife, Lara Trump, are said to be all-in on Trump's third presidential run.
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