Lara Trump – Biography, Age, Height, Husband Eric Trump, Fox News, RNC Co-Chair, Senate Run & Facts

Lara Trump is one of the most visible and polarizing figures in American conservative politics—a former pastry chef turned television producer turned Republican National Committee co-chair turned Fox News primetime host, all while married to the son of a two-term president. At 43, she has built a career that spans culinary school, Inside Edition, three presidential campaigns, and now her own weekend show on Fox News. With President Trump publicly floating her as his “first choice” for a U.S. Senate seat in her home state of North Carolina, Lara Trump stands at the intersection of media, politics, and dynastic power, embodying the Trump family’s unique blend of celebrity and governance.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Lara Lea Yunaska was born on October 12, 1982, in Wilmington, North Carolina, to Robert Luke Yunaska, a shipbuilder, and Linda Ann Sykes. She grew up in nearby Wrightsville Beach, a coastal community where she enjoyed what she has described as an idyllic upbringing. She has a younger brother, Kyle Robert Yunaska.

Yunaska attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where she participated in cheerleading and gymnastics. She has joked that her most traumatic childhood memory was not making the JV cheerleading team. After high school, she enrolled at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, graduating cum laude in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

Following college, Lara pursued a creative passion at the French Culinary Institute in New York City (now the International Culinary Center), earning an Associate of Applied Science in Pastry Arts. Before and during her culinary training, she worked a series of odd jobs—personal trainer, bartender, waitress—to support herself. She has said that fitness has always been an important part of her life, and she competes in triathlons and marathons regularly.

Career Journey

Television Production: Inside Edition (2012–2016)

After culinary school, Lara moved to New York City and found work in television production. She became a producer and story coordinator for Inside Edition, the syndicated television news-magazine program. It was during this period, in March 2008, that she met Eric Trump while out with friends at a nightclub. At five-foot-eleven, she viewed the six-foot-five Eric as “an acceptable suitor,” and the two began dating.

As Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign intensified, Lara found herself in an increasingly difficult position—producing a news show that was covering her own family. In October 2016, she took a two-month hiatus from Inside Edition to join Eric in supporting the campaign full-time. “When they’re reporting on your family on the show you work for, it’s a little challenging,” she told Port City Daily at the time. She focused on outreach to women voters and minority communities, traveling with campaign surrogates to make the case that Trump was their candidate.

Trump Campaign and “Real News Update” (2016–2020)

In March 2017, Lara was officially hired as a senior consultant for the Trump reelection campaign, working with digital vendor Giles-Parscale. That same year, she launched “Real News Update,” a weekly Facebook show that provided favorable coverage of the Trump presidency. The show was produced by Trump Productions and positioned as an alternative to what she viewed as biased mainstream media coverage.

She also served on the board of the Eric Trump Foundation until it reportedly stopped actively fundraising in 2017. Throughout the first Trump administration, she became a fixture at campaign rallies and Republican events, developing a reputation as a fierce and effective surrogate for her father-in-law.

Fox News Contributor and Brief Departure (2021–2024)

In March 2021, Fox News hired Lara as a paid contributor. She appeared regularly across the network’s programming, offering commentary from a pro-Trump perspective. However, she parted ways with Fox in December 2022 after Donald Trump announced his 2024 reelection campaign, citing the need to avoid conflicts of interest. During this period, she also launched the podcast The Right View, a conservative alternative to ABC’s The View.

RNC Co-Chair: The Trump Takeover (2024–2025)

In February 2024, Donald Trump publicly called for a leadership shakeup at the Republican National Committee, naming his preferred slate: North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley as chair, and his daughter-in-law Lara as co-chair. The move was widely seen as an effort to install loyalists atop the party machinery before the general election.

Lara was elected co-chair in March 2024 and immediately set about restructuring the organization. She and Whatley oversaw the merger of the Trump campaign and the RNC, fired staffers, and restructured positions. Under her leadership, the RNC invested heavily in “election integrity” efforts, recruiting roughly 230,000 volunteers and an army of lawyers. The committee also launched “Swamp the Vote,” a nationwide initiative encouraging Republicans to vote by mail—a shift from Trump’s previous skepticism of mail-in voting.

She set three distinct goals for her tenure: surpass all fundraising records, build the largest army of lawyers and poll watchers for election integrity, and turn out millions of Americans during early voting. By December 2024, she claimed all three had been accomplished, announcing her resignation effective January 17, 2025. “The job I came to do is now complete,” she wrote on X.

My View with Lara Trump (2025–present)

On February 5, 2025, Fox Corporation announced that Lara would host her own weekend primetime show, My View with Lara Trump, premiering February 22, 2025. The program airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET from Fox News headquarters in New York City, occupying the time slot previously held by One Nation with Brian Kilmeade.

The show’s format features Lara’s opening monologue, in-depth discussions on political and social issues, interviews with high-profile conservative figures, and lighter segments on American culture, family, and faith. The premiere featured interviews with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The debut drew mixed reactions. The New Yorker raised concerns about conflicts of interest, noting that her position “raises ethical concerns, particularly about conflicts of interest and the blurring of political and media boundaries.” Supporters praised it as a platform for conservative perspectives absent from mainstream daytime television.

By mid-2026, the show had aired over 40 episodes and featured interviews with President Trump from the White House. In July 2025, Lara conducted an exclusive interview with her father-in-law aboard Air Force One, discussing trade policy, tariffs, and the administration’s legislative achievements.

Potential Senate Run (2025–2026)

In December 2024, as Lara stepped down from the RNC, speculation mounted that she might be appointed to fill Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s seat after Trump nominated Rubio for Secretary of State. Lara told the Associated Press she would “100% consider it” if offered, though Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ultimately chose someone else.

The Senate speculation reignited in July 2025 when President Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, named Lara as his “first choice” to replace outgoing North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, a rare Republican critic of Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill. Tillis announced he would not seek reelection in 2026, opening a critical battleground seat. Trump cited Lara’s North Carolina roots and growing national profile as qualifications. As of mid-2026, Lara has not formally announced a candidacy, but the possibility remains a subject of intense political speculation.

Career Stats

Television:

• Inside Edition (2012–2016) — Producer/Story Coordinator
• Real News Update (2017–2020) — Producer and Host (Facebook)
• Fox News Contributor (2021–2022)
• The Right View Podcast (2022–present) — Host
• My View with Lara Trump (2025–present) — Host, Fox News

Political:

• Trump 2016 Campaign — Senior Consultant
• Trump 2020 Reelection Campaign — Senior Adviser
• Eric Trump Foundation — Board Member (until 2017)
• Republican National Committee — Co-Chair (March 2024 – January 2025)

Personal Life

Marriage to Eric Trump

Lara met Eric Trump in March 2008 at a nightclub in New York City. She was “immediately intrigued,” she later told Fox & Friends. They dated for six years before Eric proposed on July 4, 2013, at the Trump Seven Springs estate in Bedford, New York, with a diamond platinum ring from Ivanka Trump’s fine jewelry collection.

They married on November 8, 2014, at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Donald Trump Jr. served as best man, Jared Kushner officiated the ceremony, and their beagle Charlie served as ring bearer. Three weeks before the wedding, Lara had fallen off her horse and broken both wrists, requiring emergency surgery. She refused to wear casts for the ceremony, instead donning bedazzled gloves designed by her wedding planner. The show of toughness impressed Donald Trump, who later called her “a tough cookie.”

Children

Lara and Eric have two children:

• Eric “Luke” Trump (born September 12, 2017): Named Eric after his father and grandfather, the family calls him Luke. Now 8 years old, he enjoys biking and following his father’s passions.
• Carolina Dorothy Trump (born August 19, 2019): Named in part for her mother’s home state. Now 6 years old, she enjoys soccer, biking with her mother, and appeared on the runway with Lara at a March 2024 charity event for Big Dog Ranch Rescue.

Lifestyle and Residence

The family lives in a $3.2 million estate in Jupiter, Florida, inside the Trump National Golf Club gated community. They purchased the home in April 2021, joining other Trump family members who relocated to Florida after the 2020 election. The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion features two primary bedrooms, a safe room, and a backyard with a pool, kitchen, and full cabana bath.

Lara maintains an active fitness regimen, competing in triathlons and marathons regularly. She has described fitness as a way to cope with stress. The family also has two beagles, Charlie and Ben, both adopted from shelters.

Controversies

Nepotism and Conflict of Interest

Lara’s rapid rise in Republican politics has been consistently shadowed by accusations of nepotism. Her appointment as RNC co-chair was engineered by her father-in-law, and her Fox News show sits at the intersection of family loyalty and journalistic independence. Critics argue that her role on Fox News while her father-in-law is president creates an unprecedented conflict of interest, essentially turning a major news network into a family mouthpiece. The New Yorker and other outlets have raised ethical concerns about the “blurring of political and media boundaries.”

“Real News” and Propaganda Charges

Her “Real News Update” Facebook show during Trump’s first term was criticized as propaganda, with The Guardian describing it as an effort to “keep the propaganda in the family.” The show’s uncritical coverage of the administration and attacks on mainstream media drew comparisons to state-run television in authoritarian regimes.

Election Integrity Efforts

Under Lara’s leadership, the RNC invested heavily in “election integrity” efforts rooted in Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. While she claimed these efforts were about preventing fraud, critics argued they were designed to suppress Democratic votes and undermine confidence in the electoral system.

Senate Qualifications

If Lara runs for the North Carolina Senate seat, she will face questions about her qualifications. Unlike traditional Senate candidates, she has no legislative experience, no legal background, and no graduate education in policy. Her defenders argue that her communication skills, national profile, and connection to the Trump base make her a formidable candidate; her critics counter that her rise is entirely attributable to her marriage.

Awards & Achievements

• 2005 — B.A. in Communication, cum laude, North Carolina State University
• 2012–2016 — Producer, Inside Edition
• 2017–2020 — Senior Consultant/Adviser, Trump Campaigns
• 2021 — Fox News Contributor
• 2024–2025 — Co-Chair, Republican National Committee
• 2025 — Host, My View with Lara Trump (Fox News)
• 2025 — Named by President Trump as “first choice” for North Carolina Senate seat

Physical Statistics

Quotes

“She’s a tough cookie.”
— Donald Trump, after Lara broke both wrists before her wedding but refused to wear casts.

“The job I came to do is now complete.”
— On stepping down as RNC co-chair, December 2024.

“I would 100% consider it.”
— On the possibility of being appointed to the U.S. Senate.

“Never in a million years did I think that I would be on this stage tonight, and I certainly never thought that I’d end up with the last name Trump.”
— From her 2020 Republican National Convention speech.

“I really don’t think we’ve seen movement like this in our federal government since our country’s founding in many ways.”
— On Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Favorites

Earnings

Lara Trump’s personal net worth is estimated between $10 million and $15 million, though exact figures are not publicly disclosed. Her income streams include:

• Fox News salary: Primetime weekend host compensation (undisclosed, likely high six to seven figures annually)
• RNC role: No salary reported for her co-chair position
• Podcast and media: Revenue from The Right View and other digital ventures
• Trump family wealth: Combined household net worth with Eric Trump is significantly higher, including real estate assets

The $3.2 million Jupiter estate and her lifestyle suggest substantial family wealth beyond her individual earnings.

Interesting Facts

• Named After Reagan: Her father-in-law was named after Ronald Reagan, and she married into a family where presidential names carry weight.
• Broken Wrists at Wedding: She broke both wrists in a horseback-riding accident three weeks before her wedding but refused to wear casts, opting for bedazzled gloves instead.
• Pastry Chef Background: Before politics and television, she trained as a pastry chef at the French Culinary Institute in New York.
• Personal Trainer: She worked as a personal trainer and bartender before breaking into television.
• Rescue Dogs: Both her beagles, Charlie and Ben, were adopted from shelters. Charlie was the ring bearer at her wedding.
• Triathlon Competitor: She competes in triathlons and marathons regularly as a stress-relief mechanism.
• North Carolina Roots: Despite living in Florida, she maintains deep ties to Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
• Youngest RNC Co-Chair: At 41, she was one of the youngest people to serve as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

Did You Know Already?

• Did you know Lara Trump broke both her wrists three weeks before her wedding but refused to wear casts?
• Did you know she trained as a pastry chef before becoming a television producer?
• Did you know she was named by President Trump as his “first choice” for a North Carolina Senate seat?
• Did you know she worked as a personal trainer and bartender before her television career?
• Did you know her dog Charlie was the ring bearer at her wedding to Eric Trump?
• Did you know she launched a Facebook show called “Real News Update” during Trump’s first term?
• Did you know she is 5 feet 11 inches tall—taller than many of her political peers?

Social Media Links

• Instagram: @laraleatrump
• X/Twitter: @LaraLeaTrump
• Fox News: My View with Lara Trump
• IMDb: Lara Trump

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Lara Trump?
Lara Trump was born on October 12, 1982, making her 43 years old as of 2026.

How tall is Lara Trump?
She stands at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 meters) tall.

Who is Lara Trump’s husband?
She is married to Eric Trump, the third child of President Donald Trump. They wed on November 8, 2014, at Mar-a-Lago.

How many children does Lara Trump have?
She has two children: Eric “Luke” Trump (8) and Carolina Dorothy Trump (6).

What is Lara Trump’s net worth?
Her estimated personal net worth is $10–$15 million, though the combined Trump family wealth is significantly higher.

What is Lara Trump doing now?
As of 2026, she hosts My View with Lara Trump on Fox News every Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.

Is Lara Trump running for Senate?
President Trump named her his “first choice” to replace outgoing North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis in 2026, but she has not formally announced a candidacy as of mid-2026.

What was Lara Trump’s job before politics?
She was a producer for the syndicated television news program Inside Edition and trained as a pastry chef at the French Culinary Institute.

Is Lara Trump related to Donald Trump by blood?
No, she is his daughter-in-law, married to his son Eric Trump.

Conclusion

Lara Trump’s trajectory—from a North Carolina beach town to the heights of Republican power and Fox News primetime—is a story of ambition, adaptability, and the unique opportunities afforded by marrying into America’s most polarizing political dynasty. Whether she is a skilled communicator who earned her platform through talent, or a beneficiary of nepotism who blurs the lines between journalism and propaganda, depends entirely on one’s political perspective. What is undeniable is her effectiveness as a surrogate, her loyalty to the Trump brand, and her potential to become the next Trump family member elected to public office. With a Senate run looming and her Fox News platform growing, Lara Trump is not just the president’s daughter-in-law—she is a political force in her own right, for better or worse.

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