Lara Trump, the rising star of the Republican party, has taken center stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week. As the party’s co-chair and host of the four-day event, she is embracing her public role and stepping into the spotlight like never before.
Just a few years ago, she was relatively unknown outside of New York media circles. But then she met Eric Trump, and her life took a dramatic turn. Her background is quite different from that of her husband and his siblings. While the Trump children grew up in the glare of the media spotlight, with all the privileges and opportunities that come with being part of a wealthy and famous family, Lara’s upbringing was much more modest.
Lara Trump, née Yunaska, was born on October 12, 1982, in Wilmington, North Carolina. She grew up in a middle-class family and attended North Carolina State University, where she earned a degree in communication that has come in handy while parroting her father-in-law’s talking points.
Growing up in Wilmington, Lara was an avid equestrian and spent much of her free time riding and competing in horse shows. She was also interested in fashion and beauty, and as a teenager, she worked as a model for local department stores and boutiques. After college, Lara moved to New York City to pursue a career in television production. She worked as a pastry chef for a time before landing a job as a producer on the tabloid TV show Inside Edition. It was there that she met Eric Trump, who was a frequent guest on the show. In 2014, they tied the knot at Mar-a-Lago, that bastion of taste and refinement.
Since then, Lara has been working tirelessly to promote the Trump brand. She’s campaigned for her father-in-law, hosted a propaganda show called Real News Update, and now, she’s the co-chair of the Republican National Committee. Impressive.