Donald Trump’s Niece Shows Up in Debate Spin Room to Support Biden
It wasn’t clear if any of Trump’s family members would show up to actually support him.
Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s niece and an outspoken opponent of the former president, is in Atlanta as a surrogate for President Joe Biden’s campaign ahead of his debate against his predecessor Thursday night, she revealed on CNN.
“Surprise, Donald!” Trump posted on X alongside a video of her CNN announcement.
The agreed-upon conditions of the debate prohibit audience members, meaning Trump will not be visible to her uncle during the debate. But she will join five other representatives of the Biden campaign in nearby green rooms, among them California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
“I have always been a huge supporter of President Biden, and I‘ve been saying for a long time, I believe that this is the most important election—certainly of my lifetime,” Trump told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer a few hours before the debate. “And I think this is a perfect moment for me to come out publicly not just with my support for President Biden, but to send a very clear message to the American people that we could not make a more egregious mistake than letting Donald Trump—again—anywhere near the levers of power.”
Trump was skeptical about the ability of her uncle—who spent most of the first presidential debate back in 2020 interrupting both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace—to remain “subdued” throughout the debate.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“Absolutely not,” Trump said, arguing that some of the debate rules will work against him in that regard. “Having his mic muted, not having an audience—all of those play to his weaknesses. And I think as the debate continues, especially as President Biden shows up completely prepared to run circles around a much inferior candidate, Donald will not be able to contain himself for that long.”
As for whether any of Trump’s family members will be at the venue to actually support him, it was unclear as of publication, though CNN’s Kaitlan Collins posted on X that Trump arrived in Atlanta “without Melania Trump by his side.” Donald Trump Jr. had a prior commitment with his oldest daughter, according to The New York Times.
First Lady Jill Biden, meanwhile, is expected to be the president’s sole family member in the building.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.