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Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, speaks at a Republican fundraiser at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, NC on Aug. 31, 2018.
AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Donald Trump teased a potential of his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for a seat in the North Carolina Senate in 2022.
The former president brought up the prospect for Lara during some spontaneous comments to Mar-a-Lago while speaking at a fundraising campaign for Big Dog Ranch Rescue on Friday. Lara Trump has long been an animal rights activist.
“I didn’t really prepare for this, but I walked by and I heard everyone screaming,” Trump said to loud applause from the desks. “I want to thank Lara who has been so incredible – and I don’t know, are you running for the Senate? I hear she’s running for Senate! “
Video of the moment has been uploaded to Twitter by local Florida journalist TA Walker.
North Carolina Senator Richard Burr will retire in 2022. Born in Tar Heel, Lara, 38, has not officially declared herself a candidate for the seat, but is not shy about stirring up speculation.
“I couldn’t think of anything better than representing the people of my home state, representing North Carolina,” she said during a podcast interview in December.
Burr was one of seven GOP senators who voted to impeach Trump on charges of instigating a January 6 uprising in the capital that left at least five dead. A Lara Trump run would be an early test of the former president’s stamina at the GOP and statewide voters.
“If Lara entered the race, I think she would receive widespread and immediate attention across the state,” Michael Whatley, president of the North Carolina GOP told the Associated Press earlier this month.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has also said Lara Trump would be a shoo-in for the nomination if she wanted it.