The Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's son and ardent advocate is geared up to again support his father at the second presidential debate. On the day of the second presidential debate, Eric Trump proudly announced via Twitter that he had "landed in St. Louis" for the event. You can bet that he, along with his sister Ivanka, will be in the audience at Washington University.
Trump has played a prominent role throughout his father's campaign and has been a familiar face on the debate circuit. Trump indicated during an interview on "The Cats Roundtable" podcast this morning that he will be present at the debate tonight, and reminded listeners that he was also at vice presidential debate on Wednesday as well as at his father's first presidential debate. Trump notably gave a post-debate interview with CNN following this debate performance, an interview which was heralded by many conservative groups but criticized by many others for being evasive about whether or not Donald Trump paid federal income taxes.
Trump has also been very vocal ahead of his father's second debate performance. According to The Hill, Trump indicated during the aforementioned podcast interview this morning that his father "has been preparing for the contest, and will be well received by people who are tired of career politicians."
During the same podcast interview, when asked what the American people want to hear during the presidential debate, Trump reflected on a litany of issues he believes the country is currently facing, among them: a "depleted" military, a problematic Veteran's Affairs Department, increasing national debt, low incomes, and high unemployment, among other issues.
Additionally, Trump reflected on recent foreign policy occurrences that he perceived as problematic for the United States. For example, he disparaged the recent Iran Deal, saying "Look at the Iran nuke deal where we give a country ... that hates our guts — we give them $150 billion … to a country that doesn’t like our way of life. Doesn’t like our values. And every day they’re tormenting our warships." Trump stated further, "...I can tell you that kind of silliness simply will not happen in a Trump administration."
Based on his recent interviews and strong stance on a myriad of issues, it is clear that Eric Trump plays a prominent role in supporting his father and perpetuating his campaign messages. Trump also seems to feel confident in his father's ability to perform well in tonight's debate, even if he is not "traditional" in his debate prep per se. "He doesn't lock himself in a room and memorize sound bites. That's not who he is," Trump said in an interview on ABC News' Powerhouse Politics podcast. "He speaks from the heart, he goes with his gut. He’s unconventional in that way, but that’s also what makes him endearing and compelling to some people."
Even so, the GOP nominee has had a tumultuous week, and it's hard to say whether or not that "compelling" nature will charm audiences this time around. Either way, expect Trump's kids to continue to support their father.
