Karl Rove mocks Don Jr's political future with dig about lunch drama amid Kimberly Guilfoyle split rumors

WASHINGTON, DC: Fox News political analyst Karl Rove took a swipe at Donald Trump Jr's political prospects at The Atlantic Festival on Friday, September 20, quipping that the former president's eldest son might be too distracted to lead.

The Republican political consultant, referencing rumors of trouble between Don Jr and his fiancee, Kimberly Guilfoyle, joked, "Right now, he’s busy, maybe he’s trying to figure out which girlfriend he actually has."

He was possibly referring to a recent Daily Mail report about Don Jr "kissing" Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson during an intimate lunch at Honor Bar on August 17, nearly a month after he was seen with Guilfoyle at the Republican National Convention. 

The outlet also published photos of Don Jr and Anderson attending a party in Jupiter, Florida, allegedly without Guilfoyle. 

Karl Rove questions Donald Trump Jr's ability to fill in the blanks for his father

Karl Rove's comment came in response to a question posed by moderator Elaina Plott Calabro about what the future of the Republican Party might look like if Donald Trump loses the November election.

"There’ll be a battle. The good news for more traditional Republicans is that he’s sui generis, which for, I know there are a lot of Latinists among The Atlantic crowd, he’s unique. And who would follow him? Don Jr?" asked Calabro. 

Rove implied that while the 46-year-old might be floated as a potential successor, he doesn’t see him or other Trump-aligned candidates like Josh Hawley or Republican Vice President nominee JD Vance stepping up to lead the party.

"You know, you take those and match them up against a Brian Kemp or a Glenn Youngkin or a Tim Scott or fill-in-the-blank and it’s hard to see that they have anywhere near the ability to mobilize a populist movement that he has," remarked Rove, adding, "I don’t see the person that follows him." 

Bettina Anderson attended the RNC with Donald Trump Jr's ex-wife Vanessa Trump

Daily Mail's exclusive report about Donald Trump Jr's supposed "date" with Bettina Anderson has sparked rumors of a possible split between him and his fiancee, Kimberly Guilfoyle. 

Moreover, Anderson was also seen in photos sitting behind Don Jr and Guilfoyle on July 17, during the third night of the RNC in Milwaukee. She was even pictured speaking with Don J.'s ex-wife, Vanessa Trump, with some sources noting that the two are close friends and that Anderson attended the event with her.

In several photos, Anderson is seated next to Vanessa, alongside the rest of the Trump family. Her face even appeared in the background of an Instagram selfie Don Jr shared with Hulk Hogan. 

According to a GOP insider, Anderson had been seated in an "open" seat, which was "not assigned."

Don Jr and Guilfoyle have been engaged since November 2020, but there are still no signs of an upcoming wedding.