Trump got 'jealous' of Don Jr's rising popularity among MAGA base as future of GOP, claims journalist

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump Jr has increased his political clout with his father, President-elect Donald Trump, after the GOP swept the general election, as per RawStory.

However, that had not always been the case, claimed Puck senior political correspondent Tara Palmeri during her appearance on CNN on Friday, November 8.

Don Jr had played a key role in making JD Vance his father's running mate in the 2024 race. He understood the MAGA support base, and his growing popularity among them even made Trump himself jealous at one point, as per Palmeri. 

Donald Trump got a 'little jealous' on learning Donald Trump could be the future of GOP

During her conversation with CNN's John Berman, Tara Palmeri explained, "Don Jr's clout with his father has gone up a lot. Originally, back in 2016, Trump sort of dismissed his political acumen and didn't think much of him, but then he showed he really understood the base of the party and started to see his popularity rise and he was an effective surrogate."

Don Jr's soaring fame was not well-received by Trump in the beginning, as Palmeri shared, "Then [Trump] saw polling that showed Don Jr could be the future of the party and he got a little jealous, but then Don Jr explained to his father how this could be a franchise and we could keep it going, this brand, this MAGA brand, this Trump brand, and brought in JD Vance."

"For as much criticism as Trump got in the end, he brought him over the line with that group of voters that he was supposed to target, those young first-time, low propensity bro voters. I think this win, JD, has given Don Jr some more clout, and we know where Don Jr stands, and that's ideologically to the right," noted the Puck political correspondent. 

Steve Bannon has lost a lot of credibility with Donald Trump

While Donald Trump Jr has been steadily climbing the popularity ladder, the same has not been true of Steve Bannon, who served as the White House's chief strategist under Donald Trump. 

His political fortune diminished after he served a four-month prison sentence for not cooperating with the congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot. 

Palmeri expressed, "Steve Bannon, I don't think will have a lot of clout."

She added, "I'm going to be honest with you right now, I know he speaks with Trump from time to time, but I do think that voice that says, 'The party is here, the party is here, and you need to run with the party,' has been replaced by people like JD and Don Jr, who aren't as far right as Steve Bannon but they aren't that far away."

"But Steve has lost a lot of credibility with Donald Trump," claimed the journalist. 

Internet mocks Donald Trump for being jealous of his son Donald Trump Jr

Netizens reacting to the news on the X (formerly Twitter) shared that President-elect Donald Trump's apparent jealousy of his eldest son did not bode well for the GOP. 

One wrote, "The MAGA base will turn on themselves, watch," and another said, "That is not a good sign." 

A person remarked, "Of course he did, he doesn't like to share the spotlight," while someone else joked, "You mean dad isn’t part of the 'Bros'?" 

An individual wondered, "There's no way he's 10% as popular as Trump is. Once Trump goes I wonder what happens to MAGA. He is very charismatic unlike anyone else in the GOP." 

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