AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File
- Donald Trump Jr. is emerging as an increasingly powerful figure in his father's orbit, CNN reports.
- Trump Jr. is advising his father to focus on issues the GOP sees as being part of a so-called culture war.
- Trump told Fox News that he's "very seriously" considering a 2024 comeback bid.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Donald Trump Jr. has emerged as a key political adviser and wields major influence over his father ever since former President Donald Trump left the White House, CNN reports.
Trump Jr. has used his new and considerable sway to push his father to go all-in on issues the GOP sees as inflection points in a culture war, including transgender rights, the role of big technology and social media companies, and voting and election policy, the news outlet said.
Trump, for example, spent a chunk of his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February outlining his opposition to female transgender students playing in women's sports and put out a statement slamming Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson for vetoing a bill that would have restricted gender-affirming care for trans youth.
Trump hasn't yet announced a 2024 presidential bid but also hasn't ruled out a comeback run, putting the rest of the prospective GOP presidential field in a holding pattern until the former president makes a move.
Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an interview that aired Monday that he is weighing a 2024 campaign "very seriously" but said he didn't want to elaborate further for legal reasons.
In the meantime, Trump is still wielding diminished but considerable influence over the 2022 midterms, including threatening to support primary challenges against Republicans he sees as disloyal, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and playing kingmaker in open Republican primaries for big Senate races.
Trump Jr. is eagerly embracing a role as a powerbroker and bridge between his father and GOP candidates vying for a coveted Trump endorsement, and has advised his father on how to shape competitive races, CNN reported.
During Trump's time in the White House, his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner served as unpaid but highly influential advisers in the West Wing, while Trump Jr. and his brother Eric Trump hit the campaign trail acting as surrogates for their father around the country.
But now, Ivanka and Kushner, who Trump partially blames for his 2020 loss after Kushner pushed out and sidelined former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale, have taken a back seat as Kushner writes a book about his time in the White House.
Amid these dynamics, Trump Jr. has emerged as an increasingly prominent figure in Trump's inner orbit, along with Trump's former chief of staff Mark Meadows, former speechwriter Stephen Miller, and communications adviser Jason Miller.
Trump has also made some big lifestyle changes that could hint at a potential 2024 comeback campaign.
Insider's Tom LoBianco reports that cutting back on junk food, playing golf every day, and laying off the heavy spray tan has led to noticeable improvements in Trump's physical appearance, with some recent Mar-a-Lago visitors estimating that Trump has lost 15 to 20 pounds since leaving office.