Why an Adviser Once Said, “Don Jr. Also Has a Lot of Pressure on Him,” From ‘Alpha Male’ Trump

In the intricate web of the Trump family dynamics, Donald Trump Jr., often referred to as Don Jr, occupies a unique and challenging position. As the eldest son of former President Donald Trump, Don Jr. has long lived under the imposing shadow of his father, a man known for his larger-than-life persona. This dynamic seems to have put intense pressure on Don Jr., a sentiment echoed by a former Trump adviser who once remarked, “I think Don gets it a lot. Everyone talks about Ivanka, but Don also has a lot of pressure on him."

The official added, "Everyone wants approval from the father, especially if the father is Trump. He has a special place in his heart for Ivanka. But Don is the eldest son, he's named after him, he's doing the nitty-gritty on the real estate, he's got a lot of responsibility, and Trump is tough on everybody. He's the alpha male. He sees his son as somebody he has to groom.”

As per the reports of GQ, from a young age, Don Jr. was drawn to pursuits that contrasted with his father’s urban empire. His passion for the outdoors and hunting, while a source of personal solace, also served to differentiate him from his real estate mogul father. This divergence was starkly illustrated when Trump, who never understood his son's fascination with hunting, told TMZ, "I am not a believer in hunting, and I'm surprised they (Don Jr. and his brother Eric) like it."

Despite one's opinion of him, there appears to be some credibility behind the idea that the pressure Don Jr. faces is multifaceted. In a 2010 interview, he also confessed that there was some stress associated with being 'Don Jr.': “There probably shouldn't be. But there is for me, because you want to please someone like that, and he's a perfectionist. There's definitely always that shadow that follows you around, like how is this guy, the son of someone so good at what he does, going to act?”

The origins of Don Jr.'s name itself are rooted in a contentious decision. Ivana Trump, in her memoir Raising Trump, mentioned that Donald did not want to bestow his name on the son. The current GOP frontrunner said back then, “You can't do that! What if he's a loser?” Moreover, Don Jr. had often joked and asserted, “I like to joke that my dad wanted to be able to claim me as a dependent on his taxes for 1977. So he told my mom she had to have me before midnight and, if she didn't, he'd make her take a cab home,” as reported by Business Insider.

Growing up, Don Jr.'s interactions with his father were limited and formal. Ivana revealed on The Wendy Williams Show, “He would love them, but he did not know how to speak to them in the children's way of thinking. He was able to speak to them only when they came from university, when eventually he was able to speak business to them. Otherwise, he really did not know how to handle the kids.”