NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 08: U.S. President Donald Trump stands for the national anthem prior to Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: U.S. President Donald Trump stands for the national anthem prior to Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Donald Trump’s adored, 19-year-old granddaughter Kai Trump was front and center with him as he faced loud, “thunderous” boos from the thousands in the crowd at Madison Square Garden, as she, the president and their entourage attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night.
People on social media wondered if Kai Trump was taken aback by the boos but tried to put on a brave face, smile and even laugh them off. But the usually Trump-friendly Daily Mail was very pointed about Kai’s demeanor, asserting that the college-bound influencer and aspiring pro golfer appeared to “smirk” in response to her grandfather’s “haters.” The “brutal” chorus of boos erupted when the president was shown on the jumbotron during the presentation of the national anthem before the game, in which the San Antonio Spurs defeated the hometown New York Knicks.
Donald Trump and his granddaughter Kai smirked through a chorus of brutal boos from the New York Knicks crowd at Madison Square Garden on Monday night https://t.co/9qiYOVDI9j 🔗 pic.twitter.com/FJR2OqidJ9
— Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) June 9, 2026
Later, a “desperate” Trump insisted to reporters that he received a warm reception at Madison Square Garden, the Daily Beast reported. Meanwhile, his loyal granddaughter went along with his version of events, posting on Instagram Stories overnight: “The atmosphere was amazing. Let’s get that win. Go Knicks.”
As part of Kai’s Madison Square Garden appearance, the Daily Mail also highlighted her “MAGA makeover” — the new, long blonde tresses that the natural brunette has been sporting since she posted a YouTube video in May about going to the salon to get “a hair transition” ahead of her high school graduation. The Daily Mail said: “Her new layered ‘Palm Beach blonde’ hair is synonymous with (the MAGA elite).”
Indeed, Kai’s “hair transition” bolsters the view of those online who have dubbed her the “new Ivanka” — a lookalike of her famously blonde aunt Ivanka Trump. According to this view, Kai, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., has become the favorite new female star of the Trump family, the one who will sometimes appear by Trump’s side, especially if he wants to emphasize that he’s a family man and a loving patriarch.
So this granddaughter is his new Ivanka?!? Notice it’s never any of the male grand children?!? https://t.co/fRiIhu99D2
— Susie S. (@MissSusie66) June 9, 2026
During Trump’s first administration and during his first and second runs for president in 2016 and 2020, Ivanka Trump played that role and even became his White House senior adviser. Critics of Ivanka Trump, his rumored favorite child, often said that the Ivy League-educated mother of three let herself be used as her volatile father’s “calm, reasonable surrogate,” to soften his public image and to fend off accusations of misogyny by showing that he cares about the hopes and dreams of women.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump test the teleprompters and microphones on stage before the start of the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Ivanka will introduce her father before he gives his acceptance speech tonight, the final night of the convention. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump test the teleprompters and microphones on stage before the start of the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Ivanka will introduce her father before he gives his acceptance speech tonight, the final night of the convention. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Kai Trump appeared to serve a similar function at the Republican National Convention in 2024 when the then-17-year-old delivered a speech that focused on her personal relationship with the former reality TV star and characterized him as a sweet and supportive grandparent.
“To me, he’s just a normal grandpa,” Kai said. “He gives us candy and soda when our parents are not looking. He always wants to know how we’re doing in school.”
Granddaughter of US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Kai Madison Trump speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked Ohio US Senator J.D. Vance for running mate. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Granddaughter of US former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Kai Madison Trump speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked Ohio US Senator J.D. Vance for running mate. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Since then, the teen has become known for going on social media to occasionally tout her relationship with her grandfather — including when she can use the White House for photo shoots to promote her line of golf sweatshirts or her Secret Service entourage for YouTube content.
But even when Kai Trump was in the salon chair, getting her “MAGA makeover,” she shared a video, showing how her phone started ringing as she revealed to the camera that “Grandpa” was calling, the Mirror.US reported.
After speaking to the president, Kai turned to her stylist and said, “Isn’t it so cute that he just calls me whenever? He’s literally just, like, a grandpa, I swear. He literally is on the way back from China and he’s calling me. I know, very very cute.”
As for the MAGA makeover, HuffPost reported in April that Melania Trump, also a long-time brunette, sported the new “honey-blonde hair color” when she appeared at the White House Easter Egg Roll, adding, “It’s no secret that in the MAGA orbit, there is no shortage of blond hair.”
According to HuffPost writer Kate Brennan, the blonde archetype ranges from Ivanka Trump, “whose buttery highlights have long been part of her signature look, to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, whose icy waves make regular press appearances, and extends to figures like Pam Bondi, Kellyanne Conway and Erika Kirk.” These women show “how a very specific kind of blond has become the hallmark hair color of White House figures and the Mar-a-Lago set,” Brennan also said.
“Blond is a luxury hair color to have,” Angela Haight, a stylist at the celebrity-loved Marie Robinson Salon in New York, told HuffPost. “It’s a lot of maintenance. It’s a luxury hair color, and it’s expensive. That can almost be perceived as a status symbol to a degree.”
While some said that Kai Trump’s new blonde look helps her look more like her mother, Vanessa Trump, others say it also makes it easier for her to ingratiate herself into her grandfather’s power circle. No doubt, Trump was happy to have his granddaughter by his side — though her presence didn’t make the Madison Square Garden Crowd less likely to boo him.
Still, it appeared to make Trump fans appreciate Kai Trump more. “Kai Trump in the house at Madison Square Garden,” one person posted on X, along with a video of Kai, seated next to Knicks owner James Dolan. “Poised, present, and part of history as the first sitting President attends the NBA Finals.”
To the Daily Mail, Kai Trump appeared to relish the attention of being with her grandfather, even if the attention was largely negative. “When the national anthem was played, Kai stood proudly alongside her grandfather, raising a wry smile when the crowd booed him ferociously,” the Daily Mail said.
RevContent Feed
Most Popular