Donald Trump's Family Played Starring Role in Republican National Convention

The Republican nominee's eldest children all gave speeches about him.

ByABC News
July 22, 2016, 2:51 PM

— -- Some key Republican political figures were noticeably absent from this year’s convention, but those gaps were filled with members of Trump’s family.

Donald Trump’s eldest children -— Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany -— were regular faces in Cleveland this week and with good reason: the crowd loved it.

Charlann Reely, delegate from Arkansas, told ABC News that the Trump family had “done super” during their speeches about their father, and Jackie Gibson, an alternate delegate from California, described the children as “refined, intelligent, good people.”

Donald Jr., the eldest of Trump’s five children, was the one to announce that his father had enough votes during the roll call on Tuesday to secure the party’s nomination and then later that night addressed the convention.

Tiffany Trump, his daughter from his second marriage to Marla Maples, spoke on Wednesday as did Eric, his second-eldest son.

PHOTO:Donald Trump, Jr., son of presumptive Republican presidential nominee  Donald Trump, speaks during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 19, 2016.
Donald Trump, Jr., son of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, speaks during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 19, 2016.

The most prestigious slot was saved for Ivanka, his eldest daughter, who introduced her father on Thursday night. (The only Trump child who didn’t make an address was Barron, Trump’s 10-year-old son from his third marriage to his current wife Melania.)

The fact that the children appear to be close in spite of their differences in their ages stands out to delegates as a sign that the family is a strong, cohesive unit, Gibson said.

“I like that there’s no tension between them and they all support him,” Gibson said. “They reflect really well on Trump, I think.”

Trump agrees, and he has made his approval clear on his Twitter account.

During Trump’s running-mate Mike Pence’s speech on Wednesday night, he also took the opportunity to praise the Trump children.

“I’ve seen this good man up close — his utter lack of pretense, his respect for the people who work for him, and his devotion to his family. And if you still doubt what I’m saying, remember — as we say back home – you can’t fake good kids,” Pence said. “How about his amazing children, aren’t they something?”

PHOTO: Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump, Vanessa Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump (L-R) applaud at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio,  July 20, 2016.
Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump, Vanessa Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump (L-R) applaud at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, July 20, 2016.

For some, it’s not so much what Trump sees in his children that matter but more what they show about him.

“If they’re the people who know him best and can speak best about his leadership skills then that’s fantastic,” Alex Talcott, an alternate delegate for New Hampshire, told ABC News.

Vermont delegate Sharron Greenwood thinks Trump's kids can keep him in check.

“I don’t always like what Donald says, but if they can keep him under control, that’s a good thing,” she told ABC News.

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