Kai Trump, the 19-year-old granddaughter of President Donald Trump, recently embarked on her freshman year at the University of Miami, chronicling her challenging adjustment to campus life in a newly released YouTube video. The footage offers a candid look into the emotional complexities of leaving home and the practical difficulties of settling into a new city, compounded by significant family health matters.
"I was very lucky to spend a lot of time with her over the summer, because of cancer and going to treatments with her. It was a blessing in disguise, because I was able to spend extra time with her that I would normally probably spend on the golf course." Kai Trump, Granddaughter of President Donald Trump.
The eldest child of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump, Kai, a member of the University of Miami women’s golf team, commenced her studies in Florida late last month. Her public transition to independence highlights the common struggles young adults face when moving away for the first time, albeit under the unique spotlight of her family's prominence. The emotional weight of this new chapter was apparent even before her departure.
Dashcam-style footage captured Kai Trump visibly emotional after her final round of golf before leaving for college. “It’s just really sad that I have to say goodbye to everyone today,” she said through tears, expressing surprise at her own reaction. “I’m not a very emotional person at all, so this is like really weird for me to cry, I’ve only cried a few times. I think knowing that I have to say goodbye to everyone tonight really, really sucks.” Despite the overwhelming sadness, she noted a small consolation: she would not have to say goodbye to her mother until the following day. “I don’t have to say goodbye to my mom tomorrow, but [saying goodbye to] everybody else [tonight] is sad. I’m struggling right now, just thinking about it,” she explained, describing herself as simultaneously “excited” and “emotional.”
The initial days of move-in were so emotionally taxing that Kai Trump documented very little. She explained that she was too “sad” after leaving her family to film much, with the video skipping ahead to her first night in her Miami apartment. The footage then fast-forwards through a busy schedule of golf practices, team meetings, and classes, illustrating the rapid pace of university life.
Amid the whirlwind, a friend, Emma, arrived with much-needed support after learning Kai Trump had not been eating properly. “She hadn’t eaten in three days,” Emma stated, explaining her efforts to restock the kitchen with pre-cooked frozen meals. Emma noted Kai was “living off of diet sodas,” prompting her to purchase “fruit and prosciutto and we got her some pasta and bread and stuff, like basic foods.” The two later went shopping and explored the city together, highlighting the importance of peer support during such a significant life change.
The momentum of settling in was soon interrupted when Kai Trump fell ill during her first week. “I got sick with Strep on Wednesday, my first week of school,” she revealed, explaining that the diagnosis led her to return to her parents’ home for care. “I came all the way back to Jupiter because I was so sick I needed my mom to nurse me back to health,” she said. The video concludes with her return to campus, reunited with her golf teammates after recovering.
This YouTube video is not the first instance where Kai Trump has shared her journey toward independence. An earlier vlog captured a more lighthearted moment as she and her mother, Vanessa Trump, shopped for apartment essentials at Target. During that trip, Vanessa Trump emphasized her daughter’s new responsibilities. “She is going to learn how to do that, or else it’ll just stay a mess,” Vanessa Trump stated, in response to Kai Trump’s joking suggestion of outsourcing apartment cleaning to her mother. A bottle of dish soap added to the cart served as a practical reminder of her new domestic duties.
Underneath these personal transitions, a more serious family matter has been unfolding. In May, Vanessa Trump disclosed her battle with breast cancer, confirming in June that she had undergone surgery and was preparing for further treatment. Speaking with Fox News, Kai Trump reflected on how her mother’s diagnosis impacted the weeks leading up to her college departure. “It was emotional, there was a lot of crying in the week leading up [to me leaving for school],” she recalled, describing moments shared with her mother. “[Me and my mom] would just be driving and we would just start crying together.”
Despite the inherent difficulties, Kai Trump found unexpected meaning in the circumstances. “I was very lucky to spend a lot of time with her over the summer, because of cancer and going to treatments with her,” she said, adding, “It was a blessing in disguise, because I was able to spend extra time with her that I would normally probably spend on the golf course.” Providing an update on her mother’s health, Kai Trump offered an encouraging assessment: “My mom, she’s doing a lot better. Kind of after treatment, she wasn’t feeling very good … but she’s getting a lot better now.”
