Compared to the last two elections, Donald Trump Jr. has been far less conspicuous on the campaign trail. The Trump family as a whole is no longer an unknown quantity, with myriad legal cases levied against them as well as other reports of strange dealings. It is perhaps no wonder they have been left on the sidelines while Trump Sr. leads the campaign relatively alone.

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Let us take a look at his first son’s specific controversies that may have left him out in the cold.

Legal troubles against the Trump family

As an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, he has been implicated in allegations of fraudulent business practices. In September 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the Trump Organization, Donald Trump Sr., Donald Trump Jr., and other family members, accusing them of “persistent and repeated business fraud”.

Donald Jr. was hit with a $4 million penalty while his father was ordered to pay more than $350 million.

Trump Jr. has also faced scrutiny for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. He spoke at the rally preceding the riot, warning Republicans who refused to challenge the election certification that “we’re coming for you” though was reported to be against the attack itself.

Big game hunting

One of the most enduring controversies surrounding Trump Jr. stems from his passion for big game hunting. In 2012, photos surfaced showing him posing with trophy kills, including an elephant and a leopard, during a safari in Zimbabwe. The images sparked outrage among animal rights activists and conservationists, who criticized the practice as unethical and detrimental to endangered species populations.

Despite the backlash, Trump Jr. has remained unapologetic about his hunting activities.

Russian connections and the 2016 election

Perhaps the most significant controversy involving Trump Jr. relates to his interactions with Russian individuals during the 2016 presidential campaign. In June 2016, he attended a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer who promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton. This meeting became a focal point of investigations into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Trump Jr.’s own statements have further fueled suspicions about his Russian connections. In 2008, he famously declared, “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” referring to the Trump Organization’s business dealings.