Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s niece and an outspoken opponent of the former president, is in Atlanta as a surrogate for President Joe Biden’s campaign ahead of his debate against his predecessor Thursday night, she revealed on CNN.
“Surprise, Donald!” Trump posted on X alongside a video of her CNN announcement.
The agreed-upon conditions of the debate prohibit audience members, meaning Trump will not be visible to her uncle during the debate. But she will join five other representatives of the Biden campaign in nearby green rooms, among them California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
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“I have always been a huge supporter of President Biden, and I‘ve been saying for a long time, I believe that this is the most important election—certainly of my lifetime,” Trump told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer a few hours before the debate. “And I think this is a perfect moment for me to come out publicly not just with my support for President Biden, but to send a very clear message to the American people that we could not make a more egregious mistake than letting Donald Trump—again—anywhere near the levers of power.”
Trump was skeptical about the ability of her uncle—who spent most of the first presidential debate back in 2020 interrupting both Biden and moderator Chris Wallace—to remain “subdued” throughout the debate.
“Absolutely not,” Trump said, arguing that some of the debate rules will work against him in that regard. “Having his mic muted, not having an audience—all of those play to his weaknesses. And I think as the debate continues, especially as President Biden shows up completely prepared to run circles around a much inferior candidate, Donald will not be able to contain himself for that long.”
As for whether any of Trump’s family members will be at the venue to actually support him, it was unclear as of publication, though CNN’s Kaitlan Collins posted on X that Trump arrived in Atlanta “without Melania Trump by his side.” Donald Trump Jr. had a prior commitment with his oldest daughter, according to The New York Times.
First Lady Jill Biden, meanwhile, is expected to be the president’s sole family member in the building.
