Donald Trump’s niece appears in debate room to support Joe Biden

Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s niece and an outspoken opponent of the former president, is in Atlanta as a representative for President Joe Biden’s campaign ahead of his debate against his predecessor on Thursday night, she revealed on CNN.

“Surprise, Donald!” Trump job on X next to a video of his announcement on CNN.

The agreed-upon conditions for the debate prohibit audience members, meaning Trump will not be visible to her uncle during the debate. But she will join five other Biden campaign representatives in nearby green rooms, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).

“I’ve always been a huge supporter of President Biden, and I’ve said for a long time that I believe this is the most important election — certainly of my lifetime,” Trump told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer hours before the debate. “And I think this is the perfect time for me to publicly not only make my support for President Biden known, but to send a very clear message to the American people: We can make no bigger mistake than to let Donald Trump — once again — anywhere near the levers of power.”

Trump was skeptical of the ability of his uncle – who spent most of the first presidential debate in 2020 interrupting Biden and moderator Chris Wallace – to remain “low key” throughout the debate.

“Absolutely not,” Trump said, arguing that some of the debate rules would work against him in that regard. “Having his microphone off, not having an audience, all of that plays to his weaknesses. And I think as the debate goes on, and especially as President Biden shows himself to be quite willing to circle around a much inferior candidate, Donald is not going to be able to contain himself for that long.”

As for whether members of Trump’s family will be on hand to support him, it was unclear at the time 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 already had an engagement with his eldest daughter, according to The New York Times.

First lady Jill Biden, meanwhile, is expected to be the only member of the president’s family in the building.