Kai Trump is openly grappling with the emotional weight of leaving home for her freshman year.
The 18-year-old granddaughter of President Donald Trump broke down in tears in a YouTube vlog posted over the weekend, filmed during her final days in Jupiter, Florida, before relocating to the University of Miami. The aspiring professional golfer opened Saturday’s video with raw footage of herself crying behind the wheel as she faced farewells with her closest relatives.
“I’m not a very emotional person at all, so this is like really weird for me to cry,” Kai said in the upload, noting that she has “only cried a few times” in her life. “I think knowing that I have to say goodbye to everyone tonight really, really sucks.”
She continued, “I’m struggling right now, just thinking about it.”
Despite the tears, Kai struck a forward-looking tone about the transition. She told viewers, “I’m moving on…. It happens to everyone. It’s time to move on.” The teenager, who will live roughly ninety minutes from her family, did not capture the actual goodbyes on camera. She explained, “It was just, like, sad. I just wanted to say goodbye. It was, like, hard to film because I wanted to be, like, present with my family, so I just didn’t film it.”
Kai’s mother, Vanessa Trump, 48, played a central role in the move-in process. The former wife of Donald Trump Jr. Helped her daughter settle into the new apartment and joined her for an extensive shopping trip to outfit the space. On Sunday, Kai shared glimpses of their retail expedition via Instagram.
“I’m totally exhausted from going to her apartment, coming back and forth and moving everything,” Vanessa said in the social media post.
Kai expressed deep appreciation for her mother’s efforts in the same upload. “We spent HOURS shopping for everything I could possibly need for my apartment and getting ready for this new chapter of college life!” she shared. “So thankful my mom was there to do it all with me.”
She went further in her praise, adding, “She truly is the BEST mom, and I’m so grateful for her.”
The YouTube vlog offered additional insight into Vanessa’s emotional state during the process. Kai observed that her mother was “definitely getting emotional because she got quiet.” Vanessa, however, maintained a wry perspective on the milestone. “I think this is amazing,” she quipped. “One child out and four more to go.”
Vanessa shares five children with ex-husband Donald Trump Jr., whom she divorced in 2018: Kai, Donald III, 17, Tristan, 14, Spencer, 13, and Chloe, 12. She has since entered a relationship with golf legend Tiger Woods and is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, a diagnosis she made public in May. At that time, Kai publicly championed her mother’s resilience, calling her “the strongest person” she knows.
Kai committed to the University of Miami nearly two years before completing high school this past May, charting an early path toward collegiate golf.
The emotional vlog arrives as Vanessa Trump simultaneously manages her own health battle and supports her eldest child’s departure. Kai has hinted at the physical toll of the transition, telling followers she “hasn’t eaten in like three days” amid the stress and activity of the move.
