FIRST ON FOX: In a phone interview with Fox News Digital, Lara Trump shared the details of her new children's book, "The Never-Give-Up Pup" — and why she believes the timing for this book is exactly right.
"Kids need to be taught the value of a hard day's work," she said. It's the same thing when it comes to saving America, she said. "We can't give up."
Married to Eric Trump, Lara Trump is a daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump. She and her husband have two young children, ages 6 and 4, and are based in Florida. Her new book is published by Brave Books.
Lara Trump this week announced her candidacy for co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC). She said she started working on this book last year with the Brave Books team.
"Right now, I think all parents are looking for ways that they can safely entertain and educate their children," she told Fox News Digital in a phone interview on Thursday, Feb. 29. "These books have a basis in Christianity, but they also teach morals. And as children grow up with books like these, the morals become part of their day-to-day routine and the characters are continuous throughout the book series" from Brave.
When the publisher approached her about working on a book, she said, "I was excited to do it because I think we need to see more of this sort of thing out there for our kids."
The theme of her book is hard work, persistence and doing one's best in the face of setbacks and struggles.
She related an experience from her own growing-up years that helped provide a basis for the story.
"When I was in high school, I tried out for the JV cheerleading team — and I was devastated when I did not make the team."
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She went on, "I remember my dad saying to me, 'Well, listen, you've got a whole year until next year's trials. Work as hard as you can and do everything you possibly can — and you're going to try out next year and see what happens.'"
So "that's exactly what I did," she said. "The next year, I didn't make the JV team — I made the varsity team. And [that happened] because I had put so much work in and gotten so much better."
Said Trump, "I think hard work is something that feels like it's really lacking in our society" right now. "For our kids these days, you have things like participation trophies, standards being lowered left and right — and so many things that are just so accessible for them" without much effort or hard work on their part, she said.
Kids need to be "taught the value of a hard day's work and what hard work will ultimately get you in life — but also, how great you feel on the other side of that hard work."
So "it's something I've tried to instill in my kids," she said. "Eric and I work every day toward [that] goal among many other things, and I thought it was a great thing to relate to kids, that you work hard, do your best — and don't worry about the rest."
She also said she believes in "divine timing for a lot of things. And it just feels like this was something I was supposed to do and that this is the story I was supposed to tell … It's interesting how it does seem to reflect what our family goes through, what my father-in-law goes through — and he doesn't give up. None of us give up."
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And "I think that's what we have to do as a country," she said. "We can't give up. We've got to keep fighting — and we hope we come out better on the other side."
She spoke about the work that "moms and dads" in America do "all the time with their kids."
"We're constantly trying to find different ways to teach our kids. They're inquisitive about things — and you have to answer funny questions all the time. The kids' imaginations are really amazing and they ask interesting questions, so you've got to be ready with the interesting answers."
She said that as she collaborated on the book with her publisher, "it was honestly easier than I anticipated. You know, I read to both of my kids all the time and I know what they like. I know what piques their interest. And it's something that I think all moms and dads can relate to," in terms of telling and sharing stories.
So many parents, she said, "could easily write a great children's book because we all do it all day long," she added, in terms of answering questions and telling stories.
With Donald Trump's 2024 run for the presidency, Lara Trump anticipates nothing less than a continued very busy year for her family, she said.
"Certainly for the next nine months, we're going to be very busy, very focused. And if I am elected next week as the co-chair of the RNC, that will mean that I'm not around as much [for her children], that I'm all over the country, especially in D.C., and certainly at the RNC headquarters," she said.
"But, you know, this is bigger than me right now. And I think that so many people feel this way. This is about our kids and what kind of country they're going to have, ultimately — what kind of country is going to be left for them."
And "if it means for the next eight or nine months that I'm around a little less than usual, believe me, it's for them," she said.
"And I think they'll understand that one day," along with the role that their grandfather has played for the country, she said.
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She added that she feels "very lucky" that "I have a great mom who comes and stays with our kids any time I need. And she'll be doing a lot of that over the next eight or nine months, for sure. She's the greatest."
She also said, "We really need to see more things like this available to parents and grandparents, and that's what I really loved about Brave. They're a smaller, newer publishing company — and with these books and materials, families can feel safe sending their kids to get lost in these books and never for a second have to worry about any wokeness infiltrating the stories or anything that's inappropriate for children."
Our kids, she said, "are only young once. They grow up quickly enough as it is."
Lara Trump also mentioned, in a lighter moment, that she's been "a crazy dog lover her whole life" and has three dogs right now, so her entire family was not surprised at all that the characters in her new book for kids are dogs.
"A children's book with dogs in it — right up my alley," she said.
"The Never-Give-Up Pup" features a young Seymour Clues. "From struggling to hunt down his dad’s missing sock to practicing his investigative skills … Seymour recounts how hard it was to become the best detective on all of Freedom Island."
For more information on Lara Trump's just-published book, anyone can visit bravebooks.us.
Brittany Kasko of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
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