Could it be true? The President’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is reportedly mulling a run for office. No, he’s not talking about a primary challenge to take on his father for a seat in the Oval Office. The younger Trump is allegedly pondering a run to be the next Mayor of New York City. He wouldn’t be the first wealthy New Yorker to take the office (or at least try) but is the Trump brand still strong enough in the Big Apple to pull this off? (NY Post)

Political families beget dynasties. Take Gov. Mario Cuomo’s kid, Gov. Andrew. Add a pile of Roosevelts, wall-to-wall Kennedys, more Bushes than they have in Cypress. Clintons might gear Chelsea for office. We had multiple Daleys in Chicago, assorted Tafts from Ohio, Jerry Brown and daddy Pat both grabbed California governorships. Plus leave us not overlook those Rockefellers. Comes now Donald Trump’s son. Drums are beating that Donald Jr. would like to run for mayor. Of where? Where else?

There was a time when President Trump was spoken of as a possible mayoral candidate, particularly back when he was a Democrat. By this point, however, his 2016 campaign and subsequent actions as President have pegged him as a deeply red conservative who likely wouldn’t stand a ghost of a chance in the liberal enclave of Gotham. In fact, I’m not entirely sure he’ll be able to go back and live there once he leaves office.

But Trump Jr. isn’t Trump Sr. when it comes to political philosophy. It’s long been known that the Trump children have tended to lean quite a bit more to the liberal side than their father’s current positions. Don junior is perfectly happy to step up and help his dad wherever and however he’s asked, but if he were running the show personally, I think he’d be far closer to a Democrat than a Republican.

Now that I come to think of that specific part of the question, why would we assume that Junior would run for New York City Mayor as a Republican? He might just run as a Democrat or even an independent. That would help differentiate him from his father and stake out his own turf. And he would need to do precisely that. Dad’s approval rating in the Big Apple is currently 26/71.

But, assuming he runs, could the younger Trump really detach himself enough from his father to win? He’s become a central figure in many stories coming out of the White House and he’s now best known for being part of his father’s administration. Short of starting some sort of public family feud with his father, I think too many voters will associate the two of them. And that would probably sink his mayoral bid before it started.