Kai Trump shared a rare emotional moment as she prepared to begin college, while her mother, Vanessa Trump, helped her daughter through the transition amid major changes in her own life.
The 18-year-old daughter of Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr. documented her final days in Jupiter, Florida, before starting her freshman year at the University of Miami in a YouTube vlog posted over the weekend.
Kai, an aspiring professional golfer, began the video crying behind the wheel of her car as she prepared to say goodbye to her family and friends.
“I’m not a very emotional person at all, so this is like really weird for me to cry,” Kai said, adding 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.”
Kai Trump Opens Up About Difficult Goodbye Before University of Miami Move
Despite the emotions surrounding her move, Kai said she was looking forward to beginning the next stage of her life. The University of Miami puts her about an hour and a half away from her family.
“I’m moving on. … It happens to everyone,” she said. “It’s time to move on.”
Kai chose not to record her final goodbyes with loved ones.
“It was just, like, sad,” she explained. “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.”
Vanessa, 48, helped Kai settle into her new apartment and joined her daughter for hours of shopping to prepare for college.
Kai shared more from the move on Instagram, including the work that went into getting her new home ready.
“We spent HOURS shopping for everything I could possibly need for my apartment and getting ready for this new chapter of college life!” Kai wrote. “So thankful my mom was there to do it all with me.”
Vanessa admitted that the process had taken plenty of energy.
“I’m totally exhausted from going to her apartment, coming back and forth and moving everything,” she said.
Vanessa Trump Stands by Tiger Woods During Difficult Chapter
As Vanessa helped Kai begin college, she has also continued supporting boyfriend Tiger Woods during a challenging period for the golf legend.
Vanessa accompanied Woods, 50, to the Martin County Courthouse in Stuart, Florida, on September 2. The couple arrived holding hands before Woods accepted a plea agreement stemming from his DUI arrest earlier in 2026.
“It meant so much to Tiger to have Vanessa there with him in court,” a source told Page Six. “She wanted to be by his side and support him.”
The source added, “They show up for each other when it matters.”
Woods pleaded no contest to reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful chemical test after his DUI charge was reduced as part of the agreement. He received a $1,500 fine and lost his driver’s license for five years.
The court appearance followed Woods’ six-week inpatient treatment program in Switzerland after his March arrest.
“Vanessa is incredibly supportive of Tiger and really proud of the way he’s been handling everything going on in his life,” the insider added. “She knows this hasn’t been an easy time for him, and she’s been there encouraging him every step of the way.”
Tiger Woods Has Also Supported Vanessa Trump
The support between Woods and Vanessa has gone both ways.
Vanessa announced in May that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was working with her medical team on a treatment plan after undergoing a procedure.
“Vanessa has really been standing by Tiger through everything he’s been dealing with, just like he’s been there for her throughout her cancer battle,” the source said. “They’re both going through incredibly difficult things in their own lives, and they’ve really leaned on each other and given each other a lot of strength through all of it.”
The source added that Woods has been “that same source of support for Vanessa throughout her cancer battle.”
Kai Trump Breaks Down in Tears Over Life Change as Her Mom Stands by Tiger Woods