Donald Trump Jr says on running for president: 'that calling is there'

Doha, Qatar - U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr said on Wednesday he could maybe run for president one day, adding "that calling is there."

During an appearance on a panel in Qatar, the 47-year-old was asked by a moderator if he would run and "pick up the reins" after his father leaves office.

"So the answer is I don't know, maybe one day. You know, that calling is there. I'll always be very active in terms of being a vocal proponent of these things," he said, referring to the ideals of the "Make America Great Again" movement his father has built.

Donald Trump Jr has emerged as a political force in his own right. Reuters reported in November that he was the most influential Trump family member in the transition as his father built the most controversial cabinet in modern U.S. history.

Trump, who fiercely prizes loyalty, has long relied on family members for political advice, but which relative has his ear is known to vary. Don Jr, as the president's eldest son is known, helped cabinet contenders sink or rise to the fore - from championing now-Vice President JD Vance as Trump's running mate to blocking former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from joining the cabinet, sources have said.

"I think my father has truly changed the Republican Party, I think it's the America First party now, the MAGA party, however you want to look at it," Don Jr said, speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Wednesday.

"For the first time ever, the Republican Party actually has a bench of America First fighters," he added.

Speaking alongside 1789 Capital founder Omeed Malik, Trump's initial reaction to the question was: "Here we go. Well... oh boy," to faint applause from the audience as he added, "it's an honour to be asked and an honour to see that some people are okay with it."

He joked that the people clapping were "the couple of people we know".

Don Jr is a partner in 1789 Capital. He said on Wednesday at the same event that the Trump Organization, where he is executive vice president, was not doing business with government entities.

The Trump family has forged multi-billion dollar business deals in the Gulf, moves that Democrats and other critics say could open pathways to improperly influence the president.

The U.S. president's visit to Arab Gulf states Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates last week focused on securing major business deals from the oil-rich countries, but the president said there was no talk of building a Trump Tower in Syria or golf during his meetings in Saudi Arabia.

He also said he did not know how the deal for a firm backed by the Abu Dhabi government to use the Trump family company's digital coins for ⁠a $2 billion investment in a crypto exchange came about.

(Reporting by Andrew Mills and Federico Maccioni; Writing by Yousef Saba and Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Alexandra Hudson)