Australian mining billionaire Gina Rinehart was spotted at Trump’s 2024 presidential bid announcement.
It seems Rinehart’s face was caught in the middle of a selfie posted online by Trump’s son, Eric, with his daughter-in-law, Laura.
While Rinehart still has yet to publicly confirm she was at the event, many are confident in the likelihood of her attendance, stating various reasons– she’s a known Trump supporter and the photo looks uncanny.
The first to notice Rinehart in the back of Eric Trump’s photo was Leonardo Puglisi, founder of 6 News Australia.
In the past, Rinehart has praised Trump’s plans for America, welcoming his presidency in 2016 and meeting key members of Trump’s inner circle before the election. And she has criticised American media coverage of Trump saying it’s “constant and unrelenting negative coverage”.
It’s also been pointed out that Rinehart has been a member of a group of conservative women that call themselves “Trumpettes”.
Here in Australia, Rinehart has been involved in her fair share of controversial decision-making.
In October, her mining company, Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting, pulled a $15 million sponsorship deal with Netball Australia.
This move came after Indigenous Diamonds player Donnell Wallam asked for an exemption to wearing the Hancock Prospecting logo, citing concerns over racist comments towards Indigenous Australians made by Rinehart’s father and the company’s founder in the 80s. Rinehart has never chosen to publicly denounce her father’s comments.
It seems the Diamonds dodged a bullet with Rinehart, especially considering that Visit Victoria signed a $15 million sponsorship with the netball organisation after the Hancock Prospecting deal fell through.
Rinehart’s attendance at Trump’s 2024 bid announcement in his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida only looks to further her public controversy.
Trump is well-known for making racist comments, becoming the first president to be impeached twice and whose term ended with his supporters violently storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in an attempt to overthrow a peaceful transition of power.