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Kai Trump in sparkling gown at the ESPYs
Kai Trump at the ESPYs red carpet event

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Donald Trump's Granddaughter Wears A Gold Dress At ESPYs As Fans React To Her 'Orange' Tan: 'They Use The Same Self-Tanner I See'

July 16, 2026 by Abigail Connolly
shefinds | Celebrity
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Kai Trump, granddaughter of President Donald Trump, was a notable attendee of last night’s ESPY Awards, but there was one aspect of her look that didn’t receive the best online response – her tan.

The teenager made her award show debut during the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, otherwise known as the ESPYs, last night. She walked the red carpet, being an invited guest likely due to her growing online platform dedicated to her golf career and her journey to becoming a Division 1 player. While her sparkling dress received some online praise, other users couldn’t help but point out her intense self-tanner, which they did not find flattering or natural-looking. Read more about her ensemble, tan mishap, and how the internet reacted below.

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Kai Trump Attends The ESPYs In A Strapless Gown

Last night was the annual Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, which are produced by the famous ESPN network and honor some of the year's most impressive and notable sports teams as well as individual players.

 

During the festivities on July 15th, which took place at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York, several of today's star athletes, from Olympic figure skater Alyssa Liu and New York Knicks MVP Jalen Brunson, walked the red carpet and took the stage to accept their awards. One guest was a standout, Kai Trump, who is the 19-year-old, eldest granddaughter of President Donald Trump.

 

Kai is not only a notable figure for her place in her influential family, but has also been making headlines in the sports world, as she's a competitive golf player who was recently booked to play NCAA Division I women's collegiate golf at the University of Miami.

 

For the event, she stepped out in a sparkling gold gown that was strapless with a slightly plunging neckline. The dress came from the popular brand Alice + Olivia, which sells similar gowns ranging from $900-$2,300. She wore her blonde hair down and curled, as well as matching, shimmering gold jewelry.

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Social Media Users React To Kai's ESPYs Look & Tan

On social media, pictures of the athletes and award show attendees quickly began to spread, as users quickly began to weigh in on not only the recipients but also their looks from the red carpet.

 

Since she's been a more trendy member of the Trump family, for instance, recently attending a massive NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden alongside her grandfather, lots of attention was paid to her look. Her dress was complimented by numerous fans of the Trump family and others, but something that received negative feedback was her tan, which appeared to be put on by self-tanner and was labeled as "off."

 

"How much self-tanner does one body need?" asked an Instagram user.

 

"What in the body builder spray tan?" joked another.

 

One user noted that the tan reminded them of President Trump's signature orange skin tone, commenting, "They use the same self-tanner I see."

 

"Just as orange as grandpa," added another, with one user joking, "Orange runs in the family."

 

"Yikes," commented a user.

Author:

Editorial Assistant

Abigail is a journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. As an Editorial Assistant for SheFinds, she covers topics ranging from celebrity news and fashion to wellness. She has written for other publications, including Chip Chick, Bandsintown, BroadwayWorld, and more. When she isn't writing, Abigail loves spending time in the city with her friends, being a 'dog mom' to her Chihuahua, and singing along to some of her favorite music.

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