Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona has been making waves as a potential VP pick for Kamala Harris, but it’s his daughter Claire Kelly who’s stealing the spotlight – and not in a good way. The young Kelly has found herself at the center of a brewing scandal that’s got people buzzing.
It all kicked off when Claire decided to share a wild video on Instagram. Picture this: She’s holding up bags of what looks like Molly (that’s MDMA for those not in the know) and weed. As if that wasn’t enough, she slapped on a caption that read “Pussy, Molly, Weed.”
But wait, there’s more. Another Instagram post showed a text convo between Claire and her dad. Senator Kelly wrote,
Been busy today. Got 1 call and 2 emails about your Instagram account. I’m not interested in looking but I suspect what you posted would not be in anyone’s best interest. At least not yours or mine.
Claire’s response? “No, my Instagram is fine. Check for yourself.” The senator wasn’t biting though, replying with a simple “I’ll pass.”
As you can imagine, things spiraled pretty quickly from there. Claire went into full-on lockdown mode, deleting her X (formerly Twitter) account and setting her Instagram and TikTok to private.
Republicans wasted no time jumping on the story, dubbing Claire Hunter Biden 2.0 – a nod to President Biden’s son and his well-publicized struggles with drugs.
This whole mess couldn’t have come at a worse time for Senator Kelly. With his name in the mix for VP, you can bet this family drama is the last thing he wanted to make headlines. As the story unfolds, everyone’s wondering what this might mean for Kelly’s political future. Stay tuned, folks – this saga is far from over!
Claire Runs Her Own Business
While Claire’s recent social media posts have grabbed headlines, there’s more to the senator’s daughter than controversy. She’s actually a young entrepreneur making waves in the business world.
Since March 2023, she has been at the helm of Rise & Shine Social as its founder and CEO. The company appears to be her latest venture into the world of marketing and communications.
Her journey to business ownership wasn’t an overnight success story. She cut her teeth in the industry with internships at some pretty impressive places. Remember when Ellen DeGeneres was still the queen of daytime TV? Claire spent a summer interning on her show back in 2018.
But that’s not all. She also got a taste of politics with an internship at the U.S. House of Representatives that lasted nearly three years. Talk about following in dad’s footsteps!
After graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, the Senator’s daughter jumped into the working world. She held positions at Berk Communications and Food Truck Promotions, building up her marketing and strategy skills.
Now, as she runs Rise & Shine Social, Claire’s putting all that experience to use. It’s clear she’s got ambition to spare – but only time will tell if her business acumen can outshine her recent social media missteps.
She Maintains A Good Relationship With Her Stepmother
As the daughter of Senator Mark and his first wife, Amelia Victoria Babis, Claire didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for her stepmother, Gabby Giffords, at first. Back in 2011, she and her sister Claudia Kelly admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that they weren’t exactly warm and fuzzy with Giffords.
“We were never rude,” the sisters explained, “we would just never give her the time of day or treat her like we would any other person.”
But life had other plans for this blended family. On January 8, 2011, everything changed when Giffords was shot at a constituent event in Tucson. For 20 agonizing minutes, Claire and her family believed Giffords had died.
This traumatic event became a turning point for Claire’s relationship with her stepmother. Watching Giffords fight through recovery, her perspective shifted. She saw a chance for a fresh start, an opportunity to build a real connection with the woman her father had married.
The shooting and its aftermath brought the entire family closer. What was once a typical stepmom-stepdaughter relationship transformed into something deeper. Claire’s initial reluctance gave way to admiration for Giffords’ strength and resilience.
