Will Barron Trump follow in his father's footsteps
and run for president one day? While that remains to be seen,
it goes without saying that he's changed a lot since his early days growing up in Trump Tower.
Melania and Donald Trump married on January 22, 2005 in Palm Beach,
Florida. While Donald already had children from his two previous marriages, the couple
welcomed their first son — and Melania's first child — on March 20, 2006. Interestingly,
Barron Trump was a U.S. citizen before his mother was. Since he was born in New York City,
he was immediately a citizen of the United States. Melania, who hails from Slovenia,
didn't become a citizen until July 2006, after landing a green card in 2001.
Melania and Donald have always made headlines for their unique
relationship. Say what you will about Donald's political views,
but the couple certainly seems to take each other in stride. In 2005, Trump told Larry King on CNN:
"There's nothing like a good marriage. And there's nothing like having children — I
have four great children. If you have the money, having children is great."
What was Trump's perspective on daddy duties? After saying that he wouldn't
be dealing with diapers or making dinner, he said:
"I may never even see the kids, frankly, okay? No,
she will be an unbelievable mother. I'll be a good father."
What does Melania think about Donald's disinterest in being a
hands-on dad? In a 2012 interview with Parenting, she said of her husband:
"He didn't change diapers and I am completely fine with that.
It's very important to know the person you're with. And we know our roles."
Barron was baptized in the same church where his parents got married the year
before. He received the sacrament on December 8, 2006, in Palm Beach, Florida,
at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea. Melania's parents and sister were present,
as were Donald's children and "five bodyguards," according to People.
Donald himself is Presbyterian. Interestingly, Melania's religious beliefs were unknown for
much of her public life, but after her visit to the Vatican in 2017, the world discovered
that she is Catholic. While extremely private about her faith, this wasn't the first time that
Melania's life was influenced by her Catholic background. Although her wedding was held in
an Episcopal church, she walked down the aisle to the song "Ave Maria" while holding a rosary.
While Barron's baptism was also in the Episcopal church, it's unclear
how much of his upbringing was shaped by either parents' religion. For Melania,
though, it's evident that religion is deeply significant to her. After the papal visit,
she said on Twitter that she would never forget it.
Barron's access to the finer things goes beyond even what we might expect of a child born to
a real estate mogul. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres gifted baby Barron a golden stroller that came
with a little chandelier that dangled above it, according to People. While the gift might
be a bit garish according to some folks' taste, Melania found it amusing. She said:
"It's fun. It makes you laugh."
People reported that Barbara Walters sent him a massive stuffed dog, while he was also gifted
with onesies sporting the catchphrase made famous by Donald Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice":
"You're fired!"
When Barron was a little older and had begun speaking, Melania and Donald appeared on CNN
with Larry King once again, who asked if Barron had fired anyone. Melania joked:
"He did, yes, actually he did. He's firing the housekeeper and nanny many times."
Barron's living arrangements as a baby were an education in lavishness. He grew up in the Trump
apartment on 5th Avenue in New York City, and his quarters were on the "floor above
his parents' bedroom," according to People. This space came with a "nursery, kitchen,
living room and quarters for a nanny," as well as some for mom. If the Trumps were
worried about baby noises waking them up, there was no need. Melania said of her son:
"He's a very good baby. He's not like a crybaby — he's calm, and it's fantastic."
Melania obviously thinks highly of Donald Trump and has made this clear throughout
their relationship. At the Republican National Convention in 2016, she said of her husband:
"He is tough when he has to be, but he is also kind and fair and caring."
After saying that a lot of people aren't necessarily able to see this side of him
but that it's always there nonetheless, she said:
"That is one reason I fell in love with him to begin with."
When Donald was first elected president, the hashtag "Free Melania" went viral,
but it eventually became evident that she didn't want any liberation. The two seem
to understand each other, and by all accounts are much more united than people give them credit for.
This admiration for Donald has melded into the love Melania has for their son,
largely because Donald and Barron appear to be so similar. Melania affectionately called her
son a "very strong-minded, very special" boy while speaking to Parenting magazine and said:
"He is independent and opinionated and knows exactly what he wants."
Barron has also always admired his dad. When he was 5 years old, he "wanted to be like daddy,"
according to Melania. She shared that Barron enjoyed building things and drawing as a kid,
and on their trips, he could recall "everything". In light of this,
Barron's nickname became "little Donald" since he takes after his old man so much.
As he grew older, Barron revealed a love of sports. Melania confirmed this when she
spoke at Liberty University in 2018, saying that Barron was "all into sports." His team
affiliation is notably international, as he was spotted at the White House wearing an
Arsenal Football Club jersey, a soccer team hailing from Islington, London, England.
He even played on teams in the D.C. area. In September 2017, sportswriter Pablo Iglesias
Maurer tweeted that Barron was on the team roster for the D.C. United under-12 team. He wrote:
"Barron Trump is playing at RFK tomorrow. No, really. Seriously. Not kidding."
Barron has also played for the Arlington Soccer Association's under-14 team.
In light of ongoing injury reports around the NFL, Donald Trump was asked by CBS News'
Margaret Brennan whether or not he would allow Barron to play football. He said:
"If he wanted to? Yes. Would I steer him that way? No, I wouldn't. And he actually plays
a lot of soccer. He's liking soccer. I hate to say it because I love to watch football."
While Donald Trump's famous confession that he never changed Barrons' diaper
when he was a baby might not compare to a lot of people's parenting experiences,
Donald did stress that he liked a hands-on dad approach in other ways. He told People in 2006:
"I love to feed the baby. Not because I have to, but just because I love it. A lot of times early
in the morning I'll take care of him. Over the years I have changed a diaper, but not on Barron."
As Barron grew up, he became the typical reticent teenager,
something that came up when Donald was the president. Author Jonathan Karl described
an experience in his book, "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show," where
Donald spoke to reporter Zeke Miller about Karl himself. Karl quoted Donald as saying:
"Jonathan is very cool ... He is like my son.'"
Donald then pretended to speak with his son, imitating him as such:
"'Do you love your dad?' 'Uh, I don't know.' But he does. He's too cool. The kids."
So we've got a hunch that Barron might be the shy type, at least with his dad.
Barron's relationship with his mother is vastly more documented than the one
he has with Donald. Melania Trump made sure that Barron learned her own mother tongue,
so as to connect with her and her family. He's fluent in Slovenian, according to GQ,
and can converse with his maternal grandparents, who live in New York City.
As Barron became more of a public figure, thanks to his father's presidency and previous celebrity,
the media couldn't help but notice his connection to his mother,
since they were so heavily photographed. Bruce Durham, a body language expert,
spoke to Express about Barron's growing independence in light of his
close bond with Melania. Analyzing a photo of the two, he explained:
"[Barron] has a slight smile with his fingers splayed and thumb in the same position,
showing confidence. His mother sees this,
and is happy enough to let him grow into this moment. No hand contact needed this time — just
direct eye contact and the smile of a mother that is proud of her son."
Melania also puts Barron first, even before political protocol. The Trump family made
endless headlines in 2016 for her refusal to bring Barron to the White House directly after Donald's
inauguration. Her delay came from a desire to allow Barron to complete the rest of his school
year, according to The New York Times. Barron was only 10 at the time, and Melania wouldn't budge.
Barron's arrival at the White House was a novel experience in terms of
presidential families. Prior presidents had children living in the White House,
but the last few underage occupants were daughters.
"He's the first son to live in the White House since 1963,
when John F. Kennedy Jr. was just three years old."
While Barron certainly got a unique adolescence thanks to his dad's political aspirations,
it doesn't look like it was always an easy experience being a kid in the White House.
In 2017, when Kathy Griffin created an image of herself holding a severed head of Donald Trump,
Barron found the visual traumatizing and understandably so. He was only 11 at the time,
and allegedly was deeply agitated by the photo. Trump shot back with a tweet:
"Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son,
Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick"
In the same year, a writer for "Saturday Night Live," Katie Rich, tweeted:
"Barron will be this country's first homeschool shooter"
This tweet was also met with outrage, both by the White House and those outside of
politics. Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Donald's political rival Hillary Clinton,
jumped on Twitter to defend the president's son, writing:
"Barron Trump deserves the chance every child does — to be a kid."
Shortly after both Donald and Melania tested positive for COVID-19, Melania wrote on the
White House website that her main concern was Barron Trump contracting the virus. Unfortunately,
he did, shortly after his parents tested positive. Melania wrote on the White House website:
"My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive. Luckily he is a
strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way I was glad the three of us went
through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together."
Indeed, Barron had a much lighter symptom load than either of his parents. Melania wrote that
she went through "a roller coaster of symptoms," while Donald Trump had to be hospitalized.
"The President's mood now is much more freaked out than what it had been,
you know, immediately upon diagnosis."
He remained there for several days due to
"coughing, congestion and fever," according to The New York Times.
So what does Barron Trump think about Donald Trump's political life? The young boy was
frequently out of the spotlight and obviously never gave interviews, but enough evidence
came forward to show that Barron found his dad to be too hard in some moments.
In Donald's debates with President Joe Biden, Barron, who was 14 at the time,
felt that his father was too bombastic. According to Mollie Hemingway's book,
"Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections", Donald said:
"People thought I was too belligerent. I will say my own son Barron said, 'Dad,
you were too tough. You didn't have to keep interrupting him.'"
"The oil industry pollutes significantly."
"Oh, I see."
"Here's the deal — "
"That's a big statement."
"Well, if you let me finish the statement."
In fact, as Politico notes, Donald's children, as well as Melania Trump herself,
urged him to present a more "presidential" persona ahead of the 2016 election. Trump's
older children famously appeared alongside him, both on the campaign trail and in the White House,
but Barron stayed out of the spotlight and away from the microphone on account of how
young he was. Body language expert Bruce Durham spoke with the Mirror about the information
he could glean from photographs of Barron and his parents at political events. He explained:
"I think it is quite sad and sweet that Barron is looking at the floor
in both photos. It must be hard for any young adult to be in that position."
Part of the protection of Donald Trump's youngest son involves keeping him out of the public eye as
much as possible. However, Barron's notable absence from major events during his father's
presidency raised some questions — such as how he was not with his parents when they left the
White House on their last day. In addition, he was nowhere to be found when Donald issued his
final address as president at Joint Base Andrews, while Trump's other children,
as well as Melania Trump, were there to witness it. Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner
brought their children, and many of Donald's other grandchildren were present for the send-off.
"So, have a good life. We'll see you soon. Thank you."
Although the situation sparked endless "Home Alone" jokes on Twitter, there might be a more
serious reason for Barron's absence from these final public events. During Donald's
impeachment inquiry, Professor Pamela Karlan, who teaches at Stanford University, made reference to
his inappropriate uses of power during the impeachment inquiries that occurred in 2019:
"So while the president can name his son Barron, he can't make him a baron."
Not too surprisingly, Melania snapped back on X, formerly known as Twitter:
"A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics. Pamela Karlan, you should
be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it."
Barron finally got a chance to get out of the public eye in January 2021, when he moved to
Florida with his parents. Barron's new school, Oxbridge Academy, is near the family's Mar-a-Lago
resort and is located in Palm Beach. The school is ultra-luxurious, and costs $34,800 annually.
The school also offers a huge athletic program, so Barron's definitely got it made in the shade.
Not only was the transition an adjustment for Barron, but it also required some adaptability
on the part of Oxbridge Academy. As The Palm Beach Post reports,
it's the first time the school had to accommodate the Secret Service
for any of its students. The head of Oxbridge Academy, Ralph Mauer, said:
"A small contingent of (Secret Service) agents will be present during each school day. We are
working directly with the Secret Service to ensure that logistics and security work smoothly and
discreetly with little impact on students, faculty, staff, or day-to-day operations."
However, the security team won't be around forever. Barron is slated to graduate in 2024,
and Secret Service protection ends when he turns 16 — unless he faces
threats that require their continued presence. As for his older siblings,
they lost their secret service detail six months after Donald left office.
Height might be an odd thing to make headlines for, but Barron went viral
when he visited New York City in July 2021, and the groundbreaking news was that he got huge;
he's a whopping 6 foot 7 inches. He and Melania Trump were photographed leaving Trump Tower,
and the comparison of Barron next to his mother, who is 5-foot-11,
was striking. Donald Trump is 6-foot-3. Barron now towers over all of Donald's older children,
so they can't quite call him the baby of the family anymore.
The Uber Facts X account was all over the news and pointed out that Barron is "over a foot
taller than the average 15-year-old." While some people were signing Barron up for the NBA, others
followed the ongoing request to keep someone so young out of the spotlight. One user wrote:
"Maybe don't post pictures of underage kids, no matter who their parents are?"
The factoid is a talking point for Trump himself,
though, who mentioned Barron's height at the North Carolina GOP convention in the
summer of 2021. Clearly, he's come a long way from the little boy in the golden stroller.
He might be the youngest in the family, but Barron is every bit of a key figure
in the Trump dynasty. Even more, he is now seemingly following in the footsteps
of his older siblings who have long played significant roles in their father's political
career. Back in November 2022, when Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential bid,
Barron was visibly present at the event, showing support for his father.
But even when he is not physically present in the room with his father, Barron remains just as
significant in his father's political affairs. During Donald's post-indictment speech at his
Mar-a-Lago residence, he gave a shout-out to all his kids, including Barron. He stated:
"And Barron will be great someday. He is tall, he's tall, and he is smart."
Barron is fast approaching adulthood, but he will always be his mother's son. Speaking to People in
March 2023, an insider described Melania Trump as a doting mother, revealing that the former first
lady remained focused on Barron amid Donald Trump's legal drama. The source explained:
"Barron has always been a first priority in [Melania's] life. Of course, she is worried
and concerned about the legal issues but she has not done anything more to protect Barron
now than she ever did. She has always put him first. She is a good mother."
This comment reinforces a previous claim by body language expert Bruce Durham,
who told Express in 2020 that despite what was often expected of him as the president's son,
Melania made sure to always look out for Barron. He said:
"She knows he has a role there, what he needs to do, but also how to look after
her only son with a mothering parent-child set up. She cares more about her son."
Despite her ever-lingering protection, however,
the former first lady is reportedly also happy to allow Barron to wield some control.