There's one thing Melania Trump taught her son, Barron,
that Donald Trump absolutely never could. And even the former president would agree that's the case.
Of former President Donald Trump's five children, only one seems to have more or
less avoided public scrutiny throughout the family's time in the spotlight: Barron Trump,
his only child with current wife Melania Trump.
Donald's youngest child, who was born in 2006, was only 10 when his father's presidency began,
and 14 when his family left the White House. He turned 16 in March 2022. Barron has mostly avoided
the headlines over the years, perhaps in part due to his mother Melania's protective influence.
"I discuss with him. I teach him, uh, what is right, what is wrong."
Although Barron is known for having a few impressive skills, including drumming and golfing,
the teenaged son of the former president is not known for being much of a talker,
at least not in public, choosing instead to stay under the radar. So the fact that he
speaks multiple languages isn't something lots of people may know, though it also may not be a
huge surprise given that he was largely raised by someone whose native language isn't English.
In 2009, Melania told People that the young Barron spoke three languages:
English, French, and her native tongue, Slovenian. This makes sense,
as scientific studies have confirmed that children who grow up speaking more than one
language are easily able to become fluent in them, given that they have not yet passed the
"critical period" after which learning languages becomes far more difficult.
Whether he speaks French has not been confirmed, as he has never done so in public,
and Melania's own proficiency in the tongue has been called into question.
In 2020, Mary Jordan, author of an unauthorized biography of the first lady, "The Art of Her
Deal," revealed that there was little evidence to suggest that Melania spoke any other language
besides English and Slovenian. She does, however, know a few basic phrases in French and Italian.
Donald Trump is not known for taking an active involvement in his children's upbringings,
with his first wife Ivana Trump even saying that she essentially raised their three children
by herself. As a result, it may be unsurprising to learn that — at least at 4 years old — Barron
Trump had spent so much time with his mother that he had even developed a Slovenian accent.
This was quite apparent in a 2010 "Larry King Live" clip
in which the then-4-year-old Barron spoke about his daily routine,
looking like his father in a button-down shirt and jacket, but sounding like his mother.
"I like my suitcase. I have to go to school now?"
Melania told King that Barron spent most of his time with her.
At least one of Donald Trump's other children is multilingual. Ivana Trump,
also an immigrant from eastern Europe, taught her eldest child, Donald Jr.,
her native language of Czech, which he speaks fluently. She attempted to teach
it to her daughter, Ivanka Trump, as well, though it did not seem to stick with her.
In addition to being multilingual like his mother, Barron Trump also seems get his prodigious height
from his mom's side of the family. He's a massive 6 feet 7 inches tall — and only 16! Barron,
like his mother, is an above-average height. The former first lady is 5 feet 11 inches tall.
Given how rarely Barron is seen in public, a recent appearance had onlookers gawking
at his towering stature. In July 2021, the tall teenager was seen visiting New York City with his
parents and towering above them as the family left Trump Tower. The Daily Mail reported that Barron
was seen carrying his mother's suitcase from the building. During the 2021 North
Carolina Republican Convention, the New York Post quoted the former president as telling the crowd,
"Barron is 6-foot-7, can you believe it? And he's 15."
The youngest Trump made another rare public appearance in July 2022
at the funeral of Ivana Trump, the mother of his half-siblings Ivanka, Donald Jr.,
and Eric. Barron towered over his half-brothers. The tall 16-year-old is clearly his mother's son.