The Time Barron Trump Briefly United Donald Jr. And Chelsea Clinton
Donald Trump Jr. and Chelsea Clinton might stand opposite on either side of their parents' political rivalry, but Clinton took to Twitter to show that even tense familial standoffs like theirs have a line that shouldn't be crossed. And as far as both parties were concerned, that line in the sand falls just short of using young children as fodder for online jokes.
In a fleeting moment of solidarity, the oldest child of former president Donald Trump and the only child of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former president Bill Clinton stood on common ground. This mutual agreement was all the more surprising as it came just two years after the world watched both their parents fight in a bitter, cantankerous race toward the White House in the 2016 presidential election.
However, looking past the testy debates and vitriol-fueled commentary of either side's political campaign, Trump Jr. and Clinton actually have far more in common than one might think.
Defending children no matter the politics
Donald Trump Jr. and Chelsea Clinton's brief time together on their common ground started after comedian Zack Bornstein shared two side-by-side photos of Barron Trump, Donald Trump's youngest son, and Preston Sharp, who was invited to the 2018 State of the Union by former first lady Melania Trump. Both boys are around the same age and dressed in suits, leading Bornstein to joke that Sharp was "recast" as the new Barron in his now-deleted tweet, via People.
In response, Clinton tweeted, "Whatever our politics, I hope we can agree to both leave 11-year-old private citizen Barron Trump alone and celebrate 12-year-old Preston Sharp for his work to honor the graves of every military veteran." She also included a link to a GoFundMe organized by Sharp, who was raising funds to place flags and flowers on veterans' graves across the country.
Trump Jr. shared Clinton's tweet a few days later with a brief but respectful message: "On this we agree. Thank you."
Protecting a new generation of children in the limelight
The previous summer, Melania Trump shared similar sentiments to Clinton after the writer and global health advocate condemned a right-wing news publication for poking fun at Barron's clothing. Indeed, protecting children from being punchlines is noble in any situation. But speaking out about Barron Trump is undoubtedly a bit more personal for Clinton, who was a child in the White House herself.
Bill Clinton became president in 1993, meaning Chelsea Clinton moved into the White House in her most impressionable, painfully awkward teenage years. And though Trump Jr. would be an adult by the time his father assumed the same position, he grew up in the shadow of his business mogul and reality TV giant of a dad. Their childhoods were distinctly unique in that sense, forming the common ground they stood on to protect 11-year-old Barron from the same public scrutiny.
A year after Clinton defended Trump Jr.'s youngest brother, he returned the favor by speaking out against New York University students who accused Clinton of inadvertently causing the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand. While it's hard to imagine Trump Jr. and Clinton crossing political lines to work together, it's clear that both have morals that supersede party affiliation.