Tragic Things You Never Knew About Barron Trump
Politics isn't for the faint of heart. Anyone who's ever set foot in the White House will tell you that for free. While it's one thing to put your hat in the ring and know what you're getting yourself into, the families of presidents and high-flying politicos are often dramatically impacted, too. Donald Trump is arguably one of the most controversial heads of state ever, with many question marks left over from his time in office. Along with him for his four-year stint as president of the United States were his wife, Melania Trump, and his youngest son, Barron Trump.
When Trump assumed the presidency in 2016, his son was just 10 years old. He was whisked away from his home in New York and transported to a whole new world full of Secret Service agents, media attention, and more. It's a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone a preteen. Other presidential kids can attest to how tricky navigating these waters can be, but Barron Trump seems to have had it harder than most.
In the years that followed his father's election and eventual exit from the most powerful position in America, Trump has had to endure a lot of changes, pressure, and even death threats. Now 17 and on the cusp of adulthood, how have these challenges affected him? And more importantly, will they have a lasting impact? Let's take a look at the tragic life of Barron Trump.
Barron Trump's father didn't want to be there when he was born
Having a baby should be an exciting time for expectant parents, no matter how many children they've had in the past. Rewind a few decades and it wasn't common for fathers to be present at the birth of their kids, but that has swiftly changed. According to the National Library of Medicine, in 2013, around 95% of dads were in the room when their child came into the world. However, Barron Trump's father thought he would give it a pass.
In an interview Donald and Melania Trump gave to People just prior to the birth of their son in 2006, the future president explained that it just wasn't on his to-do list. "I think it's easier for Melania if I'm not there," he said. Elsewhere in the same interview, Trump said he will be a hands-off father, and Melania Trump even admitted that when she first told her husband of the happy news, he wasn't exactly jumping for joy.
"He came home (one day last August), and I told him he'd be a daddy," she told the magazine. "And his reaction was ... at first he needed to take it in." According to Mrs. Trump, he did come around to the idea, and when the news had set in, he was very happy. However, his father's tepid reaction and approach to the birth can't be nice for Barron Trump to hear.
He never knew his grandparents
Knowing your elderly relatives can be a huge benefit for a number of reasons. Grandparents can teach us important things, are often much wiser than we are, and can give us insight into how our parents were raised, which leads to a better understanding of each other. Plus, there's all that love that they have to give. Sadly, for Barron Trump, he never got to meet his father's parents, Fred and Mary Anne Trump.
Fred Trump (pictured far right) was an avid businessman. According to The New York Post, he was the proud owner of an apartment empire and had a huge influence on his son and his subsequent success. Though the youngest Trump heir could have undoubtedly learned a lot from his grandfather, he died several years before he was born in 1999, after a stay in hospital with a bout of pneumonia. He was 93.
As for Donald Trump's mother (pictured center right), he has been vocal about how loving she was, telling the hosts of "Fox & Friends" (via Daily Mail): "I had a great mom. I love my mom and she loved me." Sadly, she would never get to see her youngest grandson. She died a year after her husband. Perhaps most tragically, Barron Trump is the only Trump heir who didn't get to forge a relationship with his father's beloved parents, which must be a bitter pill to swallow.
Barron Trump had an unsettled childhood
Although the idea that Barron Trump's dad Donald Trump could become the president of the United States may have seemed far-fetched when Barron was born in 2006, his father was still already a very famous person in America. By then, the business magnate was one of the richest people in the world and a person of interest in the media. Because of this, one could argue that Trump's childhood was always going to be a little out of the ordinary and unsettled, but then things took a major turn in 2016 when the family headed to the White House.
The then-10-year-old youngster had to say goodbye to everything he knew, including his school and friends. Trump was previously enrolled at the swanky, private Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School on the Upper West Side in New York City, and while he stayed at the $45,000-a-term institution for the first year of his father's presidency, this wouldn't last.
By the time he turned 11, he was on his way to Washington, D.C., to join his father at the White House full time. While his mother, Melania Trump, released a statement expressing how excited she and her husband were about their son's enrollment at a new school, St. Andrew's Episcopal, it was a big adjustment for any kid to make. He went from a run-of-the-mill celebrity kid living in relative normalcy to the new kid at school and a child of the president in one fell swoop.
He spent his most formative years under a microscope with no freedom
As we've already discussed, moving into the White House is a big deal. The president and the president's family have to be protected at all times, which meant that for Barron Trump, freedom really didn't exist. No matter where he went, Secret Service agents would follow him. Simple trips to the store or out to eat were off the table because it would cause such a ruckus and present such a risk that it wouldn't be worth it. For the first year of his dad's presidency, Trump stayed in New York with his mom, Melania Trump.
At the time, Donald Trump told People that his son wasn't excited at the thought of living in the White House. "He does love New York and he loves his school. Not so much living in the White House." In a previous interview, he even said that his son found the whole idea scary and didn't want to leave his friends. Unfortunately for the youngster, he did eventually move in with his father and become part of the media storm that surrounded him, meaning he spent what should have been fun, formative years, under a microscope with the whole world watching.
Even though the family left the White House in January 2021, the former president's son continued to have extra security protection until he was 16, while his parents will get it for the rest of their lives.
Barron Trump has been targeted by the media
In many areas of the media and the entertainment industry, there's an unspoken rule that journalists and shows should steer clear of criticizing the underage children of celebrities. After all, they did nothing to deserve it, and just because their parents are famous doesn't mean they want to be in the spotlight. Sadly, for Barron Trump, because of his father Donald Trump's controversies, many pundits decided he was fair game. Dealing with that kind of vitriol can't have been easy, especially when it made headlines.
In 2017, a "Saturday Night Live" writer even took aim at Barron, who was just 10 years old at the time. Katie Rich tweeted a joke that said he "will be this country's first homeschool shooter." Some found this hilarious, but others found it incredibly offensive. As a result of the quip, Rich was suspended from her position, even though many of her contemporaries rallied around her in support, according to Vanity Fair. This wasn't necessarily the only time that Trump was targeted, either.
Two years later, in 2019, Stanford Law professor Pamela Karlan was testifying at Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry when she said, "The Constitution says there can be no titles of nobility, so while the president can name his son Barron, he can't make him a baron." Melania Trump lashed out at her, accusing her of "biased public pandering" and taking her to task for using a child to make her point (via CNN).
His parents' relationship is always picked apart
In trying times, leaning on family is one of the most important things anyone can do. For many kids, their parents are their safe space. But when you're Barron Trump, these norms don't apply. Throughout his father's political tenure, the media has fixated on the state of Melania and Donald Trump's marriage and whether it's on the rocks. Rumors have swirled for years about whether the pair are truly happy. This was further compounded when former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman released a memoir titled "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House."
According to Manigault Newman's book (as recounted in the Independent), "If Melania were to try to pull the ultimate humiliation and leave him while he's in office, he would find a way to punish her." The author went on to suggest that the billionaire could even have her deported. Other publications and media outlets love to raise questions about the relationship, too.
A May 2023 People article claims sources told them that Melania Trump is angry at her husband and leads her own separate life, while Vanity Fair writer Bess Levin went so far as to say, "Melania quite obviously despises her spouse just as much as many an American." Perhaps it's easy to forget that at the heart of all of this is a young man who is unlikely to be thrilled by the constant speculation that his parents are miserable together.
Even Barron Trump's siblings aren't safe
Watching your mom and dad come under fire for years on end must be frustrating enough, but even Barron Trump's siblings aren't safe. His sister, Ivanka Trump, famously served as one of her father's advisors and as the director of the Office of Economic Initiatives and Entrepreneurship, according to Britannica. These may sound like impressive roles, but this hasn't saved her from scrutiny. When she was appointed, many questioned whether she could really do the job given that she had no previous experience in politics. The speculation continued after her role ended, too.
In November 2023, Ivanka Trump got a lot of heat for saying she couldn't testify during the school week at her father's fraud trial, with many finding it a feeble excuse. Of course, she isn't the only one of Barron Trump's siblings to catch some heat. Donald Trump Jr. has also frequently been mocked for his comments and attitude, with headlines such as "Donald Trump Jr asks courtroom sketch artist to 'make me look sexy' during $250m fraud trial" from Sky News, as well as accusations that he and his brother Eric amplified claims of election fraud.
For Barron Trump, being part of this dynasty must be overwhelming. Rarely has a day gone by in recent years without a negative headline about some member of his family. It's so prevalent that his parents must find shielding him from it impossible no matter how they try.
Barron Trump has received death threats
For all of the reasons we've already discussed, it isn't hard to see why Barron Trump's existence isn't as charmed as many might think it is at first glance. All the money in the world can't buy you happiness, and it can't buy you peace of mind, either. While a nasty headline or joke can be hurtful enough, these problems can sometimes get much more serious. In August 2023, a Chicago woman was arrested after she sent death threats to the headmaster of Trump's school in Palm Beach, which he moved to after his father's presidency ended in yet another transfer.
According to NBC Chicago, Tracy Fiorenza wrote an email to the headteacher of the school that read, "I will state that I will shoot Donald Trump Sr. and Barron Trump straight in the face at any opportunity I get!" She went on to state that she would "slam a bullet" into the young heir's head. Understandably, these threats were taken very seriously, and Fiorenza was interviewed by the Secret Service before appearing in court.
Politics evokes a passionate response, but inciting violence against anyone let alone an innocent child is never okay. The Trump family hasn't commented on the proceedings, but Daily Mail reported around the same time that Melania Trump was focused on keeping her son out of the limelight and helping him look for colleges. An insider also told People, "Remember, Melania is a mom with a not-yet-adult son to protect."
His dad may go to jail
There were many unexpected twists and turns in Donald Trump's presidency, including a global health issue that turned the world on its head. If Barron Trump thought life would quiet down after his father's term ended, then he was very wrong. Three years on, Donald Trump has been indicted four times. There have been more testimonies and court dates than you can shake a stick at, and although Donald Trump may make light of this and deny all claims, he faces jail time if found guilty.
In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker, the former president said, "I don't even think about it," before explaining that he may be built differently and that he loses no sleep because he has faith that he's going to win. That's an impressive stance for someone in such deep hot water and one that not many in his position would share. But it begs the question, does his young son feel the same way?
No matter what, Donald Trump is his father, and he isn't a spring chicken anymore. The thought of your 77-year-old father going to jail must be terribly worrying, even if the politician isn't worried for himself. After all, family is family, and prison isn't a walk in the park no matter how confident you are. While his fate isn't yet sealed, this could all mean that Trump would have to navigate the rest of his latter teens without his father.
Barron Trump will never have a normal life
From the moment he was born, Barron Trump wasn't destined for a "normal" life. His father is one of the richest people in the world and was a public figure even before his presidency. That said, Barron had mostly managed to stay out of the public eye and enjoy the finer things his father could provide without facing death threats, constant ridicule, and speculation. His family's stint in the White House changed everything, setting his life on a different course. Donald Trump may have spent just four years as president, but it altered the trajectory of his family's lives forever.
Now 17, Barron Trump must try to forge his own path, but one thing is for certain — he will never lead a simple, normal life. His father's notoriety and the Trump name have the power to help and hinder him in equal measure (just ask his siblings), so what will his life look like moving forward? Can Melania Trump's pride and joy be move past everything he has experienced, or has it been too much to bear?
The answer is much more complicated than we might think, especially as the drama surrounding Donald Trump's indictments barrels on. It will be some time before we see this heir develop into adulthood, but it's not a stretch to say that whatever he does, his life won't be the same as his peers' thanks to the incredible experiences of his childhood.