Donald Trump Hints His Relationship With Don Jr. Isn't Great During Bizarre Christmas Address
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On December 14, 2025, President Donald Trump delivered a speech at the White House Christmas reception. During his 40-minute ramble, the divisive politician somehow landed on the topic of wildlife, and subsequently ventured into a winding discussion about how much his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., enjoys big game hunting. But things took an even stranger turn when the president seemingly hinted that his son's love of stalking wild animals trumps his love for his own father. Longtime fans are all too aware of the eldest Trump son's questionable hobby, with Don Jr.'s hunting trips almost landing him in court in the past. As Donald went on about how "wildlife always wins," he wandered off on a tangent about how Don Jr. supposedly loves the so-called hobby more than him.
"When I kick the bucket someday [...] I think he'll be here for about two days. He'll go and pay his respects and we'll say, 'Where's Don?' He'd rather be in some jungle," the president quipped (via YouTube). Although seemingly meant as a joke, what we know about Trump's relationship with his kids suggests that there might have been some truth to it. This wasn't the first time the controversial leader has hinted that Don Jr. isn't exactly his favorite child either. When renowned journalist Barbara Walters, who had a tendency to rip apart Donald Trump's ego, enquired about the Republican politician's most challenging kid during a 2015 interview, he didn't hesitate to respond, "Don," per Politico. Ouch.
Don Jr. has also hinted at a strained relationship with his father before
Donald Trump Jr. has previously hinted that being his father's son isn't exactly easy. "It would be nice not to have people prejudge you because they see your father a certain way and there's no chance you might actually be different," he once told Trump biographer Gwenda Blair (via Politico). The president's controversial reputation, which preceded his political career, is a shadow Don Jr. has had to live in all his life. In 2004, he even admitted to journalist Barbara Walters that he'd often omit his last name to avoid judgement. Don Jr. also disclosed during an interview with New York magazine that Donald was an absentee father and that his grandfather was more of a father figure to him.
Donald inadvertently confirmed this to be true in "The Art of the Deal," penning, "I adore [my three children], but I've never been great at playing with toy trucks and dolls." Likewise, in 2017 the divisive politician described his eldest son as a "high quality person" as the businessman faced accusations of colluding with the Russians, per People. Calling his son a good man might have been a more appropriate response. Before Donald's political aspirations took hold, Don Jr. was more candid about the kind of father he was, telling Blair that he had a hard time forgiving him for being unfaithful to his mother.
In fact, he gave the real estate mogul the silent treatment for about a year after pointing out to him, "All you love is your money." That is arguably yet to change, and if Donald's weird comments during the 2025 White House Christmas reception are any indication, some of the old resentment shared between father and son is still very much alive.