The Truth About Donald Trump's Relationship With His Son Barron

Donald Trump has five children by three different wives. And while anyone who watches a day of cable news is intimately familiar with the Trump kids Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. (and anyone who reads Page Six knows all about Tiffany Trump), the youngest Trump child is still a bit of a mystery. Barron Trump, the young son of President Donald Trump and wife Melania Trump, sits mostly removed from the presidential spotlight, and little is known about his relationship with his father.

As the first boy to live in the White House since the 1960s, Barron Trump would presumably have more contact with his father than Trump's grown kids. But how often do they get quality time? And how does Donald see his son who's over a decade younger than his next-youngest child? We did some digging to find the real skinny on how Donald Trump relates to his son Barron.

Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, is the first presidential son to live in the White House since John F. Kennedy, Jr. (the Obamas, Bushes, and Clintons all had girls), as noted by CNN. But he wasn't packing up his digs at Trump Tower immediately after dad Donald Trump took office. According to Politico, Donald and Melania Trump didn't want to pull Barron out of school in the middle of the year. So instead of moving right after the January 2017 inauguration, Barron and his mother waited until that June to move in.

At the time, some experts believed it would lend a level of normalcy to this most exceptional White House. "At a time when this particular presidency needs an air of stability, [the move] might lend that," Katherine Jellison, an Ohio University history professor who has specialized in first lady studies, told Politico. "The move helps to give the impression that ... [Donald Trump's] home life is under control." It may have also been a move to save taxpayer money. According to The Hill, it cost the New York Police Department between $127,000 and $146,000 a day to provide security for Barron and Melania.

Though the world of political commentary can be vicious, and it's almost always "anything goes" when it comes to the grown-ups, many draw the line when comments are geared towards children. In 2017, Saturday Night Live writer Katie Rich tweeted that Barron Trump would "be this country's first homeschool shooter," as reported by The Sun. Rich was suspended from the show, and she later tweeted an apology, saying, "I sincerely apologize for the insensitive tweet. I deeply regret my actions & offensive words. It was inexcusable & I'm so sorry."

But the White House, and presumably Donald Trump, did not let it slide, issuing a statement saying (via Business Insider), "It is a longstanding tradition that the children of presidents are afforded the opportunity to grow up outside of the political spotlight." The statement continued, "The White House fully expects this tradition to continue. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter." The diplomatic and understated response was seconded by none other than former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton, who also posted on Facebook urging people to leave Barron alone.

In addition to his residence at the White House, Barron Trump has a pretty sweet setup at Trump Tower in New York City too. According to an interview with Parenting (via The Hollywood Reporter), Barron has his own floor in the Trump Tower Penthouse, which his mother lovingly referred to as Barron's "living room." Part of the reason he got a whole level to himself? Perhaps his penchant for drawing on the walls. "Since he has his own floor, he can [draw] ... on his living room and his own walls," she said in the same Parenting interview. She also mentioned they could paint over the walls if they got too messy (via Redbook).

Barron's life at the White House hasn't been too much of a downgrade, though. According to Inquisitr, he has his own bedroom there, decked out to his exact specifications and fully stocked with all his favorite snacks, food, and personal items. All of which is attended by a White House staff of over 100. Clearly, Donald Trump provides for his son.

During a 2018 speech at Liberty University, Melania Trump described her son Barron Trump as "all into sports," as reported by Town & Country, and while she didn't specify which sports exactly, if father Donald Trump has anything to say about it, Barron won't be putting on shoulder pads any time soon. During a Feb. 3, 2019 interview on Face the Nation, Donald said he thought football equipment would get better, and though he loved the NFL and said it was a "great product," he wasn't keen on letting his youngest play the game.

"I hate to say it because I love to watch football," the president said, adding, "But I really think that as far as my son — well I've heard NFL players saying they wouldn't let their sons play football." He noted, "I would have a hard time with it."

That's not to say he doesn't want Barron playing any sports. In a 2015 interview with People, he described his youngest son as "a very natural athlete."

Though it's not exactly clear how much influence Donald Trump has on his son Barron Trump, apparently the little guy is a lot like his dad, even at a young age. As early as 2013, Melania Trump referred to her son as "Mini-Donald" in an interview with ABC News. "When he was 5 years old, he wanted to be like daddy: a businessman and golfer," she said in an interview with Parenting (via Romper). "He loves to build something and tear it down and build something else." 

She also told Parenting (via Redbook) that Barron was very opinionated and strong willed in his convictions, and that personality was the biggest reason she dubbed him "little Donald." Donald's former butler Anthony Senecal concurred, telling Inside Edition that Barron may be more like Donald than any of his other children. Donald Trump Jr., ostensibly the original "Mini Donald," has been mum on the nickname.

Immediately after Donald Trump and Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus in October 2020, Barron Trump was tested, along with his half-sister Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. All tested negative, and the first lady's chief of staff Stephanie Grisham announced, as reported by People, "All precautions are being taken to ensure [Barron's] kept safe and healthy." Later, it was revealed that Barron was, in fact, positive, but had no symptoms, according to a report from the Associated Press. 

Presumably like most parents, Donald has previously had a serious conversation with his youngest son about this serious issue early on in the pandemic. During a news conference in March 2020, when the president was asked what he was telling his family about the virus, People reported him as responding, "He says, 'How bad is this?' It's bad, it's bad," adding, "But we're going to be hopefully a best case, not a worst case, and that's what we're working for."

In 2015, Melania Trump told Parenting (via Romper) that Donald Trump didn't change any diapers for their son, Barron Trump, and it was totally OK by her. "It is not important to me. ... We know our roles," she said. This may well sum up Donald Trump's feelings on attending to children, which he made obvious during a 2006 interview on the Opie and Anthony show.

During the interview, as shared by BuzzFeed News, Donald was adamant that he'd never changed a diaper and reiterated that the couple was happy with that arrangement since Melania didn't want him to do that. He went on to tell the hosts that he was much more of a hands-off father with Barron, questioning whether he'd have had another child if his third wife wanted him to do more. "If I had a different type of wife, I probably wouldn't have a baby, ya know, cause that's not my thing," Donald Trump said, "I'm really, like, a great father, but certain things you do and certain things you don't. It's just not for me."

Though Donald Trump may figuratively be a "hands-off" father, his hand positions when with son Barron Trump in public reportedly demonstrate a great deal of fatherly pride. If you look back at photos of them together, when Barron was a child, Donald would frequently pose with both hands on his son's shoulders.

"[Donald] tends to stand him directly in front of himself, clutching both his shoulders in a gesture of pride and endorsement," body language expert Judi James told Express. In another interview with Express, James compared Donald Trump's body language with his son to Mufasa from The Lion King, presenting the boy to the media as if her were holding a baby cub over the sprawling savanna. 

As the child got older, his father allowed him his own body language, taking off what James called the "stabilizer" hands and allowing Barron "body language independence." He is now regularly seen walking beside his parents, with no physical contact at all.

Not that the president of the United States is gonna step out for milk and come back three days later, but apparently Donald Trump lets his children know he's safe and on his way home. During a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February 2020, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said he noticed the president calling his son multiple times to check in, letting him know when his helicopter would be coming home. "The president's just a really caring father and you don't see that," he said, as reported by U.S. News.

Mulvaney's statement was seen as unusual by some, as the White House tends to leave Barron Trump out of most communication out of respect for his privacy. The New York Times called the move "curious," questioning why a presidential aide would mention Barron when the White House has gone to great lengths to ensure the press corps leaves him out of the conversation.

Anyone with siblings and a father in their 70s knows him getting everyone's names straight isn't always guaranteed. Such was the case during Donald Trump's post-impeachment-acquittal statement, when he mentioned his 'whole" family and then seemed to throw Barron Trump in as an afterthought.

"I want to apologize to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people. And Ivanka is here, and my sons, and my whole family. And that includes Barron. He's up there, he's a young boy," Donald said, as reported by International Business Times.

Twitter reactions were, predictably, Twitter-ish. One user wrote, "So kind of him to include Barron as a member of his whole family," asking, "Why wouldn't he automatically be included?!?!" Then ended with a face palm emoji. Another Twitter user noted that Barron's mother, Melania Trump, wasn't mentioned at all.

Ah, the golf course. One of the great places for sons who have nothing in common with their fathers to bond over a shared love of smacking the crap out of a little white ball. Golf is a welcomed pastime for Donald Trump, and while he's often spotted playing with athletes, celebs, and professional golfers, he also takes time to golf with his sons. And, according to Politico, that includes Barron Trump. "I've seen Barron out there with him on a few occasions and he's a good athlete by his own right," a Trump family friend told Politico.

He may have a long way to go to catch up with his perpetually-golfing papa, though. As reported by Town & Country, Barron's half-brother Eric Trump said in a press conference at the U.S. Women's Open in 2017 that his father was "an unbelievable golfer" and "a great putter," and he insisted that many people on hand, including a club pro, could attest to that fact.

Generally, when one parent refers to you as the other one's kid, you did something severely messed up. Like, "Look, what your child did; the poor dog is going to need therapy now." Going off that logic, we can only assume Barron Trump messed up bigly somewhere along the line, as, when the president spoke about curbing teen vaping, he had an unusual choice of words when describing his own teenager.

"That's how the first lady got involved," Donald Trump said, according to The Cut. "She's got a son, together, that's a beautiful young man, and she feels very, very strongly about it."

Maybe Barron got caught with an illicit Juul in his school bag by the Secret Service. Or maybe there's some weird Maury Povich stuff going on that America hasn't been clued in on. Or maybe Donald Trump was just speaking off the cuff, as he does from time to time. Whatever it is, when your dad calls you your mother's son, it's usually not good.

They grow up so fast, don't they? This was the observation Today made in January 2020, when it was noticed that, during a walk across the White House lawn, then-13-year-old Barron Trump was a smidge taller than his father, Donald Trump. "Barron will turn 14 in March, so it makes sense he is hitting his growth spurt now," Today observed.

Though the president is officially listed as being 6'3", according to the official White House Physician's report cited by NBC News, Barron has appeared taller than him as far back as the age of 12, when Town & Country pulled another lawn picture where he appears to have the edge. His official height isn't a matter of public record, as his parents protect his medical privacy, but, according to The U.S. Sun, some have speculated he could be as tall as 6'6".

"SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL," septuagenarian president Donald Trump tweeted on July 6, 2020. Doing the math, that means Barron Trump had been home from school for nearly four months at that time. And any parent who was in the same predicament was probably able to relate. Despite Donald's demands, however, Barron's school, St. Andrew's Episcopal School, has only conducted online classes, as of October 2020.

When Barron Trump contracted COVID-19 in the fall of 2020, Donald wasted no time citing him as an example as to why schools should fully reopen. At a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, as The Hill reported, the president questioned if his son even knew he had the virus and noted that, because he was young and his immune system was strong, he recovered from the virus relatively quickly. "And Barron is beautiful," Donald concluded, "and he's free, free."

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen isn't just a guy who pled guilty to tax fraud and making illegal campaign contributions on behalf of a candidate. In addition to being a convicted felon, he was also a longtime "fixer" for the Trump family, using his connections to do them a number of favors. Those favors, according to Stephanie Winston Wolkoff's book Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady, reportedly included helping Barron Trump secure admission to top private schools.

According to a book excerpt in Politico, Cohen served on the board of the prestigious Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York, and Melania reportedly used him to help get Barron in. The author went on to say that despite the school's predominantly Democratic parents' circle, the future first lady got a slew of play date invites once Donald Trump won the presidency. So nice to see people can put politics aside for the sake of their children. We think.