The One Activity Donald Trump Wants Barron To Steer Clear Of
Donald Trump might have 10 grandchildren, but one of his children is still yet to hit adulthood. Yup, Barron Trump — Donald's only child with Melania Trump — is 15 years old, and was just 10 when his father became president. While he's stayed out of the limelight in recent years more than his siblings — of course, he's had his studies to concentrate on — he's still been in the news from time to time, and we know that he's a fan of soccer in particular (via ITV).
The youngest Trump child stands at 6'7” too (via New York Post), making him taller than his siblings — and he's still got a couple of years of growing left. You might assume, with his height and love of soccer, that Barron would be a great fit for all sorts of sports and activities, but that's not necessarily the case. In fact, while Melania shared in 2018 that her son was "all into sports" (via Town & Country), his father wants him to stay away from one in particular.
Donald Trump is concerned about the risks of football
Speaking before the Super Bowl in 2019, Donald Trump revealed that he wouldn't be too happy with his son playing football (via Town & Country). "I just don't like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football," he said at the time. "I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better but it hasn't solved the problem." Of course, the former president could have been alluding to the common occurrence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in football players — a brain condition that can cause memory loss, depression, issues with speech (via NHS).
"So, you know I — I hate to say it because I love to watch football. I think the NFL is a great product, 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. So it's not totally unique, but I — I would have a hard time with it," Donald continued (via CNN).
The risks of football have often been discussed in recent years, as chronic traumatic encephalopathy has affected a number of former footballers and other sportspeople, after enduring repeated blows to the head (via The New Yorker). Youth participation in tackle football has also been on the decline (via CNN).