Unlike his famous siblings, Barron Trump largely stays out of the spotlight
Unlike his famous siblings, Barron Trump largely stays out of the spotlight
Donald Trump’s youngest son is one of five Trump children. His older brothers, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, are the children of the former president and his first wife, Ivana Trump. Also from Donald’s first marriage is Ivanka Trump, the eldest Trump daughter, who was an official assistant to the former president during his time in the White House, while her husband was a senior adviser. Though Ivanka was not the first child of a president to serve in the White House, she did acknowledge the “unprecedented nature” of her role, as noted by USA Today.
Barron Trump’s two older brothers have often been in the spotlight due to their leadership in The Trump Organization. Additionally, all three of the elder Trump children made appearances during their father’s campaign, speaking at both the 2016 and the 2020 RNC. At each convention, the siblings were joined by their sister, Tiffany Trump (from Donald’s second marriage to Marla Maples), who made speeches supporting her father.
While Barron is significantly younger than his siblings, his low profile at these important political events is notable.
Barron Trump and his mother speak her native language together
Thanks to his mother’s native country and language, Barron Trump is multilingual; he speaks both Slovenian and English. Additionally, his mother told People in 2009 that Barron also speaks French, making him a trilingual toddler at the time.
According to Mary Jordan, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Art of Her Deal” (a book about Melania Trump and her life), Barron continues to speak to his mother in Slovenian to this day. This even happens in front of the Secret Service, a unique fact of life when they were living in the White House. “There’s a unit within the family unit, and it’s Melania, her mother, her father, and Barron,” Jordan told CBS News. “And they all speak Slovenian.” That means that no one in the Secret Service can understand what they’re saying, either.
Jordan also revealed how Barron and Melania’s conversations in Slovenian impacted Donald Trump, who, unlike his son, did not learn his wife’s native language. “He has said it annoys him sometimes, ’cause he has no idea what they’re saying,” Jordan added.
Donald Trump’s youngest son appears to be a sneakerhead
Like many other American teenagers, Donald Trump’s youngest son appears to be a sneakerhead. In fact, Barron Trump made sneakers one of his notable fashion statements after moving into the White House. As for what his favorite pair of kicks appear to be, Barron is a fan of the 574 Core sneakers from New Balance, according to Footwear News.
Barron has sported those sneakers on more than one occasion, too. He was photographed in early 2020 wearing the sneakers in black, paired with black jeans and a bomber jacket. A couple of weeks earlier, he was spotted wearing a different pair of shoes with what appeared to be reflective detailing. Then, during Thanksgiving festivities in 2019, Barron rocked an all-black edition of his favorite sneakers. In March 2019, Barron was seen wearing a camel-colored version of the same style, after wearing a gray and white pair the year before. It’s safe to say that Barron has found his footwear of choice!
Barron Trump and his mother lived in New York for the first six months of the Trump presidency
Children are no strangers to the White House. Donald Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, had two young daughters when he took office, and many children and teens have lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue during past administrations.
But when Donald won the 2016 election, Melania Trump made it clear that she and Barron Trump would not immediately be moving from their Manhattan penthouse. That’s because she didn’t want to interrupt Barron in the middle of his school year, according to The New York Times. Officials also said that Melania and Donald Trump’s youngest son would remain in New York for at least six months.
While Melania also worried about exposing Barron to the scrutiny of the press, the pair finally moved to Washington, D.C. in June of 2017. However, Melania remained cautious of the decision. According to People, she was reluctant to relocate not just because of Barron’s schooling, but also due to her love of New York City.
Former first children have defended Donald Trump’s son against critics and trolls
Despite differences in political parties, several former first children have jumped to Barron Trump’s defense when he was targeted by mean-spirited commentators. Criticism of Barron’s appearance and demeanor started as early as his father’s inauguration.
For one, former first child Chelsea Clinton quickly defended Donald Trump’s youngest son after the inauguration in 2017. “Barron Trump deserves the chance every child does — to be a kid,” she shared in a tweet. She also stood up for Barron in August of that year, after the Daily Caller (via People) criticized his wardrobe. “It’s high time the media & everyone leave Barron Trump alone & let him have the private childhood he deserves,” she wrote in another tweet.
Clinton wasn’t the only former first child to defend Barron’s honor, either. Jenna Bush Hager told People that the unwarranted criticism from the Daily Caller made her angry. “[T]he truth is, obviously, Barron Trump didn’t ask his dad to run for president,” she said. “It wasn’t his decision.”
He received gifts from A-list celebrities after he was born
When Donald Trump’s youngest son was born in 2006, the tiny tot became the recipient of some pretty lavish baby gifts from A-list stars. For one, Dennis Basso sent the new baby a white mink coverlet, and famed journalist Barbara Walters sent him a massive stuffed dog, according to People. Plus, believe it or not, Ellen DeGeneres sent the new baby a gold stroller replete with its own chandelier. People shared that Melania Trump was later photographed pushing DeGeneres’ gift around her penthouse, saying: “It makes you laugh.”
Other friends reportedly sent a number of onesies to baby Barron Trump, many of which featured Donald’s catchphrases from his “Celebrity Apprentice” days, including “You’re fired.”
Oddly enough, some of the celebs who gifted baby Barron with presents became staunch opponents of the former president and his administration, most notably DeGeneres. Honestly, we wonder if they remember mailing lavish gifts to baby Barron all those years ago.
Melania Trump has a long-standing nickname for her son
Barron Trump has become the spitting image of his father as he’s grown up. But according to Melania Trump, Barron resembles his father in other ways, so much so that she has a special nickname for him. “He is independent and opinionated and knows exactly what he wants,” she revealed to Parenting (via Romper). “He is a mixture of us in looks, but his personality is why I call him ‘Little Donald.’”
Melania also noted that “Little Donald” admires his father’s career and success. “He likes the way he talks, the way he is,” she continued. “They have beautiful respect and admiration for each other.”
Barron has also been known to emulate his father’s looks and mannerisms. As the first lady told ABC News back in 2013, Barron “doesn’t mind putting on” a suit, and that even as a small child, he liked to “dress up in a tie sometimes, like Daddy.”
He was the first boy to live in the White House since JFK Jr.
Many children have lived in the White House over the years, but for quite some time, only presidential daughters have resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. President Barack Obama had two daughters, as did President George W. Bush. Before that, President Bill Clinton had a daughter as well.
In fact, Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, was the first son to move into the White House in over 50 years. The last son to reside there was John F. Kennedy Jr., whose father was assassinated in 1963 when he was just 2 years old.
When Donald won the election in 2016, presidential expert and author Kate Andersen Brower told CNN that Melania Trump would benefit from speaking to former first ladies about their experiences raising children in the White House. That’s what Hillary Clinton did when she asked Jackie Kennedy for advice when she moved into the White House with Bill and Chelsea Clinton.
Melania Trump is very protective of her son
Melania Trump has made Donald Trump’s youngest son her priority from the start. That’s something she takes very seriously, especially when it comes to Barron Trump’s safety. Most notably, after actor Peter Fonda tweeted that Barron should be removed from his family (in an attempt to bring attention to the immigration crisis in the United States), Melania reported him to the Secret Service. The tweet garnered significant outrage and was later deleted.
Barron has since been the subject of more unwarranted criticism, much to the ire of his mother. So when Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan made a derogatory comment about Barron during his father’s impeachment trial, Melania fired back. “A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics,” she tweeted after the professor joked about Barron’s lack of nobility. “Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it.”
While it doesn’t appear that Melania reported Karlan to the Secret Service, Karlan did apologize for her remarks.
Mongolia gifted him with a horse in 2019
It’s not uncommon for international leaders and governments to bestow gifts upon the president and his family as a gesture of good will. According to The Washington Post, these gifts have “symbolized the friendship and journey shared between countries,” and are often seen as tools of international diplomacy.
Historically, some of these gifts were actual animals, too. While in office, President Ronald Reagan received a baby elephant from Sri Lanka, President George H. W. Bush received a Komodo dragon from Indonesia, and President Richard Nixon and his wife were gifted two pandas from China.
To that end, it may not come as much of a shock to learn that Donald Trump’s youngest son received a horse from Mongolia in 2019. As noted by Associated Press, Mongolia has often given horses as special presents to its dignitaries. Barron Trump’s horse, named Victory, will remain in Mongolia but is “beautiful” according to Barron. Stephanie Grisham, the press secretary at the time, said that the family was “very grateful” for the gift.
Donald Trump and Barron Trump hit the golf course together
Donald Trump wasn’t the first president to play golf in his off-time, but he’s certainly super dedicated to the sport. He doesn’t just play golf, either, as he’s the proud owner of 11 Trump-branded golf properties in the United States alone.
It’s not too surprising, then, that the former president and his youngest son spend time on the links together. According to Politico, Donald golfs frequently and is often joined by family members, including Barron Trump and his siblings. Additionally, two sources close to the then-president revealed to the publication that he used his golf weekends to bond with Barron. “I’ve seen Barron out there with him on a few occasions,” one Trump friend told Politico. “He’s a good athlete by his own right.”
From the looks of it, Barron has hit the golf course with his dad even before his time in the White House, too. In 2014, Melania Trump posted a photo of the pair on her Facebook page, while they golfed at the Trump golf property in Scotland.
Barron Trump made his television debut when he was 2 months old
Donald Trump’s youngest son made his television debut at just 2 months old on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” At that time, Oprah’s longtime friend, Gayle King, interviewed Donald and Melania Trump and introduced baby Barron Trump to the world.
When asked what it was like to have a baby again after so many years, Donald said: “I think it’s terrific, and Melania is a fantastic mother.” Additionally, Melania told King that Donald was great with the baby and that he spent time with him every morning watching television and reading newspapers. The three then got to talking about the name choice — why Barron? “It’s a name I always loved, but really never had the courage to use,” Donald revealed.
After their chat, King was introduced to Barron — who was very fussy at the time — and toured the Trump nursery, which was decked out with a beautiful crib and lots of stuffed animals.
Barron Trump has a passion for soccer
As he’s grown into a teenager, Barron Trump’s interest in soccer has been well-documented. In 2017, Barron Trump was fortunate enough to meet players from the D.C. United team while they were visiting the White House; he chatted with forward Patrick Mullins and midfielders Julian Buescher and Marcelo Sarvas about the game.
The team then gave Barron a black and red colored soccer ball that had been signed by the team. “He was very knowledgeable about soccer, knew about D.C. United and was interested to know more,” Mullins told The Washington Post shortly after meeting Barron. “[For a] little kid to have a passion for the game and to be knowledgeable and have a conversation with us, it makes me feel good about kids growing up playing the game.”
In 2017, Barron became a soccer player for the United States Soccer’s Development Academy, and even scored a position on D.C. United’s U-12 team, as noted by Soccer America.
After a growth spurt, Donald Trump’s youngest son towers over his dad
Given that Barron Trump’s public appearances are few and far between, any changes to his height or stature are easily noticeable when he does emerge into view. So when Barron Trump emerged from Marine One with his parents in August 2020 — and towered over his father’s height of 6 feet, 3 inches — the internet went a little crazy. “Does anyone know if he can play ball?” one X (formerly Twitter) user asked.
Barron’s height shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, though, given his parents’ statures; his dad is well over 6 feet tall, and according to CBS News, Melania Trump is 5 feet, 11 inches — she was a model, after all.
Clearly, Barron has had a growth spurt. Who knows? Maybe Donald Trump’s youngest son will trade his soccer ball for a basketball in the near future.
