Body Language Expert Tells Us If Barron Trump Is Comfortable In The Public Eye

Former first lady Melania Trump told Parenting that she began calling Barron Trump "little Donald" when he was a tyke. Now, Barron towers over the man who slapped his name on a tower in Manhattan, and from what we've seen so far, Barron and his dad don't speak the same body language. Former President Donald Trump gets rather animated during debates and other events, often employing the use of his signature accordion-playing gesture when he's trying to make a point. Of course, Barron hasn't launched a campaign to convince American voters that they didn't previously tell him "You're fired!" — so he really has no need to move in the same bombastic manner.

While Barron's dad and older siblings — Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump — have taken the stage at multiple political events, Barron was too young to get involved in his dad's first presidential campaign. He was 11 years old when he became the youngest president's son since John F. Kennedy Jr. to reside at the White House, and Americans saw little of him during that time. However, Barron was photographed and filmed at various special events with his family. 

While he didn't flash a thumbs up or a raised fist at the cameras like his dad was prone to do, Nicole Moore, Body Language Expert and Celebrity Love Coach, exclusively told Nicki Swift that Barron Trump's more subtle body language still spoke volumes about how he was feeling during that time.

Barron Trump was no stranger to the spotlight when his dad decided to run for president. One of the many public events he'd previously attended with his parents was the 2008 U.S. Open, where Donald Trump was photographed placing his hand over Barron's mouth to shush him. And during Donald's 2007 Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony, Barron played with the microphone as his dad jokingly described the cherub-cheeked toddler by saying, "He's tough, he's vicious, he's violent." However, it seems that Barron's pre-campaign public appearances weren't enough to fully acclimate him to the life in the limelight that his father is so fond of.

Body language expert Nicole Moore told us that Barron's unease was evident when he stood on stage with his family at the 2016 Republican National Convention. While others around him were smiling and clapping, Barron didn't seem to be in a celebratory mood. "We see Barron standing stiff and wooden," Moore observed, adding that Barron's slightly balled fists and clenched jaw were other indicators of his frame of mind at the time. "His body language here demonstrates tension, discomfort, and unsteadiness in the public eye." 

It also seemed that Donald's grueling campaign schedule was taking its toll on Barron, as he was filmed yawning and appearing to nod off during his dad's RNC speech. He didn't clap when his family members did and seemed more interested in the arm of his chair than what was happening on stage.

Before Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, he told People that Barron Trump wasn't exactly excited about the prospect of moving to the White House. "It's a little scary for Barron. He thinks he is going to be taken away from friends," he said. One of Barron's first experiences in his new Washington D.C. home had to be rather scary for him, as well. During Donald's swearing-in as president, millions of eyeballs were fixed on Barron and his family as they stood on a stage in front of the U.S. Capitol.

While his dad swore to uphold the Constitution, Barron clenched his fists and assumed a slouched posture that signaled how understandably unnerved he was by the ordeal. "His shoulders are also turning slightly inward as if to protect himself," said Nicole Moore to Nicki Swift. "Barron's body language here indicates tension, discomfort, and a subconscious desire to protect himself, perhaps from the spotlight or the crowd."

A statement from the White House made it abundantly clear that the tween would be spending little time in the public eye after Donald assumed office, providing additional evidence that he didn't possess his pop's insatiable appetite for attention. "It is a longstanding tradition that the children of Presidents are afforded the opportunity to grow up outside of the political spotlight," it read. "The White House fully expects this tradition to continue." However, Barron didn't completely disappear from the public eye.

While Barron Trump often looked uncomfortable during Donald Trump's January 2017 inauguration, there were some signs that he had either been taught how to interact with a crowd or had learned the art of acknowledging acclamation by observing his family members. During the inaugural parade, he imitated his mother, Melania Trump, by waving to the crowd with his hand held up high. But unlike Melania, he wasn't smiling, and his arm was rigid, whereas hers was bent in a position that looked more casual and comfortable. "He appears to be performing his role rather than relaxing into it and this is evidenced by the fact that his face and jaw are tight, with a blank expression on his face, as he's raising his hand into the air," Nicole Moore told us.

Photos showed that many of the stands along the parade route were nearly empty on the dreary, overcast day, so at least Barron didn't have to worry about loud crowds making the experience more overwhelming. But perhaps the gloomy atmosphere was getting to him. "Barron's body language here seems to be indicating that he's going through the motions and doing what he's supposed to do, but he's not enjoying it," said Moore.

Barron appeared to be in a better mood later that day. While Donald was filmed signing his Cabinet nominations, Barron proved he was a pro at ignoring cameras by playing peek-a-boo with Ivanka Trump's son, Theodore.

Ahead of the 2017 White House Easter Egg Roll, then-11-year-old Barron Trump hadn't been living at the White House. His parents decided to let him finish out the school year in Manhattan, so Melania Trump resided with him in Trump Tower until June 2017. "The campaign has been difficult for Barron, and [Melania] is really hoping to keep disruption to a minimum," a source explained to the New York Post. According to Reuters, it cost NYC up to $145,000 a day to provide security for the mother and son during that time.

The NYPD got a reprieve from serving as Trump Tower security guards in April 2017. During the annual Easter Egg Roll in Washington D.C., Barron was photographed on the White House's Truman Balcony with the beloved celeb whom all the kids in attendance were there to see: the Easter Bunny (sorry, Donald). While body language expert Nicole Moore noted to Nicki Swift that Barron looked more at ease during the event than he had at past public appearances, she added, "Barron's lips are in a completely straight line here, indicating zero positive emotion, and his eyes are slightly squinted as if he's displeased at what he's seeing. At this point, it looks as if Barron has accepted he'll be in the spotlight but he's fighting it." 

At least he remembered to place his hand on his heart when the national anthem began playing, unlike his father.

In late 2017, Barron Trump's body language began telling a different story. Per body language expert Nicole Moore, it appeared that he was finally becoming more comfortable making public appearances when he joined his father for the annual turkey pardoning ceremony. While Barron's stance was still somewhat protective, Moore told us, "Instead of clenched fists his hands are loosely holding one another, indicating ease. His shoulders are still turned inward slightly, but way less than we see when he was on stage in 2016." 

Barron was also photographed flashing a rare smile at the crowd as his dad declared that turkeys Drumstick and Wishbone would get to keep their drumsticks and wishbones intact. So, maybe he's more of an animal lover than his older brother, Donald Trump Jr., who has both hunted turkey and gone hunting in Turkey.

Speaking of his older bro's hobby, Barron adopted one of his own that was far less controversial: playing soccer. It was also something to keep him happily occupied when he wasn't participating in photo ops. In 2017, he scored a spot on D.C. United's Under-12 team, and he was smiling again when he got to meet British soccer star Wayne Rooney at the 2018 White House Christmas Party. It also sounds like getting to chat with members of D.C. United was a highlight of the 2017 Easter Egg Roll for Barron. "He was very knowledgeable about soccer," forward Patrick Mullins told The Washington Post.

When Barron Trump was 13 years old, there was a noticeable change in the way he carried himself. He appeared to possess a newfound confidence as he strolled across the South Lawn with his parents ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in 2019. "Gone are his squinty eyes and tight jaw, instead we see a teen very relaxed in the spotlight," said Nicole Moore.

The Trumps were preparing to board Marine One, and Barron took a few long strides to step slightly in front of his father as they made their way to the helicopter. While doing so, Barron nodded at the members of the media present and gave them a casual wave before Donald Trump could do so himself. Moore explained Barron's actions by telling Nicki Swift, "He knows his duty is to wave to the crowd, the nod acknowledging he's performed his duty. ... He's not joyful in his role, but he's accepted it."

Barron had adopted a more mature style, as well, ditching his colorful T-shirts for a black bomber jacket that appeared to be identical to one former President Barack Obama owns. Another sure sign that Barron was growing up was his reported willingness to stand up to his dad. According to "Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections" (via the Daily Mail), Donald revealed that Barron had critiqued his debate style in 2020, telling him that he was being "too tough" on future President Joe Biden and interrupting his opponent too much.

Body language expert Nicole Moore told us that Barron Trump's desire to have a close relationship with his dad is evident in a 2018 video clip of the Trumps disembarking from Air Force One. Barron remained behind his parents as they descended the stairs, but as Moore observed, "He makes a beeline past his mother Melania to walk close to his father, Donald." She explained that Barron's actions were his way of "subconsciously reaching toward closeness with his father."

We've seen other signs that Barron looks up to his dad, such as photographs of the two of them playing golf together in 2021. But these days, Donald Trump has to literally look up to his son. He may even be jealous of Barron's 6-foot-7 frame. In his book "Siege: Trump under Fire," author Michael Wolff claimed that Donald used to joke about Barron's height by saying, "How do I stunt his growth?"

Barron's stature was one of the first things Donald mentioned when he started speaking about his youngest child in a November 2023 appearance on the "Moms for America" podcast. "[He's] a fantastic guy. He's a good tall guy, too. Very tall," Donald said. He had nothing but praise for Barron, adding, "I think he's doing a very good job." Donald also happened to use this exact phrase when sharing his opinions about how two authoritarian leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

After Barron Trump exited Marine One during a March 2018 flight on the copter, he appeared to reach for Melania Trump's hand as she approached him. However, he swung it down to his side instead. "It's almost as if his body language here is revealing a deep desire to be close to his parents but then his conscious mind is directing him not to do that," Nicole Moore exclusively told Nicki Swift. The body language expert and celebrity love coach suggested that Barron was possibly becoming more image-conscious as he grew older. Cameras captured him doing something similar during the 2017 inauguration parade, but in that instance, Barron yanked his hand away from Melania when she attempted to grab it. Oh, the mercurial moods of tweens.

While Barron seemingly grew out of wanting to hold his mother's hand years ago, reports suggest that he and Melania have a close relationship. Donald Trump's legal issues began piling up like boxes of classified documents in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom after his White House exit, but a source told People that it's Barron's future Melania is most concerned about. "She has always put him first," the insider stated. The source also described Melania as being a "very protective" mom.

Kids can grow apart from their parents as they get older and become more independent, and being too protective can sometimes backfire. However, after analyzing Barron's body language, Moore determined, "He does actually want to be close to his family."