What We Know About Barron Trump's Relationship With His Dad Donald Today
To say that Melania Trump adores her son is like pointing out that water is wet. It's a universally known fact, with the former first lady being the epitome of a doting mother from the minute he was born. In fact, Melania never had another child after Barron Trump because she simply didn't feel the need after hitting the jackpot on her first try. But can the same be said about Donald Trump? Is he also the picture of parental affection? Truth be told, the jury is still out.
Donald has been known to sing Barron's praises, frequently in public. Before Barron was born, Donald didn't shy away from expressing his excitement, even going as far as proudly bragging that he had personally picked his unusual moniker. "It's a name I've always loved but I never had the courage to use," the former president told Oprah Winfrey in an interview (via Oprah.com). And, following Barron's birth, Donald was palpably jazzed, too. "Everyone's perfect. She's [Melania] really happy and it's really great," he enthusiastically shared with People.
Sadly, nowadays, if we're to believe the rumor mill, Donald and Barron might as well be strangers. There's frequent chatter about Donald being as elusive a father to Barron as he was with his first four children; Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany Trump. However, this is something the real estate mogul has brushed off, always asserting they're tight.
Barron is reportedly 'not at all a part' of Donald's life
Journalist Michael Wolff, who wrote multiple books about Donald Trump, including the bestselling "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," claimed that the Trump family is completely "dysfunctional," with Donald having a rather frigid rapport with his children, including the youngest, Barron Trump. In an appearance on "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell," Wolff shared that despite living under the same roof, Barron remains distant from his dad. According to the author, "[Donald] doesn't get along with his son, he doesn't communicate with his son [...] His son is effectively not at all a part of his life."
This supposed near-estrangement is reportedly a contributing factor to the ongoing tension within Donald and Melania Trump's marriage. Broadcast journalist Jonathan Karl, who penned the book "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show," shed more light on the alleged dynamics between Donald and Barron in an interview on CNN's "New Day." In particular, he recalled a time when Donald insinuated that Barron was hesitant to express love for his father.
"The former president says 'Jonathan is very cool.' He told Zeke Miller, 'He's like my son.' Trump then proceeded to reenact a conversation with his son. 'Do you love your dad? I don't know. But he does. But he's too cool, the kids,'" an excerpt detailed (via The Independent). "Donald Trump, it seemed, was comparing me to his teenage son, Barron, and he was comparing my lack of excitement [...] with his son's reluctance to say out loud that he loved him."
The former president continues to maintain they're close
Despite all these wild claims, Donald Trump maintains that his relationship with his son is more than just cordial. According to the former president, they are relatively close — or at least close enough to endure sit-down meals together with Melania Trump. "Dinners are nice," Donald confirmed during a 2023 appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show," adding, "Dinners are like other people's dinners. We get along. We actually get along very well."
He also took it as an opportunity to gush about Barron Trump like a proper proud dad. "Barron's a very good athlete. He's very tall [...] about 6'8. He's a good kid, yeah. He's a good-looking kid. He's a good student, a great student actually," Donald gushed, noting that they were currently discussing whether Barron should follow in his footsteps and study at Wharton. It's worth noting, however, that Donald has already made sweeping statements like this in the past. As a result, it doesn't really prove anything about their relationship.
Barron, well-known for his low profile, is unlikely to weigh in on the matter himself. But Melania once let it slip that Barron relishes his father-son bonding time with Donald (when it comes). "Barron loves to be one-on-one with Dad because normally he's almost always all the time with me," she told People in 2015. "So I give them space when it's Daddy and Barron time. They go alone for dinner, one-on-one. They play golf together. He looks forward to that."