Barron Trump Was Never The Same Once His Dad Became President

Barron Trump is the youngest son of President Donald Trump and the only son of First Lady Melania Trump. In 2016, when he was just 10 years old, Barron's father was elected president, and it's fair to say that Barron's life has completely changed in the time since. From moving into the White House with his family to having the Secret Service tailing his every move, things looked different for Barron, whose main focus was just going to school, playing on the computer, and hanging with his friends up until that point. Melania did everything she could to shield Barron from the public eye and to keep things as normal as possible for him, despite his father becoming one of the most powerful people in the world. And while she was mostly successful in doing so, people became more and more interested in the youngest Trump.

For his father's second term, Barron was much older — he turned 19 just a few months after the inauguration and seemed to be a bit more interested in the world of politics, which is definitely a change from the young, shy child that many were familiar with years prior. And while Barron isn't exactly making public appearances and speaking out in forums about his beliefs, many feel that he's got a future in politics, perhaps following in his father's footsteps. At the end of the day, however, he's just a young man trying to graduate from college. There's just no denying that Barron will never be the same.

One of the biggest changes in Barron Trump's life after his father became president has been his place of residence. Ever since he was a newborn, Barron called the penthouse of Trump Tower in Manhattan home. In 2019, however, that would change. His parents were mindful of just how much a move to the White House might affect the then-11-year-old and ultimately decided to let him finish out the school year in New York before officially changing his home address to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. "Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home! #Movingday," Melania Trump captioned a post on X (formerly Twitter) in June 2017.

Months prior, Donald Trump had told People magazine that his son wasn't too excited about the big move to Washington, DC. "He does love New York and he loves his school. Not so much living in the White House," President Trump told the outlet. "It's a little scary for him because he thinks he is going to be taken away from his friends," Donald continued, adding, "he has a very good school in New York where he has a lot of friends. But I tell him if this happens, Daddy will help people, and can help children like him, and that makes him happy."

For a 10-year-old, school is one of the most central things in life, and that was no different for Barron Trump. According to his parents, the youngest Trump has always excelled in school, and education has been a primary focus for him. He had been attending a prestigious private school on Manhattan's Upper West Side — Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School — prior to his father's first election win, but that would all change, and Barron would be the new kid in class come September 2017. 

For sixth grade, Barron enrolled at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac — many miles away from his home and his friends. "We are very excited for our son to attend St. Andrew's Episcopal School. It is known for its diverse community and commitment to academic excellence. The mission of St. Andrew's is 'to know and inspire each child in an inclusive community dedicated to exceptional teaching, learning, and service,' all of which appealed to our family. We look forward to the coming school years at St. Andrew's," Melania Trump told People magazine in May 2017.

Before bidding everyone farewell, however, Barron took his NYC classmates on a field trip to the White House — one last hurrah, so to speak, before Barron would make new friends in a new town. He attended St. Andrew's from 2017 to 2020, through his middle school and early high school years before transferring to Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2021, after his father lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. Barron graduated from high school in May 2024.

Another thing that changed in Barron Trump's life was the security detail that followed him just about everywhere, even to school. The youngster may have been used to bodyguards keeping him safe during outings with his parents over the first decade of his life, but having Secret Service tracking your every move when you're away from home? Well, we can imagine that takes some getting used to. Barron's safety was a top priority while he attended middle school and high school in Potomac, and that didn't change when he enrolled at Oxbridge Academy in Florida. 

Prior to Barron's first day on campus in West Palm Beach, the school sent out a note to parents of students, letting them know that the Secret Service would be on the property. "A small contingent of agents will be present during each school day," said Ralph Mauer, the school's head, according to First Coast News. "We are working directly with the Secret Service to ensure that logistics and security work smoothly and discreetly with little impact on students, faculty, staff, or day-to-day operations." Meanwhile, the school's director of enhancement, Scott Siegfried, shared that most parents didn't mind having the added security, calling the agents "fantastic."

Donald Trump's 2020 election loss meant more big changes for Barron Trump. Rather than moving back to New York City, the Trumps took up residence full-time at Mar-a-Lago. Barron wasn't given too much of a choice when it came to the move, as his parents worked to change their primary residence from New York to Florida in 2019. There are reportedly multiple reasons for the change, some of which Donald addressed himself. "New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make," he wrote on X in October 2019.

As for Barron, it was another big move and another school change, all before turning 18. However, he seemed to handle the move fine and graduated from Oxbridge Academy a couple of years later. Despite being deep on the campaign trail for the 2024 election, both Donald and Melania Trump were in attendance at Barron's high school graduation. The proud parents looked on from the stands as Barron accepted his diploma.

"Melania will keep her hand on Barron's future just as much going forward as she has throughout his early and current school years," a source told People magazine. "He is her world. She is proud of him, and she is the primary decision maker on Barron and his future."

Barron Trump appears to be very close to his parents, especially his mother, Melania Trump, who has dedicated her life to the well-being of her only son. However, ever since Donald Trump became president, there have been numerous rumors about the state of his marriage, and there has been all kinds of divorce chatter circulating on the internet. For Barron, hearing that his parents' marriage is ending through various sources online has to be tough, and it's something he's had to hear for years. Presuming the rumors are not true, Barron is forced to keep quiet while people continue spreading false information about his mom and dad. Children often have a very hard time dealing with divorce and its aftermath, so to be in a state of uncertainty and confusion surrounding your parents? We can't imagine that it's been easy for Barron.

In May 2025, for example, biographer Michael Wolff claimed that the Trumps are essentially "separated." The comments came on an episode of "The Daily Beast" podcast. "They clearly do not in any way inhabit a marriage as we define marriage," Wolff said. "And I think maybe we can more specifically say they live separate lives. They are separated. The president of the United States and the first lady are separated," he added. White House communications director Steven Cheung told The Independent that Wolff was "a blithering idiot" who has been "widely discredited due to his blatant lies and fabrications."

Barron Trump may have just been a regular kid with a wealthy family before his father became the president of the United States, but things changed drastically after the 2016 election. As the First Son, Barron has a lot of eyes on him, likely becoming an easy target for many people, especially on the internet. Sadly, that added attention has come with a price, and Barron has actually received at least one death threat, which is scary enough for an adult, never mind a school-aged kid.

In August 2023, NBC Chicago reported that a 41-year-old woman named Tracy Fiorenza was arrested and charged with transmitting threats to kill or injure another person after she sent emails threatening to kill both Donald Trump and Barron. Per court documents obtained by the network, Fiorenza sent an email to Barron's school that read, "I will state that I will shoot Donald Trump Sr. AND Barron Trump straight in the face at any opportunity I get!" The woman was ultimately deemed incompetent to stand trial. A judge ordered her to receive treatment at a psychiatric hospital after she was found to have mental health issues.

Perhaps a major turning point in Barron Trump's life came after someone tried to assassinate his father. In July 2024, Donald Trump was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet meant to take his life grazed his ear. Though Barron wasn't at the event and didn't see everything unfold live, he was still terrified after hearing that his dad was in danger. "Barron was outside having a tennis lesson. He's a good tennis player. And somebody ran up and said, 'Barron! Barron! Your father's been shot,'" Donald told Fox News. "He loves his father. He's a good kid, good student, good athlete actually — and he ran, 'Mom! What's going on? What's going on?" Thankfully, Donald suffered only a minor injury in the shooting. Authorities identified the lone gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20. Crooks was taken down by Secret Service agents and was pronounced dead at the scene. 

We can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to know that someone tried to kill your father, and we're positive this incident completely changed Barron's life forever. Despite the Secret Service advising 45/47 to discontinue outdoor rallies for safety reasons, Donald had other ideas. During an appearance at a rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, in August 2024, Donald spoke to the crowd from behind a bulletproof glass panel. The added security measure undoubtedly helped ease worries, but surely Barron still gets nervous that his dad is going to be the victim of an assassination. 

The world of politics probably wasn't on Barron Trump's mind when he was in middle school, but as he's gotten older, it's all sort of fallen into his lap. In fact, during his dad's last presidential campaign, Barron took up an unofficial role as a podcast advisor, helping his dad reach a different audience. Barron was also a staple at the 2025 inauguration, receiving applause from the crowd, waving to the public, and showing his support for the 47th president of the United States.

As Barron has gotten older, some people wonder if he will end up taking up a role in politics, perhaps keeping his father's legacy alive in years to come. In fact, "Barron Trump President 2044" merch is already for sale online. The truth of the matter is that Barron is still in college and hasn't said whether or not he'd like to run for office in the future. During an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham back in March 2025, Donald Trump said that he thinks his son will seek out a job in the technology sphere.

"He's got an unbelievable aptitude in technology," the POTUS said at the time. Interestingly, Barron's mother praised him during an interview on "Fox & Friends," suggesting that he had a great deal of knowledge in the political sphere a few months prior. "I'm very proud of him about his knowledge, even about politics and giving an advice to his father — he brought in so many young people. He knows his generation, because nowadays the young generation, they don't sit in front of TV anymore," Melania Trump said.

These days, Barron Trump is still in college but has officially moved into the White House for a second time. There seemed to be some confusion surrounding Barron's sophomore year after reports surfaced claiming that he hadn't shown up to the first week of classes in Lower Manhattan. In September 2025, the New York Post confirmed that Barron had changed his address once again and was calling 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home once more as he continued his studies at New York University. After completing his freshman year at NYU's Greenwich Village campus, Barron has reportedly decided to attend classes via the school's D.C. program.

Barron has rarely been seen since his father took office in January 2025. In fact, the teen did not attend the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House in April, where many expected him to join his parents on the south lawn. It's unknown if Barron has any plans to attend any upcoming events with his parents or in support of his father as we head into the new year.

NickiSwift reached out to Dr. Sanam Hafeez, NYC neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, for some insight into Barron's decision to stick close to his parents as he continues on with his education. "Spending too much time with parents in college can make it harder to stand on your own and face new situations without leaning on them," Dr. Hafeez told NS in September 2025. "It can take away chances to learn through mistakes and build confidence in solving problems independently."

Barron Trump was a first-hand witness to the political turmoil in the United States, and it wasn't particularly fun to watch in September of 2025. Following the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Barron was said to be saddened by the news. "He was very hurt when he saw this. But, I mean, everybody was," Donald Trump said on "Fox & Friends." According to the POTUS, Barron was inspired by Kirk and even asked his dad for an introduction. "Barron came to me and he said, 'Dad, I'd like to meet somebody that you know ... Charlie Kirk,'" Donald explained. "I said, 'What?' I thought he was gonna say, 'I want to meet like King Charles' or something." Donald said that his son ended up having lunch with Kirk and found him to be "great."

"I'll never forget Barron coming back saying, 'Dad, that guy's great.' Normally, he's not full of praise," Donald added. Such a pivotal moment in the country undoubtedly had an effect on Barron, marking yet another way the first son will never be the same.