Why Melania Trump Thinks Barron Trump Is A 'Mini-Donald'

Anyone familiar with former President Donald Trump will also recall his youngest child, Barron Trump, who often made appearances with him during his presidency, and was in fact the only one of his five children to live with him in the White House at the time. 

Barron arguably first made the headlines in late 2005, when his father and mother Melania announced her pregnancy with him. He was born in March 2006 to much publicity, as his father was then a major New York City real estate magnate and businessman. 

However, although many may make few associations between Barron and his father due to his low-key personality, significant lack of controversy, and apparent lack of willingness to engage in politics (also much unlike his elder half-siblings), there is at least one person who associates Barron with his very famous father: his mother, Melania. In fact, Melania, who arguably knows Barron better than anyone else, even referred to Barron at one point as a "mini-Donald." 

Throughout her son's life, Melania Trump has often drawn comparisons between him and his father, Donald Trump. At one point, she even told Parenting magazine (via Romper), "Sometimes I call him little Donald. He is a mixture of us in looks, but his personality is why I call him little Donald." She opined that this was because her young son was a "very strong-minded, very special, smart boy. He is independent and opinionated and knows exactly what he wants," character qualities that Donald is certainly no stranger to. 

In 2013, shortly after Barron turned 7, Melania also told ABC News that she would often refer to him specifically as "Mini-Donald." "He doesn't mind putting on [a suit]," Melania said, "but not every day. And he likes to dress up in a tie sometimes like Daddy." She added that "He has a lot of energy and is very cute. I call him 'Mini-Donald.' He's my priority."

Apart from being among the quietest of the Trump family, Barron Trump does share other similarities with his mother, Melania. Most notably, according to Hollywood Life, he is fluent in Slovenian, his mother's native language, though he has never been seen speaking it in public as of this writing. 

In fact, in one of Barron's first television appearances — a 2010 appearance on "Larry King Live" – the playful then-4-year-old spoke with a noticeable Slovenian accent (an accent which he has since dropped). Understandably, Melania told King in the interview that he spends "most of the time with me," echoing statements made by both Ivana Trump and Marla Maples, Donald's previous wives, that they — the mothers — raised the children almost single-handedly. 

Of course, it's also worth noting that, as he grew up, Barron — who has yet to reach legal adulthood as of the writing — grew significantly, and soon eclipsed even his father in height. As of 2022, Barron stands 6-foot-7, becoming the tallest of all the Trump children, and arguably a "mini-Donald" no more.

There is another little-known pastime of Barron Trump's that he most definitely took after his father: his love for the sport of golf. 

Donald Trump, widely known for being an avid golfer throughout his life (and presidency), apparently passed on his love for the game to his son. In April 2021 for instance, when Barron was 15, the two of them were spotted playing a game together at the Trump International Golf Club near Mar-a-Lago. According to the Daily Mail, he was also — notably — one of the few people there not to be wearing his father's signature red MAGA hat. Nonetheless, the photos made their round on social media, and many followers of the former First Family took great interest in Barron's new hobby. 

Given her marriage to Donald Trump, it may be unsurprising to hear that Barron's mother Melania has also been seen golfing in the past. In July 2014, she tweeted a picture of her and her husband golfing at the Trump Turnberry Golf Club in Turnberry, Scotland. Interestingly, Donald Trump was once again wearing a staple red hat — though, instead of advertising his as-yet nonexistent presidential campaign, it was rather repping the Trump National Golf Club. However, it is unclear how much she personally enjoys the sport; in any case, she is likely a far less avid golfer than either her husband or son.