Inside Barron Trump's Close Relationship With Melania's Parents Viktor And Amalija Knavs
There's no doubt that Barron Trump has an extremely close relationship with his mom, Melania Trump. He's the apple of her eye, and she's highly protective of her only son, striving to give him as regular a life as possible under the circumstances. But what's Barron's relationship been like with Melania's parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs?
After Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, Barron didn't move into the White House right away with his dad. Instead, he remained in New York City with Melania to finish his school year. Donald was sworn into office in January 2017, but Barron didn't relocate to Washington until six months later. "No official statement has been released by the Trump family regarding transition timing, but like any parents, they are concerned about pulling their 10-year-old son out of school in the middle of the year," a spokesperson for the family said (via The New York Times).
With Amalija's death in January of 2024, let's look back on the relationship between Barron Trump and his grandparents.
Barron Trump is grieving the loss of a grandmother
Melania Trump is clearly heartbroken by her mom's death at 78, but she's not the only Trump who's grieving the passing of Amalija Knavs. Her son, Barron Trump, was also extremely close to his grandmother. Melania took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce the news on January 9, 2024. "It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija," she wrote. "Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law."
Melania moved to the U.S. at a young age to pursue her career as a model. Still, she stayed in close contact with Amalija and her dad, Viktor Knavs, who remained in her homeland of Slovenia. After Melania gained citizenship in 2006, she sponsored her parents to join her overseas. They formed an integral support system for their daughter when Donald Trump took office in January 2017. At the same time, they strived to ensure that their grandson lived as normal a life as possible.
A source told CBS News that the couple adored Barron. "Both her parents spend a huge amount of time in the White House, living there," they said. "There's a unit within the family unit, and it's Melania, her mother, her father, and Barron. And they all speak Slovenian. And it's kind of interesting: the Secret Service has no idea what they're saying." Barron's close relationship with Melania's parents continued after the former first family left the White House.
Barron Trump is in touch with his Slovenian roots
Being the youngest Trump sibling by far, sometimes Barron seems like an outsider. However, Barron's relationship with his nieces and nephews seems tight. During their dad's inauguration, Ivanka Trump tweeted a cute video of her half-brother playing peek-a-boo with her baby, Theodore Kushner. And Barron remained close to Melania Trump's parents, Viktor and Amalija.
According to Politico, Barron's grandparents were "hyper-involved" in his life. While Melania and her son lived away from his father, Donald Trump, Viktor and Amalija helped care for the teen at Trump Tower. They also spent most weekends with him at Mar-A-Largo or the Trump Golf Club in New Jersey. Per The New York Times, after Melania and Barron finally moved to DC, her parents followed. Viktor and Amalija lived part-time at the White House in a suite once occupied by Michelle Obama's mom, Marian Shields Robinson.
It's clearly important to Melania that her son retains close ties with his maternal heritage. The Express reports that Barron speaks fluent Slovenian and even had a strong Eastern European accent until he started school full-time. Melania's sister, Ines Knavs, also lives in New York and helped play an essential role in Barron's life. Author Bojan Pozar claims in his book, "Melania Trump – The Inside Story: The Potential First Lady," that Ines arranged all of her nephew's paperwork for his Slovenian citizenship.
Barron Trump's family life post-White House
Barron Trump's life at Mar-A-Largo since the end of his father's presidency has been similar to his time in Washington, D.C. According to The Palm Beach Post, Barron attends the elite Oxbridge Academy and is constantly tailed by all the obligatory security. "A small contingent of [Secret Service] agents will be present during each school day," the Academy's head announced. "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."
Barron continued his close relationship with Melania Trump's parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs. The Daily Mail reported in 2015 that Amalija loved to cook Slovenian food for her grandson and tell him stories of the family homeland. When Viktor and Amalija were not in the U.S., they lived at the house in Sevnica, Slovenia, that they had owned since 1984. Viktor drove the same Mercedes for decades, and locals described the couple as "modest, not the kind of people to brag."
Barron's grandparents were a constant presence
Despite their daughter's high profile, Melania Trump's parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, shunned the spotlight for the most part. Aside from being occasionally photographed with their daughter and her husband, Donald Trump, they did not live a public life. However, they were front and center in their grandson Barron Trump's world. A source close to the Trumps told People that Viktor and Amalija were "instrumental in [Barron's] rearing." They kept him grounded even while the media circus played on around him.
On the few occasions that Barron was photographed in public, his grandparents were often by his side. Barron had the chance to give back when Amalija was dealing with health problems in late 2023. He shunned any holiday festivities in favor of spending time with his grandma. In a black and white pic circulated on X in December 2023, Barron stands towering above Amalija, his arm wrapped lovingly around her shoulder.