The Awkward Nickname Donald Trump Sometimes Calls Son Barron

Donald Trump seems to have interesting relationships with all of his children. While no one knows the extent of Trump's actual feelings about his offspring, the public thinks that the former president plays favorites. Many think that Ivanka Trump is his favorite child. According to The Daily Beast, the number two spot belongs to Eric Trump — not his namesake, Donald Trump Jr. We'll assume that Donald Jr. comes next, because Tiffany Trump has long been relegated to the role of the forgotten child. Of course, this leaves Barron Trump, Donald's youngest and only child with his third wife, Melania Trump, who turned 18 on March 20, 2024.

Despite Barron being significantly younger than Donald's other children, his father has frequently discussed him in the press, often in a flattering light. Donald spoke highly of Barron during a September 2023 interview with Megyn Kelly. "Barron is a very good athlete," Donald said. "He's a good kid. He's a good-looking kid. He's a great student." That said, Donald hasn't always gotten it right when referring to Barron. While speaking about his aversion to the teen vaping trend, Donald referred to Barron solely as Melania's child. "She's got a son, together, that's a beautiful young man, and she feels very, very strongly about it, " Donald said in 2019 about Melania's ties to the cause (via The Cut). 

Naturally, Donald's comments threw social media off guard.

Donald Trump is no stranger to saying the wrong things when his children are concerned. He is, after all, the same person who made wildly inappropriate comments about his daughter, Ivanka Trump. However, the former president's comments about Barron inspired users on X, formerly known as Twitter, to respond. One user, for example, felt that Barron was in good company. "He forgot Barron was his son too. Terrible. Welcome to the Tiffany and Eric club, Barron," tweeted the commenter about Barron's older siblings. 

A second user implied that Donald's slip of the tongue was his accidental admission that Barron — who looks like a younger version of Donald — wasn't his biological child. "Imagine being Barron and finding out during a press briefing Your Daddy admits he's not your daddy!!" wrote another user. Of course, there's never been any evidence to suggest that Barron isn't Donald's son, although his comments didn't help matters.

Some users turned their attention to Melania Trump. "She was right there next to him," tweeted one user. "A *normal* person would've gestured to her, & said, 'WE have a wonderful teenage son, we can't have young people being sickened & dying from this'" Meanwhile, a fourth user took Donald to task. "Wow. "SHE'S got a son.....THAT'S a beautiful young man"???" they wrote. "Has Trump forgotten Barron is his son too? Who talks abt their kid like that? Just goes to show the disconnected Trump is w/his child. He's an absent father to his children when they're young. Unreal. So cold."

Donald Trump may be more than a little obsessed with Barron Trump's height, but it seems he has a healthy relationship with his youngest child. During an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Donald told guest contributor Gayle King that he put special thought into Barron's name. "[Barron is] a name I always loved, but I never had the courage to use," said Donald. "And then I gave the name to Melania, and then I was going to take it away at the very end. And she said, 'You can't take him away. I've been calling him Barron while he's been in my stomach.'" Donald also revealed that he and baby Barron used to spend time together while he read his morning paper.

Barron shares an even closer bond with his mother, Melania Trump. According to a source who spoke with People, Melania's main priority isn't focusing on her husband's political career, which he's hoping will push him into a second term as president. She's instead focused on helping Barron transition into college. "Melania's main job is taking care of Barron, and I think it's possible that she will follow him wherever he goes to school," shared the insider. The source also revealed that Barron is "shy and reserved," and lauded Melania's maternal skills. They continued, "Melania is all about Barron and her family. She has always been family-oriented, and in addition to some of the charity work she has done, staying ahead of family issues is her priority."