What Barron Trump's Life Has Been Like Growing Up With Famous Parents

Former President Donald Trump and his large family have been in the spotlight now for decades, first as well-to-do New Yorkers about town and later as a brief but well-noted political dynasty. Following his time in the White House, Donald and his brood flew south and set up compounds in Florida. He and his wife, Melania, live at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, along with their son, Barron.

Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, bought a property in Indian Creek, a small island outside of Miami nicknamed "Billionaire Bunker." And while they have everything they could want, it hasn't been an easy transition for the two since they left the White House, per Washingtonian. Still, other Trumps followed suit. Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle moved to Jupiter, Florida, as The Palm Beach Post notes, into a $9.7 million home located only half an hour away from Donald Trump's resort. Eric Trump and his family bought a nearby home in Jupiter for $3.2 million, per KIRO7. Even Tiffany Trump and her husband, Michael Boulos, moved to Miami, People reported.

But while the elder Trump kids continue to attract media attention after leaving Washington, D.C., it's the former president's youngest child, Barron, who's really stealing the show now. He might be the family baby, but he's by no means the smallest. Barron is nearly unrecognizable after growing up in the White House and has been a much more sympathetic character in the media than other members of the family.

Melania and Donald Trump married on January 22, 2005, per People, in Palm Beach, Florida. While Donald already had children from his two previous marriages, the couple welcomed their first son — and Melania's first child — on March 20, 2006. Interestingly, Barron Trump was a U.S. citizen before his mother was. Since he was born in New York City, according to the Austin American-Statesman, he was immediately a citizen of the United States. Melania, who hails from Slovenia, didn't become a citizen until July 2006, after landing a green card in 2001.

Melania and Donald have always made headlines for their unique relationship. Say what you will about Donald's political views, but the couple certainly seems to take each other in stride. In 2005, Trump told Larry King on CNN, "The way I look at it, there's nothing like a good marriage. And there's nothing like having children. ... If you have the money, having children is great." What was Trump's perspective on daddy duties? "I'm not gonna be doing the diapers, I'm not gonna be making the food, I may never even see the kids. ... [Melania] will be an unbelievable mother. I'll be a good father," he said.

What does Melania think about Donald's disinterest in being a hands-on dad? In a 2012 interview with Parenting, she said of her husband, "He didn't change diapers and I am completely fine with that. It's very important to know the person you're with. And we know our roles."

Barron Trump was baptized in the same church where his parents, Donald and Melania Trump, got married the year before. He received the sacrament on December 8, 2006, in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, according to Episcopal News Service. Melania's parents and sister were present, as were Donald's children and "five bodyguards," according to People.

Donald himself is Presbyterian, according to The Washington Post. Interestingly, Melania's religious beliefs were unknown for much of her public life, but after her visit to the Vatican in 2017, where she and Donald met with Pope Francis, the world discovered that she is Catholic. In fact, during the visit, the pope blessed her rosary, a set of beads Catholics use to say a devotional prayer. She was dressed entirely in black and wore a black veil for the visit. While extremely private about her faith, this wasn't the first time that Melania's life was influenced by her Catholic background. Although her wedding was held in an Episcopal church, she walked down the aisle to the song "Ave Maria" while holding a rosary.

While Barron's baptism was also in the Episcopal church, it's unclear how much of his upbringing was shaped by either parents' religion. For Melania, though, it's evident that religion is deeply significant to her. After the papal visit, she said on Twitter that it was "one I'll never forget."

Melania Trump obviously thinks highly of Donald Trump and has made this clear throughout their relationship. At the Republican National Convention in 2016, she said of her husband, "He is tough when he has to be, but he is also kind and fair and caring. This kindness is not always noted, but it is there for all to see. That is one reason I fell in love with him to begin with," per People. When Donald was first elected president, the hashtag "Free Melania" went viral, but it eventually became evident that she didn't need any liberation. The two seem to understand each other, and by all accounts are much more united than people give them credit for. 

This admiration for Donald has melded into the love Melania has for their son, largely because Donald and Barron Trump appear to be so similar. Melania affectionately called her son a "very strong-minded, very special" boy while speaking to Parenting magazine and said, "He is independent and opinionated and knows exactly what he wants." Like Melania, Barron has also always admired his dad. When he was 5 years old, he "wanted to be like daddy," Melania explained, describing the close bond between father and son. She shared that Barron enjoyed building things and drawing as a kid, and on their trips, he could recall "everything," she said. In light of this, Barron's nickname became "little Donald" since he takes after his old man so much.

Barron Trump's access to the finer things goes beyond even what we might expect of a child born to a real estate mogul. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres gifted baby Barron a golden stroller that came with a little chandelier that dangled above it, People notes. While the gift might be a bit garish according to some folks' taste, Melania found it amusing. "It's fun," she said of the golden gift. "It makes you laugh." Sure thing, Melania. 

Barbara Walters sent him a massive stuffed dog, per a later publication by People, and he was gifted with onesies sporting the catchphrase made famous by Donald Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice": "You're fired!" When Barron was a little older and had begun speaking, Melania and Donald appeared on CNN with Larry King, who asked if Barron had fired anyone. Melania joked (we hope), "He did, yes, actually he did. He's firing the housekeeper and nanny many times."

Barron's living arrangements as a baby were an education in lavishness. He grew up in the Trump apartment on 5th Avenue in New York City, and his quarters were on the "floor above his parents' bedroom," according to People. This space came "with nursery, kitchen, living room and quarters for a nanny," as well as some for mom. If the Trumps were worried about baby noises waking them up, there was no need. "He's a very good baby," Melania said of her son. "He's not like a crybaby — he's calm, and it's fantastic." An entire floor in Manhattan ain't too shabby for a baby.

As he grew into a teenager, Barron Trump revealed a love of sports. Melania Trump confirmed this when she spoke at Liberty University in 2018, according to The U.S. Sun, saying that Barron was "all into sports." His team affiliation is notably international, as he was spotted at the White House wearing an Arsenal Football Club jersey, a soccer team hailing from Islington, London, England.

He even played on teams in the D.C. area. On September 22, 2017, sportswriter Pablo Iglesias Maurer tweeted that Barron was on the team roster for the D.C. United under-12 team. "Barron Trump is playing at RFK tomorrow. No, really. Seriously. Not kidding," he wrote. Barron has also played for the Arlington Soccer Association's under-14 team, SCMP reports.

In light of ongoing injury reports around the NFL, Donald Trump was asked by CBS News' Margaret Brennan whether or not he would allow Barron to play football. "If he wanted to? Yes. Would I steer him that way? No, I wouldn't," Donald began, adding that Barron's real passion is soccer. "And he actually plays a lot of soccer. He's liking soccer," he said. "I hate to say it because I love to watch football," Donald went on, confessing that he "would have a hard time with" Barron playing the game because he's "heard NFL players saying they wouldn't let their sons" do the same. So if Barron doesn't want dad to worry, he should stick to the non-American version of football.

While Donald Trump's famous confession that he never changed Barron Trump's diaper when he was a baby might not compare to a lot of people's parenting experiences, Donald did stress that he liked a hands-on dad approach in other ways. "I love to feed the baby," he told People in 2006. "Not because I have to, but just because I love it. A lot of times early in the morning I'll take care of him." Donald explained that he doesn't sleep for long anyway, so it's not a problem. "Over the years I have changed a diaper, but not on Barron," he added. Melania's response was, "That's my job." While he might not be on diaper duty, it's clear that Donald loves being a father. "Melania loves taking care of the baby," he explained to People. "If we have more, it will be terrific."

As Barron grew up, he became the typical reticent teenager, something that came up when Donald was the president. Author Jonathan Karl described an experience in his book, "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show," where Donald spoke to reporter Zeke Miller about Karl himself. Karl quoted Donald as saying, "Jonathan is very cool ... He is like my son.'" Donald then pretended to speak with his son: "'Do you love your dad?' 'Uh, I don't know.' But he does. He's too cool. The kids." So we've got a hunch that Barron might be the shy type, at least with his dad.

Barron Trump's relationship with his mother is vastly more documented than the one he has with Donald Trump. Melania Trump made sure that Barron learned her own mother tongue, so as to connect with her and her family. He "speaks Slovenian fluently," GQ notes, and can converse with his maternal grandparents, who live in New York City.

As Barron became more of a public figure, thanks to his father's presidency and previous celebrity, the media couldn't help but notice his connection to his mother, since they were so heavily photographed. Bruce Durham, a body language expert, spoke to Express about Barron's growing independence in light of his close bond with Melania. "[Barron] has a slight smile with his fingers splayed and thumb in the same position, showing confidence," Durham explained, analyzing a photo of the two. "His mother sees this, and is happy enough to let him grow into this moment," he added. "No hand contact needed this time — just direct eye contact and the smile of a mother that is proud of her son." Barron is often at Melania's side during major events. 

Melania also puts Barron first, even before political protocol. The Trump family made endless headlines in 2016 for her refusal to bring Barron to the White House directly after Donald's inauguration. Her delay came from a desire to allow Barron to complete the rest of his school year, The New York Times notes. Barron was only 10 at the time, and Melania wouldn't budge.

Barron Trump's arrival at the White House was a novel experience in terms of presidential families. Prior presidents had children living in the White House, but the last few underage occupants were daughters. To find a previous first son who resided there as a child, one has to go all the way back to John F. Kennedy's presidency, Town & Country notes, to land on John F. Kennedy Jr.

While Barron certainly got a unique adolescence thanks to his dad's political aspirations, it doesn't look like it was always an easy experience being a kid in the White House. In 2017, when Kathy Griffin created an image of herself holding a severed head of Donald Trump, Barron found the visual traumatizing and understandably so. He was only 11 at the time, TMZ notes, and allegedly was deeply agitated by the photo. Trump shot back with a tweet: "Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick" (via TMZ).

In the same year, a writer for "Saturday Night Live," Katie Rich, tweeted, "Barron will be this country's first homeschool shooter" (via Business Insider). This tweet was also met with outrage, both by the White House and those outside of politics. Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Donald's political rival Hillary Clinton, jumped on Twitter to defend the president's son, writing, "Barron Trump deserves the chance every child does — to be a kid." 

Shortly after both Donald and Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, Melania wrote on the White House website that her main concern was Barron Trump contracting the virus. Unfortunately, he did, shortly after his parents tested positive.

"My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive. Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together," Melania wrote on the White House website. Indeed, Barron had a much lighter symptom load than either of his parents. Melania wrote that she went through "a roller coaster of symptoms," while Donald Trump had to be hospitalized. He remained there for several days due to "coughing, congestion and fever," The New York Times reported, which grew worse as the days went on.

Melania wrote that she was lucky enough to take "a more natural route in terms of medicine, opting more for vitamins and healthy food" to recover, and when the happy news came of Barron's recovery, she wrote, "He has since tested negative." This was certainly a fortunate thing that he was able to recover so quickly.

So what did Barron Trump think about Donald Trump's political life? The young boy was frequently out of the spotlight and obviously never gave interviews, but enough evidence came forward to show that Barron found his dad to be too hard in some moments.

In Donald's debates with President Joe Biden, Barron, who was 14 at the time, felt that his father was too bombastic. "People thought I was too belligerent," Donald said, according to Mollie Hemingway's book "Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections." "I will say my own son Barron said, 'Dad, you were too tough. You didn't have to keep interrupting him,'" he added.

In fact, as Politico notes, Donald's children, as well as Melania Trump herself, urged him to present a more "presidential" persona ahead of the 2016 election, so as to appear more palatable to the American voter. Trump's older children famously appeared alongside him, both on the campaign trail and in the White House, but Barron stayed out of the spotlight and away from the microphone on account of how young he was. Body language expert Bruce Durham spoke with the Mirror about the information he could glean from photographs of Barron and his parents at political events. "I think it is quite sad and sweet that Barron is looking at the floor in both photos," Durham said. "It must be hard for any young adult to be in that position." Clearly, Barron wasn't comfortable with so much attention.

While Donald Trump was president, he received endless vitriol, thanks to his contentious views and policies, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and the ways in which troubling moments in his past informed the present. Despite the outspokenness towards Donald, there was a unified attitude in the media to protect Barron Trump. After "Saturday Night Live" writer Katie Rich took things too far with her tweet about Barron being a homeschooled shooter, the unanimous view was to protect him and leave him alone.

In an opinion piece for the Observer, Jasmine Ting wrote, "He may be the son of the least popular incoming president in 40 years, but that doesn't justify personally attacking a 10-year-old boy. He is not his father. He's a child. And until he is able to speak for himself as an independent adult, he doesn't deserve any of this." It is worth mentioning that the Observer was owned by Donald's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the time, so keep that in mind.

However, Ting's opinion wasn't a hard pill to swallow, no matter what one's political allegiances were. On November 9, 2016, when Donald became the president-elect, media footage captured a sleepy Barron as he took in the news with the rest of his family. "I felt sorry for the Lad, I really did and if he was mine, I would have told him to go to bed or lay down anywhere," one Twitter user wrote. Another tweeted, "We are all Barron Trump," seemingly in reference to staying up so late to get the results.

Part of the protection of Donald Trump's youngest son has been to keep him out of the public eye as much as possible, but Barron Trump's notable absence from major events during his father's presidency raised some questions. Barron was not with his parents when they left the White House on their last day, People notes. In addition, he was nowhere to be found when Donald issued his final address as president at Joint Base Andrews, while Trump's other children, as well as Melania Trump, were there to witness it, the Daily Mail reports. Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner brought their children, and many of Donald's other grandchildren were present for the send-off.

Although the situation sparked endless "Home Alone" jokes on Twitter, there might be a more serious reason for Barron's absence from these final public events. During Donald's impeachment inquiry, Professor Pamela Karlan, who teaches at Stanford University, made reference to his inappropriate uses of power and said that "the president can name his son Barron, he can't make him a baron," according to Fox Business.

Obviously, mama bear Melania was all over this and snapped back on Twitter: "A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics. Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it." Others from both parties were against the comment, and it seems like a plausible connection that following Karlan's remark, Barron was kept away from the public.

Barron Trump finally got a chance to get out of the public eye in January 2021, when he moved to Florida with Donald and Melania Trump. Barron's new school, Oxbridge Academy, is near the family's Mar-a-Lago resort and is located in Palm Beach, per Express. The school is ultra-luxurious, having been founded by business mogul William Koch, and costs $34,800 annually. Fortunately for Barron, the school also offers a huge athletic program, so he's got it made in the shade. It even has a flight simulator, so he will be entertained for sure.

Not only was the transition an adjustment for Barron, who went from attending school in New York City to St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, to a new school in Florida, it also required some adaptability on the part of Oxbridge Academy. As The Palm Beach Post reports, it's the first time the school had to accommodate the Secret Service for any of its students. The head of Oxbridge Academy, Ralph Mauer, said, "A small contingent of (Secret Service) agents will be present during each school day. 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."

However, the security team won't be around forever. Barron is slated to graduate in 2024, and, as ABC News reported, Secret Service protection was set to end when he turned 16. As for his older siblings, they lost their secret service detail six months after Donald left office.

Height might be an odd thing to make headlines for, but Barron Trump went viral when he visited New York City in July 2021, and the groundbreaking news was that he got huge. He's a whopping 6 foot 7 inches, according to the New York Post. He and Melania Trump were photographed leaving Trump Tower, and the comparison of Barron next to his mother, who is 5-foot-11, was striking. Donald Trump is 6-foot-3. Barron now towers over all of Donald's older children, so they can't quite call him the baby of the family anymore.

The details of the sighting of Barron and Melania together were every bit as luxurious as we've come to expect from the family. Barron was carrying his mother's Louis Vuitton x Richard Prince bag, which cost an estimated $3,995, according to the Daily Mail, while Melania carried an $11,000 Birkin bag.

The Uber Facts Twitter account was all over the news and pointed out that Barron is "over a foot taller than the average 15-year-old." While some people were signing Barron up for the NBA, others followed the ongoing request to keep someone so young out of the spotlight. "Maybe don't post pictures of underage kids, no matter who their parents are?" one Twitter user commented. The factoid is a talking point for Trump himself, though, who mentioned Barron's height at the North Carolina GOP convention in the summer of 2021, per the New York Post. Clearly, he's come a long way from the little boy in the golden stroller.

He might be the youngest in the family, but this 17-year-old is every bit of a key figure in the Trump dynasty. Even more, he is now seemingly treading in the steps of his older siblings who have long played significant roles in their father's political career. Back In November 2022, when Donald Trump launched his 2024 presidential bid, Barron was visibly present at the event, seemingly showing support for his father. But perhaps most memorable about Barron's presence at the launch was his towering height and how protective he seemed of his father. "He's scanning the room like a Secret Service agent — watching hands. Boy is AWESOME," one Twitter user wrote. "He is well on his way to be an elegant & handsome man," another added.

But even when he is not physically present in the room with his father, Barron remains just as significant in his father's political affairs. During Donald's post-indictment speech at his Mar-a-Lago residence, he gave a shout-out to all his kids, including Barron. "I have a great family and they've done a fantastic job and we appreciate it very much," he stated. "I have a son here [Don Jr.] who has done a great job, another son here [Eric] who has done a great job, and Ivanka. And Barron will be great someday. He is tall and he is smart."

Barron Trump is turned 18 in 2024, but he will always be mommy's little boy. Speaking to People in March 2023, an insider described Melania Trump as a doting mother, revealing that the former first lady remained focused on Barron amid Donald Trump's legal drama. "Barron has always been a first priority in [Melania's] life," the source explained. "Of course, she is worried and concerned about the legal issues but she has not done anything more to protect Barron now than she ever did. She has always put him first. She is a good mother."

This comment reinforces a previous claim by Bruce Durham, a body language expert who, in 2020, told Express that despite what was often expected of him as the president's son, Melania made sure to always look out for Barron. "She knows he has a role there, what he needs to do, but also how to look after her only son with a mothering parent-child set up. She cares more about her son." Despite her ever-lingering protection, however, the former first lady is reportedly also happy to allow Barron to wield some control. "His mother sees this and is happy enough to let him grow into this moment," Durham said, referencing moments where the young Trump exuded independence.