False Things Everyone Believes About Barron Trump

Even before he became the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump was well-known as a businessman and TV personality. His fame also brought his family into the spotlight, including his current wife, Melania Trump, and their son Barron Trump. Barron is the youngest of Trump's children and the only child he and Melania have had together. While Barron is now in his teens, he was only 10 years old when his father became the president and he became part of the first family. That's quite young to have your life put into the public eye.

Because of that fame, there are a lot of misconceptions and rumors about Barron Trump. Though his father and many members of his family are often in the headlines, Barron seems to try to stay out of the spotlight as much as he can, which only adds to some of the mystery and speculation surrounding him. Here, we'll clear up some of the biggest misconceptions about Barron Trump.

Former President Donald J. Trump has faced multiple accusations of fraud in regard to his finances over the years. Recently, those accusations came to a head when Attorney General Letitia James of New York filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, his business, and three of his children — Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka — for overvaluing his assets by billions of dollars to lenders and insurers. The New York Times quoted James' suit, which called the inflated numbers "staggering" and claimed that it affected "most if not all of the real estate holdings in any given year."

Once news broke of the lawsuit, it didn't take long for a Facebook post to go up, claiming that the fraudulent finances had impacted the education of Trump's youngest son, Barron. According to the post, as cited by Politifact, Barron had been "kicked out" of school for unpaid fees. Due to the speculation surrounding Trump's finances, many were prone to believe the rumor, but the claims were false.

Following the 2020 election and the Trump family's move from Washington D.C. to Florida, Barron Trump did change schools. He now attends Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, for which the tuition and fees are $35,000. Presumably, those fees have been paid — the school's Director of Advancement Scott Siegfried told Politifact, "We are pleased to state that Barron Trump continues to attend Oxbridge Academy and is a member of the class of 2024."

This rumor was partially true, but it sounds a lot more dramatic than it was in reality. Following President Donald Trump's election in 2016, many were surprised by the news that Melania and Barron Trump would not be moving to Washington D.C. with the president in January, and were instead staying in their Trump Tower penthouse in New York City. While some thought this signaled a rift in the first family, the separation was only for a few months while Barron finished school.

As a source told the New York Post, "Melania is extremely close to Barron, and they have become closer during the campaign. The campaign has been difficult for Barron, and she is really hoping to keep disruption to a minimum." Because of that, the family decided to let Barron finish out his school year at the New York private school he'd been attending rather than transferring to a new D.C. school mid-year. Another source told People that while Melania was fully supportive of her husband and committed to her duties as a first lady, her first priority was her son. "Melania is a great mother and that is her most important role," the source said. "Barron is the most important thing in Melania's life."

In October 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was having an upward swing in the U.S., and news of the president and the first lady contracting the virus was dominating headlines. Donald Trump confirmed testing positive for the virus via a tweet, which stated, "Tonight, FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" But while the president and first lady's diagnosis was big news around the country, many were unaware that Barron Trump, who was 14 at the time, also tested positive for the virus.

When Barron was first tested for the virus, it came back negative. Melania Trump wrote about her experience with the virus and how one of her worst fears was her son getting it. According to NPR, Melania was relieved to see the negative result at first, but in a post on the White House website reflecting on the experience, she wrote, "I couldn't help but think 'what about tomorrow or the next day?'"

Barron later tested positive, but it was not a part of Trump's original tweet and was not as widely publicized. "Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms," Melania wrote. "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. He has since tested negative."

This rumor actually started with something that Donald Trump reportedly told a journalist. In his book "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show," ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl recounted a strange interaction with Donald Trump. As Karl described it, as reported by the Daily Mail, he and a few other journalists were invited to the Oval Office in March 2020 to discuss the upcoming White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

Karl went into the meeting determined not to beg the president to attend the dinner, which he had skipped in prior years. When Karl came across as not too enthusiastic about convincing Trump to come to the dinner, he recalled Trump comparing him to Barron, saying, "Jonathan is very cool. He is like my son." The president then said that whenever he would ask Barron if he loved him, Barron would reply by saying, "'Uh, I don't know."

While that portion of the book is quite intriguing and grabbed some attention, it's definitely not proof that Barron actually dislikes or doesn't love his father. If anything, it seems like a pretty typical teenager's response. So, assuming it means anything more significant about their father-son dynamic is a leap.

This particular rumor started when Donald Trump came out against vaping in 2019. The president wanted to ban flavored e-cigarettes after a string of deaths caused by lung illnesses. Speaking out against e-cigarettes, Trump discussed how the marketing for the products specifically targets teens. Vanity Fair quoted Trump as saying the issue was important to his wife because "she's got a son." Many were quick to notice that his phrasing made it seem like Barron was just Melania's child when he is also the president's son. It was likely just a slip of the tongue, and he even added "together" right after, clarifying that Barron is, of course, also his son. But late-night hosts still poked fun at the president for that slip-up.

On "The Daily Show," Trevor Noah joked about the incident, saying, "She's got a son? You mean, the son she made with you?" And over on "The Late Show," Stephen Colbert made a Donald Trump impression when he said, "The first lady has got a son — together. It's a mutual son, of course. I'm very involved with the doings of it, and so is the first lady, who is a lovely mother — together — who I love and know her name so well that I won't waste your time saying it out loud." But, while it made for some amusing late-night content, it seems unlikely Trump actually forgot about his son.

Although his parents have made an effort to keep Barron Trump out of the public eye as much as possible, in 2020, he began to trend on TikTok and Twitter. Creators on both apps began using the hashtag #saveBarron. Most of the TikTok videos under the tag consist of photos or video montages of Barron Trump set to music. Many Gen Z creators and viewers seemed concerned that the president's son was unhappy. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on the trend at the time, quoting one creator who captioned their video: "He's just a kid. I feel like he's different than his father." Another wrote, "I feel like he secretly hates his family."

This trend and the movement to "save" Barron started when rumors began circulating that Barron's Roblox account (a popular video game platform) had been found, per Slate. The account supposedly belonging to Barron was under the username JumpyTurtlee. The account's user had such interests as anime and K-Pop, with indications that they support a more liberal agenda than Donald Trump. JumpyTurtlee seemed to support LGBTQ rights — and maybe even Bernie Sanders. It's never been proven that the account was actually Barron's, but many online users ran with the story. The idea that Barron was just a normal kid, entirely different than his father, caught on with viral TikTok videos and tweets. But, again, there's never been any proof that it was really Barron's account or that he needed to be saved.

While being part of the first family puts Barron Trump in the public eye, it's an unspoken rule that fellow politicians and media outlets leave minors out of critique and political debates. Anytime Barron has been brought into public discourse, his parents and others — including those from opposing political parties — have been quick to defend him.

In 2017, a "Saturday Night Live" writer made an insensitive joke about Barron on Twitter, saying, "Barron will be this country's first homeschool shooter." The offensive tweet incited a flood of backlash. The writer apologized, calling her words "inexcusable," but was still suspended from "SNL." This shows how seriously people take attacks on children, regardless of political affiliation. CNN quoted Chelsea Clinton, who had similar experiences to Barron when her father Bill Clinton became president. Despite their families coming from opposite sides of the political spectrum, Chelsea spoke up for Barron, saying, "It's high time the media and everyone leaves Barron Trump alone and lets him have the private childhood he deserves."

This sentiment of leaving minors out of public discourse has come up often. During the impeachment hearings in 2019, Pamela Karlan made a seemingly innocent remark referencing Barron's name. Barron's mother Melania Trump tweeted, "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."

During Donald Trump's time in the White House, there were several key presidential events from which his son, Barron, was notably absent. Even as his father's term was coming to a close, the Daily Mail reported that he was not at President Trump's farewell speech, an event where the rest of the family, including Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany, was all present. People reported that he was also missing when the former president and first lady left the White House.

While Barron's absence from such major events may seem strange, it was likely strategic. Barron is the youngest of Trump's children, and Melania Trump has proven how protective she is of him. She has spoken about doing her best to keep her son out of the public discussion. Melania told Fox News, "I protect him, and I want to give him as normal a life as possible. This is not a normal life, but I like to protect him and give him the childhood he deserves."

It's no secret at this point that Melania Trump is a fierce protector of her son, Barron, and when this particular rumor began circulating, she was ready to go to court for him. In 2016, a YouTube video began circulating suggesting that Barron Trump might be autistic. The video, which garnered millions of views, showed clips of Barron and cited various mannerisms, such as the way he claps, as evidence of his supposed autism. Barron Trump was 10 at the time, and while the original poster claimed it was to make people stop bullying, Melania felt it had the opposite effect and threatened to sue if the video was not taken down.

A legal representative of the Trump family, Charles Harder, made a statement to The Wrap about the situation, saying, "A video was posted at YouTube recently speculating that Barron might be autistic. He is not. The video includes the hashtag 'StopTheBullying,' but yet the video itself is bullying by making false statements and speculation about a 10-year-old boy for the purpose of harassing him and his parents." Following the legal threats, the video was taken down.

In 2018, Melania Trump revealed that Barron Trump is "all into sports" while speaking at Liberty University. He seems to have a particular interest in soccer, as The Sun reported him playing for Arlington Soccer Association's under-14 and DC United's under-12 teams. However, his parents hope he won't play football.

While speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Donald Trump shared his safety concerns about the sport, saying, "I just don't like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football — I mean, it's a dangerous sport ... I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better, but it hasn't solved the problem. So, you know I — I hate to say it because I love to watch football. I think the NFL is a great product, but I really think that as far as my son ... I would have a hard time with it." 

The concerns Trump raised have become common with many parents, as more studies have come out showing the possible brain damage caused by the contact sport. Even former football players like quarterback Brett Favre have warned against letting young children play tackle football. However, while Trump voiced his concern about the sport, he didn't draw a hard-line rule keeping Barron from playing. When asked if Barron could play, Trump said, "If he wanted to? Yes. Would I steer him that way? No, I wouldn't."

Back in 2013, Melania Trump spoke to ABC about her son Barron and how he was like his father in many ways. She talked about how the then-young Barron didn't mind getting dressed for an occasion: "He's not a sweatpants child ... He doesn't mind putting on [a suit] — but not every day — and he likes to dress up in a tie sometimes, like Daddy." Later, speaking to the outlet, Melania famously said she calls Barron her "Mini-Donald."

However, as Barron has grown up, he's started differentiating himself from his father, just as any teenager would. He even criticized his father's conduct during the 2020 presidential debates. The Daily Mail quoted an excerpt from "Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections" by Fox commentator Mollie Hemingway. In the section of the book, Trump told Hemingway, "I will say my own son Barron said, 'Dad, you were too tough. You didn't have to keep interrupting him.'" This is one of many ways we can see Barron growing up and becoming his own person.

And at this point, calling Barron a "mini" anything seems wrong. Though still a teenager, the former president's son now towers over Donald and Melania Trump. Many have been shocked to see Barron standing at 6 feet, 7 inches in recent photos. He's already a few inches taller than his father and completely grown up from the young boy who first entered the White House.

In 2017, Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States, but many were quick to notice that during his inauguration, one guest seemed less than impressed. Barron Trump, who was 10 years old at the time, was seen yawning and looking bored throughout the ceremony.

Many Twitter users watching the inauguration made a joke out of Barron's bored appearance. One person tweeted, "Can somebody please toss Barron Trump a Game Boy or something? He [always] looks so bored." That sentiment was echoed by many others. Another Twitter user said, "As someone who once was a 10-year-old, I can confirm that #BarronTrump is thinking of a hundred things he would rather be doing right now."

While some people took this as a sign that Barron was bored or unimpressed by his father's victory, it seems much more likely that he was just tired. After all, he was only 10, and most children would get tired sitting through a presidential inauguration.