The Time Jenna Bush Hager Went To Bat For Barron Trump

As the saying goes, you can't pick your family. While this statement can be lighthearted, it can be taken quite seriously as well. Sometimes people can experience judgement from others simply because of their family members. We frequently see it in the media due to the "nepo baby" debates that surround the children of famous parents. It can be difficult to live up to a famous parent as well.

Close relatives of more divisive figures in the public eye, such as politicians, can feel the world's judgements just as severely, and it can be even harder to escape the spotlight. When someone becomes president of the United States, the president's family becomes the "first family," often appearing alongside the president at various events. This is especially true for Donald Trump's family, as some of his children became heavily involved in his presidency. Unfortunately, Trump's youngest son Barron has not been spared from public discourse, despite his young age. However, he has allies in members of other "first families," such as former president George Bush's daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, who has come to his defense in the past. 

Barron Trump was only 10 years old when his father Donald Trump became President of the United States. He is the only child of Donald and Melania Trump. You would be hard-pressed to find an American who does not have some sort of opinion on Donald Trump, both as a person and as a president. As people voice these opinions in public and online, Barron has found himself in the crossfire and subjected to judgement. Jenna Bush Hager finds this unfair, telling People, "obviously, Barron Trump didn't ask his dad to run for president. It wasn't his decision." She also stated that attacks on Barron from internet trolls make her "mad," and she believes that "kids should be allowed to be kids."

Bush Hager and her twin sister Barbara Bush Coyne extended the same gentleness to Malia and Sasha Obama. They even penned a letter to them in Time when President Barack Obama's presidency ended. "Surround yourself with loyal friends who know you, adore you and will fiercely protect you. Those who judge you don't love you, and their voices shouldn't hold weight," they wrote.

Aspects of Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush Coyne's letter in Time could apply to Barron Trump as well. They wrote that Barack and Michelle Obama "were reduced to headlines." It seems that not a day goes by without a headline about Donald Trump. Barron may inspire fewer front-page stories, but one in 2017 was met with criticism from another former first daughter, Chelsea Clinton. The article was titled, "It's High Time Barron Trump Starts Dressing Like He's In the White House." Clinton tweeted, "It's high time the media & everyone leave Barron Trump alone & let him have the private childhood he deserves." She reiterated her sentiments in another tweet a year later, stating that Barron is "a kid and private citizen and deserves to be left alone."

Barron's mother Melania Trump is understandably protective over him, according to those close to the family. "Barron has always been a first priority in [Melania's] life," a local of Palm Beach — the Trump family's primary residence — told People in 2023. This is especially true as the family grapples with Donald's legal issues.