Donald Trump's Plans For Barron's Graduation Day Confirm What We Suspected All Along
As Donald Trump embarked on tackling his now-infamous hush-money case in April, many wondered if his fraud trial would affect Barron Trump's upcoming graduation. Barron, Trump's youngest child, celebrated his 18th birthday on March 20 and is set to graduate from Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Florida, on May 17.
According to a report from The New York Times, the former president fought tooth and nail to get a day off from the trial to attend his son's graduation. Judge Juan M. Merchan granted his request at the end of April, stating, "I don't think the May 17 date is a problem." However, KNSI Radio reported that, on the day of Barron's graduation, Trump is slated to be miles away, headlining the GOP's Lincoln Reagan Dinner in Minnesota.
David Hann, GOP Chairman, described the event as "an annual tradition that reminds us of the roots of our Party and the leaders who have been most impactful in promoting our American values" and said that the controversial real estate mogul was the ultimate choice for hosting the function (via CBS News). Barron, however, may feel differently, especially considering his father didn't skip the graduations of his other kids. While it's possible that Trump will have time for both events — People reported that Barron's graduation starts at 10 a.m. and the Lincoln Reagan Dinner should take place several hours later — he will likely not be able to spend much time with his son after the ceremony even if he does attend.
Trump may be skipping his son's graduation for a state he vowed never to return to
Whether he makes it to his son's graduation or not, Donald Trump spending any amount of time in Minnesota wasn't on anyone's bingo card. Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, the former POTUS famously said: "If I lose Minnesota, I'm never coming back. I don't care" (via YouTube). Unfortunately for him and a handful of Minnesotans, the election did not sway in his favor, yet he's heading back. Despite the defeat, it seems the disgraced businessman is out to secure the North Star state in 2024, even if it means missing one of his youngest son's biggest accomplishments thus far.
According to NBC News, Trump and his team believe that Minnesota has a good chance of turning red in the 2024 election. "We have a real, real opportunity in expanding the [electoral] map in Virginia and Minnesota," Chris LaCivita, a senior advisor for the Trump campaign, shared with the outlet.
Despite publicly renouncing Minnesota, Trump appears to be eating his words, going as far as taking advantage of a well-meaning judge who halted an entire trial solely to advance his political agenda. As for Barron, after getting iced out by his family on social media over his milestone birthday, he might not be too thrilled to find out that his high school graduation day could be subjected to a similarly chilly treatment.