Trump Teases Political Path For Barron While Keeping Teen's College Plans Hush-Hush
Bad news: Barron Trump won't soon be making his political debut anytime soon after all. Though he was reportedly tapped to appear at the July 2024 Republican National Convention, mom Melania Trump announced through her office (per Daily Mail) her son has "prior commitments" at that time. Barron will just have to settle for continuing to talk shop with his dad behind the scenes in the meantime. In a recent interview with WPHT, a Philadelphia talk-radio station, Donald Trump said Barron "does like politics. It's kind of funny. He'll tell me sometimes, 'Dad, this is what you have to do'" (via New York Post). So while Barron might not be there to see his father elected to the November ballot, he's showing support for the campaign nonetheless.
But will the former president be there to support his son on an equally important day? After concern Donald Trump's ongoing fraud trial might mean missing Barron's high school graduation, Judge Juan Merchan decided to allow a court adjournment on the graduation date. As it so happens, Trump is also headlining the Minnesota GOP Reagan Lincoln Dinner that same evening. While it will be possible for him to attend both if he hurries out of Florida soon after Barron gets his diploma, Trump is still getting criticized for the double-booking. "Was there ever any doubt? We all know what his priorities are," said one commenter on X (previously Twitter). Another questioned, "If Trump lied about attending Barron's graduation, isn't that contempt of court?"
Barron may be making an important decision about school
Melania Trump's statement didn't specify the "commitments" keeping Barron from being in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, but her husband may have dropped a major hint. In his interview with Philadelphia's WPHT, Donald Trump said, "[Barron's] a senior now in high school, and he'll be going to college. And you know...a lot of these choices of colleges are changing because you see what's going on in the last month."
It was a startling statement to make on May 10, 2024, when most colleges have already sent out their acceptance notices. Trump's statement about "changing choices" suggests Barron had been planning to attend a school such as Columbia, Brown, or MIT, where campus life has been thrown into chaos by pro-Palestinian protests. Trump has been vocal in his criticism of the movement, as well as President Biden's handling of the crisis in Gaza, so it stands to reason he wouldn't want his youngest son anywhere near a protest site. Barron may be missing the mid-July RNC because he needs to tour more colleges and apply for admittance before classes begin in August.
Not surprisingly, Trump also took the opportunity to make yet another awkward comment about Barron's height: "He's a little on the tall side. I will tell you, he's a tall one, but he is a good-looking guy." (Perhaps Barron is secretly relieved he won't be in Wisconsin to hear his dad talk about his size yet again.)