Donald Trump's Broken-Record Comments On Barron's Height Speak Volumes
Donald Trump hasn't minced words about how the guilty verdict in his criminal hush money trial has made him feel. But, what about his family? "In many ways, it's tougher on my family than it is on me," the former president told Fox News mere days after his conviction. However, when asked about his son Barron Trump, Donald's response was eye-opening. While the presidential hopeful had a lot to say, it didn't indicate that he is particularly close with his youngest son.
When asked about 18-year-old Barron, who graduated from high school in May, Donald's response had a rather surprising focus: his son's looks. "He's amazing, actually, and he's tall, good-looking, guy's a very good student," Donald said. Not only did Donald seem to quickly forget that he was making the point that his family is struggling with his guilty verdict, but he actually opted to talk about how well Barron is doing, instead. Rather than successfully proving either point, Donald's response mostly gave the impression that he isn't exactly close with his son.
This is far from the first time Donald has focused his comments about Barron on his height, and he has received flak in the past for how this makes him seem like a hands-off dad. Furthermore, considering the fact that Barron and his mom, Melania Trump, weren't by Donald's side throughout the trial and offered very quiet support after the verdict, signs point to Donald and Barron not having a particularly good relationship.
Donald's eagerness to avoid talking candidly about Barron is telling
When talking about his son, Barron Trump, Donald Trump didn't discuss in-depth details, returning to the same points he has many times in the past. He also spoke about Barron's plans, but in a way that still implied distance between the father and son. "He's a very good student. And, he's applied to colleges and gets into everywhere he goes," he told Fox News. "He's very sought after ... he's a very smart guy," he said, before pivoting back to Barron's height. "Very tall guy. And, he's a great kid. He's cool. He's pretty cool, I'll tell you."
Donald then veered talk of his son's college search away from Barron and in a political direction, sharing that they are choosing against colleges where students are engaging in protests. It's important to note that Melania Trump is a private person, and she has seemed committed to keeping Barron out of the spotlight to the best of her ability while he grew up. It's possible that, for this reason, Donald avoids delving too deeply into talking about Barron's life in interviews. Whether this is the reason behind Donald's response, or whether it is reflective of the depth of his relationship with Barron, his comments certainly don't give the impression that Donald and his youngest son have a close relationship.