How The Trump Family Members Feel About Barron

Now that he's officially an adult, Barron Trump is buzzier than ever. The reserved preteen of his earlier White House days has become a self-assured college student who clued dad Donald Trump in on ways to win younger voters. All eyes will be on Barron during this second administration to find out what kind of student he is, how often he'll be at White House functions, and (yes) who he might be dating. But no one will be more interested in his life than his family. Between his parents, his four half-siblings, and assorted nieces and nephews, Barron has quite a large team in his corner. 

While other famous clans have been torn by public feuds and scandals involving children's doings — think Prince Harry and Prince William, Josh Duggar and his 18 sibs, Elon Musk and his daughter Vivian Wilson — the senior Trumps have all praised Barron for his school performance, athleticism, and his height. (Especially his height.) And while the family may not see one another as often as they might like, they still maintain a good relationship with the youngest of the president's sons.

First on the list, of course, is Barron Trump's relationship with dad Donald, which is weird in some ways. The president was a hands-off parent when it came to mundane child-rearing tasks such as changing diapers and going on playground outings, but Donald took pride in teaching his youngest son the important things in life, as evidenced by the famous viral "Barron suitcase video." The clip from a "Larry King Show" CNN segment showed 4-year-old Barron dressed in a suit, complete with a little briefcase. (His Slovenian accent as he said, "I love my soootcase" confirmed he spent much of his time with mom Melania Trump.) Donald affectionately ordered him to be a straight-A student and avoid vices like cigarettes and alcohol. "And no tattoos," he added (per YouTube). "I don't ever want to see tattoos on you."

Barron opted not to get publicly involved with his father's third presidential campaign. He turned down the opportunity to be a delegate at the 2024 Republican National Convention. He did, however, help Donald in one important way. The president has said Barron pointed him toward interview opportunities with conservative podcasters, which helped him earn votes from Gen Z voters. He also frequently praises his son's intelligence and high grades.

With Barron at NYU and Donald in the White House for the next few years, they may not have much opportunity for bonding. Despite their distance, there's no indication of tension between the two.

Nobody knows Barron Trump better than his devoted mother. First Lady Melania Trump has a deep bond with Barron, partly due to Donald's ego. While the president's priorities revolve around himself and his need for adoration, his wife puts their son's needs foremost. She threw herself into parenthood, taking charge of day-to-day duties. In the first months of Trump's first administration, Melania and Barron stayed in New York so he could finish school with his friends and adjust to D.C. life over the summer. "I keep him balanced and just have his childhood as normal as possible," she told ABC News in 2012. "He's enjoying his school and his sports. He's a great athlete. And I just want to have him out of the spotlight for now."

History is repeating itself eight years later with the first lady and youngest first son back in Manhattan. We can't say for sure that Barron chose NYU so he could live in Trump Tower, but c'mon — who wouldn't choose an entire floor of the family penthouse over a tiny dorm room? This buys Melania a few more years of mother-son quality time, but a psychologist recently told The List that Melania faces loneliness once Barron finishes school. "In the healthiest of parent-child relationships, turning 18, growing into a young man, and leaving home, is a huge deal for most mothers," Dr. Sanam Hafeez said.

In a highly unusual family scenario, Donald Trump Jr. became a dad for the first time just two years after his own father welcomed his fifth child. By that time, Don Jr. was also an executive in the Trump Organization and a regular judge on "The Apprentice," so he probably didn't have much opportunity to hang out with young Barron. The same holds true today, now that Barron is off at college and Don Jr. is busy promoting their dad and enjoying his romance with new girlfriend Bettina Anderson. Even so, the two get on just fine, and are often seen together at important Mar-a-Lago events.

The first first son occasionally pokes fun at the age difference between himself and his youngest brother. In 2024, Don Jr. and Eric scheduled Barron to join them on a podcast to discuss the family's crypto platform. But when the host tried to patch Barron into the conversation, he had already left. "Damned teenagers!" joked Don Jr. (per The Independent). "I'm like the boomer now — the grumpy old man with the white beard."

Barron Trump is actually closer in age to Ivanka Trump's three children than to Ivanka herself. (Ivanka's daughter, Arabella Kushner, is just five years younger, as opposed to the 25-year age gap between her mom and uncle.) But the two seem to enjoy an affectionate bond. Showing a closeness with his sister, Barron demonstrated his cheeky humor at their dad's second inauguration with a sly photobomb as Ivanka, Tiffany, and Lara Trump posed for a portrait. Only after the women turned around did they notice the teen, and Ivanka playfully swatted him on the arm and said, "That's the best!" before they did a retake (as seen here on Lara's Instagram page). 

Demonstrating the thoughtfulness she espouses on her own social media feeds, Ivanka was the only member of the family to wish Barron a happy 19th birthday on March 20, 2025. Sharing the photo seen here — also from the inauguration — she wrote, "Happy Birthday Barron! Love you," along with a heart emoji. The other sibs and the senior Trumps may well have sent their wishes privately or even arranged a celebratory dinner. But it's still nice to get a public shout-out, especially from a sibling who used to advise the president of the United States. 

It's hard to say which of his siblings Barron Trump might be closest to, but he seems to have the most in common with big sister Tiffany Trump. They're closest in age; Barron was born when Tiffany was just 13. Both are the only children Donald Trump had with their mothers; Tiffany was raised in California with her mom, Marla Maples, while Barron enjoys a close bond with Melania Trump. They're both far more private than their older sibs, and much less involved in their dad's political doings. They may also be connected by the "spare" syndrome so famously lamented by Prince Harry. Like the Duke of Sussex, Barron and Tiffany often take a back seat to their older and more vocal siblings, who hold important roles in the family business.

Throwback photos shared by Tiffany on Barron's past birthdays also hint at their bond. She often refers to him simply as "B," and always expresses her sisterly love. One year, she announced on Instagram, "Happy 14th birthday to the best 'little' brother I could ever ask for! You mean so much to me, Barron, I wish you all the happiness in the world! Love you!" Perhaps when he's allowed to have his own social media account, we'll find out whether B has a nickname for his sister (maybe T?).

As with the other three siblings, there's a wide age gap between Eric Trump and younger bro Barron. That hasn't kept them apart, however; in fact, Eric suggests their shared love for their father has brought all the Trump children together. He once told the Daily Mail, "It is rather remarkable that the five of us, that the five kids, we are so close and we go out there and fight. And they haven't been able to divide us — and they've tried. They've tried in every way that you can possibly imagine to make it so miserable, so uncomfortable. They haven't been able to do so."

Asked about Barron, Eric described him as intelligent and "a great kid," adding, "He's been brought up well and he's gonna have a great future ahead of him." He also tossed in a bit of advice for the college student, whom he dubbed "the most watched bachelor" now that his doings will be more visible to the public. "Just be careful, just be careful," Eric said. "There are a lot of eyes on you."

Barron Trump had some built-in playmates when he moved to the White House for the first time. Don Jr. and Ivanka were also in D.C. advising their father, and their older children had a great time playing with their Uncle Barron. Ivanka told Hello!, "They spend a lot of time in the Oval [Office] with their grandfather, which is a lot of fun for them." Ivanka's third child, Theo, was just a few months old at the time of the first inauguration, but Barron was an expert at interacting with him as well. While Trump was signing his first executive orders, Barron entertained his little nephew with smiles and peek-a-boo games. 

Similarly, Don Jr.'s five children enjoyed hijinks at their grandpa's place while he was busy running the country. Kai Trump reminisced about those days while on her way to the Liberty Ball following the second Trump inauguration. Estimating that she'd been on the property "about 20 times," she added (per YouTube),  "We used to play hide-and-go-seek while I was in the White House. It was me, Barron and [brother] Donny — that's a fun fact for you."

Rounding out the group are Eric Trump's two children, Luke and Carolina, who were born during their grandfather's first term. Tiffany Trump is expecting her first baby in April 2025, making Barron an uncle for the 11th time.