Everything You Need to Know About Barron Trump
The President's youngest child turned 14 this year.
Unlike his older half-siblings, Barron Trump, who turned 14 in March, stays (for the most part) out of the political spotlight. But today, he's making headlines for a positive COVID-19 test.
In an essay posted on the White House website, Melania Trump shared her experience with coronavirus. In it, she also revealed that her son Barron did at one point test positive for the disease as well, but did not exhibit any symptoms.
It was two weeks ago when I received the diagnosis that so many Americans across our country and the world had already received—I tested positive for COVID-19. To make matters worse, my husband, and our nation’s Commander-in-Chief, received the same news.
Naturally my mind went immediately to our son. To our great relief he tested negative, but again, as so many parents have thought over the past several months, I couldn’t help but think “what about tomorrow or the next day?”. My fear came true when he was tested again and it came up positive. Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together. He has since tested negative.
Here's what else you need to know about the youngest member of the Trump family.
Barron is not frequently photographed.
He is most commonly spotted traveling with his parents, boarding and disembarking Air Force One or the President's helicopter, as he was here, when the Trump family returned from their holiday trip to Mar-a-Lago.
A couple months earlier, Barron was seen heading to Florida to spend the Thanksgiving long weekend at Mar-a-Lago with the President and First Lady.
In 2018, the Trumps spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Florida at Mar-a-Lago. When 12-year-old Barron got off the plane with his parents, it was one of the first times he appeared to be as tall as his father.
Barron at Thanksgiving dinner at Mar-a-Lago alongside his father and half siblings, Tiffany and Ivanka.
And in April, 2018, he had made a rare public appearance at the annual White House Egg Roll. Barron hung back with his parents and watched his younger nieces and nephews race off to hunt for eggs.
Barron Trump, his parents, his older brother Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump, Donald Jr.’s estranged wife, watch as several of the President's grandchildren start the Egg Roll.
Barron is the first boy to live in the White House since JFK Jr.
The three most recent presidents—Obama, Bush, and Clinton—have been fathers only to girls. While other presidents since JFK’s time have had sons, they’ve all been adults who lived outside of the White House.
He is making history by attending St. Andrew's Episcopal School.
While every president’s child over the past 35 years has attended Sidwell Friends, the White House has confirmed Barron is attending St. Andrew’s in Potomac, Maryland. He is the first presidential child to do so. In a statement, Melania praised the school for “its diverse community and commitment to academic excellence.”
My youngest brother proves he's a baby whisperer—while my father signs his first executive orders. pic.twitter.com/UqJeCcTjg3
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 23, 2017
However, school will look a bit different for Barron this year. The First Son is set to start ninth grade in September, but he will be doing so virtually. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, St. Andrew's recently announced they will begin classes with a virtual-learning-only plan. This announcement came just hours after Barron's father tweeted, "OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!!"
His main interest is apparently "sports."
In November of 2018, the First Lady spoke at a forum at Liberty University, the institution founded by Jerry Falwell in Lynchburg, Virginia that has been crucial in shoring up Donald Trump's support on the religious right. Melania was there to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic as part of her "Be Best" initiative, and she shared a few details about her family's life in the White House. She shared that Barron is not on social media and that he is "all into sports."
That said, in the lead up to Super Bowl Sunday, President Trump said he'd have "a hard time" with letting his son play football. "I just don't like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football," President Trump said.
"I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better but it hasn't solved the problem."
He’s fluent in both English and Slovene.
#summer ☀️ #tbt pic.twitter.com/lXNuCKgyJB
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) June 11, 2015
Thanks to his Slovenian mother, Melania.
Barron is really tall.
When’s the last time you saw a seventh grader nearly as tall as his dad and former-model mom? While Barron’s official height isn’t publicly available, photos show he is as tall as (not taller than) the 6’2” President Trump. His mother Melania is 5’11" (without her ever-present heels).
He and his mother took their time moving to the White House.
After months of living in New York City with his mom, Barron finally made the move to Washington, D.C. in June, halfway through the president's first year in office. First Lady Melania Trump confirmed the news with a tweet saying, "Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home! #Movingday" and a photo presumably taken out one of the White House windows of the Washington Monument.
Looking forward to the memories we'll make in our new home! #Movingday pic.twitter.com/R5DtdV1Hnv
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) June 12, 2017
The White House may actually be a downgrade.
In his parents' Trump Tower penthouse, Barron had a whole floor to himself, which his mother referred to as "Barron's living room." What does a nine-year-old do with his own living room? We may never know.
Also unknown: exactly how much it cost the New York City taxpayers to protect Melania and Barron during their time in Manhattan, making the decision to stay behind a controversial one. CNNMoney reported it cost more than $1 million per day to provide security for President Trump and his family while he was still living in New York after the election.
