In her memoir, Melania Trump discusses whether or not Barron is autistic.
Melania Trump, besides revealing that her son Barron is not autistic, said that her son was subjected to online and in-person bullying as a result of Rosie O'Donnell's erroneous tweet.
In her newly released memoir, Melania, the former first lady tackled persistent rumours that the youngest of Donald Trump's five children might have autism. Rehashing many of the controversies surrounding the couple since Trump's candidacy in 2015, the book regularly takes aim at critics of Melania and her husband.
However, the section about O'Donnell might be the most scathing about one of the couple's alleged rivals and the most insightful about Barron, whose privacy Melania had up until now strenuously protected.
The argument with O'Donnell began when Barron, who is now 18 years old, was the target of an offensive, widely shared video in November 2016 that claimed to demonstrate behaviors indicative of autism spectrum disorder, such as not slapping his hands together when he clapped following his father's speech to the Republican National Convention.
When comedian and former co-host of The View O'Donnell tweeted about it in apparent sympathy, calling it an opportunity to bring attention to what she called the autism spectrum, the video gained enormous momentum.
Melania wrote that the cruelty appalled her, and she could tell she had no interest in spreading knowledge about autism. She seemed to be attacking her son because she didn't like her husband, Trump.
Barron was bullied online and in real life. Melania accuses comedian Rosie O'Donnell of sheer malice and calls it devastating as a parent. The memoir also reveals that Melania is at odds with her husband's party over abortion, arguing that a woman's fundamental right to individual liberty grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy.
The memoir is highly supportive of Trump but also has a throughline of her love for Barron, who is now a freshman at New York University's Stern School of Business.
What has Melania Trump said about the autism rumors surrounding her son Barron?
Melania Trump clarified in her memoir that Barron is not autistic and expressed her frustration with Rosie O'Donnell for spreading the false claim, which resulted in bullying.
How has bullying affected Barron Trump?
Melania revealed that Barron was bullied both online and in person after rumors about his health spread, causing irreversible emotional damage.
