Barron Trump is declining Florida’s offer to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention this summer, citing ‘prior committments,’ according to his mother’s office.
Melania Trump’s office made a statement to DailyMail.com on behalf of her son.
‘While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments,’ the Office of Melania Trump said.
No futher details were given.
‘While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party , he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments,’ the Office of Melania Trump said to DailyMail.com
On Wednesday, Barron, 18, was elected as an at-large delegate to help formally nominate his father Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee.
It’s now unclear if he will even attend the convention, which takes place in Milwaukee from Monday, July 15 to Thursday, July 18.
Other family members – Don Jr. and his fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Boulos – are also delegates at large for the state of Florida.
Ivanka Trump, who served as a senior adviser in her father’s White House, was the only Trump child not on the delegate list.
Unlike his half-siblings, Barron Trump was rarely seen during his father’s White House years, mainly at the request of his mother Melania who is known to be protective of her son.
She rarely let Barron attend official White House events when she was first lady. Additionally, she would have Barron travel in a separate car – instead of the Beast – when he rode in the presidential motorcade. The dedicated mom made sure he was buckled up in his SUV.
She also had Barron board Air Force One on the back stairs of the plane so there would not be photographs of him climbing the front stairs with his parents.
The former first lady has used her own presence to signal her support or displeasure with her husband. She did attend his announcement at Mar-a-Lago that he would make another presidential bid but she was not there on the night of Super Tuesday, when Trump effectively locked up the Republican presidential nomination.
Barron wasn’t present at any of the above political events.
Melania Trump is known to be a protective mother of her son Barron, who was 10 when his dad became president; above she straightens his tie on Inauguration Day
Previously, Barron has been the target of social media trolls.
Former NBC News executive Mike Sington said Barron was ‘fair game’ turning 18, the birthday that marks adulthood. He later deleted the tweet after facing harsh backlash and criticism online.
The youngest Trump was defended by many of his former first kids, including Chelsea Clinton.
‘I think he’s a private citizen,’ she told ABC’s The View. ‘I feel so strongly that if you are a private citizen, you have an unimpeachable right to privacy, and I think the media should leave him alone.’
And, last year, a Chicago woman was arrested for making death threats against Barron.
‘He does like politics. It’s sort of funny,’ Trump told ‘Kayal and Company’ on Philadelphia’s Talk Radio 1210 WPHT of his son Barron
Friday’s shock announcement comes after Donald Trump revealed Barron likes politics and enjoys giving his father advice.
‘He’s really been a great student. And he does like politics. It’s sort of funny,’ the former president told ‘Kayal and Company’ on Philadelphia’s Talk Radio 1210 WPHT.
‘He’ll tell me sometimes, ‘Dad, this is what you have to do,” he added.
Trump also revealed the 18-year-old, who is graduating from high school next week, is weighing what college he might attend. But, he noted, the campus protests have been a factor in that decision.
‘He’s a senior now in high school, and he’ll be going to college. And you know, a lot of, a lot of these choices of colleges are changing because you see what’s going on in the last month,’ Trump said.
Trump has been critical of the pro-Palestine protests that have turned up on college campuses throughout the nation. He told Time magazine he would call out the National Guard on them.
Barron is considering NYU, the Daily Beast reported, but the school has seen its share protesters and arrests by NYPD. The Trump family has made no announcement about where Barron will go.
The former president also complimented his 6ft7in son’s looks.
‘He’s a little on the tall side. I will tell you, he’s a tall one, but he is a good-looking guy,’ Trump said.
The former president spent Friday in a Manhattan court room as New York continues to prosecute him over a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Daniels testified in court this week, talking aboug her sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. She claimed Trump told her at the time he and Melania have separate bedrooms.
Trump has denied the affair.
Then-President Donald Trump, center, waves while walking with First Lady Melania Trump, right, and son Barron Trump on the South Lawn in November 2019
Barron has neve been in public life his half-siblings – above Don Jr., Melania, Donald, Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany Trump
Reports of Barron’s interest in politics seemed confirmed on Wednesday when the Republican Party of Florida picked him to join his older siblings as an at-large delegate for the state.
The only requirement to be a delegate is to live and vote in the state. Barron, who turned 18 in March, will be eligible to cast his first votes in the August primary and in the November election.
Barron graduates from Oxbridge Academy in suburban West Palm Beach next week.
That day – May 17th – will be a busy one for Donald Trump.
He’s also scheduled to be the keynote speaker at Minnesota’s Lincoln Reagan dinner.
Barron’s graduation ceremony is in the morning so it’s feasible Trump could attend both events.
It’s unclear what Barron’s plans are for after high school.
But sources told DailyMail.com that the 6ft 7in teen, who has never uttered a word in public, is a steadfast supporter of the Trump 2024 campaign behind the scenes.
Barron was at his father’s 2016 presidential announcement and attended the Republican National Conventions in both 2016 and 2020.
He was not at his father’s 2024 announcement at Mar-a-Lago.
Barron Trump, seen walking from Marine One in August 2020, has developed a taste for politics and will be a delegate for Florida to the Republican National Convention
Barron Trump (center) with mom Melania (left) and siblings Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany as Donald Trump is sworn in as president in January 2017 – he was just 10 when his father became president
President Donald Trump and son Barron Trump exit Air Force One in February 2020
Barron Trump with his parents Donald and Melania on the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention in August 2020
In Trump’s last two White House campaigns, Don Jr., Eric and Ivanka were heavily involved – speaking at their father’s rallies and campaigning for him. Tiffany joined her siblings in the 2020 campaign but Barron stayed out of sight.
He was only 10 when his father became president.
Barron, who turned 18 last month, returned to the spotlight with Donald Trump’s hush-money trial when the former president argued he should be allowed a break from trial to attend Barron Trump’s May 17 high school graduation.
Judge Juan Merchan agreed to allow the break in the trial.