Barron Trump appeared in public for the first time in months when his father, Donald Trump, won the presidential election in November. The 18-year-old lived at the White House with his parents during Donald’s first presidential term, but this time around, things will be different as he has begun his studies at New York University.
The son of the former and future president has never been one for the spotlight and has always been shielded from the media by his mother, Melania. Even so, there have been plenty of reports of his life, and as soon as a few weeks ago, schoolmates at NYU spoke anonymously about Barron.
There has been plenty of media coverage on Barron, which has raised some sensational stories. In December, one appeared on the internet, claiming that Barron gave a homeless man a $100 bill. Now, the story has gotten its answer. Is it really true?
Barron Trump’s life won’t change much despite his father winning the November presidential election. The 18-year-old graduated from Oxbridge Academy earlier this year with his father and mother in the crowd, and in September, he enrolled at Stern’s Business School at New York University.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, Donald Trump explained that his son considered following in his footsteps by attending Pennsylvania University’s Wharton School. Ultimately, however, he opted to stay in the Big Apple, where he was raised. Stern Business School is considered one of America’s best business schools. However, only 1 in 20 applicants make it through to the undergraduate program.
“It’s a very high-quality place. He liked it. He liked the school,” Trump told DailyMail.com. “We liked NYU. I’ve known NYU for a long time, but it’s one of the highest-rated schools.”
“I went to Wharton, and that was certainly one that we were considering. We didn’t do that,” Trump continued. “We went for Stern. He’s a very high-aptitude child, but he’s no longer a child. He’s just passed into something beyond childhood, he’s doing great.”
Melania “will do everything she can” to support Barron
Donald added that Barron plans to continue playing soccer at NYU. He has always been a big soccer fan and played for one of the MLS clubs, DC United’s youth team, while living at the White House.
Barron Trump has benefitted from Secret Service protection since leaving the White House, and the 18-year-old will continue to have agents around him as he studies at NYU. The federal law enforcement agency previously confirmed that Barron would receive protection, but it didn’t specify exactly how.
Due to his studies, Barron will not live at the White House as he did during his father’s last presidential term. He will continue living at Trump Tower, but whether Melania Trump will be at his side is still to be determined.
Several sources tell People Magazine that Melania “will do everything she can” to support Barron’s well-being and so that he is getting good grades. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old will not get the “full college experience” by living in a dorm.
“Living in a dorm in a college town isn’t in the stars for him at this point,” a source told People. “Barron already has his own political ideas. It all needs to be monitored in light of the situation.”
“She tries to normalize his life”
Another source told the news outlet that living at home is Barron’s best option now.
“Whether or not others think he is capable of being on his own, Melania feels it’s better to be around him as much as possible,” that source said. “I see that continuing.”
Melania’s reason for being close to Barron Trump does not only involve supporting him in his early days at NYU. Two other sources told People Magazine that his father’s return to the White House as President of the United States has played a part.
“Melania worries about the hate in the country and how it falls on her son, who is innocent of any of this,” the source said. “She is and has been a good sounding board for him. They talk about life as it is and how they are in the spotlight,” the source adds. “She tries to normalize his life. If that is even possible.”
“Any child in the world spotlight like this would be lucky to have a parent so willing to give her time to help keep his life running smoothly,” a Palm Beach source told the outlet.
Another unnamed source stated: “She wants to encourage him to make friends, be super careful of the haters which can be anywhere — especially on college campuses these days — and keep him mentally healthy by having open communication with him and the rest of her immediate family.”
What Barron Trump’s schoolmates think of him
Paparazzi photographers photographed Barron during his first day at NYU. Meanwhile, many “regular” people attend the school, and it appears they have mixed emotions about Barron.
The Daily Mail went to the NYU campus to speak with some students, one of whom speculated that Barron might change his outlook on life to fit in.
“He’s going to NYU, so if he is at all interested in girls, he’s going to become kind of liberal, I’ll tell you that,’ one student told the Daily Mail.
Another student stated: “My mom is going to want me to marry him.”
Secret Service agents will, as mentioned, follow Barron around campus all the time. A third student stated they felt “really bad for him” as he “did not choose this life.”
A fourth student said: “His dad is his dad and he is own person so I’m not going to judge,” adding that she would definitely consider a friendship. “Of course, who wouldn’t want to be friends with a Trump?”
However, not everyone is thrilled that the president’s son will study at NYU. One student said she would “absolutely not” be friends with Barron Trump.
‘It speaks to the privilege that a lot of the NYU kids have. I’m only here because of financial aid,’ the student told the Daily Mail.
Barron Trump making friends online at NYU
Barron appears to have had a hard time making friends at New York University. According to US outlet TMZ, he has turned to online gaming, inviting classmates to play with him in the virtual world. However, he has found a clever way to connect with new college friends.
According to TMZ, he has invited them to join him on the popular gaming platform Discord, where users play games and chat with each other. Since he’s a big soccer fan, he plays the popular video game EA Sports FC 25.
It’s close to Trump Tower to New York University, but Barron is reportedly escorted to and from campus in an SUV. Even so, TMZ reports that classmates have described him as “chill.”
Melania Trump has always been her son’s guardian angel. In December, when appearing on Fox and Friends, she spoke about Barron and his college experience, stating that his time at NYU will be very different compared to the rest of the students.
“I don’t think it’s possible for him to be a normal student. His experience at college — it’s very different than any other kid,” Melania Trump said.. “He’s very strong and he knows that he’s in a different position than other children.”
Did Barron Trump give a homeless man a $100 bill?
So, how is Barron doing at school? According to a People Magazine source, the 18-year-old has been “popular with the ladies” since starting classes in September.
“He’s at Stern so he’s studying business in some way, he’s a ladies man for sure. He’s really popular with the ladies, he’s tall and handsome,” the source said. “A lot of people seem to think he’s pretty attractive — yes, even liberal people like him.”
It’s not strange that Barron Trump is of significant interest to the media and the public. The youngest son of Donald Trump has lived a mysterious life, which most likely has contributed to people’s desire to know more about him. While that might be the case, today, in the world of social media, rumors can quickly become facts, as many won’t take the time to fact-check.
There have been many stories about Barron Trump and his life, but one that caused much stir was published in mid-December. YouTube channel Elite Stories posted a video claiming that Barron had helped a homeless man by giving him a $100 bill. The title read, “Homeless Man asks Barron, ‘Can you give me 1$?’ Trump’s response is SHOCKING”
As of December 23, the video had nearly 1 million views. In the video, a narrator describes a night in Cleveland, during which a homeless man named Leonard was claimed to have asked Barron for $1. Instead, he handed him a $100 bill. Moreover, as described in the video, the president’s son was claimed to have written down an address where Lenoard could get some help.
Fact-checking website Snopes shuts down false Barron Trump homeless man rumor
In the comment section on YouTube, many people praised Barron Trump for his kindness in helping a man in need. But was it too good to be true? Acclaimed fact-checking website Snopes has looked closer at the story – and it is not true at all.
In an article published on December 19, Snopes writes that there have been no records of any interaction between the homeless man and Barron. The site debunked the script in the YouTube video, with the narrator saying that Barron and Leonard’s meeting took place at the corner of Broad Street and 17th Avenue. However, Google Maps says those two streets don’t even exist.
Moreover, when Snopes did an image search on Google, the photo used in the video could be traced back to a story by the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2017. The man in that article was named Bryon “Roc” Peeler, not Leonard.
The YouTube channel Elite Stories posted a disclaimer in their description: “The stories presented on this channel are entirely fictional and crafted solely for entertainment. Any resemblance to real events, individuals, or situations is purely coincidental and unintentional. These narratives are not intended to depict, reference or represent any actual occurrences, persons or entities.”