Donald and Melania Trump have taken serious measures to protect their son Barron’s privacy, not just during their White House years but in the time after office. Therefore, any new clips or images of their only son cause quite an uproar. The public is always hungry for a glimpse of him since it’s so rare. In 2024, Barron finally turned 18. Preparing to attend college, he started to make more public appearances, faced with scrutiny from the media and the public. When he attended the 2022 funeral service for his father’s first wife, Ivana, and the 2024 service for his grandmother, Amalija Knavs, he behaved respectfully and had a somber attitude while attending.
However, when he was seen at the Mar-a-Lago Easter luncheon, people saw a less serious side of his personality. Trump critic Ron FIlipkowski posted a series of videos on Twitter showing Barron as your typical teen. In one, he sat listlessly at the Easter dinner table, with his elbows propped up as he appeared to be staring straight ahead and daydreaming.
In the second video, Barron and Donald are entering the hall, facing a crowd of guests. The ex-POTUS then performed what many refer to as his trademark move: a side-to-side elbow pump. The look on Barron’s face was amused yet embarrassed. We all know the face—that of a teenager going, “There they go again, trying to be cool” about a parent, internally cringing but also equally entertained.
He stayed slightly away from his father, as many teens do to avoid association, but it was impossible as a full room of respondents was there to witness it all.
Trump arrives at Easter dinner with Barron showing off his signature dance moves. pic.twitter.com/Os9CiRUAPk
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 1, 2024
Commenters watched Barron distance himself physically
Barron should probably be used to his father’s quirks by now, including his obsession with fast food and his controversial opinions on social media, so you would think he would be used to the fist-pumping “dance,” which is common when Trump arrives at social events. While Barron might know this move is inevitable, it doesn’t mean he enjoys it. It’s hardwired in teens that whenever their parents call attention to themselves, they slow down and smirk at the bare minimum.
Over 1,000 followers commented on the video, noting that Barron didn’t look comfortable. One said, “Poor kid. I bet he can’t wait to get away to college.” Another person mused from the POV of a parent, saying, “No teen wants to be around their parent(s) under normal circumstances. This is not a normal circumstance, and Barron looks like he’d rather be anywhere else.”
Other fans were more fascinated by how Barron appeared at the event. Wearing a yellow tie, a dark suit, and hair with a subtle pompadour look, the teenager resembled his dad more than he ever had in the past. One commenter said it looked like the father and son shared the same hairstylist, while another hoped that Barron would “step out and gain his own identity.”
Is Barron worried about being judged for his dad’s behavior?
Many psychologists note that as adolescents try to establish their own sense of self and independence, it’s common to feel embarrassed by a parent. During this time preceding adulthood, they’re also very conscious of how they look to their peers, so while his dad was performing his weird-but-expected dance, Barron might have been concerned about how his friends would react to seeing the clip of Donald Trump and what he would have to deal with at school.
But with Election Day nearing, Barron will simply have to get used to that attention. If a second term does happen for Donald, it’s almost certain that the family will expect Barron to attend more official events when it doesn’t get in the way of school. As he enters this new era of adulthood, being in the spotlight will be inevitable, and he’ll have to come to terms with a loss of privacy.
Though Baron might not be completely comfortable making more public appearances now that he turned 18, he’s clearly making an attempt to appear more comfortable. According to body language expert Traci Brown in an interview with The List, Barron’s stance with steepled hands is a way to project an air of confidence to those around you. We’re sure he’ll become more self-assured about being in the public eye as time goes on, but that doesn’t mean he’ll ever get used to his dad’s mortifying signature move!
