Barron Trump, the youngest son of former President Donald Trump, was notably absent from his father’s closing-night speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Thursday. This made him the only one of the former president’s five children not in attendance.
Barron, who turned 18 in March, has largely stayed out of the public eye compared to his siblings. However, he did attend his father’s campaign rally in Miami, Florida, on July 9. “That’s the first time he’s done it. That’s the first time, right?” Trump remarked to his supporters, according to The Hill. “You’re pretty popular; he might be more popular than Don and Eric. We gotta talk about this.”
In May, Melania Trump’s office issued a statement indicating that Barron would not attend the convention, despite being selected as one of the state’s at-large delegates by the Republican Party of Florida. “While Barron is honored to have been chosen… he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments,” Melania’s office explained. Politico also reported earlier on Thursday that Barron would not be present.
Although absent, Barron, who recently graduated from high school and plans to attend college in the fall, received a warm mention from his father during his speech. “I also want to thank my entire family for being here. Don, Kimberly, Ivanka and Jared. Eric and Lara. Tiffany and Michael. Barron.” Trump paused, smiling, and mumbled, “We love our Barron,” eliciting laughter from the crowd.
The rest of the Trump family took on prominent roles throughout the three-day convention. Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump served as at-large delegates for Florida, with Don Jr. and Eric addressing the crowd in Milwaukee on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, and Kai Trump, Don Jr.’s daughter, also spoke at the RNC.
Melania Trump made a rare public appearance at the convention on Thursday night, arriving shortly before her husband took the stage in a red pantsuit. Unlike previous conventions in 2016 and 2020, she did not address the audience and took a seat in the VIP box following Eric Trump’s speech.
Barron was also not present at a subsequent rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where an assassination attempt on Donald Trump resulted in one attendee’s death and critical injuries to two others. Melania Trump released a lengthy statement condemning the assassination attempt as a “heinous act.”
“When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change,” she expressed, adding, “I am grateful to the brave Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband.”