- Donald and Melania Trump became engaged in 2004, married in 2005 and became parents to Barron Trump in 2006.
- In August 2024, Donald Trump reported his youngest son Barron Trump picked a college in New York, but didn't specify where.
Melania Trump, welcome "home."
This week, the former first lady of the United States, who has kept a low-profile amid her husband's third bid for the White House, posted a short and sweet love letter, of sorts, to New York City.
On X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Melania Trump posted a photo of the New York City skyline on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and mentioned how she feels about the iconic destination: "New York City captivated my heart the moment I arrived, 28 years ago today. This electrifying town isn't just my home; it's a colorful canvas where dreams come alive. New York’s iconic skyline and vibrant culture inspire me every day."
As of Thursday, Aug. 29, within one day of being posted, the post has had almost 3 million views and 38,000 likes, according to X.
It's a rare public statement from the former model married to former president Donald Trump, who is busy campaigning for Election Day (Nov. 5, 2024), against his Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris. As the 2024 Republican presidential candidate travels the country for rallies and speeches,Melania Trump has been noticeably absent. It's contrary to the 2016 and 2020 elections, when she made several public appearances alongside her husband.
Presumably, Melania Trump ispreparing Barron Trump, her only son with Donald Trump, for college following his graduation from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida. The 18-year-oldBarron Trump picked a college in New York, his father told the New York Post in an Aug. 20, 2024, story. However, he did not mentionwhich university Barron Trump would attend, adding his team would announce it “soon.”
The now 6-foot-7 (or in some reports 6-foot-9) youngest son of former president Donald Trump has also been keeping a really low-profile.
Why does Melania Trump consider New York home?
Married to billionaire Donald Trump, Melania Trump began her modeling career at age 16 and moved to New York in 1996.The couple met in 1998 at a New York fashion party, became engaged in 2004 and married in 2005.
All of this wasbefore Trump became the45th president of the United States,before Melania became a momto Barron Trump (Trump’syoungest child of five) in 2006, and before Mar-a-Lago, site of the billionaire’s wedding reception, became known as theSouthern White House when Trumpwas in office.
Trump makes 'I do' a doozy!
Though Mar-a-Lago has been "home" to the Trump family for years, New York has been significant, too.
- Over the years, Donald and Melania Trump hosted lavish parties at the private club.
- The Trumps became engaged in 2004 and married Jan. 25, 2005, in Palm Beach, Florida. Their reception was held at the “Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom” at Mar-a-Lago, which is less than 3 miles from wedding venue Bethesda-By-the-Sea Episcopal Church.
- In 2006, Donald Trump became a father for the fifth time when his third wife, Melania Trump, gave birth to Barron Trump on March 20, 2006, in Manhattan, New York.
- Melania Trump raised Barron Trump for much of his childhood at Trump Tower in Manhattan and at Donald Trump’s private estate, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
- When Donald Trump moved to Washington, D.C., to serve as president in 2017, Melania and Barron stayed in New York so Barron could finish up his school year. Barron and Melania Trump remained in New York for the first five months of the Trump administration.
- In August 2024, Donald Trump reports his youngest son Barron Trump picked a college in New York. It is not known whether Melania Trump, now an "empty nester" parent, will follow him to New York. On Aug. 27, 2024, she tweeted a photo of the New York skyline, calling it "home."
Trump family, including Melania and Kai Trump, appear at RNC, except for Barron Trump
Melania Trump's last public appearance for her husband's campaign was on July 18, 2024, the last night of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Thoughshe did not give a speechas she did at the 2016 and 2020 RNCs, Melania Trump sat in the Trump family box for the 2024 RNC. She also surprised her husband on stage in aviral awkward moment after Donald Trumpaccepted the Republican nomination.
Barron Trump was the only immediateTrump family member who did not attendthe 2024 RNC.
His half-niece, 17-year-old Kai Trump, who's a year younger than him, delivered a speech at the RNC and has (publicly) announced her college choice: the University of Miami, not far fromwhere she goes to high school now.
Kai Madison Trump's parents are Donald Trump Jr. and former model Vanessa Kay Trump, formerly Vanessa Kay Pergolizzi. The high school senior plays golf with Tiger Woods’ sonCharlie Woods, is theoldest grandchild of Donald Trump’s 10 grandchildren and the oldest child of Donald Trump Jr.’s five children.
What college in New York will Barron Trump attend?
As of Thursday, Aug. 29, the 18-year-old Barron Trump, the youngest uncle to Kai Trump, still hasn't announced where he will attend college. But in an Aug. 20, 2024, story from the New York Post, Donald Trump told the publication that Barron Trump picked a college in New York.
Is Barron Trump going to NYU?
In April 2024, rumors about Barron Trump possibly attending New York University started flying around. The NYU campus is not far from Trump Tower in Manhattan, where Barron Trump spent much of his childhood and lived until his father was sworn in as the 45th president in early 2017. Barron Trump lived in the White House with his parents until 2019, when Donald andMelania Trumppermanently relocated to Trump's private club, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
Living on campus at NYU is optional, but "first-year residents of Manhattan-based schools are assigned to Manhattan residence halls only. There are no exceptions," according to the university, which has its ownNYU housing handle on Instagram.
NYU's calendar says fall 2024 classesbegin Tuesday, Sept. 3, the day after Labor Day.
NYU is less than 5 miles from Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York.
Is Barron Trump going to Cornell University in New York?
Donald Trump told the New York Post that his team would soon announce which college in New York his youngest son chose to attend. Cornell University — which has a tuition starting at $66,000 a year, according to U.S. News and World Report — ranked high on the publication's "2024 Best Colleges in New York" list.
According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Barron Trump, at the time of publication, does not appear in the student directories of Cornell, Columbia and New York University. Registered first-year students at Cornell are typically listed.
Fall classes started Aug. 26, 2024, for Cornell University students.
Is Barron Trump going to Columbia University in New York?
Like Cornell University, Columbia University, which has a tuition starting at $65,000 a year, ranked high on U.S. News and World Report's list of "2024 Best Colleges in New York." Columbia and Cornell tied at No. 12. Cornell's student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun, checked the student directory for Cornell, and at the time of publication, Barron Trump's name did not appear.
Fall classes start Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2024, for Columbia University students. Maps show the university is about 6 miles from Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her onTwitteror Instagram at@byjensangalang. Support local journalism.Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
