Barron Trump won plaudits and praise for his behavior and gestures towards now-former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during Monday’s inauguration.
President Donald Trump’s youngest — and by far, tallest — son shook hands with Biden and Harris after his mother, first lady Melania Trump, did the same, despite the vitriol spewed at his father by the outgoing commander-in-chief and his second-in-command throughout the 2024 campaign.
Trump, now the nation’s 47th president, took his oath of office using two Bibles — one given to him as a boy by his mother and the other used by President Abraham Lincoln. He also used the Lincoln Bible during his 2016 inauguration.
But it was Barron, now an 18-year-old student at New York University, whom social media users singled out for his magnanimous peace offering.
“Barron Trump just shook hands with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris This kid will be our President one day. Bet on it,” indy journalist Nick Sortor posted on X along with a video clip of the handshake.
“Barron Trump is so classy beyond his years… Great job raising him Prez Dad and Prez Mom,” another X user wrote.
Another user posted along with a video montage of Barron clips: “Barron Trump is a multilingual young man. Melania and President Trump have a done an outstanding job raising Barron, he certainly helped President Trump during the election by having him go on popular podcast.”
“Like his father, he will probably be able to get along with just about anyone,” said another account.
“Incredible maturity for his age. Excellent parenting,” said another.
“The Dems kids could learn a few things,” added someone else.
The UK’s DailyMail.com described Barron’s appearance and behavior in a favorable light:
Barron showed off a slicked back new hairstyle as he attended his father’s historic second inauguration on Monday.
The 18-year-old looked smart in a long black overcoat, white shirt and purple tie as he attended a church ceremony in St John’s Episcopal Church opposite the White House on Monday morning.
The NYU-Stern student, who towers over his dad and mother Melania at 6’9, kept his expression neutral as he walked into church and sat in a pew alongside his parents.
Meanwhile, Trump got a day-one victory as the Senate confirmed former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to become the next secretary of state by an impressive 99-0 margin.
Rubio will play a key role in fulfilling many of Trump’s most ambitious campaign pledges, including putting a stop to the conflict in Ukraine, thwarting China’s expanding might, and enacting a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Democrats paved the path for a streamlined confirmation process after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee overwhelmingly recommended Rubio’s confirmation earlier Monday.
For one of their own, it is a thundering demonstration of Senate bipartisanship.
Since 2011, the 53-year-old Floridian has been a member of the Senate. Before withdrawing and supporting Trump, he was a presidential candidate in 2016. He was on Trump’s shortlist for vice president in 2024.
Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, is a well-known China hawk who is against restoring relations with the authoritarian island from where his parents hailed.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Rubio in the Senate.
Trump will sign more than 200 executive actions, a vast first wave of policy priorities centered on energy, border security, lowering the cost of living for American families, terminating DEI programs throughout the federal government, and more, within his first couple of days in office. After being sworn in, Trump signed several on Monday, including pardons for some 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants.
“The president is issuing a historic series of executive orders and actions that will fundamentally reform the American government, including the complete and total restoration of American sovereignty,” the official told Fox News.
