An aide working for President Donald Trump publicly talked about how the U.S. leader is actually a loving dad to his youngest son, Barron. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said that the press does not report on the president's relationship with Barron since it does not fit the narrative.
Mulvaney revealed that Trump often calls up his son to check on him. This is apparently what he first noticed about the president when he began working close to Trump in the White House.
One time on a trip to New Orleans, Mulvaney said that Trump kept calling his son to give him updates on his whereabouts. The chief of staff said that the president is much like the most dad who has concern for his children.
Mulvaney was prodded to reveal this detail during the Conservative Political Action Conference. Host Stephen Moore asked him what he has learned about Trump in the three years since he worked for the president.
The chief of staff's first job in the Trump administration was as head of the Office of Management and Budget. He admitted that he does not know Trump too well outside of work but he saw first-hand how he is with Barron.
Mulvaney also said that people often forget that Barron is still a child since he is over six feet tall and taller than his dad at 13. The aide also said the press wants to paint Trump as this "terrible monster."
However, his statement about Barron caused a stir among the media people covering the White House. According to The New York Times, the press is not ignoring this positive news. Instead, they are following the wishes of First Lady Melania Trump, who explicitly stated that reporting about Barron is off-limits.
The press corps has been generally agreeable to the First Lady's wishes to give Barron privacy. In the same way, the White House press corps and other White House officials have also exercised great lengths to extend privacy towards other presidential children, especially those who are minors.
In 2019, Melania publicly slammed a law professor from Stanford for even mentioning Barron's name during the president's impeachment hearing. The First Lady tweeted that her son must be kept out of politics and not be used to pander to the public. Once in a while, however, Melania shares tidbits about Barron to the press but she generally reveals information that won't put her son in a controversial spotlight.
