Barron Trump will no longer be serving as a delegate for his father at the Republican National Convention, his mother’s office announced late Friday.
“While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments,” the statement from Melania Trump’s office said.
The Florida GOP had announced earlier this week that the 18-year-old would be serving as a delegate, thrusting him firmly into the public spotlight for the first time after being relatively shielded by his mom and Donald Trump throughout his childhood.
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The shock walk back comes just a week before Barron is set to graduate from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida—a ceremony Trump is set to attend personally after getting the OK from a New York judge to have the day off from his hush-money trial.
The elder Trump began teasing his youngest son’s political ambitions on Friday, telling a Philadelphia radio station that Barron “does like politics” and occasionally offers him some advice.
“It’s sort of funny. He’ll tell me sometimes, ‘Dad, this is what you have to do,’” Trump told on Kayal and Company on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT.
“He’s a little on the tall side, I will tell you, he’s a tall one, but he is a good-looking guy,” Trump added. “And he’s really been a great student.”
