Barron Trump was a charming if slightly oddball presence at the ritzy Florida private school where he graduated earlier this year: “funny and sociable” but always held at something of a remove, a former classmate recalled to the Daily Mail.
“He would start the most random conversations and could be very entertaining,” the friend told the tabloid. “He was also very mysterious. He never attended football games or dances. I don’t think he met up with anyone outside of school or went on dates.”
Although the 18-year-old Trump didn’t participate in sports, attend parties, or even eat meals in the lunchroom, his classmate remembered him as always happy to chat about his love for soccer and the mobile game Clash of Clans.
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But if the 18-year-old Trump had a girlfriend, the friend said, “it was top secret” and nobody at Oxbridge Academy ever knew about it. He was also reportedly scrubbed from the yearbook.
“I’m sure he had fun in his own way but it was a bit of a shame that he didn’t get to have a normal high school life like everyone else.”
Fiercely protected by Oxbridge, which registered him under an alias—first name “Jack”—in its administrative system to deter hackers, the 6-foot-9 Barron was also perennially trailed by Secret Service agents, according to the Mail.
“He had multiple agents who would rotate throughout the day and there was always one with him wherever he needed to go,” his friend said.
“The agents would stand right outside the door during class. If he went to the bathroom they would go with him and wait outside.”
A disruption at first, the agents soon faded into the background. “It became normalized,” according to the friend. “The kids barely took any notice of the Secret Service.”
Barron graduated from Oxbridge, which reportedly boasts a yearly price tag of $41,500 and requires all staff to sign NDAs, in May. Photos taken by the Associated Press showed Donald and Melania Trump sitting front-row for the swish ceremony.
“A lot of the students consider themselves Republicans and everyone was super excited when Trump showed up for the graduation,” the friend said.
That same month, it was announced that Barron had been selected alongside his adult half-siblings to serve as a delegate at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Shortly after, however, Melania’s office confirmed a change of plans.
“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 former first lady said in a statement.
Barron was noticeably absent from the RNC in Milwaukee, Wisconsin two weeks ago, but received a shout-out from his father onstage. Trump’s fond remark—“We love our Barron”—got a big laugh from the crowd.
It remains a mystery where the teen plans to attend college in the fall. In keeping with his low-profile existence both during and after his father’s presidency, he has mostly flown under the radar since graduation. He did, however, make an appearance at one of Trump’s campaign events in Doral, Florida earlier this month.
“Barron Trump! That’s the first time he’s done it. That’s the first time, right?” Trump told a cheering audience, according to The Hill. “You’re pretty popular—he might be more popular than Don and Eric. We gotta talk about this.”
Barron did not speak, but smiled and waved.
