The backlash over the Barron Trump discussion caused liberal-leaning X users to mention how Sasha Obama and Malia Obama were mistreated in the past. “[D]oes that mean we can now treat him the same way CONservatives treat/treated Sasha and Malia Obama, or is there a different standard,” an X user wrote while mentioning the youngest Trump son turning 18 years old.
One particularly ugly moment came in November 2014, when Barack Obama was serving his second term as president. GOP staffer Elizabeth Lauten wrote a viral Facebook post about how the then-teenaged Obama daughters behaved at the turkey pardoning ceremony. “Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar,” Lauten wrote on Facebook (via NBC News). That post caused serious backlash, and Lauten eventually stepped down from her position and issued an apology.
Unfortunately, it has not been a rare occurrence for children of the presidents of either party to catch stray shots from passionate political prognosticators. The relationship between Donald Trump and Barron was called into question by Food Network host John Henson who posted a snarky tweet in June 2020. “I hope Barron gets to spend today with whoever his dad is,” Henson tweeted (via The Hill). That caused Melania Trump to issue a statement in defense of her only son. “Sadly we continue to see inappropriate and insensitive comments about the president’s son [Barron Trump],” Stephanie Grisham, the then-first lady’s spokesperson told The Hill at the time.
