Barron Trump has found a creative way to connect with new friends at college while escaping unwanted attention: online gaming from the comfort of his home.
As the son of the newly elected president navigates the social scene as a freshman at New York University, his physical interactions are few and far between as he is always surrounded by Secret Service agents.
Barron, the youngest of the Trump children, towered over his classmates at 6-foot-4 and would always find it difficult to blend in.
To overcome the social challenges of being one of the most famous young men in the world, he has turned to online gaming, inviting classmates to join him in virtual worlds. TMZ reports.
To foster friendships outside the classroom, the 18-year-old has invited classmates to join him on Discord, a popular gaming platform where users can create profiles, chat and play games together.
Barron is a football fan and also plays EA Sports FC 25, the popular video game franchise formerly known as FIFA.
Barron even helped his father, Donald Trump, while he was campaigning for president, by encouraging him to do an interview with Adin Ross, a video game streamer who specializes in NBA 2K20 and Grand Theft Auto 5.
Barron commutes to and from campus in an SUV and sits in the back of his classes with his security guards. Despite this, his classmates described him to TMZ as friendly and “cold.”
Barron Trump has found a creative way to connect with new friends at college: by gaming online from the comfort of his home
To foster friendships outside the classroom, the 18-year-old has invited classmates to join him on Discord, a popular gaming platform where users can create profiles, chat and play games together.
NYU students have expressed mixed opinions about studying alongside Trump.
One student speculated that Barron might adopt a more progressive view to fit in with the predominantly liberal college.
“He goes to NYU, so if he’s at all interested in girls, he’s going to be a little liberal, I can tell you that,” one student told DailyMail.com.
However, not everyone doubted his social prospects. Another student admitted, “My mother wants me to marry him.”
Some students said they were open to judging Barron based on his own merits rather than preconceptions about his family.
“I really feel sorry for him, he didn’t choose this life,” said one student, adding that she felt “excited and intrigued” by the prospect of Secret Service personnel being on campus.
Another student echoed this sentiment: “His dad is his dad and he’s his own person, so I’m not going to judge,” adding that she would definitely consider a friendship.
“Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a Trump?” she said.
Reactions to his arrival were mixed, ranging from disbelief to disgust. This student told DailyMail.com that she felt sad that Barron had inherited the media attention and that her mother would try to marry him
This student said he would be willing to write a diss track about Vice President Kamala Harris with Barron
However, not all reactions were positive. One student firmly stated that she would “absolutely not” be friends with Barron.
“It speaks to the privilege that many of the NYU kids have. “I am only here for financial assistance,” she said.
Barron Trump recently joined NYU’s freshman class for the new academic year. His decision to attend the prestigious university, and in particular the Stern School of Business, was confirmed by his father.
His choice of university had been kept secret until it was confirmed to DailyMail.com by his father, who revealed that he could have had his choice of universities.
‘It is a very high quality place. He liked it. He liked the school,” Trump said.
“We liked NYU. I’ve known about NYU for a long time, but it’s one of the most highly regarded…
“I went to Wharton, and that was definitely something we considered.
‘We didn’t do that. We went for Stern. He is a child of very high ability, but he is no longer a child. He’s just transitioned into something beyond childhood. He’s doing great.’
Stern is one of the top business schools in the country and only admits about 5 percent of applicants. Notable alumni include former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and Home Depot co-founder Kenneth Langone.
One student suggested that Barron would have to adopt liberal politics to have any chance of romance with female students at the progressive university
Several classmates, including this student, said they would judge Barron based on his character and not his last name
Barron, who graduated from Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach in May, considered following in his father’s footsteps to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, but ultimately chose NYU.
“We liked NYU. It is one of the most highly regarded schools,” his father noted. ‘He is a very gifted young man. He is no longer a child; He is doing great.”
Barron, a football enthusiast, reportedly plans to continue playing the sport at NYU. He previously played for the DC United youth team.
Located in Manhattan, the NYU campus is near Trump Tower, where Barron spent much of his childhood before his father became president.