Melania Trump Reveals Teen Son Barron's Political Role Behind the Scenes — 'He's Involved, He Knows What's Going on in the World'
Melania Trump called Barron the 'smart mind' behind his dad's presidential campaign.
Jan. 29 2026, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Melania Trump has revealed one of the biggest differences between her husband Donald's first and second terms as president is their son Barron helped mastermind his dad's 2024 win, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The First Lady, 55, made rare comments about her 19-year-old only child during an appearance on Fox News' The Five on Wednesday, January 28, finally revealing the extent of the role Barron played in helping get his father elected to a second term in office.
'He Was Very Involved in the Campaign'
Melania Trump said son Barron gave his dad 'all of the ideas' about which podcasters to talk to.
Melania spoke about how things are "very different" for her college coed son, who was only 10 years old when his dad was first elected president in 2016.
Calling him "An incredible young man," Melania gushed, "I'm very proud of him. He understands now. He's involved. He knows what's going on in the world. He talks with his dad. He talks with me," while discussing the New York University sophomore.
Melania raved about how it was her son's media savvy that led Donald to make appearances on so many "bro" podcasts during the 2024 campaign, delivering huge numbers of young men to the polls.
"He was very involved in the campaign. He gave him all of the ideas, who he needs to talk to, all of these YouTubers and, you know, podcasts," Melania said about Barron's role as an advisor. "So he was really a smart mind behind it!"
A New Way of Campaigning
Barron Trump looked on with pride as his father was sworn in for a second term as president.
During his 2024 race for president, Donald eschewed appearing on mainstream media outlets he so frequently blasted, making the rounds on several popular podcasts at his son's behest.
The tycoon stopped by Theo Von's This Past Weekend, Andrew Schulz's Flagrant, YouTuber and professional wrestler Logan Paul's Impaulsive, and, eventually, hit up the most-listened-to podcast in the world, The Joe Rogan Experience, for an epic three-hour chat.
The longer, free-flowing podcast format allowed the president to talk extensively and have conversations outside the political norm, showing him as more human and revealing his humorous side.
While sitting down with Von, 45, in August 2024, Donald confided, "My son's a big fan of you... He knows you very well, he said 'Dad, he's a big one.' That's where it is nowadays, right?" regarding Barron and his wanting to see his dad focus on podcasts.
'You Got to See That Guy as a Person'
Donald Trump's conversation with Theo Von about the comedian's cocaine use went viral.
Rogan, 58, recounted Donald's curious reaction to Von after he revealed that cocaine "will turn you into a damn owl, homie. You know what I’m saying? You’ll be out on your own porch. You’ll be your own streetlamp.”
Donald, who has never touched drugs or alcohol, intently listened to Von's description, asking, "Is it a good feeling?" and was told it was "miserable."
"It was hilarious, you got to see that guy as a person trying to figure out 'Who is this psycho I'm sitting here talking to?'" Rogan observed, laughing, about Donald's reaction to Von's drug tale.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The Power of Podcasting
Joe Rogan praised Donald Trump's decision to focus so many interviews on podcasts.
The stand-up comedian noted why podcasts were so important, which Barron recognized and ensured his dad made as many appearances as possible.
"I feel like you give someone a couple of hours, and you start talking about anything. I'm going to see the pattern of the way you think, I'm going to see the way you process ideas. I'm going to see whether or not you're calculated or whether you're just free, yeah, or are you comfortable with you?" Rogan pointed out.
The world's number one podcaster touted why his show was superior to typical TV spots for someone like Trump.
"I always feel like the environment of debates, the environment of interviews on television, the environment of anything you're doing in front of an audience, it's so fake, it's such a weird way to talk that you don't get a sense of who the person is," he noted.
Unlike Donald, his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, largely avoided podcasts and stayed within the confines of carefully structured TV interviews in her unsuccessful campaign for the White House.
