President Trump is a family man. His gorgeous wife, First Lady Melania Trump, their 12-year-old son Barron, and Trump’s four children from previous marriages have supported him through years of political campaigning and his heavy role as President of the United States.
Arguably, President Donald Trump wouldn’t be the man he is today without them.
The support that Trump’s family give to him now is testament to the rules of conduct that he as a father instilled in his children as youngsters. Anecdotal evidence from his offspring over the years suggests that President Trump was a caring and assertive dad, and had strict behavioral standards for his children in their early years.
The President took the role of an active father when his children were young. He accompanied them to many sporting events: old family photos show Trump and son Eric at the U.S. Open, others show Trump and daughter Ivanka at a baseball game.
Ivanka Trump, now 36, has been especially vocal over the years about her affection and appreciation for her loving father. “Every morning before school, we’d go downstairs and give him a hug and a kiss,” she stated in a 2004 interview with New York magazine.
Daughter Tiffany shares an equal amount of love for her dad, once posting “I’m so grateful to have such an intelligent, hard working, and hilarious person like you in my life!” besides a sweet, throwback photo of herself and President Trump on her Instagram account.
Remembering her childhood, the Trump children were “bred to be competitive,” Ivanka continued. “Dad encourages it! I remember skiing with him and we were racing. I was ahead, and he reached his ski pole out and pulled me back.”
It sure seems that Trump’s efforts to instill strong characteristics in his children extended to their moral behavior, too. As a proud parent, he was unwilling to accept deviant behavior, and strictly warned his children away from the perils of intoxicants.
During a 2016 CNN town hall meeting, a member of the public asked President Trump how he had protected his young children from the temptations of substance abuse. Allegedly, President Trump used to address his children every single morning before they left for school, telling them not to take drugs, drink alcohol, or smoke cigarettes.
Trump recalled the mantra that kept his children safe: “When my children were growing up, even when they didn’t know what drinking was, I’d say ‘no alcohol, no cigarettes, no drugs,’” he recalled. His memory was quickly substantiated by his son Eric and his daughter Ivanka, who agreed that their father did indeed offer them this stern wisdom “every day of our life” and “every morning before school.”
Donald Trump witnessed his older brother Freddy battle with alcoholism until his tragically premature death back in 1981, and has sworn since that he will never touch a drop of alcohol himself. “My brother was just so instrumental in probably shaping my life just because I don’t know what the outcome would have been,” Trump shared, proving that protecting his young children from the devastating effects of substance abuse is a value that runs very deep.
The President’s eldest son, Donald Jr., is a very successful businessman. Son Eric is a trustee of the Trump Organization and a notable philanthropist. Daughter Ivanka Trump is also a successful businesswoman and famous fashion designer. Daughter Tiffany is a model and law student, and youngest son Barron attends the highly regarded St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland.
So, did President Trump’s early parenting tactic work? It seems that the proof is in the pudding!
It is natural to wonder whether Trump’s protective nature will extend to the newest members of his family, too.
As the Trump family often shares many photos of the President with his nine grandchildren on social media, it would seem so.
Captioning one adorable photo on Twitter, the president himself wrote: “I don’t know, but to me that’s the look of pride all grandparents should have looking at their grand-kids.”
As the old saying goes: Family comes first. And father knows best!
