- By James FitzGerald
- BBC News
Donald Trump’s youngest child, Barron Trump, is to enter the political limelight with a role at July’s Republican National Convention (RNC).
Delegates from across the US will formally select the party’s nominee for president at the gathering in Milwaukee – set to be Barron’s father.
The 18-year-old has been named on a list of a delegates-at-large to attend the event for the state of Florida.
Previously, Barron’s mother Melania has kept him largely out of the public eye.
He appears on the list with other Trump family members who have long been played key roles in their father’s campaign, including Barron’s half-siblings Donald Jr, Eric and Tiffany.
A number of the ex-president’s other close allies are also on the list, according to NBC News, which first reported the story.
In a statement to US media, the Florida party chairman Evan Power said: “We are fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials, and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation.”
A Trump campaign official told ABC News that Barron, who will graduate from high school next week, was “very interested in our nation’s political process”.
The RNC, which will take place in Milwaukee on 15-18 July, will see Mr Trump confirmed as the Republican candidate for November’s presidential election.
He has won enough state-level primary contests – including one held in Florida, where he has a home – to clinch the nomination. Each of the nation’s 50 states and several territories send delegates to the convention to officially vote for their presidential candidate, which is expected to be a simple process since there is no viable challenge to Mr Trump.
The ex-president won 2,037 delegates during the primary campaign, far more than the necessary 1,215 necessary to clinch the nomination. Mr Trump’s nearest challenger, his former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, won 97.
Ms Haley won just two contests, in Vermont and Washington DC, though she did become the first woman to win a Republican presidential primary. On the other side of the political divide, President Joe Biden is also set to be confirmed as the Democratic nominee for 2024, setting up America’s first rematch in a presidential vote for 70 years.
This time, Mr Trump is juggling his campaigning with legal battles. He faces dozens of charges across four separate cases.
His first criminal trial is under way in New York City, where he has been charged with falsifying business records – though denies any wrongdoing.
He has been given special permission by the judge to take time out of court to attend Barron’s high-school graduation next week.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
