The former first lady addressed the nearly decade-old claims in her 184-page book stating that they caused “irreparable damage” for her now 18-year-old son.
“Barron’s experience of being bullied both online and in real life following the incident is a clear indication of the irreparable damage caused,” she wrote.
Rumors began swirling in late 2016 after comedian Rosie O’Donnell retweeted a video on X suggesting Barron had autism and wrote “Barron Trump Autistic? If so — what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic.”
Even though O’Donnell apologized and later deleted the tweet, the damage was already done.
‘I was appalled by such cruelty,” Melania wrote in her memoir. ”It was clear to me that she was not interested in raising awareness about autism. I felt that she was attacking my son because she didn’t like my husband.”
“There is nothing shameful about autism (though O’Donnell’s tweet implied that there was), but Barron is not autistic,” she continued.
Melania went on to say “no apology can undo the harm inflicted upon him.”
‘Be Best’ Campaign
Melania also revealed that her “Be Best” campaign was partly fueled by the false rumors about her son.
In March 2018, Melania brought the heads of major social media companies to the White House to discuss the safety of children online. From that meeting, she realized there was a lot of “resistance” from the tech companies, and the only way to protect children was to educate them.
“There is one goal to be best, and that is to educate children about the main issues they are facing today,” she said while announcing the campaign. “If we truly listen to what our kids have to say, whether it be their concerns or ideas, adults can provide them the support and tools they need to group up to be happy and productive adults.”
