Donald Trump will parent when Barron is 21

Donald Trump made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on Friday and discussed his son, Barron William, who turned 1 last week, with wife Melania, and why he’s going to wait another 20 years before being a hands-on dad. Asked if he performs fatherly duties or just walks around saying, "Daddy’s wealthy," Donald replies,

Barron has a great mother who really takes care of him – the diapers, the whole thing, but she takes care of this child so beautifully and I figure I’ll take over when he’s 21 and he comes to work for me. Now I don’t know how I’m going to be when he’s 21.

The business mogul, 60, says that while Barron makes him feel young and he and Dave, 59, who has a 3-year-old son, Harry Joseph, have no choice but to feel young because of their sons, he does often think about raising a child later in life.

How do you feel when you or I go to school, let’s say in 10, 12 years to see the teachers? And we’re slightly older and you have the other fathers who are 25 and we’re going to be a little older, but that’s okay.

Donald also briefly mentions the Miss USA pageant and its host Nancy O’Dell, who is 6 1/2 months pregnant with her first child (Donald mistakenly says she’s 8 months along). There were rumors that Donald wanted to oust Nancy from her hosting post because he didn’t like the way pregnant women look, but he says she did a great job and looked "really fantastic."

There’s an old school when you’re pregnant, you go home and have the baby and then the modern school is when you are pregnant, you’re allowed to work until about three minutes before you have the baby, so of course I’m very much from the new school and I love that she was pregnant.

Comments

I pity that child. As far as I am concerned a child needs his father at all times in his life. Trump just says one stupid thing after another!!!

- tink1217 on March 31st, 2007

Shame on Donald for not being there for his son, and shame on Melania for purposely bringing a child into the world knowing how Donald is.

- Jessie on March 31st, 2007

I hate Donald, but he is honest here. A LOT of parents are this way just dont say. I dont think he means that he doesnt love his son now but he probably feels like he only has something to give his son when he is adult. He should at least try tough.

- Mary on March 31st, 2007

This man continues to disgust me. I feel for that child, and his wife for that matter.

- SarahK on March 31st, 2007

I dont get him. first he paints himself an old fashioned sexist pig by saying it’s his wife’s Job to raise their son and he doesnt change diapers. THEN he says he’s “new school” by allowing a pregnant woman to work.

he confuses me. I dont understand how so many women have married him. He seems like such an ass. but then again, I love Tom Cruise and many people dont get what’s so cool about him, either.

- MuffThumb on March 31st, 2007

Ok, I am usually not one to make a negative comment about somethin I see here but what heck kind of comment is that for him to make? I mean honestly…what century is he living in…he’ll raise him when he’s 21 and old enough to work for him?? That is one of the most insensitive, sexist, and ignorant comment I’ve heard in a while. I am sure Melania is a wonderful mother but that doesn’t mean she should do it alone. She obviously knew this going in so I can’t really feel sorry for her…and frankly this doesn’t surprise me about Donald…it’s so easy for him to pass judgement on everyone else like he’s the lord of everything…well I think he just outed himself…

- Megan on March 31st, 2007

His comments are so frustrating! Marriage and parenthood are a partnership, no matter how good of a mother Melania is she shouldn’t be doing it alone. That doesn’t say much for how he repsects his wife either. Also how does he expect to have a relationship with his son when he turns 21 if he’s not actively involved in his life until then?

- Heather on March 31st, 2007

In the first few months of a child’s life; especially if the child is nursing; there really isn’t much for a daddy to do other than change and hold the baby. The baby’s really connected to the mother. However, that child’s over one now, and there’s no reason to not involve yourself in the daily routines of parenthood. I hope he’s just teasing about the whole 21 thing!

- C.J. on March 31st, 2007

Oh dear. There are so many things wrong with his statement, where do I begin? Poor kid. Imagine having him for a father.

And also, what if Barron doesn’t want to work for him in the future? He makes it sound like the kid has no choice!

- Aura on March 31st, 2007

In my opinion, everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. He is a master of publicity; he says things just to get a rise out of people and to keep people talking about him. I wonder what he’s really like with his wife and children in the confines of his own home. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if it was very different from the way he talks publicly. He has been married three times and has 5 children. He must be somewhat of a family man – despite the ridiculous statements he makes.

- madison on March 31st, 2007

that is such a stupid comment. kids, especially boys need the father around more, because as caring as melania is she cannot teche him hoe to be a man. both parents should be invloved. and by the time the boy is 21, doanld could be dead, since he’s like 60 now.

- jessie on March 31st, 2007

The, ahem, “modern” way means we’re “allowed” to work until three minutes before giving birth? Doesn’t he mean expected, lest we inconvenience employers? I imagine most American women (and probably quite a few real men, Donald not among them) would welcome a culture that values family as highly as productivity on the job, and doesn’t treat workers like mules. Unfortunately we’re way behind much of the world in that regard.

- jamesa on March 31st, 2007

He has been married three times and has 5 children. He must be somewhat of a family man – despite the ridiculous statements he makes.

Being married 3 times and having 5 kids doesnt make a family man, it just makes him a fertile womanizer…

- preesi on March 31st, 2007

I don’t understand his parenting methods. I don’t care how old the child is, they still need their father. He could be there for him now, despite his stupid reasons for waiting.

This was just a stupid thing of him to say. If this is how he really functions, he shouldn’t have had children to begin with…

- FC on March 31st, 2007

That really disgusts me. The beliefs of this man is so upsetting in so many ways. Poor Barron and the sad thing is that Donald thinks that having money will make up for not being a part of his child’s childhood. My family came from old money and I’ll be the first one to tell you that no matter how much money there is it can never replace a parent. My father and I both learned that the hard way as his dad did exactly the same thing Donald is doing and my mother did that to me. I would never allow my husband not to be part of my kids lives – no matter what he may think.

- KC on March 31st, 2007

Wow!!! In some ways I do feel sorry for His wife, However They employe TWO full time nannies and ONE part time nanny. So changing diapers is a little easy along with getting up in the middle of the night. In pictures you can see that she really does love to hold her little bundle.

- corina on March 31st, 2007

god help that kid….tori would make him eat his words. she knows ALL about what it’s like to grow up with money & an uninvolved parent!

- ang on April 1st, 2007

I don’t understand Donald’s approach to parenting. He’s sixty years old, which means that he might not even be alive when Barron is 21. That’s a morbid thought, but it’s also reality, and I would think that he would want to spend as much time with Barron as possible now just in case he’s not around later. There’s also the possibility that if he waits until Barron is an adult to be a father to him Barron might be resentful and not want to have anything to do with him.

- Grace on April 1st, 2007

Who cares about Donald Trump? All he wants is publicity and to be talked about.

- alexasdf on April 1st, 2007

“I don’t understand Donald’s approach to parenting. He’s sixty years old, which means that he might not even be alive when Barron is 21.”

I hate to say it, but perhaps that’s his logic. Who knows with him?

The comment about him “taking over” parenting when Barron’s 21 is ridiculous, but I think the one regarding his coming to work for his dad is worse. Did Barron sign a contract with the Trump Organization that I don’t know about?

- Lauren on April 1st, 2007

I am not a Donald fan and never have been and his comments are ignorant.

I can honestly say though that perhaps this was a case of Melania wanting a baby and Donald really not into it but she maybe didn’t care. She just needed someone to donate the sperm!

I guess some people think that money can buy love and this poor child could grow up with a lot of resentment. Shame on you Donald!

- J.M. on April 1st, 2007

I just feel like sing “the cat’s in the cradle”, lol…

- shaynon on April 1st, 2007