First Lady Melania Trump has revealed her deep concern for her son Barron during the family’s battle with COVID-19 in October 2020, calling it a time of overwhelming uncertainty and fear. In her recently published memoir, Melania opened up about the days following her and President Donald Trump’s positive COVID diagnoses, sharing how her primary concern was not for herself, but for their then-14-year-old son, Barron.
While announcing their diagnoses at the time, White House physician Dr. Sean Conley stated, “Both [President Trump and First Lady Melania] are well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.” He added that President Trump was expected to continue performing his duties without disruption.
Despite that initial reassurance, the president was soon hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center “out of an abundance of caution” following the emergence of mild symptoms. He remained there for three nights, reports the Irish Star.
In her memoir, Melania reflected on how the virus affected each of them differently. She shared that Donald Trump’s symptoms were significantly more severe than her own, prompting her to strongly encourage his hospital admission. “I wasn’t overly concerned about my own health,” she wrote, “but I was overwhelmed with worry for my husband and my son.”
She detailed a touching moment with Barron the night before his eventual diagnosis. “Barron and I had spent the previous evening chatting in my room, and although he continued to test negative, I feared he might soon fall ill as well. He was young and healthy, but the uncertainties surrounding the virus were daunting. As any mother would, I worried deeply about my son.”
Barron later tested positive for COVID-19 but remained asymptomatic, something Melania called a “blessing” during a time of heightened anxiety. While President Trump received an aggressive course of treatment—including an experimental drug cocktail and antiviral medication remdesivir—Melania opted for a more natural recovery approach. She relied on rest, vitamins, and a healthy diet, declining the intensive medication given to her husband.
Following his discharge on October 6, President Trump returned to the White House and released a video encouraging Americans to persevere through the pandemic. “You’re going to beat it,” he said. “As your leader, I had to do that. I knew there was danger to it, but I had to do it. I stood out front and led.”
Melania’s reflections offer a rare glimpse into the personal challenges the Trump family faced during the height of the pandemic, particularly the fears of a mother protecting her child amid a national crisis.