U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing whether to attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., scheduled for this weekend. With the war in Iran ongoing, he appears mindful that a family event held at a resort could spark controversy.
On the 21st (local time), according to the New York Times (NYT) and the Guardian, Trump met reporters at the White House and, when asked whether he would attend his eldest son's wedding, said, "Right now I'm in the middle of the Iran issue and other matters," adding, "It's not a good time."
He added, "My son wants me to come," and, "It will be a very small and private event, and I'll try to attend."
The NYT analyzed that although Trump has typically shown little concern about political controversy or image problems, this time he seems sensitive to public reaction.
Trump said, "I'll be criticized if I attend, and I'll be criticized if I don't attend," adding, "Of course I'm talking about 'fake news.'"
The Guardian reported, "With Americans struggling under soaring gasoline and grocery prices, Trump seems aware that images of the president partying through the night at a Caribbean resort may not be well received."
Trump Jr. is set to hold his wedding this weekend in the Bahamas, an island nation in the Caribbean, with Bettina Anderson. Anderson is from Palm Beach, Florida, and studied art history at Columbia University.
Trump personally revealed their engagement at the White House year-end event in December last year, drawing attention.
Trump Jr. married model and actor Vanessa Haydon in 2005 and had five children but divorced in 2018. He then got engaged to former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle in 2021 but called it off last year, after which he reportedly began dating Anderson.