Donald Trump revealed where his wife Melania's family loyalties lie during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House on Monday.
The 79-year-old told reporters that the First Lady was horrified by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, revealing that her love for her son Barron was at the forefront of her advocacy against the war.
A protective mother
"She's got a great love of children, she has a wonderful son that she loves probably more than anybody, including me, I hate to say it," Donald quipped to reporters. The couple have been married since 2005, with Melania once describing their relationship as "beautiful".
"She loves her son, she loves children, and she hates to see something like this happening."
Learn more about Melania and Barron's sweet bond below...
"She's watched the same thing that you watch and I watch, I see things that you don't get to see. It's horrible. She has got a great love of children," he reiterated.
Melania is fiercely protective of her only son, whom she welcomed with her husband in March 2006.
During Donald's first term in the White House, Barron was kept out of the public eye and only made occasional appearances with his family.
He was more visible during his father's 2024 election campaign, even offering advice about how to appeal to the younger generation through social media and podcast appearances.
The 19-year-old is currently studying at New York University's Stern School of Business, and will begin his sophomore year in the fall.
Barron's last public appearance was at Donald's inauguration in January, where he towered over his siblings Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany.
Melania's advocacy
As a mother, Melania is a fierce advocate for children, and wrote an emotional letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for an end to the war for the sake of the millions of innocents caught in the crossfire.
"Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation's rustic countryside or a magnificent city center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger," she wrote in the letter, which Donald hand-delivered to the Russian leader at their Alaskan summit on August 15.
"As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation's hope," her letter continued.
"As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all – so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded."
She implored him to end the invasion, adding: "You will do more than serve Russia alone – you serve humanity itself...Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of a pen today. It is time."
As the First Lady, Melania has been working to better the lives of children since 2018, when she launched the Be Best campaign aiming to advocate for the social, emotional and physical health of kids in the US.
She also has her Fostering the Future campaign, which works to give foster children the ability to reach their potential by providing much-needed resources.
The former model advocates against cyberbullying, sharing in a statement that "every young person deserves a safe online space to express themself freely, without the looming threat of exploitation or harm".
Fight for the children
The Ukrainian President shared his thanks with Donald over Melania's passionate letter about protecting children in the war, explaining that it was "so, so important" to remember the humanitarian aspect of the conflict.
The father of five told reporters in July that Melania always reminded him that they still had work to do to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"My conversations with him are always very pleasant. I say, 'Isn't that very lovely conversation?'" Donald said.
"And then the missiles go off that night, I go home, I tell the First Lady...'I spoke with Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation.' She [says]: 'Oh, really, another city was just hit.'"