Melania Trump reveals false claims about Barron's “Be Best” campaign

Former first lady Melania Trump revealed in her upcoming memoir that false claims that she and former President Donald Trump's son Barron have autism fueled the “Be Best” campaign, an initiative she launched called to help children.

An excerpt from her upcoming book, Melaniareveals details about the fallout from comedian Rosie O'Donnell's 2016 speculation in which she tweeted a video questioning whether then-10-year-old Barron had autism.

“Barron Trump autistic?” O'Donnell asked in the now-deleted tweet. “If so, what a great opportunity to raise awareness of the AUTISM epidemic.”

Accordingly The New York Times On Friday, Melania wrote in her memoir that the aftermath of the speculation, which she said led to Barron being bullied both online and in real life, led her to launch the “Be Best” initiative on child welfare issues during her time and online bullying to start the White House.

“Barron's experience of being bullied both online and in real life following the incident is a clear indication of the irreparable damage that was caused,” the former first lady wrote.

Additionally, Melania added that she was “amazed by the resistance I encountered from tech executives” from social media platforms like Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Snapchat when she met executives at the White House in March 2018 convened to talk about childhood internet safety.

“There is a goal to be the best, and that is to educate children about the main problems they face today,” Melania said when announcing the initiative in 2018. “If we really listen to what our children “If adults have concerns or ideas, they can provide them with the support and tools they need to be happy and productive adults.”

Newsweek asked Melania Trump for comment via an online email form.

Meanwhile, O'Donnell, who has long been a critic of the former president, apologized and later said in a statement on her website that her message was simply intended to raise awareness about an issue that personally affects her family.

“My 3.5-year-old daughter Dakota was diagnosed with HFA – high-functioning autism in September,” the comedian said at the time. “Since then I have immersed myself in this world/reality – learning, reading, asking questions. When I saw the anti-bullying video that mentioned Barron, it addressed the symptoms of many ASD children, it was educational and informative.”

“This autism issue had nothing to do with Donald. However, I admit that he triggers me in every way,” she clarified. “I have no ill will towards his children – or any children – and if you (sic) knew anything about me you would (sic) know that.”

In her memoir, Melania makes it clear that she was “horrified by this cruelty,” adding that “no apology can repair the harm done to him.”

“It was clear to me that she wasn’t interested in raising awareness about autism. I felt like she was attacking my son because she didn't like my husband. There is nothing shameful about autism (although O'Donnell's tweet suggested so). ), but Barron is not autistic,” writes Melania.

The book's release on October 8, just four weeks before Election Day, comes at a time when Melania Trump has been noticeably absent from the campaign as her husband seeks a second term.

So far, Barron, 18, has led a relatively private life that has largely kept his family out of the public eye during Trump's presidency and his 2024 campaign. However, he is now attending New York University (NYU).