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Melania Trump Thanks Chelsea Clinton For Defending Barron Against Online Attacks

Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images.
Update: First Lady Melania Trump thanked Chelsea Clinton for defending 11-year-old Barron Trump against online attacks. On Monday night, the former first daughter came out in support of Barron after a conservative news outlet posted an article criticizing his clothes. It's not the first time Clinton has said that President Trump's youngest son has the right to a private childhood.
She followed up her defense of Barron with a tweet responding to another social media user who said criticizing the 11-year-old was fair game because he belongs to the Trump family. Clinton wrote, "Dear Matty — Barron is A KID. No child should be talked about in the below manner — in real life or online. And for an adult to do so? For shame."
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In response, FLOTUS tweeted, "Thank you @ChelseaClinton - so important to support all of our children in being themselves! #StopChildhoodBullying."
This story was originally published on August 22, 2017.
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton has a message for those who insist on going after the youngest son of President Trump: Leave 11-year-old Barron alone.
On Monday, the conservative website The Daily Caller published a piece titled "It’s High Time Barron Trump Starts Dressing Like He’s In the White House." In the story, entertainment reporter Ford Springer criticized the way Barron dresses and argued that "while the president and first lady traveled in their Sunday best, young Barron looked like he was hopping on Air Force One for a trip to the movie theater."
The photo accompanying the article shows the 11-year-old wearing khaki shorts, loafers, and a red T-shirt that reads, "On your mark tiger shark" as he and his parents departed from Morristown, NJ to Washington, D.C. on Sunday.
The piece was lambasted by social media users, who believe the youngest Trump has a right to dress like the pre-teen he is, and that the article was mean-spirited.
Among those who spoke up was Clinton, who had already defended Barron against online attacks in January. At the beginning of the year, she said the youngest Trump has the right to be a kid, even if his father is president.
Clinton underscored this notion and played up The Daily Caller's headline in her tweet, which read, "It's high time the media & everyone leave Barron Trump alone & let him have the private childhood he deserves."
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To ensure that Barron's childhood retains some sense of normalcy, First Lady Melania Trump has been fiercely protective of Barron — even before her husband was sworn into office. She stayed in New York City after the inauguration so her son could finish the school year before moving into the White House, and she's mostly kept him out of the spotlight.
However, The Daily Caller and others believe Barron is fair game because his family is in the public eye.
This is a reminder that he's still a minor, and therefore he's not. As the first son, Barron should be allowed privacy — just like Sasha and Malia Obama, Barbara and Jenna Bush, Chelsea Clinton, and every other first child before him should have been given.
The former first daughter is right: Whether you agree or disagree with the Trump administration, you should keep Barron out of it.

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