Barron – the youngest son of Donald Trump, the president of the United States and his wife, Melania – is living a college experience far from ordinary.
The 19-year-old freshman, currently enrolled at New York University’s Stern School of Business, reportedly navigates campus life under constant Secret Service watch.
While Barron’s classmates might grab coffee and slip into class unnoticed, the teen’s daily commute involves NYPD-facilitated access through city bus lanes, discreet entrances, and security-heavy logistics.
Once he arrives on campus, the security doesn’t stop – though it does try to blend in.
According to sources who spoke with the Daily Mail, Barron’s agents minimize attention by swapping in the classic dark suits and sunglasses for something a little more student-friendly.
Still, the teen’s presence hasn’t gone unnoticed as Kaya Walker, former president of NYU College Republicans, told Vanity Fair that “he goes to class, he goes home”.
She described him as “sort of like an oddity on campus,” a presence that drew so much attention that she ultimately stepped down after backlash over her comments.
The Secret Service’s job isn’t easy. Former agent Paul Eckloff, who protected multiple presidents and their families – including George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump – told The Independent that protecting a teen in today’s social media-driven world is a logistical nightmare.
“The Secret Service has to monitor [social media],” Eckloff said. “Let’s say that a president’s child is at a party and someone tweets out their picture. Now, their location is broadcast on social media, and they could become a target. That can endanger everybody.”
And the risks aren’t just hypothetical, pointing to the public scrutiny Malia Obama faced when photos of her at Lollapalooza surfaced and the social media chaos that erupted when she moved into Harvard.
These aren’t isolated incidents – they’re part of the new normal for high-profile students. “The general threat environment that we face in the 21st century is greater than it has ever been,” Eckloff added.
For Barron, that threat translates to never being alone. Sources say his agents even accompany him to the bathroom, and he’s never seen in the campus cafeteria.
One student told Vanity Fair they invited him to play basketball. While the 19-year-old seemed interested, the student got the impression “he wasn’t really allowed to do stuff.” Instead, he prefers gaming and is a soccer fan.
He may not be a regular at parties, but Barron has still managed to catch classmates’ attention, especially with his height and looks.
“He’s tall and handsome. A lot of people seem to think he’s pretty attractive – yes, even liberal people like him,” one student told PEOPLE. Still, another scoffed at the idea, saying that he’s hardly on campus “long enough to chat with anyone let alone flirt,” per Daily Mail.
The challenges of protecting someone like Barron go far beyond classroom security as college campuses – especially in dense, urban environments like NYU – are chaotic by nature.
“You can’t secure the entire dorm,” Eckloff said. “They have to be innovative in how they achieve the protection.”
That means plainclothes agents, surveillance tech, and constant improvisation. “Planning to fail is where the Secret Service wins,” he added. “They have contingency plans in place for when things break down.
Eckloff emphasized that agents try to limit how much their presence disrupts the student’s experience.
“Many kids are experiencing an independent life for the first time, and having Secret Service can hamper that,” he explained. “They’re sensitive to it, but they have a job, and it’s critically important.”
Ultimately, he said, the choice is simple: “I think you’d rather have your college experience impacted a little than be kidnapped.”
