Donald Trump said Thursday he might miss his son's upcoming nuptials, citing geopolitical pressures as he juggles competing demands on his time as president.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump acknowledged that Donald Trump Jr. wants him at the wedding, reportedly set for Memorial Day weekend in the Bahamas. But enthusiasm was notably absent from his response. "He'd like me to go, but it's going to be just a small little private affair, and I'm going to try and make it," Trump said, his tone suggesting doubt.
The sticking point, Trump explained, boils down to his focus on Iran and other international matters. "I'm in the midst. I said, 'You know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.'"
The Middle East tensions haven't entirely cramped Trump's schedule. He has found time recently to attend a UFC event in Miami and a PGA championship at his golf club in Doral, Florida, along with rounds of golf for himself.
Trump Jr., 48, is the president's eldest son. He was previously married to fashion model Vanessa Haydon in a 2005 ceremony at Mar-a-Lago, officiated by Trump's sister, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry. That union produced five children before ending in divorce.
The younger Trump became engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle in 2020, but the relationship dissolved in 2024. Guilfoyle is now serving as U.S. ambassador to Greece. His current fiancee is Bettina Anderson, a 39-year-old socialite and model from a prominent Palm Beach banking family. The couple made their public debut together at Trump's inauguration last January.
Trump appeared aware of the optics problem his decision presents. "That's one I can't win on," he mused. "If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed, by the fake news, of course, I'm talking about." He added that his son is "a person who I've known for a long time, and hopefully they're going to have a great marriage."
The president's attendance record at family weddings is mixed. He was notably present at his daughter Ivanka's 2009 wedding to Jared Kushner at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, which he later praised on social media as "spectacular."
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's reluctance to commit to his own son's wedding tells you everything about how he weighs personal obligations against the machinery of power. The Iran crisis is real, but so is the fact that he made time for golf."
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