Politics - News Analysis

Melania’s Parents Hitch a Ride on Air Force One for Super Bowl Sunday — But No Barron

Donald Trump, his wife Melania, and her parents were seen leaving Washington DC to head to Mar-a-Lago for Super Bowl Sunday, but the Trump’s 13-year-old son Barron was seemingly absent.

The Trumps have a Super Bowl party at Mar-a-Lago every year.

But the addition of Melania’s parents Viktor and Amalija Knavs is often controversial, as it appears conservatives are just fine with the first in-laws frequently traveling on taxpayer dime.

Viktor, 77, and Amalija, 74, regularly travel with the first family after retiring from their respective jobs as a car salesman and pattern-cutter for a children’s clothing company in Slovenia.

A lawyer for the First Lady’s parents confirmed last year that the Knavs’ had taken an oath of U.S. citizenship on August 9, in New York City, which is also not without controversy.

Barron is very close to his grandparents, with whom he reportedly speaks Slovenian, and Politico described them as “hyperinvolved” in his life.

It is not known where Barron is. He was last seen publicly on January 17th arriving at Mar-a-Lago with his parents. Whether he is still there or in DC is unknown.

While Politico also reported soon after inauguration that Melania’s parents would “become more familiar figures around the White House”—much the way Michelle Obama’s mother Marian Robinson did when she moved into the presidential mansion—a White House spokeswoman said she could not confirm the outlet’s claim, writing in an e-mail, “We don’t comment on the first lady’s parents, as they are private citizens and we want to respect that.”

But it seems conservatives have no problem with Melania’s parents getting to hitch a ride on Air Force One and Marine One.

This is odd because conservatives constantly railed against former President Barack Obama for bringing his mother-in-law with him on trips with his family. Marian Robinson lived in the White House with Barack and Michelle Obama, and was one of the caretakers of their daughters Sasha and Malia.

Conservatives even claimed that Marian Johnson would receive a pension of $160,000 per year for her role in taking care of her grandchildren, but that was repeatedly proven false.

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