A New Jersey Democrat is dunking on Donald Trump’s paternal instincts—or lack thereof.
Sen. Andy Kim took aim at the president’s assertion that he may not attend his eldest son’s wedding, citing the war in Iran and “other things” on his schedule.
The president’s son, Don Jr., is set to wed socialite Bettina Anderson this weekend, saying “I do” in front of a small group of friends and family in the Bahamas. But during an Oval Office briefing Thursday, the president wasn’t so sure about his own attendance at the nuptials.
When reporters asked if he planned to attend the wedding, Trump stammered: “Ughhh, 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.”
“I said: ‘You know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things,’” he added.
“That’s one I can’t win on. 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’s a person I’ve known for a long time,” Trump said of his own son. “Hopefully they’re gonna have a great marriage.”
Trump’s vague comments triggered a strong reaction from the public, particularly his assertion that he’s known his own son for a “long time.”
Even Kim, 43, couldn’t resist chiming in. The senator posted a photo of his young son on X and captioned it: “My son has a soccer game this weekend. He’d like me to go. I’m going to try. I said, this is not good timing for me. He’s a person I’ve known for a long time.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
Don Jr.’s second marriage comes after his 2018 split with ex-wife Vanessa Trump. His oldest son has also been engaged at least three times, including to Kimberly Guilfoyle, now the U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
Anderson, a Columbia University graduate and self-proclaimed “housewife with no chores,” was first spotted among MAGA’s first family at the July 2024 Republican National Convention, seated directly behind Trump Jr. and his then-fiancée, Guilfoyle.
A month later, the then-presidential candidate’s son was seen on a brunch date with Anderson—while he was still believed to be engaged to Guilfoyle.
Guilfoyle, the ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, was tapped to be ambassador to Greece by her would-be father-in-law on Dec. 10—just hours after new photos surfaced of Trump Jr. and Anderson cozying up on her birthday. A week later, sources told the Mail that former Fox News host Guilfoyle, now 57, and Trump Jr. went their separate ways.
Despite Guilfoyle’s exit, Anderson was reportedly not welcomed into the family with open arms. In fact, members of the president’s inner circle warned as early as January that “Donald Trump does not approve of his son’s association with Bettina.”
“Bettina’s presence is seen as a liability rather than an asset,” a Trump family friend told Mediaite in January. “Individuals close to the president have expressed growing concerns about the potential liability posed by his son’s new relationship.”
And that’s not even factoring in a rumor that Anderson reportedly settled for Don Jr. despite initially “going for Elon Musk.”
