Donald and Melania Trump didn’t mince their words when responding to Kathy Griffin’s violent political photograph, particularly in response to how it affected their young son. “Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself,” the then-newly elected president posted on X. “My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!”
The former first lady also released a statement that was posted on ABC’s John Santucci’s X account which read: “As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing. When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it.”
Griffin later apologized for the image, saying that she understood she crossed a line, per Entertainment Weekly. However, she later recanted her apology and reshared the photo three years later during the hotly contested 2020 presidential election. The photo received far less backlash and condemnation the second time around, and neither Donald nor Melania commented on the image or their then-14-year-old son’s reaction to it.
