On any normal day that ends in “y,” a picture of a 23-year-old woman smoking a cigarette isn’t something that would normally go viral. But of course, we know there is nothing normal about the 2024 election cycle. That means if the woman in the photo is the daughter of a former President of the United States who also happens to be Black, it’s fair game for political fodder.
On September 13, a user posted a collage of photos on X of the children of Presidents and Vice Presidents, including Barron Trump, the 18-year-old son of former President Donald Trump, Sasha Obama, the 23-year-old daughter of former President Barack Obama, Ella Emhoff, the 25-year-old stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, and Hunter Biden, the 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden.
The photo, captioned, “We are not the same, One raised by Donald and Melania Trump, One raised by the Obamas, One raised by the Bidens, One raised by the Harris’ Which parents you taking?” received over 8 million views and thousands of comments.
Many of the comments came from those who thought the comparison was ridiculous, especially considering that the Obama girls, who lived scandal-free during their eight years in the White House, are now college-educated adults who are doing their best to stay out of the political spotlight. And since when was smoking a cigarette scandalous?
“I think the Obamas have the best family structure. Two parent household, kids went to good colleges, no proven family scandals, occasionally smoke cigarettes,” wrote one commenter.
Another commenter questioned whether or not the youngest of Trump’s five children spent much time with the former President, who was just 10 when his dad was elected. Former First Lady Melania Trump made a point of keeping Barron out of the spotlight, even opting to stay in New York City so he could finish out his elementary school education at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School.
“LMAO, when did Trump raise his kids?” wrote someone.
We have no idea what kind of adult Barron Trump will turn out to be. But we should all be able to agree that comparing an 18-year-old first year college student with independent adults is no real comparison.