An upcoming book has shed light on the term Donald Trump reportedly uses for his 20-year-old son, Barron.
Barron Trump is rarely seen in public, largely because he is attending the Stern School of Business at New York University and spending much of his time away from the family’s Washington, DC orbit.
Although appearances from the son of Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are uncommon, a new book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, offers a glimpse into the family’s private dynamic.
According to the book, Barron was the first person to alert his father to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025.
Barron was reportedly distressed and worried that his father could also be targeted, particularly because of the risks that can come with speaking before large crowds.
It was during that exchange that Trump’s unexpected nickname for Barron was reportedly revealed, with the president trying to reassure his son by calling him ‘honey’.
“Calm down, honey, calm down,” Trump said, according to the book.
Barron also made a notable public appearance earlier this month at the UFC Freedom 250 cage match at the White House, a high-profile event that coincided with Trump’s 80th birthday and drew widespread attention online.
The youngest Trump sat behind his parents, but much of the attention centered on his appearance, with some people saying the NYU student looked ‘unrecognizable’.
In recent years, Barron has often been associated with a slicked-back hairstyle, but for the UFC event he appeared with a more relaxed style that fell forward over his face.
Social media quickly filled with reactions, including one user who wrote: “That is not the same person.”
A second added: “Ain’t no way that’s Barron Trump,” while a third remarked: “That’s stress when I see it.”
Others, however, were far less alarmed by the change and simply saw it as a different hairstyle.
“In fairness, the hair is much better,” one X user observed, while another added: “He’s the same, just different hairstyles.”
Some commenters also said Barron is beginning to resemble his father more and more.
“Barron is looking more presidential by the day,” one person put, as another pointed out: “He is turning into his father.”