The president of New York University’s (NYU) College Republicans chapter has resigned following controversy over remarks she made about Barron Trump in a magazine interview.
Kaya Walker stepped down from her leadership role after an interview with Vanity Fair, in which the publication quoted her saying the youngest son of President Donald Trump is “sort of like an oddity on campus.”
In the interview, Walker noted that 18-year-old Barron Trump, a student at NYU’s Stern School of Business, keeps a low profile. “He goes to class, he goes home,” she told Vanity Fair, adding that a professor once joked that Barron “doesn’t really belong here.”
College Republicans of America said in a statement that Vanity Fair had “unfairly framed” Walker’s remark but “we still found it to be inappropriate” and misaligned with the organization’s values. The group added that it’s working with the NYU chapter to “ensure a smooth transition in leadership.”
Walker later told the New York Post that she regretted resigning, saying that her comments were taken out of context after a post on X by AF Post went viral.
They “took it to say that I was saying that Barron was strange for being a commuter—which I thought was crazy because I’m a commuter,” Walker said. “They [made it] look like I was calling the president’s son weird, but I feel like anybody who can read would know that’s not what I was doing.”
She clarified that she sympathizes with Barron’s college experience and understands his desire for privacy.
“I just feel bad that he’s having this hard college experience, and I understand that he wants to be left alone,” Walker continued. “I don’t even know Baron Trump. I campaigned for his father. Why would I have any ill intent towards him?”
Walker also noted the unusual level of attention Barron Trump receives on campus.
“He’s kind of watched like a zoo animal,” she said. “He’s kind of hard to miss. He’s very tall. People post pictures of him in class on their Instagram Story, and I think that’s really strange.”
Amid the controversy, College Republicans of America President Will Donahue extended an invitation to Barron Trump to join their organization.
“Barron Trump represents the future of the conservative movement, and we would be honored to have him join College Republicans,” Donahue wrote in a statement on X. “Strong leadership is built on resilience, courage, and the humility to rise above petty hostility–qualities that Barron has already demonstrated. We invite Barron to join us in shaping the future of our party.”
Barron Trump has not publicly commented on Walker’s resignation or Donahue’s invitation.
While Barron Trump has generally maintained a low profile, both the president and the first lady have credited him with helping his father connect with younger voters during his 2024 presidential campaign, including advising him on podcast appearances.
Three of Trump’s older children—Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Donald Trump Jr.—graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, which the president also attended. Trump previously said that Barron considered Penn’s Wharton School but ultimately chose NYU.
“He’s a very smart guy, and he’ll be going to Stern,” Trump said of his youngest son in an interview with Daily Mail in September 2024. “He’s doing great.”
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