--- title: "Trump Boasts That His Son Barron Can Turn on a Laptop Even When It Is Completely Turned Off" description: "Nobody would ever accuse Donald Trump of being a good parent, but for Barron, he's seemingly got a lot of accolades." date: "2025-03-23" modified: "2025-03-23" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/trump-boasts-barron-laptop" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "barron trump" - "donald trump" - "fox news" - "politics" --- # Trump Boasts That His Son Barron Can Turn on a Laptop Even When It Is Completely Turned Off ![Nobody would ever accuse Donald Trump of being a good parent, but for Barron, he's seemingly got a lot of accolades.]() *\Image: Chip Somodevilla via Getty / Futurism\* President Donald Trump has some accolades for the technical acumen of his youngest son Barron — and they're baffling. In a [sit-down interview]() with *Fox News* personality Laura Ingraham in the Oval Office, the second-time president bragged that his youngest son may have a future in tech because, apparently, the 19-year-old college freshman knows how to turn his laptop on. When Ingraham asked the president if Barron shows more of a propensity for business or politics — a valid question, considering he's currently enrolled New York University's Stern School of Business — the elder Trump responded "maybe technology." "He can look at a computer..." Trump responded, trailing off. "I turn off his laptop, I said, 'Oh good,' and I go back five minutes later, he’s got his laptop, I say, 'How do you do that?' 'None of your business, dad.'" https://www.twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1902764060745011205 Trump is notoriously technophobic, [reportedly not using a computer or email](). His outbursts about technology are often incomprehensible, like when he ducked into a Tesla recently and [exclaimed]() that "everything is computer." Were this any other father attempting to brag about his directionless young adult son, his latest rejoinder might be relatable. But Trump is far from the average father: this is a man who became a billionaire after allegedly [ripping off the city of New York]() and [getting in bed with the Russian mob](), and whose second presidency is, somehow, already [more nativist and violent]() than his first. Behind the scenes, there's no telling how hard the president comes down on his youngest. We do, however, know a bit about how he's treated his other kids: according to Miami realtor (and DJ) Scott Melker, Trump once slapped his eldest son, Don Jr., in the face in front of their shared freshman dorm room at the University of Pennsylvania for having the gall to wear a jersey to a baseball game. "Don Jr. opened the door, wearing a Yankee jersey. Without saying a word, his father slapped him across the face, knocking him to the floor in front of all of his classmates," Melker wrote in a November 2016 Facebook post, [per the *Miami New-Times*](). "He simply said 'put on a suit and meet me outside,' and closed the door." One would hope that the president has softened on his kids with age, but given that weird anecdote about the laptop, it seems that Trump is either trying to save face on behalf of his kid who, like most college freshmen, doesn't have their whole life mapped out yet — or that he really is astounded by someone being able to turn on a computer. **More on Trump:** [*Trump Ridiculed for Claiming He Rescued the Stranded Astronauts*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()