It’s a situation that could have come straight out of the “AITA” vertical on Reddit: Donald Trump let it slip that his younger daughter, Tiffany Trump, is expecting. While speaking before the Detroit Economic Club on October 10, 2024, the former president noted that Tiffany’s father-in-law was in the audience, then added, “And she’s an exceptional young woman. And she’s going to have a baby. So that’s nice.” But here’s the problem: Neither Tiffany nor her husband, Michael Boulos, had made the news public yet.
With Dad’s spoiler making immediate headlines, Tiffany had to let her spokesperson confirm the news to all the media outlets. As of late afternoon, she hadn’t posted anything about her pregnancy to her Instagram account. Her last post was a photo from her 2022 wedding, and the marriage congratulations in the comments section have now been pushed down to make room for the baby messages. “Did Grandpa blow the announcement prematurely? They do that,” sympathized one follower.
For all we know, Tiffany might have been waiting until election day to share a signboard message (“I’m Voting for Two!” or “New Trump Grandchild Due Spring 2025!”). Unfortunately, whatever she chooses to do now is bound to come off as slightly stale. What can Tiffany say, other than, “Yes, it’s true”? But it’s not hard to imagine the former first daughter getting emotional behind the scenes. It wouldn’t be the first time that Donald Trump has been accused of disrespecting her.
Donald and Tiffany Trump have a complicated relationship
Parents aren’t supposed to play favorites with their children, but Donald Trump has been suspected of breaking that rule more than once. Though he has a close bond with his older daughter, Ivanka Trump, the relationship between Donald and Tiffany Trump is more fragile. Tiffany was raised in California by her mother, Marla Maples, after her parents’ divorce, and saw her father mainly on holidays. Sources have claimed she has felt out of place within the Trump family, and that she and Donald don’t stay in touch much. Trump’s former personal assistant once dished that he didn’t know Tiffany very well as a person, and that he disliked the optics of being photographed with her because he thought she was overweight.
The dad and daughter even have trouble showing their affection publicly. Back in 2016, Tiffany was caught on camera appearing to duck away from The Donald’s attempt to kiss her cheek; at the 2024 Republican National Convention, the divisive candidate seemed to return the favor, turning away from Tiffany as she leaned in for a greeting on the way to her seat.
Tiffany has denied the claims of an estrangement, and has publicly supported her father’s campaign. She appeared with the rest of her half-siblings at the Republican National Convention, and issued a message of concern after the first assassination attempt on Trump’s life. But this gaffe on the part of the grandpa-to-be could put a further strain on their relationship.
