Leave Barron Trump out of it

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Based on Trump's interest in autism, I would think that it's possible Barron is on the spectrum but there's really no way of knowing either way at this point.

This, this, this!!

"ASD" shouldn't be an insulting, damaging label. But right now it still is. That's a FACT. Almost every one of us here has suffered discrimination, not even because of behaviors associated with autism, but just because someone found out we have it.

And we're going to hang that on a 10-year-old boy who just got strapped with being the son of the most controversial and reviled POTUS in my lifetime?? REALLY??

Unless you are talking with your friends and family in a PRIVATE ENVIRONMENT (not the Internet), four words:

LEAVE. THE. BOY. ALONE.

I think people might have a skewed perception of Barron since the two times people remember seeing him were when his dad accepted the Republican nomination or when he declared victory. Both were late at night, the victory speech was really really late and I imagine it was a pretty chaotic overwhelming environment which in that case I think Barron was acting pretty normal for an exhausted 10 year old boy. Could he be on the spectrum? Who knows, maybe? I don't think you can make that judgement just based on casual observance in a very unusual environment. I agree that autism should be thrown around as an accusation and that people should have a little more class than to denigrate the families of politicians especially their young children even if you don't like them. I was never comfortable with the body-shaming comments some people made towards Michelle Obama, I think you can be critical of someone for their words they've said in public and the positions they take but it seems like the height of hypocrisy that the people who cry the loudest for political correctness and 'safe spaces' are the biggest bullies they are. How can you damn Trump to hell for something offensive he said while literally at the same engaging in that behavior or worse? Think about all the body-shaming comments made about Donald, all the awful things said about Melania, some people have an appalling lack of self-awareness

His age MEANS EVERYTHING because it hinders his ability to handle it. And if Barron is autistic the situation is even worse because he will much more likely perservate over it. I have said some really nasty personal stuff about Donald on these pages, pure speculation on my part but he is fair game because unlike Barron he willingly put himself there and he is an adult.

I find the I don't give a s**t, he looks autistic to me attitude coming from some autistics completly hypocritical. Nearly every day on this site people complain about other people denying thier autism, discussing how hurtful it is for them, or complaining how hurt they are when people they have known thier entire lives start treating them differently when they disclosed. Yet they have no compunction about publicly speculating based on a few videos not only about a 10 year old, but a 10 year old in a uniquely precaroius situation.

Agree there's no way to know at this point but how is claiming someone autistic "denigrating" them? There's nothing wrong with being autistic. And the claims that Barron is autistic were not made as attacks. They're just claims based on observations. There's nothing shameful about being autistic. If anything, the reaction implying that there is something shameful is more offensive than the original claim (which wasn't really offensive at all).

I believe that some people are being cruel about it, but I agree that questions or claims about autism shouldn't be used as attacks or insults and that not all of them are.

I feel sorry for Barron, and I would no matter what, because of so many things that his father has done in the past, and will likely do in the future. (NOTE: this is coming from someone who, for decades, has thought Trump is an ass, not from someone who liked Hillary.) I think making fun of any child and deriding him for simply being who he is--ASD or not--is really low.

HOWEVER, the speculation, whether malicious or benign in nature, has begun. In my opinion--which doesn't amount to diddly-squat in this world--his parents should at least consider addressing the questions if the rumblings continue. They willingly took this little boy into one of the brightest spotlights on the planet, and they need to do whatever it takes to raise him in as healthy an environment as possible. This situation could develop into a case where staying silent will do more harm than good. Addressing something head-on and honestly can be much better than letting rumors and confusion fester and spread.

Furthermore, if his son is autistic, it could be a wonderful opportunity for his parents to make a statement about loving their son, wanting to protect his privacy (not keeping silent out of undeserved shame!), and resources for decent people who want to tackle ignorance, misinformation, and discrimination.

Melenia has addressed the speculation through her lawyer as we have been discussing in this thread.
Instead of making you read through all 6 pages of that thread I will summarize what has become a shitstorm.

People started speculating and commenting about Barron after his dad's acceptance speech and lot more after his dad's victory speech. An autistic vlogger saw people making fun of Barron's mannerisms and posted a video saying stop making fun of him, his mannerisms are probably due to autism and started sending it to the online bullies. Rosie O'Donnell who has an Autistic son saw this and re posted it and the original video went viral. This prompted a backlash for the type of reasons I mentioned in my original post on this thread. Melenia Trump who was reported by TMZ to be "livid" hired the lawyer whom Hulk Hogan used to win a defamation suit against the gossip website Gawker that put said site out of business. The lawyer contacted TMZ and the vlogger saying while the video said "Stop The Bullying" the video was itself bullying and take that video down. The lawyer said Barron is not autistic. The vologger took it down and released another video profusely apologized saying his original video was a horrible thing to do and retracting everything in it. O'Donnell after defending herself a few days later also apologized. Other vloggers seeing this as an attempt to muzzle free speech have reposted the original video.

The people feigning fake outrage over Barron Trump probably posted nasty stuff about Michelle Obama in the past. A now disgraced republican mayor referred to Michelle Obama as an "Ape with heels". The silence over that facebook post was deafening.

I am a quaint prude on these matters for whom the world has utterly and completely passed by. I still think The Bill - Monica affair should have stayed private unless it affected his job performance.

Let the boy be a kid and don't slap an amateur label on him.

Wow, didn't know it was an insult to question whether or not someone is autistic. Obviously some of you around here don't think very highly of yourselves.

It is not about hating ourselves, it is about that "autistic" is often used as a insult with a somewhat equivilent meaning to "ret*d". This is particularly true amoung younger people and online.

This is why the issue has nothing to with the boy who is innocent. Melania Trump is clearly defensive over her son's "odd" behavior and coincidentally her stance on online bullying. She may (or may not) had him (Barron) checked - but her (Melania's) perception of Rosie O'Donnell's well intentioned (O'Donnell has a son with Autism) blog is that autism is a "slur".

She is ferociously defensive over online posts about her son which lead her to declaring that online bullying is a personal issue. Yet she has been selectively quiet about her own husband and his hundreds of thousands of vile supporters (who are among the lowest scum on earth) bullying and throwing insults and slurs at otherwise decent people.

Maybe it has nothing to do with the perfectly normal behavoir for a 10 year old 6 hours or so past his bedtime that everybody thinks is so odd for some reason. Unlike you all I do not have the ability to to read Melenia's mind. All I know if it were me in her position, I would realize if I accepted this it would get worse and everything my son did will be open to speculation, ridicule and shaming for the next 4 to 8 years. I probably might have handled somewhat differently but I would use all the powers in my possession to try if possible to stop this right here and now, collateral damage be dammed.

When I said "precaroius position" Barron is in, I meant not only that he is going to be the first son but his parents "personalities" . We can not do a thing about who his parents are. If evidence of abuse surfaces that is one thing, but sans that using his situation for our own whatever is viciously cruel whether it is intended to be or not.

he's been filmed in other rallies doing odd things. My own observations is that he's fidgety, socially awkward, doesn't speak or shake hands, wobbles when he walks and engages in repetitive behaviors. There is evidence he lacks flexibility in that they dont want to moved from his current school. While he's not necessarily autistic his behavior is anything but normal for a 10 year old boy who has not been deprived of anything in his short life


There's a number coincidences that string together including Melania's bizarre rant about online bullying which contradict/incongruous with the culture of bullying her husband practices on a daily basis on twitter...my educated guess is that she is managing online bullying Barron is receiving from his classmates (not something anyone wants to wish on the boy)


Agreed that the boy should be off limits, it might be, however, an opportunity for Trump to be stop being such as a fascist and embrace his son's differences. Potentially the first time a child in the white house has a disability...I think that's all Rosie O'Donnell was trying to say

All I see is that people seem desperate for him to be autistic for various reasons and are looking for any "evidence" to fit the conclusion they want. I can play that game too, he is really tall for a ten year old, sure sign of of a physical disability that is causing his motor coordination issues that I am certain he has based on the few videos I have watched.

Of course it would be good if the Trump became an advocate for the disabled and did something about it. Prior to all this he could have done this without becoming another parent parading thier kid around. But now even if he never mentions Barron people will assume it is because of Barron is "autistic" exposing Barron to the same negatives as if Trump paraded him around. Outside of that "outing" a ten year old is a horrific thing to do for any reason, those that did this for legitimately good reasons did a stupid thing. This is now about freedom of speech and a yet another converversation about how his parents are really bad people. Barron is a prop.