Food Network Host Removes Tweet Aimed At Barron Trump After Harsh Backlash
Food Network host and comedian John Henson caused controversy when he made a comment insinuating that President Donald Trump isn’t really Barron Trump’s father.
According to People, Henson, who hosts Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship, ABC’s Wipeout and E!’s Talk Soup, tweeted on Father’s Day that he hopes “Barron gets to spend today with whoever his dad is.”
That tweet has since been deleted, but not before grabbing the attention of some who considered Henson’s comments to be a cheap shot.
The comedian replied to some of those who called him out on Twitter, saying that it was a “joke” that was aimed at the president.
“The mere mention of Barron’s name doesn’t mean it’s at his expense… Although I respect your right to take issue with it.”
Barron’s mother, Melania Trump, has been highly defensive of her 14-year-old son in the past. This case was no exception, and the first lady’s spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, made it clear that they still believe minor children should be “off-limits” to their parent’s critics.
“Sadly we continue to see inappropriate and insensitive comments about (President Donald Trump’s) son,” she said in a statement, as quoted by Fox News.
“As with every other administration, a minor child should be off-limits and allowed to grow up with no judgment or hate from strangers and the media.”
New York Post columnist Miranda Devine weighed in on Fox & Friends on Wednesday, saying that Henson “should be ashamed of himself” for targeting Barron. She called the Food Network host’s remarks “utterly despicable” and said that while someone might hate they president, they should not “attack… his teenage son.”
Barron was the target of another high-profile individual frustrated with his parents late in 2019, when Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan, who testified during the impeachment hearing, used Barron’s name to make a point about Trump’s family.
Karlan said in the committee room that due to the restraints of the constitution, the president can’t make his youngest son a “baron,” even if his name happens to be Barron.
Karlan’s comments brought a response from the first lady, who responded saying that she should be “ashamed” of using Barron to perpetuate what Melania referred to as a politically-charged statement.
A minor child deserves privacy and should be kept out of politics. Pamela Karlan, you should be ashamed of your very angry and obviously biased public pandering, and using a child to do it.
— Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) December 4, 2019
Karlan later apologized for what she said but added in the same statement that she wished the president would also apologize for what she believes he has done wrong.
Meanwhile, Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump, made headlines in a much more positive way on Father’s Day when she shared a heartfelt post on Instagram about her dad, talking about how grateful she is to have him as her father. Tiffany has also talked about how much her little brother Barron means to her on her social media.
