President Trump used a stop at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Dublin to joke that his eldest son has "calmed down" since his May wedding, a lighthearted moment at the start of a presidential trip to Ireland.
Trump addressed staff and diplomats on Friday, with Donald Trump Jr. and other family members in the room, and turned the gathering into an impromptu review of his 48-year-old son's married life. The president told the crowd that Don Jr. "just got married" and is "happily married, which is nice," drawing laughter before delivering the punchline.
The remarks offered a rare personal window during an overseas diplomatic trip, and a father's public stamp of approval on a marriage he was too busy to attend.
Don Jr. and Bettina Anderson married in the Bahamas in May. The president did not attend. At the time, Trump acknowledged the awkward position, saying he was consumed by the situation with Iran.
"This is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things. That's one I can't win on. If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed by the fake news."
He added simply: "Hopefully they're going to have a great marriage."
Months later, in Dublin, the president appeared satisfied that the marriage is delivering on that hope. Standing before the ambassador's staff, Trump said Don Jr. arrived in Ireland with "a whole group" of family, and that the change in his son was obvious.
"He's calmed down so much. That's like a good sign. He's like a different human being."
The crowd laughed. Trump seemed to mean it as a compliment.
First Lady Melania Trump did not join the president on the Ireland trip. She remained in Washington to attend a September 11 remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon.
Trump acknowledged her absence with a grin, telling the Dublin audience that his wife "is here in spirit." He then recounted what he said Melania told him about skipping the transatlantic flight:
"She said, 'Well, it's a seven-hour trip. Maybe I'm not that friendly.'"
The line drew more laughs. Trump did not seem bothered.
Trump also turned his attention to U.S. Ambassador Ed Walsh, a New Jersey real estate developer who previously lived in Bedminster, home to Trump's sprawling golf estate. The president praised Walsh's posting in Ireland with characteristic bluntness.
"This is a real easy ambassadorship. Number one, all he has to do is play golf all day and he's doing a great job."
Walsh, who has personal ties to Trump's Bedminster retreat, did not respond publicly to the ribbing.
The Dublin stop came days after Don Jr. appeared as one of several speakers at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, which ran Wednesday and Thursday. The elder Trump's political heir typically places third in early 2028 Republican presidential nomination polls, though no specific surveys or figures were cited at the event.
At 48, Don Jr. has carved out a visible role in Republican politics. His father's public endorsement of the marriage, and the suggestion that it has made his son steadier, adds a personal dimension to that political brand.
A father who missed the wedding but likes the results. In the Trump family, that counts as a glowing review.
