One Of Don Jr.'s College Classmates Made A Wild Claim About Donald Trump
It's impossible to ignore the odd dynamic between Donald Trump and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. On the surface, Don Jr. is the dutiful heir, aggressively defending his father and supporting his wildest claims at every turn. But bubbling just underneath the surface are numerous rumors that paint a picture of a history of angst and even hatred between the pair. In 2016, Scott Melker, Don Jr.'s former college classmate, shared an almost unbelievable narrative on Facebook, which quickly went viral. He alleged that the real estate mogul once visited his eldest son's dorm to take him to a baseball match, naturally attracting a crowd in the process. But, despite the audience, Donald Sr. reportedly treated Don Jr. quite harshly.
As Melker recalled, "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. He simply said, 'Put on a suit and meet me outside,' and closed the door," (via Philadelphia Magazine). Melker also added that Don Jr. "despised his father, and hated the attention that his last name afforded him." Naturally, the Trump family vociferously denied the shocking story, but it's worth noting that Melker is only one of multiple sources who claim that Don Jr. has a torrid relationship with his dad — despite the younger man doing everything in his power to impress him.
Don Jr.'s alleged ex also claimed that he hated his father
Shortly after returning to the family business in 2001, the Trump heir met and married Vanessa Trump. It was during their 13-year marriage that Donald Trump Jr. allegedly had an affair with Aubrey O'Day. The former first son has never actually admitted it, but his father's former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, and outspoken former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman both backed O'Day's claims up. Following the family's involvement in politics, the Danity Kane star not only spilled the tea on their alleged affair, but also made some interesting claims about Don Jr.'s relationship with the former president.
"Don jr HATES his father," O'Day posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2016 (via Newsweek). Although the tweet has since been deleted, she implied the same four years earlier via another post shared in the wake of the alleged couple's breakup. "Funny how a man will always desire his fathers approval even though he despises him," she wrote at the time (via BuzzFeed News). Scott Melker and O'Day's claims, although years apart, definitely don't fit with the happy family images the Trumps typically present. However, they do seem plausible, especially given statements that Don Jr. himself has made over the years.
Donald Trump reportedly didn't give Don Jr. enough attention as a kid
From all accounts, Donald Trump was never a present father. Retrospectively, Donald Trump Jr. explained the situation to New York Magazine in 2004: "My father is a very hardworking guy, and that's his focus in life, so I got a lot of the paternal attention that a boy wants and needs from my grandfather." Understandably, the former "Apprentice" host's affair with Marla Maples and subsequent divorce from Don Jr.'s mother, Ivana Trump, worsened their relationship. Don Jr.'s reaction to his father divorcing Ivana was to accuse him of not loving anything or anyone other than money. Soon after this, he refused to talk to Donald for a year and spent his adolescence trying to escape the Trump name.
Don Jr.'s college years were reportedly spent mostly drunk, and immediately after graduation, he relocated to Colorado. It's unclear if the years since have changed Don Jr.'s view or if he's simply displaying loyalty to his wealthy family as they increasingly gain notoriety, but it's hard to deny that the Trump heir is now one of his dad's most vocal supporters. Perhaps it was a lot easier to forgive him after Don Jr. put his own kids through a divorce and gained a new perspective.