N.Y.U. College Republicans President Resigns After Remarks About Barron Trump

The president of New York University’s College Republicans chapter resigned this week, bowing to pressure from the national organization after being quoted in a Vanity Fair profile that made headlines. In the article, Kaya Walker, the chapter president, referred to Barron Trump, the 18-year-old freshman son of President Trump, as “sort of like an oddity on campus,” implying that he wasn’t fully integrating into university life.https://svtoday.org/

The profile, published on February 12, featured Ms. Walker discussing Barron Trump’s behavior at N.Y.U., suggesting that he led a solitary routine—attending classes and heading home without engaging in campus activities. “He goes to class, he goes home,” Walker told the magazine.

In the interview, Walker also questioned whether N.Y.U., known for its liberal atmosphere in Greenwich Village and its Hollywood alumni, was the right environment for the president’s son. She recounted a professor joking that Barron Trump didn’t “really belong here,” a remark which the magazine said reflected the campus’s perception of him.

Will Donahue, president of the College Republicans of America, issued a statement on Tuesday explaining that Ms. Walker had not obtained prior approval from the national organization before speaking to Vanity Fair. He emphasized that chapter presidents must clear media engagements with the national body, especially when dealing with outlets that may have a bias against conservative viewpoints.

“During the conversation, she was presented with a narrative about Barron Trump that was clearly framed in a partisan way,” Donahue’s statement said. “Instead of redirecting the inquiry to our communications team or disputing the premise, she used language that did not meet C.R.A.’s standards of professionalism, inadvertently contributing to a misleading and negative portrayal.”

The College Republicans had recommended Walker’s resignation, which she accepted. The organization also announced that it was extending an invitation for Barron Trump to join the group.

Ms. Walker, 21, did not respond immediately to requests for comment. According to her student profile on N.Y.U.’s website, she is a senior studying international relations and French. She recently completed an internship with the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.

Condé Nast, the parent company of Vanity Fair, did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

Since enrolling at N.Y.U. in 2024, Barron Trump has attracted significant attention. Unlike some of his half-siblings, he stays out of the public eye, avoiding social media and rarely making public statements.

Neither the White House nor Melania Trump’s spokesperson, who has been notably protective of her son’s privacy, responded to requests for comment on Tuesday.

In a December interview on Fox & Friends, Melania Trump spoke about her son’s influence in her husband’s campaign, crediting him with advising President Trump to engage with media figures popular among younger voters.

Will Donahue, the leader of the College Republicans of America, expressed interest in involving Barron Trump in the organization’s leadership, noting that the group has historically served as a springboard for conservative leaders who have gone on to significant political careers.

“While we haven’t yet had any direct communication with him, we would be honored to offer him a platform to begin his political career if he chooses that path,” Donahue said. “At the same time, we fully respect his privacy and personal decisions regarding his potential future involvement in politics.”