Barron Trump fails to show up at family’s crypto launch despite 2-hour build-up

The livestream, hosted on X, was expected to feature Barron Trump’s insights on WLF, but he did not make it onto the broadcast
PUBLISHED SEP 17, 2024
Barron Trump, 18, was supposed to take center stage in a livestream to promote his family’s new cryptocurrency venture (JNI/Star Max/GC Images)
Barron Trump, 18, was supposed to take center stage in a livestream to promote his family’s new cryptocurrency venture (JNI/Star Max/GC Images)

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: It was set to be a huge moment for 18-year-old Barron Trump. He was supposed to take center stage in a livestream to promote his family’s new cryptocurrency venture.

But in a turn of events that left many hanging, Barron never actually made it onto the broadcast. What was supposed to be a major introduction for the youngest Trump ended up being a bit of a no-show.

Where was Barron Trump?

Barron Trump’s older brothers —Donald Trump Jr, 46, and Eric Trump, 40 — were excited about the family’s latest endeavor. The three of them — along with their dad former president Donald Trump — were all supposed to unveil their new project together.

Dubbed World Liberty Financial (WLF) is described as an online banking and lending platform designed to bring cryptocurrency to the average American, while protecting them from the so-called “censorship” of traditional big banks.

The X livestream was hyped up as the moment we’d finally hear Barron’s thoughts on the project. However, it didn't go as planned. Crypto entrepreneur Farokh Sarmad, who was part of the broadcast, ended up breaking the news.

“He’s not here anymore, we took too long,” he said, laughing it off and adding, “We’re gonna try and get him back.”

While fans waited for Barron’s big moment, it never came. Don Jr chimed in, “Damned teenagers!” he said, before joking, “I’m like the old boomer now – the grumpy old man with a white beard.”

Though Barron never showed up, the Trump brothers continued the discussion about their new crypto venture. According to a leaked document obtained by CoinDesk, Eric and Don Jr are listed as WLF’s “Web3 Ambassadors,” while Barron is being hailed as the company’s “DeFi visionary” (for those not in the crypto know, DeFi stands for decentralized finance).

Despite the nearly two-hour livestream, concrete details about WLF were slim. What we do know is that it will feature a stablecoin, a type of cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar, and early investors won’t be given any preferential treatment when it comes to the governance of the platform, Independent reported.

Donald Trump, never shy about praising his kids, took a moment to credit Barron for sparking his interest in crypto. “Barron knows so much about this,” Trump said, adding, “Barron’s a young guy, but he knows – he talks about his [crypto] wallet, he’s got four wallets or something, and I’ll say ‘what is a wallet?’ But he knows it inside out.”

Trump pointed out the apparent generational gap. “It’s almost like younger people know it a lot better than older people. But I have a lot of respect for them. They’ve shown great judgment, all of them," he said.



 

A rising star

Crypto aside, Barron Trump has been dominating headlines in recent months. During a July rally in Florida, he received a standing ovation after his dad introduced him to the crowd.

It was a rare public appearance for Barron, who had just turned 18 and graduated high school. When Trump called his name at the rally held at Trump National Doral Golf Club, the crowd went wild cheering for the youngest Trump as he stood up and waved.

Trump couldn’t resist joking about Barron’s rising popularity, quipping that his youngest son “might be more popular” than his older brothers. “This is a young man,” Trump said. “He just turned 18 — oh, look at this,” he added, pausing as the crowd’s cheers grew louder.

“A very young man who is now going to college — got into every college he wanted to and he made his choice,” Trump continued. “He’s a very good guy.”

As Barron stood up and gave the crowd a fist pump, his father quipped: “That’s the first time he’s done it. That’s the first time, right? You’re pretty popular. He might be more popular than Don and Eric, we got to talk about that."

“Welcome to the scene, Barron,”  Trump said, before joking that Barron “had such a nice, easy life — now it’s a little bit changed.” 



 

Many have been watching Barron’s quiet rise, speculating on his future within the Trump family’s empire. Insiders have hinted that Barron might be the real heir to his father’s MAGA legacy.

In a glowing profile by the Daily Mail, one insider described Barron as “handsome, tall – taller even than his father – and very knowledgeable for someone his age. He’s also far more politically interested than people realize,”

The same source even went as far as to say, “I see all the attributes of a future president if he has the appetite for it. And why not? He has the Trump genes.”

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