Fact Check: Did White House say Barron Trump was 'too tall' for military service?
WASHINGTON, DC: Ever since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, there have been calls online to enlist President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, in the war with Iran. Following this, a claim began circulating online that the White House said that Barron is too tall for military service. Let us analyze the rumor and fact-check it.
Claim: Barron Trump is 'too tall' to serve in the military
According to the viral claim circulating on social media, the White House said that the president's youngest son, Barron Trump, was unable to serve in the military due to his height.
A viral social media post read, “The White House says Barron Trump is 'too tall' at 6'9" to serve in the military. David Robinson was 7'0" and put his NBA career on hold to serve in the Navy. If Robinson could do it, Barron can too. Who agrees?"
The earliest version of the rumor appeared on Reddit, which has since been deleted.
Fact Check: Unconfirmed, White House made no such announcement
However, there are no such official statements from the White House supporting the claim. A look at White House’s archive of briefs and statements found no announcement regarding Barron Trump's height or potential military enlistment.
A look at Trump’s official social media handles also did not generate any evidence supporting the claim.
A Google search for a White House statement regarding Barron's height primarily turned up results related to Morton's website and other social media posts.
If such a public statement were made by Trump or the White House, it would have been widely reported by credible news media outlets.
Iran retaliatory strikes kill US soldiers
The calls to enlist Barron in the military intensified after US soldiers were killed by Iran's retaliatory fire following the US-Israel strikes.
In a March 2 speech, Trump said, “We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” the president said in a video on his Truth Social platform.
“And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is.”
“There will likely be more, but we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”
The operation, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, marked a major escalation of US and allied military pressure against Tehran.
