Inside the adult lives of the first children of the United States: From Barron Trump to Malia Obama

Stepping out of the presidential shadow: A look into the lives of America's first children

Children of US presidents are often thrust into the spotlight alongside their famous parents. Some follow in the political footsteps, while others choose more private paths. As Hunter Biden's recent firearms trial shows, public scrutiny remains constant even for the adult children of presidents. Today, we delve into the current lives of the children of Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama.

Naomi Biden

Naomi Biden tragically died at the tender age of one in a car accident in 1972, alongside her mother, Neilia. The accident left her brothers, Beau and Hunter, severely injured but they survived. Naomi and Neilia are buried at St Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery in Delaware. Reflecting on his loss, Joe Biden said in 2022, “To lose a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped away. There’s a hollowness in your chest, you feel like you’re being sucked into it. It’s suffocating. And it’s never quite the same.”

Beau Biden

Joseph “Beau” Biden III, a former Delaware Attorney General and a Bronze Star recipient for his service in Iraq, died in 2015 at the age of 46 due to a glioblastoma brain tumor. He left behind his wife Hallie and their two children, Natalie and Robert, who often goes by Hunter. Joe Biden, then Vice President, expressed his sorrow in a heartfelt statement, saying, “His absolute honor made him a role model for our family. Beau embodied my father’s saying that a parent knows success when his child turns out better than he did. In the words of the Biden family: Beau Biden was, quite simply, the finest man any of us have ever known.”

Hunter Biden

Robert “Hunter” Biden, now 54, is an attorney and businessman. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Georgetown University and a law degree from Yale Law School. Hunter shares three daughters with his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle: Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy. He married South African filmmaker Melissa Cohen in 2019, and they have a son, Beau Jr. Hunter also has a daughter, Navy Joan Roberts, whose paternity he initially denied but was confirmed via a DNA test. Hunter’s struggles with addiction are well-documented, particularly in his memoir 'Beautiful Things'. Hunter is currently facing legal troubles, including an indictment on firearms charges and multiple tax-related charges, which could result in significant prison time.

Ashley Biden

Ashley Biden, a social worker, graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree and earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. In 2012, she married Dr Howard Krein, an otorhinolaryngologist and plastic surgeon. Ashley tends to avoid the limelight, focusing on her work and her role as the first daughter. She told Elle in 2023, “It took about two years to get into the groove of being in this position. I’m doing my work as I always have been, but kind of figuring out the role as first daughter, and how can I use it in the most positive way, where it’s not about me, it’s about Americans.”

Donald Trump Jr

Donald Trump Jr played a pivotal role in his father's business and political endeavors. As executive vice president of the Trump Organization, he focused on expanding the real estate and commercial sides of the business and appeared on 'The Apprentice'. He was instrumental in his father’s presidential campaign, making high-profile speeches and fervently defending his father on the campaign trail. Trump Jr shares five children with his ex-wife Vanessa and is engaged to former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. He remains active in political circles and resides in Florida.

Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump served as an advisor in her father’s administration. She was criticized in 2018 for using a personal account to send government-related emails. Before her White House tenure, she worked at the Trump Organization and ran her own fashion brand, which she shut down in 2018. Ivanka also had a modeling career and appeared on 'The Apprentice' and 'Gossip Girl'. She is married to Jared Kushner, a real estate developer and fellow White House advisor, with whom she has three children. The family has since relocated to Florida, where they continue their business and political engagements.

Eric Trump

Eric Trump, like his older brother, held an executive position at the Trump Organization and appeared on 'The Apprentice'. He founded a charitable foundation to support St Jude Children’s Research Hospital but ceased fundraising to avoid conflicts of interest during his father’s presidency. In 2017, his foundation faced scrutiny for allegedly funneling donations to the Trump Organization. Eric, who married Lara Lea Yunaska in 2014, continues to work for the family business and frequently appears on Fox News. The couple resides in a $3.2 million estate in Jupiter, Florida.

Tiffany Trump

Tiffany Trump, the only child from Donald Trump’s marriage to Marla Maples, pursued a law degree at Georgetown University, graduating in 2020. She briefly dabbled in music during her teenage years and gained notoriety as one of the "Rich Kids of Instagram." In November 2022, she married Michael Boulos, whose family owns a large conglomerate in Nigeria. The couple now lives in Miami.

Barron Trump

Barron Trump, the youngest of Donald Trump’s children, moved into the White House in June 2017 and attended St Andrew's Episcopal School. He is the first boy to live in the White House since John F Kennedy Jr. Currently, Barron is finishing high school at Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Florida. Standing at 6 feet 7 inches tall, he graduated with the class of 2024 and was invited to be a Florida delegate at the 2024 Republican National Convention, albeit he declined the offer.

Malia Obama

Malia Obama was 10 years old when her father took office. She attended Sidwell Friends School and graduated from Harvard in 2021. Malia has shown a keen interest in the entertainment industry, interning at various film and television companies, including the now-defunct Weinstein Company. Recently, she joined the writing staff for Donald Glover's Amazon show 'Hive' and made her directorial debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with a short film titled 'The Heart', which received lukewarm reviews.

Sasha Obama

Sasha Obama was the youngest child to live in the White House since John F Kennedy Jr. She also attended Sidwell Friends School and later enrolled at the University of Michigan before transferring to the University of Southern California. Sasha worked at a seafood restaurant in Martha’s Vineyard during the summer of 2016 and continued her education online during the pandemic. She graduated from USC with a degree in sociology in 2023.