First Lady Melania Trump offered one of her most personal public reflections in years ahead of Mother’s Day, revealing in written answers to USA Today the deep bond her son Barron Trump shared with his late maternal grandmother, Amalija Knavs, and describing their connection as “so magical.”

Knavs, whom Melania described as “the epitome of love and warmth,” passed away in January 2024 at the age of 78, a year before President Donald Trump began his second term in office.

In her written answers, Melania said her mother “absolutely” helped to nurture Barron’s connection to Slovenia by sharing books and childhood stories with him, cooking traditional Slovenian dishes, and speaking to him in the Slovenian language, giving him a tangible link to his maternal heritage.

“My mother and Barron had a distinct bond, beginning with her gentle embrace,” Melania wrote, describing how the two would cuddle, read books, and play games together when Barron was young, with Melania often hearing their laughter from nearby rooms.

“Their connection was so magical. And I loved watching it,” the first lady added in remarks that drew wide attention for their rarity and warmth, given that Melania rarely speaks in detail about her son’s private life.

The reflections arrived alongside separate reporting about Barron’s relationship with his older half-siblings, with insiders telling media outlets that Melania had been in charge of the guest list for Barron’s recent birthday celebration and had deliberately kept the event small and focused on Barron rather than inviting Donald Trump’s children from his earlier relationships.

“Barron didn’t grow up with them in the same way,” one source said. “There isn’t a real bond there,” a characterisation of the sibling dynamics that contrasted with comments Trump himself made to Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson, in which he described all his children as “popular” and suggested Barron might one day enter politics.

Barron is currently in his second year at New York University’s Stern School of Business, a detail Melania confirmed in earlier interviews, saying he “loves it,” and that he had played an important role in advising his father during the 2024 campaign on how to reach younger male voters through YouTube personalities and podcasts.