President Donald Trump announced on Friday, May 22, that he will not attend the wedding of his son, Donald Trump Jr., to Bettina Anderson, scheduled for this weekend. The president cited his responsibilities at the White House as the reason for his absence.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so. I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time. Congratulations to Don and Bettina!"
The wedding is reportedly taking place in the Bahamas. On Thursday, May 21, Trump had told journalists he might not attend due to the situation with Iran, among other issues.
"He'd like me to go," the president said when asked about attending his son's wedding. "But it's going to be just a small little private affair. And I'm going to try and make it. I'm in the midst — I said, you know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things. That's one I can't win on. If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed. By the fake news, of course, I'm talking about."
On Friday, Trump did not specify which government responsibilities or matters, such as the Iran situation, were keeping him in Washington. The president's updated schedule for Saturday and Sunday lists only "executive time" at the White House.
This will be the second marriage for Donald Trump Jr., who has five children with his first wife, Vanessa. The couple divorced in 2018, during Trump's first term in office.
