OAN Staff Lillian Mann
6:05 PM – Thursday, May 21, 2026
President Donald Trump stated he is unsure if he can attend his eldest son’s upcoming wedding, citing heightened security risks following recent assassination threats.
“He’d like me to go,” the president said of his son, Don Jr., on Thursday. “But it’s going to be just a small, little private affair. I’m gonna try and make it.”
President Trump continued: “I said, ‘You know this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.’”
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Donald Trump Jr., 48, and Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, 39, are reportedly marrying over Memorial Day weekend on a private island in the Bahamas. The couple opted out of their originally planned lavish White House wedding due to both political and security concerns.
Insiders note that a high-profile White House ceremony felt “inappropriate” amid escalating tensions with Iran, while the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner raised fears that a large, public gathering could invite further attacks.
“That’s one I can’t win on,” President Trump added. “If I do attend, I get killed. If I don’t attend, I get killed—by the fake news, of course.”
He did also emphasize, however, that he hopes the couple will “have a great marriage.”
The happy couple first announced their engagement at a White House holiday event on December 15, 2025, after an introduction from the president himself.
“I’m not usually at a loss for words, because I’m usually doing the ranting and raving really well,” Don Jr. told the guests. “I want to thank Bettina for that one word: ‘Yes.’ “
Anderson then offered her own remarks, saying, “This has been the most unforgettable weekend. I get to marry the love of my life, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Thank you.”
Don Jr. and Anderson have been dating since late 2024, shortly after he ended his engagement to former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. However, the upcoming nuptials come at a challenging time for the family, following ex-wife Vanessa Trump’s recent announcement of a sudden breast cancer diagnosis.
“I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post. “While this isn’t news anyone expects, I’m working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan.”
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