In 2004, Trump told NYU students ‘be paranoid,’ ‘get even’ and he’s ‘too honest’ for politics

• Barron Trump is the sole child of Donald and Melania Trump. His siblings are Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump.
• Barron Trump’s siblings graduated from either UPenn or Georgetown. Tiffany Trump graduated from both colleges.

It's Election Day 2024! For many 18-year-olds, it's their first chance to vote in a presidential election. That includes former president Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, quite possibly the most famous (current) freshman at New York University.

The Washington Square News, the student newspaper of NYU, recently published its election guide in print and online via its monthly magazine, Under the Arch.

In its letter to readers, the Under the Arch editors said: “For most students, this is the first presidential election we are eligible to vote in, and the complex political climate and never-ending influx of information can often feel confusing and overwhelming. The Election Issue was created to provide much-needed insight into all the goings-on around campus pertaining to the election and to act as a guide to navigating NYU’s political scene — as ambitious of a task as that may seem. From an investigation into faculty endorsements of political campaigns to spotlighting underrepresented voices, we hope this project can serve as a guide to help you navigate casting your ballot.”

The Election Guide issue features guest columns endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump. The issue also includes an archive story from Sept. 30, 2004, when Trump was engaged to then-fiancée Melania Knauss (now former first lady − and Barron Trump's mother − Melania Trump). At the time, Trump was known for his television and movie cameos and starred on NBC’s hit reality show “The Apprentice.”

Trump was asked to speak to 40 students from NYU Stern School of Business — a crowd of 300 showed up, along with Russell Berman, the 2003 editor-in-chief of Washington Square News. Today, Berman is the editorial adviser for Washington Square News, and he reposted his 2004 article on its site. Berman’s coverage included snippets from Trump’s speech, which ranged in topics from his reality TV show “The Apprentice,” to joking about prenuptial agreements (though his then-fiancée was in the crowd).

Trump’s speaking style in 2004 closely mirrors his speaking style 20 years later as he tries for a third time for the White House: “As you can see, the trademarks of his speaking style as a candidate — crass humor, denigrating politicians, not-so-humble bragging — were on full display back then,” Berman writes.

"Known for his confidence and candor, Trump did not disappoint, referring to independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader as a 'moron' before ruling out a political career for himself, saying that he was 'too honest' to be a politician," the 2004 Washington Square News story states. Before Melania Trump, Donald Trump's second wife (and mother to his youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump) was name-dropped during his speech, albeit not for the best reasons: "The billionaire also had salty words for his ex-wife, Marla Maples: 'She cost me a freakin’ fortune,' he said. “Actually, she was a pretty nice girl,” Berman reported in his 2004 story.

The NYU student newspaper — and the college itself — avoids mentioning its most famous freshman: Barron Trump, the sole child of Donald and Melania Trump, who started fall classes at NYU Stern last month, making international headlines when he was spotted on campus.

At 18 years old, the former president’s youngest son is now eligible to vote in the 2024 presidential election.

It should also be noted that Barron Trump’s college pick breaks away from Trump family tradition: His father and siblings have ties to the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business or Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The 2004 Washington Square News article includes a dig at NYU Stern students from the Wharton School of Business graduate. Berman reported Trump told the NYU Stern crowd: “You guys are all smart, or you wouldn’t be at NYU. I mean, you could have gone to Wharton. Well, a lot of you probably couldn’t get into Wharton.”

Berman also said Trump "earned his biggest laughs when he joked about his infamous love life." He did tell the NYU Stern crowd to "always have a prenuptial agreement,” before nodding to fiancee Knauss, a 33-year-old former model. “Now it’s hard for me to say that in front of my little baby," he says in the 2004 story, "because she’s the greatest.”

Below is a link to the Oct. 28, 2024, republished article written by Washington Square News editorial adviser, Russell Berman, previously the publication's editor-in-chief in 2003. Berman has been a staff writer for The Atlantic for 10 years. To read the Donald Trump 2004 Washington Square News article, click on nyunews.com.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.