Sometimes we believe we know someone until they show their true face and turn our world upside down.
It was back in November 2022 when a woman who found herself in a total confusion because of an unusual request decided to take to the Reddit’s forum Off My Chest and seek advice.
Starting her story, the woman explained that she and her fiance have been together for six years and engaged for eight months. As they have decided on a date and booked a venue for their wedding ceremony, she was busy making plans and organizing everything, even the tiniest of details. Her future husband wasn’t as involved but he would occasionally throw some ideas.
One day, he made a rather unusual request. He wanted her to wear a red dress on the wedding day. As it is a tradition for the bride to wear white, she was puzzled by his words but didn’t pay much attention at the time. She only told him that she would wear white and although he seemed annoyed by her answer, he let the matter drop.
Around two weeks before the wedding, OP purchased her wedding gown. It was a beautiful white dress that fit her perfectly. Her fiance requested to see the dress, but she though it would be for the best for him to see her in it on the day of the wedding. He, however, insisted, and after a couple of minutes he asked about the color. When she told him it was white, he got really mad.
Perplexed by his preference of red, she asked him why he didn’t want her to wear white on her wedding day and his answer made her question their future together.
As it turned out, when the two met, he was still a virgin and she had a single previous partner so he considered her not to be ‘pure’ and only those women who were ‘pure’ were allowed to wear white on their wedding day.
OP couldn’t believe the words coming out of her fiance’s mouth.
In a desperate attempt to win the argument, he contacted his mother. Just as OP, she was shocked by her son’s words. She sided with OP and told her son that if he wanted his future wife to red because she wasn’t a virgin then he should wear red as well. He started crying and said it was different because he was a man.
Disgusted by his words, she started contemplating the decision to marry him.
In an update posted on Dating Advice, OP wrote that she called off the wedding and met someone else. Her first date with the new man in her life took place at a lovely waterfront seafood restaurant in North Carolina. She was unsure what attire would be appropriate, and the fellow redditors suggested she wear red.
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Meeting David, who could keep up with her random train of thought, somehow felt right for Penelope. He was a teacher and one of the most charming guys she has ever met. As they engaged in a deep and meaningful conversation about books, going from classics to sci-fi, he suddenly asked her about her favorite place to eat.
Penelope smiled. There was this fancy restaurant, which served food that felt it was coming from heaven, where she would go whenever she would reach certain milestone in her life. The perfect place for celebrations and a potential first date. But the place was very pricey, and she didn’t want to mention it, but she still did it. However, she then suggested a nice Mexican place that offered “over 300 tequilas and tacos with handmade tortillas that are to die for.” On top of it, it was easy on the wallet.
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However, David decided that the two go to that pricey restaurant Penelope mentioned in the first place.
The evening was fabulous. It was more than she ever expected from a date with someone she had only seen once.
They ordered appetizers—those heavenly little bites she loved—and yes, the cocktails were as mesmerizing as ever.
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Dish after dish came to their table as they laughed and laughed through the night. However, when the time came for the bill to be paid, something awkward happened. As Penelope offered to split it, since it hit over $600, she took some money out of her purse and her credit card fell on the table accidentally. David was quick to pick it up, but he didn’t return it immediately, instead, he took the time to analyze it, which confused Penelope.
What’s most, David scanned every tiny detail of it before putting it down. He them muttered something along the lines, “You should be careful with this.”
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At that moment, Penelope felt like her privacy was invaded. She couldn’t help but wonder why he would stare at her credit card for that long.
It felt like a red flag besides the lovely evening so she blocked his phone number in case he texted her or tried to call her.
When she told a friend on hers about the incident, the friend felt Penelope was little too harsh towards David. She, however, decided not to think about it any longer, and leave things as they were.
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Just a few days later, Penelope experienced the shock of her life when she saw David at her door. There he was, awkward and apologetic, looking like he needed to say something important.
“Penelope, I’m so sorry,” he began. “I needed to make sure it was really you, Penelope Smith.”
Listening him in confusion, Penelope heard something that changed her life forever. “I’m your half-brother,” David uttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Trying to process his words, Penelope was unable to make even a single move. How could that cute guy from the library whom she had a fabulous date with be her half-brother.
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The claim was too big to take it on trust alone, so Penelope asked for a DNA test to be taken. When the results came in they proved David was telling the truth. He was indeed her half-brother, but how was that possible.
It turned out that the person who raised her wasn’t her biological father, but David’s father was. In the past, her mother and his dad had an affair.
Although this revelation could lead to unraveling so many things, Penelope decided to confront her mother about it, but at her own time and terms.
As of her and David, they built a strong brother-sister relationship.
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When it comes to groceries, we usually pay attention to the brand and the expiry date, but when it comes to fruits and vegetables most of us pick the ripe ones that look appealing to the eye. The truth is that fruits and vegetables are also labeled, but not many pay attention to those numbers mostly because they don’t even know what they stand for.
Numbers on fruit stickers like 9
Numbers on fruits serve more than the single purpose of identify how much the item should ring up. In fact, they provide valuable information about the product. If you notice fruit stickers starting with the numbers 9, out of five digits, it indicates that the fruit has been grown organically.
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Number 8
If the five-digit number the fruit is labeled with starts with the number 8, it means the product has been genetically modified. GMO foods are controversial as many believe they cause and trigger allergies. This technology is often used in agriculture to enhance the resistance of crops to pests and diseases, improve tolerance to herbicides, or increase nutritional content.
Currently, researchers still investigate the long-term effects, if any, on humans. Some of the most notable GMO fruits are papayas, apples, plums, strawberries, and grapes, among the rest.
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4-digit code
A 4-digit code starting with either number 3 or 4 signifies the food isn’t organically grown. Instead, it has likely been “conventionally grown.” The meaning of conventionally grown food refers to the way they are fertilized. While organic produce uses organic matter like compost and is mechanically or biologically treated for weeds, conventional methods use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
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The debate about the environmental impacts and possible future health complications involving conventional food-growth methods is ongoing.
Dr. Tamika D. Sims, the senior director of food technology communications in Atlanta Georgia, says both organic and synthetic fertilizers have been “federally regulated.”
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According to him, people shouldn’t worry about the numbers on fruits and vegetables they consume but rather focus on reaching a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods needed for good health.
When it comes to picking the right fruits and vegetables, the number of digits also matters. A 4 or 5-digit number indicates where and how the food was grown, in addition to the size and type of food purchased, but when the product is labeled with a sticker consisting of more than five digits, it means it’s not included in the “internationally standardized system.”
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For most, going grocery shopping is a dull task they tend to complete as swiftly as possible.
However, knowing that the food we consume is crucial for our survival and maintaining our health and fitness, we should all pay more attention when choosing the food we purchase. The International Federation for Produce Standards is dedicated to “improving supply chain efficiency” which involves, among other responsibilities, ensuring the provision of high-quality ingredients and “establishing and unifying international standards.”
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This system was first implemented during the 90’s, when stickers on fruits and vegetables were added. Categorizing these items with numerical codes was to guarantee high quality. The IFPS has issued more than 1,400 such codes. However, since the system is optional, not all fruits and vegetables in stores have been inspected or approved by the IFPS or meet global standards.
Those people who care of the choice of food they consume can find the knowledge behind the meaning of numbers on fruits and vegetables useful. This knowledge can also expedite the self-checkout process by simply entering the PLU code instead of searching for the item by name. The PLU code system is an excellent method to track the delicious and nutritious foods that travel worldwide.
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Jack, a recent Navy recruit, led a routine naval mission that took an unforeseen turn when a submerged aircraft, initially believed to have historical importance, exposed a dark and sinister secret.
The aircraft attracted plenty of attention and the team that stumbled upon it came across mysterious assortment of items that piqued their curiosity.
Upon further research, it was determined that the plane’s last reported position matched its current resting place beneath the waves. With this breakthrough, the team devised a strategic plan to raise the aircraft from its watery grave.
Screenshot: YouTube/ Did You Know
A team of divers armed with years of experience and training navigated around the aircraft, but it was made clear that accessing the plane in its current location was impossible. This asked for another plan – deploying a massive crane stationed on the ship’s deck, poised to undertake the monumental task of lifting the plane to the surface.
Finally, when the aircraft emerged from the ocean’s depths and surfaced into the daylight, a palpable sense of awe filled Jack and the rest of his team, but it was when they took a closer look of the inside of it that they were met with an unforeseen discovery.
Screenshot: YouTube/ Did You Know
Instead of the what they expected to find, the interior revealed a disquieting array of objects, intensifying the mystery surrounding the aircraft. Jack’s keen eye noticed a subtle clue, triggering a series of events that would expose a criminal conspiracy of unprecedented scale.
There was no single clue that would relate the aircraft of the presence of crew or any passengers. The cockpit, typically bustling with the pilot’s activities, was eerily quiet and deserted, prompting plenty of questions about the circumstances that preceded the plane’s landing into the ocean.
Screenshot: YouTube/ Did You Know
There was evidence of tempering with the emergency exit door, fueling debates about the fate of potential occupants. The lack of personal belongings of potential passengers deepened the enigma and left Jack and his team with more questions than answers.
To learn more go to the video below.
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Besides the imperfections, the golden age of flying, a period in aviation history roughly spanning from the late 1940s to the 1970s, represents a striking chapter in the history of flying. It was a time when air travel captured the imagination of the world and embodied the spirit of adventure, innovation, and aspiration.
Flying was a symbol of prestige and not everyone could afford to purchase a plane ticket, no matter the destination.
Life on board used to be completely different than it is today, and if you feel like you are riding in a bus but in the sky while flying these days, in the past, the experience of flying was all about glamour and luxury.
Credit: Keith Lovegrove
Graham M. Simons, an aviation historian, recalls, “Air travel at that time was something special. It was luxurious. It was smooth. And it was fast.” The seats were spacious, and passengers were offered cocktail lounges, five course meals, and an endless flow of champagne. “People dressed up because of it. The staff was literally wearing haute couture uniforms. And there was much more space: seat pitch – that’s the distance between the seats on the aircraft – was probably 36 to 40 inches. Now it’s down to 28, as they cram more and more people on board.”
Credit: Keith Lovegrove
Nowadays, booking a flight is as easy as a gentle breeze on a sunny day, carrying you effortlessly to your destination. Back in the day, however, the choices were limited and far more expensive. A return ticket from Chicago to Phoenix was priced at $138 as indicated in a TWA brochure from 1955. This may not sound much today, but when adjusted for inflation, this relatively short journey, not even spanning the entire country, would amount to approximately $1,200 in today’s currency.
Guillaume de Syon, an aviation history expert, says, “[Depending] on the route, it was four to five times as expensive to fly in the Golden Age,” which is why flying was only reserved for the wealthiest individuals.
Credit: Keith Lovegrove
The service, as well as the food was top notch. “The airlines were marketing their flights as luxurious means of transport,” Simons added.
Suzy Smith, a former flight attendant, recalled: “We started with canapés, then we came out with a cart with appetizers, which included beluga caviar and foie gras.”
The rules and the security weren’t as strict, so flying brought passengers a sense of freedom. “It was like going to a cocktail party. We had a shirt and tie and a jacket, which sounds ridiculous now, but was expected then,” Keith Lovegrove, a fan of old-fashioned flying said.
Credit: Tim Graham/Getty Images
Pan Am was one of the airlines that really stood out. Joan Policastro, who worked for them, described those days like flying with the stars. “My job with Pan Am was an adventure from the very day I started,” she said.
Credit: Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The flight attendants were dressed to impress. They were expected to provide exceptional service while adhering to strict appearance and behavioral standards. Airlines imposed requirements on attire, hair length, weight, and even marital status. Uniforms became increasingly revealing by the 1960s, reflecting the era’s emphasis on presentation.
Although safety was nowhere near as good as today, everything else made flying an exceptional experience during the Golden Age of flying.
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Just like her mother, Libby Huffer, 45, suffers from a condition known as neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous growths wherever nerves are present.
Sadly, this condition has left her with over 6,000 tumors on her body, which led to bullying. Libby has been called named over the years, and people went to the extent of branding her “a toad” and “lizard breath.”
Her condition became even worse when she fell pregnant and gave birth to her daughter 23 years ago. At the time, the number of tumors multiplied into thousands.
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Libby has these tumors on every part of her body, including her face. What’s worse, they not only affect her appearance but also cause her chronic pain.
Unable to cope with the condition and they way she looked, Libby decided to start a fundraiser back in 2016 that would help her pay for electrodessication – a pioneering surgery to remove the tumors and prevent them from growing back.
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Luckily, she was able to raise the money, and in June the following years, she had underwent the much-anticipated surgery which helped her get rid of around 1,000 of the tumors on her face and other parts of her body. The surgery was successful, but it left her with many scars which required a CO2 laser treatment.
“There’s still a long way to go to heal the emotional damage I’ve undergone over the years, but I know that will only improve over time,” she said.
“The more surgeries I have, the more confident I will become and that will help to erase some of my painful childhood memories.”
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“Now I don’t have as many large tumours on my face and I feel like I’ve gained more confidence since the surgery.
“I don’t think people are staring at me as much now, I’ll still get kids looking at me occasionally but there’s definitely been a big difference.”
Speaking of the pain and the bullying she has suffered, Libby said, “I have been bullied and victimised my whole life because of the bumps all over my skin, they cover me from head-to-toe.
“In school kids would pick on me all the time, they called me lizard breath and toad.
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At the time she tried to raise money for her surgery, Libby opened up about her struggles and asked from people to help her feel normal again.
“The tumours all over my back cause chronic pain, the nerves in my feet have a tingling sensation all the time which make it hard to sleep,” she said.
“They can even hurt from simple things like a hug or even if water from the shower hits them in a certain way.”
“But I am a human being too, all I want is to be adored and cared for like anyone else.
“Instead of making comments, I wish people would talk to me rather than stare like I’m a circus freak, it just makes me feel really uncomfortable.”
The surgery that changed her life cost her $23,500 and let her live without the stares and taunts from people for the first time in three decades.
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When people get old, some families struggle with the demand of eldercare while others remain dedicated to supporting and providing for their elderly relatives.
Paul and Rachel, a brother and sister, got into an argument over their elderly grandmother Eleanor.
The old lady spent her days painting, and according to Paul, she became a burden because she didn’t contribute to the finances of the family. Hearing Paul’s words, Rachel was shocked. “Paul, she’s our grandmother. She raised us, remember?” she said. But Paul was determined to kick his grandma out of his home. “That was then. Things are different now,” he said, crossing his arms. “She doesn’t bring anything to the table anymore. She just sits there, painting and wasting time.”
“Those paintings mean something to her,” Rachel said. “And they could mean something to us if we let them.”
“Sentimental nonsense. I need to think about the future, Rachel. We can’t afford dead weight.”
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Realizing he was no longer planning to take care of their grandma, Rachel found herself wondering what life would bring for the elderly lady. It was then that Paul suggested Rachel taking grandma Eleanor in. “She can stay with you,” he said bluntly. “You seem to care so much.”
Rachel agreed. There was no way that she would leave her grandma without a roof over her head, although her brother’s demand left her with a bitter taste in her mouth.
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Grandma Eleanor got the spare room in Rachel’s house. It became a nice place that felt cozy and felt like home. She could paint there, with the help of Rachel’s children who adored her and loved listening to her stories.
“Thank you, Rachel. You’ve always had a kind heart.”
“Grandma, you don’t need to thank me. This is your home too,” Rachel said, hugging her tightly.
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As time passed by and Eleanor made a number of beautiful painting, Rachel’s children made her post them on the social media.
To Eleanor’s surprise, her work attracted plenty of attention, and one day, she received an invitation by the local gallery to exhibit her paintings.
The weeks leading up to Eleanor’s solo exhibition were a flurry of activity. She worked tirelessly because she not only painted, but wrote the stories behind each of her paintings.
On the big night, the gallery was filled with people and almost every painting was sold. Rachel even received several commissions, securing her financial independence.
“Thank you all for believing in me,” the sweet grandma told the crowd, tears of joy streaming down her face.
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When the word of her success reached Paul, he suddenly showed at Rachel’s door. When she opened it, the first thing he said was that he was sorry for kicking their grandma out of his house. “I made a mistake,” he kept repeating while looking down. “I shouldn’t have kicked her out, I see that now.”
“It’s a little late for that, Paul,” Rachel told him. “You showed your true colors when you turned your back on family.”
Speaking to his grandma, Paul said he wanted to make things right. “No, Paul. You only want to make things right because you see my success now. Where was this concern when I needed a home, when all I had was my art and my memories?” Eleanor said.
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“I was wrong,” Paul said with a breaking voice. “I see that now. I’ve lost so much because of my actions.”
“You lost our respect,” Eleanor added. “And that’s something you can’t buy back with apologies or money. Family is about love and support, not about what you can get from them.”
Realizing that his apologies weren’t enough to rebuild the bridges he had ruined, Paul turned around and left.
Eleanor then turned to her granddaughter and told her that she was thankful for everything she had done for her. But it was Rachel who was grateful because her grandma taught her to cherish the people who truly matter.
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Eleanor’s career as a painter blossomed. People loved her work and she sold plenty of paintings. As of Paul, he only witnessed his grandma’s success from afar. Hopefully, he learned a valuable life lesson.
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The “hush money” trial involving former president and business mogul Donald Trump attracted the worldwide attention.
A Manhattan jury found him guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first ever president in US history to be convicted of a felony. Judge Juan Merchan set a sentencing hearing for July 11.
Trump pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned last year.
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” Trump told reporters upon leaving the courtroom. “The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.”
Following the verdict, Trump repeated several false claims regarding the trial, angrily complaining about the gag order he still is under. Further, he claimed he wanted to testify, but his lawyers advised him against doing so.
“I would have testified. I wanted to testify,” he said. “The theory is you never testify because as soon as you testify — anybody, if it were George Washington, don’t testify because they’ll get you on something that you said slightly wrong, and then they sue you for perjury.”
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Trump then blamed current president Biden and his people for the outcome of his trial.
“They are in total conjunction with the White House and the DOJ. Just so you understand, this is all done by Biden and his people,” Trump said of the court.
The case against Donald Trump was brought by the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and prosecuted under New York state law, which means it was not connected with the White House nor the DOJ, as per NPR.
The former president could be sentenced to probation or up to 4 years on each count in state prison (offering a maximum of 20 years). At the moment, however, he remains a free man since prosecutors did not ask for the opinion-dividing ex-president to post any bond.
The verdict only only affects Trump and his plan for the upcoming elections, but his entire family too, and that certainly includes his wife Melania and his youngest son Barron.
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Melania was said to be furious over the trial during which she never appeared by her husband’s side in the courtroom.
As of Barron, being the son of Donald Trump, he has been exposed to media scrutiny despite his mother’s efforts to keep him out of the spotlight. She does her best to protect him from oft-extreme media coverage concerning his famous father.
As per the Daily Mail, Melania has locked herself in a “tight” bubble behind the gates of the family’s residence at Mar-a Lago in Florida while her husband’s trial was got underway.
What’s most, she prohibited her husband from speaking about their son in public. According to Melania’s former aid, Stephanie Grisham, the former first lady was far from happy with Donald speaking about Barron in the context of his trials.
“He talked about missing Barron’s graduation to the cameras and then again on Truth Social because it caused a lot of coverage about that, and it’s just not something she would have liked,” Grisham said.
Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)
In the wake of Donald Trump’s guilty verdict, Melania and Barron were said to have been at Trump Tower in Manhattan, as per Page Six.
“Everyone has gathered around Trump at Trump Tower,” a source told the news outlet.
“It’s like a funeral … There was hope all day and then none!” another person said, speaking of the time the verdict came.
“Everyone says Melania and the entire family are rallying around the former president,” the insider added. “But the mood is nonetheless gloomy and gloomier right now. It’s definitely viewed as a downer at Mar-a-Lago.”
“Everyone is upset. Trump talked to both Melania and all his children, including Ivanka. [But] Trump says the real verdict will take place in November when the people vote;” the insider concluded. According to another source, Donald’s friends described the outcome as “not unexpected,” and that they were well “prepared for the next step,” Page Six reported.
NEW YORK, NY – JULY 20: Barron Trump is seen at the funeral of Ivana Trump on July 20, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by JNI/Star Max/GC Images)
Last weekend, Trump gave interview to Fox News, and provided an update on his wife.
“She’s fine, but I think it’s very hard for her,” he said of Melania, adding that “in many ways, it’s tougher on them [his family] than it is me.”
Until now, regardless of her absence at the courtroom, Melania has stayed by her husband through his ups and downs, but whether the verdict would change things between them is something we are yet to witness.
With her allegedly renegotiating her prenup last year, in case of a divorce, she and Barron would be left with millions of dollars.
Stephanie Clifford, the adult film actress and exotic dancer known as Stormy Daniels, who took the stand in Donald Trump‘s hush money trial and whose testimony involved details of her journey into exotic dancing, provided information about her encounter with Trump in July 2006. She also urged Melania to seek separation from her husband.
“I don’t know what their agreement may or may not be, but Melania needs to leave him. Not because of what he did with me or other women but because he is a convicted felon,” Daniels told the Mirror.
“It’s been proven he is abusive; he was found liable for sexual assault and tax fraud and is now a criminal. He’s neither Teflon Don nor Teflon Con anymore.”
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And as sources and insiders claim Melania is furious over the trial and the verdict, not much is known about how Barron feels.
His next step in life is attending college. Donald and his children, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Tiffany Trump, have all graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, but doesn’t necessarily mean Barron will make the same choice. In fact, just days after his verdict, Trump spoke publicly about his son and said, “He’s amazing actually, in a certain way.” Further, Trump said on Fox & Friends Weekend Sunday, “[Barron]’s tall, good-looking…a very good student. And he’s applied to colleges and gets into everywhere he goes.
“He’s very sought after from a standpoint, he’s a very smart guy. He’s a very tall guy. And he’s a great kid. He’s cool, he’s pretty cool, I’ll tell ya.”
Trump has highlighted his son’s height many times in the past and during an occasion he said that it was his grandma’s food that made him grow that tall.
The former president has always spoken dearly of his wife’s parents, especially her now-late mother Amalija Knavs.
“Great people, great parents to all of us, really. Great parents, but also to Barron. Boy, did she take care of Barron,” he said.
“That’s how he got so tall, he only ate her food.”
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