U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would not attend the wedding of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, because he has to stay in Washington for government business.
"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," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
"I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time," the post continued.
Bahamas wedding planned as private affair
The wedding happens this weekend on a small island in the Bahamas, CNN reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the plans. A spokesperson for Trump Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump told reporters on Thursday that Trump Jr. wanted his father to attend, but that it was going to be a "small private affair."
Trump said then he would try to make the wedding, but the timing was bad for him.
"I have a thing called Iran and other things," Trump said on Thursday.
The Trump administration has been engaged in diplomatic talks mediated by Pakistan aimed at securing a deal to end the war with Iran that the U.S. and Israel began on February 28.
Trump had originally planned to spend the night at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Friday after an event in New York’s Hudson Valley, but he will now return to the White House, according to a change in his public schedule released on Friday afternoon.
Donald Trump Jr.’s third engagement
Trump Jr.'s engagement to Anderson is his third. He was married to his previous wife, Vanessa, a former model and actress, for 12 years, and they have five children together. Vanessa filed for a divorce in 2018. He was later engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle, a U.S. television personality, until they separated in 2024.
Published on May 23, 2026