Updated May 22, 2026 / 2:03 PM EDT — CBS News
President Trump announced Friday that he will not attend his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding to Bettina Anderson this weekend, saying his responsibilities at the White House require him to remain in Washington.
On Truth Social, the president wrote that although he “very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family,” “circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so.” He added, “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 ceremony is reported to be in the Bahamas. On Thursday, Mr. Trump acknowledged he might skip the event because of the “situation with Iran,” among other matters. When asked Friday whether he would attend, he described the wedding as “a small little private affair” and said he was “in the midst” of issues including Iran. He also said, “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.”
The president did not specify particular war-related duties or other events that would keep him in Washington. His updated White House schedule for Saturday and Sunday lists only “executive time.”
This will be Don Jr.’s second marriage; he has five children with his first wife, Vanessa, whom he divorced in 2018 during President Trump’s first term.