The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson will hold a wedding celebration on a small island in the Bahamas this weekend, two people familiar with the plans told CNN.
One person who is not expected to attend the intimate affair? President Donald Trump himself.
The guest list is being kept small — by design, the sources said. Only immediate family and the couple’s closest friends will attend the ceremony, with the list totaling less than 50 people.
On Friday, after this story published, Trump confirmed he would not be attending the wedding ceremony, writing on Truth Social, “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.”
“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!” Trump said.
A day earlier, Trump had been notably vague about his plans when asked about the wedding in the Oval Office.
“He’d like me to go, but it’s going to be just a small little private affair, and I’m going to try and make it,” Trump told reporters.
“This is not good timing for me,” he added. “Everything called Iran and other things.”
One of the sources told CNN that Trump was long expected not to attend, in part due to the couple’s desire to have an incredibly private ceremony. Trump’s public schedule does not indicate he’ll be attending. CNN has reached out to the White House and a representative of Trump Jr. for comment.
“That’s one I can’t win on. If I do attend, I get killed. If I don’t attend, I get killed,” the president said Thursday, referring to possibly negative press coverage.
Trump Jr. and Anderson had hoped to keep the details of the wedding from leaking to the media so that the event would remain exclusive and secluded, the sources said. That would help allay any security concerns — and allow guests to avoid the inconvenience that comes from a heavily fortified event attended by the president. And Trump Jr. and Anderson officially got married on Thursday, according to records filed in Palm Beach County, Florida. Both of their signatures appear on a marriage certificate, which also states that Brad McPherson was the officiant.
Trump Jr.’s siblings are expected to be present at the ceremony in the Bahamas, the sources said.
The marriage is Trump Jr.’s second. He was previously married to Vanessa Trump for 12 years before their divorce in 2018. Vanessa Trump announced on Wednesday that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Trump Jr. was previously engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle, now-US ambassador to Greece and the ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, from 2020 to 2024.
By CNN
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