Overview
- On Thursday, May 21, 2026, President Donald Trump told reporters he might not attend his eldest son’s wedding and said either choice would draw harsh coverage, adding “If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed — by the fake news.”
- The couple is expected to hold a small, private ceremony on a Bahamas island over Memorial Day weekend after earlier plans for a larger White House or Mar‑a‑Lago event were scaled back because of concerns about optics during the war in Iran.
- Trump announced Don Jr.'s engagement to Bettina Anderson at the White House in December 2025 and the two began dating in 2024; Anderson had a bridal shower at Mar‑a‑Lago in April 2026 that neither the president nor First Lady Melania attended.
- The president offered personal good wishes for the couple and called Anderson someone he has known for years, but he framed attendance as a political calculation tied to ongoing national security issues.
- Reporters note that the couple and their representatives have not publicly confirmed final guest lists or who will attend, and coverage so far relies in part on unnamed sources and White House comments.