# Trump says marriage made Don Jr a different man

> The president skipped his eldest son's wedding for Iran, then praised the results of it from a podium in Dublin.
- Title: Trump says marriage made Don Jr a different man · Dailymail
- Summary: The president skipped his eldest son's wedding for Iran, then praised the results of it from a podium in Dublin. Trump missed Don Jr's wedding over the Iran…
- Keywords: donald trump, don jr, weddings, ireland, politics, news, entertainment, Trump, marriage, made, Don, different
- Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16126191/President-Trump-don-jr-wedding-bettina-anderson-ireland.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss
- Published: 2026-09-12T20:47:48+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: donald trump, don jr, weddings, ireland, politics, news, entertainment
## A different human being
Donald Trump said his 48-year-old son Don Jr has changed since marrying earlier this year, joking that he has finally calmed down.

> He's calmed down so much. That's a good sign. He's like a different human being.
## Said on Irish soil
Trump, 80, made the remark on Saturday at the US ambassador's Deerfield Residence in Phoenix Park, Dublin, speaking to staff and diplomats.
## The room laughed
The line landed as a joke. Assembled guests laughed as Trump described his eldest son as transformed by marriage.
## Don Jr came along
Trump noted his son was in Ireland too, travelling with a group of family members on the trip.

> Don's here with a whole group of family. And he just got married, he's happily married, which is nice.
## The bride is Bettina Anderson
Don Jr married 39-year-old socialite and model Bettina Anderson, ending months of speculation about the relationship.
## Palm Beach, late May
The ceremony took place in Palm Beach at the end of May, close to the family's Florida base.
## A secret sister's house
The marriage certificate obtained by the Daily Mail shows they became husband and wife at the West Palm Beach home of Anderson's sister, Kristina McPherson.
## She takes the name
Anderson said she would be taking the Trump surname after the marriage.
## Then the Bahamas
After the Palm Beach ceremony, the couple headed to the Bahamas for a luxury reception.
## Siblings, not the father
Eric, 42, and Ivanka, 44, celebrated with the couple and travelled on to the Bahamas with them.
## The president stayed away
Trump did not attend his eldest son's wedding, citing national security duties as the war with Iran escalated.
## His excuse at the time
Trump framed the absence as a scheduling problem he could not solve, pointing at the conflict abroad.

> This is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.
## A no-win call
He argued that either choice would draw attacks, and said he would be criticised whether he showed up or not.

> If I do attend, I get killed. If I don't attend, I get killed by the fake news.
## Melania missing too
Trump addressed the First Lady's absence from the Ireland trip, saying she was there in spirit but not in person.

> My wife is here - my wife is here in spirit.
## Seven hours too far
He admitted he had tried to talk Melania into coming, but she did not want to make the seven-hour journey.
## The MAGA hat joke
Trump then joked that his wife should have just put on a Make America Great Again hat and joined him anyway.
## Don Jr on the stump
Days earlier, Don Jr spoke at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday and Thursday.
## Third in the 2028 field
He is typically ranked third in polls for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, which gives the calmed-down framing some weight.
## A full day in Dublin
Trump landed at Dublin Airport on Saturday morning, met Irish President Catherine Connolly at Aras an Uachtarain, then Taoiseach Micheal Martin at Farmleigh House.
## Golf, then home
He spends the rest of the trip at his Doonbeg resort and the closing weekend of the Amgen Irish Open, returning to the US on Sunday evening.
## Key takeaway

Trump missed Don Jr's wedding over the Iran war, but months later told a Dublin audience that marriage has visibly changed his son.