Fact check: Melania left Trump with her son

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal that none of the sources directly confirm the claim that Melania left Trump with her son. Instead, the available evidence presents a more nuanced picture of the Trump family's living arrangements:

• Melania Trump has actively debunked divorce rumors, with sources confirming that reports of her filing for divorce are fake ^[1] and that she has personally addressed these rumors ^[2]
• The couple maintains an unconventional living arrangement rather than a complete separation. A Trump biographer suggests they are "essentially 'separated' and live separate lives" but do not follow "traditional marriage arrangements" ^[3]
• Melania's limited White House presence is documented, with reports showing she has spent less than two weeks at the White House since the inauguration and has made few public appearances since January ^{[4] [5]}
• Barron Trump's living situation is independent of any marital issues - he is attending college in New York, which explains his current residence away from both parents ^{[6] [7]}

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several crucial pieces of context:

• Barron Trump is now 19 years old and a college student at NYU, making his living situation a matter of educational choice rather than custody ^{[6] [7] [3]}
• Melania Trump has publicly planned to split her time between the White House, New York, and Palm Beach, indicating a deliberate arrangement rather than abandonment ^[6]
• The White House has officially responded to separation claims, suggesting these rumors have reached a level requiring official denial ^[5]
• Multiple sources emphasize that divorce rumors are fabricated, with fact-checkers specifically identifying fake news reports about divorce filings ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement contains several problematic elements that suggest potential misinformation:

• It implies Melania "left" Trump in a definitive sense, when sources indicate she has debunked divorce rumors and the couple maintains an unconventional but ongoing arrangement ^{[2] [1] [3]}
• It suggests she took "her son" as if in a custody situation, ignoring that Barron is a 19-year-old college student making independent living choices ^{[6] [7] [3]}
• The phrasing echoes common divorce/separation narratives that multiple sources have specifically identified as false or misleading ^{[1] [2]}
• It lacks acknowledgment of the couple's documented unconventional living arrangements, which appear to be by mutual agreement rather than abandonment ^{[3] [6]}

The statement appears to conflate legitimate reporting about the Trumps' non-traditional living arrangements with false narratives about divorce and separation that have been actively debunked by multiple sources.