Joshua Trump, an 11-year-old who was bullied for having the same last name as the president, was among the guests invited to the State of the Union on Tuesday.
But he did not seem to make it through the 90-minute speech and fell asleep next to First Lady Melania Trump. And now he is being hailed as a hero online.
WATCH: Highlights from Trump’s State of the Union speech
-
![]()
State of the Union: Trump says American astronauts will go back to space on American rockets -
![]()
State of the Union: Trump boasts economic boom, job creation, tax credits -
![]()
State of the Union: Audible groans heard as Trump talks migrant caravan -
![]()
State of the Union: Trump praises ICE, pledges ‘we will never abolish our heroes from ICE’ -
![]()
State of the Union: Trump says ‘walls work and walls save lives’ -
![]()
State of the Union: Trump calls NAFTA ‘historic blunder’, praises USMCA deal with Canada, Mexico -
![]()
State of the Union: Trump says he’ll push to prohibit late-term abortion
Joshua had dropped out of school in Delaware because he said he was bullied over this last name. His parents said his classmates had called him an “idiot” and “stupid” for sharing the president’s last name.
FACT CHECK: Trump boasts numbers that don’t match official ones in State of the Union address
As U.S. President Donald Trump talked about the U.S.-Mexico border wall, Joshua appeared to be taking a nap, which sparked laughter on Twitter, with some users even calling the 11-year-old part of the anti-Trump resistance.
After Joshua’s story of bullying came to light, the first lady invited him to attend the president’s State of the Union address. He was one of the 13 guests invited by the president and the first lady.
“Unfortunately, Joshua has been bullied in school due to his last name,” a White House statement said. “He is thankful to the first lady and the Trump family for their support.”
Comments