Trump introduces Barron at rally and challenges Biden to debate, golf

By Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent For Dailymail.Com In Doral, Florida

02:37 10 Jul 2024, updated 04:37 10 Jul 2024

Barron Trump made his campaign rally debut Tuesday night as former President Donald Trump hosted thousands of supporters to his golf club in Doral, Florida and made a huge claim about the 18-year-old.

‘This is the first time he’s ever done it,’ the former president said, looking around the front rows of the crowd. ‘Where is Barron? Stand up. Look at him! … You’re pretty popular. He may be more popular than Don and Eric. We gotta talk about this. Hey, Don, we’ve gotta talk about this huh?’ 

The 78-year-old ex-president said ‘welcome to the scene, Barron,’ and cracked that his youngest son ‘had such a nice, easy life – now it’s a little bit changed,’ earning raucous cheers.

But Trump led the rally with a new challenge for President Joe Biden, 81, whose reelection campaign has been imperiled by his poor debate performance late last month. 

The ex-president first said he wanted to debate Biden again – ‘next week’ – which would coincide with the Republican National Convention. Biden is due to debate Trump a second time already, but on September 10. 

Trump also said he wanted to play Biden in a game of golf – and staked $1 million on the deal. 

‘I’m also officially challenging Crooked Joe to an 18-hole golf match right here. On Doral’s Blue Monster considered one of the greatest tournament golf courses anywhere in the world,’ Trump said. ‘It will be among the most-watched sporting events in history.’ 

Trump said it could be bigger than the Ryder Cup or the Masters. 

‘I will even give Joe Biden 10 strokes aside, 10 strokes, that’s a lot. That means 20 strokes in case you don’t play golf,’ he continued. 

‘And if he wins I will give the charity of his choice – any charity that he wants – 10 million dollars,’ the ex-president added. ‘And I bet he doesn’t take the offer.’

The Biden campaign quickly clapped back, calling Trump’s rally ‘deranged.’ 

‘Joe Biden doesn’t have time for Donald Trump’s weird antics – he’s busy leading America and defending the free world,’ said campaign spokesperson James Singer.

Singer noted that Trump’s rally consisted of the ex-president ‘inviting fictional serial killers to dinner, teasing lil’ Marco Rubio, praising Project 2025 architect Tom Homan, and challenging the President of the United States to golf.’ 

‘Donald Trump is a liar, a convict, and a fraud only out for himself – par for the course.’

Trump has stayed off the campaign trail for 11 days – holding his last rally in Chesapeake, Virginia the day after Biden’s debate – allowing the Democratic president’s campaign to implode as he stayed uncharacteristically quiet. 

The ex-president was seen at Fourth of July festivities.  

At the rally, Trump came aimed with a number of insults for his rival Tuesday night, surrounded by supporters and family members. 

He boasted about his debate win.

‘Our victory was so absolute that Joe’s own party wants him to throw in the towel and surrender the presidency after a single 90-minute performance. They want Crooked Joe out of the race,’ Trump said. 

And he relished the Democrats being in disarray. 

‘The radical left Democrat Party is divided, in chaos and having a full-scale breakdown because they can’t decide which of their candidates is more unfit to be president. Sleepy Joe Biden or Laughing Kamala,’ Trump said.

The ex-president pointed to a report that said Biden’s peak hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., ridiculing him for being a ‘part time president.’  

At another, he mocked Biden and claimed the president had bad plastic surgery.

‘Outside of his really bad hair, he was sort of a good looking guy at the time. Getting a face lift did not help him,’ Trump said. ‘He tried it three or four times. Didn’t work. … You know what took him so long to get into the race? The face lift didn’t work.’  

Donald Trump Jr. was among those to warm up the crowd, noting how Democrats don’t want Americans to own an AR-15, ‘but they gave a vegetable the nuclear codes.’ 

Trump Jr. was joined by his ex-wive Vanessa and three children – and his current fiance Kimberly Guilfoyle. 

Eric Trump was also on hand. 

Also there – one of Trump’s top veepstakes candidates: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a former 2016 rival. 

Throughout the night, Trump teased Rubio, seated front row. 

‘I think they probably think I’m going to be announcing that Marco’s going to be vice president,’ the presumptive Republican nominee said.

Trump trashed talked Vice President Kamala Harris and floated that Biden had put her in the position as an ‘insurance policy.’ 

‘Maybe the best insurance policy I’ve ever seen, Marco,’ Trump said. ‘If Joe had picked someone at least halfway competent they would have bounced him for office years ago, but they can’t because – she’s gotta be, their second choice, has no chance.’

As the ex-president talked about his proposal to eliminate tax from tips – to shore up support from service industry workers, especially in swing states like Nevada, Trump stoked VP speculation again. 

‘Marco you’re going to vote for it, I hope. Well, you may or may not be there to vote for it. But you’ll be involved,’ Trump said, a nod to Rubio no longer being in the Senate. 

Vice presidents, however, can cast a tie-breaking Senate vote. 

Trump is expected to announce his vice presidential pick within days. 

Also on the list are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. Tim Scott and Sen. J.D. Vance – a MAGA favorite – Trump confirmed during an interview with Hannity Monday night.