President Donald Trump often expresses how much he loves and is proud of all five of his children, though he also appears to hold extra affection toward his youngest, Barron, who just wrapped up his first year in college.

In a recent in-depth interview, Trump revealed the four basic guidelines he imposed on his children as they grew up, including Barron, though he acknowledged that he no longer "strongly" pushed the fourth of those rules, according to the Daily Mail.

Those rules, which were derived from the president's own experiences growing up, may help explain why all of his children appear to be highly accomplished and successful in their own lives.

Barron and college

President Trump recently sat down for a one-on-one interview with New York Post columnist Miranda Devine for her new podcast, "Pod Force One", which is focused on "Power, politics, and the people behind the headlines," and features "exclusive and candid conversations with the most influential disruptors in Washington."

The president had good things to say about each of his children and the bright futures he saw for all of them, especially Barron, who just finished up his freshman year at New York University, where he admitted that he'd warned his son "a little bit" about dealing with "all the lefty professors" at the school.

"He just wanted to be there," Trump said of Barron's choice to enroll at NYU, and explained, "He wanted to be there because his grandmother was gonna stay and wait for him in an apartment near the school. And she passed away."

"She was fantastic. Melania’s mother was a fantastic woman," he added of his late mother-in-law, Amalija Knavs, who died in February 2024 at the age of 78." And Melania is a fantastic mother, by the way. She loves Baron. He’s very tall and he’s a good-looking guy."

Trump's rules for the kids

President Trump also shared with Devine the four rules that he set for his children, which he referred to as his "formula for good parenting."

"I always said the same thing. I said: no drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes. I also would say don’t get tattoos, but I don’t say it too strongly, because a lot of people have gotten tattoos, and that’s what they chose to do," Trump said. "I still say it. I tell them: no drugs, no cigarettes, no alcohol."

Trump, who famously abstains from consuming any alcohol, illicit drugs, or tobacco, devised those rules early on after watching his older brother, Fred, suffer and ultimately perish from alcoholism.

Trump says his children were "born smart" and are "good to people"

To be sure, while President Trump spoke lovingly of his youngest son, Barron, during his interview with Devine, he also had high praise for his other children and their spouses, all of whom he believed "probably have a future in politics, frankly," particularly his eldest son, Don Jr.

"And Don is very good. A good guy. He’s an outdoorsman. Eric has done a fantastic job. Barron is great. He is very tall and good," he said of his sons.

Of his daughters, Trump stated, "Ivanka, you know Ivanka? Yes. Very well. She’s so great. And Tiffany has done really well. She went to a great law school and did very well. Always a good student."

The president said of all of his children, "They were born smart. But they work hard too, and they’re good to people."