トランプ氏、三男バロンさんの高校卒業式に出席　公判は休廷

【マイアミＡＦＰ＝時事】ドナルド・トランプ前米大統領は１７日、三男バロンさん（１８）の高校の卒業式に出席した。ニューヨーク州で不倫の口止め料の処理をめぐる事件の裁判が続いているが、公判は休廷となり卒業式への出席が認められた。（写真はドナルド・トランプ前米大統領〈左〉と三男バロンさん）
　フロリダ州南部のオックスブリッジ・アカデミーで卒業式が非公開で行われる中、トランプ氏は、妻メラニア氏や他の保護者と共に誇らしげに式典に出席している様子を写真に捉えられた。
　トランプ氏によれば、バロンさんは大学進学を希望している。進学先はトランプ氏の出身校、ペンシルベニア大学の名門経営大学院ウォートン・スクールになる見込みだという。
　長女イヴァンカ氏、長男ジュニア氏、次女ティファニー氏も同校に進学した。
　バロンさんは衆目から厳重に守られてきたが先週、７月の共和党全国大会でフロリダ州の党代議員として政界に進出する見通しだと世界中のメディアで見出しを飾った。
　だが、母親のメラニア氏がすぐに待ったをかけた。同氏の事務所は声明で、「フロリダ州の共和党支部によってバロンが党代議員に選ばれたのは光栄だが、残念ながら先約があるため辞退する」と発表した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/05/20-16:34）

Former US president Donald Trump attended his youngest son's high school graduation on Friday after being granted a break from his criminal hush money trial in New York.
Barron Trump, 18, was graduating from Oxbridge Academy in south Florida, and the Republican leader -- who is running for a return to the White House -- was pictured watching proudly alongside third wife Melania and other parents at the private ceremony.
The former first lady has doggedly shielded her son from the glare of the media, but he was dragged into the spotlight last month as the ex-president complained that his criminal proceedings would prevent him from attending the graduation.
Who will explain for me, to my wonderful son, Barron, who is a GREAT Student at a fantastic School, that his Dad will likely not be allowed to attend his Graduation Ceremony, Trump thundered in a social media post.
Judge Juan Merchan -- who is presiding over Trump's New York trial -- had deferred his decision on whether to allow Trump to attend but ultimately granted the request.
Great student, wonderful boy! Very exciting!!! Trump said shortly before the ceremony, in a post that did not acknowledge the leeway he had been allowed by the judge.
Trump has denied 34 counts of falsifying accounts in what prosecutors say was an effort during his 2016 presidential election campaign to cover up paying off a porn star who had threatened to go public about an alleged sexual encounter.
Trump has revealed that Barron intends to go to college after graduation, possibly at the Republican tycoon's alma mater, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Three of Trump's older children -- Ivanka, Don Jr. and Tiffany -- all went to Wharton, one of the country's elite business schools.
Barron made more headlines last week when it appeared he would be the latest member of the Trump family to enter the political arena as a delegate at the Republican Party convention in July.
But a statement from the former first lady's office put a stop to the plan.
While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully declines to participate due to prior commitments, it said.
Trump's New York trial is nearing its final stages and is due to resume on Monday, with the question of whether the Republican will take the stand in his own defense still unresolved.