The New York University chapter president of the College Republicans resigned this week, yielding to pressure from the national organization after she was prominently quoted in a “Vanity Fair” profile saying that Barron Trump, President Trump’s youngest son, was “sort of like an oddity on campus.”
In the profile, published on Feb. 12, Kaya Walker, the chapter’s president, suggested that the president’s son, an 18-year-old freshman at N.Y.U., did not appear to be assimilating into campus life and was reclusive.
“He goes to class, he goes home,” she told the magazine.
In the interview, Ms. Walker questioned whether the university, a liberal bastion in Greenwich Village with many famous Hollywood graduates, was the right fit for Mr. Trump’s son. And, according to the magazine, she recalled how a professor had joked about his presence at N.Y.U. — “he doesn’t really belong here.”
Will Donahue, the president of the College Republicans of America, said in a statement on Tuesday that Ms. Walker had not obtained prior authorization from the national organization before speaking to “Vanity Fair.” Chapter presidents, he said, must get clearance before “engaging with media outlets known for editorial biases against conservative voices.”
“During the conversation, she was presented with a narrative about Barron Trump that was clearly framed in a partisan manner,” the statement said. “Rather than redirecting the inquiry to our communications team or refuting the premise, she used language that did not align with C.R.A.’s standards of professionalism and responsibility, inadvertently contributing to a misleading and negative portrayal.”
The College Republicans recommended on Sunday that Ms. Walker step down, and she did, according to the group, which also said that it was inviting Barron Trump to become a member.
Ms. Walker, 21, did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment. A student profile for her on the university’s website lists her as a senior who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French. It said that she had recently completed an internship in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Condé Nast, the parent company of “Vanity Fair,” did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a request for comment.
Since his enrollment in 2024 at N.Y.U., where he is a first-year student at the Stern School of Business, Barron Trump has been a focus of intense fascination. In contrast with some of his stepsiblings, he is not active on social media and rarely makes public statements.
The White House and a spokesman for Melania Trump, the first lady, who has been fiercely protective of her son’s privacy, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends” in December, her first interview since the election, Mrs. Trump described her son as playing a pivotal role in her husband’s victory. She credited him with advising his father to appear with media personalities popular with younger voters.
Mr. Donahue, the leader of the College Republicans of America, said on Tuesday that the group would welcome Barron Trump into its leadership ranks. He said that the group had long served as a launchpad for conservative leaders who had gone on to become members of Congress and key figures in the political landscape.
“While we have not yet had direct communication with him, we would be honored to provide him with a platform to begin his political career should he choose to do so,” he said. “However, we fully respect Barron’s privacy and personal decisions regarding his future involvement in politics.”
Susan C. Beachy contributed research.
