Joshua Trump: Schoolboy bullied over surname wins acclaim after falling asleep at State of the Union
'He's enjoying "executive time" during the speech', Twitter user jokes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An 11-year-old boy who was bullied for his last name, Trump, has been celebrated on social media after he was pictured falling asleep during Donald Trump‘s State of the Union address.
Joshua Trump, a sixth-grade student from Delaware who had to drop out of school, had been invited to the event on Tuesday by first lady Melania Trump.
He sat two seats along from Ms Trump during the address, and could be seen snoozing as the president renewed his call for a border wall and characterised illegal immigration as a threat to Americans’ safety and economic security.
“JOSHUA TRUMP RULES,” one person wrote on Twitter, alongside an image of the sleeping schoolboy.
“Joshua Trump, welcome to the resistance,” another wrote.
One person shared the picture and joked: “Joshua Trump enjoying some ‘executive time’ during the State of the Union.”
Their quip was a reference to Mr Trump’s “executive time”, which he spent nearly 60 per cent of his scheduled time in the White House over the last three months enjoying, according to a leaked schedule.
Joshua dropped out of school because of the abuse he received about his last name.
The bullying persisted when he returned for middle school.
His mother, Megan Trump, even signed him up to a different school bus to avoid bullies – but on the first day the driver asked about his last name.
After Joshua’s story came to Melania Trump’s attention she invited him to attend her husband's State of the Union address.
“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.”
Ms Trump has championed anti-bullying efforts in her role as first lady.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments