In a recent CNN segment, the panel humorously speculated on the possibility of Donald Trump potentially missing his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding. During “The Lead,” host Jake Tapper, along with former CNN anchor John Avlon and guest Alyssa Farah Griffin, reviewed a clip where Trump hesitantly told reporters he would “try and make” it to his son’s Memorial Day wedding. “You know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things,” Trump remarked. His eldest son is set to marry Florida socialite and model Bettina Anderson. Tapper, while introducing the clip, jokingly questioned the pronunciation of Anderson’s name and asked Griffin, “Alyssa, is he really going to skip Don Jr’s wedding?”
Griffin couldn’t suppress her smile as she urged, “You got to go, Mr. President. Please go to your son’s wedding. I’m certain he will go.” She further quipped, “And I actually think that clip goes on to him saying, ‘I’ve known him for a very long time.’” Tapper responded with, “That’s true. Fact check: true.” The lighthearted exchange was based on Trump’s comments, where he seemed to be referring to Anderson rather than his own son. Trump stated, “He’s got a very- a person who I’ve known for a long time, and hopefully they are going to have a great marriage.” This led to laughter among the panelists. Tapper continued the jest, “He has known- Donald Trump has known Donald Trump Jr for a very-” with Avlon completing the sentence, “Very long time.”
Griffin added to the good-natured banter by wishing the couple well, “We all do,” Tapper echoed with laughter, adding a final jest, “And we wish that the father was there. That’d be nice,” Avlon concurred. Trump’s apparent reluctance to confirm his attendance was highlighted when he was questioned in the Oval Office. “He’d like me to go, but it’s going to be just a small little private affair, and I’m going to try and make it. I’m in the midst- I said, ‘You know, this is not good timing for me! I have a thing called Iran and other things,’” Trump explained, acknowledging the delicate balance of his commitments. “That’s one I can’t win on,” he admitted.
The planned nuptials are 48-year-old Trump Jr’s second wedding, following his first to model Vanessa in 2005, which was held at his father’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump Jr got engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle in 2020 but the relationship ended in 2024. Guilfoyle is now the US ambassador to Greece. Anderson, 39, is also a model from a prominent banking family in Palm Beach.
