The highs and the lows of Donald Trump's relationship with his eldest son

The relationship between President Donald J. Trump and his eldest son has not always been as smooth as it currently seems in the media.

The relationship between Trump Sr. and Trump Jr. slumped immediately after the elder Trump’s divorce with his first wife, Ivana Trump, according to People.

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Trump Jr., Ivana’s eldest of children alongside Ivanka and Eric, always considered his father to be the reason behind the infamous divorce, which received heavy media attention at the time.

He was just a 12-year-old boy at the time and was hugely influenced by all the media headlines.

He told the New York magazine later in 2004 that he did not speak to his father for about a year. He blamed him for causing the divorce with his alleged affair with model Marla Maples.

Trump Jr. also admitted that he may have been “manipulated” into believing those headlines by his mother.

“Listen, it’s tough to be a 12-year-old. You’re not quite a man, but you think you are. You think you know everything. Being driven into school every day and you see the front page and it’s divorce!”

Donald J. Trump Jr., New York, December 13, 2004

GROWING UP

In another interview, he revealed that he was always determined to not follow exactly in the footsteps of his father and enjoys being ‘his own kind of Trump.’

"I think people are often surprised, but I never defined myself as, 'I'm the business guy who has to supersede what my father has done,'" he told the New York Times. “He’s a totally unique individual. Somehow having to top his accomplishments is never the way I perceived things.”

Trump Sr. would not be around too much so Trump Jr. found a role model in his maternal grandfather, Milos Zelnicek. He often stayed at his grandparents’ home outside Prague during summers.

"My son Donald did a good job last night. He was open, transparent and innocent."

Another reported incident that highlighted the souring relationship between the father and son occurred while Trump Jr. was attending the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Vanity Fair reported a friend of Trump Jr. revealing that Trump Sr. showed up to his son’s dorm room one day.

He wanted to take Trump Jr. to a Yankees game. But when his son opened the door, Trump Sr. saw that he was dressed in a Yankees jersey.

The senior Trump then slapped him across the face in front of his classmates and instructed him to meet him in a suit. However, Vanity Fair also stated that a source for Trump family has claimed this story to be false.

A CHANGING RELATIONSHIP

Despite their rocky relationship, Trump Jr. has been nothing but supportive of his father ever since he announced his presidential campaign in 2016.

He has remained one of the most vocal supporters of Trump Sr. and also one of his loyal Twitter defenders, People suggested.

His father finally returned the favor by speaking publicly in his support following his interview in regards to Trump Sr.’s Russian collusion investigation.

Trump Jr. released emails that showed how he set up a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer in the hope of extracting damaging information on Hillary Clinton, his father’s presidential rival.

The US President issued a statement saying Trump Jr. is a “high-quality person” and that he “applaud his transparency.”

He further tweeted about his son’s interview, writing “My son Donald did a good job last night. He was open, transparent and innocent.”