As a congressman defended Trump, his 6-year-old son stole the spotlight 4JUN24

YOU may or may not appreciate the politics of this congressman so ignore them and concentrate on his son who is the star of this C-Span video.....  

As a congressman defended Trump, his 6-year-old son stole the spotlight

June 4, 2024 at 10:06 a.m. EDT

Rep. John Rose’s son, Guy — who said his dad’s speech was “so boring” — made faces and played with a toy as his father railed against Donald Trump’s criminal conviction.

By Kyle Melnick

Kyle Melnick is a reporter on The Washington Post's General Assignment desk, where he covers national and international news.

When Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) approached the lectern on the House floor, he said he was going to “address the terrible precedent” set by former president Donald Trump’s criminal conviction. But only a few seconds into his speech, he no longer had everyone’s attention.

Rose’s 6-year-old son, Guy, smiled and leaned closer into C-SPAN’s camera shot while sitting behind his dad. As Rose called Trump the victim of a “politically driven” conviction, Guy stuck out his tongue with wide eyes and shook his head — a clip that has turned into a meme.

Guy — who told The Washington Post on Tuesday that his dad’s nearly five-minute speech was “so boring” — continued to make gestures with his face and hands. A video of Rose’s address — and Guy’s antics — has been viewed more than 3.8 million times on social media and was a highlight of the day’s floor discussions.

Rose said he told Guy before his speech to smile at the camera for his 3-year-old brother, Sam, who was watching from Tennessee. After introducing viewers to his tongue about 30 seconds into his dad’s speech, Guy tilted his head to the right and smiled before shaping his hands into the letters “S,” “A” and “M.” Meanwhile, Rose called for “justice” for Trump, who was convicted on 34 felony counts Thursday.

“May 30th will be among the more infamous dates in American history,” Rose said about one minute and 20 seconds into his speech, unaware that Monday would also be a notable day for his son’s internet fame.

Guy scooted away from the center of C-SPAN’s camera shot, making only half his body visible. However, he continued to put on a show, shaking and squeezing a rubber cat toy named KitKat, Rose’s communications director, Dylan Jones, told The Post.

After Rose claimed that “Trump’s prosecution was driven by nefarious politics rather than the law” roughly two minutes into his address, Guy waved to the camera and smiled.

About a minute later, Rose said there should be “immunity for this type of prosecution.” Around the same time, Guy appeared to shape his hands into a heart.

When Rose returned to his office about an hour after his address, Jones, showed him the video.

“Like any dad, [I was] like, ‘Oh, no,’” Rose told The Post. But he said he found Guy’s stunts funny and heartwarming.

Guy graduated from kindergarten last week and is visiting his dad in D.C. for a week. Rose, 59, said he brings his two sons to many events, but they don’t typically appear on camera.

“Generally, Guy is pretty good,” Rose said. “He behaves pretty well. But he’s like any 6-year-old boy.”

Rose said that his colleagues have high-fived Guy since watching the video. On X, Doug Andres, the press secretary for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), wrote “Kid is a generational talent.”

“Rep. Rose’s son is more mature than many regulars on the House floor,” Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) wrote.

Rose was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018. Two years later, he supported a lawsuit that contested the results of the 2020 presidential election. In 2021, he voted against awarding Congressional Gold Medals to police who protected the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. He also opposed creating an independent commission to investigate the riot.

Guy wasn’t the first child to attract attention at political events.

Prince Louis, the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, closed his eyes, placed his hands over his ears and appeared to scream during a military flyover at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. During Rudy Giuliani’s inaugural address as New York City’s mayor in 1994, his son, Andrew, mimicked Rudy by raising his right hand, shaking the judge’s hand and thanking the crowd.

Jones said he often sees children sitting behind their parents during House speeches. Typically, he said, the kids talk quietly. But he believed Guy’s facial expressions would circulate on social media because they “were just so dramatic.”

He said he gave Guy some “media training” to prepare for the multiple interview requests he had received.

Afterward, Jones wrote on X: “I still don’t have an answer to what is harder: media training for Members of Congress or six-year-old internet sensations.”