Donald Trump's childhood insults towards his older brother, Freddy, may have contributed to his sibling's struggles with alcoholism and eventual death at age 42, according to claims in a new book by Trump's niece.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Mary Trump's upcoming memoir "Who Could Ever Love You: A Family Memoir" alleges that Donald's mockery and their father's disapproval shattered Freddy's confidence and set him on a path to alcohol abuse.
The book portrays Donald Trump as a "thin-skinned bully" who beat up smaller children as a boy and had "nothing but disdain for everybody else." It claims Trump's taunts, combined with their father Fred Trump Sr.'s harsh treatment, left Freddy feeling deep shame for failing to meet family expectations.
According to Mary Trump's book, Donald would tell Freddy he was a "glorified bus driver" for becoming a pilot instead of joining the family real estate business. Their father, Fred Sr., allegedly said Freddy was a "goddamn chauffeur in the sky" and was embarrassed by his eldest son's career choice.
The constant mockery from his family reportedly drove Freddy to start drinking heavily. Mary Trump writes that her father felt "deep shame" at struggling to hold onto his dreams and failing to live up to Fred Sr.'s expectations.
While Freddy was "frozen out" financially, Donald was given special treatment like a car, credit for work he didn't do, and a personal driver. By 1970, 24-year-old Donald had become president of the Trump business empire.
Mary Trump, who works as a therapist, makes several claims about the Trump family dynamics in her upcoming book. She portrays Fred Trump Sr. as a "sociopath" incapable of loving his children.
According to Mary Trump:
Nobody liked Donald when he was growing up, not even his parents. As he got older, those personality traits hardened and the hostile indifference and aggressive disrespect he'd developed as a toddler to help withstand the neglect from his mother, because she was seriously ill and psychologically unstable, and from his father because, as a sociopath, he had not interest in his children outside of Freddy.
The book alleges that Fred Sr. only cared about Donald to the extent he could use him as an "avatar of success" beyond their home boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.
Mary Trump's book also touches on the numerous legal battles that have divided the Trump family over the years. She claims lawsuits are the family's "love language," noting that Donald sued her for $100 million for helping New York Times journalists publish information about his finances and taxes.
The book mentions a 2000 lawsuit where Mary and her brother, Fred III, challenged an attempt to cut them out of the family inheritance. In retaliation, Fred III's family was reportedly cut off from Trump health insurance coverage, including for his severely disabled infant son.
These new allegations about Donald Trump's childhood behavior and its impact on his brother, Freddy, shed light on the complex family dynamics that shaped the former president.
Mary Trump's book claims Donald's mockery, combined with their father's harsh treatment, contributed to Freddy's struggles with alcoholism and early death. While the Trump family has faced numerous legal battles and rifts over the years, this latest memoir offers a deeply personal look at how childhood experiences may have influenced their adult relationships and trajectories.
