Latest news with #FredTrump
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump has ‘never evolved, which is dangerous', his niece Mary Trump says
Donald Trump has 'never evolved' and 'isn't close with anybody', according to Mary Trump, the US president's niece and a vocal critic of his business and political career. The daughter of Donald's older brother, Fred Trump Jr (nicknamed Freddie), Mary Trump told the Hay festival in Wales – where she was discussing her latest book about the Trump family, Who Could Ever Love You – that she no longer has relationships with anyone in her family apart from her daughter. She described herself as 'the black sheep of the family', calling her grandfather, Fred Trump, Donald's father, 'literally a sociopath', and adding: 'Cruelty is a theme in my family.' She explained that much of her understanding of her uncle comes from when she was in her 20s and Donald hired her to ghostwrite his second book. 'I can't say we got closer, because Donald isn't close with anybody,' she said, but working with him for six months in his office, she got 'a little bit more insight'. 'He is the only person I've ever met who's never evolved, which is dangerous by the way,' she said. 'Never choose as your leader somebody who's incapable of evolving – that should be one of the lessons we've learned, for sure.' She also described the president as 'one of the most provincial people I know, and that does not serve us well, at all'. Reading from her book, she described the moment a friend of her father's, Anna Maria, met Donald for the first time. 'When she first encountered Donald, he was a cocky, rude teenager, who was intensely jealous of his older brother, Freddie. 'Donald didn't have any friends, so she felt sorry for him, but whenever they included him, they regretted it. Nobody in Freddie's circle could bear to be around this arrogant, self important, humorless kid. 'Over the years, Anna Maria watched Donald devolve into an even more arrogant adult with a widening, cruel streak.' In the book she also recounts Donald throwing a baseball at his young nieces and nephews when he was in his 20s and she was eight years old. Her brother bought her a catcher's mitt for Christmas one year, and she 'realised it was probably to protect me from having every bone in my hand broken from Donald throwing a baseball at me as hard as he could'. Mary also told audiences that after Donald's older sister, Elizabeth, was born, doctors told his mother 'that it would be very dangerous for her to have more children' because of her health issues. 'She did, and the next one was Donald. About which I will say nothing more,' Mary joked. His mother later became very ill, meaning Donald, 'at a very crucial developmental period, did not have his primary caregiver, and the only person left was his dad, the sociopath. So you can imagine how that sort of changed the trajectory of Donald's life'. Mary is a psychologist whose previous books, Too Much and Never Enough and The Reckoning, also involve her uncle. She distanced herself from him around the time he began his first presidential term in 2017. In 2021, the former president sued her for $100m for giving the New York Times information for its investigation into his finances. The lawsuit sends 'a very clear message to me', she said. 'But what if everybody capitulates? Then what? Well, then we lose, and that's unacceptable'. She added that she does not 'understand people who are afraid of Donald, because he's so pathetic. I would be embarrassed to be afraid of him'.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'What kind of son have I created?': A look at Donald Trump's relationship with his mother Mary on Mother's Day
On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump made a personal statement through the décor of the Oval Office, filling it with sentimental items that spoke to his deep family ties. As he signed a series of executive orders just hours after taking the oath of office, the Resolute Desk became the backdrop for framed family portraits and meaningful memorabilia. Among the items on display were photographs of his parents, Mary Anne and Fred Trump, whose influence shaped his journey into the real estate world. These images, nestled alongside a collection of challenge coins and military insignia, offered a glimpse into the president's personal history and the legacy of those who helped guide him to power. His father, who died in 1999, and his mother, who passed away in 2000, are both prominently featured in this intimate arrangement, reflecting a side of the president not often seen in the corridors of power. A Less Examined Influence For years, Donald Trump has frequently spoken about the profound impact his father had on his life. Fred Trump, a tough and ambitious real estate developer, pushed his son hard, leaving an indelible mark on his personality and success. In his 2007 book Think Big , Trump wrote, 'That's why I'm so screwed up, because I had a father that pushed me pretty hard.' In contrast, Mary Trump has often been depicted in a more passive light, a quiet, devoted housewife who fulfilled her role without imposing much influence on her son's ambitious nature. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo However, such a portrayal risks oversimplifying her role in shaping Donald Trump. Mary Trump: A Woman of Resilience Mary Anne MacLeod, born in 1912 on the rugged Isle of Lewis in Scotland, grew up in an environment marked by poverty and hardship. The youngest of ten children, her early life was shaped by the challenges of subsistence farming and the impact of World War I, which devastated the local male population. At the age of 18, Mary emigrated to America, seeking better opportunities than those available in her isolated Scottish hometown. She arrived in New York in 1930 and worked as a domestic servant before marrying Fred Trump in 1936. The couple settled in the affluent neighbourhood of Jamaica Estates in Queens, where Mary quickly adapted to the role of a supportive housewife. While Fred Trump focused on building his real estate empire, Mary managed their household and became known for her social gatherings and occasional charity work. Despite this, her son, Donald, would later recall that his mother 'wanted me to be happy,' but that she did not play as active a role in shaping his business ventures or ambitions as his father did. A Complex Dynamic During the late 1980s, as Donald Trump's very public divorce from Ivana Trump unfolded and his affair with Marla Maples made tabloid headlines, his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, was reportedly mortified by her son's conduct. According to a Vanity Fair account, she once turned to Ivana and asked plaintively, 'What kind of son have I created?' Donald Trump's relationship with his mother, though less visible, was undoubtedly shaped by moments of emotional tension. One key event was Mary's near-death experience after complications from childbirth when Donald was just a toddler. This traumatic episode may have had a deep psychological impact on the young boy, as he was at an age when children begin to form a stronger sense of independence from their mothers. Psychologists suggest that disruptions in the maternal bond at this stage can lead to emotional insecurities that later manifest in attention-seeking behaviour. While Fred Trump's influence was marked by stern discipline and a focus on achievement, Mary Trump's role seems to have been more about creating a sense of stability, even if she wasn't as directly involved in her son's professional pursuits. As his biographers note, the absence of a strong emotional connection with Mary may have contributed to Donald Trump's reliance on his father's approval and guidance, while his mother remained a more peripheral figure in his life.
South China Morning Post
02-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Who were Donald Trump's parents? Fred Trump was an American construction mogul who began his career as a teen, while Mary Anne MacLeod was a Scottish immigrant who worked as a ‘domestic servant'
He's a reality TV star turned controversial, two-term president of the United States of America, which means that every move Donald Trump makes is heavily scrutinised. And while his current marriage , business dealings and political dramas are all regular public fodder, what do we know about his past – specifically his late parents? Born to construction mogul Fred Trump and Scottish immigrant Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, Donald Trump is one of five children. Advertisement Mary Trump and Fred Trump attending the PAL dinner in 1987, at New York's Plaza Hotel. Millionaire real estate developer Fred Trump died in 1999 at 93, while his wife, Mary Anne MacLeod, who died a year later, aged 88, was originally a poor Scottish immigrant who went to New York in search of work as a 'domestic servant'. She became one of New York's richest residents after her marriage. Here's the story of the Trumps. Fred Trump: the patriarch Donald Trump with his parents, Fred and Mary. Frederick Christ Trump Sr was born in New York in 1905. He was just 15 and still at school when he started his own construction company. According to The New York Times, he focused on building car garages and his mother, Elizabeth, acted as his business partner, since he was legally too young to sign business documents. Money moves Fred Trump. Photo: Handout Fred turned his attention to building low- to medium-income housing in Queens and Brooklyn after World War II. His meteoric rise in the construction world saw him build more than 27,000 apartments in the two boroughs, with The New York Times calling him 'one of New York City's major postwar builders'. Despite his enormous wealth, Fred was described as a 'frugal' man by those who knew him. His one luxury was his car: a navy blue Cadillac that was meticulously maintained and replaced every three years. At the time of his death his estate was estimated to be worth US$300 million.
