In his upcoming memoir, “All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got to Be This Way,” Fred C. Trump III alleges that his uncle, former President Donald J. Trump, made disturbing comments about disabled individuals.
Fred Trump, the son of Donald’s late older brother Fred Trump Jr., describes his relationship with his uncle as generally close, having attended the 2017 inauguration and visited the White House multiple times. However, he reveals unsettling experiences in his book, which has been previewed by The New York Times.
One significant incident occurred after a 2017 meeting in the Oval Office with disability advocates. Fred Trump writes that his uncle, after hearing about the challenges faced by families caring for profoundly disabled members, privately said, “maybe those kinds of people should just die,” citing the financial burden. This sentiment was reportedly echoed when Fred Trump sought help for his own disabled son, who required costly medical care. “I don’t know. He doesn’t recognize you. Maybe you should just let him die and move down to Florida,” Fred Trump claims his uncle said.
The book also recounts an earlier incident from the 1970s, where Fred Trump alleges his uncle used a racial slur after a car incident. “Look what the niggers did,” Fred Trump writes, quoting his uncle.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, dismissed these claims as “completely fabricated and total fake news of the highest order,” asserting that they have been debunked.
Despite these allegations, Fred Trump also highlights moments of warmth in their relationship, such as golfing together and helping with personal matters. He recounts how Donald Trump supported him in his personal life but also describes the Trump family dynamic as heavily influenced by financial interests and score-settling.
Fred Trump’s memoir reveals complex family interactions, including a public legal battle over their grandfather’s will, and contrasts with his sister Mary Trump’s earlier criticisms of their uncle in her own memoir. Fred Trump expresses frustration with Mary for her portrayal of their family and reveals his own political leanings, having voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.
In a revealing end to the memoir, Fred Trump recounts telling his uncle that their family name had become “toxic,” which elicited a strong reaction from Donald Trump, who reportedly admonished him to never use that term.
