Trump's Parents: Alcoholism And Its Legacy

Former US President Donald Trump's father, Fred Trump, was a real-estate developer and businessman. There is no indication that he was an alcoholic. However, Trump's older brother, Fred Trump Jr., struggled with alcoholism and died in 1981 at the age of 42 or 43 due to complications from the disease. Donald Trump has stated that he regrets pressuring his brother to join the family business, which may have contributed to his stress-induced drinking. Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, was a Scottish-American socialite and philanthropist. There is no evidence to suggest that she was an alcoholic.

Donald Trump's father, Fred Trump, was an American real-estate developer

The company was a success, building and managing single-family houses in Queens and apartments for war workers on the East Coast during World War II, among other projects. In total, Fred Trump's company built more than 27,000 apartments in New York. Despite this success, Fred Trump faced investigations for profiteering in 1954 and 1966.

Donald Trump joined his father's company around 1968, initially working in Brooklyn. In 1971, Donald became president of the company, with Fred becoming chairman. Donald began referring to the company as the Trump Organization around 1973.

Fred Trump provided significant financial support to his son, including loans exceeding $14 million in the mid-1970s. In 1987, when Donald's loan debt to his father exceeded $11 million, Fred invested $15.5 million in Trump Palace Condominiums. He later sold these shares to his son for just $10,000, appearing to evade gift taxes.

While Fred Trump's business ventures brought him success, his personal life was marked by allegations of sociopathic behavior and cruelty by his granddaughter, Mary L. Trump. She described him as "intimately involved" in all aspects of Donald's business dealings and claimed that he dismantled her father, Fred Jr., due to their differing personalities.

Fred Trump passed away in 1999, and his will excluded two of his children, Fred III and Mary, from his share of the inheritance. This led to a lawsuit filed by the excluded siblings, alleging that Donald and his siblings exhibited "undue influence" on their father.

Fred Trump's parenting style was described as controlling and disparaging

While there is no explicit mention of either of President Trump's parents being alcoholics, there is evidence that his father, Fred Trump Sr., exhibited controlling and disparaging behaviour. Fred Sr.'s parenting style was described as controlling, particularly in his attempts to shape his oldest son, Fred Jr.'s, career path. Fred Sr. wanted his eldest son to be "invulnerable" and take over his real-estate business, but Fred Jr. had different aspirations. In 1966, Fred Jr. left the family business to pursue a career as a pilot, which created tension with his father.

Fred Trump Sr.'s disparaging behaviour towards his son is evident in how he "'dismantled him by devaluing and degrading every aspect of his personality," according to Fred Jr.'s daughter, Mary L. Trump. She also mentions that her grandfather and Donald mocked Fred Jr.'s decision to become an airline pilot, comparing it to being a bus driver or chauffeur.

The controlling and disparaging parenting style of Fred Sr. may have contributed to the strained relationship between him and his son. By 1970, after a series of domestic incidents, Fred Jr. was asked to leave the family home, and his father changed the locks. Unfortunately, Fred Jr.'s struggle with alcoholism also played a role in the deterioration of their relationship.

Fred Trump Jr.'s alcoholism had a significant impact on President Trump, influencing his abstinence from alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. In a speech, President Trump acknowledged the influence of his brother's struggle, stating that it made him realize how "bad choices could drag down even those who seemed destined to rise."

It is worth noting that President Trump's niece, Mary Trump, also described her grandfather as a "sociopath," suggesting that his parenting style may have been influenced by underlying psychological traits. She also mentioned that cruelty was a theme in the family, indicating a potentially toxic family environment.

Donald Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, was a Scottish-American socialite and philanthropist

Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, born in 1912 in Tong, was the mother of Donald Trump, the former US president. She was raised on the Hebridean island of Lewis, Scotland, and emigrated to New York in 1930 at the age of 18 to seek work as a domestic servant. In New York, she worked as a nanny for a wealthy family. However, she lost her job during the Great Depression after the Wall Street Crash.

Mary Anne returned to Scotland briefly in 1934 but soon went back to New York after meeting Fred Trump, an up-and-coming businessman and property developer. They married in 1936 and lived in a wealthy area of Queens, New York City. The couple had five children: Maryanne, Fred Jr., Elizabeth, Donald, and Robert. Mary Anne raised her children in the Presbyterian faith of her upbringing. She was also involved in various charities and volunteer work, including with the Salvation Army, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Lighthouse for the Blind. She held prominent roles at the Women's Auxiliary of Jamaica Hospital and the Jamaica Day Nursery.

Mary Anne was known for her glamorous and stylish appearance, particularly her elaborate "dynamic orange swirl" hairstyle, which her son Donald would later emulate. Despite Donald's infrequent discussions about his mother, he always speaks highly of her, even naming a room at his Mar-a-Lago resort after her. He also used a Bible she had gifted him during his 2017 presidential inauguration, and her photo adorned the Oval Office.

Mary Anne suffered severe complications during Robert's birth, requiring an emergency hysterectomy and additional surgeries. She barely survived the procedure, and this near-death experience is believed to have had an impact on her son Donald, who was a toddler at the time. In her later years, Mary Anne suffered from severe osteoporosis. In 1991, she was mugged while shopping on Long Island, resulting in broken ribs, facial bruises, fractures, a brain hemorrhage, and permanent damage to her sight and hearing. She passed away in 2000 at the age of 88.

Mary Anne MacLeod Trump's oldest son, Fred Trump Jr., died from alcoholism

Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, who grew up on the Hebridean island of Lewis, was the mother of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Mary Anne's oldest son was Frederick Crist Trump Jr., born on October 14, 1938. Fred Jr. was an American pilot and maintenance worker. He was the first son of real-estate businessman Fred Trump Sr. and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump.

Fred Jr.'s aspiration to be a pilot was against the wishes of his father and brother, who wanted him to join the family real estate business. This pressure from his father and brother is believed to have contributed to his drinking. By the early 1970s, Fred Jr. could no longer function as a pilot due to his alcoholism. He eventually moved into the attic of his parents' house and worked on Trump properties.

On September 26, 1981, at the age of 42, Fred Jr. died from a heart attack caused by his alcohol use. His death had a profound impact on Donald Trump, who has abstained from alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. In 1990, Trump told Playboy magazine that his brother's death "affected everything that has come after it". In 2019, Trump expressed regret for pressuring his brother about joining the family business, acknowledging that it was something Fred Jr. never wanted.

Fred Jr.'s daughter, Mary L. Trump, wrote in her book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man", that her grandfather and Donald destroyed her father. She also accused her grandfather of being anti-Semitic.

Donald Trump's abstinence from alcohol is influenced by his brother's death

Donald Trump has been vocal about his abstinence from alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. While he initially cited his father's teetotalism as a major influence, he has also acknowledged the profound impact his brother Freddy's death from alcoholism had on his decision.

Freddy Trump, born Frederick Crist Trump Jr., was the eldest son of Fred Trump Sr. and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. He was an American pilot and maintenance worker who dreamed of becoming a pilot, a decision that led to tension with his father, who wanted him to take over the family's real estate business. Freddy's drinking problems began in his mid-20s, and by the late 1970s, his alcoholism had cost him his career and marriage, forcing him to move back into his parents' house.

Donald Trump has described his brother's decline and death as a "tremendous impact" and a "formative part of his life." In interviews, he has expressed regret for pressuring his brother to run the family business, acknowledging that it was not something Freddy wanted to do. Trump has also shared that his brother warned him about the dangers of alcohol, saying, "Look at the mess I'm in. If I ever catch you smoking, you'll be sorry, drinking even a glass of booze because you'll like it too much."

The experience of losing his brother to alcoholism gave Trump an empathetic view of addiction, and he has said that it influenced his administration's response to the opioid crisis. Trump's abstinence from alcohol and his recognition of the impact of addiction demonstrate a personal connection to an issue that has touched many lives.

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