Mary Trump, a psychologist and author, has opened up about her complex relationship with her uncle, Donald Trump, delving into her observations of his character and leadership style. In a recent discussion, she shared insights from her experiences growing up in the Trump family and working directly with Donald Trump.
Mary Trump on what it was like to grow up alongside Donald Trump. At that age, he was an arrogant, disrespectful young adult consumed with extreme jealousy of his older brother, Freddie. This initial impression informed her subsequent relationship with him. “When she first encountered Donald, he was a cocky, rude teenager, who was intensely jealous of his older brother, Freddie,” she remarked.
His qualifications speak for themselves — the psychologist spent six months working one-on-one with Donald Trump in his office. In the meantime, she was learning a lot about his true character. Her happiest discovery around this time was noticing that he had no true friendships. She said, “He didn’t have any friends, and I just felt bad for him. As she described it, every time they invited him into social situations, it ended badly. Nobody in Freddie’s world would want to hang out with this conceited, narcissistic, lack of a sense of humor, self-important little prick,” she continued.
Mary Trump is the author of several insightful and deeply personal memoirs. Her two bestsellers, Too Much and Never Enough and The Reckoning, explore her uncle’s life and how their family history continues to haunt America. She jokingly refers to herself as “the black sheep of the family.” She portrays her grandfather, Fred Trump, as “literally a sociopath.” Her initial response was that “cruelty is a through-line in my family.” This new understanding has alienated her from her family and left only her daughter as a beaten-down bridge to them.
Around the time Donald Trump began his first presidential term in 2017, Mary Trump chose to distance herself from him. Her understanding of his personality is rooted in their familial history and her experiences as a ghostwriter for his second book in her 20s. She has been candidly brutal about his evolution as a leader. She went on to say that, “He is the only person I’ve ever encountered who’s never changed, which is very deadly.”
Mary Trump drove home the point that we need leaders who are willing and able to grow and evolve. Never settle for a moral leader who is not willing to grow and change. This is perhaps the most important lesson we’ve learned. She described Donald Trump as “one of the most provincial people I know.” She is adamant that this kind of attitude will get us nowhere.
In 2021, that feud came to a head as Mary Trump sued her uncle Donald Trump. He subsequently filed a $100 million lawsuit against her for leaking information about his personal finances to the New York Times.
“I can’t say we got closer, because Donald isn’t close with anybody.” – Mary Trump
Mary Trump’s reflections serve as both a personal narrative and a commentary on broader themes of leadership and familial relationships. Her prophetic remarks ring true now as ever amid a crisis of political leadership and personal integrity.