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She's blowing the whistle on her uncle.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Jun 23, 2020
Lately, she's been making headlines for her claims against her uncle, Donald Trump. But those who have been watching Donald Trump's ascension in the media since the 1980s have been more than slightly aware of her. Despite the recent headlines, she's actually been blowing the whistle on her uncle for a long time. It's just that she seems to be getting more headlines now, than ever before, because of Trump's high-profile position as President and her upcoming explosive tell-all book he doesn't want published.
Who is Donald Trump's niece, Mary Trump?
Let's look at what we know about both her and the explosive accusations in her upcoming tell-all book.
She's the daughter of Donald Trump's oldest brother, Fred Trump Jr.
Mary Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., Donald Trump's oldest brother, who died in 1981 at age 43 from complications due to alcoholism. Fred Trump Jr. was originally poised to take his father's, Fred Trump Sr.'s, place in the family business of real estate. However, he didn't like the business, and ultimately quit to become a pilot for TransWorld Airlines (TWA). Fred Trump Jr. married Linda Clapp, and had two children — Fred and Mary — who were named after Fred Trump Jr.'s parents.
Donald Trump claims he doesn't drink due to his brother's struggles with alcoholism.
It's unclear how, or why, Mary Trump's father suffered from alcoholism. Donald Trump suggested that Fred Trump Jr. was an alcoholic because of the pressures their father, Fred Trump Sr., laid on him. Donald Trump also claimed that he tried to reach out to his brother to steer him off the path of alcoholism, but was unsuccessful. And Donald Trump also claimed that thanks to Fred Trump Jr.'s problems with alcohol, he doesn't drink.
In her new book, Mary Trump claims Donald Trump denied his special-needs nephew his rightful inheritance — but this wasn't the first time this information was revealed.
In her new tell-all, Too Much and Never Enough, Mary Trump claims that Donald Trump denied his special-needs nephew his rightful inheritance. But that wasn't the first time this shocking information was revealed. In fact, all the way back in 2016 — shortly before Trump's inauguration — an investigative report detailed this very thing.
"Even when it comes to a sick baby in his family, Donald Trump is all business. The mega-builder and his siblings Robert and Maryanne terminated their nephew’s family medical coverage a week after he challenged the will of their father, Fred Trump. “This was so shocking, so disappointing and so vindictive,” said niece Lisa Trump, whose son, William, was born 18 months ago at Mount Sinai Medical Center with a rare neurological disorder that produces violent seizures, brain damage and medical bills topping $300,000," the report revealed, almost with a sense of pride about Trump's "All-American" way of doing business. Later, it was revealed that Trump cut the special-needs nephew out of the will out of revenge.
The other Trump siblings also keep a low profile.
The stage was ripe for Mary Trump to release her tell-all book because the other Trump siblings tend to keep low profiles, outside ofoccasional high-society party appearances. In fact, Trump's youngest sibling Robert is reported to be so against courting headlines that he was quoted as saying that "unlike his brother, he is said not to court publicity and prefers a quieter life, now semi-retired in New York state."
Mary Trump was responsible for leaking her uncle's tax returns.
When The New York Times printed explosive allegations about Donald Trump's tax returns, followers of the President were wondering where the "Old Grey Lady" got their information from. Just before the publication of her tell-all was announced, Mary Trump revealed that she was the source of the "leak."
She also claims that her uncle is solely motivated by money — and she's claimed this for many years.
Back in 2000, Mary Trump was part of a contentious court battle involving Fred Trump Sr.'s will. According to her, and other members of the Trump family, Fred Trump Sr. — who left everything to Donald Trump in his will — reportedly signed it under undue influence from Donald Trump. And, according to Mary Trump, this is proof that her uncle is solely motivated by money.
"Given this family, it would be utterly naive to say it has nothing to do with money. But for both me and my brother, it has much more to do with that our father [Fred Jr.] be recognized," she said.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.