Donald Trump used his son’s charity for children with cancer to funnel donor money into his own for-profit organization. The charity was supposed to be able to contribute virtually all its donations because it was using Trump family assets for fundraising events. Instead, the charity paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to Donald Trump’s private business.
The Trump family’s medical insurance was provided by the company owned by Donald’s father, Fred Trump. It covered Donald, his siblings Fred Jr., Robert, Maryanne, and Elizabeth, as well as their families.
Donald’s brother Fred Jr. died in 1981, but had a son, Fred III, who went on to have his own child, William. William had suffered multiple seizures and other medical issues since birth, and developed cerebral palsy. He required perpetual care, and medical costs were in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When the senior Fred Trump died in 1999, his assets were distributed primarily among his living children, which meant considerably less was given to Fred III and his family. He filed a suit alleging that Donald and his siblings had abused their father’s Alzheimer’s and growing dementia to influence Fred Sr.’s will, which they helped draft.
Siblings Donald, Maryanne, and Robert Trump
Trump responded by removing his nephew and nephew’s infant son from their insurance. Fred III said of it, “I just think it was wrong. These are not warm and fuzzy people. They never even came to see William in the hospital. Our family puts the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional.”
When asked about denying his nephew medical coverage, Donald said, “Why should we give him medical coverage?” In response to being asked if his reaction was “cold,” he explained, “I can’t help that. It’s cold when someone sues my father. Had he come to see me, things could very possibly have been much different for them.”
In an interview with another reporter, Donald said “I was angry because they sued,” but that eventually lawsuit was settled “very amicably.”
In 1990, Trump said that he would do better running for President as a Democrat, and gave most of his political donations to Democrats until 5 years before running as a Republican.
In a 1994 TV interview about his infant daughter Tiffany, Trump said, “She’s got mama’s legs. We don’t know whether or not she’s got this part yet,” cupping imaginary breasts, “but time will tell.”
Trump famously cheated on his first wife with actress Marla Maples before divorcing Ivana for her. Before the divorce, he kept his mistress Maples close, even flying her to him in Aspen while there with his family. His affair was heavily reported in tabloids of the time.
Young Donald Trump was notorious for repeatedly getting into trouble, both at school and around his neighborhood. This was one of the reasons his parents send him to New York Military Academy, where he was for five years.
In a discussion with his biographer Michael D’Antonio, Trump noted how much he enjoyed fighting:
TRUMP: I went to New York Military Academy for five years, from the year before freshman.
D’ANTONIO: So eighth grade on?
TRUMP: Yes.
D’ANTONIO: Whose idea was this?
TRUMP: Well, I was very rebellious and my parents thought it would be a good idea. I was very rebellious.
D’ANTONIO: How did it evidence itself?
TRUMP: I was a very rebellious kind of person. I don’t like to talk about it, actually. But I was a very rebellious person and very set in my ways.
D’ANTONIO: In eighth grade?
TRUMP: I loved to fight. I always loved to fight.
D’ANTONIO: Physical fights?
TRUMP: … All types of fights. Any kind of fight, I loved it, including physical, and I was always the best athlete. Something that nobody knew about me.
Pulitzer-Prize winner and Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio. Michaeldantonio.net
