Donald Trump’s nephew has told reporters that he sees signs of dementia in his uncle. Fred Trump III said his father and grandfather both suffered from the brain degeneration disease, and the former President is demonstrating similar symptoms. “I know the warning signs. It runs in the family,” he said.
Mr. Trump addressed the former President’s apparent unwillingness to focus on policy during speeches or media interviews, instead veering off into personal attacks on Kamal Harris. Fred Trump noted his uncle’s appearance in North Carolina, where he was due to deliver a speech about the economy, but spoke at length about Kamala Harris, whom he described as a “communist.” The former President’s nephew said Donald Trump used to be able to stay on message but that is no longer the case, signaling a marked decline.
The Republican’s nephew is the brother of Mary Trump, a psychologist who has written extensively about her uncle. She describes him as a narcissist with a fragile ego. In her book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, Ms. Trump detailed her family history and said Donald Trump’s father was strict on him and extremely demanding. After losing the election in 2020, Mary Trump said her uncle’s response to not getting what he wants is to “break” things. “He’s the kind of person who thinks that even if you steal and cheat to win, you deserve to win,” she said.
Along with his sister, Fred Trump III is one of few family members to openly criticize the former President. In July, he announced he would vote for Kamala Harris in November, adding, “I will campaign for her without hesitation.” He also recounted a story to reporters in which he claimed his uncle told him that his severely disabled son would be better off dead. Fred’s son was born with a genetic mutation, and he claims his famous uncle advised him to let the child die because it was too expensive and cumbersome to keep him alive.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said the story had been “debunked” numerous times.