In a recent interview, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump admitted to cutting off the money for the medical support for the infant child of his nephew when he was in a legal battle with that side of the family. The issue arose when the family of Trump’s older brother Freddy was cut out of the will of Trump’s father Fred Sr. Freddy died in 1981 from alcoholism and his family became estranged from the rest of the family reportedly due Fed Sr.’s dislike of his daughter in law. Trump claimed that he cut off the money out of anger over the estate challenge but that the family would late receive a significant settlement. Freddy was known a being a free spirit who was never inclined towards business world. Instead, Trump’s older brother only briefly worked in the family real estate business opting instead to become a pilot for Trans World Airlines where he worked for many years before his drinking forced him from the skies and into a minor position with his father’s company.
See Khaleda Rahman, Donald Trump admits cutting off medical treatment for his nephew’s sick baby after will dispute with alcoholic brother’s family, The Daily Telegraph, January 4, 2016.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
