Donald Trump’s nephew compared him to a character in the film franchise The Godfather during an interview with MSNBC regarding the former president’s attitude towards the military.
Fred Trump III, 61, discussed his uncle’s recent controversial visit at Arlington Cemetery, where a member of his campaign staff reportedly got into an altercation with a worker who tried to stop them filming. He also referenced Donald Trump‘s military draft deferment.
Fred compared his uncle’s views of the military to a scene at the end of the second film in The Godfather trilogy, where the characters are discussing the bombing of Pearl Habor and the character Sonny Corleone says, “Country ain’t your blood kid,” to which the character Michael Corleone responds, “No, I don’t believe that.”
In the scene, after Sonny denigrates military members for being “Saps because they risked their lives for strangers,” Michael reveals that he has enlisted in the Marines.
After describing this scene, Fred said, “Donald believes in Donald.”
Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of disparaging members of the military, although he retains significant voter support from veterans.
In discussion of his uncle’s views of the military, when asked about an alleged comment that soldiers that died at war are “suckers and losers,” Fred said that his uncle views all individuals with disabilities or anyone he deems lesser than him as a “loser.”
Fred also recalled that his father, Fred Trump Jr., Donald Trump’s older brother, was the only member of the family to serve in the military, as he volunteered for the Air National Guard as a second lieutenant after graduating from Lehigh University and noted using his army trunks for summer camp as a child.
Regarding his uncle’s support from veterans, Fred said that he has “no idea” why they would support him.
Fred Trump is the author of All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way and advocate for people with disabilities who has been openly critical of his uncle. His sister Mary L. Trump, a psychologist who has also written a book, Too Much and Never Enough, criticizing the former president.
During his uncle’s presidency, Fred met with his administration and the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities to advocate for people with his learning disabilities, as his son William has a seizure disorder and a rare genetic variant.
Fred has never voted for his uncle, and instead voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024.
Newsweek reached out to Fred Trump and Donald Trump for comment via email.
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