Fred and Mary Trump, parents of Maryanne, Freddie, Donald, Elizabeth and Robert Trump, were hard working successes in the property development and management business, largely in Queens and Brooklyn. Fred Trump lost his father in his early teens, and his mother, an immigrant with no support, recognized Fred’s ability and put him to work building garages around their neighborhood. His work ethic began the successful business that supported two generations of Trump family in an affluent, comfortable life. That much is indisputable. Also of public record is the manner in which Fred Trump used political figures and government programs to enrich his family, legally, or taking advantage of unintended consequences of legal programs.

Fred was dictatorial and cold toward his family, wife and children. Money was the currency by which love was expressed, or withheld. Fred was mainly concerned with the upbringing of his boys, looking to his sons for the heir of his businesses and fortune. He demanded toughness, even ruthlessness, craftiness, and brash, bold choices to advance the Trump brand. The author depicts Freddie as a gentler intellectual who had no interest in the family business, but a love of aeronautics and flying, secretly earning his pilot license during college, and qualifying as a commercial pilot for TWA. Since this ran counter to his father’s script for his life, and pleasing Father Trump was each child’s greatest desire, Freddie threw away his flying career, did what his father wanted of him, devolved into depression and alcoholism, dying at age 42. Freddie was father of the author, and son Fritz.

Author Mary Trump asserts that each child desperately sought their father’s approval. Daughters had little luck in that regard, since he did not think women capable of handling business. When Freddie proved disappointing to Fred, Mary claims that Donald learned the lessons from observing Fred’s behavior and failure to earn their father’s approbation. By being a brash, over-confident bully, Donald would cultivate his father’s favor and control his wealth. Mary asserts that Donald knew nothing about real estate and deal making, blundered through most attempts in business and used his father’s money to create the illusion of success and the Trump brand. The author faults Donald in particular, and the other siblings as being complicit, in contaminating Fred Trump Sr.’s opinion and treatment of his eldest son. Mary goes on to fault Donald with the lack of support and hostility that worsened Freddie’s alcoholism and led to his early death. Subsequently, Mary and Fritz are denied their father’s portion of inheritance when the grandparents die, leaving them with the same portion allotted grandchildren, as well as their trusts. As far as the elder Trump’s will was concerned, Freddie ceased to exist.

All of the above appears to be legitimate, and mostly supportable by the facts. Mary makes additional assertions that are harder to substantiate, and give off the scent of a considerable axe to grind. She practically accuses Donald Trump of indirectly taking her father’s life, by poisoning their father’s views, influencing his choices, and bullying the family into rejecting Freddie and denying him any support. It is clear she completely despises Donald for the role he played in her father’s early death. Whether Fred Trump Sr. and Donald can be accused of sociopathy, and whether Donald can be thought of as a danger to our nation, seems a bit of a stretch. Should the case Mary makes regarding Donald, his mental health, motivations, and questionable ability all be taken into account when you make your choice in November? In the United States, that is each citizen’s private decision to make. If Donald Trump’s psychological profile, written by an extremely biased clinical psychologist with a heavy-duty grudge and major issues is what you consider important to your decision, by all means read this book. For myself, I feel we knew what we needed to know in 2016, and based on his first term performance, know what we would be getting. It was interesting for me to get an insider take on his back story, albeit a bitter, aggrieved observer.