Donald Trump’s nephew discussed the family’s history of dementia and possible signs of the condition in his uncle during an interview last week.
Fred Trump III, the son of Donald Trump’s late brother, Fred Trump Jr., wrote in his book about his grandfather’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Fred Trump Sr. died at 93 years old in 1999, eight years after he was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Dean Obeidallah Show,” Fred Trump III was asked if he sees anything in Donald Trump that reminds him of his grandfather during those years.
He suggested he could see some indicators based on his experiences, but noted he’s no medical expert.
“You know, Donald said, ‘Oh, my father was tiptop until the end.’ I can assure you, that was not the case,” he said.
“I know what I saw in my grandfather,” he added. “I know what I saw in Donald’s older sister, my aunt Maryanne, who in the end … I am not a doctor, I don’t pretend to be. I just, I know the warning signs from both of my grandfathers.”
Donald Trump’s sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, died at 86 in November last year.
“Donald’s cousin, John Walters, had dementia. It runs in the family,” Fred Trump III went on, adding of his uncle: “He looks older. And I get it … anybody who is in that office looks different than when they come out. But the things he’s spewing and the craziness, and he just can’t stick to a message. And he used to be able to stick to a message.”
He noted the Republican nominee’s failure to stay on topic at a speech in North Carolina last week that his campaign said would focus on the economy.
“He had one goal. Talk about the economy,” he said.
The Trump campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
Fred Trump III last month became the second member of the family to publish a damaging tell-all about the former president when he released his memoir, “All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way.” His sister, Mary Trump, has written several books on the subject.
Both Fred Trump III and Mary Trump are supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 race.
Donald Trump spent much of the campaign against President Joe Biden fixated on what he claimed was a “cognitive decline” in his opponent. Polls showed significant portions of voters were concerned about both men’s mental acuity.
Trump’s been struggling to recalibrate since Biden stepped aside and Harris, a much younger and more energetic candidate, joined the race to a wave of momentum.
The Washington Post earlier this year analyzed Trump’s preoccupation with mental fitness and how that may have been shaped by his father’s experience.
Experts don’t exactly know how people develop Alzheimer’s, but genetics have been found to play a role. Individuals with a parent or sibling who had the condition are more likely to develop the condition, and the risk increases for those who have more than one first-degree relative with the condition, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.