Here's Why Donald Trump’s Dad's Funeral Had a ‘Peculiar Vibe'

In June 1999, the summer before Donald Trump Jr.’s (Donald Trump's firstborn) senior year, his grandad Fred C. Trump passed away. Fred was a formidable figure, both in business and within his family, known for his often overbearing and strict personality. But it turned out that his funeral, held at the Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue, left many attendees with a sense of discomfort if news reports are to be believed. Donald Jr. also seemed uneasy. A college friend shared, “A few of us went to the wake with him, and I just remember how peculiar the vibe was. It was the only time I met his dad. It just had a cocktail-party vibe. It was just odd.” The Trump camp, however, disputed the claim, asserting that Don Jr. did not bring friends to his grandfather’s wake, as reported by GQ.

Fred’s funeral garnered a substantial crowd, with more than 600 attendees, including developers, politicians, and New York celebrities. Three of Fred’s surviving children delivered heartfelt eulogies, reflecting on their father’s life and legacy. Unsurprisingly, it was Donald Trump’s remarks that left many speechless.

Alan Marcus, a former public relations consultant for the Trump Organization, shared, “Donald started his eulogy by saying, ‘I was having the greatest year of my business career, and I was sitting having breakfast thinking of how well things were going for me.’ Donald’s eulogy was all about himself, and everybody in Vincent Peale’s church knew it.” This apparent self-centered approach was jarring to many, given the sad occasion, as per The New York Times. Gwenda Blair, a Trump family biographer who also attended the funeral, described the eulogy and wrote, “Was it surprising? No. Was it stunning? Yes.” 

Fred had instilled a competitive and challenging mentality in his children, specifically in Donald. Many friends and family members observed that Fred believed a hint of sadness and vulnerability was a sign of weakness. As per the aforementioned NYT article, his upbringing shaped Donald’s approach to leadership and personal interactions, emphasizing strength and dominance over emotional expression. Representative Peter T. King of New York, Donald's ally, also commented on this behavior. “His style as a leader is having to be a tough guy. You can’t show any type of weakness. He doesn’t want to show that this is getting the best of him. The only thing that Trump ever cared about was he had this thing: ‘I’ve got to win. Teach me how to win.’”

Some have theorized that this could be the reason the ex-president had difficulty connecting with his children. As Ivana Trump once noted, “He would love them, but he did not know how to speak to them in the children's way of thinking. He was able to speak to them only when they came from university...Otherwise, he really did not know how to handle the kids. The children didn't know how to relate to him, either.”