In an unexpected turn of events, the recent death of Maryanne Trump Barry, former President Donald Trump’s eldest sister, has brought to the spotlight the previously disclosed recordings in which she openly criticized her brother’s character. The recordings, made by Donald Trump’s niece Mary Trump in 2018 and 2019, have revealed a side of the Trump family dynamics that the public has rarely seen. In a series of revelations that are now making headlines, Maryanne Trump Barry, a retired federal judge, referred to her brother as a “brat” and revealed that she had done his homework.
Maryanne Trump Barry has died. She famously told her niece Mary Trump, that her younger brother had someone take his SATs for him, and she also said this: “It’s the phoniness of it all. It’s the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel.” pic.twitter.com/P1Jp2Pt3dm
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) November 13, 2023
Barry’s scathing remarks, made public by various news outlets in 2020, shed light on a fractious family dynamic. She criticized her brother’s presidency, principles, and handling of the immigration situation, particularly the treatment of children at the border, according to The Washington Post , which first reported on the recordings. The candid nature of her remarks contrasts sharply with the Trump family’s public persona.
Barry expressed her displeasure with her brother’s lack of principles in one of the recordings. “All he wants to do is appeal to his base. He has no principles. None. None.” she said, highlighting criticism of Donald Trump’s leadership style. This revelation runs counter to the carefully crafted image presented by the Trump administration, emphasizing a family rift that goes beyond political differences.
The late Maryanne Trump Barry about you-know-who: pic.twitter.com/4OOgScJgr6
— The Shallow State (@OurShallowState) November 13, 2023
The recordings also touched on Donald Trump’s academic history, with Barry claiming she did her brother’s homework, “drove him around New York City to try to get him into college,” and that he had someone else take his entrance exams. She goes on to say, “He went to Fordham for one year, and then he got into University of Pennsylvania,” per CBS News . “I guess he had somebody take the exams … SATs or whatever. … That’s what I believe.” She added, “I even remember the name.” That person was Joe Shapiro, she added.
Mark Meadows, then White House Chief of Staff, dismissed the recordings as “politics as usual,” emphasizing Mary Trump’s alleged bias as a result of her support for Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The recordings elicited a response from the Trump campaign, with Senior Campaign Adviser Jason Miller dismissing Barry’s comments as a typical family feud.
“Donald is out for Donald, period. All he wants to do is appeal to his base. He has no principles. None. None.” -Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald’s sister. pic.twitter.com/nGdlcmYfCe
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 13, 2023
Maryanne Trump Barry’s remarks, which include allegations of lying, a lack of principles, and cruelty, paint a picture of a family divided over fundamental values. The revelation that Mary Trump recorded these conversations as a precaution against potential legal action adds to the family’s internal dynamics.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., informed CNN’s State of the Union back then that it was “heartbreaking to think that a family member of the president of the United States would have that view of him.” “This is just further evidence of his inauthenticity and his lack of integrity,” Pelosi said, per USA Today .