I just finished reading Fred Trump III’s book “All In The Family.” It is a touching story of one of the most famous families in the world written by a man who interacted with the main characters from the time he was born. The story initially focuses on his father, Fred Trump, Jr., the one time golden boy of the family who was supposed to fulfill the destiny of leading his family forward. Instead his life ended in tragedy while his younger brother reached the heights of power.

Fred the third weaves a tale as American as they come in describing the first Trump who came to the United States from Germany hoping to make his fortune in the wild west after avoiding his military duty in his home country. Instead of finding gold on the ground the first Fred Trump whom the author calls Fred Zero created wealth with hospitality and services that sometimes included looking the other way as gentlemen and women got together in his rooms for something other than conversation. 

After earning enough to start a family the first Trump brought back a wife from Germany and eventually settled in New York City where his Son Fred Trump, Sr. was born. There Fred Sr. met the love of his life. a pretty immigrant from Ireland who had grown up in dire circumstances and travelled to America in the hopes of a new and better beginning. She was a delightful girl and she and Fred Sr. quickly fell in love, married and started a family that would result in five beautiful children with Fred Jr. as the most likely to run and eventually inherit his father’s real estate business which had grown into a source of wealth for the family. 

Fred Jr. was a charismatic and likable fellow but it soon enough became apparent that he cared little for the business of creating and selling real estate. He loved to fish and fly planes and be with his many friends. He dreamed of becoming an airline pilot and along the way he met a lovely stewardess and fell in love. To his dismay the family disapproved of all of his lifestyle decisions. They let it be known that his middle class wife was beneath him and that his dream of being a pilot would only make him a taxi driver in the sky. Nonetheless, Fred Jr. married the woman that he loved and attempted to launch the career that he thought would make him happy. 

Fred Jr. buckled under the pressure and ridicule of the family and began to drink heavily. Just as he was about to earn his wings as a TWA pilot he reported to duty in a drunken state and immediately lost his job. From there he seemed to devolve into an off again on again state of sorrow peppered with lots of drinking. He had two children, Fred the third and Mary. According to his son he was a good father when the demons were not haunting him. He eventually agreed to work in the family business in spite of his feelings that the work was not enjoyable in any way. 

Fred Jr. tried and tried to do well but he and his father seemed to always be at odds. He found solace in alcohol again and again eventually driving away his wife who had once loved him deeply. He was a tortured man who ended up living in his parents’ attic where he became more and more ill. He died when he was just past forty years old leaving his son, Fred the third, to grieve for the father that he had always loved. 

Fred the third graduated from college, found a job of his own in real estate, married and began his own family. He clung to his grandparents and aunts and uncles because he saw them as his lifeline after his father had died. He enjoyed Sunday dinners with them and sharing milkshakes with his grandmother. He played golf with his uncles and believed that he was as loved as any member of the family. 

Fred the third and his wife a had two very healthy children, a daughter and a son. Then his wife became pregnant with a third baby. Before the boy was born Fred Sr, the grandfather, died. The family asked Fred the third to deliver the eulogy at the funeral. He poured his heart into crafting the words that he hoped would describe his love for his grandfather and for the rest of the family. He was so sincere in capturing the essence of Fred Sr. that there was not a dry eye in the church after he spoke. 

Shortly thereafter Fred the third’s second son was born. At first he appeared to be a big healthy child but soon enough signs of terrible problems began. The boy, William, would have severe neurological problems that caused seizures and developmental disorders. They would continue for all of his life, requiring home healthcare, treatments, medications and too many visits to the hospital to count. 

What Fred the third did not know when he spoke at his grandfather’s funderal was that his aunts and uncles under the influence of his Uncle Donald had conspired to have their father change his will. It had always been written that when Fred Sr. died his wife would receive one half of his wealth and the remaining would be divided evenly between his five children. In the event that one of his children had died, the share would go to his grandchildren from that branch of the family tree. 

Donald was dealing with massive debts from his failed businesses and his recent divorce from his first wife, Ivana. He was concerned about where he was going to find the money to protect his holdings. His first attempt was to add a codicil to his father’s will that would have made it impossible for anyone to take his share to pay his debts. Unfortunately for him Fred Sr. would not sign. The next move was to convince first his siblings and then his father that giving a one fifth share to Fred the third and his sister Mary would be a disaster because their mother would no doubt take charge of the funds and use them for her personal welfare. The others agreed and then with pressure Fred Sr who was in the early stages of dementia also agreed. Fred Jr’s share of the will was taken away from his children in one fell swoop. 

The story continues through the death of Fred the thirds grandmother and his uncle’s rise to the highest office in the land. Fred the third loved his family and worked hard to regain their graces. It was more important to him to have them in his life than to let bad feelings fester over money. His focus was on family and most especially his disabled son. The final break for him came when his Uncle Donald told him that he should just let his son die and then move to Florida. In that moment Fred the third realized the depth of depravity that had festered in the Trump clan. For the first time he felt compelled to tell his side of the story. 

It is a good read. I cried many times when turning the pages. I wish Fred Trump III and his family all the best. I think that he is a kind man who lost his father all too soon and struggled to stay close to the family that meant so much to him. It is a shame that they did not seem to have the same kind of love and compassion for him. It is a saga of how the members of his family became the kind of people who had no compunction in cheating and ignoring two innocent young people who needed their love and support but instead were coldly ignored.