At the height of the coronavirus pandemic in May of 2020, failed former president Donald Trump suggested to his nephew that any person with a disability who caught the disease “should just die” to save on medical expenses.
Fred Trump III, the brother of psychologist and author Mary Trump and the eldest son of Fred Trump Jr., has written a book, All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way, in which he reveals his uncle’s shocking comments.
According to excerpts from the book published by The Independent, the remarks from the disgraced ex-president came shortly after a meeting on the pandemic.
“Following the meeting, Fred III said he was ushered back into the Oval Office with his uncle and [Human Services Secretary Alex] Azar at the then-president’s request. His uncle greeted him: ‘Hey, pal — how’s everything going?'”
After Fred III replied that things were “good” and thanked his uncle for agreeing to meet with him, his uncle began discussing the meeting he had just left.
“Those people … The shape they’re in, all the expenses, maybe those kinds of people should just die,” Donald told his nephew.
Fred III said when that happened, “he truly did not know what to say,” especially since his son William, was diagnosed at birth with a rare seizure disorder that has caused major cognitive and physical damage.
As cruel as Trump’s comments to his nephew were, it wasn’t the first time the convicted felon had insulted those with disabilities.
In 2016, Trump publicly mocked reporter Serge Kovaleski, who suffers from arthrogryposis.