Rachel Johnson 7pm - 10pm
Donald Trump's estranged nephew claims president-elect said he should 'let his disabled son die'
8 November 2024, 18:24
Watch Again: Tom Swarbrick is joined by Fred Trump III | 08/11/24
Donald Trump's estranged nephew has claimed that the president-elect told him he should let his disabled son die.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Fred Trump III told LBC's Tom Swarbrick that his uncle "doesn't want to be around people he deems lesser than him".
Fred Trump, who voted for Kamala Harris, said that the row over his son William took place around 15 years ago after the financial crisis.
He said that caring for William, who was then aged ten, had become difficult and so he went to his uncle for help.
He told Tom that Donald Trump said: "Your son doesn't recognise you, let him die and move down to Florida [where the president-elect lives.]"
Read more: Iranian assassination attempt against Donald Trump thwarted by FBI
"Donald never met William. Never asked to meet William. He just said that, which is pretty horrible." He first made this claim in a book he released this year.
Fred Trump added that in 2020, when his uncle was towards the end of his first term, he went to the White House as part of his advocacy work for disabled people.
"Donald said the costs of funding these people, this large group of disabled in America, they should just die," he said.
"He doesn't want to be around disabled people. He doesn't want to be around people who are injured, much like military veterans or those who have died," he added.
"He didn't like being around my father, his older brother, who suffered from severe alcoholism. To Donald, my father was an embarrassment, even though my father was supposed to be touted as the golden child of the family.
"Donald just doesn't like to be around people that he deems lesser than him."
Fred Trump also claims that he heard his uncle say the n-word.
Donald Trump's campaign denies the allegations.
Fred Trump said that he and his uncle had two things in common - a love of golf and a relentless attitude.
And he said that he hoped that his uncle would work to improve the lot of disabled people in America in his second term in the White House, despite their personal estrangement.
Mr Trump was targeted by several assassination attempts during the run-up to his recent election victory. On Friday the US Justice Department said it was bringing charges against three people who allegedly plotted an Iranian assassination attempt against him in September.
Asked if he wished ill on his uncle, said "absolutely not", despite their differences.
He said he hopes the president-elect can "tone it down" in his second term.
"The great American experiment - we'll see if it can stand the test of the next four years."
Fred Trump III is the author of All In The Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way.