Whether it be in real estate, reality TV, or politics, Donald Trump aims at inspiring US voters as a true American entrepreneurial personality who embodies the 'American Dream' like no other. However, a look at his family history shows that the roots of his success were laid by his parents. His father Fred in particular plays an integral role here, as he set the Republican presidential candidate's path in life, so to speak.
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The patriarch: Frederick Christ Trump Sr.
Frederick Christ 'Fred' Trump Sr, the father of the former president and founder of the Trump dynasty, is a 'true' American according to his birth certificate. He was born in the United States in 1905 in the Bronx borough of New York. The fact is, however, that he is the child of German immigrants. His father Friedrich was drawn to the USA in 1885 duringthe legendary Klondike gold rush - when he was only 16 years old.
And the clever young German, who came from a poor Palatinate wine-growing family, quickly made a fortune in his new home. In 1902, he married his former neighbour’s daughter Elisabeth Christ. Because she initially suffered from homesickness in New York, he returned to his native Kallstadt in 1904, but only to immigrate to the USA for good in 1905.
The Bavarian state government had rejected Friedrich's application for re-naturalization. Less than four months later, Fred, Donald Trump's father, was born in New York.
Trump's father was on his way to becoming a millionaire
When his father died in 1918, Fred inherited a fortune of around $30,000. His mother, who continued the real estate business, had him graduate from high school. In 1925, the construction company Elizabeth Trump & Son was founded and became the basis for Donald Trump's father's success. After a brief slump during the Great Depression, things took off for the real estate entrepreneur, who then specialized in the construction of garages. A clever move at a time when auto mobilization was on the rise!
In 1936, Fred Trump married Mary Anne MacLeod, a young Scotswoman and fisherman's daughter, who had previously worked as a housemaid for the Trumps. In 1946, the couple's son Donald was born, the fourth of five children.
He was deemed a highly problematic person
After the war, Fred Trump expanded his business on a grand scale, focusing on the construction of affordable housing in Brooklyn and Queens, New York. His commitment was so successful that he built more than 27,000 apartments during his career and amassed a fortune of around $300 million by the time of his death in 1999. He left behind an impressive legacy - but also a personality described by his granddaughter Mary L. Trump in her book Too Much and Never Enough as a 'high-functioning sociopath'.
Mary Trump talks about her grandfather's cold and unyielding nature and his influence on the family. However, Donald and his younger brother Robert, who worked closely with their father, dispute this account and paint a different picture.
The matriarch: Mary Anne MacLeod Trump
In contrast to Fred, who built up a large fortune through his business activities, his wife Mary devoted herself to raising their children and social engagement. She was known for her traditional lifestyle, but brought an international perspective and cultural background to the family that shaped her children and grandchildren.
Mary Trump was particularly involved in charitable organizations for adults with disabilities and supported people with cerebral palsy. Donald Trump, who followed in his father's footsteps and made millions as a real estate mogul and with his television stations, later described his mother as a loving and supportive person who always had an eye on life outside the United States.
Donald Trump and his German roots
Donald Trump himself has often spoken about his father's influence on his career. He said:
If I ever wanted to be more than just Fred Trump's son, I ultimately had to achieve my own successes.
This drive shaped Donald Trump's character and his life choices, but his mother Mary also played an important role and taught him values such as charity and family cohesion.
Interestingly, Donald Trump denied his German roots for a long time. In fact, he even made several false statements about the origin of his ancestors. In his autobiography published at the end of the 1980s, for example, he stated that his father came from Karlstad in Sweden - a statement that his father had actually made himself during the Second World War. However, he later boasted about his German ancestry. He even claimed to have been grand marshal at the German-American Steuben Parade in 1999.
One thing is certain: Fred Trump did not pass down his native language to his children.
The legacy of Donald Trump's parents
Fred and Mary Trump left behind not only financial wealth, but also a profound influence on the family culture. The Trump siblings took different paths: Donald's sister Maryanne was a federal judge, his brother Robert worked closely with him in the Trump Group, while his other brother, Fred Jr. died tragically young.
With their lives and their decisions, Fred and Mary Trump not only shaped their children, but also American society - and thus formed a family that is in the public eye and has repeatedly been at the center of political and social debates in the USA in recent decades. All the more so in light of the renewed presidential candidacy of former president and multimillionaire Donald Trump.
Who will carry on Donald Trump's legacy?
With regard to the continuation of the Trump company, Donald Trump Jr. in particular has positioned himself as the likely successor to his father. Donald Trump's eldest son followed in his father's footsteps after college and joined the Trump Organization as Executive Vice President in 2001. He has been a key executive there ever since and took over the management of the company together with his brother Eric during his father's presidency.
Even though there has been repeated speculation about a possible political future for Donald Trump Jr., he has so far concentrated on running the family business. With sister Ivanka, who is increasingly withdrawing from the business and Trump's political campaign, and Eric, who is also involved in the company but is not in the limelight as much as his brother, Donald Jr. is considered the most likely successor to Donald Trump.
Not just in the event that he has to run the real estate empire again if his father is re-elected.
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag DE.
Read more:
Donald Trump’s nephew Fred III to release tell-all memoir about Trump family months before elections
Donald Trump’s family’s unspoken rule revealed by a former Mar-a-Lago staff member
Sources used:
People: Donald Trump's Family Tree: All About His Parents, Siblings, Wives and Children
CNN: Donald Trump's immigrant wives
