Despite plenty of legal shenanigans it is unlikely the book will be held back
Donald Trump and his family have tried to silence many people over the course of his presidency. From reporters, to writers, to scientists, and more, the presidential family has a knack for blocking out information that is daunting, unflattering, or threatening to their national image. Most recently, however, the extended First Family carried this censorship into the family itself, trying to stifle the publication of Mary L. Trump‘s new tell-all book about the POTUS’s lineage.
Mary Trump is President Trump‘s niece, the daughter of his late brother Fred Trump Jr, who died of alcoholism in 1981. She holds an M.A. in English from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Adelphi University. Other than a Twitter account where she will occasionally criticize her uncle or express support for groups such as Black Lives Matter or the LGBTQ+ community, her politics have not been overly exposed. The last time she spoke publicly on political matters was 20 years ago, when she shamed her family to the New York Daily News. Unlike many members of the Trump family, though, Mary has largely kept herself out of the spotlight until now.
And that although also bound by the agreement the President “has spoken out about our family and the will dispute on numerous occasions”— implying that this would have voided the agreement in any case.
Could this be the bombshell that fatally taints POTUS’ already suspect reputation?
Her new book is titled “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” and it offers an inside perspective on the Trump family, intensely revealing the familial structures that gave rise to the nation’s current controversial leader.
Published by Simon & Schuster, Mary’s book is rumored to include never-before-exposed information about the Trumps, much of which is bound to be shocking, raw, and scathing. Perhaps this is why the rest of the Trump family tried to bar it from publication in court.
The president’s brother and Mary’s first uncle, Robert Trump led the brigade in trying to halt “Too Much and Never Enough” from hitting book stores, citing a Non-Disclosure Agreement from Fred Trump Sr’s estate that prohibits descendants from exposing family secrets. Robert brought this evidence to the Queen’s Surrogate’s Court in New York, but Judge Peter J. Kelly tossed the case, calling the claims “fatally defective.”
For starters, Robert Trump’s allegations were based off of Fred Trump Sr’s probate, which was resolved in 2001 and is therefore irrelevant today. Because the case has nothing to do with wills and assets after all, Judge Kelly deemed it beyond the Surrogate Court’s jurisdiction, and suggested that Robert take it to the New York Supreme Court, which handles civil and criminal matters.
Recently in response to the legal challenges mounted by her Uncle Donald and his brother Robert Trump in the various court proceedings, Mary said she was telling her “life story”— which she deems outside and restrictions set forth in the non-disclosure agreement and that here personal story includes, incidentally “the conduct and character of my uncle, the sitting President of the United States.”
“None of the parties to the Settlement Agreement, including my uncles Donald Trump and Robert Trump, or my aunt Maryanne Trump, has ever sought my permission to speak publicly about our family or their personal relationships with me, my brother Fred, or among each other”
Mary L. Trump
Another book is out there for a peek into inner sanctum scuzz
Even then, however, the Trump family would likely be ineffective in blocking Mary’s book. With the Fred Trump estate already wrapped up, she has every right to publish a book about her own family. Such is her first amendment right— it is hard to argue against the first amendment in a court of law, no matter what kind of elite lawyers the Trump family has on its side.
During the rising election season, the Trumps have been extra vigilant about protecting the President’s reputation on the printed page. Earlier this summer, the publication of former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton‘s “The Room Where It Happened” was quite embarrassing for the commander in chief, as it heavily criticized his political actions and exposed his incompetence from the inside. Despite inconsistent reviews as a text, Bolton’s book garnered lots of attention and effectively stained the President’s image.
Bolton was simply served as the 27th United States National Security Advisor in the Trump administration from 2018 to 2019, so we can only imagine the kind of dirt Mary has on the man. Her book is scheduled for a July 28th release.