In 2020, VICE News obtained exclusive recordings of Maryanne Trump Barry, the late sister of former President Donald Trump, revealing her harsh criticisms of him. In the recordings, Maryanne condemned Trump's behaviour and Twitter usage, stating, “He has no principles. None. None. His goddamn tweets and lying [...] it’s the phoniness & this cruelty. Donald Trump is cruel.” She urged him to delete his Twitter account, expressing frustration over his controversial tweets and perceived dishonesty.
Maryanne’s criticisms, recorded between 2018 and 2019, were released by her niece, Mary Trump, following the publication of Mary Trump’s book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man. In these tapes, Maryanne also criticised Trump's lack of preparation and frequent changes in stories, saying, “You can’t trust him. His goddamned tweet and the lying, oh my God...The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy shit.”
Maryanne Trump Barry has died.
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) November 13, 2023
She famously told her niece Mary Trump, that her younger brother had someone take his SATs for him, and she also said this:
“It's the phoniness of it all. It's the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel.” pic.twitter.com/P1Jp2Pt3dm
Maryanne also expressed hope for the end of Trump’s presidency, believing it would alleviate the difficulties his administration had caused the family. She remarked on his behaviour at a September 11th memorial, arguing that he lacked an understanding of dignity. Additionally, Mary Trump endorsed her aunt’s suggestions, suggesting that removing Trump from Twitter could benefit the future of the planet.
"It's extraordinarily easy to manipulate [President Trump] with a few choice words and in the process get him to do what you want him to do without his actually even knowing it," says the President's niece, Mary Trump. https://t.co/vXqzBtvLXy pic.twitter.com/BfcCB9EUir
— CNN (@CNN) August 29, 2020
Despite these criticisms, Donald Trump paid tribute to Maryanne after her death, describing her as a “truly beautiful woman” and a “tremendous student, intellect, and judge.” Trump acknowledged that her life had been complicated by his presidential run, but expressed pride in her achievements.
“Who knows you best in most cases other than your family? …This is damning. But the question is, can he overshadow what Maryanne Trump Barry is saying and the book that Mary Trump has written?” --@AprilDRyan pic.twitter.com/F0u28IUgZ2
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) August 23, 2020
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