From: officialflagrant
During an interview on the Flagrant podcast, Donald Trump discussed his relationship with his five children, his parenting philosophy, and their roles in his life and career [02:06:00]. He expressed pride in their success and adjustment, noting that they “appear to like” him, which is not always the case for children of wealthy parents [01:38:00].
Parenting Philosophy
Trump attributes his children’s success and well-adjusted nature to a consistent rule he enforced: “No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes” [02:22:00]. He emphasized this rule frequently when they were with him or leaving a room [02:16:00].
Donald Trump Jr.
Trump characterized his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., as “a little wild” and “tough” [02:28:00]. An anecdote was shared about Don Jr. inviting 200 people to Trump Tower for a July 4th party when his father was out of town, despite only asking for five friends [02:49:00]. Trump unexpectedly showed up, yelled at everyone to “get the hell out,” and Don Jr. reportedly cleaned for 36 hours afterwards [03:08:00]. Trump confirmed the event, stating, “you can never forget” [03:28:00].
Don Jr. is described as a good student who attended the Wharton School of Finance [03:42:00]. Trump stated that Don Jr. entered politics not by choice, but because he “sort of automatically” dragged the family in [03:49:00]. He noted that Don Jr. endured significant scrutiny during the “Russia, Russia, Russia” investigations, appearing before grand juries and Congress [03:59:00]. Trump called these investigations a “total hoax” by figures like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton, and believes the experience “made him tougher” [04:10:00].
Ivanka Trump
Trump praised Ivanka, stating she “did a great job” and “didn’t want anything” for herself [04:44:00]. Her primary goal was to help people get jobs, and he claimed she helped hire “like 10 million people” by visiting companies like Walmart and Exxon [05:02:00]. Despite the potential for a “glamorous” role, such as Ambassador to the UN (which Trump had considered for her), Ivanka preferred her work in job creation [04:47:00].
Instilling Ambition
The podcast hosts asked Trump how he instilled ambition in his children, especially given that many wealthy children can become “lazy” or turn to drugs [05:23:00]. Trump contrasted his approach with other wealthy fathers who are competitive with their sons or would be unhappy if their children surpassed them [05:35:00]. He stated that his own father was “so proud” and wanted him to be more successful [05:59:00].
He noted that in sports, it’s rare for sons to “supersede the father in terms of success,” using golf and baseball as examples [06:32:00]. The hosts observed that Trump’s entire answer to the question about his parenting was focused on how great his children are, rather than taking credit himself [07:07:00].
Barron Trump
Barron Trump was briefly mentioned by the hosts, noting he is 18, handsome, tall, rich, and “unleashed in New York City” [06:49:00]. This was brought up in the context of a question about Roe v. Wade [06:56:00].