Donald Trump’s Nephew, Whose Son Has ‘Severe’ Disabilities, Asks ‘Where Has This Country Gone?’ After Uncle Uses the R-Word

Donald Trump’s nephew, Fred Trump III, is firing back at his uncle for using “hurtful” language in a recent social media post.

In a late-night Truth Social diatribe on Thursday, Nov. 27, Donald sarcastically criticized “citizens” and “patriots” who he claims have been “just plain STUPID” when it comes to immigration.

He took specific aim at the Somali community in Minnesota and the state’s governor, former Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, in his Thanksgiving night post.

“The seriously retarded Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both,” the president wrote.

Days later, he doubled down on the comment while speaking to reporters on Air Force One. When one journalist pointed out that “many Americans do find [‘retarded’ to be] an offensive word,” Donald, 79, nodded. 

“Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with him, absolutely, sure,” he responded. “I think there’s something wrong with him.” 

On Sunday, Nov. 20, Fred wrote on X, “As the parent of a young adult with severe disabilities, the use of the ‘R’ word is never acceptable and is very hurtful. Where has this country gone that we even have to discuss this?”

Fred’s 26-year-old son, William, was born with a KCNQ2 mutation, “a genetic misfire that the doctors called a potassium channel deletion.” He is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair.

Fred, 63, who is the son of Donald’s late older brother, Fred Trump Jr., released a memoir last year in which he accused his uncle of using racist language — including use of the n-word — in conversation with family members, and also telling Fred that his disabled son would be better off dead.

In the book, All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way, Fred detailed a May 2020 meeting with his uncle, who was then in his first term as president of the United States. What he thought would be “a quick handshake hello” evolved into “a 45-minute discussion in the Oval Office” with disability advocates and the then-Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar.

“I thought [Donald] had been touched by what the doctor and advocates in the meeting had just shared about their journey with their patients and their own family members. But I was wrong,” Fred wrote.

He alleged that his uncle told him, “Those people… The shape they’re in, all the expenses, maybe those kinds of people should just die.”

In another anecdote, Fred recounted visiting his uncle at Briarcliff Manor, home of the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester, N.Y., later that year. He brought up his son’s medical fund — to which Donald had contributed in the past — telling the president that they “may need some help” financially.

According to Fred, Donald brushed him off again, saying, “I don’t know. He doesn’t recognize you. Maybe you should just let him die and move down to Florida.”

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At the time of the book’s release, Donald’s spokesperson Steven Cheung called the allegations false, claiming without evidence that all such reports have been “debunked.”

“This is completely fabricated and total fake news of the highest order,” Cheung said in a statement to PEOPLE. “It is appalling a lie so blatantly disgusting can be printed in media. Anyone who knows President Trump knows he would never use such language, and false stories like this have been thoroughly debunked.”