Mary Trump, an estranged niece of President Donald Trump, said in a blog post on Thursday that “the one thing” her uncle has always feared is to “be seen as a loser.”
Why It Matters
Mary Trump is a vocal critic of her uncle. In 2020, she published Too Much and Never Enough, a tell-all book about the Trump family. In it, she said the president is “utterly incapable of leading this country and it’s dangerous to allow him to do so.”
After its release, Donald Trump called the book “disgraceful.” He told former Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace that Mary “was not exactly a family favorite,” adding, “We didn’t have a lot of respect or like for her.”
What To Know
Mary Trump opened her Substack, The Good in Us, by writing, “The one thing Donald has always feared most is to be seen as a loser and the humiliation that comes with that.”
She argued that “Given the perfect storm of his incompetence, increasing decline across several categories (the psychological, the cognitive, and the physical); and the sense that he is losing control—over himself and the narrative—and the desperation that goes along with that, it was perhaps inevitable that humiliation has come to stalk him at every turn.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly denied any claims of decline, whether it be cognitive or medical.
During a Thursday appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump was photographed with a new bruise on his hand. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to the photos in a statement to Newsweek, writing, “At the Board of Peace event today in Davos, President Trump hit his hand on the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise.”
Trump, 79, became the oldest person to take office as president in January 2024. Some questions have emerged about his advancing age, and there have been instances of Trump being seen with bruising in recent months. Trump, however, has maintained that he is in perfect health.
Mary Trump continued her post, writing that while “it feels like a bit of cosmic poetic justice. Unfortunately for the rest of us, his humiliation is ours.”
She went on, “Donald may be the one threatening and insulting our closest allies; he may be the one giving the orders, but it is, rightly, America that the rest of the world condemns.”
She pointed to his Wednesday speech in Davos, describing it as an example of “the degree to which he is psychologically, emotionally, and cognitively unfit to lead.”
She concluded her post by calling out his supporters, writing, “The silence of Donald’s enablers is tantamount to complicity.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung has been dismissive of her critiques of the president, previously telling Newsweek, “Mary Trump is a stone-old [sic] loser who doesn’t have a clue about anything.”
Some Democrats have raised concerns about Trump’s mental fitness, pushing to invoke the 25th Amendment over his rhetoric relating to Greenland.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social: “The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH’ and that I ‘ACED’ (Meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take. P.S., I strongly believe that anyone running for President, or Vice President, should be mandatorily forced to take a strong, meaningful, and proven Cognitive Examination. Our great Country cannot be run by “STUPID” or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE! President DJT.”
Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Arizonan Democrat, said on X: “The president of the United States is extremely mentally ill and it’s putting all of our lives at risk. The 25th Amendment exists for a reason—we need to invoke it immediately.”
Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, said last week: “If he [Trump] went through with the threats, I think it would be the end of his presidency. And he needs to know: The off-ramp is realizing Republicans aren’t going to tolerate this and he’s going to have to back off. He hates being told no, but in this case, I think Republicans need to be firm.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a December 2025 X post: “President Trump has ensured the American people can live in a nation that is ‘loyal to its citizens, faithful to its workers, confident to its identity, certain to its destiny, and the envy of the entire globe.’ Because of his leadership, we are strong again.”
Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a California Democrat, said in a January 19 X post: “Donald Trump is unfit to lead and clearly out of control. Invoke the 25th Amendment.”
What Happens Next
Mary Trump is likely to remain a vocal critic of the president, who continues to face questions about the economy and his foreign policy, particularly Greenland and Venezuela, as Congress prepares for the 2026 midterms.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
Read the full article here
