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Who is William Trump? Ex-President Donald's disparaging remarks against his nephew Fred's ‘wheel-bound’ son revealed

William Trump, the son of Fred Trump III, was born in 1999 with severe seizures and a rare genetic disorder causing intellectual and developmental difficulties

Updated on: Sep 7, 2024, 17:34:57 IST
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Fred Trump, the nephew of former President Donald Trump, recalled a conversation he claims to have had with his uncle following his plea for financial assistance to cover his son's high medical expenses.

Fred Trump (right) accused Donald Trump of making disparaging remarks about people with disabilities like his son, William. (Courtesy of Gallery Books)
Fred Trump (right) accused Donald Trump of making disparaging remarks about people with disabilities like his son, William. (Courtesy of Gallery Books)

In addition to offering fresh insights into the Trump family, Fred Trump III's new memoir, All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way, advocates for people with developmental impairments. Notably, William, the son of Fred, suffers from a rare genetic condition that results in significant intellectual and developmental difficulties.

Fred alleges Trump advised him to give up on William

He claims that at one point, Trump instructed him to give up on William, stressing that “he doesn’t recognize you. Let him die, and move down to Florida.” Following an Oval Office meeting on allocating additional funding for those with disabilities, according to Fred, Trump remarked, “Those people, the costs. They should just die.”

Ahead of the November elections, Fred called on the next US President to assist Americans with disabilities. Blasting Trump, he said, “How could one human being say that about any other human being, least of all your grandnephew?”

Stressing that he believes in the positions expressed by the Harris campaign, he remarked, “I have yet to hear anything regarding disability actions … and I will put their feet to the fire on this.”

Fred Trump III is the son of Trump's elder brother, Fred Trump Jr, who passed away in 1981.

William was born in 1999 with severe seizures and a rare genetic disease causing intellectual and developmental difficulties. He is currently residing in a group home.

Trump came under fire during his presidential campaign in 2015 for poking fun at reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has a congenital disease that limits his range of motion in his joints.

Also Read: Donald Trump's ‘pungent body odour’ is ‘something to behold’, Republican claims

All you need to know about William Trump's condition

When Amy Good of Democracy Now! asked Fred about his 25-year-old son's life, he said, “He is the most courageous and inspirational person I have ever met.”

He mentioned that he and his wife were able to find out about their son's genetic abnormality, known as KCNQ2, around 15 years after his birth.

“William is wheelchair-bound. He needs assistance with everything he does, like millions of people in this country,” Fred mentioned.

He further informed that William is “doing fine medically”, but added that “he's on very intense seizure medications still to this day.”

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More