Don Trump Jr. ‘never wanted this, can’t wait for these four years to be over’

trump people

I was going to lump everything together, but this People Magazine story is worth discussing in a stand-alone post. People Mag’s cover story this week is about The Terrible Trumps, the Bitchy Biglys, America’s dumbass first family. People Mag has been throwing shade – if not outright insulting the Trumps – for months now, but this does feel like a turning point. People Mag, America’s go-to celebrity-news outlet, is treating the Trumps like a true-crime story. Which is how they should be treated, quite honestly. You can read the full piece here – the cover story is mostly about how Don Trump Jr. hates his life right now (poor baby) and he wishes his dad was out of office. Same.

On Don Jr.’s admission that he should have done things differently with the Russia meeting: “Those are not words normally heard from a Trump,” a source who knows the family well tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. Those who know and have studied Donald Trump Sr. and the grown children running his empire while he’s president—Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric—say the family is guided by their father’s creed of winning at all costs and never admitting mistakes.

What his father thinks of Don Jr.: Though the president publicly defended his eldest son, telling reporters 39-year-old Don Jr. is a “good boy” and insisting “nothing happened with the meeting,” sources say performance is what matters to the patriarch. “He doesn’t like failure and mistakes, and he doesn’t accept them,” says a source who has had business dealings with Trump. “You have to justify your existence to be in his realm.”

Don Jr. is just a humble guy: He “still relishes the quiet of his lifelong loves of hunting and fishing.” Most weekends, he escapes Trump Tower Manhattan to a rustic cabin upstate with his wife, Vanessa, and their five children. He’s a regular at the Riverside Café in Roscoe, New York, where the manager says Trump Jr. is “good people,” doesn’t seek attention, and “never has his hair slicked back like he does on TV.”

Eric & Don Jr. hate their lives: A friend of the Trump brothers tells PEOPLE they hate their role as First Sons: “Eric and Don, they never wanted this.” Adds a source in their circle: “Don can’t do any deals, because he’ll be overly scrutinized. He just goes to work every day and is miserable.”

What one Republican says about Don’s Russian meeting:
Richard Painter, the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, considers the actions “treason.” “It is betraying your own country in the hands of a foreign adversary,” Painter tells PEOPLE. He notes that under the Bush administration, Don Jr. would have been in custody and brought in for questioning. “I think there are grounds here on campaign finance violations alone that it is illegal,” he says.

Don Jr. is loyal to his dad: “The loyalty within this family is insane,” says a family friend especially close to Don Jr. and Eric. “They would never speak against their dad.” Adds the source in the brothers’ circle, “You can’t bite the hand that feeds you, but he [Don Jr.] can’t wait for these four years to be over.”

[From People]

This is truly the People Magazine treatment – casting Don Jr. as a victim of circumstance and stupidity, all while throwing around the word “treason.” The question is: does anyone actually feel sorry for Don Jr. or any of the Trumps? I’m really asking. I feel sorry for Barron and that’s about it. The rest of them need to be handcuffed and frog-marched off to federal prison.

Also: who will turn on the family first? Will Bigly sell out his own son and throw him under the bus? Or will Don Jr. sell out his father?

Photos courtesy of Getty, cover courtesy of People.

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178 Responses to “Don Trump Jr. ‘never wanted this, can’t wait for these four years to be over’”

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  1. Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

    Oh yes he wanted this, but without the “drama”.

    • Seraphina says:

      Absolutely correct. Had this all come without the microscope hellzzzz yeah they would want this. To be able to run amuck and do what they want. But as soon as it comes with scrutiny, they cry victim. And they should be under a bigger microscope in front of congress. I say unleash the media dogs and let them do their duty.

      • Betsy says:

        Yes! They thought no one would pay attention just because they have their dumb supporters anesthetized.

    • Megan says:

      Believe me, Don Jr, none of us can wait for these four years to be over.

      • Prairiegirl says:

        +73 million

      • Snappyfish says:

        4years? I always thought the penalty for treason was life.

        He should be prosecuted. If his guilt can’t be proven, he walks. He met with & plotted with a known adversary of the US & is only sorry he got caught.

      • Otaku Fairy says:

        This. Hopefully it doesn’t even last that long.

      • Holly hobby says:

        Exactly he’s sorry he got caught. He was tweeting and mocking Comey and anyone who dared criticize his family before this.

    • lucy2 says:

      Of course he did. He didn’t sound reluctant when saying “if it’s what you say, I love it” regarding the Russian info on Clinton. All of them love the idea of power, but none of them are capable of managing it.

      • Heather says:

        I hope they seize this family’s dirty funds. Pardon away, Donny two-scoops. Money laundering has civil penalties as well, including forfeiture.

    • SilverLIning says:

      “fight dirty and win”, that is absolutely this family’s MO. I thought People would feature trump housewives of Hell in tiresome fashion spreads, but they’ve stayed the course. Such a relief! I’m not sure we’ll get out the the POTEC (president of the electoral college) quagmire, but having hands to hold in the swirling mess means everything!!

  2. Torontoe says:

    If he “never wanted this” why would he try to facilitate Russian interference in favour of his dad. Oh right, to try (and fail) to look more important than his sister and brother in law.
    No, nobody feels sorry for him or any of the adult Trump children. I hope they all reap what that have sown legally speaking.

    • Clare says:

      If he never wanted it why would he court the spotlight, have a very active twitter account through which he makes aggressive political comments, have a secret service detail along for intl trips…the list goes on. yeah, these monsters want it ALL except the scrutiny.

      • bleu_moon says:

        Yeah, his Twitter feed pretty much debunks the “he never wanted this” line. He wanted this and all the power he could grasp, but with free rein to grift and no media or legal scrutiny.

      • Megan says:

        One of my tin foil hat theories is that they conspired with the Russians because they thought they would lose, but make a ton of contacts in the Russian government and finally be able to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. I think greed, not the desire to win, may have fueled their treason.

        Committing treason to gain power is despicable, but committing treason for a real estate deal goes to a new level of despicable.

      • Esmom says:

        Megan, that makes sense. Trump threw his hat in the ring and it didn’t take long for his candidacy to take a life of its own because of just so many factors. He was basically in the right place at the right time, unfortunately for us. And for him.

    • Esmom says:

      THIS. Exactly. I feel nothing but disgust for Junior and the rest of the family and also hope they reap what they’ve sown, too. Can’t happen soon enough.

      • still_sarah says:

        My only sympathy for Don Jr. (or Donnie as I like to call him) is that he is a man in his ’30’s who is still reduced by his dictator father to the state of a little boy saying “did I do good, Daddy, did I do good?”, desperate to “earn” his father’s love by bringing enough dead carcasses in front of him. That is pathetic.

        Interesting side point : with five children, the current wife, etc., the ONLY photo on the desk in the Oval Office is a picture of Trump’s late father. So who else is still seeking daddy’s approval?

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      @Torontoe: SPOT ON !

    • noway says:

      I don’t feel sorry for any of them, not even Barron or Tiffany, but those two youngest I don’t dislike. I mean honestly they have all the privilege, money and opportunities anyone could want. Still it is possible Don Jr. didn’t want it, but it was part of his family business if you are going with the crime family story. Part of the business is making Don Sr. a “WINNER” anyway possible. Unfortunately, for us Don Sr. decided he needed to be a “WINNER” at the Presidency. Still Don Jr. is an adult with a lot of resources, if it really bothered him suck it up and do your own thing, and stop being your Dad’s lackey.

      • Megan says:

        I lost all respect for Tiffany when she spoke at the RNC. As for Barron, Melania should do the right thing and send him to boarding school in Slovenia. Melania is a celebrity there so it is probably the only place on earth where he won’t be guilty by association.

    • Christin says:

      Life is about choices, and each adult child chose how close to align their lives with him. It seemed all smugness and opportunities galore, until now.

      They all saw dollar signs, and were blinded to what a spotlight would shine on their own shady actions (sweatshops, shady charities included).

    • Heather says:

      They should have all taken a lesson from the only Trump that’s worth a damn; Tiffany.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      “…never wanted this” does NOT comport with “…I love it.”

  3. lightpurple says:

    I’ve seen this guy’s Twitter feed. He is vicious, vindictive, and facts don’t matter to him. Ethics don’t matter and neither do laws like the EEOA provisions against sexual harassment in the workplace – he said do. He has basically demanded that Kathy Griffin be murdered. So, no, I have no sympathy for his plight. If he doesn’t want this life, turn down the Secret Service protection, get the hell off twitter, get a real job and go live a quiet life.

    • KJA says:

      Exactly. I believe this as much as I believed Princess Nagini’s claim that she ‘stays out of politics’. For someone who doesn’t want to be involved, he seems to have no problem going on tv, peddling his dad’s lies.

      Also, isn’t there another Trump? Unless I’ve missed it, she seems to be staying clear of the whole thing. Maybe Bellend over here should follow her example.

      • lightpurple says:

        Tiffany is on vacation in Europe with her boyfriend and getting papped on occasion, probably because she calls them but doesn’t get the coverage Princess Nagini does = Nagini lets certain paps know when she is going to leave her house each day with details of what she will be wearing. And daddy doesn’t really care about Tiffany.

      • noway says:

        Tiffany will be in DC soon. She is going to Georgetown Law, believe it or not. Who wants to bet we see very little pictures of her with her father? I do see Don, Jr. being a bit upset about this especially after this meeting revelation. This probably has put a damper on his beat the little guy down business style. Takes all the fun out of running a crappy business.

      • CynicalAnn says:

        @Noway-yes. And you know she picked Georgetown so she could get some attention from her father.

    • Bellagio DuPont says:

      I really, physically, can’t stand these people. (And I’m not even american!)

      The glee with which he accepted the invitation to receive damaging info on Clinton……what a nasty piece of work and a chip off the old block (of faeces).

      I hope he is deeply, deeply miserable and ends up in prison…… (wishful thinking never hurt anyone eh?)

    • swak says:

      LP, you’re very knowledgeable, can you give some insight on this: ” the grown children running his empire while he’s president—Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric—”. How is Ivanka still running his empire since she is a special counsel to Trump? Is it because she isn’t paid?

      • lightpurple says:

        The Trumps think they can skirt the nepotism laws by not paying Ivanka a salary for her “adviser” role but she is costing taxpayers buckets of money,. She has use of White House devices like phones and computers and she has a full staff and we’ve paid for her travel expenses to Europe twice now. The Ethics people don’t seem to agree with the Trumps on that one. She also is still running her own companies, which is a flagrant ethics violation. She is on a leave of absence but she is still running those companies.

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        @LP
        “The Ethics people don’t seem to agree with the Trumps on that one. She also is still running her own companies, which is a flagrant ethics violation. She is on a leave of absence but she is still running those companies.”

        So why is she still at the WH? Is there any legal way to withdraw that position? That’s so blatantly wrong !

      • noway says:

        The chief ethics person left early from his 5yr appointed position, because he didn’t agree with Trump or think he was going to be reappointed. Until the congress changes up a bit, I doubt there is
        legal course to take.

        http://billmoyers.com/story/the-head-of-the-government-ethics-office-just-quit/

    • Nicole says:

      Yea I don’t either. He’s an @$$ and he wasn’t sorry at all. I don’t feel sorry for this family that is currently robbing the american people daily.

    • B n A fn says:

      Lightpurple, 1,000 agree ^^^.

    • lucy2 says:

      Exactly – he’s played along, happily, and been a big contributor to all the hostility.
      He also got daddy’s praise for transparency about the meeting…except a lot more info and attendees have surfaced, and he was flat out lying when he said that was it. Family trait, I guess.
      If he really hates his life so much and wants to go live in the mountains…do it. He’s a 39 year old adult.
      As it stands now, he’s more likely to get to live in a cell upstate rather than a cabin!

  4. Diana says:

    Neither can the rest of the world…

  5. third ginger says:

    The Trumps obviously thought they would continue their family run shady enterprises in the White House. Now they are stunned to find out that some people actually care about how our country is run.

  6. Plibersek says:

    Any president who throws ordinary Americans under the bus to the line the pockets of their corporate cronies is guilty of treason in my book.

  7. Nancy says:

    Please love me daddy. It seems dad has bestowed his affection to one of his children only and the others are keenly aware of it.

    • anna says:

      ever since don jr. released the emails, i’ve been speculating that this is about petty sibling rivalry. yes, he incriminated himself but he is not part of the administration, unlike precious ivanka and jared kushner. he doesn’t have nearly as much to lose. is it possible he hates ivanka for being daddy’s favorite and therefore threw kushner under the bus? because jared and ivanka obviously go together and if jared’s gone, she’s gone.

      • lightpurple says:

        He released the emails because he had to do so. The NYT already had them and they were going to go public but gave him warning. We were going to see those emails no matter what. Our tax dollars were used to put the spin on it that he was being transparent – another ethics violation.

      • Mermaid says:

        @Anna
        I’ve been wondering also who flips first and I see speculation on Twitter that Jared might have already on his June FBI interview. I mean Jared and Junior are fathers to eight children between them. Is it worth more to them to go to prison and miss out on their childrens’ childhoods or stay loyal to Senior and go down with the ship? Every day this president unleashes some new horror on us. I’m hoping that President Obama was able to put up some kind of safeguards in place for us.

      • Lime says:

        “and therefore threw kushner under the bus?”

        No, they’re all blatant as hell because Daddy’s/45’s already told them in private he will pardon them. Not because he’s a good daddy and cares but because it’ll look bad for him to have family members in jail.

        He can pardon any federal crime, no matter how serious. And apparently the pres pardon power could be extended to himself!!! Only the voters can have any say about this (by voting him out next time – Congress and the judiciary can’t do a thing against this almighty executive power.

        Actually took me a day to take it in: the Human Middle Finger can excuse any of his sleazy family members as long as it falls under a fed law. Which all of it does as the circumstances suggest right now.

    • WingKingdom says:

      This is how I read it too. He’s desperate for his father’s approval and does these things- twitter, attack interviews- to get some kind of recognition and thanks. And he will never get either. So yeah, I actually feel a little sorry for him. He really should just cut ties and take his family to a cabin in Alaska and stop torturing America with his daddy issues.

      • Louisa says:

        Anytime you start to feel sorry for him again, picture him with knife in hand holding the elephant’s tail.

      • magnoliarose says:

        @ Louisa That is all I see when I look him and his pathetic brother.

    • Chrissy says:

      I’ve been saying this all along. Little Donnie feels like his daddy gives Ivanka and even Jared far more attention than they deserve and so he acts out. All his actions- the hateful twitter feed, the moronic lying with Hannity, the meeting with Russians. Everything is to get just an ounce of notice and praise from daddy. In reality though, we know that the Orange One probably ripped a strip off him and called him every name in the book when word of the meeting came out. So pathetic for a 38 year old . Be your own man a**hole, your 5 kids are watching. SMH

  8. AbbyRose says:

    Sorry, Don, Jr. and People Mag, I’m not buying this BS of “Eric and Don never wanted this.” They campaigned for their father and just like Precious Ivanka, they saw big dollar signs for their brand in the White House. None of the Trumps expected the presidency to spin out of their control like it has.

    • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

      Eric’s wife is already working for Drumpf’s re-election campaign accd to what I read in the media – quite recently, two-three weeks ago maybe. They wanted it and they still want it.

    • Holly hobby says:

      They all wanted it. There were rumors that jr. Wanted to run for office in NY. The other one’s wife is cut exactly from the same cloth. She was interviewed on tv and sounds like a younger KellyAnn Conjob. Only Jr.’s wife doesn’t comment.

  9. Stacy says:

    Trump can resign at any time. I am so sick the whining from these people. You don’t like it, LEAVE! Problem solved.

  10. TheOtherOne says:

    Jared turned first. He had to correct his SF86 forms and was called to meet with the FBI on 6/23. Jared is already squealing.

    • InVain says:

      He’s been squealing for a long time, that’s just his voice.

    • lucy2 says:

      LOL inVain.
      I’ve heard other people who had to fill out the SF86 forms say that if you make one ommission or lie, you’re out. Some guy was recently prosecuted and found guilty of just this thing (prosecuted by someone who is now working for Mueller, insert slow smile gif here).
      That he’s been allow to “revise” it, all while maintaining his security clearance, is insane. Though part of me wonders if it’s also a set up of some kind, and they’ll feed him false info to catch him passing it on to Russia.

      • Melly says:

        I come from a family of intelligence officers, here’s what I know: You don’t get to mess up on SF86 forms.
        Officials (like my parents) who fill out SF86 forms every few years make sure to include everything, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. For example, when we lived in China a person came to our door to give my father a gift, hoping that my father could help him get a visa to the US. My dad wasn’t home & I answered the door. I was 7 or 8 and I accepted the gift. My mom chased the person down to return the gift because it’s possibly illegal/definitely unethical to accept presents. Both my parents included the gift givers name on their SF86 forms the next time they submitted, even though my father never actually met the person and my mom had a 2 sentence convo with him.
        Kushner has a temporary security clearance. A temporary clearance allows him to see secret info but not top secret. If Kushner gets a security clearance, get ready for intelligence agents to lose what is left of their sh!t.

      • still_sarah says:

        @ Melly. Thanks for the insight. Very interesting and I’m very certain Kushner did not meet this standard.

      • Erica_V says:

        I would love it if every single person who was ever turned turn security clearance due to SF86 errors/omissions to rally. There have to be people who had similar experiences with different outcomes that have an issue with this.

  11. minx says:

    Ever since People tried to normalize the Duggars, I haven’t read it. This looks like typical People ass-kissing garbage, dictated directly from a Trump PR person.

    • Chetta B. says:

      I feel the same way. I haven’t bought it since they tried to normalize Tom Cruise, lol. The Duggar coverage turns my stomach too. He didn’t want it? Neither did we!

    • Lady D says:

      Ditto. When they spread Kelly Rutherford’s lies I was done with them.

    • Christin says:

      Done with them, too. Could be a PR ploy to help whatever is left of the family brand.

      Underlying message —- Feel sorry for the rich kids who had every opportunity to go in another career direction, but chose to stick with the jerk dad and his way of doing business.

  12. bonobochick says:

    Tiffany may be ok (aside from Barron) if only cause her father sees her as ‘that daughter who isn’t Ivanka’ and thus doesn’t seem to pay her much attention (if any).

    • RBC says:

      Tiffany is probably quietly writing a memoir about her life as a member of this family.
      “Black Sheep with Blond Highlights : My life as the forgotten daughter of Donald Trump “by Tiffany Trump”

    • Luca76 says:

      `Tiffany is also an a-hole…a story a friend heard from a driver(Lyft/or Uber) who took her around NYC and ended up bringing all her packages up to her building for her after she begged him even though it’s against policy. Guess how much she tipped??? Oh yeah she didn’t after I heard this I have come to think of her as also trash. End of story.

    • sunnydaze says:

      I *think* I remember reading somewhere that Tiffany is dating someone from a high-profile Democrat family that hates the Trumps. If so, I can see why she’s distanced herself. I can only imagine what dinner with the boyfriend’s family must be like…

      • Pumpkin (formally soup, pie) says:

        I read before the elections smth about her dating a guy from a prominent Democrat family. IMO she is keeping her exposure low while getting some perks. Still, I think her mother keeps her away from all this s**t. She must know all too well what he’s about and might be concerned with her own image. But who knows.

        Drumpf himself used to be a Democrat, isn’t that right?

      • Lightpurple says:

        Tiffany has not distanced herself. Daddy isn’t interested

      • lucy2 says:

        She’s probably dating him just to provoke a reaction from her father.

    • Louisa says:

      I don’t give Tiffany a pass. She was at every debate cheering him on and she spoke at the convention. She could have said no, but she didn’t. If daddy ever called and asked her to come and work at the WH I guarantee she would be there in a hot minute. The only reason we never see her is because her father has zero interest in having her around.

      • still_sarah says:

        In September (less than 2 months now), Tiffany will apparently be starting law school in Washington, DC.

        @ Louisa : I agree her father has zero interest in having her around. I believe she was Marla Maples’ anchor baby to trap Trump into a marriage he wasn’t keen on. I always wondered if Maples and Tiffany weren’t banished by Trump to the West Coast as part of the divorce settlement (here’s lots of money, now go to California and don’t come back). That way Trump didn’t have to deal with any reminders of his disastrous 2nd marriage. Just a theory.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Marla Maples didn’t get much money from him. He couldn’t stand her but felt compelled to marry her to save face. Imagine how he treated her? He humiliated her every chance he could. He gave her credit cards and then cancelled them without her knowledge so she would be embarrassed when she tried to use them. She had no money and was reduced to asking his staff for cab fare. He was so mean to her in front of his staff to the point she would be near tears. He blamed her for tarnishing his image and ruining his political plans.
        Tiffany is a reminder and is only useful for public displays.

    • PassTheCovfefe says:

      I would love to know what the non-disclosure agreement with Marla Maples entailed – she has been out of the limelight but good since the divorce. He must have paid her a pretty penny to get out and keep her cake-hole shut for all of these years. I’m SURE she has stories……

  13. RBC says:

    I would wager trump throwing his son under the bus to save his own skin. If that story of trump smacking Don jr for not a wearing jacket and tie when he came to see his son in college is true. Then I don’t think he would hesitate to throw Don jr to the wolves. 45 demands respect and does not like to be made a fool of.

  14. Red Snapper says:

    I feel sorry for Barron too. He’s just a little kid. And I think Tiffany dodged a bullet with her outsider status.

  15. Jenns says:

    Every bit of misery these freeloaders feels makes me happy.

  16. seesittellsit says:

    You and Melania both, pumpkin. But no fear, you may get your wish, and sooner than four years.

  17. Bellagio DuPont says:

    At the risk of sounding crazy, I have never wanted anyone to suffer as much as I want Trump Snr and this entitled maggot to suffer.

  18. Va Va Kaboom says:

    No sympathy at all. When you live by the creed of “winning at any cost”, you best be damn sure you really want the prize. It’s disgusting that the election was all just a game to them. No thought whatsoever to the fact this wasn’t a reality TV game show and the enormous impact they’d have on people’s lives. How you can enter a national election and treat it so nonchalantly I’ll never understand.

    • B n A fn says:

      I remember during the election campaign Jr saying “my father never lose”. 😐. Be careful what you wish for.

  19. GO says:

    I hope they all try and turn on each first and shit just keeps spilling.

  20. adastraperaspera says:

    First of all, Don Jr. is almost 40 years old, and according to most reports, like those from college mates, he has always behaved inappropriately and violently. He is now an adult and responsible for every thing he does.

    That said, as I’ve been thinking about the lives of the Trump children (and now grandchildren), I looked for some studies about children raised in mob/criminal enterprise families. It really seems like it should qualify as a form of child abuse. A news article from 2016 reported that some judges in Italy are now taking kids away from mob families in order to save them from that life. I also found a report on the psychological effects of being in a criminal family in one study from 1996:

    “Crime really does run in the family, according to the findings of a 35-year-long study. Researchers at Cambridge University’s Institute of Criminology found that if children had a convicted parent by the time they were 10 that was the “best predictor” of them becoming criminal and anti- social themselves… The research, published in the journal Legal and Criminal Psychology, concluded: “A convicted family member influenced a boy’s likelihood of delinquency independently of other important factors such as poor housing, overcrowding and low school attainment.”
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/children-follow-convicted-parents-into-crime-1321272.html

    • sunnydaze says:

      Yes, behaviors absolutely play out over generations. If we consider things like sexual abuse, it’s not hard to see many perpetrators were once victims. To the lesser extent, we can see behavior play out in other ways – those who grow up in poverty with a parent engaging in illegal/survivalist behaviors will often grow up to play out the same. Those with parents who suffer from substance use have a much higher rater of addiction themselves. Our parents are our first example of how the world works – not to say people don’t come out of it (they certainly do), but more often then not we are a product of our families and the sub-cultures we grow up in. Our parents and whatever culture we belong to that is most salient create norms, expectations, taboos, etc. They normalize desired behaviors and demonize non-desirable behaviors. Unfortunately, what I think we have with the trumps, is a person who raised his family in a culture of narcissism, cutthroat business dealings, and normalized the worst of Machiavellian theory. Kindness, empathy and understanding were demonized. We can all say at the end of the day “Well, Tiffany may have turned out ok, there’s no excuse for the others”, but that’s falling into the same trap as the mentality behind one person in a family of 6 living in poverty going to Harvard – if they can do it, everyone else can too. I think this is the crux of “trumpist” mentality. They look at the exceptions to prove the rule.

      I think it’s totally possible to loathe the trump children while also acknowledging there is likely a lot more at play here in terms of how they became this way – and learn from it. I just hope that when this family goes down it breaks the cycle for the grandchildren/Barron. Maybe, just maybe, public consequences will teach them about justice as they grow older. I knew a granddaughter of a very high profile mob boss who changed her name and shunned everything about that piece of her family to the point of becoming an incredibly successful attorney. Her parents would still excuse a lot of what he did, but the seed of doubt was planted and grew tenfold. So who knows, maybe a few of Don Jrs. kids will come out the other side…At least that’s what I tell myself to get through the days :/

      • Emma33 says:

        Great couple of comments here! I often think of the Trump family in terms of what it must be like to grow up with a narcissistic parent who is super wealthy and ‘successful’.

        I also think that it is a kind of child abuse to raise kids in this environment; their father was their protector and provider, and psychologically they had follow along with his disordered thinking in order to survive (as kids).

        However, as adults, they do have the mental capacity to ge themselves to a therapist and start to make different choices. It would mean walking away from all that money though, so it wouldn’t be easy!

        Tiffany and Barron are luckier, because it seems they have mothers who are able to see Trump for what he is and protect their children from him as much as possible.

        I have a parent with a personality disorder, so I know how deep this stuff goes. It is like they raise you with a world view that is bonkers, and then you have to spend the rest of your life dealing with the aftermath. It sucks.

  21. swak says:

    He’s like the kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar and still denies he is taking a cookie.

  22. Maria T. says:

    Did he and Ivanka get a 2-for-1 deal on oversized veneers?

    • Beth says:

      Their tiny rat mouths make the oversized veneers look tremendously jumbo

    • damejudi says:

      All I think when I see that header photo is dem teefs. Yikes!

    • JustBitchy says:

      They also all missed th gene to give them proper chins. Ivanka had an implant, but the rest have a cocave line from top of lip to where chin should be. The teeth amplify that.

  23. Franny says:

    When he’s sitting in a federal prison a few years from now, he’ll have a lot of time to think about things that his father never taught, such as accountability and consequences. The whole family is really good at blaming other people. This is also the guy who said that he doesn’t consider Democrats to be human. I’ll save my pity party for pretty much anyone else.

    • rigaou says:

      That is a comforting thought but unfortunately he will likely never see prison has his father has the authority to pardon his crimes. Frustrating all around.

  24. B n A fn says:

    They is a grown man. Don Jr is the same age as the president off France even though his father refers to him as his “boy” at first, if he don’t want the attention, he was not elected, stay out of it.

    The family want all the trappings that comes with the father being president, the SS details, the free flight on Air Force one, the extra money getting more business all over the world. This whole Presidential thing is the biggest scam in America history. Step sway Jr, you will not be missed.

    • Lightpurple says:

      By law, extended family members have to pay to fly on Air Force One. Trump is getting around it by calling Ivanka “staff” but the rest should still have to pay

  25. Honey says:

    Most of us didn’t want this. Leave. I’ll pack your bags for you, Don Jr

  26. kaye says:

    “never wanted this?”

    sure, jan.

  27. Sarah says:

    I finally agree with a Trump on something.

  28. grabbyhands says:

    Neither can the rest of the planet, jackass.

    Let’s just stop with the chest beating, okay? If you can’t handle people calling you out on your shiz, go back to being a “private ‘ citizen. No one will miss you. Not even your dad.

    Attempt to be grateful that you have more money and security than most people will ever see in their entire life.

  29. Eric says:

    Can’t wait til he says “he never wanted this” when he’s arraigned and spends time in general population.

  30. Neelyo says:

    You know who else didn’t want ‘this’? Michelle Obama. But you never heard her whining .

  31. Realitycheck says:

    America’s dumbass first family hahaha I laughed out loud literally!

  32. S says:

    I have sympathy for lots of political and Hollywood kids because, yeah, they never asked to be thrust in the limelight.

    Of course, Donald Trump Jr is NOT a child. He’s a 39-year-old grown-ass man whose only marketable “skill” has always been his last name. He’s appeared on daddy’s TV show and the only jobs he’s ever held have been given to him to by his father. So, yeah, my level of sympathy for his being thrust into the spotlight “against his will” (insert world’s biggest eye-roll here) is somewhere in the negative 10,000,000 range.

    Plus, he’s a slimy, sleezeball crook — like father, like son — and what he ACTUALLY doesn’t like is that his papa being (God help us) President, is just exposing all of that. Stealing from his charity, setting up shady meetings, etc.

    The wormy apple doesn’t fall far from the rotted tree.

    • still_sarah says:

      I hate to defend Donnie but on one specific point, I believe he did try to break away right after college when he went to Colorado and worked as a bartender or something for a year. Then he put on the business suit and came back to Daddy. And he’s been freeloading ever since.

      • Esmom says:

        I hadn’t heard about the Colorado thing. Still it seems like a pretty feeble attempt at breaking away. Sounds more like he wanted to try “slumming.”

      • S says:

        Umm, I don’t consider a couple months ski-bumming & catting around Aspen, while sorta working as a bartender, likely only when he felt like it, as trying to “break away.” Plus, if anyone thinks wherever hired him based on his bartending skills, rather than his familial connections in one of their most frequent vacation locales, I have a degree from Trump University to sell you.

        From a recent BBC story (all caps are mine): “He attended the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and later followed in his father’s footsteps at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
        But he briefly departed from the familial path to serve as a bartender in Aspen, Colorado, after he graduated from college in 2001. LATER THAT YEAR Mr Trump Jr went to work for the Trump Organization”

        So, umm, yeah, way to strike out Jr. … A few months on the mean streets of Aspen pouring shots for your fellow rich kids in between ski runs. It’s a real Horatio Alger story.

  33. Natalie S says:

    While I like that the Trumps peter-principled themselves, I hate that the rest of us have to be affected by it.

  34. Luca76 says:

    I tend to think they were all bred to be entitled jerks. None of them were smart, brave, or deep enough to escape this. Becoming a decent human would have entailed cutting off their dad basically at birth. As for Barron he seems to be getting raised the same way only difference is Dad is more distracted and a bit older so he might not have the energy to ruin him like he did the others.

  35. Louisa says:

    If he hasn’t already, he is going to start talking. The name of the 8th person in the Trump Tower meeting was only released yesterday but apparently Mueller already knew who it was and had contacted him over the weekend. Who told Mueller?
    Jr knows he’s in deep sh*t and my guess is he is going to try and make some kind of deal.

    • Lori says:

      I saw an interview with the 8th mans lawyer on youtube. When asked why they hadnt come forth earlier he said something like “some people knew”. I assume maybe that lawyer contacted Mueller to show his client was “transparent”? If not, jr knew all the names and that makes his lying to the media and the american public even more evident.

    • Lime says:

      “going to try and make some kind of deal. ”

      He won’t. His father can pardon him for absolutely any federal crime. No one who met with the Russians is going to jail, unless they invoke a state law to charge them.

  36. Christin says:

    When the 2020 campaigning started so quickly, it was just assumed that it was about adoration from hand-picked crowds. Now it’s reported that re-election campaign funds were used to pay attorney fees to Junior’s attorney last month.

    Wonder how those donors feel? As the saying goes — a fool and his money are soon parted.

  37. robyn says:

    Good riddance! Let’s hope it will be far less than four years before junior’s so-called president p*ssygrabber dad will be booted out of the White House for selling out America, its pride and democracy to Russia.

  38. Ruyana says:

    Junior was not elected and does not have to stick around. He can leave at any time.

  39. hmmm says:

    He never wanted to get caught.

  40. Green Is Good says:

    This is a bad joke. All of tRUMP’s kids and in-laws LOVE being part of the “First Family”, until the shady deals and treasonous acts come to light.

    • LittlestRoman says:

      It’s all fun and games until someone gets subpoenaed! Seriously though, I think they’re all accustomed to living life with no consequences. Now that they’re on the government payroll, people are watching and there are mechanisms to enforce accountability. Which, of course, is not nearly as fun as their previous situations.

  41. Harryg says:

    Well nobody is asking you to be involved! Go away already you massive turd.

  42. Rapunzel says:

    Junior’s trying to salvage his reputation.. It won’t work.
    When I hear he might go down, all I can say I “I’ll love it, especially later in the summer.”

  43. Lori says:

    The fact that he is (almost)capable or self criticism makes me almost think better of him. By a fraction. From zero.

  44. Moon says:

    He’s so laid back and low key, all Don Jr wants is to go hunt some lions and be left alone, okay? He never asked for any of this nepotism.

  45. nicole says:

    What is with the trump teeth, they are all too big for there mouths.

  46. AnotherDirtyMartini says:

    Oh please, People mag. Don’t try to make Don Jr. seem like a nice guy. He’s a dick.

  47. Radley says:

    My only grain of sympathy is that nobody deserves a father like Bigly Smalls. I believe he’s a sociopath and that’s more serious than just being an a-hole. So naturally, all his kids have been damaged due to his mental illness. It must be hurtful and exhausting.

    That said, 4/5 are adults and aren’t obligated to subject themselves to or cosign El Diablo Naranja’s f*ckery. Didn’t Reagan’s kids openly challenge his politics?

    My advice to the Trump kids is that they should have carved out separate lives for themselves away from dear old dad’s constant chaos. And they should have done that years ago. Now they’ve made certain choices which they may have to pay for. Don Jr. is in deep. Probably Ivanka too. Eric also. I think Tiffany and of course Barron may be the only ones who didn’t commit a crime in the name of dysfunctional family dynamics and money. Sad!

    • Dee Kay says:

      Upvote to “El Diablo Naranja”!!

      And yes, Ron Reagan Jr. openly went against his father’s politics, was/is a Democrat.

    • adastraperaspera says:

      And their mother Ivanna, who so desperately wanted Trump to run for president in the 80s, is undoubtedly a force who has kept them involved with the criminal enterprise their whole lives. She must know everything.

  48. greenmonster says:

    Never speaking against your parents has nothing to do with loyalty. If your parents spew hatred, racism and misogyny and you’re not speaking up, you agree with them. Don jr., Eric and Precious are in their 30’s, not scared kids.

  49. Marianne says:

    …Then leave. Your dad is the president, not you. You dont have to partake in his political meetings if you dont want it.

  50. Sansa says:

    Yeah I stayed up election night all night and the Trumps were very liklely expecting to lose. Me thinks none of this was supposed to happen. For more reasons we can count here we are and DT is angry his tweets show that so well. He probably just wanted more money a talk show and advisor pundit role. You could tell by his face when he won he was thinking $HIt. So I believe DTJ. All this Russian stuff burger with bacon mushroom would be nada if HC would have won and most of all Nate Cohn pollster thanks for keeping millions home with the HC lead. If DT had had a five point lead 20 million more votes would have been cast and those people will get off the couch and vote next time.

    • Esmom says:

      I don’t know, I tend to think the people who read Nate Silver are the types to go out and vote no matter what. I can’t imagine those numbers are what kept people away. But who knows.

    • Lime says:

      “Me thinks none of this was supposed to happen.”

      He “fake ran” in 2008 and got the result he really wanted: a pay raise for The Apprentice. He tried again in 2016 and NBC called his bluff.

      It was all for marketing.

      He never wanted the POTUS job. Mike Moore did a great write-up of this (https://michaelmoore.com/TrumpSabotage/) with hilarious points about Trump probably hating the White House being too small and Washington DC being a ghetto – hahaha.

      Surreal times.

  51. nikzilla says:

    I can’t forget all the stories about him in college being a drunk that pees himself…dude is in over his head.

  52. lower case lois says:

    So Donald Jr can’t wait for these 4 years to be over with, does that mean Donald Sr isn’t running for reelection and seeking a second term. Interesting statement. Last few weeks Pence has been quitely attending fundraisers for his treasure chest. What does this all mean? I guess there is always hope.

  53. magnoliarose says:

    That picture of DJ Fredo grimacing is ghoulish.

    I feel for Barron too. He committed treason there is nothing he can do at this point except take his punishment. Hopefully this is just the warm up for when Tangerine is crushed and fully exposed. It would be extra entertaining if Crooked Jared tries to make a get away and is apprehended trying to flee the country and it is all caught on camera.

    • Lime says:

      It’s not treason since US not in war with Russia. Only campaign finance laws (not getting or trying to get thing of value from foreign parties) and lying to investigators apply. He’s not going to jail because Daddy has the extremely powerful presidential-pardon power.

      • magnoliarose says:

        This depends. If he is tried in State Court Tangerine can’t do anything to help him. I do believe his actions were treasonous in spirit if not by law. I also believe there is much more to come.

  54. minx says:

    This entire family takes no responsibility for anything. Trump was whining about the failed Obamacare repeal and how he refuses to “own it.” You’re the president, of course you are going to own it now. Such an inspiring leader–“waaaahhhh, it’s not my fault!”

  55. JenB says:

    There’s NO excusing any of the adult Trumps. But when I see certain pics of Don Jr. it looks like there’s desperate sadness in his eyes behind his douchery. Like he needs to be on suicide watch. That college story of him getting slapped rings true. I don’t envy any spawn of Trump, no matter how much privilege they have.
    Eric, however, looks like a stone cold psychopath.

    • Holly hobby says:

      Jr was also the only kid who iced orangino out when he divorced Ivana. He didn’t speak to him for a year. I wish someone would do a study on this family. It’s probably a very interesting psychological case.

  56. Evie says:

    I’ll bet Ivana Trump is soooo happy that they got divorced and she’s away from this sorry mess.

  57. isabelle says:

    Have zero sympathy for people completely ignoring facts, smear the truth and lie constantly.

  58. Skylark says:

    I really hope this is true, and that every waking and sleeping second of his shitty, disgusting, lowlife is filled with terrible nightmare-inducing panic and ulcer-friendly sweating anxiety.

    Ditto for his equally rotten-to-the-core father and siblings.

    I hope it brings some small measure of comfort to the America for whom this disgusting family is such a daily, if not hourly, abomination.

  59. Veronica says:

    OH MY GOD I CANNOT WITH THIS COUNTRY.

    HE COMMITTED. A FEDERAL LEVEL CRIME. AGAINST THE UNITED STATES. WHEN HE TRIED TO ORCHESTRATE. SUBTERFUGE. WITH A FOREIGN POWER. THAT HAS BEEN HOSTILE. TO THE UNITED STATES. AND INTERFERED. WITH DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.

    There is no whitewashing this. It is literally the definition of treason. This isn’t even debatable – HE ADMITTED IT HIMSELF AND PUBLISHED EVIDENCE. Like, I am finally getting a true inkling of the kind of mindboggling horror minorities must feel on a regular basis at the absolute bullshit white people get away with.

    • Lime says:

      Well, it’s not the definition of treason at law because US not in war with Russia. However it’s a violation of campaign finance law (not to get thing of value from foreign entity or try to), which is another federal law. Which, tragically, means 45 can pardon his own son, son-in-law, and anyone else who tried to meet or met with the Russians to get anything of value for their election campaign.

      Don’t hold your breath for anyone deserving to go to jail going to jail. Trump will pardon because he doesn’t give a toss. The only hope is voters will be so angered that he’ll get voted out in 3.5 years. Or, a long shot, some state law is invoked convict Jr, Kushner, and co.

      They knew about this pardon power from the start, as their lawyers would have advised them. That’s why Jr didn’t care and tweeted his whole email chain.

  60. Vovicia says:

    It’s not loyalty. It’s trauma and compulsive desire.
    I saw it over and over in a friend of mine. She had been sexually abused by one of her brothers and other brothers watched it take place. All the women in the family were treated like crap and the sons were the golden children. Everyone outside the family thought they were great pillars of the community – shining examples of family life. But it was entirely rotten to the core. And as an adult, when my friend ‘behaved’ – as in did not make any waves in the family, they all acted like one happy family. But the minute something happened that they didn’t like, she would start to get shut out. And despite years of therapy and just plain reason, she never ever could escape this compulsive desire she had that at some point she would be seen- be loved – be accepted, especially by her parents. So she kept going back to the fold, time after time, each time pushing more and more of herself into little corners of her mind.
    I see that dynamic in the Trumps – especially the boys. Stories about how horrible he was to them as kids and young adults are pretty well known. Firm set of rules and impossible expectations – with the idea that if you are good enough, one day you will be loved. The only way you get away from such poison is a complete break. The oldest Trump ‘boys’ aren’t strong enough for it. He’s likely take the fall for Daddy and lie that Cheetoarse never knew anything about the meeting or any of it. And he’ll get ZERO out of it.

  61. HK9 says:

    Anyone with any sense would have kept their mouth shut and stayed as far away from this as possible. All of them have disillusions of grandeur and all of them are in over their heads. This is a situation where they’re being given enough rope to hang themselves and they incriminate themselves every day. Since the GOP don’t care, I hope someone somewhere is taking copious notes because there will come a day when they will have to answer for this.

    • Lime says:

      None of them will go to jail for collusion stuff, at least not under federal laws/crimes. 45 has a huge Trump card, pardon the pun: he can pardon absolutely anyone for absolutely any federal crime, and no one – not the legislature or judiciary can do anything about it.

      The only limitation is through the electorate, who might see this as a huge mark against Trump and vote him out in 3.5 years’ time.

      Don’t hold your breath for the Trump racket going to jail.

  62. Jezza says:

    You can’t wait for these 4 years to be over, Donnie??? You and I both, dumb dumb! You and I both!!!

  63. holly hobby says:

    What I want to know is what does their mother (Ivana) think about all of this? She’s been quiet.

  64. AnnieG says:

    What an unfortunate collection of chins in that top pic.

  65. Lime says:

    “still relishes the quiet of his lifelong loves of hunting and fishing”

    Psychopaths love hunting. How the heck do you bring yourself to shoot a gentle animal like an elephant to death for “recreation”? Sickening.

  66. jana says:

    I don’t believe daddy will make it 4 years, but I admire his optimism, it will help him get through his own pirson time.

    • Lime says:

      He’s not going to jail for any campaign finance laws or lying to investigators. These are federal crimes, which means 45 can pardon them unconditionally.

  67. Lime says:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-happens-if-trump-exercise-pardon-power_us_596f75dbe4b0000eb197ba66

    Good read on presidential pardons. Good luck to the US. He’s not good for the rest of the world either.

  68. Msaubra says:

    This lines up with that story that Tom Arnold was saying Trumo was calling one of his sons (assuming Don Jr) and idiot, and using a racial slur

  69. B n A fn says:

    ARE WE GREAT YET?? All this greatness is driving me crazy.

  70. Tania says:

    You know, I do tend to feel sorry for all family of politicians. It’s not like there’s a consent process for them before being shoved into the spotlight and having their lives changed forever.

    That doesn’t make up for any crimes he may have committed though. He still has to take responsibility for his own actions on that one, but I would still have sympathy for him over what his father did to the family, seemingly without consulting them?

  71. Disco Dancer says:

    I hope someone punches Don Jr in the mouth!

  72. Bread and Circuses says:

    I feel sorry for them the same way I feel sorry for Lindsay Lohan.

    They were given a horrible, morally-bankrupt upbringing despite their wealth and privilege.

    But they’ve also demonstrably been horrible people themselves, as adults.

    It’s not a hard-and-fast line between how you act and how you were taught to act, even at forty years old. I think all of the elder Trump kids should be held accountable for their actions (and that might rightfully involve prison time), and I think all of them could be redeemed with a lot of counseling and honest self-reflection, plus some hard boundaries enforced between them and their narcissistic father.

  73. Svea says:

    Everything you need to know about that dolt is that he and Erik hunt big game. What kind of person spends a fortune to kill defenseless endangered animals like elephants and leopards? He is a treasonous dweeb who should be tried.