Various media outlets reported yesterday that the Trump family managed (in their second attempt) to get a temporary restraining order against Mary L. Trump relative to the publication of her “tell all” book.
Summarizing briefly:
- Mary L. Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr. (Donald’s elder brother), who passed away from alcoholism back in 1981.
- Fred Trump Jr. had two children, Mary L. Trump and Fred Trump III.
- When Donald’s father, Fred Trump Sr. passed away, nothing was left in his will for Fred Trump Jr.’s children.
- Fred Trump Sr. had suffered from Alzheimer’s before his passing in 1999. Mary and Fred III alleged that the other siblings (especially Donald) used undue influence to cut them out of the will.
- Mary and Fred III sued the estate (as well as Donald and his three surviving siblings, Maryanne Trump Barry, Elizabeth Trump Gau, and Robert Trump) for their share of the estate.
- Because of the suit, the Trump family cut off funds for Fred Trump III and for his son, who had recently been born with cerebral palsy. (The Donald has previously admitted that he did this to punish them for suing.)
- The case was settled in the early 2000s, including a non-disclosure agreement as part of the settlement.
Now, I doubt that the non-disclosure agreement can silence Mary L. Trump permanently with respect to writing about her family. It can probably silence her with respect to the litigation around the estate and how the case was settled.
I doubt Simon and Schuster would invest the time and resources in editing and publishing the book if they didn’t think they could get it on the market and sold.
After all, Simon and Schuster have lawyers who specialize in this kind of thing.
Mary — who has a PhD and is a licensed psychotherapist — clearly wants to get the book out before the election, when it can still influence some people with respect to how to vote.
And I want to read it.
My prediction is that she will be allowed to publish it (with maybe a few redactions), and it should make for an interesting to addition to all of the existing tell-all books that are already out there with respect to the Donald.
