Donald Trump once opened up about why he has never had a drink in his entire life. During a conversation on Theo Von’s podcast, he talked about how a personal tragedy led him to avoid alcohol completely. The topic came up when Von asked: “I noticed at the events you don’t drink or smoke, right? You never have?”
Trump replied: “No I never have. I had a great brother who taught me a lesson.” He explained that his older brother, Fred Trump Jr, had struggled with drinking and smoking and passed away from a heart attack at just 42 years old in 1981. The loss left a lasting impact on him, shaping his views about drinking and drugs for the rest of his life.
He said: “He smoked and drank – great guy – he was a very handsome guy. He had a problem with alcohol and smoked a lot but I tell people, ‘No drugs, no drinking, no cigarettes’. I tell that to my kids all the time.”
Trump described how he looked up to his brother and admired him for his charm and personality, which made the decline even harder to watch.
Trump recalled how Fred’s addiction seemed to start in college, saying it probably began at a fraternity and grew worse over time. He said the family started noticing changes, and the situation never improved. “He lived for so long in bad conditions,” Trump said, adding that his brother’s body was incredibly strong to withstand the damage for as long as it did.
He admitted he could have easily gone down the same road if he had tried alcohol himself. Over the years, Trump has repeated that message publicly, telling people that Fred’s battle became a lifelong warning.
He once said in an interview: “I had a brother, Fred – great guy, best-looking guy, best personality, much better than mine. But he had a problem, he had a problem with alcohol and he would tell me ‘don’t drink, don’t drink’.”
Trump said he took that advice seriously and never touched a drink again.
