Why Donald Trump Never 'Had a Glass of Alcohol'
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| Trump talked about never drinking alcohol |
President Trump talked about never drinking alcohol and the tragic reason behind
Mr Trump's delivery was lighthearted and drew laughter from the audience. But there's actually a tragic backstory behind why the President doesn't drink.
In 2017, Mr Trump gave an emotional speech declaring the opioid crisis in the United States a public emergency - and revealed that his older brother Freddy had suffered from alcoholism. Speaking to a packed room of former addicts, parents of overdose victims and treatment specialists, he said addiction destroyed his sibling's life. (according to The Northern Star)
"But he had a problem, a problem with alcohol. And he would tell me, don't drink.”"I had a brother, Fred," he said "Great guy, best-looking guy. Best personality, much better than mine.”
"But he would say it over and over again. And to this day I've never had a drink. And, I have no longing for it. I have no interest in it.
"He (Fred) helped me. He guided me and he had a very, very, very tough life because of alcohol believes me. He was a strong guy, but it was a tough thing that he was going through," he said.
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| Trump's family portrait including Fred (standing). Photo: Sky News |
| As for his own lifelong abstinence from adult beverages, Trump cited his brother's negative example as well as his well-meaning advice to his younger brother to keep away from the booze that would be his own downfall: "This is why I don't drink, ever. I just don't do it. Fred told me not to, and I saw what happened to him when he didn't follow his own advice." |
How alcoholism in the family may have impacted Trump
Susan Cheever (herself the daughter of troubled, hard-drinking author John Cheever, via The Guardian) wrote of the impact a close family member's drinking can have on survivors. She shared that non-drinking adult children or siblings may have a tendency to be "control freaks, hyper-competent because somebody has to get things done in an alcoholic household." She also says that they may be "shockingly honest and occasionally suffused with rage" due to the same family tragedy that prompted their adamant anti-drinking stance. Taking a look at Trump specifically, having a sibling with alcoholism likely impacted him, and still does, according to Mashed.
He tends to play several different roles typical of a sober family member of an alcoholic: he acts the responsible caretaker, finding jobs for family members and encouraging them to maintain sobriety. Other non-drinking family members in other family units explain that they don't like the lack of control drinking results in, which could also be a factor in the president's decision, Bangor Daily News cited.
Trump will touch wine for religious (or diplomatic) reasons
Social media blew up over an incident where Trump was seen with a wine glass in hand at a 2017 U.N. Function in New York. At a luncheon hosted by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, speeches were delivered and toasts were made and Trump participated in the latter. Upon two occasions during the luncheon, he was seen to take what was described as "a sip" before passing the glass off to an aide, as The Telegraph cited.
There was some speculation that he could have had his glass filled with grape juice or his favourite Diet Coke instead, but even if it was wine in the glass, it's clear that he ingested nowhere near the amount that would intoxicate even the tiniest person.
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