UNEXPECTED

Trump Goes Off Script to Cite His Brother’s Addiction Problems in Opioid Speech

The president makes a rare reference to his brother Fred, who died at the age of 43 after struggling with alcoholism.

President Trump made a rare personal reference to his brother Fred’s struggles with addiction while speaking about the nation’s opioid epidemic on Thursday. After announcing a “massive advertising campaign” by the White House to deter children from using drugs and finally declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency, Trump went off script to talk about his older brother, Fred Trump, who died at the age of 43. “I learned myself. I had a brother, Fred. Great guy, best-looking guy, best personality—much better than mine,” Trump said. “But he had a problem. He had a problem with alcohol. And he would tell me: ‘Don’t drink. Don’t drink,” he said. Saying Fred’s death was “the saddest part in what I’ve been through,” the president said he’s still “never had a drink.” “He really helped me. I had somebody that guided me. And he had a very, very, very tough life because of alcohol,” he said.