Trump’s sister says president ‘has no principles,’ lies in secretly recorded audio: report

Maryanne Trump Barry, President Trump’s older sister, said her brother “has no principles” in secretly recorded audio obtained by The Washington Post.

In 2018, the president suggested that Barry, who previously served as a federal judge in New York, should be placed at the border amid a wave of refugees entering the United States. 

The now-retired appeals court judge grumbled about his statement and criticized his actions in office in a conversation secretly recorded by her niece, Mary Trump.

At the time, the administration enacted a “zero tolerance” immigration enforcement policy that stated immigrants who crossed the border without permission, including those seeking asylum, would be prosecuted by the Department of Justice. If they crossed with children, they would be separated and handed over to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

“All he wants to do is appeal to his base,” Barry reportedly said in the audio. “He has no principles. None. None. And his base, I mean my God, if you were a religious person, you want to help people. Not do this.”

Mary Trump, the daughter of President Trump’s brother Fred Trump, published a book titled “Too Much and Never Enough” in July that paints an unflattering picture of the Trump family.

Barry went on to say the president “hasn’t read my immigration opinions” if he thinks she would be his ally on the border, adding that “he doesn’t read” in general. She also said she disagreed with “what they’re doing with kids at the border” and once berated another judge for not treating an asylum-seeker with respect.

In Mary Trump’s audio, Barry also expressed frustration with her brother’s demeanor, which she said was phony.

“His goddamned tweet and lying, oh my God,” she said. “I’m talking too freely, but you know. The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy shit.”

“It’s the phoniness of it all. It’s the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel,” she added.

In the past, President Trump has come under scrutiny from critics for his tweets. He has also been flagged on Twitter for posting media the company has deemed “manipulated” or in violation of its rules regarding “abusive behavior.” 

In addition, his campaign has been banned from the platform for posting tweets with misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Post reportedly inquired to Mary Trump about the claim in her book that Trump paid someone to take the SATs in order to transfer to the University of Pennsylvania. She responded by showing the Post 15 hours of face-to-face conversations with Barry in 2018 and 2019. 

Mary Trump is the only family member to have publicly rebuked the president.

In the audio, Barry described the president as a “brat,” adding that she “did his homework for him” and “drove him around New York City to try to get him into college.”

“He went to Fordham for one year [actually two years] and then he got into University of Pennsylvania because he had somebody take the exams,” Barry said.

In a statement to The Hill, the president appeared to brush off the audio, noting he misses his brother, Robert Trump, who died last week.

“Every day it’s something else, who cares,” Trump said. “I miss my brother, and I’ll continue to work hard for the American people. Not everyone agrees, but the results are obvious. Our country will soon be stronger than ever before.”

–This report was updated on August 23 at 7:05 a.m.