Eric Trump: ‘Nepotism Is Kind Of A Factor Of Life’ And I’ve Never Let My Dad Down

Eric Trump is seen upon his arrival in the lobby of Trump Tower Donald Trump transition meetings, New York, USA - 14 Dec 2016 (Rex Features via AP Images)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Eric Trump said that he and his siblings have never disappointed their father, President Donald Trump, and brushed off nepotism as “kind of a factor of life” in an interview with Forbes published on Tuesday.

“Nepotism is kind of a factor of life,” Trump told Forbes in an interview that took place in February.

Eric Trump said that he and his siblings “might be here because of nepotism” but would not have sustained that status if they “weren’t competent.”

“We’re not still here because of nepotism,” he said.

Eric Trump gave the interview while sitting in an office in Trump Tower, a building with his father’s name on it. He is currently working with his brother Donald Trump Jr. to run his father’s business. His sister, Ivanka Trump, announced in March that she will become an official government employee and take an unpaid position as assistant to the President.

Eric Trump said that his father “expects people to perform” and “kind of encourages them to go on their way” if they fail to do so.

“You know the one thing, Don, Ivanka and I never let him down really in any factor of life,” he said. “And I think it’s one of the reasons that we’re as innately close as we are.”

Eric Trump said that eight years ago, he and his brother “would have been too big of question marks” for their father to do “the presidential thing” and turn over the family company.

“I think hopefully we earned our stripes,” he said. “And I think that’s ultimately why we’re in the seat we’re in.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Eric Trump: ‘Nepotism Is Kind Of A Factor Of Life’ And I’ve Never Let My Dad Down

    So Eric I suppose you made it all on your own thru hard work and pulling yourself up by your faded bootstraps?
    No Eric …most people despise the kind of nepotism to which you refer.

  2. Avatar for marby marby says:

    Eric may think they’ve “earned their stripes” but I’m imagining a different kind of stripes as dress for the entire family

  3. Which one is this? Usay or Qusay? They’re so interchangeable.

  4. A mixture of jaw dropping arrogance, privilege, stupidity and lack of self awareness.

  5. Usay was the eldest Hussein so that would be Donald Jr.

    Thus Eric is Qusay.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

87 more replies

Participants

Avatar for abbymac Avatar for marby Avatar for headhunter212 Avatar for texasaggie Avatar for sniffit Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for danny Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for ponderer Avatar for leathersmith Avatar for deere_john Avatar for downriver Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for mrf Avatar for darrtown Avatar for cincypix Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for witcheekate Avatar for professorpoopypants Avatar for bodie1 Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for tiowally Avatar for katscherger Avatar for eisenst

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: