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1-Page Summary of Too Much and Never Enough

Insights from Chapter 1

Mary Trump’s grandmother, Mary, had to undergo surgery after complications arose during her birth. Her grandfather, Fred, got the best doctors for her and made sure she was okay. During and after her surgeries in the hospital, Mary’s absence left a void in lives of some members of his family.

Fred, Donald Trump’s father, was the only parent available to raise him and his siblings. However, Fred didn’t want to be a good father or care for his children. He made them feel worthless and unloved.

Donald Trump coped with his mother’s absence by developing defenses and becoming hostile to others. Friedrich Trump, Mary’s great-grandfather, came from Germany in the 1880s to avoid being drafted into military service. He made money in the restaurant and brothel business. He married Elizabeth Christ, had three children: Fred, Elizabeth, and John.

When Friedrich Trump died, his son Fred became the man of the house. He met Mary Anne McLeod, who he later married. They had a daughter named Maryanne and then a son named Fred Jr., after him. His nickname was Freddy and he was Donald Trump’s father. However, when they were building their new house in Queens, New York City in 1941 (Freddy was 8 years old), Mary suffered a miscarriage which left her sick for months on end and unable to have any more children with Fred Trump Sr.. The couple tried again but she got pregnant anyway with Donald Trump in 1946; he was born when Freddy Jr. was one year old.

Fred Trump made a lot of money in real estate. However, he didn’t like paying taxes and did anything to avoid doing so. He was also a liar, egotist and bad public speaker who only cared about himself. His son Donald inherited all these traits from his father.

Insights from Chapter 2

Freddy was the oldest son, but he felt like he had to live up to his father’s expectations. However, Freddy didn’t want to be like his father and lied about what he did in his free time. He smoked and pranked people, which is something that Donald Trump’s children also did.

Fred was telling Freddy that he had to be successful, but at the same time, Fred didn’t respect his oldest son. Therefore, Donald wouldn’t either. Fred thought Freddy was weak and so did Donald.

Donald had a sense of entitlement, which was a way to protect himself from his feelings of abandonment. He also used this as a defense mechanism for his lack of self-esteem. Donald bullied people and enjoyed having power over them because he felt superior to them.

The first person to ever stand up to him was his brother Freddy, who humiliated him by dumping mashed potatoes on his head. From then on, he would never let himself be humiliated again.

Insights from Chapter 3

Fred was a strict parent, but he accepted Donald’s arrogance and bullying because of his own past. Fred identified with the impulses that encouraged this behavior in his son. Eventually, Donald started to believe his own hype.

Donald was a brash, bold kid who did whatever he wanted. He didn’t care about rules or consequences; his parents couldn’t really do anything to stop him because they were scared of him. Eventually, Donald’s actions led to his parents sending him away to military school where he learned discipline and the value of following rules.

Donald’s problem was that he built up a tough exterior to protect himself from his fear of being abandoned and witnessing his father abusing his brother.

Donald learned that if he wanted to be successful in life, he had to be tough and stand up for himself. He also had to lie and kick people when they were down.