'We need disclosure': 5 questions Internet has about Mary Trump's NDA and why POTUS made family sign them
'Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man', the book penned by Mary Trump has reportedly sold over one million copies in its first day sales. The book is an unflattering portrayal of President Donald Trump, who the author claims is a serial liar suffering from psychological disorders as a result of a distressed relationship with his parents. Mary is the President's niece and daughter of his late older brother, Fred Trump Jr.
Following the release of her book, Trump broke his silence on the legitimacy of its contents that comprises his upbringing and family life. In a mini Twitter rant, he revealed that he had distanced himself from his psychologist-turned-author niece and even called her a "mess" for disclosing his personal details. In a shocking, yet not so surprising revelation, he also said that he makes his family members sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). "Mary Trump, a seldom-seen niece who knows little about me, says untruthful things about my wonderful parents (who couldn't stand her!) and me, and violated her NDA," the Trump wrote about his estranged niece in a tweet. "She also broke the Law by giving out my Tax Returns. She’s a mess! Many books have been written about me, some good, some bad. Both happily and sadly, there will be more to come!" he added.
Mary made a brief appearance on CNN, speaking with Chris Cuomo hours after Trump had tweeted, and she reiterated that her uncle is racist and denied the president's accusation of her being the black sheep of the family. However, she did confess that it was harder to maintain relations after her grandfather's death, because of an intra-family lawsuit and that her uncle had also requested that she "ghostwrite" his second book.
She added that she and her grandmother were "very close." Responding to the president calling her mess, Mary commented, "I think it's just an attack he hurls predominately at women and honestly, I'm in very good company. I believe he's said the same thing about Nancy Pelosi and I'm fine with that."
Mary's book may not be the first condemning account of the president, but it has garnered rave reviews and popularity for its unique intra-familial perspective. The book is also currently Amazon's number 1 bestseller. The White House has repeatedly denied the contents within the book. Trump's tweet on July 17 sent the Internet into a frenzy after they learned that he makes sure that his family, along with his administration, sign NDAs. Many eyebrows were raised at his claim that Mary violated an NDA that she had signed by writing "untruthful things" about him. Here are five questions that the internet is asking about these NDAs.
"What kind of a family makes one another sign NDAs?"
Trump's disclosure of his niece signing an NDA left Twitter users curious as to why he would even need his family to sign an NDA.
"Why does Trump insist that people in his orbit agree to NDAs including family members?"
The president's staff signs NDAs as protocol, but users say he shouldn't be forcing them to sign in the first place because his work is public knowledge. Since he and his staff both work for the American people, their work should be on the public record.
"If he barely knew Mary Trump, then why did he make her sign a non-disclosure agreement?"
In his mini-rant Trump echoed his previous statements about barely knowing his estranged niece and went as far as to say she was an outcast in the family. Twitter users have been wondering why he would require her to sign an NDA if they didn't share a close relationship in the first place.
"How can Mary Trump say 'untruthful' things about him while at the same time violating an NDA?"
More than violating an NDA, Mary Trump saying "untruthful" things about her uncle would be classified as libel. However, a Twitter user notes that breaking an NDA is easier to prove in court than libel. Libel cases in the US don't usually emerge as winners.
"Why do you need so many NDAs? What do you [President Trump] have to hide?"
Another bunch of questions that Twitter users are asking and remain unanswered are: "What is in that closet of yours? What are you hiding?"