Kathrine Frich
They were passed down a rigid rule about rest.
Most people learn their most enduring habits at the kitchen table while growing up.
From how we handle stress to the way we manage our daily energy, family expectations shape us far into adulthood.
For one of the most powerful leaders in the world, a childhood obsession with toughness may explain why he refuses to rest.
Tough guy mindset
Clinical psychologist Mary Trump appeared on MS NOW to offer a rare look into her family’s dynamic. Speaking on the show “The Beat”, the president’s niece explained that her grandfather, Fred Trump, regularly operated on just four or five hours of sleep per night.
While the late patriarch lived a strictly healthy lifestyle without alcohol or cigarettes, he passed down a rigid rule about rest. Mary Trump explained that her grandfather viewed fatigue as a personal failing.
“But he also gave his children the message that needing sleep was weakness and being weak was not something anybody could ever allow themselves to be thought of,” she told MS NOW as cited by HuffPost.
She added that her uncle adopted that mindset to project strength. “I think Donald took that to heart and feels that, in order to be a tough guy, he needs to get by on very little sleep,” she said.
Prowling the halls
According to his niece, the president is not as healthy as his father was, pointing to his age and heavy Diet Coke intake. She argued that these habits hurt his focus and cause him to nod off during daytime events.
Donald Trump has long boasted about surviving on three or four hours of rest each night. Media allies like Sean Hannity have often mentioned receiving late-night phone calls from the White House.
The relentless schedule forces those around him to take extreme measures just to catch a quick nap. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently admitted that traveling with the commander-in-chief requires strategic hiding spots.
“There’s an office with two couches, and I usually want to sleep on one of those two couches,” Rubio told New York Magazine. He described wrapping himself in a blanket like a mummy so he will not be spotted. “I know that at some point on the flight, he’s going to emerge from the cabin and start prowling the hallways to see who is awake,” Rubio added.
Sources: MS NOW, New York Magazine, HuffPost
