Is Donald Trump Really Sober? Rumors Suggest He's Exaggerated His Anti-Alcohol Stance

President Donald Trump has made many claims about himself and his character, including that he'd done more for African American rights more than any other President after Abraham Lincoln. One other claim the acclaimed businessman has made is that he has never drunk alcohol. In a 2018 press conference, the then-45th President of the United States said, "I'm not a drinker. I can honestly say I never had a beer in my life... I never had a glass of alcohol," (via CNN). This claim, however, has apparently been debunked many times, leading people to conclude that The Donald may have exaggerated the truth about his alcohol consumption.

Some alleged eyewitnesses who were around Trump in the '90s told Vice in 2019 that the former reality star has had a drink before, with one nightclub bartender identified as Laraby telling the media outlet that he had personally served Trump alcohol. "He would order light beer. It was usually Miller Lite or Bud Light," the bartender said. He noted, however, that the businessman turned politician would never have more than three beers. For the record, some light beers have about the same alcohol content as regular beers, while others will only have about 4.2 percent alcohol. Michael Ault, the owner of two lounges Trump frequented in the '90s, also told Vice that alcohol was not foreign to Trump.

"He was drinking champagne or vodka, a liquor and not really a beer so much, but I could be wrong on the beer, I just never saw him with one," Ault said. Yet, others who were around at that time backed Trump's claim that the devil's juice never touched his lips. "You could see champagne and vodka on the table, but for sure Mr. Trump had only Diet Coke. That's what he drinks since I've known him," insisted Paolo Zampolli, the Founder of ID Models.

Donald Trump's supposed aversion to alcohol stems from witnessing the negative impacts liquor had on his brother, Fred Trump Jr. In 2017, while addressing the country's opioid crisis, Donald shared that Fred Jr. "had a problem with alcohol," leading to his death at 42 in 1981, while noting his elder brother had cautioned him to stay away from booze, stirring his disinterest in alcohol — a common belief he shares with former President Joe Biden. In a 2015 exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Donald explained that he was brokenhearted about the way his brother died, especially since he had such a strong future ahead of him. "If I could snap my fingers and change one thing about the world, it would be making addiction just go away. Nobody deserves that; it's hell."

That same year, President Donald admonished any form of substance use at a town hall event in New Hampshire. "If you don't drink and you don't do drugs, your children ... are going to have a tremendously enhanced chance of really being successful and having a good life," he said in response to a question (via The Washington Times). Still, some remain certain that the businessman has previously used alcohol. "Trump is 12 bell wasted here. He drinks. Trust me," one X user said in 2024, referencing Donald's mannerisms during remarks about the U.S. border crisis. Yet, others are convinced about the accuracy of Donald's soberness. "I am not a Trump Supporter, but on [this] ONE THING, I think he is telling the truth," another X user said in 2018.

As none of us were in the room where the drinking (or non-drinking) happened, there's no way to confirm the whole truth of Donald's sobriety, but it's safe to say that his life experiences have made him anti-alcohol.