Maryanne Trump Barry: Who Was Donald Trump's Sister?

Donald Trump is not one to shy away from voicing his opinion on everything, from water shower pressure to Joe Biden (via CNN). Never one to turn down an opportunity for a soundbite, interview, or tweet, you would think the entire Trump family loves the spotlight as much as the former reality show star turned politician — but that's not the case. Take Maryanne Trump Barry, the president's older sister. 

Many Americans probably have never heard her name before, but Trump Barry was actually an incredibly accomplished woman in her own right. She spent years working in the law field, eventually rising to the position of a federal judge. And interestingly, her political points of view seemed to be radically different from her younger brother's. It begs the question, who is the president's older sister and how does she fit within the Trump family?

As the oldest of the five Trump siblings, Trump Barry grew up in the affluent Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens, New York. She went to Mount Holyoke College and eventually earned a master's degree from Columbia University in 1962 (via Town and Country). While much of her personal life has been kept out of the press, she had one child, David Desmond, with her first husband, and she waited until he was in sixth grade before pursuing a law degree at Hofstra University. There weren't many women in the field of law at the time, so it was quite an accomplishment for her to find her first job in the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey in the 1970s (via WQXR NY Public Radio). 

In a rare interview with New York Magazine, Trump Barry revealed that she chose law because she didn't want to compete with her brother Donald in the family business, stating, "I knew better even as a child than to even attempt to compete with Donald. I wouldn't have been able to win. He was building models when he was very young. Huge buildings. I worked for my father for a number of summers, but I was doing woman's work, decorating lobbies."

In 1982, when she was at the top of her career at the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey, she married a fellow attorney, John Barry. And just a year later in 1983, was appointed as a Federal Judge to the District Court of New Jersey by President Ronald Reagan (via The New York Times). She held that position until 1999 when she was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit by President Bill Clinton (via the Federal Judicial Center). 

It was alleged that her brother Donald used his connections to help secure his sister's nomination to the bench under Ronald Reagan, and that was later confirmed when Trump Barry was quoted in Gwenda Blair's book about the controversial family, "The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire," saying, "There's no question Donald helped me get on the bench. I was good, but not that good."

Often labeled a moderate conservative on the bench, Trump Barry's views on women's issues, abortion, and immigration leaned towards the liberal. But she stood by her brother during the Megyn Kelly scandal when he criticized the reporter for having "blood coming out of her wherever" (via The New York Times). Most famously, however, was the investigation in the fall of 2018, when tax fraud allegations surfaced regarding the Trump family business and dealings during the '90s. The investigations led to a judicial conduct council reviewing these allegations and how they related to Trump Barry. Only a week after notice of the judicial investigation in 2019, Trump Barry abruptly retired at 82 years old (via Town and Country).

Known for chain-smoking and driving a red Jaguar, the tall, blonde Trump Barry may not have sought the spotlight the way her younger sibling does, but there is no denying that they are family (The New York Times). And perhaps the tapes that seem so controversial and damning are simply the musings of a sibling in the way only an older sister can critique a younger brother. The sort of, "I can say it, but you can't," mentality that comes from close ties like the Trump family clearly shares.

Maryanne Trump Barry passed away on November 13, 2023, at 86 years old. But before her death, the older sister of former U.S. President Donald Trump was vocal about her disdain for his administration. In 2020, her niece Mary L. Trump published a tell-all titled "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man." The book provides an insider's perspective on the Trump family dynamics, offering insights into Donald Trump's upbringing and the psychological aspects of his behavior. The book also relied on excerpts from various family members — including the ever-private Trump Barry. 

Mary conducted several hours of interviews with her aunt, who had strong words about the then-president. "His g*******ed tweet and the lying, oh, my God," she said in a secret recording obtained by The Washington Post, referring to Trump's reckless social media usage. "He has no principles. None. None. And his base, I mean my God, if you were a religious person, you want to help people. Not do this." 

Trump Barry's complicated relationship with her brother had been kept relatively private, but the explosive interviews provided insight into their relationship. Her opinions about Trump's influence on her career seemed to have changed by that time too. The former district judge, who was appointed by Ronald Raegan, shared that her brother tried to take credit for her hard-earned promotion. "You say that one more time and I will level you," she allegedly said in response to Trump's claim to her success (via Washington Post).