In the spirit of the season, Mary Trump shared a humorous recollection of her childhood Christmases with the Trump family, highlighting some of the peculiar gifts she received from her uncle Donald Trump, and his then-wife, Ivana. The lighthearted anecdotes were shared in a video posted to her YouTube channel, Mary Trump Media, on Sunday.
“Christmas with the Trumps was not my favorite time as a child, but it did not lack for entertainment,” she said, reminiscing about the eccentric holiday gatherings.
Things became particularly memorable in 1977 after Donald married Ivana, a model, who brought her own unique flair to the festivities. Mary recounted opening her first gift from the couple, which turned out to be “a three-pack of underwear, retail $12, from Bloomingdale’s.”
“It was a very exciting moment, and it just kind of got weirder from there,” she joked.
The following year brought another unexpected surprise: a single gold lamé shoe with a four-inch heel stuffed with hard candy. Mary speculated that the shoe was likely a party favor Ivana had repurposed as a gift. “She thought, yeah, why not give it to that kid,” Mary quipped.
Mary’s brother, Fred Trump III, didn’t fare much better, receiving a leather-bound journal that turned out to be a calendar-year planner—dated two years earlier. “It wasn’t even something he could use,” Mary said, laughing.
The siblings eventually turned the peculiar gift-giving into a competition, vying to see who would receive the “worst present” each year. For Mary, the gold shoe remains a standout. The following year, at age 14, she received a regifted gift basket containing sardines, crackers, and olives—seemingly missing the caviar.
Though Mary no longer exchanges gifts with Donald Trump, her memories of those unconventional Christmases live on. Now a psychologist and vocal critic of her uncle, Mary has written extensively about the Trump family dynamics in her books.
She ended her video with a bit of playful advice for gift-givers: “If you’re going to buy somebody something that comes in pairs, like shoes or socks, give that person both of them.”
Mary’s reflections offer a humorous and humanizing glimpse into her unique family, adding a touch of levity to the often tumultuous Trump narrative.