Trump opens up about late brother's alcoholism in rare emotional moment, it caused him a ‘very, very, very tough life’

At a White House press conference Thursday, President Trump made a rare mention of his late brother Fred while declaring that the opioid epidemic in the United States is a national emergency.

During the remarks, the president spoke at length about his late brother, who died in 1981 at the age of 43 after years of battling alcoholism.

During his remarks, the president -- who does not drink -- credited his older brother's example as a key reason he avoids alcohol.

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"I learned myself. I had a brother, Fred. Great guy. Best-looking guy. Best personality. Much better than mine," Trump said. "But he had a problem. He had a problem with alcohol. And he would tell me, ‘Don't drink. Don't drink.'"

Trump said his brother, who was eight years his senior, helped "guide" him away, sparing him the pain he saw his friends go through as they struggled with alcohol over the years. He suggested that same advice could help stem the spread of opioid addiction in the United States too.

"The fact is, if we can teach young people and people generally not to start [taking drugs], it's really, really easy not to take them," Trump said.

“[Fred] had a very, very, very tough life because of alcohol, believe me,” Trump said. “Very, very tough, tough life. He was a strong guy. But it was a tough, tough thing that he was going through. But I learned because of Fred. I learned.”

SEE ALSO: President Trump declares opioid epidemic a national public health emergency

Trump emphasized the importance of a "really tough, really big, really great advertising" campaign to help spread more awareness, adding: "There is nothing desirable about drugs. They're bad."

You can view the president discussing his late brother at the 0:20 mark in the clip below.