Eric Trump on father’s critics: ‘To me, they’re not even people’
President Trump’s son Eric Trump used striking language Tuesday night while accusing Democratic lawmakers of obstructing his father’s agenda.
“I’ve never seen hatred like this,” the younger Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “To me, they’re not even people. It’s so, so sad. Morality’s just gone, morals have flown out the window, and we deserve so much better than this as a country.”
“You see the Democratic Party, they’re imploding,” he continued. “They’re imploding. They became obstructionists because they have no message of their own.”
Eric Trump, who, along with his brother Donald Trump Jr., is running the Trump Organization while his father is in the Oval Office, also slammed Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez.
“You see the head of the DNC, who is a total whack job — there’s no leadership there,” Eric Trump said.
His comments came the same day Forbes published a bombshell report that alleges his charity, the Eric Trump Foundation, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Trump Organization for use of its golf courses. He had previously told both the magazine and donors that such costs were unnecessary because they were owned by the Trump family.
“We get to use our assets 100 percent free of charge,” he told Forbes.
But according to IRS filings cited by Forbes, the Eric Trump Foundation spent $59,085 on its annual fundraiser held at the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester County, N.Y., in 2012, $230,080 in 2013 and $242,294 in 2014. The magazine also alleged the Donald J. Trump Foundation “apparently used the Eric Trump Foundation to funnel $100,000 in donations into revenue for the Trump Organization.”
“And while donors to the Eric Trump Foundation were told their money was going to help sick kids,” Forbes added, “more than $500,000 was re-donated to other charities, many of which were connected to Trump family members or interests, including at least four groups that subsequently paid to hold golf tournaments at Trump courses.”
In his Fox News appearance, Eric Trump called the Forbes report part of a “left-wing” effort to undermine the president and his family.
“I got attacked today,” Eric Trump said. “I raised $16.3 million for the greatest hospital in the world in St. Jude. And I get attacked for it.”
In a statement, a spokesman for Eric Trump defended his charitable foundation’s work.
“During the past decade, the Eric Trump Foundation has raised over $16.3 million for St. Jude Children’s Research hospital while maintaining an expense ratio of just 12.3 percent,” the statement read. “The Eric Trump Foundation was also responsible for building a $20 million dollar ICU which treats the sickest children anywhere in the world suffering from the most catastrophic terminal illnesses.”
“At no time did the Trump Organization profit in any way from the foundation or any of its activities,” the statement added. “While people can disagree on political issues, to infer malicious intent on a charity that has changed so many lives, is not only shameful but is truly disgusting. At the end of the day the only people who lose are the children of St. Jude and other incredibly worthy causes.”
Eric Trump echoed that statement in a much briefer Twitter message to one of his critics.
I have raised $16.3 million dollars for terminally ill children at @StJude with less than a 12.3% expense ratio. What have you done today?! https://t.co/4jf7GIJaBN
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) June 6, 2017
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