Christian Author and Historian Examines How President Donald Trump's Early Years Shape Him Today

Josh Shepherd : Jan 3, 2018
Stream.org

While he might've made a mess of his life if left in a regular high school, the New York Military Academy gave him an environment in which he could let fly with his competitiveness. The win-at-all-costs bombastic persona we see in Donald Trump comes from his father and his years at the military academy.

[Stream.org] 2017 has been a year unlike any other—in politics and the world at large. The style and approach President Donald Trump brings to public policy have never before been seen. Historian Stephen Mansfield knows this better than most observers... (Photo: Younger Donald Trump with his parents, Mary and Fred/Judie Burstein/Alamy/via The Guardian UK)

No matter how one views President Trump's accomplishments, looking at the bigger picture proves insightful. In part one of our interview, Stephen Mansfield shares about the significant voices in Donald Trump's early life, his decades as a real estate mogul—and how those influence the White House today.

The Stream: What did your research reveal about young Donald Trump's relationship with his father?

Stephen Mansfield: His father is very profound in his life. First of all, Frederick Trump was known as being a hard-bitten, hard-dealing New York real estate magnate. He called Donald "killer" and "king." That tells you a lot about what he expected of him. He was very harsh and demanding. Donald rebelled and that's why he got put in military school...

Click here to read Part One of this informative interview in its entirety.