Mary Trump Issues 'Dangerous Times' Warning Over Donald Trump

Mary Trump, a vocal critic and estranged niece of President Donald Trump, warned in a Thursday blog post that the country is "living in uniquely dangerous times" during his second term, but maintained there is still hope for Democrats to push back.

Newsweek has reached out to Mary Trump via her Substack email and to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for comment via email on Saturday morning.

Why It Matters

Mary Trump has been outspoken against her uncle for years, and in 2020, published Too Much and Never Enough, a tell-all book about Trump and their family. In it, she says the president is "utterly incapable of leading this country and it's dangerous to allow him to do so."

Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office in January, after winning the popular vote and the Electoral College in November 2024. The scale of the Republican Party's triumph in November—taking the White House, flipping the Senate, and maintaining control of the House—has sparked widespread soul-searching within the Democratic Party over what went wrong and how to rebuild. Democratic leaders have come under criticism from within, some for pushing the party too far left, and others for appearing too conciliatory toward Trump.

In his first three months back in office, President Trump has faced significant support and backlash. His administration has been hit with a wave of lawsuits over executive orders and wartime powers that critics say threaten due process, a cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution.

What To Know

Mary Trump opened her Thursday blog post by describing the current moment as "uniquely dangerous times," later labeling it as a "treacherous point in our history," and urged readers to "start showing up in different ways from what we might be used to."

She wrote that she remains "in this fight" against her uncle "because it's necessary," and reflected on her fears leading up to the 2020 election, when she asked: "What happens if Donald gets a second shot at the presidency?"

Her answer: "It will be the end of the American experiment." Later in her Substack post, she accused her uncle and the Republican Party of being "hellbent on taking away something that is extraordinarily precious to me and to everybody reading this: our democracy—our imperfect, striving-to-be-more-perfect democracy."

The idea of a crumbling American democracy has been echoed by many Democrats and Trump critics who say Trump is overreaching his presidential powers and dismantling key institutions. Many Republicans, meanwhile, say that the president is restructuring the government to make it more efficient, effective and functional for Americans.

Mary Trump also criticized her political allies, writing in her post: "We haven't done enough to protect it," adding: "Our institutions are failing us and one of the reasons that's the case is because the Democratic Party has convinced itself for far too long that our institutions did not need to be strengthened, they did not need to be protected."

She urged Democrats to "work around the edges" and to "plan ahead," outlining a strategy that includes opposing Republicans while being "honest about the ways in which the Democrats are falling short."

"We all have power. We are all on the right side of history. We are angry, and we have every right to be. And our anger is righteous. If we focus our anger, if we come together and understand that any differences we have are irrelevant compared to what we are fighting for we can unite effectively to win that fight," she wrote.

Democrats have faced internal divisions and external pressure following significant losses in 2024. Some rising voices in the party, including independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont who caucuses with Democrats and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have built their platforms around opposition to Trump and his "oligarchy," holding rallies across the country. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has backed some Trump-aligned GOP initiatives, including a reconciliation budget bill.

After Mary Trump's tell-all book was released, Donald Trump called it "disgraceful." He told former Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace that "she was not exactly a family favorite," adding, "We didn't have a lot of respect or like for her."

What People Are Saying

Comedian and host Bill Maher said on his show earlier this month: "If the thought leaders in the Democratic Party keep encouraging and not rebuking the idea that America is cringe, and the people who run Gaza are great, the Democrats are doomed."

Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said in February: "I think the Democrats' brand is really bad, and I think this was an election based on culture. And the Democrats' failure to connect on a cultural basis with a wide swath of Americans is hugely problematic. I think the majority of the party realizes that the ideological purity of some of the groups is a recipe for disaster and that, candidly, the attack on over-the-top wokeism was a valid attack."

Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on the FLAGRANT podcast that aired in April: "I do think my party needs to do a much better job, especially with the kind of finger-wagging that you're talking about; I think we are like very prone to that."

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at an April Los Angeles rally: "Big money is how we got Donald Trump. And his whole presidency began with launching tools for bribery, meme coins to fleece working people and move around money in the dark, extortion settlements from media companies and law firms who gladly pay them."

What Happens Next?

The 2026 midterm elections are expected to be a bellwether of the Trump administration and the Democratic Party.

It's unclear who the party will eventually support in the 2028 presidential election, with some early polling showing former Vice President Kamala Harris leading the pack of potential presidential candidates, followed by Ocasio-Cortez, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Buttigieg.