Donald Trump 'Dissolving Before Our Eyes'—Mary Trump

Donald Trump's estranged niece believes the former president is "dissolving before our eyes" amid his "hush money" trial.

Mary Trump is the daughter of the business mogul's late brother Fred Trump Jr. and a vocal critic of her uncle. In 2020, the psychologist penned the best-selling exposé Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man, which criticized the real estate magnate.

Now, during an appearance on The Back Room with Andy Ostroy podcast, Mary Trump said the 77-year-old is struggling to cope with his New York criminal trial.

Proceedings began at Manhattan Crown Court on April 15. Donald Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, reportedly to hide "hush money" payments to Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 general election.

The adult film actress claimed to have had a one-night stand with Trump in 2006. The Republican politician has denied the affair allegations, as well as the fraud charges.

"It was so demoralizing when the prosecution stood up in front of Justice Merchan and opened with 'we're not asking for jail time, because we know that's what Donald Trump is angling for,'" Mary Trump told Ostroy on Saturday.

"Who cares what he's angling for? If it riles up his ever-shrinking face, who cares if it benefits him in some way? It doesn't matter."

Mary Trump was discussing the real estate magnate's alleged gag order breaches. Donald Trump has been accused of violating a gag order preventing him from discussing people involved in the trial.

Justice Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, has yet to make a ruling. The prosecution has suggested a $10,000 fine, but has "not yet" requested jail time.

Although she believes Donald Trump is "angling for the martyrdom," Mary Trump claimed The Apprentice star is not coping with the trial, describing him as "dissolving before our eyes."

"You seriously think that guy—ya know, Mr. Hair Product and Bronzer—wants to be in a jail cell overnight?" Mary Trump continued. "Without any of his products and without his cellphone?

"Are you kidding? Imagine what he's going to look like in the morning?"

Newsweek has reached out to Donald Trump for comment via email.

This isn't the first time that Mary Trump has commented on her uncle's behavior during the trial.

Following reports that Donald Trump dozed off during court, Mary Trump accused the politician of preferring to "sleep through" the trial, showing "contempt" for the jury.

"What message does it send everybody else in the courtroom that he can't be bothered to keep his eyes open?" the 58-year-old wrote in her The Good in Us newsletter on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Mary Trump claimed that her uncle's biggest fear is "being seen as a loser," and that the trial will show he is "nothing of what he has claimed to be."

"As someone who has known Donald for almost six decades (oy), I can tell you that beneath the bluster, there lies a fear so profound, it consumes him," Mary Trump wrote on her Substack blog.

"It's not the fear of losing his wealth or power or his status—although, to be clear, he lives in terror of these things as well—it's something more personal: It's the fear of being seen as a loser."