That myth-making began when, as a young man, Mr. Trump falsely claimed to own the real estate empire still owned by his father, the legendary builder Fred C. Trump. In truth, his father owned it all. In the 1980s, instead of appropriating his father’s wealth as his own, he was quick to diminish his father’s considerable achievements. He consistently cast Fred Trump as a behind-the-scenes cheerleader who ran a modest collection of outer-borough apartment buildings. Mr. Trump never mentioned his father’s considerable wealth, or the financial support that made his gilded life possible.

Source: New York Times February 28, 2019 01:30 UTC