Donald Trump’s newly styled hair has drawn comparisons to a Christmas elf from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but his estranged niece Mary Trump believes the change could point to a more serious family connection.
Donald Trump’s recognizable blondish-red hairstyle has been the subject of attention for decades. The president has also made it clear that he is highly conscious of his appearance, particularly when it comes to his hair.
During his 2015 presidential campaign, Trump famously challenged rumors that he wore a wig by allowing people to touch his hair. A couple of years later, he openly admitted that he worked hard to conceal his bald spot.
Now, his latest hairstyle has attracted attention from someone within his own family. His estranged niece, Mary Trump, noticed the unusually full look and connected it to a memory involving her grandfather.
A ‘Rudolph’ resemblance
Mary Trump, 61, is the daughter of Donald Trump’s late older brother, Fred Trump Jr. She has become one of the most vocal critics of her uncle and has written extensively about the Trump family and its history.
Recently, Trump appeared in Las Vegas sporting a noticeably fuller and more carefully styled head of hair.
Mary commented on the change during an appearance on Dean Obeidallah’s SiriusXM YouTube program.
She said she wasn’t interested in judging whether the hairstyle looked good, but joked that her uncle reminded her of Hermey, the blond-haired elf from the classic Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Online commenters also quickly noticed the difference.
Some questioned whether Trump was wearing a wig, while others speculated that he might have had a weave or simply changed the way he styled his hair. Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger even joined the conversation, joking that Trump had a weave.
But for Mary Trump, the hairstyle raised memories that went far beyond internet jokes.
The family history behind the comparison
Mary connected her uncle’s changing appearance to her grandfather, Fred Trump Sr., who experienced dementia later in life.
According to previously disclosed medical records, Fred Trump Sr. was diagnosed with early dementia in 1991, and his condition eventually progressed to Alzheimer’s disease before his death in 1999.
Mary has previously described witnessing her grandfather’s decline and the changes in his behavior and appearance.
She recalled that as his condition worsened, he began coloring his hair and sometimes left the dye on too long, resulting in an unusually colored mustache. According to Mary, the family eventually became uncomfortable taking him out in public.
But she said what stood out most to her was his growing concern with his hair.
Mary explained that her grandfather had been self-conscious about his receding hairline since he was young. Even though he still had considerable hair in his later years, she said that after developing Alzheimer’s, he suddenly became focused on having more hair and eventually wore a poorly fitting toupee.
She recalled that the family, particularly Donald, found the situation embarrassing.
Why Mary sees a possible connection
Trump’s suddenly fuller hairstyle apparently reminded Mary of that period in her grandfather’s life.
She emphasized that she didn’t know whether her uncle was actually wearing a wig, using a hair product, or simply styling his hair differently. But she found the sudden fixation on having fuller-looking hair strikingly similar to what she remembered about her grandfather.
The discussion also turned to Trump’s age. Obeidallah noted that Trump is now around the same age his father was when early signs of dementia reportedly appeared.
However, a change in hairstyle by itself is not evidence of dementia, and the comments made in the interview do not establish that Trump has the condition. The comparison is based on Mary Trump’s personal recollections of her family and her interpretation of the similarities.
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