Trump apparently thought Marla Maples' relatives were dumb Southerners too

After Bob Woodward reported in his new book Fear that President Trump once called Attorney General Jeff Sessions a "dumb Southerner," the president denied that he'd ever used that language about not just Sessions, but anyone. But a journalist who spent years interviewing Trump is crying foul.

Former Page Six deputy editor Jeane MacIntosh, who frequently interacted with Trump in his Manhattan mogul days, told The New York Times on Friday that in a phone interview in 1997, Trump called then-wife Marla Maples' family "an entourage of dumb Southerners." Trump also reportedly compared them to characters from The Beverly Hillbillies and put on an accent while doing a demeaning impression of Maples' mother. Maples grew up in Georgia.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.