Trump instilled 'competitive' nature in kids by tripping them while they were skiing, Ivanka Trump says


Whether he's facing off against a global pandemic or his 10-year-old children, President Trump has always wanted to win.
Trump has turned coronavirus into a global competition over the past few weeks, particularly bragging about how much better the U.S. is supposedly doing than South Korea when it comes to COVID-19 testing. But about 25 years ago, Trump was more fond of racing his young children down ski hills and apparently trying to trip them in the process, they told New York Magazine in a December 2004 article.
The oldest Trump children have had a healthy dose of "sibling rivalry" in their lives since they were young, and it stems from their father, New York Magazine writes. "We were sort of bred to be competitive," Ivanka Trump said at the time. "Dad encourages it. I remember skiing with him and we were racing. I was ahead, and he reached his ski pole out and pulled me back." Eric Trump has a similar memory: "He would try to push me over, just so he could beat his 10-year-old son down the mountain," he said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
No matter how many times the Trump kids ended up face-down in the snow, they're all united behind their father today. Read more of their throwback thoughts at New York Magazine.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Christian Brückner: why prime suspect in Madeleine McCann case can refuse Met interview
The Explainer International letter of request rejected by 49-year-old convicted rapist as he prepares to walk free
-
Angela Rayner: the rise and fall of a Labour stalwart
In the Spotlight Deputy prime minister resigned after she underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty
-
Crossword: September 16, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants