There have been many tales told about Donald Trump — and the president himself has also added to his larger-than-life persona with ample stories from his past. Through social media and his speeches, we’ve heard of him speak about his childhood, his comeuppance, his family, and of course, his road to the presidency. And his books have also given us a decent glimpse into what he may have been like in his youth.
In one story, Trump recalls the time he gave his second grade teacher a black eye. Is it truth or madness — and why would he do such a thing? Here’s what he had to say.
Why Trump said he punched his teacher in The Art of the Deal
Donald Trump and Melania Knauss attend the 2002 USO of Metropolitan New York Gold Medal Awards. | Matthew Peyton/ Getty Images
There have been plenty of books written by Trump on both politics and economics, and they all contain small tidbits of info from his life. In one of the more interesting passages from his bestseller The Art of the Deal, which he wrote back 1987, Business Insider notes he mentioned how he was always willing to go out on a limb to get his way from a very young age. At one point, this meant punching his second grade teacher in the face.
As Trump said in the book, “In the second grade I actually gave a teacher a black eye — I punched my music teacher because I didn’t think he knew anything about music and I almost got expelled.” The now-president then goes on to mention that he’s not proud of his actions, “but it’s clear evidence that even early on I had a tendency to stand up and make my opinions known in a very forceful way.” He now says that instead of laying a hand on others, he uses his brain to get what he wants.
As for other moments of aggressiveness Trump claims he exhibited as a boy, Business Insider notes in the same book, Trump tells tales of stealing his brother’s blocks and watching his father rule over his competitors. He also notes at one point that his classmates were not “particularly awesome or exceptional.”
Is the story true?
Donald Trump visits his Scottish golf course Turnberry with his children Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump on July 30, 2015 | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
The biggest question here is this: Could Trump be telling the truth about his aggressive second-grade self, or is it a farce to make himself appear bolder and braver than he really was as a youth? Snopes notes that while many do agree that Trump may have been good at getting himself into trouble at a young age, there’s little evidence to back up this particular tale. As one skeptic notes, there hasn’t been a single childhood friend of Trump’s who can back up this story. And back in 2009, a fellow student of Trump’s also mentioned that the teacher told him personally that he was never hit by the current president.
There’s also this to consider: The Art of the Deal was written by ghostwriter Tony Schwartz. Schwartz himself had said Trump “seemed to remember almost nothing” from his childhood — and the stories Trump told his ghostwriter were often untruthful. As Schwartz said, “Lying is second nature to him.”
Is Trump really that serious about his musical taste?
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves to the crowd at a fundraising event. | Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/ AFP/ Getty Images
Aside from being aggressive as a kid, Trump’s story also shows another side of him — and that’s that he seemingly has a serious love for music and the arts. Though he doesn’t play any instruments himself, he has discussed his affinity for certain music in the past. And Rolling Stone notes Trump has said he’s loved Aerosmith, Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Michael Jackson before — both for their music and their personalities.
During his campaign, he also had some choice tracks that he loved to blast at his rallies. Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” became somewhat of an anthem for Trump while he was on his way to the presidency.
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