Donald Trump has never touched alcohol in his life, and the reason goes back to his older brother, Fred Trump Jr. During an interview on Theo Von’s podcast This Past Weekend, Trump, now 79 and in his second presidential term, explained that watching his brother struggle with addiction made a lasting impact. “I had a great brother who taught me a lesson,” he said.

Fred was charismatic and admired, but he battled alcohol addiction for years. He drank heavily and smoked, and despite his strong health, the damage was undeniable. He died of a heart attack at 42 in 1981. Trump witnessed how addiction took over Fred’s life and often tells his own children: “No drugs, no drinking, no cigarettes.”

Trump admitted he could have easily fallen into the same trap if he had ever started drinking. Watching Fred’s decline “amazed” him—how someone so full of promise could be overtaken by addiction. This experience convinced him to completely avoid alcohol and other substances, setting him apart from many political figures who drank socially.

He has spoken about Fred’s influence for years, crediting him as the reason he’s sober. “He had a very tough life because of alcohol,” Trump said in 2018. “I learned because of Fred.” His brother’s story became a personal cautionary tale—one that shaped Trump’s lifelong stance on sobriety.