Eric Trump Reveals Tragic Details Of Mom Ivana's Last Moments

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Losing a loved one is never easy, but to be the one who finds them dead is a traumatic event only few can comprehend. For Eric Trump, that pain became a reality when he discovered his mother, Ivana Trump, had passed away at her Manhattan residence in July 2022. In a memoir released in October 2025, "Under Siege: My Family's Fight to Save Our Nation," Donald Trump's youngest son recounted the devastating memory forever etched in his mind: discovering his mother in the aftermath of her death. 

It was reported that Ivana lost her life at 73 following a fall, but very few details were ever made public about what had actually happened inside her home that day. According to an excerpt from Eric's memoir, he was the very first person of the family to see Ivana after her fatal fall. "I sat in silence. She was gone," he wrote, adding, "But I couldn't really grieve yet. Her fall down the staircase had left a gruesome trail of blood. I sat and slowly, carefully, cleaned her blood off the stairs, in the house she called a home for many years." 

He also admitted that alcohol likely played a part in her fall and addressed the rumors about his mother's alcohol problem, writing, "It's true that my mom had an alcohol problem later in life." Eric added that he hoped no one would reduce Ivana down to her heartbreaking death or define her by her problems. If anything, Eric's memoir revealed he clearly had the utmost respect for his mother and the woman she was.

For those wondering what Eric Trump's childhood was like, "Under Siege" pointed to his mother as the one who supposedly helped him stay grounded and humble despite their privileged surroundings. In his memoir, he recalled how Ivana Trump shaped him to be the person he is today, writing, "She expected her kids to open doors for others and finish the food on their plates." 

Eric became a firm believer that his mother's "Eastern European grit" contributed to whatever was good about his character. "We went to the best schools and saw amazing places, but if I wanted a bike, I had to earn the money to buy it," he wrote. Ivana insisted her kids have summer jobs from very young ages and always gave them just enough money to eat and make sure their friends got to eat too. She exposed them to all walks of life, whether working class or royalty, with Eric writing that his mother wanted to be sure her children treated everyone with the utmost respect. 

Eric also noted that Ivana had taught he and his siblings to be "social chameleons," which molded them to be comfortable in any social setting. But most of all, he appreciated the fierce and undying love she had for her children. In his eulogy, he said (per Newsweek), "She ruled the three of us with an iron fist and a heart of gold." For Eric, that perfect balance of discipline and tenderness is what most defined Ivana.