Donald Trump Bows Out of $100 Million Legal Showdown with Niece Mary Trump

Donald Trump just settled a jaw-dropping $100 million lawsuit against his niece, Mary Trump, who allegedly leaked sensitive financial information to The New York Times.

This legal battle erupted from Mary Trump's role in providing family tax documents that fueled a 2018 exposé on the president's finances, revealing that Fred Trump, Donald's father, funneled at least $413 million to his son through various tax-avoidance schemes. That article snagged a Pulitzer Prize.

The Trumps announced the settlement on Tuesday, as confirmed by court records. The letter stated, “The parties are pleased to report they have reached a settlement and anticipate being able to stipulate to the dismissal of this action with prejudice in the ensuing weeks, following completion of certain conditions precedent.”

Details surrounding the settlement remain under wraps as of Wednesday. No further information has been disclosed.

The lawsuit first hit the courts in 2021, targeting Mary Trump for allegedly breaching a settlement agreement by leaking records to the Times. Trump's legal team branded the leak a “blatant breach.” In contrast, Mary Trump's lawyers labeled the lawsuit as "baseless," demanding its dismissal.

Mary Trump’s legal representatives argued that Donald Trump misused the confidentiality provision, claiming it stifled public discourse on issues central to his presidency. They pointed out that Dutchess County Supreme Court Justice Greenwald had already rejected Trump's interpretation.

Mary Trump disclosed details about the alleged leak in her 2020 book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.

In 2023, parts of the lawsuit were dismissed, with claims against the newspaper and its reporters being dropped. However, a New York court allowed claims against Mary Trump to proceed in 2024, asserting there was a "substantial" basis for Donald Trump's case against her.

The appeals court hinted that if Trump wins, he might only receive "nominal" damages rather than the full $100 million he sought. The five-judge panel noted that "at a minimum, nominal damages may still be available on the breach of contract claim even in the absence of actual damages," according to Reuters.

In July 2025, Mary Trump's legal team reported difficulties in getting Donald Trump to sit for a deposition.

Mary Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., who has been a vocal critic of the president. She has labeled her uncle as "utterly incapable of leading this country and it's dangerous to allow him to do so."

A psychologist and author, she has emerged as a political commentator, running a podcast and newsletter on Substack where she consistently critiques Trump.

In January, she stated, "The one thing Donald has always feared most is to be seen as a loser and the humiliation that comes with that."

Trump's representatives have dismissed her claims, previously branding her as "a stone-old loser who doesn’t have a clue about anything.”