Former President Donald Trump posted a tribute to his late sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, on Tuesday morning that was equal parts a memorial of a life well-lived and a takedown of the partisan, left-wing corporate media.
In a time of mourning for the Trump family, the fact that the former president felt aggrieved at how poorly his sister was treated is a sign of just how poisonous and toxic the country’s media has become.
Maryanne Trump Barry, a former federal judge, died on Monday at the age of 86.
She made a name for herself as a professional. She was appointed to the U.S. District Court for New Jersey in 1983 by then-president Ronald Reagan.
Then-president Bill Clinton appointed her to the 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia in 1999.
But as CBS News noted, she was dragged into public view when her brother ran for president and was eventually elected in 2017.
“Barry, the widow of attorney John J. Barry, whom she married in 1982, was not immune to the family’s scandals,” the outlet reported.
“At the time of her voluntary retirement, she was being investigated for suspected violations of judicial conduct rules related to alleged Trump family schemes to dodge taxes on their inheritance.”
If that investigation was anything like the ones the county’s 45th president and his family are still facing today — lawfare from a weaponized justice system — Maryanne died persecuted following a life and career of public service.
Her brother honored her and lashed out at those who were behind her persecution in a Tuesday morning post on Truth Social.
Mr. Trump wrote, “My great sister, Maryanne, passed away yesterday at the age of 86. A truly beautiful woman, tall and elegant, with a presence like no other, she was also a tremendous student, intellect, and Judge, in charge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, just below the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Her life was largely problem free, PERFECT, until I made it difficult for her when I decided to run for President. The Fake News, and others, went after her mercilessly, and because of the fact that she felt it inappropriate, due to her position, to defend herself, it just never stopped! While tough and strong, she was made to suffer in those years from 2016 until her Retirement.”
The former president and front-runner to take back the White House in 2024 concluded: “I will never forget the many times people would come up to me and say, ‘Your sister was the smartest person on the Court.’ I was always honored by that, but understood exactly what they meant — They were right! She was a great Judge, and a great sister. She will be truly missed!”
Trump also included an old photo of him with Maryanne:
There used to be an unspoken rule in politics that the family members of those who govern who choose to live quietly away from the cameras (and do not attempt to use public office for their own benefit) are to be left alone.
Those who broke that rule were often ridiculed, and rightfully so.
The family members of the country’s elected officials, generally speaking, and regardless of their respective political affiliations, deserve to be able to live and work without being harassed.
Maryanne Trump Barry was denied the respect she deserved at the end of a storied career on the bench.
At a time when her family is remembering her legacy, they’re also reconciling how politics came to define part of it.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
