Tax returns show Trump made millions from father’s legacy while own properties flopped

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump’s business empire relies much on public image and societal whims — and the cost of bucking those trends was evident in the second year of his presidency. But in one part of Mr Trump’s returns breaking down the individual sources of income from sale of real estate, a sharp divide appears which may point to the financial cost of the public blowback suffered as a result of his political career. The entirety of his income from real estate sales in 2018 actually came from properties passed down to Mr Trump through his father, Fred Trump. The explanation for the losses Mr Trump suffered at properties directly tied to his name could be a result of the overall effect that his presidency had on the Trump Organization; while some properties saw a flurry of activity from people eager to meet the president or his inner circle, others suffered a financial malaise brought on by a hesitance of some to appear at Trump-branded properties out of a desire to preserve their public images.