Topics: Alcohol, Donald Trump, Drugs, US News, YouTube, Mental Health, Health
Donald Trump has shared the reason why he has never drunk alcohol in an interview with podcaster Theo Von.
The US president sat down with Theo Von and spoke candidly about alcohol and drugs in a clip posted to Von's YouTube account, which racked up some 2.8 million views.
Famously, Trump has never drunk alcohol, with his fondness for Diet Coke being widely publicized, reportedly getting through several cans of the drink each day.
But while the fact that Trump doesn't drink is well-known, it's perhaps less known why he decided not to drink or smoke.
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Starting off the video, Theo Von asked Trump about this, inviting him to explain why he doesn't drink.
Trump explained that he has never drunk alcohol after being warned about it by a family member.
"I never have," he said. "I had a great brother who taught me a lesson, don't drink, and he said don't smoke. He smoke and he drank."
This was Trump's elder brother Fred Trump, whose alcoholism led to his death at the age of just 42.
"Great guy, he was a very handsome guy," said Trump. "He had a problem with alcohol."
Speaking about Fred later in the interview, he added: "He had so much going, he had everything going, I think it probably happened in college."
Von opened up about his own recovery, saying: "For me drugs is the problem, but if I have a drink then it's tougher for me to prevent myself."
The conversation comes after a recovering alcoholic opened up about his own struggle, and listed some signs that your drinking is no longer casual.
People might develop an addiction to alcohol for a variety of reasons.
It might be to cope with a mental health problem, wrongly feeling like you're only 'fun' when you drink, or deal with a difficult period in life.
Corey Warren posted on TikTok about one sign which is a red flag for him that someone's drinking is no longer 'casual' - blacking out.
"I used to think that blacking out was just a part of drinking, part of having fun, a part of the story I’d tell the next day," he said.
“What I didn’t realise is that blacking out is not what happens when I drink too much one time. Blacking out is what happens when my tolerance is so high that I drink past my body’s limit and I don’t even realise it."
He added: "And that’s not normal, that’s not fun. That’s my brain shutting down."
