Podcast Summary:
American Thought Leaders (The Epoch Times)
Episode: Eric Trump Opens Up About How Relentless Attacks Impacted Him and His Family
Date: September 27, 2025
Host: Jan Jekielek | Guest: Eric Trump

Episode Overview

In this episode, Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization, joins host Jan Jekielek to discuss his new book, Under Siege: My Family's Fight to Save Our Nation. The conversation explores the impact of relentless legal, political, and personal attacks on the Trump family, the resilience developed throughout these experiences, and Eric’s perspective on political office, the current state of America, and the future of the MAGA movement. The episode is candid, emotional, and reflective, providing insights into the Trump family's response to years of scrutiny, legal battles, and threats to their safety and legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Relentless "Siege" Against the Trump Family

• Multiple Legal and Personal Attacks

  • Eric recounts how he and his family have faced an unprecedented number of indictments and subpoenas (00:00, 01:36).
  • “They wanted to see our family out of business. They wanted to see us bankrupt. They wanted to see my father in jail. They wanted to see me in jail. ... I became the most subpoenaed person in arguably American history.” — Eric Trump [00:00, 01:36]
  • Describes being “the only person that didn’t have constitutional protections” when handed the company as his father went to Washington (01:36).

• Impact of Media and Political Weaponization

  • Eric claims the media and legal system were used to undermine his family’s businesses and relationships, referencing social media bans, investigations, and the Colorado and Maine ballot removals (01:36–03:13).
  • “They took us off of Twitter and Instagram and X. They weaponized the DOJ. They spied on his campaign. They made up the Russia hoax. ... They took his mugshot. And then they tried to kill him. And that's what they tried to do to our family.” — Eric Trump [01:36]

Personal and Family Resilience

• The Psychological Toll and Adapting

  • Eric discusses how repeated attacks “probably turned us into rocks” and desensitized him (03:17).
  • “You start compartmentalizing it as exactly that. It's evil. You have sick people on the other side. ... First they tried to laugh at him, mock him. ... And then they tried to silence him.” — Eric Trump [03:17]
  • The family’s ability to “compartmentalize” became both a shield and a necessity.

• Memorable Dark Moments

  • Eric shares a poignant story from the New York trial, describing the emotional and logistical chaos:
    • “I was the only person who wasn’t gagged. So I was on the steps of the courthouse every day, yelling and screaming about how rigged the whole trial was. ... I remember as soon as we got in the car, he looked at me, he goes, 'I don’t know how, but we're going to win.'” — Eric Trump [04:49]
  • Draws a parallel between Trump’s earlier book The Art of the Comeback and his political return, describing the 2024 win as “the greatest butt kicking in the history of the world.” [06:00]

The Butler Shooting and Escalation of Violence

• Foreshadowing Political Violence

  • Eric recalls predicting an assassination attempt weeks before the Butler incident, receiving criticism for being "alarmist"—and feeling grimly vindicated (07:21).
  • “I said, listen, the next logical course of events is violence. That's what they do when they lose the narrative, they resort to violence.” — Eric Trump [07:21]

• Impact of the Butler Incident

  • The shooting was seen as a turning point that galvanized support.
  • “When I saw the hand in the air I thought to myself, hey, we just won the election. People aren’t going to stand for this.” — Eric Trump [09:15]
  • Argues that the American public recognized the attack as a symptom of radical extremism and responded by further supporting Trump (09:10–11:11).

Eric Trump on Political Ambitions & Critique of Career Politicians

• Preference for Business Over Politics

  • Eric emphasizes his passion for business over politics and his disdain for career politicians who “have never actually accomplished anything” (11:30).
  • “I detest half the people in politics because I think most of them are freeloaders who’ve never actually accomplished anything.” — Eric Trump [11:30]

• On Considering Political Office

  • While Eric does not rule out political office, he expresses comfort in working behind the scenes (14:19).
  • “I would never rule anything out. ... What I can tell you is I think it’s given us a great voice. ... This stuff requires real backbone as they try and literally and figuratively kill you in every aspect of your soul and your company and your family and your marriage and everything else.” — Eric Trump [14:19]
  • Emphasizes the need for leaders with “real backbone” and real-world experience.

Reflections on the Trump Legacy and the Future

• Donald Trump’s Personal Sacrifice

  • Eric praises his father’s willingness to risk wealth, family, and reputation for political change (14:19–17:47).
  • “You have to have great business leaders, people who can offer transformational change and I’d love to see many more of them.” — Eric Trump [17:10]

• The Importance of Independent Conservative Voices

  • Eric is donating a portion of his book proceeds to Turning Point in Charlie Kirk’s memory, underscoring the necessity of preserving dissenting voices (17:47).
  • “They thought they could just remove his voice with a $1 bullet. They were wrong. ... I think our voice is stronger than it's ever been right now.” — Eric Trump [17:59]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Resilience:
  • “It probably turned us into rocks, to tell you the truth.” — Eric Trump [03:17]
• On the Justice System:
  • “The judge was corrupt. His daughter worked for the other side. ... We were in court by day, we were fundraising by night, we were campaigning by night.” — Eric Trump [04:49]
• On Political Violence:
  • “The next logical course of events is violence. That's what they do when they lose the narrative, they resort to violence.” — Eric Trump [07:21]
• On Trump’s Candidacy:
  • “Give me another billionaire who would agree to those terms. Zero. ... These people gamble on probability.” — Eric Trump [16:20]
• On Independent Media:
  • “Turning Point's incredibly important and independent voice is incredibly important. ... They can't silence us the way they thought they could.” — Eric Trump [17:59]

Notable Timestamps

• 00:00 – Eric describes the attacks and unprecedented legal pressure on the Trump family.
• 01:36 – Handing over the Trump Organization, onslaught of subpoenas, and efforts to dismantle the family.
• 03:17 – Emotional and psychological toll of the relentless battles.
• 04:49 – Personal recollection from the New York trial, father's resilience.
• 06:00 – Drawing the parallel: The Art of the Comeback.
• 07:21 – Anticipating violence, predictive warnings, and escalation.
• 09:15 – The Butler incident's impact on the 2024 election.
• 11:30 – Eric on his aspirations and thoughts about politics.
• 14:19 – Lessons learned and reflections on political engagement.
• 17:47 – Donating proceeds to Turning Point, remembering Charlie Kirk.

Closing

Eric Trump's conversation on American Thought Leaders offers an unfiltered look into the Trump family’s mindset, sense of mission, and determination under extraordinary pressure. He frames their struggle as part of a greater battle for America’s future, drawing both from personal experience and a sense of political purpose. The episode provides rare insight into the personal ramifications of political conflict at the highest levels and a clear statement about the future direction and motivations of the Trump movement.