A Family Affair.

I would not be too hard on Trump's sister Maryanne Barry, the former judge, at this time.  She thought she was building rapport with a blacksheep niece, bonding with her, telling her - somewhat -- what she wanted to hear.  One long bitchfest session, perhaps.  That, and this is important, she likely thought would never leave the room and be repeated, certainly not go public...

Don't we all say things that we don't really mean, or mean in a lesser way when put in full context?  It's called intimate communication, people.  We're not thinking of the transcript.

I totally get her point about the judgeship, too.  She "had it" and worked her way up there.  In asking for the call to be made, she was likely just pushing President Reagan to acknowledge more women in power, which traditionally was not really a role they were seen in at that time.  So she got the job, one she was clearly qualified for -- if not entitled to, in her mind, based on all her work and dues paying on the way up...

I'm thinking, when this interview "broke" today, it did not harden the president's heart, but likely brought the siblings closer together after the death of their brother.  "Donnie, I never thought she would use my words in that way... You WERE a brat, and I did drive you all over town back in the day, helping you get into college. I'll never know -- be able to prove beyond a shadow of doubt -- whether you really got that kid to take your SATs or if that was just a boastful rumor you told, to up your streetworthiness, your "connected " credentials, and it sure DID piss me off -- I remember I threatened to "level you" -- when you kept pushing my buttons about my whole career seemingly being owed to the Cohn call.  But you're my brother, buddy.  You play hardball and operate in a different world than the more formal, polite and legal one I've chosen to inhabit for most of my life...  In the past years, I see how they are out to get you, out to get all of us, the Trump family, and with Bobby gone now, I just wanted to call and say, I love you more than ever, little brother.  Call me when you get some time, love to Melania and Barron, and stay strong.  I'm not sorry so much for what I said to that little b****, but she's shown me her true colors now in revealing our confidences over a few highballs...  Love you always, lil bro.  Keep fighting:  you got this!"

The president texts back: "Thanks Maryanne.  Got your message, appreciate it.  Lots to do in the coming days, good seeing you at Robert's funeral Friday.  I told you who she was (re. Mary), next time, just believe me?  No hard feelings.  Mel and B-Ron (that's his new name "tag", crazy these American kids today...)  send their love back, and remember:  watch your back.  They want to get me, and they'll stop at nothing.  We can't help Robert now, but we can protect ourselves.  Somedays, I am sorry I got you all into this, but dammit:  the country needs a tough leader right now.  If the summer has taught me anything, it's taught me that. Be well. Don."

That Mary can make secret recordings.
This Mary can apply her knowledge of human nature, and imagine how things play out in other families, in the real world.

Whatever it takes to get you through the night.  Hth. Peace out. ;-)

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ADDED:  Apropos of this:

In response to a question from The Washington Post about how she knew the president paid someone to take the SATs, Mary Trump revealed that she had surreptitiously taped 15 hours of face-to-face conversations with [Maryanne Trump] Barry in 2018 and 2019. She provided The Post with previously unreleased transcripts and audio excerpts, which include exchanges that are not in her book....

At one point Barry said to her niece, “It’s the phoniness of it all. It’s the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel.”...

Barry told how she tried to help her brother get into college. “He was a brat,” Barry said, explaining that “I did his homework for him” and “I drove him around New York City to try to get him into college.” Then Barry dropped what Mary considered a bombshell: “He went to Fordham for one year [actually two years] and then he got into University of Pennsylvania because he had somebody take the exams.... SATs or whatever. . . . That’s what I believe,” Barry said. “I even remember the name.”...

In one of the taped conversations, however, Barry revealed how a deep animosity developed between her and her brother.... “He had Roy Cohn call Reagan about needing to appoint a woman as a federal judge in New Jersey,” Barry told Mary. “Because Reagan’s running for reelection, and he was desperate for the female vote.” Then, she said, “I had the nomination,” and Donald Trump never let Barry forget it....

“He once tried to take credit for me,” Barry said of her brother, quoting him as saying, “Where would you be without me?”

Barry said she told her brother: “You say that one more time and I will level you.” She told Mary that it was “the only favor I ever asked for in my whole life.” She said that she deserved the nomination “on my own merit” and that she was subsequently elevated to higher judicial posts without her brother’s intervention.