“I see it in parallel with my grandfather’s decline,” Fred Trump says of Donald’s recent behavior. “If anyone wants to believe that dementia doesn’t run in the Trump family, that’s simply not true.”

Donald Trumpthe nephew of Fred C. Trump III opens up about her family’s often-overlooked history of dementia — and how her uncle’s recent behavior reminds her of other Trumps who have faced cognitive health issues, including Donald’s father.

“Like everyone else, I saw his decline. But I see it in parallel with the decline of my grandfather,” Fred, 61, tells PEOPLE of Donald, 78, who has sometimes downplayed the symptoms of his father. “If anyone wants to believe that dementia doesn’t run in the Trump family, that’s simply not true.”

As Election Day approaches, Fred says it’s “frustrating” that speculation about candidates’ mental aptitude this election cycle hasn’t involved a closer look at their family histories. “People (who don’t know the candidates) would diagnose, if you will, Biden, and they would diagnose Donald. I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘Oh, let’s look at the family history of either of these two people.’ “

The former president’s campaign dismissed the following interview as “completely fabricated and completely false fake news.”

Fred’s first contact with a loved one showing signs of dementia was when his namesake grandfather, Frederick Christ Trump Sr.was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He says that Donald’s cousin, John Walter, also suffered from dementia, and that Donald’s late sister, Maryanne Trump Barryhad similar symptoms before his death last yearalthough he was never diagnosed.

Fred remembers his grandfather’s decline starting in the 1980s, “with some of the similar stories you’ve heard over and over again, that when his limousine would pull up, he would just get out of the car and start driving.” ‘away’.

Fred Sr.’s behavior became a norm for those around him, explains his grandson. “You know, things that you almost say, ‘Oh, there’s Grandpa again.’ “

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“You have to understand,” adds the younger Fred, “he still went to work every day, that was part of the problem.”

Keeping Fred Sr. employed “was to give my grandmother (Mary Anne MacLeod Trump) rest and not have it at home,” he told PEOPLE. “My grandmother called it the 36-hour day, being with my grandfather, who had contracted the disease ‘Alzheimer’s.”

Fred – who described his childhood experience under the Trump dynasty in his recent book, All in the family: the assets and how we got here — recalls that his grandfather “became a little more agitated” as his condition worsened.

“He was yelling, and I witnessed it, yelling at my grandmother because she was spending too much money,” Fred says, recalling that money was not an issue for Fred Sr.’s behavior. continued to escalate, to the point where doctors were telling my grandmother, “You really shouldn’t stay in the same room with him at night.”

Fred, the son of Donald’s late brother, Fred Trump Jr., clarifies that he never saw or heard his grandfather become physically violent with his grandmother, but was rather “agitated in his language and vicious.”

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It also alleges that Donald’s sister, Maryanne, appeared to exhibit signs of dementia before her death on November 13, 2023.

“One of the last times I saw Maryanne, she said to me, ‘You know, I only met your wife Lisa once.’ And I was sort of surprised by that… I said, ‘Well, you’ve actually met Lisa hundreds of times in the almost 40 years that you’ve known her, as long as I have. ‘ “

Specifically recalling his grandfather’s experience with dementia, Fred says he has witnessed similarities in recent years with his uncle Donald, who has not released any recent medical records. the oldest presidential candidate in United States history.

One particular interaction comes to Fred’s mind as an example, when he met Donald at Mar-a-Lago in 2023.

“He just seemed disoriented and he kept telling me something over and over again when I met him,” Fred told PEOPLE. “He kept repeating things, and he just seemed different. He seemed tired.”

Fred says he noticed that his uncle also had “no inhibitions about swearing in front of anyone” more recently, and although he acknowledges that “Donald always swore”, his nephew describes the recent communication of the former president as “pure wickedness.”

Related: Fred Trump III says Kamala Harris’ rise makes Uncle Donald ‘absolutely crazy’: ‘It’s going to get nasty’ (Exclusive)

Fred, who decided to come back Kamala Harris“I always have to deny it, I’m not a neurologist, I’m not a psychologist, I’m not a doctor.” But based on his family experiences, he says, “I see traits in Donald that are unfortunate.”

Remembering one of the first times Donald met Fred’s son William, who has complications due to a rare genetic mutationFred says Donald rejected Lisa’s explanation of William’s condition.

“When Lisa and I went to see Donald, and he said, ‘Well, what’s wrong with William?’ And Lisa says, “Well, he has a problem with one of his genes, a genetic mutation.” And Donald immediately says, “Not our genes.” “He will never admit that there is any mental or physical defect in a family member.”

Related: Donald Trump’s Nephew Fred Supports Kamala Harris for President After Making Explosive Allegations Against His Uncle

Donald’s nephew — who claims in his book that the former president once told him Disabled Americans ‘should just die’ due to ‘expenses’ and ‘the state they’re in,’ which Donald’s campaign has strongly denied – tells PEOPLE he thinks the former president is probably playing ‘the old projection trick’ denying any flaws in his family’s medical history.

“He will never be able to open the negative door to the family,” says Fred. “Because if he admits that my grandfather has dementia, well, that’s almost like admitting that he has the possibility of having dementia.”

In a statement responding to Fred’s criticism, Donald told PEOPLE that he had offered his nephew a lot of support, “more than anyone in his life, and that’s the thanks I get.” Donald’s son Eric added in a statement that his cousin’s claims are “rubbish.”

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The possibility that Americans could elect Donald to the White House once again without certainty about his cognitive health worries Fred, following a series of public campaign errors in which the former president mixed up names of world leaders, muddled his speech and relied on increasingly violent rhetoric towards his adversaries.

“Unfortunately, my grandfather was threatening my grandmother (late in life), and it was horrible. And I witnessed it,” Fred says. “But my grandfather didn’t make a decision that would have global implications. The biggest implication is: ‘Does my grandmother sleep in another room to stay away from him when he walks around the home at two in the morning? The morning ? “

But for Donald, he adds, “he’s potentially the most important person in the world.”