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Donald Trump

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Donald Trump
Official White House presidential portrait. Head shot of Trump smiling in front of the U.S. flag, wearing a dark blue suit jacket with American flag lapel pin, white shirt, and light blue necktie.
Official portrait, 2017
45th President of the United States
In office
January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021
Vice PresidentMike Pence
Preceded byBarack Obama
Succeeded byJoe Biden
Personal details
Born
Donald John Trump

(1946-06-14) June 14, 1946 (age 78)
Queens, New York City, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present)
Other political
affiliations
Reform (1999–2001)

Democratic (2001–2009) Independent (2011–2012)

Spouse
​
​
(m. 1977; div. 1992)​
​
​
(m. 1993; div. 1999)​
​
(m. 2005)​
ChildrenDonald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, Barron
Parent
Fred Trump

Mary Anne MacLeod

RelativesFamily of Donald Trump
ResidenceMar-a-Lago
Alma materWharton School (BS Econ.)
Occupation
AwardsList of awards and honors
SignatureDonald J. Trump stylized autograph, in ink
Website
Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg
This article is part of
a series about
Donald Trump
Trump fist.jpg
Business and personal
45th President of the United States
Tenure
Seal of the President of the United States

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American entrepreneur, television personality, and politician who served as the 45th President of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and was elected the 47th president in 2024. Born in Queens, New York, he graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 with an economics degree. Trump took over his father’s real estate firm in 1971, renaming it The Trump Organization, and built it into a brand known for luxury towers, casinos, golf resorts, and licensing deals worldwide.

Before politics, Trump became a household name hosting NBC’s The Apprentice from 2004 to 2015 and owning the Miss Universe pageants from 1996 to 2015. His business ventures, including iconic projects like Trump Tower and financial restructurings, made him a prominent and controversial figure in American business.

Trump, a former Democrat, launched his 2016 presidential campaign as a Republican, winning the Electoral College over Hillary Clinton despite fewer popular votes. His presidency delivered tax cuts, three Supreme Court justices, and policies like the border wall and exiting the Paris Agreement. It faced two impeachments—one over a Ukraine call in 2019 and another after the January 6, 2021, Capitol protest—both ending in Senate acquittals.[1]

After losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, Trump challenged the results over alleged voter issues, leading to the January 6 Capitol protest by supporters. Post-presidency, he faced legal battles, including a 2024 New York conviction on 34 felony counts tied to hush money payments—called a politically motivated violation of his rights by the House Judiciary Committee—resulting in no prison time. Federal charges were dropped after his 2024 win, where he set a historic record as the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote with 77.3 million votes, swept all seven swing states, and secured 312 electoral votes, surviving two assassination attempts.[2][3]

Personal life

Main article: Family of Donald Trump

Trump married Ivana Trump (1977–1992), fathering Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric; Marla Maples (1993–1999), with daughter Tiffany; and Melania Trump (2005–present), with son Barron.[4] Melania, a Slovenian-born former model, became First Lady in 2017, focusing on child welfare initiatives like "Be Best," and kept a low profile during Trump’s post-presidency and 2024 campaign.[5] Barron, born in 2006, grew up largely out of the public eye at Mar-a-Lago and made a rare appearance in 2024, speaking at a campaign rally to support his father’s election bid.[6]

Trump identifies as a non-denominational Christian and enjoys golf.[7]

Early life and education

A black-and-white photograph of Donald Trump as a teenager, smiling, wearing a dark pseudo-military uniform with various badges and a light-colored stripe crossing his right shoulder
Trump at the New York Military Academy in 1964

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, New York, to Fred Trump, a real estate developer of German roots, and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, a Scottish immigrant.[8] Raised in Jamaica Estates as the fourth of five kids with siblings Maryanne, Fred Jr., Elizabeth, and Robert, he attended Kew-Forest School until 13, then joined New York Military Academy (NYMA) to sharpen his focus.[9]

Trump started at Fordham University in 1964, moved to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania after two years, and graduated in 1968 with a B.S. in economics.[10] During the Vietnam War, he received four student deferments and a medical deferment for bone spurs, earning a 4-F classification that kept him out of the draft.[11]

Business career

Main article: Business career of Donald Trump

Trump joined his father’s Trump Management in 1968, handling middle-class rentals in New York’s outer boroughs. By 1971, he was president, renaming it The Trump Organization and steering it toward upscale projects like the Grand Hyatt (1980) and Trump Tower (1983), his base until 2019.[12] In 1985, he bought Mar-a-Lago, making it a club and residence.[13]

He entered the casino business with Harrah's at Trump Plaza (1984) and Trump Taj Mahal (1990), the latter funded by $675 million in bonds, hitting financial snags requiring asset sales like the Trump Shuttle.[14] Trump also built a global golf resort portfolio and licensed his name for ventures like Trump University, which settled fraud claims for $25 million in 2016.[15]

See also: Wealth of Donald Trump and Legal affairs of Donald Trump

Media career

Main article: Media career of Donald Trump

Trump’s fame surged with The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice (2004–2015), where “You’re fired” became his tagline, earning him a 2007 Hollywood Walk of Fame star.[16] He owned Miss Universe from 1996 to 2015, shifting it to NBC in 2002, and wrote books like the bestselling Trump: The Art of the Deal (1987) with Tony Schwartz.[17]

Presidency (2017–2021)

Main article: Presidency of Donald Trump

Trump won the 2016 election with “Make America Great Again,” taking 304 electoral votes to Clinton’s 227, despite 2.9 million fewer popular votes.[18] Sworn in on January 20, 2017, he signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, appointed justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and pushed border security and trade tariffs.[19]

His term saw exits from the Paris Agreement and Iran nuclear deal, plus the COVID-19 pandemic response. Trump faced two impeachments: one in 2019 over a Ukraine call and another after the January 6, 2021, Capitol protest over election disputes, both ending in acquittals.[1]

See also: Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency

Post-presidency (2021–present)

Main article: Legal affairs of Donald Trump

After leaving office, Trump moved to Mar-a-Lago, started Trump Media & Technology Group, and launched Truth Social in 2022.[20] He kept pushing claims of 2020 election irregularities, shaping GOP election policies.[21]

Legal challenges included a 2024 New York conviction on 34 felony counts for falsifying records over hush money payments, labeled by the House Judiciary Committee as a politically driven violation of his rights by DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Merchan, who used a flawed legal theory and biased rulings.[22] On January 10, 2025, he received an unconditional discharge—no prison, fines, or probation—due to his impending presidency.[23] Federal election interference and classified document cases were dropped on November 25, 2024, post-election.[24]

Trump won the 2024 election, setting a historic record as the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote with 77.3 million votes, sweeping all seven swing states, and securing 312 electoral votes.[2][3]

See also: Legal affairs of Donald Trump

Assassination attempts

Trump speaks at the "Rally to Protect Our Elections" in Phoenix, Arizona, July 2021.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump survived two assassination attempts. The first occurred on July 13, 2024, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots, one grazing Trump’s ear.[25] Bleeding but defiant, Trump raised his fist to the crowd, shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!”—a moment supporters saw as courage under fire—urging them to resist what he called evil forces trying to take over America by silencing him. Days later, he appeared at the Republican National Convention with a bandaged ear, rallying his base.[26]

A second attempt occurred on September 14, 2024, at his golf course in Florida, thwarted by Secret Service agents.[27] Trump again stood firm, reinforcing his narrative of resilience against political adversaries. These events galvanized his supporters, who viewed them as proof of a concerted effort to stop his return to power.[28]

See also: Thomas Matthew Crooks

References

  1. ^ a b Faulders, Katherine; Mallin, Alexander; Barr, Luke (April 11, 2024). "Timeline: Special counsel's probe into Trump's efforts to overturn 2020 election". ABC News. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Lindsay, James M. (2024-12-18). "The 2024 Election by the Numbers". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
  3. ^ a b Lotz, Avery (2024-11-10). "Trump officially sweeps all 7 swing states". Axios. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
  4. ^ "Donald Trump Fast Facts". CNN. July 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Melania Trump's Life Before and After Being First Lady". Glamour Magazine. November 5, 2024.
  6. ^ Bennett, Kate (July 9, 2024). "Barron Trump steps into spotlight with first campaign speech". CNN.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: Trump, confirmed a Presbyterian, now identifies as 'non-denominational Christian'". Religion News Service. October 23, 2020.
  8. ^ "Certificate of Birth". Department of Health – City of New York – Bureau of Records and Statistics. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  9. ^ Kranish, Michael; Fisher, Marc (2017-01-10). Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President. Simon and Schuster. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-5011-5652-6.
  10. ^ "Two Hundred and Twelfth Commencement for the Conferring of Degrees" (PDF). University of Pennsylvania. May 20, 1968. pp. 19–21.
  11. ^ Eder, Steve; Philipps, Dave (August 1, 2016). "Donald Trump's Draft Deferments: Four for College, One for Bad Feet". The New York Times.
  12. ^ Geist, William E. (April 8, 1984). "The Expanding Empire of Donald Trump". The New York Times.
  13. ^ Peterson-Withorn, Chase (April 23, 2018). "Donald Trump Has Gained More Than $100 Million On Mar-a-Lago". Forbes.
  14. ^ "Trump reaches agreement with bondholders on Taj Mahal". United Press International. April 9, 1991.
  15. ^ Eder, Steve (November 18, 2016). "Donald Trump Agrees to Pay $25 Million in Trump University Settlement". The New York Times.
  16. ^ "Why the heck does Donald Trump have a Walk of Fame star, anyway?". Fast Company. October 26, 2016.
  17. ^ "Donald Trump's Ghostwriter Tells All". The New Yorker. July 18, 2016.
  18. ^ Debenedetti, Gabriel. "They Always Wanted Trump". Politico.
  19. ^ "Trump Selects Amy Coney Barrett to Fill Ginsburg's Seat". The New York Times. September 26, 2020.
  20. ^ Goldbart, Max (February 21, 2022). "Donald Trump's Truth Social Launches On U.S. Apple App Store". Deadline Hollywood.
  21. ^ Cassidy, Christina A. (May 4, 2024). "A group of Republicans has united to defend the legitimacy of US elections". AP News.
  22. ^ "New Report: How Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Merchan Violated the Constitutional and Legal Rights of President Donald J. Trump". House Judiciary Committee Republicans. 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2025-04-04.
  23. ^ Collins, Kaitlan (January 10, 2025). "Trump receives unconditional discharge in hush money case". CNN.
  24. ^ Thomas, Pierre (November 25, 2024). "Jack Smith drops election, documents cases against Trump". ABC News.
  25. ^ Thomas, Pierre (July 17, 2024). "Secret Service spotted Trump rally shooter on roof 20 minutes before gunfire erupted". ABC News.
  26. ^ Epstein, Kayla (July 15, 2024). "Republican convention: Relief for Trump faithful after shooting". BBC Home.
  27. ^ Johnson, Kevin (September 14, 2024). "Trump safe after second apparent assassination attempt at Florida golf course". USA Today.
  28. ^ Smith, Allan (September 16, 2024). "Trump's defiance after assassination attempts fuels campaign momentum". NBC News.

Works cited

External links

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