The 45th president of the United States is Donald Trump. He held positions in business and on television before taking office. Trump was born and raised in the Queens neighborhood of New York City. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a degree in economics.
He entered the real estate industry with his father and eventually rose to the position of president of The Trump Organization. According to Trump, his father gave him “a little loan of one million dollars” to start his career. He added that he did his father’s labor for “nothing.”
Trump declared his intention to run for president as a Republican in June 2015, and he immediately became the front-runner for his party’s nomination. His political stances have been labeled as nationalist, populist, and protectionist. Trump promised to erect a wall along the border between Mexico and the USA while running for president, accusing China and Mexico of stealing American jobs.
He also advocated for a short-term restriction on Muslim immigration to the country. Trump was elected president for the first time in history after winning the 2016 election. He took office on January 20, 2017.
Since taking office, Trump has been embroiled in several controversies, including allegations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. He has also been accused of racism and sexual misconduct. Trump has denied all of these allegations.
Despite these controversies, Trump’s presidency has been marked by several significant accomplishments, including the confirmation of two Supreme Court justices, the passage of a substantial tax reform bill, and the repeal of the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act.
Early Life
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York City. His parents were Frederick Trump, a real estate developer, and Mary Trump, a homemaker. Trump has four siblings: two brothers, Frederick Trump Jr. and Robert Trump, and two sisters, Elizabeth Trump Grau and Maryanne Trump Barry.
Trump’s grandfather, Frederick Trump, emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1885. He started as a barber in New York City before moving to the Northwest and becoming a successful real estate developer.
Trump’s father, Frederick Trump, Sr., was born in New York City in 1905. He followed in his father’s footsteps, working in the real estate business. Frederick Trump Sr. became a successful developer in Queens, where he built middle-income housing. He also owned many properties in Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Trump’s mother, Mary Trump, was born in Scotland in 1912. She met Frederick Trump Sr. while he was on a business trip in New York City. They married in 1936 and had Mary Trump 1937, Trump’s elder sister.
Trump was raised in Queens and attended the Kew-Forest School from kindergarten through seventh grade. He then attended the New York Military Academy, a private boarding school, from eighth grade through high school. Trump said he was “an outstanding student” and “didn’t necessarily want to go” to college.
After graduating from the New York Military Academy in 1964, Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Wharton in 1968 with a degree in economics.
Business Career
Trump began his business career working for his father’s company, the Trump Organization. Trump worked for his father for five years, during which time he was given increasing responsibility for the company’s real estate projects. In 1971, Trump was given charge of the Trump Organization’s developments in Manhattan.
One of Trump’s first projects was renovating the Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The project was completed in 1978 and made Trump a millionaire.
Trump’s next major project was the construction of Trump Tower, a 58-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. Trump Tower was completed in 1983 and was home to Trump’s business offices, luxury apartments, and shops. Trump also built Trump Plaza, a residential complex in Manhattan, and Trump Parc, a condominium building in Stamford, Connecticut.
The Trump Organization developed the building, which is home to many businesses, including Trump’s office and residence. Trump often gave tours of the building to potential tenants and even appeared in a music video for the pop group snap! in the early 1990s.
In 1988, Trump got the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan for $390 million. Trump renovated the hotel and eventually regained its status as a luxury property.
In 1994, Trump purchased the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for $10 million. Trump turned the estate to a private club, charging members an initiation fee of $100,000.
Trump also built casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Trump Plaza opened in 1984, followed by Trump Castle in 1985 and Trump Taj Mahal in 1990. The Trump Castle casino was renamed the Trump Marina in 1996.
Trump’s casinos were hit hard by the economic recession of the early 1990s and the competition from neighboring states. Trump Plaza and Trump Castle both filed for bankruptcy in 1992. The Trump Taj Mahal also filed for bankruptcy in 2014. Trump divested himself of his casino holdings in 2009.
Trump has also licensed his name to many other businesses, including Trump University, a now-defunct for-profit education company; Trump Air, a short-lived airline operated by Trump Shuttle; and Trump Vodka, produced by the Drinks International Group.
Trump has owned many golf courses and resorts around the world. In 1999, he purchased the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Monterey, California. Trump has also built golf courses in Ireland, Scotland, and the United States.
Trump has been involved in many lawsuits as a plaintiff and defendant. Trump’s companies have been sued for allegedly refusing to rent to African Americans and discriminating against Hispanic tenants. Trump has also been sued for defamation, fraud, and breach of contract.
Television Career
In 2003, Trump became the producer and host of the NBC reality T.V. show The Apprentice, where a group of businesspeople competed for a job with the Trump Organization. The show was a rating success and ran for 14 seasons. Trump was paid $50 million for the first season of The Apprentice.
In 2015, Trump began hosting the NBC reality T.V. show The Celebrity Apprentice, where a group of celebrities competed for a charity prize. The show ran for 15 seasons and ended in 2015.
Trump has also made cameo appearances in many movies and television shows, including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1994), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), The Nanny (1996), and Sex and the City (1999).
Presidential Campaign
Trump announced his presidential candidacy on June 16, 2015, at Trump Tower in New York City. Trump stated that he would run as a Republican and self-fund his campaign.
Trump quickly emerged as the front-runner for the Republican nomination. He won the primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. Trump also won many other state primaries, including those in Florida, Illinois, and North Carolina.
On July 19, 2016, Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump’s running mate was Indiana governor Mike Pence.
During the campaign, Trump made many controversial statements, including proposing a temporary prohibition on Muslim immigration to the U.S and stating that he would build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and force Mexico to pay for it.
Trump also faced many allegations of sexual misconduct. Trump denied all of the allegations and accused his political opponents of trying to undermine his campaign.
Despite these controversies, Trump won the 2016 presidential election, defeating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump became the oldest person ever to be elected president. He was inaugurated on January 20, 2017.
Presidency
Trump’s presidency has been marked by many significant accomplishments, including the confirmation of two Supreme Court justices, the passage of a substantial tax reform bill, and the removal of the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act.
Trump has also been embroiled in many controversies, including allegations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. He has also been accused of racism and sexual misconduct. Trump has denied all of these allegations.
Trump has frequently been described as a populist, protectionist, and nationalist. He has also been described as having an “America First” foreign policy.
During his presidency, Trump has withdrawn the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He has also imposed tariffs on many imported goods, including steel and aluminum.
Trump has also engaged in many diplomatic efforts, including seeking to improve relations with North Korea and meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Trump announced his candidacy for re-election in 2020, where Joe Biden defeated him.
Personal Life
Trump has been married three times and has five children. His first wife was Ivana Trump, a Czech-American model. They were married from 1977 to 1992 and had three children: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump.
Trump’s second wife was Marla Maples, an actress. They were married from 1993 to 1999 and had one child: Tiffany Trump.
Trump’s third and current wife is Melania Trump, a Slovenian-American model. They were married in 2005 and had one child: Barron Trump.
Trump also has eight grandchildren.
Trump is a Presbyterian. He said he attends church “as much as I can.”
Political views
Trump has been described as a populist, a nationalist, and a protectionist. He has also been accused of racism, sexism, and xenophobia.
Trump’s platform included renegotiating U.S.–China trade deals, ending U.S. involvement in the Iraq War, and repealing the Affordable Care Act. During his first 100 days, he signed 24 executive orders, the most of any president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. He also rescinded many executive orders issued by previous administrations.
In 2017, He signed an order that temporarily suspended immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries; federal courts subsequently blocked the order. In February, he issued a revised order that removed Iraq from the list of countries.
The revised order also placed a 90-day moratorium on entry to the United States for citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Federal courts again blocked the order. In September, Trump issued a proclamation that placed travel restrictions on citizens of eight countries, including Iran, Chad, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
In April 2018, Trump ordered the military to launch airstrikes against Syria in response to the Syrian administration’s chemical weapons use.
Trump has criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), suggesting that the United States might not fulfill its commitment to defend NATO allies if they do not increase its military spending.
In June 2019, Trump became the first U.S. president to converge with a North Korean leader when he met with Kim Jong-un in North Korea.
In December 2019, the House of Representatives removed Him on charges of power abuse and obstruction of Congress. The Senate acquitted him in February 2020.
Business Bankruptcies
Trump has been involved in over 4,000 state and federal legal actions, including 16 personal bankruptcy filings, as of June 2016.
Trump has declared bankruptcy six times: in 1991 for his Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City; in 1992 for Trump Plaza Hotel in Atlantic City; in 2004 for Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts, which owned the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza, Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana, and Trump World’s Fair casino in Atlantic City; in 2009 for Trump Entertainment Resorts, which owned the Trump Taj Mahal, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, and the Trump Marina in Atlantic City; and in 2014 for the Trump Entertainment Resorts, which owned the Trump Taj Mahal, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, and the Trump Marina in Atlantic City.
Racism and sexism
Trump has been accused of making racist and sexist remarks throughout his career.
In 1989, Trump was accused of making racist remarks after he called for the execution of five black and Latino teenagers alleged of raping a woman in Central Park. The teenagers, known as the Central Park Five, were later exonerated by DNA evidence.
In June 2020, Trump was accused of making racist remarks after he said that four Democratic congresswomen of color, known as “The Squad,” should “go back” to their “crime-infested” countries. Three of the congresswomen were born in the U.S, and all of them are American citizens.
Trump has also been accused of making sexist remarks. In 2005, a leaked audio recording revealed Trump was making lewd and sexually suggestive remarks about women. Trump was also accused of sexual assault by several women during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has denied all of the accusations.
Conclusion
Donald Trump is a controversial figure, and there is much to learn about his history. From his early life and education to his business career and political views, Trump is a complex individual. Love or hate him, and there is no denying that he is an influential figure in American history.
