Donald Trump

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York. He was the fourth child of Fred Trump, a real estate developer, and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. Growing up in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood, Trump was raised in a 23-room mansion.

His father, a significant influence on his life, instilled in him a strong work ethic and a competitive nature, often encouraging him to view business as a high-stakes environment. Trump attended the private Kew-Forest School before his father enrolled him in the New York Military Academy, where he spent his high school years. This environment emphasized discipline, sports, and the importance of winning.

Following his time at the academy, Trump briefly attended Fordham University before transferring to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. During the Vietnam War, he received an exemption from the military draft based on a medical claim regarding bone spurs in his heels.

In 1968, Trump began his career at his father's company, Trump Management, which oversaw thousands of middle-class apartments in New York City. By 1971, he had become the president of the company, which he rebranded as the Trump Organization. He shifted the business focus toward Manhattan, where he undertook ambitious projects such as the renovation of the Commodore Hotel and the construction of Trump Tower.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, his portfolio expanded to include casinos in Atlantic City and various golf courses globally. However, his business career also faced significant challenges, including six Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings for his hotel and casino businesses between 1991 and 2009. Beyond real estate, Trump cultivated a public persona as a wealthy tycoon.

He authored numerous books, most notably 'The Art of the Deal' in 1987, and became a household name through his role as the host of the reality television series 'The Apprentice' from 2004 to 2015. His media presence also included appearances in professional wrestling and various talk shows, which helped build his brand.

Trump entered the political arena as a Republican and won the 2016 presidential election, defeating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. His first term, spanning from 2017 to 2021, was marked by significant policy shifts. He signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, appointed three Supreme Court justices, and implemented a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.

His administration also focused on border security, including the expansion of the Mexico-United States border wall. In the realm of foreign policy, he withdrew the United States from several international trade and climate agreements and initiated a trade war with China. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, he signed the bipartisan CARES Act while frequently contradicting public health officials regarding the severity of the virus.

His presidency saw two impeachments by the House of Representatives-in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and in 2021 for incitement of insurrection-though he was acquitted by the Senate in both instances. Following his loss in the 2020 election, he refused to concede, an action that culminated in the January 6 Capitol attack.

Following his departure from office in 2021, Trump faced numerous legal proceedings. In 2023, he was found liable in New York civil cases for sexual abuse and defamation, as well as business fraud. In May 2024, he became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony after a New York court found him guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Despite these legal hurdles, he remained the dominant figure in the Republican Party. He ran for president again in 2024, successfully defeating Vice President Kamala Harris to secure a second term. Upon his return to the presidency, two federal felony indictments against him regarding the retention of classified documents and the obstruction of the 2020 election were dismissed.

His political ideology, often termed 'Trumpism,' has fundamentally reshaped the Republican Party's platform and identity, focusing on a populist approach that has drawn both strong support and intense criticism from various sectors of American society.

As of October 2026, Donald Trump is serving his second term as the 47th president of the United States. His current administration has been characterized by the extensive use of executive orders to implement his agenda. He has initiated mass layoffs of federal workers and imposed tariffs on nearly all countries at levels not seen since the Great Depression.

His administration has also signed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.' Domestically, his policies have included the restriction of transgender rights and the implementation of mass deportation programs for undocumented immigrants. Internationally, his administration has pursued aggressive strategies, including a military raid into Venezuela to target the country's president and the authorization of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which marked the beginning of the 2026 Iran war. These actions have led to over 550 lawsuits challenging the legality of his administration's policies.

Trump's leadership style continues to be a subject of intense debate among historians and political scientists, with his actions frequently drawing scrutiny regarding their impact on democratic institutions and the established norms of American governance.