Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in the New York City borough of Queens. He is of German and Scottish descent and was confirmed as a Presbyterian. Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who has served as the 45th president (2017-2021) and is the current 47th president of the United States (2025-present).
Early Life and Education
- Trump grew up in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens with his siblings.
- By age eight, he was a millionaire in 2024 dollars.
- He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1968.
Business Career
- Starting in 1968, Trump worked at his father’s real estate company, Trump Management.
- In 1971, his father made him president of the company, and he began using the Trump Organization as an umbrella brand.
- In the 1970s and 1980s, Roy Cohn was Trump’s lawyer and mentor.
- In 1973, Cohn helped Trump countersue the U.S. government for $100 million over charges of racial discrimination.
- Between 1991 and 2009, six of Trump’s businesses filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- Trump has often said he began his career with “a small loan of a million dollars” from his father, but he actually borrowed at least $60 million and received another $413 million from his father’s company.
- In 1984, Trump posed as a Trump Organization official named “John Barron” to try to get a higher ranking on the Forbes 400 list.
- His self-reported net worth has varied widely, from -$900 million in 1990 to $10 billion in 2015. In 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth to be $2.3 billion.
Media Career
- Trump has produced 19 books, with most written by ghostwriters.
- His first book, The Art of the Deal (1987), was a New York Times Best Seller.
- He had cameos in films and television shows from 1985 to 2001.
- From 2004 to 2015, he hosted and co-produced The Apprentice reality TV series.
- He had his own short-form talk radio program, Trumped!, from 2004 to 2008.
- From 2011 to 2015, he was a guest commentator on Fox & Friends.
- In 2021, he resigned from SAG-AFTRA to avoid a disciplinary hearing and was then permanently barred from the union.
Early Political Aspirations
- Trump was a member of the Republican Party (1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present), the Reform Party (1999–2001), the Democratic Party (2001–2009), and was an independent (2011-2012).
- He explored a presidential run as early as 1987 .
- He ran for president in 2000 in several Reform Party presidential primaries .
2016 Presidential Election
- Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015.
- His campaign was initially not taken seriously by political analysts but he quickly rose to the top of opinion polls.
- He became the front-runner in March 2016 and was declared the presumptive Republican nominee in May.
- His fame and provocative statements earned him a great deal of free media coverage.
- His campaign statements were often opaque and suggestive, and a record number were false.
- He selected Mike Pence as his running mate in July 2016.
- He and Hillary Clinton participated in three presidential debates. Trump twice refused to say whether he would accept the result of the election.
First Presidency (2017–2021)
- Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President on January 20, 2017.
- His early actions included the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 2017.
- His administration had conflicts of interest, with his children, Ivanka and Jared, both holding positions.
- He enacted policies, including tax cuts, tariffs, and a withdrawal from the Paris Agreement .
- He faced investigations related to financial matters and Russian interference in the 2016 election.
- He was impeached twice.
- He lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
Between Presidential Terms (2021-2025)
- In February 2021, Trump registered a new company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).
- In February 2022, TMTG launched Truth Social, a social media platform.
- As of March 2023, Trump Media was being investigated for possible money laundering.
- He faced criminal indictments and convictions, as well as civil lawsuits.
Second Presidency (2025-Present)
- Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President on January 20, 2025.
- He and his incoming administration helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with the Biden administration.
- He signed executive orders directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.
- He rolled back trans and gender-identity rights and took aim at DEI .
- He commuted sentences of Jan. 6 extremist group leaders, and pardoned roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack .
- He threatened 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada .
Political Practice and Rhetoric
- As a candidate and president, Trump frequently made false statements.
- His falsehoods are a distinctive part of his political identity.
- He often used social media to communicate directly with the public, until he was banned from Twitter and other platforms.
- He launched social media platform Truth Social.
- He had a “love-hate” relationship with the press and often accused the press of bias, calling it the “fake news media” and “the enemy of the people”.
- He has been described as a populist .
- Some have described Trump’s supporters as having a cult-like loyalty to him .
- Trump’s rhetoric has been described as divisive .
- He has been accused of using racial appeals that disparaged racial, religious, and ethnic minorities .
- His language has been described as encouraging violence or threats of violence .
Personal Life
- Trump has been married three times.
- Ivana Zelníčková (1977-1990)
- Marla Maples (1993-1999)
- Melania Knauss (2005-present)
- He has five children.
- Donald Jr.
- Ivanka
- Eric
- Tiffany
- Barron
- He grew up Presbyterian but now identifies as a non-denominational Christian.
This detailed bio provides an overview of Donald Trump’s life, career, and political activities, drawing on information from the sources, and in particular the Wikipedia article.