Donald Trump

Donald John Trump (1946-) was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, and became one of the most recognizable and controversial figures in modern American history. A businessman, television personality, and politician, Trump entered the presidency after decades of prominence in American real estate and popular culture. He served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and, after losing the 2020 election, returned to the White House in 2025 as the 47th president, making him only the second American president after Grover Cleveland to serve nonconsecutive terms. His political career transformed the Republican Party and reshaped debates over immigration, trade, foreign policy, executive power, and the role of populism in American government.

Trump grew up in a wealthy family in Queens, the fourth of five children born to Fred and Mary Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. His father was a successful real-estate developer who built a substantial business in New York City's outer boroughs, and Donald was exposed to the industry from an early age. After attending the Kew-Forest School and later the New York Military Academy, Trump studied at Fordham University before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, where he graduated in 1968 with a degree in economics. His upbringing provided him with considerable financial advantages, but it also exposed him to the competitive world of New York real estate and helped shape the ambitious, aggressive personality that later became central to his public image.

After graduating from college, Trump joined his father's real-estate business and gradually expanded his ambitions beyond the outer boroughs of New York. In 1971, he took control of the company, later renamed the Trump Organization, and concentrated on major projects in Manhattan, including the development of Trump Tower. He expanded into hotels, casinos, golf courses, entertainment, and licensing, turning the Trump name itself into a widely recognized brand. His business career included substantial successes as well as major financial difficulties, including several corporate bankruptcies involving his casino and hotel businesses. Trump also became a national celebrity through appearances in the media and, beginning in 2004, as the host of the reality television program The Apprentice, which further established his image as a powerful businessman and introduced him to millions of Americans.

Trump entered presidential politics as a Republican and won the 2016 election against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, despite having no previous experience holding elected office or serving in government. His first presidency emphasized an "America First" agenda, including restrictions on immigration, renegotiation of trade relationships, tax cuts, deregulation, increased military spending, and a more confrontational approach toward China and other foreign competitors. He appointed three Supreme Court justices—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—fundamentally shifting the Court's ideological balance. His administration also negotiated the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, pursued diplomatic agreements between Israel and several Arab states, and confronted North Korea and Iran. His presidency was marked by intense political conflict, two impeachments by the House of Representatives, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the highly disputed 2020 election, which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

After leaving office in January 2021, Trump remained the dominant figure in the Republican Party and continued to hold rallies, endorse candidates, and challenge the direction of the Biden administration. He announced another presidential campaign in 2022 and ultimately defeated Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, returning to office on January 20, 2025. His second presidency has continued many of the themes associated with his political movement, particularly immigration enforcement, tariffs and trade policy, deregulation, and an emphasis on American sovereignty and national interests.