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Donald Trump
Head-and-shoulders shot of Trump with a serious facial expression, his right eye partly closed. He is wearing a dark blue suit, a pale blue dress shirt, a red necktie, and an American flag lapel pin. Parts of the image are slightly out of focus. The background is black.
Official portrait, 2025
45th & 47th President of the United States
Assumed office
January 20, 2025
Vice President JD Vance
Preceded by Joe Biden
In office
January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021
Vice President Mike Pence
Preceded by Barack Obama
Succeeded by Joe Biden
Personal details
Born
Donald John Trump

(1946-06-14) June 14, 1946 (age 79)
Queens, New York City, U.S.
Political party Republican (1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouses
Children
Parents
Relatives Trump family
Residence White House
Education University of Pennsylvania (BS)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • businessman
  • media personality
Signature Donald J. Trump stylized autograph, in ink
Website
  • First presidency:

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is currently serving as the 47th president of the United States since 2025. He previously served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.

Trump was born into a wealthy family in New York City. He took over his family's real estate business in 1971 and renamed it the Trump Organization. He became well-known for building skyscrapers, hotels, and golf courses. From 2004 to 2015, he hosted the reality TV show The Apprentice, which made him even more famous.

Presenting himself as a political outsider, Trump won the 2016 presidential election. After losing the 2020 election, he won again in the 2024 election. He is the second president in U.S. history to serve two terms that were not back-to-back. Many of his comments and actions have been seen as controversial and have caused a lot of debate.

Early life and education

Donald Trump NYMA
At New York Military Academy, 1964

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, a borough of New York City. He was the fourth of five children of Fred and Mary Anne Trump. His family background is German and Scottish. He grew up in a large house in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens.

As a child, he was energetic and interested in his father's business. After attending a local school, his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy, a private boarding school. He did well there and graduated in 1964.

After high school, Trump went to Fordham University for two years. He then transferred to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics.

Trump was not drafted during the Vietnam War. This was due to four college deferments and one medical deferment.

Business and media career

Donald Trump with model of Television City
In 1985 with a model of one of his Manhattan development projects

Trump started working for his father's real estate company in 1968. In 1971, he became president of the company and renamed it the Trump Organization. He began to focus on large building projects in Manhattan.

One of his first big projects was renovating the Commodore Hotel, which became the Grand Hyatt Hotel. He is most famous for building Trump Tower, a skyscraper in New York City that became his main home for many years. Over the years, he also bought and built hotels, casinos, and golf courses. Some of his businesses faced financial problems at times.

Besides real estate, Trump licensed his name for many products, like food, clothing, and home goods. He also owned the Miss Universe beauty pageants for many years.

The Apprentice

Donald Trump star Hollywood Walk of Fame
Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

From 2004 to 2015, Trump hosted the popular reality TV show The Apprentice and its spin-off, The Celebrity Apprentice. On the show, he would give contestants business challenges. Each week, he would eliminate one contestant by saying his famous catchphrase, "You're fired." The show made him a household name across the country and showed him as a powerful businessman.

2016 presidential election

Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore 5
Campaigning in Arizona, March 2016

In June 2015, Trump announced he was running for president as a Republican. He presented himself as a successful businessman and a political outsider who could bring change to Washington, D.C.

His campaign promises included:

  • Renegotiating trade deals with other countries, like China and Mexico.
  • Building a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
  • Enforcing immigration laws more strictly.
  • Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, a healthcare law.
  • Cutting taxes for businesses and individuals.

In November 2016, Trump won the election against the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. He won by getting more votes in the Electoral College, even though Clinton received more individual votes from people across the country.

First presidency (2017–2021)

Donald Trump swearing in ceremony
Taking the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., on January 20, 2017
Donald Trump official portrait
Official portrait, 2017

Trump was sworn in as the 45th president on January 20, 2017. The day after, large protests, known as the Women's Marches, took place in cities around the world.

Domestic policy

One of Trump's major achievements was signing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This law lowered taxes for many businesses and individuals. His administration also focused on reducing government regulations, especially those related to the environment.

During his term, Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. These appointments made the court more conservative.

Immigration

Donald Trump visits San Diego border wall prototypes
Examining border wall prototypes in Otay Mesa, California

Immigration was a key focus of his presidency. He continued to push for a wall on the U.S.–Mexico border and took steps to increase immigration enforcement.

Soon after taking office, he signed an executive order that temporarily banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. This order, often called the "travel ban," faced legal challenges but was eventually allowed by the Supreme Court in a revised form.

His administration also started a "family separation policy" at the border. This policy separated thousands of children from their parents who had crossed the border. The policy caused a lot of public anger and was eventually stopped.

Foreign policy

-G7Biarritz (48616362963)
G7 leaders at the 45th summit in France, 2019

Trump's foreign policy was called "America First." He wanted to put American interests ahead of everything else. This led to changes in relationships with longtime allies. He started a trade war with China by placing tariffs (taxes on imported goods) on Chinese products.

He also became the first sitting U.S. president to meet with a leader of North Korea when he met Kim Jong Un three times to discuss their nuclear weapons program. In 2017, he announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, an international agreement to fight climate change.

COVID-19 pandemic

White House Press Briefing (49666120807)
Conducting a COVID-19 press briefing with members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force on March 15, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, during the last year of his term. His administration formed the White House Coronavirus Task Force to manage the country's response. In March 2020, he signed the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion bill to help people and businesses affected by the pandemic. His handling of the pandemic was a major topic of public debate.

Impeachments

During his presidency, Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives. Impeachment is a process where Congress can charge a president with serious wrongdoing.

The first impeachment in 2019 was for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The second in 2021 was for incitement of insurrection related to the Capitol attack. In both cases, the Senate voted to acquit him, meaning he was not removed from office.

2020 election and Capitol attack

Trump ran for reelection in 2020 against Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Biden won the election. Trump did not agree with the results and claimed there had been widespread fraud, though these claims were rejected by courts and election officials.

On January 6, 2021, while Congress was meeting to certify the election results, Trump held a rally in Washington, D.C. He encouraged his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol. A large crowd of his supporters then broke into the Capitol building. This event, known as the January 6 Capitol attack, disrupted Congress and led to his second impeachment.

2024 presidential election

After leaving office, Trump remained a leading figure in the Republican Party. He launched a social media platform called Truth Social.

In November 2022, he announced he would run for president again in the 2024 election. He won the Republican nomination and chose Senator JD Vance as his running mate.

Attempted assassination

Trump was injured in the ear in an assassination attempt while at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. After the shooting, Trump raised his fist in the air as he was ushered away by the Secret Service. He was later given medical attention at a local medical facility, where it was announced that he was fine. A rally attendee was struck by gunfire and killed, and two others were left in serious condition. The shooter was also shot and killed by the Secret Service at the scene. Officials announced that the shooting was being investigated as an attempted assassination. The FBI has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania as the shooter in the assassination attempt.

Second presidency (2025–present)

Donald Trump takes the oath of office (2025) (alternate)
Taking the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, January 20, 2025

In November 2024, Trump won the election against the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. He won both the popular vote and the Electoral College. His victory made him the second president in U.S. history, after Grover Cleveland, to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Trump began his second term on January 20, 2025. He became the oldest person to become president.

In his first weeks, he signed many executive orders to quickly change government policies on the economy, immigration, and the environment. He also made major changes to the federal government's workforce.

In July 2025, he signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This law made the 2017 tax cuts permanent and changed funding for government programs. His administration has also focused on increasing deportations of immigrants and placing tariffs on goods from other countries to protect American industries.

Wealth

Ivana Trump shakes hands with Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Trump (far right) and wife Ivana in the receiving line of a state dinner for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia in 1985, with U.S. president Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan

Forbes estimated Trump's net worth dropped by $1.4 billion between 2015 and 2018. In their 2024 billionaires ranking, Trump's net worth was estimated to be $2.3 billion (1,438th in the world).

Personal life

Trump has been married three times. His first wife was Ivana Zelníčková, a Czech model. They had three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.

After their divorce, he married actress Marla Maples. They have one daughter, Tiffany.

In 2005, he married his current wife, Melania Knauss, a model from Slovenia. They have one son, Barron.

Trump is a nondenominational Christian. He says he has never smoked cigarettes or drunk alcohol. He enjoys playing golf as his main form of exercise.

Health habits

Trump sleeps about four or five hours a night. He considers exercise a waste of energy, because he believes the body is "like a battery, with a finite amount of energy" which is depleted by exercise. In 2015, Trump's campaign released a letter from his longtime personal physician, Harold Bornstein, stating that Trump would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".

See also

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