Donald Trump

Donald John Trump was born in Queens, New York, on June 14, 1946. One of five children, he was educated at the New York Military Academy and the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania. As a young man, he took over the firm of his successful real estate developer father Fred Trump, renaming it The Trump Organization.

The Trump Organization’s projects included hotels, casinos, commercial ventures and golf courses in the United States and abroad. He published The Art of the Deal in 1987, and his public persona grew exponentially after the 2004 launch of his television show The Apprentice (later The Celebrity Apprentice).

During the 2016 presidential primary, Trump defeated more than a dozen seasoned rivals to win the Republican nomination. He went on to win the general election over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As George W. Bush did in 2000, Trump joined a very small group of presidents in the nation’s history to win via the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote. Trump defeated Clinton with an Electoral College tally of 306 to 232, though Clinton had nearly 3 million more votes from the voting public.

Trump’s campaign slogan was “Make America Great Again.” He moved to enact “Buy American and Hire American” policies, enacted tight immigration policies and directed the reduction of federal regulations, many of which had been installed during the Obama administration after the Great Recession.

Trump increased the budget for the U.S. military, and during his administration, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS), which had taken territory in Iraq and Syria and was responsible for inciting terrorist attacks, was defeated.

His success or failure as a president was and still is seen in sharp contrast among a divided electorate. His long-lasting impact includes making three Supreme Court appointments that shifted the balance of the court to conservative. Along the way, Trump’s popularity fell enough that he lost his bid for a second term.

Trump was defeated in 2020 by Joseph Biden with the same number of Electoral College votes — 306 to 232 — that Trump had when he defeated Hillary Clinton. Biden also had a 7 million-vote lead in the popular vote. However, Trump nor many of his supporters accepted the loss.

Trump’s departure from office was more dramatic than his entrance. On Jan. 6, 2021, as the Electoral votes were to be officially certified, a violent insurrection by a group of Trump supporters at the nation’s Capitol caused a temporary delay in the certification of votes.

A year later, many prosecutions had taken place and more were expected. Trump’s role in the insurrection remained under investigation, but it was an ending that put an exclamation mark on a tumultuous four-year presidency — not only for the two controlling political parties but for the public at large. Trump continues to openly consider a run for a second term in 2024.

Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump, who was born in the former Yugoslavia, have one son, Barron. Trump also has four adult children from previous marriages: Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany.

The 45th President of the United States Born: 1946 Served: 2017 to 2021