Biography
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Having won the 2024 presidential election as the Republican Party's nominee, he is scheduled to be inaugurated as the 47th president on January 20, 2025.
Trump graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. Becoming president of the family real estate business in 1971, he focused on luxury accommodation. After a series of bankruptcies in the 1990s, he launched side ventures, mostly by licensing the Trump name. From 2004 to 2015, he produced and hosted the reality television series The Apprentice.
Trump won the 2016 presidential election as the Republican nominee. His election and policies sparked numerous protests. He ordered a travel ban targeting Muslims and refugees, expanded the U.S.–Mexico border wall, and implemented a family separation policy. He rolled back more than 100 environmental policies and regulations, signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and appointed three justices to the Supreme Court. He initiated a trade war with China in 2018 and withdrew the U.S. from international agreements on climate, trade, and the nuclear program of Iran. He met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un without progress on denuclearization. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he downplayed its severity, contradicted guidance from international public health bodies, and signed the CARES Act economic stimulus. He was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and in 2021 for incitement of insurrection; the Senate acquitted him in both cases.
Trump's politics and rhetoric led to the Trumpism movement. Many of his comments and actions have been characterized as racially charged, racist, and misogynistic. He promoted conspiracy theories and made many false and misleading statements during his campaigns and presidency, to a degree unprecedented in American politics. After his first term, scholars and historians ranked him as one of the worst presidents in American history. He lost the 2020 presidential election, but did not concede, falsely claiming widespread electoral fraud and attempting to overturn the results, including through his involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack. In 2024, he was found guilty of falsifying business records, making him the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. He faced more felony indictments related to his interference in the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents, which were dismissed after the 2024 election.