Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American businessman, media personality, and politician serving as the 47th President of the United States since January 20, 2025. He previously served as the 45th President from 2017 to 2021, making him only the second U.S. president (after Grover Cleveland) to serve nonconsecutive terms. At age 80, he is the oldest sitting president in American history.
Trump is a polarizing figure whose career spans real estate development, branding, reality television, and transformative politics. He is known for reshaping the Republican Party around a populist “America First” and “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) agenda, emphasizing immigration enforcement, tariffs, deregulation, and skepticism of traditional institutions and foreign alliances.
Early Life and Education
Donald Trump was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, the fourth of five children of Frederick Christ (Fred) Trump, a successful real estate developer who built middle-income housing in Brooklyn and Queens, and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, a Scottish immigrant. He grew up in a wealthy family in Queens.
He attended the Kew-Forest School before transferring to the New York Military Academy for high school. After briefly attending Fordham University, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics.
Business Career
Trump joined his father’s company, Elizabeth Trump & Son (later the Trump Organization), after college. In the 1970s and 1980s, he expanded into Manhattan, developing high-profile projects including the Grand Hyatt Hotel renovation, Trump Tower, and various residential and commercial properties. He also pursued casinos in Atlantic City, golf courses, hotels, and licensing deals worldwide.
His business career included notable successes in branding and real estate alongside significant challenges, including multiple corporate bankruptcies related to Atlantic City casinos in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump’s personal brand became a major asset, extending into books (such as The Art of the Deal), merchandise, and entertainment.
From 2004 to 2015, he hosted the reality television series The Apprentice (later The Celebrity Apprentice), which popularized the catchphrase “You’re fired” and significantly boosted his public profile as a decisive businessman.
Personal Life
Trump has been married three times:
- Ivana Zelníčková (1977–1992); children: Donald Trump Jr. (1977), Ivanka Trump (1981), and Eric Trump (1984)
- Marla Maples (1993–1999); child: Tiffany Trump (1993)
- Melania Knauss (2005–present); child: Barron Trump (2006)
He has five children and multiple grandchildren. His family members have played prominent roles in his businesses and political campaigns.
Entry into Politics and 2016 Election
Though previously involved in politics as a donor and occasional commentator, Trump formally entered electoral politics in June 2015, announcing his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Running as an outsider with no prior elected or military experience, he defeated a large field of Republican rivals with a populist campaign focused on immigration, trade protectionism, and criticism of political elites.
In the 2016 general election, he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton, winning 304 electoral votes to her 227, though Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes. His victory shocked many observers and marked a major shift in American politics.
First Presidency (2017–2021)
Key actions and developments during Trump’s first term included:
- Tax reform: Signing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which lowered corporate and individual tax rates.
- Judicial appointments: Confirming three Supreme Court justices (Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett) and hundreds of federal judges, shifting the judiciary in a conservative direction.
- Trade and foreign policy: Imposing tariffs on China and other countries; withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Climate Agreement; renegotiating NAFTA into the USMCA; recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the U.S. embassy there; brokering the Abraham Accords normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states.
- Immigration: Implementing travel restrictions on several countries, expanding border barriers, and pursuing stricter enforcement policies, including a controversial family-separation practice in 2018.
- Other domestic policies: Criminal justice reform via the First Step Act; deregulation efforts; creation of the U.S. Space Force.
The term was marked by high controversy, including the Mueller investigation into Russian election interference (which did not establish conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia), two impeachments by the House of Representatives (2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to Ukraine; 2021 for incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol attack), and acquittals by the Senate in both cases. The COVID-19 pandemic dominated the final year of his presidency.
Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden (306–232 electoral votes) but refused to concede, leading to legal challenges and the events of January 6, 2021.
Post-Presidency, Legal Challenges, and 2024 Comeback
After leaving office, Trump remained highly active in Republican politics and founded the social media platform Truth Social. He faced multiple civil and criminal cases. In May 2024, a New York jury convicted him on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records (related to hush-money payments), making him the first former U.S. president convicted of a felony. He received an unconditional discharge (no prison, probation, or fine) in January 2025. Other federal cases related to classified documents and the 2020 election were dismissed.
In July 2024, Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. He went on to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote in a decisive victory. Republicans also gained control of the Senate.
Second Presidency (2025–present)
Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President on January 20, 2025, with J.D. Vance as Vice President. Early priorities of the second term have included:
- Aggressive tariffs on imports
- Large-scale federal workforce reductions and restructuring
- Mass deportation efforts and border enforcement
- Extensive use of executive orders
- Policy changes on issues including energy, education, and cultural matters
As of October 2026, his administration continues to face legal challenges, domestic political debate, and international developments, including involvement in Middle East conflicts.
Political Influence and Legacy
Trump fundamentally transformed the Republican Party, shifting it toward populism, nationalism, and skepticism of free trade, multilateral institutions, and traditional conservative orthodoxy. The MAGA movement remains a dominant force in American politics. Supporters credit him with economic growth (pre-COVID), judicial appointments, energy independence, and challenging establishment norms. Critics highlight increased polarization, challenges to democratic norms (particularly around the 2020 election), rhetoric, and policy approaches on immigration and trade.
He remains one of the most consequential and polarizing figures in modern American history, with influence extending far beyond formal office through media, his base of supporters, and the broader cultural and political realignments of the 2010s and 2020s.
This overview draws from established biographical records and public events through October 2026. Trump’s story continues to unfold during his second term.