Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is the 45th and current President of the United States, in office since January 20, 2017. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality.
Trump was born in the New York City borough of Queens. He earned an economics degree from the Wharton School. For 45 years, he managed The Trump Organization, the real estate development firm founded by his paternal grandmother. His career focused on building or renovating office towers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. He started several side ventures and branded various products with his name. He produced and hosted The Apprentice television series for 12 years. As of 2017, he was the 544th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion.
Trump had long expressed interest in politics. He entered the 2016 presidential race as a Republican and defeated sixteen opponents in the primaries. Commentators described his political positions as populist, protectionist, and nationalist. His campaign received extensive free media coverage; many of his public statements were controversial or false. Trump won the general election on November 8, 2016, in a surprise victory against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He became the oldest and wealthiest person ever to assume the presidency, the first without prior military or government service, and the fifth to have won the election despite losing the popular vote. His election and policies sparked numerous protests.
In the first months of his presidency, Trump reversed several policies of former President Barack Obama: he withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Climate Agreement, and he undid parts of the Cuban Thaw. Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He ordered a travel ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority countries, which was partially implemented after several legal challenges.[2] After Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey, the Justice Department appointed his predecessor Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russia's interference in the presidential election, potential links between Russia and Trump campaign associates, and any related matters.
Trump's paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump (later Frederick), first emigrated to the United States in 1885 at the age of 16, and became a citizen in 1892. He amassed a fortune operating boom-town restaurants and boarding houses in the Seattle area and the Klondike region of Canada, during the gold rush.[4] On a visit to Kallstadt, he met Elisabeth Christ and married her in 1902. The couple settled in New York permanently in 1905.[5] Frederick died from influenza during the 1918 pandemic.[6]
Donald's father Fred Trump was born in 1905 in the Bronx. Fred started working with his mother in real estate when he was 15, shortly after his father's death. Their company, Elizabeth Trump and Son, was primarily active in the New York boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Fred eventually built and sold thousands of houses, barracks and apartments.[6][7] The company would later become The Trump Organization after Donald Trump took over in 1971.[8]
Donald's mother Mary Anne was born in Tong, Lewis, Scotland. At age 18 in 1930, she emigrated to New York where she worked as a maid.[9] Fred and Mary were married in 1936 and raised their family in Queens.[9][10]
Fred's brother John (Donald's uncle) became a physicist and inventor.[11]
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Queens, New York City. He was the fourth of five children born to Frederick Christ "Fred" Trump (1905–1999) and Mary Anne Trump (née MacLeod, 1912–2000).[14] His siblings are Maryanne (b. 1937), Fred Jr. (1938–1981), Elizabeth (b. 1942), and Robert (b. 1948).
Trump grew up in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens. He attended the Kew-Forest School from kindergarten through seventh grade. At age 13, Trump enrolled in the New York Military Academy, after his parents discovered that Donald had made frequent trips into Manhattan without their permission.[15][16] In August 1964, Trump entered Fordham University.[12][17] After two years, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, because it offered one of the few real estate studies departments in United States academia at the time.[18][17]
In addition to his father, Trump was inspired by Manhattan developer William Zeckendorf, vowing to be "even bigger and better".[19] While at Wharton, he worked at the family business, Elizabeth Trump and Son,[20] graduating in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics.[17][21][22]
Trump was not drafted during the Vietnam War.[23] While in college from 1964 to 1968, he obtained four student deferments.[24] In 1966, he was deemed fit for service based upon a military medical examination, and in 1968 was briefly classified as fit by a local draft board, but was given a 1-Y medical deferment in October 1968,[25] attributed to heel spurs.[26] In 1969, he received a high number in the draft lottery, which made him unlikely to be called.[25][27][28]
Main article: Family of Donald Trump
Trump has five children by three marriages, and has eight grandchildren.[29][30] His first two marriages ended in widely publicized divorces.[31]
At age 30, Trump married his first wife, Czech model Ivana Zelníčková, on April 7, 1977, at the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan in a ceremony performed by the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale.[32][33] They had three children: son Donald Jr. (b. 1977), daughter Ivanka (b. 1981), and son Eric (b. 1984). Ivana became a naturalized United States citizen in 1988.[34] The couple divorced in 1992 following Trump's affair with actress Marla Maples.[35]
In October 1993, Maples gave birth to Trump's daughter Tiffany, named after high-end retailer Tiffany & Company.[36] Maples and Trump were married two months later on December 20, 1993.[37] They were divorced in 1999,[38] and Tiffany was raised by her mother in California.[39]
On January 22, 2005, Trump married Slovene model Melania Knauss at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida. The ceremony was followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.[40] In 2006, Melania acquired United States citizenship[41] and she gave birth to their son Barron on March 20 of that year.[42][43] Melania became First Lady of the United States upon Trump's accession to the presidency in January, 2017.
Prior to his inauguration as president, Trump delegated the management of his real estate business to his two adult sons, Eric and Don Jr.[44] His daughter Ivanka resigned from The Trump Organization and moved to Washington with her husband Jared Kushner. She serves as assistant to the president,[45] while he is a Senior Advisor in the White House.[46]
Trump's elder sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, is an inactive Federal Appeals Court judge on the Third Circuit.[47]
Trump receives Holy Communion, but he has said that he does not ask God for forgiveness. He stated: "I think if I do something wrong, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture."[55] On the campaign trail, Trump has referred to The Art of the Deal as his second favorite book after the Bible, saying "Nothing beats the Bible."[56] In a 2016 speech to Liberty University, he referred to "Two Corinthians" instead of "Second Corinthians", eliciting chuckles from the audience.[57] Despite this, The New York Times reported that Evangelical Christians nationwide thought "that his heart was in the right place, that his intentions for the country were pure."[58]
Trump has had relationships with a number of Christian spiritual leaders, including Florida pastor Paula White, who has been called his "closest spiritual confidant."[59] In 2015, he received a blessing from Greek Orthodox priest Emmanuel Lemelson[60] and in 2016, he released a list of his religious advisers, including James Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Ralph Reed and others.[61] Referring to his daughter Ivanka's conversion to Judaism before her marriage to Jared Kushner, Trump said: "I have a Jewish daughter; and I am very honored by that."[62]
When Trump announced his candidacy for the Presidency on June 16,
2015, he released a one-page financial summary that stated a net worth
of $8,737,540,000.[74] The following month, he filed a 92-page FEC financial disclosure form[75] and declared his net worth was "in excess of ten billion dollars".[76]
In his presidential announcement speech, he said "I'm really rich", and
stated this would make him less indebted to large campaign donors.[77][78] Forbes
believed his net worth estimate was "a whopper", setting their own
estimate at $4.1 billion in 2015. Trump valued his "properties under
development" at $293 million; Forbes said they could not evaluate those deals, and booked them for $0.[79][80] Trump's 2015 FEC disclosure reported $362 million in total income for the year 2014.[76]
After Trump made controversial remarks about illegal immigrants in 2015, he lost business contracts with several companies; this reduced his Forbes estimate by $125 million.[81] Consumer boycotts and reduced bookings may have further affected his brand value during the presidential campaign.[82][83][84] Trump's 104-page FEC disclosure in May 2016[85] still claimed a total wealth over $10 billion, unchanged from 2015.[75] The release of the Access Hollywood tapes in October 2016 put further pressure on his brand,[86] but real estate experts predicted a positive rebound after he was elected.[87]
In their 2017 billionaires' ranking, Forbes estimated Trump's net worth at $3.5 billion (544th in the world, 201st in the U.S.)[1] making him one of the richest politicians in American history. These estimates fluctuate from year to year, and among various analysts. In July 2016 Bloomberg News had pegged his wealth at $3 billion, calling it an increase thanks to his presidential nomination,[88] whereas Forbes had ranked him 324th in the world (113th in the U.S.) with $4.5 billion just a few months earlier.[89] The discrepancies among these estimates and with Trump's own figures stem from the uncertain values of appraised property and of his personal brand.[88][90]
Trump was promoted to president of the company in 1971 (while his father became chairman of the board), and renamed it The Trump Organization.[8][94] In 1973, he and his father drew wider attention when the Justice Department contended that the organization systematically discriminated against African Americans wishing to rent apartments, rather than merely screening out people based on low income, as the Trumps stated. Under an agreement reached in 1975, the Trumps made no admission of wrongdoing, and made the Urban League an intermediary for qualified minority applicants.[95][96] His adviser and attorney during (and after) that period was Roy Cohn, who responded to attacks by counterattacking with maximum force, and who valued both positive and negative publicity, which were attitudes that Trump appreciated.[97]
Also in 1978, Trump finished negotiations to develop Trump Tower, a 58-story, 202-meter (663-foot) skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, which The New York Times attributed to his "persistence" and "skills as a negotiator".[101] To make way for the new building, a crew of undocumented Polish workers demolished an old Bonwit Teller store including art deco features that had initially been marked for preservation.[102] The building was completed in 1983, and houses both the primary penthouse condominium residence of Trump and the headquarters of The Trump Organization.[103][104] Architectural critic Paul Goldberger
said in 1983 that he was surprised to find the tower's atrium was "the
most pleasant interior public space to be completed in New York in some
years".[105][106] Trump Tower was the setting of the NBC television show The Apprentice, and includes a fully functional television studio set.[107]
Repairs on the Wollman Rink (originally opened in 1949 in Central Park) were started in 1980 by a general contractor unconnected to Trump. Despite an expected two and one-half year construction schedule, the repairs were not completed by 1986. Trump took over the project, completed it in three months for $775,000 less than the initial budget of $1.95 million, and operated the rink for one year with all profits going to charity in exchange for the rink's concession rights.[108]
In 1988 Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan for a record-setting $407 million, and asked his wife Ivana to manage its operation.[109] Trump invested $50 million to restore the building, which he called "the Mona Lisa".[110] According to hotel expert Thomas McConnell, the Trumps boosted it from a three-star to a four-star ranking, and sold it in 1995, by which time Ivana was no longer involved.[111]
In 1994, Trump became involved with a building on Columbus Circle that was swaying in the wind. He began a reconstruction project that stopped the swaying and gave the building a full makeover.[112][113] Trump thereafter owned commercial space in that 44-story mixed-use tower (hotel and condominium), which he named Trump International Hotel and Tower.[114]
In 1996, Trump acquired a vacant seventy-story skyscraper on Wall Street that had briefly been the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1930. After an extensive renovation, the high-rise was renamed the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street.[115]
In 1997, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. The project encountered delays the following year because a subcontracter had to replace defective concrete.[116][117] He and the other investors in the project ultimately sold their interest for $1.8 billion in 2005, in what was then the biggest residential sale in the history of New York City.[118]
From 1994 to 2002, Trump owned a 50% share of the Empire State Building. He would have renamed it to "Trump Empire State Building Tower Apartments" if he had been able to boost his share.[119][120]
In 2001, Trump completed Trump World Tower across from the headquarters of the United Nations. The structure was for a while the tallest all-residential tower in the world.[121] Trump acquired the former Hotel Delmonico in Manhattan in 2002, which re-opened with 35 stories of luxury condominiums in 2004 as the Trump Park Avenue.[122] Meanwhile, he continued to own millions of square feet of other prime Manhattan real estate.[123]
Main article: Mar-a-Lago
Trump acquired the historic Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida in 1985 for $5 million, plus $3 million for the home's furnishings. The home was built in the 1920s by heiress and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post, who envisioned the house as a future winter retreat for American presidents.
Trump's initial offer of $28 million had been rejected, and he was
able to get the property at the much lower price by purchasing separate
beachfront property and threatening to build a house on it that would
block Mar-a-Lago's ocean view. In addition to using the estate as a
home, Trump also turned it into a private club open to everyone who
could afford the initiation fee of $100,000 plus annual dues.[124]
In 1986, Trump acquired a foreclosed, 33-story, twin-tower condominium complex in nearby West Palm Beach for $40 million. Automobile manufacturing executive Lee Iacocca invested in three of the condos.[125] Trump spruced up the complex's public areas and heavily promoted the property for years, but selling the units proved difficult, and the deal turned out to be unprofitable.[126]
Also in 1988, Trump acquired his third casino in Atlantic City, the Taj Mahal (then halfway through construction), by making a complex transaction with the television host and entertainer Merv Griffin as well as the resort and casino company Resorts International.[133]
In October 1989, three of his top Atlantic City executives were killed
in a helicopter accident, which both stymied and delayed the planned
opening of the Taj Mahal.[134]
The Taj finally opened in April 1990, and was built at a total cost of
$1.1 billion, which at the time made it the most expensive casino ever.[135][136] The project was financed with $675 million in junk bonds[137] and was a major gamble by Trump.[138] The project underwent debt restructuring the following year,[139] leaving Trump with 50% ownership.[140] He also sold his 282-foot (86 m) megayacht, the Trump Princess, which had been indefinitely docked in Atlantic City while leased to his casinos for use by wealthy gamblers.[141][142]
In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of Trump Plaza, Trump Castle, and the Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana.[143] THCR purchased Taj Mahal in 1996, and underwent bankruptcy restructuring in 2004 and 2009, leaving Trump with 10% ownership in the Trump Taj Mahal and other Trump casino properties.[144] From mid-1995 until early 2009, he served as chairman of the publicly-traded THCR organization—which was renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts—and served as CEO from mid-2000 to mid-2005.[145]
During the 1990s, Trump's casino ventures faced competition from Native American gaming at the Foxwoods casino located on an Indian reservation in Connecticut, where it was exempt from the state's anti-gambling laws. Trump stated in 1993 that the casino owners did not look like real Indians to him or to other Indians.[146][147] Subsequent to that well-publicized remark about the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, Trump became a key investor backing the Paucatuck Eastern Pequots who were also seeking state recognition.[148]
The Trump Organization operates many golf courses and resorts in the United States and around the world. According to Golfweek, Trump owns or manages about 18 golf courses.[149] His personal financial disclosure with the Federal Elections Commission stated that his golf and resort revenue for the year 2015 was roughly $382 million,[75][85] while his three European golf courses did not show a profit.[88]
In 2006, Trump bought 1,400 acres (570 ha) including the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and created a golf resort there.[150] Scottish supporters emphasized potential economic benefits, and opponents emphasized potential environmental harm to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[151][152][153] A spokesperson for the golf course has said 95% of the SSSI is untouched.[154] A 2011 independent documentary, You've Been Trumped, chronicled the golf resort's construction and struggles.[155] In 2015, an offshore windfarm being built within sight of the golf course prompted a legal challenge by Trump, which was dismissed by the U.K. Supreme Court.[156] In the wake of the 2008 recession, Trump greatly scaled back development of this property, and as of December 2016 Scottish officials were pushing for completion of the far larger development as originally approved.[157]
In April 2014, Trump purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, which hosted the Open Championship four times between 1977 and 2009.[158][159] After extensive renovations and a remodeling of the course by golf architect Martin Ebert, Turnberry was re-opened in June 2016.[160]
Trump has never filed for personal bankruptcy, but his hotel and casino businesses have been declared bankrupt six times between 1991 and 2009 in order to re-negotiate debt with banks and owners of stock and bonds.[166][167] Because the businesses used Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they were allowed to operate while negotiations proceeded. Trump was quoted by Newsweek in 2011 saying, "I do play with the bankruptcy laws – they're very good for me" as a tool for trimming debt.[168][169]
The six bankruptcies were the result of over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York: Trump Taj Mahal (1991), Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino (1992), Plaza Hotel (1992), Trump Castle Hotel and Casino (1992), Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (2004), and Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009).[170][171] Trump said, "I've used the laws of this country to pare debt ... We'll have the company. We'll throw it into a chapter. We'll negotiate with the banks. We'll make a fantastic deal. You know, it's like on The Apprentice. It's not personal. It's just business."[139]
A 2016 analysis of Trump's business career by The Economist concluded that his "... performance [from 1985 to 2016] has been mediocre compared with the stock market and property in New York", noting both his successes and bankruptcies.[172] A subsequent analysis by The Washington Post concluded that "Trump is a mix of braggadocio, business failures, and real success", calling his casino bankruptcies the "most infamous flop" of his business career.[173]
Trump remained involved with other sports after the Generals folded; he operated golf courses in several countries.[175] At the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, he hosted several boxing matches, which included Mike Tyson's 1988 heavyweight championship fight against Michael Spinks.[176] He also acted as a financial advisor to Mike Tyson.[177] In 1989 and 1990, Trump lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race, which was an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races such as the Tour de France or the Giro d'Italia.[178]
From 1996 to 2015, Trump owned part or all of the Miss Universe pageants.[179][180] The Miss Universe Pageants include Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, and his management of this business involved his family members; for example, daughter Ivanka once hosted Miss Teen USA. Trump hired the first female president of the Miss Universe business in 1997.[181] He became dissatisfied with how CBS scheduled the pageants, and took both Miss Universe and Miss USA to NBC in 2002.[182][183]
In 2015, after Trump made statements about illegal immigrants from Mexico in his U.S. presidential campaign kickoff speech, NBC decided to end its business relationship with him and stated that it would no longer air the Miss Universe or Miss USA pageants on its networks.[184] In September 2015, Trump bought NBC's share of the Miss Universe Organization and became its sole owner for three days. He then sold the entire company to the WME/IMG talent agency.[185]
In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit alleging that Trump University made false statements and defrauded consumers.[189][191] In addition, two class-action civil lawsuits were filed in federal court relating to Trump University; they named Trump personally as well as his companies.[192] During the presidential campaign, Trump criticized Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel who oversaw those two cases, alleging bias in his rulings because of his Mexican heritage.[193][194] Shortly after Trump won the presidency, the parties agreed to a settlement of all three pending cases, whereby Trump paid a total of $25 million and denied any wrongdoing.[195][196]
The foundation's tax returns show that it has given to health care and sports-related charities, as well as conservative groups.[201] In 2009, for example, the foundation gave $926,750 to about 40 groups, with the biggest donations going to the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation ($100,000), the New York–Presbyterian Hospital ($125,000), the Police Athletic League ($156,000), and the Clinton Foundation ($100,000).[202][203] From 2004 to 2014, the top donors to the foundation were Vince and Linda McMahon of WWE, who donated $5 million to the foundation after Trump appeared at WrestleMania in 2007.[200] Linda McMahon later became Administrator of the Small Business Administration.[204]
In 2016, investigations by The Washington Post uncovered several potential legal and ethical violations conducted by the charity, including alleged self-dealing and possible tax evasion.[205] After beginning an investigation into the foundation, the New York State Attorney General's office notified the Trump Foundation that it was allegedly in violation of New York laws regarding charities, and ordered it to immediately cease its fundraising activities in New York.[206][207][208] A Trump spokesman called the investigation a "partisan hit job".[206] In response to mounting complaints, Trump's team announced in late December 2016 that the Trump Foundation would be dissolved to remove "even the appearance of any conflict with [his] role as President."[209]
Trump retained his financial stake in the business.[211] His attorney Sherri Dillon said that before the January 20 inauguration, Trump would put those business assets into a trust, which would hire an ethics advisor and a compliance counsel. She added that The Trump Organization would not enter any new foreign business deals, while continuing to pursue domestic opportunities.[212] As of April 2017, Trump companies owned more than 400 condo units and home lots in the United States, valued at over $250 million in total ($200,000 to $35 million each).[213]
In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show The Apprentice,
in which a group of competitors battled for a high-level management job
in one of Trump's commercial enterprises. Contestants were successively
"fired"
and eliminated from the game. For the first year of the show, Trump
earned $50,000 per episode (roughly $700,000 for the first season), but
following the show's initial success, he was paid $1 million per
episode.[214]
In a July 2015 press release, Trump's campaign manager said that
NBCUniversal had paid him $213,606,575 for his 14 seasons hosting the
show,[76] although the network did not verify the statement.[215] In 2007, Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to television on The Apprentice.[162][216]
Along with British TV producer Mark Burnett, Trump was hired as host of The Celebrity Apprentice, in which celebrities compete to win money for their charities. While Trump and Burnett co-produced the show, Trump stayed in the forefront, deciding winners and "firing" losers. International versions of The Apprentice franchise were co-produced by Burnett and Trump.
On February 16, 2015, NBC announced that they would be renewing The Apprentice for a 15th season.[217] On February 27, Trump stated that he was "not ready" to sign on for another season because of the possibility of a presidential run.[218] Despite this, on March 18, NBC announced they were going ahead with production.[219] On June 29, after widespread negative reaction stemming from Trump's campaign announcement speech, NBC released a statement saying, "Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump."[220]
After Trump's election campaign and presidential win led to his departure from the program, actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced Trump as host for the fifteenth season.[221] Trump is still credited as an executive producer for the show.[222]
Trump appeared at WrestleMania 23 in a match called "The Battle of the Billionaires".[223] He was in Bobby Lashley's corner, while Vince McMahon was in the corner of Lashley's opponent Umaga, with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the special guest referee.[223] The terms of the match were that either Trump or McMahon would have their head shaved if their competitor lost.[223] Lashley won the match, and so McMahon was shaved bald.[223]
On June 15, 2009, McMahon announced as part of a storyline on Monday Night Raw that he had "sold" the show to Trump.[223] Appearing on screen, Trump declared that he would be at the following commercial-free episode in person and would give a full refund to the people who purchased tickets to the arena for that night's show.[223] McMahon "bought back" Raw the following week for twice the price.[223]
In 2013, Trump was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden for his contributions to the promotion. He made his sixth WrestleMania appearance the following night at WrestleMania 29.[225]
Trump first vaguely expressed interest in running for office in 1987,
when he spent almost $100,000 to place full-page advertisements in
several newspapers. In his view at that time, "America should stop
paying to defend countries that can afford to defend themselves",[237]
and "should present Western Europe and Japan with a bill for America's
efforts to safeguard the passage of oil tankers in the Persian Gulf."[238] As of December 1988, Trump was the tenth most admired person in America according to a Gallup poll.[239][240]
Trump considered running for president in 1988, 2000, 2004, and 2012, and for Governor of New York in 2006 and 2014, but aside from 2000 did not enter any of those races.[241][242] In February 2009, Trump appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, and spoke about the automotive industry crisis of 2008–10. He said that "instead of asking for money", General Motors "should go into bankruptcy and work that stuff out in a deal."[243]
Trump publicly speculated about seeking the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, and a Wall Street Journal / NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Trump leading among potential contenders; he was one point ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.[244] A Newsweek poll conducted in February 2011 showed Trump within a few points of incumbent president Barack Obama, with many voters undecided in the November 2012 general election for president of the United States.[245] A poll released in April 2011 by Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine-point lead in a potential contest for the Republican nomination for president while he was still actively considering a run.[246][247] His moves were interpreted by some media as possible promotional tools for his reality show The Apprentice.[248][249][250]
Trump played a leading role in "birther" conspiracy theories that had been circulating since President Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.[251][252] Beginning in March 2011, Trump publicly questioned Obama's citizenship and eligibility to serve as President.[253][254][255] Although the Obama campaign had released a copy of the short-form birth certificate in 2008,[256] Trump demanded to see the original "long-form" certificate.[253] He mentioned having sent investigators to Hawaii to research the question, but he did not follow up with any findings.[253] He also repeated a debunked allegation that Obama's grandmother said she had witnessed his birth in Kenya.[257][258] When the White House later released Obama's long-form birth certificate,[259] Trump took credit for obtaining the document, saying "I hope it checks out."[260] His official biography mentions his purported role in forcing Obama's hand,[261]
and he has defended his pursuit of the issue when prompted, later
saying that his promotion of the conspiracy made him "very popular".[262] In 2011, Trump had called for Obama to release his student records, questioning whether his grades warranted entry into an Ivy League school.[263]
When asked in 2015 whether he believed Obama was born in the United
States, Trump said he did not want to discuss the matter further.[264][265] In September 2016, Trump publicly acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S., and said that the rumors had been started by Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign.[254][266][267]
Trump made his first speaking appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February 2011. His appearance at CPAC was organized by GOProud, an LGBT conservative organization, in conjunction with GOProud supporter Roger Stone,
who was close with Trump. GOProud pushed for a write-in campaign for
Trump at CPAC's presidential straw poll. The 2011 CPAC speech Trump gave
is credited for helping kick-start his political career within the Republican Party.[268][269]
In the 2012 Republican primaries, Trump generally had polled at or below 17 percent among the crowded field of possible candidates.[270] On May 16, 2011, Trump announced he would not run for president in the 2012 election, while also saying he would have become the President of the United States, had he run.[248]
In 2013, Trump was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[271] During the lightly attended early-morning speech, Trump spoke out against illegal immigration, then-President Obama's "unprecedented media protection", and advised against harming Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.[272][273]
Additionally, Trump spent over $1 million in 2013 to research a possible run for president of the United States.[274] In October 2013, New York Republicans circulated a memo suggesting Trump should run for governor of the state in 2014 against Andrew Cuomo. In response to the memo, Trump said that while New York had problems and that its taxes were too high, running for governor was not of great interest to him.[275] In January 2014, Trump made statements denying climate change that were discordant with the opinion of the scientific community.[276] A February 2014 Quinnipiac poll had shown Trump losing to the more popular Cuomo by 37 points in a hypothetical election.[277] In February 2015, Trump told NBC that he was not prepared to sign on for another season of The Apprentice, as he mulled his political future.[278]
Trump's political party affiliation has changed numerous times over the years. Trump was a Democrat prior to 1987.[279] In 1987, Trump registered as a Republican in Manhattan.[280]
In 1999, Trump switched to the Reform Party and ran a presidential exploratory campaign for its nomination. After his run, Trump left the party in 2001, ostensibly due to the involvement of David Duke, Pat Buchanan, and Lenora Fulani.[281]
From 2001 to 2008, Trump identified as a Democrat, but in 2008, he endorsed Republican John McCain for President. In 2009, he officially changed his party registration to Republican.[282] In December 2011, Trump became an independent for five months before returning to the Republican Party, where he later pledged to stay.[283][284]
Trump has made contributions to campaigns of both Republican Party and Democratic Party candidates, with the top ten recipients of his political contributions being six Democrats and four Republicans.[285] After 2011, his campaign contributions were more favorable to Republicans than to Democrats.[286] In February 2012, Trump openly endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for President.[287] When asked in 2015 which recent president he prefers, Trump picked Democrat Bill Clinton over the Republican Bushes.[288][289]
According to a New York state report, Trump circumvented corporate and personal campaign donation limits in the 1980s—although no laws were broken—by donating money to candidates from 18 different business subsidiaries, rather than donating primarily in his own name.[290][291] Trump told investigators he did so on the advice of his lawyers. He also said the contributions were not to gain favor with business-friendly candidates, but simply to satisfy requests from friends.[290][292]
President Donald Trump 4th July Independence Day S
https://youtu.be/-X1YL-CEYGw
Trump was born in the New York City borough of Queens. He earned an economics degree from the Wharton School. For 45 years, he managed The Trump Organization, the real estate development firm founded by his paternal grandmother. His career focused on building or renovating office towers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. He started several side ventures and branded various products with his name. He produced and hosted The Apprentice television series for 12 years. As of 2017, he was the 544th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion.
Trump had long expressed interest in politics. He entered the 2016 presidential race as a Republican and defeated sixteen opponents in the primaries. Commentators described his political positions as populist, protectionist, and nationalist. His campaign received extensive free media coverage; many of his public statements were controversial or false. Trump won the general election on November 8, 2016, in a surprise victory against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He became the oldest and wealthiest person ever to assume the presidency, the first without prior military or government service, and the fifth to have won the election despite losing the popular vote. His election and policies sparked numerous protests.
In the first months of his presidency, Trump reversed several policies of former President Barack Obama: he withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Climate Agreement, and he undid parts of the Cuban Thaw. Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He ordered a travel ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority countries, which was partially implemented after several legal challenges.[2] After Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey, the Justice Department appointed his predecessor Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russia's interference in the presidential election, potential links between Russia and Trump campaign associates, and any related matters.
Family and personal life
Ancestry
Trump's ancestors originated from the German village of Kallstadt, Palatinate, on his father's side, and from the Outer Hebrides isles of Scotland on his mother's side. All his grandparents, and his mother, were born in Europe. His mother's grandfather was also christened "Donald".[3]Trump's paternal grandfather, Friedrich Trump (later Frederick), first emigrated to the United States in 1885 at the age of 16, and became a citizen in 1892. He amassed a fortune operating boom-town restaurants and boarding houses in the Seattle area and the Klondike region of Canada, during the gold rush.[4] On a visit to Kallstadt, he met Elisabeth Christ and married her in 1902. The couple settled in New York permanently in 1905.[5] Frederick died from influenza during the 1918 pandemic.[6]
Donald's father Fred Trump was born in 1905 in the Bronx. Fred started working with his mother in real estate when he was 15, shortly after his father's death. Their company, Elizabeth Trump and Son, was primarily active in the New York boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Fred eventually built and sold thousands of houses, barracks and apartments.[6][7] The company would later become The Trump Organization after Donald Trump took over in 1971.[8]
Donald's mother Mary Anne was born in Tong, Lewis, Scotland. At age 18 in 1930, she emigrated to New York where she worked as a maid.[9] Fred and Mary were married in 1936 and raised their family in Queens.[9][10]
Fred's brother John (Donald's uncle) became a physicist and inventor.[11]
Early life and education
Trump grew up in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens. He attended the Kew-Forest School from kindergarten through seventh grade. At age 13, Trump enrolled in the New York Military Academy, after his parents discovered that Donald had made frequent trips into Manhattan without their permission.[15][16] In August 1964, Trump entered Fordham University.[12][17] After two years, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, because it offered one of the few real estate studies departments in United States academia at the time.[18][17]
In addition to his father, Trump was inspired by Manhattan developer William Zeckendorf, vowing to be "even bigger and better".[19] While at Wharton, he worked at the family business, Elizabeth Trump and Son,[20] graduating in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics.[17][21][22]
Trump was not drafted during the Vietnam War.[23] While in college from 1964 to 1968, he obtained four student deferments.[24] In 1966, he was deemed fit for service based upon a military medical examination, and in 1968 was briefly classified as fit by a local draft board, but was given a 1-Y medical deferment in October 1968,[25] attributed to heel spurs.[26] In 1969, he received a high number in the draft lottery, which made him unlikely to be called.[25][27][28]
Family
Main article: Family of Donald Trump
The January 20, 2017 swearing-in of Donald Trump as President: Trump, wife Melania, son Donald Jr., son Barron, daughter Ivanka, son Eric, and daughter Tiffany
At age 30, Trump married his first wife, Czech model Ivana Zelníčková, on April 7, 1977, at the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan in a ceremony performed by the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale.[32][33] They had three children: son Donald Jr. (b. 1977), daughter Ivanka (b. 1981), and son Eric (b. 1984). Ivana became a naturalized United States citizen in 1988.[34] The couple divorced in 1992 following Trump's affair with actress Marla Maples.[35]
In October 1993, Maples gave birth to Trump's daughter Tiffany, named after high-end retailer Tiffany & Company.[36] Maples and Trump were married two months later on December 20, 1993.[37] They were divorced in 1999,[38] and Tiffany was raised by her mother in California.[39]
The President and First Lady at the Liberty Ball on Inauguration Day
Prior to his inauguration as president, Trump delegated the management of his real estate business to his two adult sons, Eric and Don Jr.[44] His daughter Ivanka resigned from The Trump Organization and moved to Washington with her husband Jared Kushner. She serves as assistant to the president,[45] while he is a Senior Advisor in the White House.[46]
Trump's elder sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, is an inactive Federal Appeals Court judge on the Third Circuit.[47]
Religion
Trump's ancestors were Lutherans on his father's side in Germany[48] and Presbyterian on his mother's side in Scotland.[49] His parents married in a Manhattan Presbyterian church in 1936.[50] As a child, he attended the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, and had his Confirmation there.[33] In the 1970s, his family joined the Marble Collegiate Church (an affiliate of the Reformed Church in America) in Manhattan.[51] The pastor at that church, Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking and The Art of Living, ministered to Trump's family and mentored him until Peale's death in 1993.[52][51] Trump, who is Presbyterian,[53][54] has cited Peale and his works during interviews when asked about the role of religion in his personal life.[51]Trump receives Holy Communion, but he has said that he does not ask God for forgiveness. He stated: "I think if I do something wrong, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture."[55] On the campaign trail, Trump has referred to The Art of the Deal as his second favorite book after the Bible, saying "Nothing beats the Bible."[56] In a 2016 speech to Liberty University, he referred to "Two Corinthians" instead of "Second Corinthians", eliciting chuckles from the audience.[57] Despite this, The New York Times reported that Evangelical Christians nationwide thought "that his heart was in the right place, that his intentions for the country were pure."[58]
Trump has had relationships with a number of Christian spiritual leaders, including Florida pastor Paula White, who has been called his "closest spiritual confidant."[59] In 2015, he received a blessing from Greek Orthodox priest Emmanuel Lemelson[60] and in 2016, he released a list of his religious advisers, including James Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Ralph Reed and others.[61] Referring to his daughter Ivanka's conversion to Judaism before her marriage to Jared Kushner, Trump said: "I have a Jewish daughter; and I am very honored by that."[62]
Health
Trump's doctor, Harold Bornstein M.D., issued A 2016 medical report that showed Trump's blood pressure, liver and thyroid function were in normal ranges.[63][64] Trump said that he has never smoked cigarettes or consumed other drugs, including marijuana.[65] He also drinks no alcohol, a decision arising in part from watching his older brother Fred Jr. suffer from alcoholism that contributed to his early death in 1981.[66][67]Wealth
Trump said that he began his career with "a small loan of one million dollars" from his father.[68] He appeared on the initial Forbes List of wealthy individuals in 1982 with an estimated $200 million fortune, including an "undefined" share of his parents' estate.[69] During the 1980s he became a billionaire,[70] but following business losses he was absent from the Forbes list from 1990 to 1995; he reportedly borrowed from his siblings' trusts in 1993.[69] His father's estate, valued at more than $20 million, was divided in 1999 among Trump, his three surviving siblings and their children.[71][72]
Trump Hotel Las Vegas, with gold infused glass[73]
After Trump made controversial remarks about illegal immigrants in 2015, he lost business contracts with several companies; this reduced his Forbes estimate by $125 million.[81] Consumer boycotts and reduced bookings may have further affected his brand value during the presidential campaign.[82][83][84] Trump's 104-page FEC disclosure in May 2016[85] still claimed a total wealth over $10 billion, unchanged from 2015.[75] The release of the Access Hollywood tapes in October 2016 put further pressure on his brand,[86] but real estate experts predicted a positive rebound after he was elected.[87]
In their 2017 billionaires' ranking, Forbes estimated Trump's net worth at $3.5 billion (544th in the world, 201st in the U.S.)[1] making him one of the richest politicians in American history. These estimates fluctuate from year to year, and among various analysts. In July 2016 Bloomberg News had pegged his wealth at $3 billion, calling it an increase thanks to his presidential nomination,[88] whereas Forbes had ranked him 324th in the world (113th in the U.S.) with $4.5 billion just a few months earlier.[89] The discrepancies among these estimates and with Trump's own figures stem from the uncertain values of appraised property and of his personal brand.[88][90]
Business career
The distinctive façade of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan
Real estate
Trump started his career at his father's real estate development company, Elizabeth Trump and Son, which focused on middle-class rental housing in the New York City boroughs outside Manhattan, but also had business elsewhere.[91] For example, during his undergraduate study, Trump joined his father Fred in successfully revitalizing the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, thereby boosting the occupancy rate from 66% to 100%.[92][93]Trump was promoted to president of the company in 1971 (while his father became chairman of the board), and renamed it The Trump Organization.[8][94] In 1973, he and his father drew wider attention when the Justice Department contended that the organization systematically discriminated against African Americans wishing to rent apartments, rather than merely screening out people based on low income, as the Trumps stated. Under an agreement reached in 1975, the Trumps made no admission of wrongdoing, and made the Urban League an intermediary for qualified minority applicants.[95][96] His adviser and attorney during (and after) that period was Roy Cohn, who responded to attacks by counterattacking with maximum force, and who valued both positive and negative publicity, which were attitudes that Trump appreciated.[97]
Manhattan developments
In 1978, Trump consummated his first major real estate deal in Manhattan when he purchased a half-share in the decrepit Commodore Hotel. The purchase was largely funded by a $70 million construction loan that was jointly guaranteed by Fred Trump and the Hyatt hotel chain. Designed by architect Der Scutt, the project was able to proceed by leveraging competing interests and by taking advantage of tax breaks.[98] After remodeling, the hotel reopened as the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located next to Grand Central Terminal.[99][100]
Central Park's Wollman Rink, which was renovated by Trump
Repairs on the Wollman Rink (originally opened in 1949 in Central Park) were started in 1980 by a general contractor unconnected to Trump. Despite an expected two and one-half year construction schedule, the repairs were not completed by 1986. Trump took over the project, completed it in three months for $775,000 less than the initial budget of $1.95 million, and operated the rink for one year with all profits going to charity in exchange for the rink's concession rights.[108]
In 1988 Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan for a record-setting $407 million, and asked his wife Ivana to manage its operation.[109] Trump invested $50 million to restore the building, which he called "the Mona Lisa".[110] According to hotel expert Thomas McConnell, the Trumps boosted it from a three-star to a four-star ranking, and sold it in 1995, by which time Ivana was no longer involved.[111]
In 1994, Trump became involved with a building on Columbus Circle that was swaying in the wind. He began a reconstruction project that stopped the swaying and gave the building a full makeover.[112][113] Trump thereafter owned commercial space in that 44-story mixed-use tower (hotel and condominium), which he named Trump International Hotel and Tower.[114]
Lower portion of 40 Wall Street
In 1997, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. The project encountered delays the following year because a subcontracter had to replace defective concrete.[116][117] He and the other investors in the project ultimately sold their interest for $1.8 billion in 2005, in what was then the biggest residential sale in the history of New York City.[118]
From 1994 to 2002, Trump owned a 50% share of the Empire State Building. He would have renamed it to "Trump Empire State Building Tower Apartments" if he had been able to boost his share.[119][120]
In 2001, Trump completed Trump World Tower across from the headquarters of the United Nations. The structure was for a while the tallest all-residential tower in the world.[121] Trump acquired the former Hotel Delmonico in Manhattan in 2002, which re-opened with 35 stories of luxury condominiums in 2004 as the Trump Park Avenue.[122] Meanwhile, he continued to own millions of square feet of other prime Manhattan real estate.[123]
Palm Beach estate
Main article: Mar-a-Lago
Mar-a-Lago in 2009
The Trumps with Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife at Mar-a-Lago in 2017
In 1986, Trump acquired a foreclosed, 33-story, twin-tower condominium complex in nearby West Palm Beach for $40 million. Automobile manufacturing executive Lee Iacocca invested in three of the condos.[125] Trump spruced up the complex's public areas and heavily promoted the property for years, but selling the units proved difficult, and the deal turned out to be unprofitable.[126]
Atlantic City casinos
New Jersey legalized casino gambling in 1977, and the following year Trump was in Atlantic City, New Jersey to explore how he might get involved in a new business venture. Seven years later, Harrah's at Trump Plaza hotel and casino opened there; the multi-use unit was built by Trump with financing from Holiday Corporation, which also was managing that business.[127] Renamed "Trump Plaza" soon after opening, it was at that time the tallest building in Atlantic City.[128] The casino's poor financial results exacerbated disagreements between Trump and Holiday Corp., which led to Trump paying $70 million in May 1986 to buy out their interest in the property.[129][130] Trump also acquired a partially completed building in Atlantic City from the Hilton Corporation for $320 million; when completed in 1985, that hotel and casino became Trump Castle, and Trump's wife, Ivana, managed that property until Trump transferred her in 1988 to run the Trump Plaza Hotel in New York.[131][132]
Entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City
In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of Trump Plaza, Trump Castle, and the Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana.[143] THCR purchased Taj Mahal in 1996, and underwent bankruptcy restructuring in 2004 and 2009, leaving Trump with 10% ownership in the Trump Taj Mahal and other Trump casino properties.[144] From mid-1995 until early 2009, he served as chairman of the publicly-traded THCR organization—which was renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts—and served as CEO from mid-2000 to mid-2005.[145]
During the 1990s, Trump's casino ventures faced competition from Native American gaming at the Foxwoods casino located on an Indian reservation in Connecticut, where it was exempt from the state's anti-gambling laws. Trump stated in 1993 that the casino owners did not look like real Indians to him or to other Indians.[146][147] Subsequent to that well-publicized remark about the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, Trump became a key investor backing the Paucatuck Eastern Pequots who were also seeking state recognition.[148]
Golf courses
Turnberry Hotel and golf course, Ayrshire, Scotland
In 2006, Trump bought 1,400 acres (570 ha) including the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and created a golf resort there.[150] Scottish supporters emphasized potential economic benefits, and opponents emphasized potential environmental harm to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[151][152][153] A spokesperson for the golf course has said 95% of the SSSI is untouched.[154] A 2011 independent documentary, You've Been Trumped, chronicled the golf resort's construction and struggles.[155] In 2015, an offshore windfarm being built within sight of the golf course prompted a legal challenge by Trump, which was dismissed by the U.K. Supreme Court.[156] In the wake of the 2008 recession, Trump greatly scaled back development of this property, and as of December 2016 Scottish officials were pushing for completion of the far larger development as originally approved.[157]
In April 2014, Trump purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, which hosted the Open Championship four times between 1977 and 2009.[158][159] After extensive renovations and a remodeling of the course by golf architect Martin Ebert, Turnberry was re-opened in June 2016.[160]
Hotels outside New York
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, The Trump Organization expanded its footprint in the United States beyond New York and into a few other countries, with the co-development and management of hotel towers in Chicago, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., Panama City, Toronto, and Vancouver. There are also Trump-branded buildings in Dubai, Honolulu, Istanbul, Manila, Mumbai and in Indonesia.[161]
Branding and licensing
Trump has marketed his name on a large number of building projects that are owned and operated by other people and companies, as well as licensing his name for various commercial products and services. In doing so, he achieved mixed success for himself, his partners, and investors in the projects.[162] In 2011, Forbes' financial experts estimated the value of the Trump brand at $200 million. Trump disputed this valuation, saying his brand was worth about $3 billion.[163]Legal affairs and bankruptcies
As of 2016, Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 3,500 state and federal legal actions. He or one of his companies was the plaintiff in 1,900 cases and the defendant in 1,450. With Trump or his company as plaintiff, more than half the cases have been against gamblers at his casinos who had failed to pay off their debts. With Trump or his company as a defendant, the most common type of case involved personal injury cases at his hotels. In cases where there was a clear resolution, Trump's side won 451 times and lost 38.[164][165]Trump has never filed for personal bankruptcy, but his hotel and casino businesses have been declared bankrupt six times between 1991 and 2009 in order to re-negotiate debt with banks and owners of stock and bonds.[166][167] Because the businesses used Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they were allowed to operate while negotiations proceeded. Trump was quoted by Newsweek in 2011 saying, "I do play with the bankruptcy laws – they're very good for me" as a tool for trimming debt.[168][169]
The six bankruptcies were the result of over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York: Trump Taj Mahal (1991), Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino (1992), Plaza Hotel (1992), Trump Castle Hotel and Casino (1992), Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (2004), and Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009).[170][171] Trump said, "I've used the laws of this country to pare debt ... We'll have the company. We'll throw it into a chapter. We'll negotiate with the banks. We'll make a fantastic deal. You know, it's like on The Apprentice. It's not personal. It's just business."[139]
A 2016 analysis of Trump's business career by The Economist concluded that his "... performance [from 1985 to 2016] has been mediocre compared with the stock market and property in New York", noting both his successes and bankruptcies.[172] A subsequent analysis by The Washington Post concluded that "Trump is a mix of braggadocio, business failures, and real success", calling his casino bankruptcies the "most infamous flop" of his business career.[173]
Side ventures
After Trump took charge of the family real estate firm in 1971 and renamed it The Trump Organization, he not only greatly expanded its real estate operations, but also ventured into numerous other business activities. The company eventually became the umbrella organization for several hundred individual business ventures and partnerships.[174]Sports events
In September 1983, Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals—an American Football team that played in the United States Football League—from oil magnate J. Walter Duncan. The USFL played three seasons during the spring and summer. After the 1985 season, the organization folded due to continuous financial difficulties, despite winning an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL.[175]Trump remained involved with other sports after the Generals folded; he operated golf courses in several countries.[175] At the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, he hosted several boxing matches, which included Mike Tyson's 1988 heavyweight championship fight against Michael Spinks.[176] He also acted as a financial advisor to Mike Tyson.[177] In 1989 and 1990, Trump lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race, which was an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races such as the Tour de France or the Giro d'Italia.[178]
Miss Universe
From 1996 to 2015, Trump owned part or all of the Miss Universe pageants.[179][180] The Miss Universe Pageants include Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, and his management of this business involved his family members; for example, daughter Ivanka once hosted Miss Teen USA. Trump hired the first female president of the Miss Universe business in 1997.[181] He became dissatisfied with how CBS scheduled the pageants, and took both Miss Universe and Miss USA to NBC in 2002.[182][183]In 2015, after Trump made statements about illegal immigrants from Mexico in his U.S. presidential campaign kickoff speech, NBC decided to end its business relationship with him and stated that it would no longer air the Miss Universe or Miss USA pageants on its networks.[184] In September 2015, Trump bought NBC's share of the Miss Universe Organization and became its sole owner for three days. He then sold the entire company to the WME/IMG talent agency.[185]
Trump University
Trump University LLC was a for-profit education company that was founded by Trump and his associates, Michael Sexton and Jonathan Spitalny. The company ran a real estate training program and charged between $1,500 and $35,000 per course.[186][187][188] In 2005, the operation was notified by New York State authorities that its use of the word "university" was misleading and violated state law. After a second such notification in 2010, the name of the company was changed to the "Trump Entrepreneurial Institute".[189] Trump was also found personally liable for failing to obtain a business license for the operation.[190]In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit alleging that Trump University made false statements and defrauded consumers.[189][191] In addition, two class-action civil lawsuits were filed in federal court relating to Trump University; they named Trump personally as well as his companies.[192] During the presidential campaign, Trump criticized Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel who oversaw those two cases, alleging bias in his rulings because of his Mexican heritage.[193][194] Shortly after Trump won the presidency, the parties agreed to a settlement of all three pending cases, whereby Trump paid a total of $25 million and denied any wrongdoing.[195][196]
Foundation
The Donald J. Trump Foundation is a U.S.-based private foundation[197] established in 1988 for the initial purpose of giving away proceeds from the book Trump: The Art of the Deal by Trump and Tony Schwartz.[198][199] The foundation's funds have mostly come from donors other than Trump,[200] who has not given personally to the charity since 2008.[200]The foundation's tax returns show that it has given to health care and sports-related charities, as well as conservative groups.[201] In 2009, for example, the foundation gave $926,750 to about 40 groups, with the biggest donations going to the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation ($100,000), the New York–Presbyterian Hospital ($125,000), the Police Athletic League ($156,000), and the Clinton Foundation ($100,000).[202][203] From 2004 to 2014, the top donors to the foundation were Vince and Linda McMahon of WWE, who donated $5 million to the foundation after Trump appeared at WrestleMania in 2007.[200] Linda McMahon later became Administrator of the Small Business Administration.[204]
In 2016, investigations by The Washington Post uncovered several potential legal and ethical violations conducted by the charity, including alleged self-dealing and possible tax evasion.[205] After beginning an investigation into the foundation, the New York State Attorney General's office notified the Trump Foundation that it was allegedly in violation of New York laws regarding charities, and ordered it to immediately cease its fundraising activities in New York.[206][207][208] A Trump spokesman called the investigation a "partisan hit job".[206] In response to mounting complaints, Trump's team announced in late December 2016 that the Trump Foundation would be dissolved to remove "even the appearance of any conflict with [his] role as President."[209]
Resignation
When Trump was elected president in November 2016, questions arose over how he would avoid conflicts of interest between his work in the White House and his business activities. At a press conference on January 10, 2017, Trump said that he and his daughter Ivanka would resign all roles with The Trump Organization, while his two adult sons Don Jr. and Eric would run the business, together with Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg.[210]Trump retained his financial stake in the business.[211] His attorney Sherri Dillon said that before the January 20 inauguration, Trump would put those business assets into a trust, which would hire an ethics advisor and a compliance counsel. She added that The Trump Organization would not enter any new foreign business deals, while continuing to pursue domestic opportunities.[212] As of April 2017, Trump companies owned more than 400 condo units and home lots in the United States, valued at over $250 million in total ($200,000 to $35 million each).[213]
Media career
The Apprentice
Trump posing with former NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman during Rodman's 2009 participation on Celebrity Apprentice
Along with British TV producer Mark Burnett, Trump was hired as host of The Celebrity Apprentice, in which celebrities compete to win money for their charities. While Trump and Burnett co-produced the show, Trump stayed in the forefront, deciding winners and "firing" losers. International versions of The Apprentice franchise were co-produced by Burnett and Trump.
On February 16, 2015, NBC announced that they would be renewing The Apprentice for a 15th season.[217] On February 27, Trump stated that he was "not ready" to sign on for another season because of the possibility of a presidential run.[218] Despite this, on March 18, NBC announced they were going ahead with production.[219] On June 29, after widespread negative reaction stemming from Trump's campaign announcement speech, NBC released a statement saying, "Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump."[220]
After Trump's election campaign and presidential win led to his departure from the program, actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced Trump as host for the fifteenth season.[221] Trump is still credited as an executive producer for the show.[222]
Professional wrestling
Trump is a World Wrestling Entertainment fan and a friend of WWE chairman Vince McMahon. In 1988–89 Trump hosted WrestleMania IV and V at Boardwalk Hall (dubbed "Trump Plaza" for storyline purposes) and has been an active participant in several of the shows.[223] He also appeared in WrestleMania VII, and was interviewed ringside at WrestleMania XX.[224]Trump appeared at WrestleMania 23 in a match called "The Battle of the Billionaires".[223] He was in Bobby Lashley's corner, while Vince McMahon was in the corner of Lashley's opponent Umaga, with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the special guest referee.[223] The terms of the match were that either Trump or McMahon would have their head shaved if their competitor lost.[223] Lashley won the match, and so McMahon was shaved bald.[223]
On June 15, 2009, McMahon announced as part of a storyline on Monday Night Raw that he had "sold" the show to Trump.[223] Appearing on screen, Trump declared that he would be at the following commercial-free episode in person and would give a full refund to the people who purchased tickets to the arena for that night's show.[223] McMahon "bought back" Raw the following week for twice the price.[223]
In 2013, Trump was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden for his contributions to the promotion. He made his sixth WrestleMania appearance the following night at WrestleMania 29.[225]
Acting and public image
Trump has made cameo appearances in 12 films and 14 television series, and he was twice nominated for an Emmy Award.[226] He played an oil tycoon in The Little Rascals,[227] and had a singing role at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006.[228] Trump is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and receives an annual pension of more than $110,000.[229][230] Trump has been the subject of comedians, flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists. Starting in the 1990s, he was a guest about 24 times on the nationally syndicated Howard Stern Show on talk radio.[231] Trump also had his own daily talk radio program called Trumped!, from 2004 to 2008.[232][233][234] Since the 1980s, Trump's wealth and lifestyle have been a fixture of hip hop lyrics,[235] his name being quoted by more than 50 artists.[236]Political career up to 2015
Early involvement in politics
Trump's December 1987 advertisement in The Boston Globe, criticizing U.S. defense policy
Trump considered running for president in 1988, 2000, 2004, and 2012, and for Governor of New York in 2006 and 2014, but aside from 2000 did not enter any of those races.[241][242] In February 2009, Trump appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, and spoke about the automotive industry crisis of 2008–10. He said that "instead of asking for money", General Motors "should go into bankruptcy and work that stuff out in a deal."[243]
Trump publicly speculated about seeking the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, and a Wall Street Journal / NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Trump leading among potential contenders; he was one point ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.[244] A Newsweek poll conducted in February 2011 showed Trump within a few points of incumbent president Barack Obama, with many voters undecided in the November 2012 general election for president of the United States.[245] A poll released in April 2011 by Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine-point lead in a potential contest for the Republican nomination for president while he was still actively considering a run.[246][247] His moves were interpreted by some media as possible promotional tools for his reality show The Apprentice.[248][249][250]
Trump played a leading role in "birther" conspiracy theories that had been circulating since President Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.[251][252] Beginning in March 2011, Trump publicly questioned Obama's citizenship and eligibility to serve as President.[253][254][255] Although the Obama campaign had released a copy of the short-form birth certificate in 2008,[256] Trump demanded to see the original "long-form" certificate.[253] He mentioned having sent investigators to Hawaii to research the question, but he did not follow up with any findings.[253] He also repeated a debunked allegation that Obama's grandmother said she had witnessed his birth in Kenya.[257][258] When the White House later released Obama's long-form birth certificate,[259] Trump took credit for obtaining the document, saying "I hope it checks out."[260] His official biography mentions his purported role in forcing Obama's hand,[261]
and he has defended his pursuit of the issue when prompted, later
saying that his promotion of the conspiracy made him "very popular".[262] In 2011, Trump had called for Obama to release his student records, questioning whether his grades warranted entry into an Ivy League school.[263]
When asked in 2015 whether he believed Obama was born in the United
States, Trump said he did not want to discuss the matter further.[264][265] In September 2016, Trump publicly acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S., and said that the rumors had been started by Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign.[254][266][267]
Trump speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2011
In the 2012 Republican primaries, Trump generally had polled at or below 17 percent among the crowded field of possible candidates.[270] On May 16, 2011, Trump announced he would not run for president in the 2012 election, while also saying he would have become the President of the United States, had he run.[248]
In 2013, Trump was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[271] During the lightly attended early-morning speech, Trump spoke out against illegal immigration, then-President Obama's "unprecedented media protection", and advised against harming Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.[272][273]
Additionally, Trump spent over $1 million in 2013 to research a possible run for president of the United States.[274] In October 2013, New York Republicans circulated a memo suggesting Trump should run for governor of the state in 2014 against Andrew Cuomo. In response to the memo, Trump said that while New York had problems and that its taxes were too high, running for governor was not of great interest to him.[275] In January 2014, Trump made statements denying climate change that were discordant with the opinion of the scientific community.[276] A February 2014 Quinnipiac poll had shown Trump losing to the more popular Cuomo by 37 points in a hypothetical election.[277] In February 2015, Trump told NBC that he was not prepared to sign on for another season of The Apprentice, as he mulled his political future.[278]
Political affiliations
Trump meets with President Ronald Reagan at a 1987 White House reception, 30 years before taking office
In 1999, Trump switched to the Reform Party and ran a presidential exploratory campaign for its nomination. After his run, Trump left the party in 2001, ostensibly due to the involvement of David Duke, Pat Buchanan, and Lenora Fulani.[281]
From 2001 to 2008, Trump identified as a Democrat, but in 2008, he endorsed Republican John McCain for President. In 2009, he officially changed his party registration to Republican.[282] In December 2011, Trump became an independent for five months before returning to the Republican Party, where he later pledged to stay.[283][284]
Trump has made contributions to campaigns of both Republican Party and Democratic Party candidates, with the top ten recipients of his political contributions being six Democrats and four Republicans.[285] After 2011, his campaign contributions were more favorable to Republicans than to Democrats.[286] In February 2012, Trump openly endorsed Republican Mitt Romney for President.[287] When asked in 2015 which recent president he prefers, Trump picked Democrat Bill Clinton over the Republican Bushes.[288][289]
According to a New York state report, Trump circumvented corporate and personal campaign donation limits in the 1980s—although no laws were broken—by donating money to candidates from 18 different business subsidiaries, rather than donating primarily in his own name.[290][291] Trump told investigators he did so on the advice of his lawyers. He also said the contributions were not to gain favor with business-friendly candidates, but simply to satisfy requests from friends.[290][292]
2000 presidential campaign
In 1999, Trump filed an exploratory committee to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party in 2000.[281][293] A July 1999 poll matching him against likely Republican nominee George W. Bush and likely Democratic nominee Al Gore showed Trump with seven percent support.[294] Trump eventually dropped out of the race due to party infighting, but still went on to win the party's California and Michigan primaries.[295][296][297]President Donald Trump 4th July Independence Day S
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