Donald Trump

Republican Donald J. Trump, as 45th president of the United States.

Donald John Trump (born 14 June 1946 in Queens, New York City) is an American politician, businessman, and media personality who was the 45th President of the United States of America from 2017 to 2021. He was succeeded by Joe Biden from 2021 to 2025. On 5 November 2024, Trump was elected as 47th President of the United States of America making him the second US president to win a non-consecutive second term since Grover Cleveland.

Life

Cadet Donald John Trump

Guest of honor Rudy Giuliani and Grand Marshal Trump on 18 September 1999 at the 55th German-American Steuben Parade (de) in New York City.

Presidential candidate Trump shows his defiance after an assassination attempt on 13 July 2024.

Victim Corey Comperatore with his daughter Allyson; right: last Twitter text.

Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States

Republican landslide 2024

Hundreds of Hollywood celebrities threatened to leave the USA, if Trump would once again be elected president, but of course not one celebrity left.

Trump is the son of German American businessman Frederick "Fred" Christ Trump Sr. (1905–1999) and his wife Mary Anne, née MacLeod. She was born in the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland and emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1930, becoming a naturalized citizen in March 1942. She raised five children with her husband and lived in the New York area.

Donald Trump spent five years at the New York Military Academy in Cornwall-on-Hudson, from 1959 until he graduated in 1964 as a cadet-captain of his senior year. As such he had been tasked with presiding over NYMA's most prestigious company of cadets. Former roommates and instructors say he thrived under the school's rigidity.

Charles Jefferson Wright, an American Civil War veteran and teacher, founded the school in 1889 under the belief that a military structure provided the best environment for academic achievement. The school's alumni include composer Stephen Sondheim and director Francis Ford Coppola. Donald Trump, captain on the academy's varsity baseball team, was voted "Ladies Man" of his class in the 1964 yearbook.

Trump attended the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics (BSc) in 1968. His father named him President of his real estate business in 1971. Trump renamed it the Trump Organization and reoriented the company toward building and renovating skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. The elder Trump had once warned his son to stay away from Manhattan and to keep his real estate activities to the remaining boroughs. Donald Trump ignored his father's advice, becoming a successful multi-millionaire and later a television personality.

Political positions

Trump proposed to secure the United States border with Mexico by building a wall, and to deport illegal immigrants. He undertook a stance against corruption in Washington D.C. and was first elected in part because of certain promises, to some degree pro-Caucasian policies, such as opposing mass immigration, but many right-wing and traditionalist supporters (especially from the white nationalist and alt-right movements), as well as his opposition, have stated disappointment with his results.

However, Jewish influence was noted and marked by supporters (notably, with his daughter Ivanka Trump converting to Judaism to marry the Jewish Jared Kushner, and with the obvious nepotism. Many Jews said "when he gets into office, Ivanka and Jared will manage him."), and also among his opponents, which has led to degrees of dissatisfaction.

Israel

Trump has always affirmed the USA's continuing support for Israel. However, in an interview he stated he wished to be "neutral" on the Israeli-Palestinian Question, claiming he wanted to try his hand at bringing a peace settlement to the Middle East if elected President. This promise he did not keep, the USA Government instead provoking more violence by relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem. Trump announced on 6 December 2017 before signing the proclamation which was so obviously written by someone else:

"My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In 1995, Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act, urging the federal government to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize that that city — and so importantly — is Israel’s capital. This act passed Congress by an overwhelming bipartisan majority and was reaffirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate only six months ago. Yet, for over 20 years, every previous American president has exercised the law’s waiver, refusing to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem or to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city. Presidents issued these waivers under the belief that delaying the recognition of Jerusalem would advance the cause of peace. Some say they lacked courage, but they made their best judgments based on facts as they understood them at the time. Nevertheless, the record is in. After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result. Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. [...] Thank you. God bless you. God bless Israel. God bless the Palestinians. And God bless the United States."

Assassination attempt (2024)

While again campaigning for the Presidency at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on 13 July 2024, Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt. Several bullets (witnesses state 5 to 8) were fired at him from a rooftop position one of which pierced his right ear. Corey Comperatore, 50, who served as the fire chief for Buffalo Township, was shot and killed by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20. Comperatore had shielded his wife, Helen, and daughter, Allyson, with his body. Secret service snipers liquidated the shooter. Two other attendees were critically wounded.

The assailant, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks by U.S. security services, has ties to Antifa, known for its radical activism, and reported connections with PKK/YPG operatives in Syria.

The Trump campaign, represented by National Finance Director Meredith O'Rourke, launched a GoFundMe page only hours after the shooting to assist victims and families following the assassination attempt on the former president. Not even 12 hours later, the account had donations of c. 2 million U.S. dollars. As of 9 p.m. Central European Time (CET), musician Kid Rock, CEO of Credit Glory Alex Brola and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Dana White were leading the list, donating $50,000 each. 24 hours after the assassination attempt, the donations had already exceeded 3 million U.S. dollars.

I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery. – Elon Musk at X

2024 United States presidential election

On 5 November 2024, Trump was elected as 47th President of the United States of America. The landslide victory is considered historical. He not only won the electoral vote but also the popular vote (over three million votes more than his opponent) defeating Vice President and woke mixed-race Democratic nominee Kamala Harris decisively. Trump will be the first president to serve two non-consecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in 1892. Trump hailed a “golden age” for America. Speaking at his campaign watch party in Palm Beach in the early morning hours of 6 November 2024, Trump said:

“This is the greatest political movement of all time and now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to let our country heal. [...] This will truly be the golden age of America.”

Results

Trump won 312 electoral votes, the highest number for any Republican presidential ticket since George H. W. Bush in 1988. Harris won 226 electoral votes, the worst result for a Democratic presidential ticket since Michael Dukakis in 1988, and also became the first Democratic presidential candidate to lose the national popular vote since John Kerry in 2004. Trump’s victory defied two assassination attempts, two presidential impeachments (in each case, he was acquitted on all counts by the Senate), and numerous baseless legal prosecutions.

Further results of the election are senate majority, house majority, state governor (gubernatorial) majority and state legislature majority. The seven swing states in the 2024 election were the Rust Belt states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as the Sun Belt states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. Trump secured victory in all seven states. The three Midwestern swing states had historically been part of the "blue wall" ever since the election of Bill Clinton in 1992, but they broke for Donald Trump in the election of 2016, when he similarly faced a female Democratic candidate—Hillary Clinton.

Trump support among Latino voters increased 14 percentage points from 2020, according to Edison Research exit poll, Trump support with voters aged 18 to 29 increased 7 percentage points. More women and Asians voted Trump, also the Republican candidate doubled his support among black voters compared with 2020, exit polls showed.

The starkest increase may have been the 14-percentage-point swing in Trump's share of Hispanic voters, according to an exit poll conducted by Edison Research. Some 46% of self-identified Hispanic voters picked Trump, up from 32% in the 2020 election when Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Hispanics have largely favored Democrats for decades, but Trump's share this year was the highest for a Republican presidential candidate in exit polls going back to the 1970s, and just higher than the 44% share won by Republican George W. Bush in 2004, according to data compiled by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

Family

Marriages

Trump has five children from three different marriages. Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric are Trump's three eldest children, from his first marriage with Ivana Trump. Tiffany Ariana (born 13 October 1993) is Donald Trump's only child with Marla Maples. Barron William (born 20 March 2006), his son with Melania, née Knavs, is the youngest.

Quotes

• “I like thinking big. I always have. To me it’s very simple: If you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.” – Trump in his book Trump – The Art of the Deal (1987)

• "I mean, like, I’m a smart person. You’re born a fighter, and I’ve seen a lot of people who want to fight but they can’t. Some people cannot genetically handle pressure. I always said that winning is somewhat, maybe, innate. Maybe it’s just something you have; you have the winning gene. Frankly it would be wonderful if you could develop it, but I’m not so sure you can."

• “They’re strong people and they’re smart people. They grow them well in Kallstadt. They get things done. That’s the German culture. I’m proud to have that German blood. Great stuff.” – Trump in the 2014 documentary called “Kings of Kallstadt” about Trump and John Henry Heinz, whose son started a ketchup empire in the United States

• “I have great German heritage. I’m very proud of it. Great place. They grow ‘em well in Kallstadt ... very well. Believe me, it’s good stock.”

• “There's no greater act of disloyalty than to extinguish the sovereignty of your own nation.” – Trump, x.com, September 2024

See also

• Immigration physical barriers

External links

• The Trump Impeachment: A Clash Between America’s Competing Elites?
• In 1927, Donald Trump’s father was arrested after a Klan riot in Queens