Donald John Trump

Donald J. Trump was born on June 14th, 1946 in Queens, New York to Fred and Mary Anne Trump. Trump’s father Fred Trump was born in New York City, but his grandfather was an immigrant from Kallstadt, Germany. Trump’s mother Mary Anne Macleod was from Tong, Scotland and married Fred Trump in New York in 1936. His father would build up the real-estate and construction business that Donald Trump would inherit later.

Trump was a very energetic child, which is why his parents enrolled him in the New York Military Academy at the age of 13. They hoped that more discipline would help him concentrate on his studies. At the academy, he was an accomplished student and excelled in American Football, soccer, and baseball. After completing his high school diploma at the military academy, Trump began studying at the Fordham University in the Bronx in August 1964. Two years later, he transferred to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the elite universities of the American Ivy League. Here, he received his Bachelor of Science in economics in 1968.

During his studies, Trump worked with his father and after graduating, he joined the family company, Elizabeth Trump & Son. Trump’s career as a real estate and business tycoon flourished after taking over his father’s business in 1971. Now that it was his company, he renamed it The Trump Organization. As a real-estate tycoon, Trump was involved in building and renovating projects in New York City and across the USA. He is well-known for projects such as the Grand Hyatt New York, the Trump Tower in Manhattan, and the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

His real estate career is marked by several bust and boom periods. In 1987, Trump and Tony Schwartz published the book “Trump: The Art of the Deal,” which was number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for 13 weeks. Trump has authored a total of 14 books. In 2004, Trump became the star of the NBC reality show “The Apprentice” and its spinoff “The Celebrity Apprentice.”

Trump first announced his interest in becoming US President in 1987 and repeatedly hinted towards running. On June 16th, 2015, he eventually announced his candidacy for the Presidential Elections 2016 in the Trump Tower. Despite not having any political experience, Trump became the Republican nominee in June 2016.

Spouse: Melania Knauss (married since 2005), Marla Maples (married 1993-1999), Ivana Zelnicek (married 1977-1990)

Children: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, Barron Trump

Profession: real estate developer, entrepreneur

Party affiliation: Republican

Nickname: The Donald

Results of the Presidential Elections 2016

On November 8th, 2016, the American people elected Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States. He was sworn in on January 20th, 2017. Trump was the fifth president to win the election without carrying the popular vote.

Vice President: Mike Pence

First term of office (2017 - 2021)

Key projects for Donald Trump's first presidency were:

• building a wall on the Mexican border
• curbing immigration
• stricter screening processes for immigrants
• cutting corporate and personal income tax
• revision of the Tax Ordinance
• higher taxation of goods from abroad
• securing jobs in the USA
• renegotiation of the NAFTA agreement
• abolition of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
• reduction of healthcare costs
• redefining the role of the USA in NATO, the WTO (World Trade Organization), and the Paris Climate Accords

Donald Trump ran for a second term in the Presidential Elections of 2020, but was defeated by his opponent from the Democratic Party, Joe Biden.

Results of the Presidential Elections 2024

In the Presidential Elections of 2024, Donald Trump secured a clear victory over the Democratic Party's candidate, Kamala Harris, winning both the electoral college and the popular vote. His election victory makes Trump the second president in US history, after Grover Cleveland, whose second term in office did not immediately follow his first.

Vice President: James David „JD“ Vance

Second term of office (2025 - 2029)

Key projects for Donald Trump's second presidency are:

• strict immigration policy
• completing the border wall to Mexico
• reducing corporate taxes
• reducing bureaucracy
• imposing tariffs of up to 20% on foreign goods
• reorientation of the energy policy towards fossil fuels
• less focus on diversity and LGBTQ issues
• ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East

Interesting facts

• Upon taking office on January 20th, 2025, at the age of 78, Donald Trump will be the oldest US president to date.
• In 1999, Trump switched from the Republicans to the Reform Party and formed a committee to explore the possibility of a presidential bid. However, he decided against running in 2000 and later rejoined the Republican Party.
• Donald Trump abstains from alcohol and cigarettes completely because his older brother Fred Jr. died from the effects of alcoholism in 1981 at the age of only 43.
• In 1984, Trump bought the USFL American Football team New Jersey Generals.
• In 1989, Trump launched his own board game “Trump: The Game,” which was similar to the popular real estate board game Monopoly. However, the game was a flop, with only half of the produced items being sold.
• In 1991, Trump received a Golden Raspberry Award for his guest appearance in the movie “Ghosts Can't Do It.”
• Between 2004 and 2009, Donald Trump appeared in various storylines of the Wrestling Federation WWE. He was even inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.

"We have to straighten out our country; we have to make our country great again, and we need energy and enthusiasm." (Donald J. Trump)