Served: January 20th 2017 – Present
Born: June 14th, 1946
Birthplace: Queens, New York
Occupation: Businessman, Politician, Entertainer
Political Party: Republican
Spouse: Melania Knauss
After a rather tumultuous campaign, Donald J. Trump assumed office as the 45th President of the United States on January 20th, 2017. Trump succeeds Barack Obama, who served 2 terms in the White House as President. Trump’s victory over opponent Hilary Rodham Clinton came as a surprise to many Americans after polls seemed to indicate that Clinton’s victory was assured.
Trump’s swearing in was no less dramatic, with protestors clashing with law enforcement and supporters in Washington D.C. and elsewhere in the country.
The 45th President holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Business as Usual
Donald Trump was born in Queens on June 14th, 1946 to Frederick Christ Trump and Mary Anne Trump (nee MacLeod). In his high school years, Trump attended the New York Military Academy. After graduating from NYMA, he attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. During his time in college, Trump worked for his family’s company, Elizabeth Trump & Son.
In 1971, Trump took over the family company and renamed it to The Trump Organization. His first notable deal came in 1978 with a 70-million-dollar remodeling of the Hyatt Hotel. Also in 1978, negotiations concluded and work began on the 58 floor Trump Tower, which was finished in 1983 and houses both Trump’s private apartments and the headquarters of the Trump organization.
On October 15th, 1973 Donald Trump and his father Fred were hit with a suit from the U.S. Justice Department alleging that “blacks seeking apartments in Trump-owned buildings were turned away or quoted inflated rents” (Blair, 2007). Trump reacted by countersuing the Justice Department for 100 million dollars, stating that the government was trying to force tenants with unstable financial situations on major landlords. In 1975 an agreement was reached between parties in which the Trumps admitted to no wrongdoing, but from then on were required to advertise vacancies in a newspaper read primarily by blacks, to include welfare payments when determining a potential tenant’s income, and to give first notice to the Urban League for a percentage of vacancies in all Trump apartment buildings.
Over the next 20 years, Trump continued to buy and sell, acquiring properties of note such as Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. He also purchased several casinos, golf courses, hotels, and sports teams. From 1996 until 2015 Trump also owned or partially owned the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants.
Donald Trump has never personally filed for bankruptcy, but his businesses have 6 times. During his campaign, however, Trump did become nettled at constant referrals to his going bankrupt. Per Trump himself in a tweet:
In a corporate bankruptcy (Chapter 11) a corporation can stay in business while it restructures and attempts to reduce its debt.
In 2003, Donald Trump became the executive producer and host of NBC’s The Apprentice, which was filmed in Trump Tower. He held this position until 2015, when he elected not to sign up for another season due to his then possible run for President.
Running for President has been something that’s been on Trump’s mind for decades – he considered running in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. He decided that 2016 was his year, and on June 16th, 2015 announced from the steps of Trump Tower: “I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again.”
Love and Marriage
Donald Trump’s personal life has been no less tumultuous than his business empire. Married 3 times, he has 5 children and 8 grandchildren. In 1977, he married the iconic Ivana Trump and they went on to have 3 of his 5 children. In 1990, Donald and Ivana divorced due to his affair with actress Marla Maples.
Maples and Trump had a daughter, Tiffany, on October 13th, 1993 and were married 2 months later. But it was not meant to be. The couple formally separated in May of 1997 and were divorced in June of 1999. During this period, Donald Trump met his 3rd and current wife, Melania.
The couple got engaged in April of 2004 and were married January 22, 2005. The following year, Melania gave birth to their son, Barron Trump. Melania has remained largely quiet on the campaign trail, telling People magazine: “My husband is traveling all the time,” she said. “Barron needs somebody as a parent, so I am with him all the time,” and added that she’s “not ready to get political yet.”
The Trump Administration
Trump’s choices for key positions in his administration have caused controversy. Trump being Trump, this doesn’t seem to bother him one bit. As of this date, the 2 confirmed cabinet members are James N. Mattis as Defense Secretary and John F. Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security. Other picks for key positions and awaiting confirmation by the Senate include:
Ben Carson: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Jeff Sessions: Attorney General
Rex W. Tillerson: Secretary of State
Elaine L. Chao: Transportation Secretary
Betsy DeVos: Secretary of Education
These and several more key positions will be decided in the upcoming month.
Controversy
The legendary battle between Trump and Clinton carried on into the 11th hour, when it seemed that Clinton had the Presidency in the bag. But in a shocking move, it was Trump who was elected 45th President of the United States. Up until now, the no-holds-barred war between the two candidates had been watched with fascination and apprehension by the entire world.
When Trump was elected, protestors took to the streets and riots were seen in several cities across America. Staunch supporters of Trump advocate change and more support for small business, the middle class, and law enforcement. Opponents of Trump fear a backwards movement in the battle for women’s rights and a reversal of important supportive measures to help stop climate change.
Did you know?
In 1983 Donald Trump received the Jewish National Fund’s Tree of Life Award for outstanding contributions to Israel-United States relations.
Trump is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.
Due to a brother who suffered with alcoholism and subsequently died, Donald Trump abstains from both alcohol and cigarettes.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump#Ancestry
https://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2015/07/30/1973-meet-donald-trump/
https://books.google.com/books?id=AiFeQZhakXQC&pg=PA23#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://www.biography.com/people/donald-trump-9511238#synopsis
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/06/donald-trump-companies-bankruptcy-atlantic-city
http://nypost.com/2015/05/30/stop-pretending-donald-trump-is-not-running-for-president/
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/fashion/melania-trump-the-silent-partner.html
http://people.com/celebrity/at-home-with-donald-trump-and-his-family/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html
http://attorneysdefendingisrael.blogspot.com/2015/12/donald-trumps-tree-of-life-plaque-when.html
http://www.wwe.com/superstars/donald-trump
