Donald Trump

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is the 45th and current President of the United States. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and television personality.

Trump was born and raised in the New York City borough of Queens. He received an economics degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and was appointed president of his family's real estate business in 1971, renamed it The Trump Organization, and expanded it from Queens and Brooklyn into Manhattan. The company built or renovated skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. Trump later started various side ventures, including licensing his name for real estate and consumer products. He managed the company until his 2017 inauguration. He co-authored several books, including The Art of the Deal. He owned the Miss Universe and Miss USA beauty pageants from 1996 to 2015, and he produced and hosted the reality television show, The Apprentice, from 2003 to 2015. Forbes estimates his net worth to be $3.1 billion.

Trump 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 was elected president in a surprise victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He became the oldest and wealthiestperson ever to assume the presidency, the first without prior military or government service, and the fifth to have won the election while losing the popular vote. His election and policies have sparked numerous protests. Many of his comments and actions have been perceived as racially charged or racist.

During his presidency, Trump ordered a travel ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, citing security concerns; after legal challenges, the Supreme Court upheld the policy's third revision. He signed tax cut legislation which cut tax rates for individuals and businesses and also rescinded the individual insurance mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act and opened the Arctic Refuge for oil drilling. He enacted a partial repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act that had imposed stricter constraints on banks in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. He pursued his America First agenda in foreign policy, withdrawing the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnershiptrade negotiations, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Iran nuclear deal. He recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, imposed import tariffs on various goods, triggering a trade war with China, and negotiated with North Korea with the aim of denuclearization. He nominated two justices to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

After Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey, the Justice Department appointed Robert Mueller as Special Counsel to investigate "any links and/or coordination" between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in its election interference. Trump has repeatedly denied accusations of collusion and obstruction of justice, calling the investigation a politically motivated "witch hunt".

Contents

 * 1Family and personal life
 * 1.1Early life and education
 * 1.2Ancestry and parents
 * 1.3Wives, siblings, and descendants
 * 1.4Religion
 * 1.5Health
 * 1.6Wealth
 * 2Business career
 * 2.1Real estate
 * 2.2Branding and licensing
 * 2.3Lawsuits and bankruptcies
 * 2.4Side ventures
 * 2.5Foundation
 * 2.6Conflicts of interest
 * 3Media career
 * 3.1Books
 * 3.2Film and television
 * 3.3Radio and television commentary
 * 4Public profile
 * 4.1Approval ratings
 * 4.2False statements
 * 4.3Racial views
 * 4.4Relationship with the press
 * 4.5Popular culture
 * 4.6Social media
 * 4.7Recognitions
 * 5Political career
 * 5.1Political activities up to 2015
 * 5.22016 presidential campaign
 * 5.3General election
 * 5.4Political positions
 * 5.5Campaign rhetoric
 * 5.6White supremacist support
 * 5.7Financial disclosures
 * 5.8Sexual misconduct allegations
 * 5.9Election to the presidency
 * 5.10Protests
 * 6Presidency
 * 6.1Early actions
 * 6.2Domestic policy
 * 6.3Immigration
 * 6.4Foreign policy
 * 6.5Personnel
 * 6.6Investigations
 * 6.7Impeachment efforts
 * 6.82020 presidential campaign
 * 7Notes
 * 8References
 * 9Bibliography
 * 10External links

Early life and education


Senior yearbook photo of Trump in 1964 wearing the uniform of his private boarding school, New York Military Academy-2 [1]] [2]

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at the Jamaica Hospital, Queens, New York City,[3] [4]  one of five children. He is the son of Frederick Christ Trump, a real estate developer, and Mary Anne MacLeod.[5]

Trump grew up in Jamaica Estates, Queens, and attended the Kew-Forest School from kindergarten through seventh grade.-7 [6]] [7]  At age 13, he was enrolled in the New York Military Academy, a private boarding school, after his parents discovered that he had made frequent trips into Manhattan without their permission.-9 [8]] [9]

In 1964, Trump enrolled at Fordham University.-2 [1]] [10]  After two years, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.[10] -12 [11]]  While at Wharton, he worked at the family business, Elizabeth Trump & Son.[12]  He graduated in May 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics.[10] [13] <sup id="cite_ref-15">[14]

While in college from 1964 to 1968, Trump obtained four student deferments from serving in the military.<sup id="cite_ref-16">[15] <sup id="cite_ref-defer_17-0">[16]  In 1966, he was deemed fit for service based upon a medical examination and in July 1968, after graduating from college, was briefly classified as eligible to serve by a local draft board. In October 1968, he was given a medical deferment which he later attributed to spurs in both heels, and classified as 1-Y, "unqualified for duty except in the case of a national emergency."<sup id="cite_ref-Whitlock21July_18-0">[17]  In the December 1969 draft lottery, Trump's birthday, June 14, received a high number which would have given him a low probability to be called to military service even without the 1-Y.<sup id="cite_ref-Whitlock21July_18-1">[17] <sup id="cite_ref-SE_19-0">[18] <sup id="cite_ref-RG_20-0">[19]  In 1972, he was reclassified as 4-F, disqualifying him for service.<sup id="cite_ref-SE_19-1">[18] <sup id="cite_ref-emery_21-0">[20]

Ancestry and parents
Further information: Trump family

Trump's ancestors originated from the German village of Kallstadt in the Palatinate on his father's side, and from the Outer Hebrides in Scotland on his mother's side. All of his grandparents and his mother were born in Europe.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA19_19]_22-0">-22 [21]]

Trump's paternal grandfather, Frederick Trump, first immigrated to the United States in 1885 at the age of 16 and became a citizen in 1892.<sup id="cite_ref-brothelgoldrush_23-0">[22]  He amassed a fortune operating boomtown restaurants and boarding houses in the Seattle area and the Klondike region of Canada during its gold rush.<sup id="cite_ref-brothelgoldrush_23-1">[22]  On a visit to Kallstadt, he met Elisabeth Christ and married her in 1902. The couple permanently settled in New York in 1905.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA23_23–25]_24-0">-24 [23]]  Frederick died from influenza during the 1918 pandemic.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBlair2015a[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidig1ZCgAAQBAJpgPA5_5]_25-0">-25 [24]]

Trump's father Fred 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, "E. Trump & Son",<sup id="cite_ref-30">[nb 2]  founded in 1923,<sup id="cite_ref-Blair1_31-0">[29]  was primarily active in the New York boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Fred eventually built and sold thousands of houses, barracks, and apartments.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBlair2015a[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidig1ZCgAAQBAJpgPA5_5]_25-1">-25 [24]] <sup id="cite_ref-dad_32-0">[30]  In 1971, Donald Trump was made president of the company, which was later renamed the Trump Organization.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBlair2005[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidAiFeQZhakXQCpgPA23_23]_33-0">-33 [31]]

In spite of his German ancestry, "Fred Trump sought to pass himself off as Swedish amid anti-German sentiment sparked by World War II."<sup id="cite_ref-CNN_Swedish_34-0">[32]  Donald Trump propagated this story in The Art of the Deal.<sup id="cite_ref-CNN_Swedish_34-1">[32] <sup id="cite_ref-35">[33] <sup id="cite_ref-36">[34]

Trump's mother Mary Anne MacLeod was born in Tong, Lewis, Scotland. At age 18 in 1930, she immigrated to New York, where she worked as a maid.<sup id="cite_ref-Pilon_37-0">[35]  Fred and Mary were married in 1936 and raised their family in Queens.<sup id="cite_ref-Pilon_37-1">[35] <sup id="cite_ref-38">[36]

Wives, siblings, and descendants
Main article: Family of Donald Trump

Trump grew up with three elder siblings—Maryanne, Fred Jr., and Elizabeth—as well as a younger brother named Robert. Maryanne is an inactive Federal Appeals Court judge on the Third Circuit.<sup id="cite_ref-39">[37]

Trump has five children by three marriages, as well as nine grandchildren.<sup id="cite_ref-40">[38] <sup id="cite_ref-41">[39]  His first two marriages ended in widely publicized divorces.<sup id="cite_ref-nytimes.com_42-0">[40]

In 1977, Trump married Czech model Ivana Zelníčková at the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan, in a ceremony performed by the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale.<sup id="cite_ref-43">[41] <sup id="cite_ref-BarronNYT_44-0">[42]  They had three children: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_Jr. Donald Jr.] (born 1977), Ivanka (born 1981), and Eric (born 1984). Ivana became a naturalized United States citizen in 1988.<sup id="cite_ref-45">[43]  The couple divorced in 1992, following Trump's affair with actress Marla Maples.<sup id="cite_ref-46">[44]

In October 1993, Maples gave birth to Trump's daughter, who was named Tiffany in honor of high-end retailer Tiffany & Company.<sup id="cite_ref-Slate07202016_47-0">[45]  Maples and Trump were married two months later in December 1993.<sup id="cite_ref-48">[46]  They divorced in 1999,<sup id="cite_ref-49">[47]  and Tiffany was raised by Marla in California.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20161002_50-0">[48]



Trump is sworn in as president on January 20, 2017. From left to right: Trump, his wife Melania, and his children [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_Jr. Donald Jr.], Barron, Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany.

In 2005, Trump married his third wife, Slovenian model Melania Knauss, at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida.<sup id="cite_ref-Post52208_51-0">[49]  In 2006, Melania became a United States citizen<sup id="cite_ref-52">[50]  and gave birth to a son, Barron.<sup id="cite_ref-53">[51] <sup id="cite_ref-54">[52]  Melania became First Lady when Trump became president in January 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-Nov2016_55-0">[53]

Upon his inauguration as president, Trump delegated the management of his real estate business to his two adult sons, Eric and Don Jr.<sup id="cite_ref-56">[54]  His daughter Ivanka resigned from the Trump Organization and moved to Washington, D.C., with her husband Jared Kushner. She serves as an assistant to the president,<sup id="cite_ref-57">[55]  and he is a Senior Advisor in the White House.<sup id="cite_ref-58">[56]

Religion
Trump is a Presbyterian.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_59-0">[57] <sup id="cite_ref-60">[58] <sup id="cite_ref-unplugged_61-0">[59]  His ancestors were Lutheran on his paternal grandfather's side in Germany<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBlair2015b[httpsbooksgooglecombooksiduJifCgAAQBAJpgPA28_28–29]_62-0">-62 [60]]  and Presbyterian on his mother's side in Scotland.<sup id="cite_ref-63">[61]  His parents married in a Manhattan Presbyterian church in 1936.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher201729_64-0">[62]  As a child, he attended the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens, where he had his confirmation.<sup id="cite_ref-BarronNYT_44-1">[42]  In the 1970s, his parents joined the Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan,<sup id="cite_ref-WaPo.March.18.17_65-0">[63]  part of the Reformed Church.<sup id="cite_ref-Christian_Post_20150828_66-0">[64] The pastor at Marble, Norman Vincent Peale, ministered to Trump's family and mentored him until Peale's death in 1993.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA81_81]_67-0">-67 [65]] <sup id="cite_ref-WaPo.March.18.17_65-1">[63]  Trump has cited Peale and his works during interviews when asked about the role of religion in his personal life.<sup id="cite_ref-WaPo.March.18.17_65-2">[63]  In August 2015 Trump told reporters, "I am Presbyterian Protestant. I go to Marble Collegiate Church," adding that he attends many different churches because he travels a lot.<sup id="cite_ref-68">[66]  The Marble Collegiate Church then issued a statement noting that Trump and his family have a "longstanding history" with the church, but that he "is not an active member".<sup id="cite_ref-Christian_Post_20150828_66-1">[64]

Trump said he was "not sure" whether he ever asked God for forgiveness, stating "If I do something wrong, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture." He said he tries to take Holy Communion as often as possible because it makes him "feel cleansed".<sup id="cite_ref-:1_59-1">[57]  While campaigning, Trump referred to The Art of the Deal as his second favorite book after the Bible, saying, "Nothing beats the Bible."<sup id="cite_ref-Weigel11Aug_69-0">[67]  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."<sup id="cite_ref-70">[68]

Trump has associations with a number of Christian spiritual leaders, including Florida pastor Paula White, who has been called his "closest spiritual confidant."<sup id="cite_ref-71">[69]  In 2015, he released a list of religious advisers, including James Dobson, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Falwell_Jr. Jerry Falwell Jr.], Ralph Reed, Michele Bachmann, Robert Jeffress, and others.<sup id="cite_ref-72">[70] <sup id="cite_ref-73">[71]

Health
Main article: Health of Donald Trump

Trump does not drink alcohol, a reaction to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Trump_Jr. his elder brother]'s chronic alcoholism and early death.<sup id="cite_ref-nytimesalc_74-0">[72] <sup id="cite_ref-75">[73]  He also said that he has never smoked cigarettes or consumed drugs, including marijuana.<sup id="cite_ref-76">[74]  In December 2015, Trump's personal physician, Harold Bornstein, released a superlative-laden<sup id="cite_ref-77">[75]  letter of health praising Trump for "extraordinary physical strength and stamina".<sup id="cite_ref-78">[76]  Bornstein later said that Trump himself had dictated the contents.<sup id="cite_ref-79">[77]  A followup medical report showed Trump's blood pressure, liver and thyroid functions to be in normal ranges, and that he takes a statin.<sup id="cite_ref-80">[78] <sup id="cite_ref-81">[79]  In January 2018, Trump was examined by White House physician Ronny Jackson, who stated that he was in excellent health and that his cardiac assessment revealed no medical issues,<sup id="cite_ref-82">[80]  although his weight and cholesterol level were higher than recommended,<sup id="cite_ref-time-20180117_83-0">[81]  Several outside cardiologists commented that Trump's weight, lifestyle and LDL cholesterol level ought to have raised serious concerns about his cardiac health.<sup id="cite_ref-nyt-20180117_84-0">[82]

Wealth


Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, with gold-infused glass<sup id="cite_ref-85">[83]

Trump is the beneficiary of several trust funds set up by his father and paternal grandmother beginning in 1949.<sup id="cite_ref-Kessler160303_86-0">[84]  In 1976, Fred Trump set up trust funds of $1 million for each of his five children and three grandchildren ($4.3 million in 2017 dollars). Donald Trump received annual payments from his trust fund, for example, $90,000 in 1980 and $214,605 in 1981.<sup id="cite_ref-Kessler160303_86-1">[84]  By 1993, when Trump took two loans totaling $30 million from his siblings, their anticipated shares of Fred's estate amounted to $35 million each.<sup id="cite_ref-OBrien2005Oct_87-0">[85] <sup id="cite_ref-Kessler160303_86-2">[84]  Upon Fred Trump's death in 1999, his will divided $20 million after taxes among his surviving children.<sup id="cite_ref-Kessler160303_86-3">[84] <sup id="cite_ref-Rozhon26June_88-0">[86] <sup id="cite_ref-For_Donald_Trump,_Lessons_From_a_Brother's_Suffering_89-0">[87]

Trump has often said that he began his career with "a small loan of one million dollars" from his father, and that he had to pay it back with interest.<sup id="cite_ref-small-loan_90-0">[88]  In October 2018, The New York Times published an exposé drawing on more than 100,000 pages of tax returns and financial records from Fred Trump's businesses, and interviews with former advisers and employees. The Times concluded that Donald Trump "was a millionaire by age 8",<sup id="cite_ref-takeaways_91-0">[89]  and that he had received at least $413 million (adjusted for inflation) from his father's business empire over his lifetime.<sup id="cite_ref-Tax_Schemes_92-0">[90]  According to the Times, Trump borrowed at least $60 million from his father, and largely failed to reimburse him.<sup id="cite_ref-takeaways_91-1">[89]  The paper also described a number of purportedly fraudulent tax schemes, for example when Fred Trump sold shares in Trump Palace condos to his son well below their purchase price, thus masking what could be considered a hidden donation, and benefiting from a tax write-off.<sup id="cite_ref-Tax_Schemes_92-1">[90]  A lawyer for Trump said the "allegations of fraud and tax evasion are 100 percent false, and highly defamatory". A spokesman for the New York State tax department said the agency was "vigorously pursuing all appropriate areas of investigation".<sup id="cite_ref-93">[91]  New York City officials also indicated they are examining the matter.<sup id="cite_ref-94">[92]

Trump appeared on the initial Forbes 400 list of richest Americans in 1982 with an estimated $200 million fortune shared with his father.<sup id="cite_ref-wang-20160324_95-0">[93]  Former Forbes reporter Jonathan Greenberg stated in 2018 that during the 1980s Trump had deceived him about his actual net worth and his share of the family assets in order to appear on the list.<sup id="cite_ref-WP-20180420_96-0">[94] <sup id="cite_ref-CNN-20180420_97-0">[95]  Trump made the Forbes World's Billionaires list for the first time in 1989,<sup id="cite_ref-atlantic-20110204_98-0">[96]  but he was dropped from the Forbes 400 from 1990 to 1995 following business losses.<sup id="cite_ref-wang-20160324_95-1">[93]  In 2005, Deutsche Bank loan documents pegged Trump's net worth at $788 million, while Forbes quoted $2.6 billion and journalist Tim O'Brien gave a range of $150 million to $250 million.<sup id="cite_ref-atlantic-20110204_98-1">[96]  In its 2018 billionaires ranking, Forbes estimated Trump's net worth at $3.1 billion<sup id="cite_ref-Wealth_1-1">[nb 1]  (766th in the world, 248th in the U.S.)<sup id="cite_ref-forbes-2018-billionaires_101-0">[99]  making him one of the richest politicians in American history. During the three years since Trump announced his presidential run in 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth declined 31% and his ranking fell 138 spots.<sup id="cite_ref-102">[100]

When he filed mandatory financial disclosure forms with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) in July 2015, Trump claimed a net worth of about $10 billion;<sup id="cite_ref-financial-pr_103-0">[101]  however FEC figures cannot corroborate this estimate because they only show each of his largest buildings as being worth "over $50 million", yielding total assets worth more than $1.4 billion and debt over $265 million.<sup id="cite_ref-Yahoo_News_FEC_104-0">[102]  Trump reported a yearly income of $362 million for 2014<sup id="cite_ref-financial-pr_103-1">[101]  and $611 million from January 2015 to May 2016.<sup id="cite_ref-cnn-20160519_105-0">[103]

A 2016 analysis of Trump's business career in The Economist concluded that his performance since 1985 had been "mediocre compared with the stock market and property in New York."<sup id="cite_ref-econ_From_106-0">[104]  A subsequent analysis in The Washington Post similarly noted that Trump's estimated net worth of $100 million in 1978 would have increased to $6 billion by 2016 if he had invested it in a typical retirement fund, and concluded that "Trump is a mix of braggadocio, business failures, and real success."<sup id="cite_ref-107">[105]

Trump stated in a 2007 deposition, "My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feelings."<sup id="cite_ref-108">[106]

Business career
Main article: Business career of Donald Trump

Real estate


The distinctive façade of Trump Tower, the headquarters of The Trump Organization, in Midtown Manhattan

In 1968, Trump began his career at his father Fred's real estate development company, E. Trump & Son, which, among other interests, owned middle-class rental housing in New York City's outer boroughs.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTETrumpSchwartz200946_109-0">[107] <sup id="cite_ref-Mahler_110-0">[108]  Trump worked for his father to revitalize the Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, which the elder Trump had bought in 1964.<sup id="cite_ref-111">[109] <sup id="cite_ref-mk_112-0">[110]  The management of the property was sued for racial discrimination in 1969; the suit "was quietly settled at Fred Trump's direction."<sup id="cite_ref-mk_112-1">[110]  The Trumps sold the property in 1972, with vacancy on the rise.<sup id="cite_ref-mk_112-2">[110]

When his father became chairman of the board in 1971, Trump was promoted to president of the company and renamed it The Trump Organization.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBlair2005[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidAiFeQZhakXQCpgPA23_23]_33-1">-33 [31]] <sup id="cite_ref-113">[111]  In 1973, he and his father drew wider attention when the Justice Departmentcontended in a lawsuit that their company systematically discriminated against African Americans who wished to rent apartments. The Department alleged that the Trump Organization had screened out people based on race and not low income as the Trumps had 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.<sup id="cite_ref-LookingBack_114-0">[112] <sup id="cite_ref-kranish_115-0">[113]  Trump's attorney at the time was Roy Cohn, who valued both positive and negative publicity, and responded to attacks with forceful counterattacks; Trump later emulated Cohn's style.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA64_64–69,_104]_116-0">-116 [114]]

Manhattan developments
In 1978, Trump launched his Manhattan real estate business by purchasing a 50 percent stake in the derelict Commodore Hotel, located next to Grand Central Terminal. The purchase was funded largely by a $70 million construction loan that was guaranteed jointly by Fred Trump and the Hyatt hotel chain.<sup id="cite_ref-Kessler160303_86-4">[84] <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA84_84]_117-0">-117 [115]]  When the remodeling was finished, the hotel reopened in 1980 as the Grand Hyatt Hotel.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWooten200932–35_118-0">[116]

The same year, Trump obtained the rights to develop Trump Tower, a 58-story, 664-foot-high (202 m) skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.<sup id="cite_ref-119">[117] <sup id="cite_ref-wdc150915_120-0">[118]  To make way for the new building, a crew of undocumented Polish workers demolished the historic Bonwit Teller store, including art deco features that had initially been marked for preservation.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA86_86–88]_121-0">-121 [119]]  The building was completed in 1983 and houses both the primary penthouse condominium residence of Trump and the headquarters of The Trump Organization.<sup id="cite_ref-TrumpTowerResidence_122-0">[120] <sup id="cite_ref-TrumpTowerResidence1_123-0">[121]  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".<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA95_95]_124-0">-124 [122]] <sup id="cite_ref-Architecture:_Atrium_of_Trump_Tower_is_a_Pleasant_Surprise_125-0">[123]



Central Park's Wollman Rink after the Trump renovation

In 1980, repairs began on Central Park's Wollman Rink, with an anticipated two-and-a-half year construction time frame. Because of flaws in the design and numerous problems during construction, the project remained unfinished by May 1986 and was estimated to require another 18 months and $2 million to $3 million to complete.<sup id="cite_ref-scorecard_126-0">[124] <sup id="cite_ref-Bloomberg_L.P_127-0">[125]  Trump was awarded a contract as the general contractor in June 1986 to finish the repairs by December 15 with a cost ceiling of $3 million, with the actual costs to be reimbursed by the city.<sup id="cite_ref-Bloomberg_L.P_127-1">[125]  Trump hired an architect, a construction company, and a Canadian ice-rink manufacturer and completed the work in four months, $775,000 under budget.<sup id="cite_ref-Bloomberg_L.P_127-2">[125]  He operated the rink for a year and gave some of the profits to charity and public works projects<sup id="cite_ref-Trump_reports_large_profit_from_Wollman_Rink_128-0">[126]  in exchange for the rink's concession rights.<sup id="cite_ref-Fahrenthold-161029_129-0">[127] <sup id="cite_ref-Bloomberg_L.P_127-3">[125]  Trump managed the rink from 1987 to 1995. He received another contract in 2001 which was extended until 2021.<sup id="cite_ref-purnicki_130-0">[128] <sup id="cite_ref-kravitz_131-0">[129]  According to journalist Joyce Purnick, Trump's "Wollman success was also the stuff of a carefully crafted, self-promotional legend."<sup id="cite_ref-purnicki_130-1">[128]  While the work was in progress, Trump called numerous press conferences, for example for the completion of the laying of the pipes and the pouring of the cement.<sup id="cite_ref-geist_132-0">[130]  In 1987, he also unsuccessfully tried to get the city to rename the landmark after him; the Trump logo is prominently displayed on the railing encircling the rink, on the Zamboni,<sup id="cite_ref-purnicki_130-2">[128]  on the rental skates,<sup id="cite_ref-kravitz_131-1">[129]  and on the rink's website.<sup id="cite_ref-kravitz_131-2">[129] <sup id="cite_ref-kula_133-0">[131]

In 1988 Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan for $407 million and appointed his wife Ivana to manage its operation.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWooten200965–66_134-0">[132]  Trump invested $50 million to restore the building, which he called "the Mona Lisa".<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA190_190]_135-0">-135 [133]]  According to hotel expert Thomas McConnell, the Trumps boosted it from a three-star to a four-star ranking. They sold it in 1995, by which time Ivana was no longer involved in the hotel's day-to-day operations.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-19950412_136-0">[134]

In 1994, Trump's company refurbished the Gulf and Western Building on Columbus Circle with design and structural enhancements turning it into a 44-story luxury residential and hotel property<sup id="cite_ref-NYT_137-0">[135] <sup id="cite_ref-Trump-tries_138-0">[136]  known as Trump International Hotel and Tower.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWooten2009108_139-0">[137]

In 1996, Trump acquired the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building, which was a vacant seventy-one story skyscraper on Wall Street. After an extensive renovation, the high-rise was renamed the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWooten200981–82_140-0">[138]  In 1997, he began construction on Riverside South, which he dubbed Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. 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.<sup id="cite_ref-141">[139]  From 1994 to 2002, Trump owned a 50 percent share of the Empire State Building. He intended to rename it "Trump Empire State Building Tower Apartments" if he had been able to boost his share.<sup id="cite_ref-Trump_Is_Selling_Plaza_Hotel_To_Saudi_and_Asian_Investors_142-0">[140] <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPacelle200118_143-0">[141]  In 2001, Trump completed Trump World Tower.<sup id="cite_ref-Emporis_144-0">[142]  In 2002, Trump acquired the former Hotel Delmonico, which was renovated and reopened in 2004 as the Trump Park Avenue; the building consisted of 35 stories of luxury condominiums.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWooten200986–87_145-0">[143]

Palm Beach estate
Main article: Mar-a-Lago



Mar-a-Lago in 2009

In 1985, Trump acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for $10 million, $7 million for the real estate and $3 million for the furnishings.<sup id="cite_ref-CP-W_146-0">[144] <sup id="cite_ref-APNews_3-29-1988_147-0">[145]  His initial offer of $28 million had been rejected, and he was able to obtain the property for the lower price after a real-estate market "slump".<sup id="cite_ref-town&countryprice_148-0">[146]  The home was built in the 1920s by heiress and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post.<sup id="cite_ref-Luongo_149-0">[147]  After her death, her heirs unsuccessfully tried to donate the property to the government before putting it up for sale.<sup id="cite_ref-Luongo_149-1">[147] <sup id="cite_ref-jm_rsh_150-0">[148]  In addition to using a wing of the estate as a home, Trump turned Mar-a-Lago into a private club. In order to join, prospective members had to pay an initiation fee<sup id="cite_ref-RLee_151-0">[149] and annual dues.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA161_161]_152-0">-152 [150]]  The initiation fee was $100,000 until 2016; it was doubled to $200,000 in January 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-samD10-9-17_153-0">[151] <sup id="cite_ref-rf_1-25-2017_154-0">[152]

Atlantic City casinos
After New Jersey legalized casino gambling in 1977, Trump traveled to Atlantic City to explore new business opportunities. Seven years later, he opened Harrah's at Trump Plaza hotel and casino; the project was built by Trump with financing from the Holiday Corporation, who also managed its operation.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWooten200957–58_155-0">[153]  It was renamed "Trump Plaza" soon after it opened.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA128_128]_156-0">-156 [154]]  The casino's poor financial results exacerbated disagreements between Trump and Holiday Corp., which led to Trump's paying $70 million in May 1986 to buy out their interest in the property.<sup id="cite_ref-157">[155] <sup id="cite_ref-crudele_158-0">[156]  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 1988.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWooten200959–60_159-0">[157] <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA137_137]_160-0">-160 [158]]



Entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City

Trump acquired his third casino in Atlantic City, the Taj Mahal, in 1988 while it was under construction, through a complex transaction with Merv Griffin and Resorts International.<sup id="cite_ref-161">[159]  It was completed at a cost of $1.1 billion and opened in April 1990.<sup id="cite_ref-162">[160] <sup id="cite_ref-163">[161]  The project was financed with $675 million in junk bonds<sup id="cite_ref-UPI9April_164-0">[162]  and was a major gamble by Trump.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA135_135]_165-0">-165 [163]]  The project underwent debt restructuring the following year,<sup id="cite_ref-abc_166-0">[164]  leaving Trump with 50 percent ownership.<sup id="cite_ref-NYTimes_167-0">[165]  Facing "enormous debt", he sold his airline, Trump Shuttle, and 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Hylton_168-0">[166] <sup id="cite_ref-Schneider19May_169-0">[167] <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA132_132–133]_170-0">-170 [168]]

In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of Trump Plaza, Trump Castle, and the Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana.<sup id="cite_ref-171">[169]  THCR purchased Taj Mahal in 1996 and underwent bankruptcy restructuring in 2004 and 2009, leaving Trump with 10 percent ownership in the Trump Taj Mahal and other Trump casino properties.<sup id="cite_ref-McQuade16Aug_172-0">[170]  Trump remained chairman of THCR until 2009.<sup id="cite_ref-173">[171]

Golf courses
Main article: Donald Trump and golf



Turnberry Hotel and golf course in Ayrshire, Scotland

As of December 2016, the Trump Organization owns or operates 18 golf course and golf resorts in the United States and abroad.<sup id="cite_ref-CNNMoney_174-0">[172]  According to Trump's FEC personal financial disclosure, his 2015 golf and resort revenue amounted to $382 million,<sup id="cite_ref-Financial_2015_175-0">[173] <sup id="cite_ref-cnn-20160519_105-1">[103]  while his three European golf courses did not show a profit.<sup id="cite_ref-Melby19July_176-0">[174]

Trump began acquiring and constructing golf courses in 1999; his first property was the Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach in Florida.<sup id="cite_ref-Golf2007_177-0">[175]  By 2007, he owned four courses around the U.S.<sup id="cite_ref-Golf2007_177-1">[175]  Following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, he began purchasing existing golf courses and re-designing them.<sup id="cite_ref-USAToday_178-0">[176]  His use of these courses during his presidency was controversial. Despite frequently criticizing his predecessor Barack Obama for his numerous golf outings, Trump golfed 11 times during his first eight weeks in office.<sup id="cite_ref-GolfDigest2017_179-0">[177]  According to CNN, Trump visited Trump-owned golf courses 91 times in 2017, although the White House does not disclose whether or not the president actually played on each of those visits.<sup id="cite_ref-CNN_180-0">[178]

Branding and licensing
Main article: List of things named after Donald Trump



Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago

The Trump Organization expanded its business into branding and management by licensing the Trump name for a large number of building projects that are owned and operated by other people and companies. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, The Trump Organization expanded its footprint beyond New York with the branding and management of various developers' hotel towers around the world. These included projects 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 Indonesia.<sup id="cite_ref-Forbes-20170320_181-0">[179]

The Trump name has also been licensed for various consumer products and services, including foodstuffs, apparel, adult learning courses, and home furnishings. 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.<sup id="cite_ref-182">[180]  According to an analysis by The Washington Post, there are more than 50 licensing or management deals involving Trump's name, which have generated at least $59 million in yearly revenue for his companies.<sup id="cite_ref-183">[181]

Lawsuits and bankruptcies
Main article: Legal affairs of Donald Trump

As of April 2018, Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions, according to a running tally by USA Today.<sup id="cite_ref-184">[182]  As of 2016, he or one of his companies had been 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.<sup id="cite_ref-USATodayAnalysis_185-0">[183] <sup id="cite_ref-186">[184]

Trump has never filed for personal bankruptcy, although in 1990 he came within one missed bank loan payment of doing so, agreeing to a deal that temporarily ceded management control of his company to his banks and put him on a spending allowance.<sup id="cite_ref-187">[185]  Trump claimed to have initiated this deal with his banks as he saw the downturn in the real estate market, but bankers involved in the matter stated they initiated the negotiations before Trump had realized there was a problem.<sup id="cite_ref-auto_188-0">[186]  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.<sup id="cite_ref-189">[187] <sup id="cite_ref-190">[188]  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.<sup id="cite_ref-publicintegrity1_191-0">[189] <sup id="cite_ref-192">[190]  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).<sup id="cite_ref-six_193-0">[191] <sup id="cite_ref-forbes-bankruptcy_194-0">[192]

During the 1980s, more than 70 banks had lent Trump $4 billion,<sup id="cite_ref-auto_188-1">[186]  but in the aftermath of his corporate bankruptcies of the early 1990s, most major banks declined to lend to him, with a notable exception of Deutsche Bank.<sup id="cite_ref-195">[193]

Side ventures
After Trump took over the family real estate firm in 1971 and renamed it The Trump Organization, he expanded its real estate operations and ventured into other business activities. The company eventually became the umbrella organization for several hundred individual business ventures and partnerships.<sup id="cite_ref-196">[194]

Sports
In September 1983, Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals—an American football team that played in the United States Football League (USFL). After the 1985 season, the league folded largely due to Trump's strategy of moving games to a fall schedule where they competed with the NFL for audience, and trying to force a merger with the NFL by bringing an antitrust lawsuit against the organization.<sup id="cite_ref-Markazi_197-0">[195] <sup id="cite_ref-Morris_198-0">[196]

Trump operated golf courses in several countries.<sup id="cite_ref-Markazi_197-1">[195]  He hosted several boxing matches at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, including Mike Tyson's 1988 heavyweight championship fight against Michael Spinks.<sup id="cite_ref-199">[197]  He also acted as a financial advisor to Mike Tyson.<sup id="cite_ref-200">[198] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Hogan_201-0">[199]

Miss Universe


Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 2007

Main articles: Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA

From 1996 to 2015, Trump owned part or all of the Miss Universe pageants.<sup id="cite_ref-pageantsaleWME_202-0">[200] <sup id="cite_ref-203">[201]  The pageants include Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. His management of this business involved his family members—daughter Ivanka once hosted Miss Teen USA.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA164_164]_204-0">-204 [202]]  He became dissatisfied with how CBS scheduled the pageants, and took both Miss Universe and Miss USA to NBC in 2002.<sup id="cite_ref-205">[203] <sup id="cite_ref-206">[204]  In 2007, Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work as producer of Miss Universe.<sup id="cite_ref-cz160129_207-0">[205]

Following Trump's controversial statements about illegal Mexican immigrants during his 2015 presidential campaign kickoff speech, NBC ended its business relationship with him, stating that it would no longer air the Miss Universe or Miss USA pageants on its networks.<sup id="cite_ref-hollywoodreporter_208-0">[206]  In September 2015, Trump bought NBC's share of the Miss Universe Organization and then sold the entire company to the WME/IMG talent agency.<sup id="cite_ref-209">[207]

Trump University
Main article: Trump University

Trump University 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.<sup id="cite_ref-210">[208] <sup id="cite_ref-vf_211-0">[209] <sup id="cite_ref-nyt511_212-0">[210]  In 2005, New York State authorities notified the operation 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".<sup id="cite_ref-AppealsCourt2016_213-0">[211]  Trump was also found personally liable for failing to obtain a business license for the operation.<sup id="cite_ref-reuters.2014_214-0">[212]

Ronald Schneckenberg, a sales manager for Trump University, said in a testimony that he was reprimanded for not trying harder to sell a $35,000 real estate class to a couple who could not afford it.<sup id="cite_ref-ronald_tu_215-0">[213]  Schneckenberg said that he believed "Trump University was a fraudulent scheme" which "preyed upon the elderly and uneducated to separate them from their money."<sup id="cite_ref-ronald_tu_215-1">[213]

In 2013, New York State filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University; the suit alleged that the company made false statements and defrauded consumers.<sup id="cite_ref-AppealsCourt2016_213-1">[211] <sup id="cite_ref-216">[214]  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.<sup id="cite_ref-twofront_217-0">[215]  During the presidential campaign, Trump criticized presiding Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, alleging bias in his rulings because of his Mexican heritage.<sup id="cite_ref-RappeportNYT_218-0">[216] <sup id="cite_ref-Ford_219-0">[217]  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.<sup id="cite_ref-220">[218] <sup id="cite_ref-221">[219]

Foundation
Main article: Donald J. Trump Foundation

The Donald J. Trump Foundation is a U.S.-based private foundation<sup id="cite_ref-:0b_222-0">[220]  that was established in 1988 for the initial purpose of giving away proceeds from the book Trump: The Art of the Deal.<sup id="cite_ref-223">[221] <sup id="cite_ref-:1b_224-0">[222]  The foundation's funds have mostly come from donors other than Trump,<sup id="cite_ref-WaPoMissing_225-0">[223]  who has not given personally to the charity since 2008.<sup id="cite_ref-WaPoMissing_225-1">[223]

The foundation's tax returns show that it has given to health care and sports-related charities, as well as conservative groups.<sup id="cite_ref-226">[224]  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).<sup id="cite_ref-SearchingforEvid_227-0">[225] <sup id="cite_ref-228">[226]  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.<sup id="cite_ref-WaPoMissing_225-2">[223]  Trump later named Linda McMahon as Administrator of the Small Business Administration.<sup id="cite_ref-229">[227]

In 2016, The Washington Post reported that the charity had committed several potential legal and ethical violations, including alleged self-dealing and possible tax evasion.<sup id="cite_ref-230">[228]  Also in 2016, the New York State Attorney General's office notified the Trump Foundation that the foundation appeared to be in violation of New York laws regarding charities, ordering it to immediately cease its fundraising activities in New York.<sup id="cite_ref-hit_231-0">[229] <sup id="cite_ref-232">[230] <sup id="cite_ref-233">[231]  A Trump spokesman called the Attorney General's investigation a "partisan hit job".<sup id="cite_ref-hit_231-1">[229]  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."<sup id="cite_ref-234">[232]  According to an IRS filing in November 2017, the foundation intended to shut down and distribute its assets (about $970,000) to other charities. However, the New York Attorney General's office had to complete their ongoing investigation before the foundation could legally shut down,<sup id="cite_ref-235">[233]  and in June 2018 they filed a civil suit against the foundation for $2.8 million in restitution and additional penalties.<sup id="cite_ref-236">[234]  The suit names Trump himself as well as his adult children Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka.<sup id="cite_ref-237">[235]

Conflicts of interest
Before being inaugurated as president, Trump moved his businesses into a revocable trust run by his eldest sons and a business associate.<sup id="cite_ref-NPR012018_238-0">[236] <sup id="cite_ref-BBC041817_239-0">[237]  According to ethics experts, as long as Trump continues to profit from his businesses, the measures taken by Trump do not help to avoid conflicts of interest.<sup id="cite_ref-Venook_240-0">[238]  Because Trump would have knowledge of how his administration's policies would affect his businesses, ethics experts recommend that Trump sell off his businesses.<sup id="cite_ref-BBC041817_239-1">[237]  Multiple lawsuits have been filed alleging that Trump is violating the emoluments clause of the United States Constitution due to his business interests; they argue that these interests allow foreign governments to influence him.<sup id="cite_ref-Venook_240-1">[238] <sup id="cite_ref-LaFraniere_241-0">[239]  Previous presidents in the modern era have either divested their holdings or put them in blind trusts,<sup id="cite_ref-NPR012018_238-1">[236]  and he is the first president to be sued over the emoluments clause.<sup id="cite_ref-LaFraniere_241-1">[239]

Books
Main article: Bibliography of Donald Trump

Trump has published numerous books. His first published book in 1987 was Trump: The Art of the Deal, in which Trump is credited as co-author with Tony Schwartz, who has stated that he did all the writing for the book.<sup id="cite_ref-Kruse_242-0">[240] <sup id="cite_ref-janemayer_243-0">[241] <sup id="cite_ref-JaneM160720_244-0">[242]  It reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller list, stayed there for 13 weeks, and altogether held a position on the list for 48 weeks.<sup id="cite_ref-janemayer_243-1">[241]  According to The New Yorker, "The book expanded Trump's renown far beyond New York City, promoting an image of himself as a successful dealmaker and tycoon."<sup id="cite_ref-janemayer_243-2">[241]  Trump's published writings shifted post-2000 from stylized memoirs to financial tips and political opinion.<sup id="cite_ref-lozada_245-0">[243]

Wrestling
In 1988 and 1989, Trump hosted WrestleMania IV and V at Boardwalk Hall, and he has been an active participant in several World Wrestling shows.<sup id="cite_ref-wwebio_246-0">[244]  In 2013, he was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden for his contributions to the promotion.<sup id="cite_ref-247">[245]

The Apprentice
In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show The Apprentice, in which contestants competed for a one-year management job with the Trump Organization; applicants were successively eliminated from the game with the catchphrase"You're fired".<sup id="cite_ref-jk-8-7-15_248-0">[246] <sup id="cite_ref-Kruse_242-1">[240] <sup id="cite_ref-born_7-17-16_249-0">[247]  He went on to be co-host of The Celebrity Apprentice, in which celebrities compete to win money for their charities.<sup id="cite_ref-jk-8-7-15_248-1">[246] <sup id="cite_ref-born_7-17-16_249-1">[247] <sup id="cite_ref-250">[248]

In February 2015, Trump stated that he was "not ready" to sign on for another season of the show because of the possibility of a presidential run.<sup id="cite_ref-251">[249]  Despite this, NBC announced they were going ahead with production of a 15th season.<sup id="cite_ref-252">[250]  In June, 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."<sup id="cite_ref-253">[251]

Acting
Main article: Donald Trump filmography

Trump has made cameo appearances in 12 films and 14 television series,<sup id="cite_ref-254">[252]  including as the father of one of the characters in The Little Rascals.<sup id="cite_ref-Atlantic_255-0">[253] <sup id="cite_ref-256">[254]  He performed a song with Megan Mullally at the 57th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2005.<sup id="cite_ref-257">[255] <sup id="cite_ref-258">[256]

Trump receives a pension as a member of the Screen Actors Guild.<sup id="cite_ref-jh_2016_259-0">[257]  His financial disclosure forms mentioned an annual pension of $110,000 in 2016 and $85,000 in 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-jh_2016_259-1">[257] <sup id="cite_ref-260">[258] <sup id="cite_ref-jh-2017_261-0">[259]

Radio and television commentary
Starting in the 1990s, Trump was a guest about 24 times on the nationally syndicated Howard Stern Show on talk radio.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA166_166]_262-0">-262 [260]]  Trump also had his own short-form talk radio program called ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumped! Trumped!] (one to two minutes on weekdays) from 2004 to 2008.<sup id="cite_ref-263">[261] <sup id="cite_ref-264">[262] <sup id="cite_ref-265">[263]  In 2011, Trump was given a weekly unpaid guest commentator spot on Fox & Friends'' that continued until he started his Presidential candidacy in 2015.<sup id="cite_ref-266">[264] <sup id="cite_ref-267">[265] <sup id="cite_ref-268">[266] <sup id="cite_ref-269">[267]

Approval ratings
Presidential approval polls taken during the first ten months of Trump's term have shown him to be the least popular U.S. president in the history of modern opinion polls.<sup id="cite_ref-270">[268] <sup id="cite_ref-271">[269] <sup id="cite_ref-272">[270]  A Pew Research Center global poll conducted in July 2017, found "a median of just 22 percent has confidence in Trump to do the right thing when it comes to international affairs". This compares to a median of 64 percent rate of confidence for his predecessor Barack Obama. Trump received a higher rating in only two countries: Russia and Israel.<sup id="cite_ref-273">[271]  An August 2017 POLITICO/Morning consult poll found on some measures "that majorities of voters have low opinions of his character and competence".<sup id="cite_ref-274">[272]  Trump is the only elected president who did not place first on Gallup's poll of men Americans most admired in his first year in office, coming in second behind Barack Obama.<sup id="cite_ref-275">[273] <sup id="cite_ref-gallup1678_276-0">[274]

False statements
Main article: Veracity of statements by Donald Trump

As president, Trump has frequently made false statements in public speeches and remarks.<sup id="cite_ref-Qiu_277-0">[275] <sup id="cite_ref-KesslerLee_278-0">[276] <sup id="cite_ref-279">[277]  Trump uttered "at least one false or misleading claim per day on 91 of his first 99 days" in office according to The New York Times,<sup id="cite_ref-Qiu_277-1">[275]  and 1,318 total in his first 263 days in office according to the "Fact Checker" political analysis column of The Washington Post.<sup id="cite_ref-280">[278]  By Trump's 649th day in office, the Post's tally exceeded 6,400 false or misleading claims, and—in the seven weeks leading up to the midterm elections—it had risen to an average of 30 per day<sup id="cite_ref-281">[279]  from 4.9 during his first 100 days in office.<sup id="cite_ref-282">[280]  In general, news organizations have been hesitant to label these statements as "lies".<sup id="cite_ref-283">[281] <sup id="cite_ref-284">[282]

Racial views
Main article: Racial views of Donald Trump

Trump has a history of making racially controversial remarks and taking actions that are perceived as racially motivated.<sup id="cite_ref-285">[283]  In 1975, he settled a 1973 Department of Justice lawsuit that alleged housing discrimination against black renters.<sup id="cite_ref-Mahler_110-1">[108] <sup id="cite_ref-pbs-20170822_286-0">[284] <sup id="cite_ref-287">[285]  He was accused of racism for insisting that a group of black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 Central Park jogger attack, even after they were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2002. He continued to maintain this position as late as 2016.<sup id="cite_ref-288">[286]

Starting in 2011, Trump was a major proponent of "birther" conspiracy theories alleging that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, and questioned his eligibility to serve as president.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT2016_289-0">[287] <sup id="cite_ref-290">[288]  Trump later took credit for pushing the White House to release the "long-form" birth certificate from Hawaii,<sup id="cite_ref-released_291-0">[289] <sup id="cite_ref-Madison27April_292-0">[290] <sup id="cite_ref-293">[291]  and he stated during his presidential campaign that his stance had made him "very popular".<sup id="cite_ref-294">[292]  In September 2016, he publicly acknowledged that Obama was born in the United States, and falsely asserted that the rumors had been started by Hillary Clinton and her 2008 presidential campaign.<sup id="cite_ref-nyt-drops_295-0">[293]

Trump makes a statement (begins at 07:20 into the video) on the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville published by the White House

According to an analysis in Political Science Quarterly, Trump made "explicitly racist appeals to whites" during his 2016 presidential campaign.<sup id="cite_ref-296">[294]  Trump launched his campaign with a speech in which he stated: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. ... They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some, I assume, are good people."<sup id="cite_ref-AnnouncingCandidacy_297-0">[295] <sup id="cite_ref-6/15/15transcript_298-0">[296] <sup id="cite_ref-299">[297] <sup id="cite_ref-300">[298]  Later, his attacks on a Mexican-American judge were criticized as racist.<sup id="cite_ref-301">[299]  His comments following a 2017 far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, were seen as implying a moral equivalence between the white supremacist marchers and those who protested them.<sup id="cite_ref-302">[300]  In a January 2018 Oval Office meeting to discuss immigration legislation with Congressional leaders, Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African countries as "shitholes".<sup id="cite_ref-303">[301]  His remarks were condemned as racist worldwide, as well as by many members of Congress.<sup id="cite_ref-zack_304-0">[302] <sup id="cite_ref-305">[303] <sup id="cite_ref-306">[304]  Trump has denied accusations of racism multiple times, saying he is the "least racist person".<sup id="cite_ref-307">[305] <sup id="cite_ref-308">[306]

Trump's racially insensitive statements<sup id="cite_ref-pbs-20170822_286-1">[284]  have been condemned by many observers in the U.S. and around the world,<sup id="cite_ref-309">[307] <sup id="cite_ref-310">[308]  but accepted by his supporters either as a rejection of political correctness<sup id="cite_ref-311">[309] <sup id="cite_ref-312">[310]  or because they harbor similar racial sentiments.<sup id="cite_ref-313">[311] <sup id="cite_ref-nation-20170508_314-0">[312]  Several studies and surveys have stated that racist attitudes and racial resentment have fueled Trump's political ascendance, and have become more significant than economic factors in determining party allegiance of voters.<sup id="cite_ref-nation-20170508_314-1">[312] <sup id="cite_ref-vox-20171215_315-0">[313]  In a June 2018 Quinnipiac University poll, 49 percent of respondents believed that Trump is racist while 47 percent believed he is not. Additionally, 55 percent said he "has emboldened people who hold racist beliefs to express those beliefs publicly."<sup id="cite_ref-Quinnipiac=180703_316-0">[314] <sup id="cite_ref-Marcin_317-0">[315]

Relationship with the press


President Trump talking to the press, March 2017

Throughout his career, Trump has sought media attention. His interactions with the press turned into what some sources called a "love-hate" relationship.<sup id="cite_ref-Parnes_318-0">[316] <sup id="cite_ref-Ingram-160301_319-0">[317] <sup id="cite_ref-AN-170124_320-0">[318]  Trump began promoting himself in the press in the 1970s.<sup id="cite_ref-Dantonio-160710_321-0">[319]

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump accused the press of intentionally misinterpreting his words and of being biased,<sup id="cite_ref-Walsh-160724_322-0">[320] <sup id="cite_ref-Blake-150706_323-0">[321]  although he benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.<sup id="cite_ref-Cillizza-160614_324-0">[322]  After winning the election, Trump told journalist Lesley Stahl that he intentionally demeaned and discredited the media "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you".<sup id="cite_ref-325">[323]  Into his presidency, much of the press coverage of Trump and his administration was negative.<sup id="cite_ref-Bump-180509_326-0">[324] <sup id="cite_ref-AP-170217_327-0">[325]

Trump has often referred to the press as "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people".<sup id="cite_ref-328">[326]  He has privately and publicly mused about taking away critical reporters' White House press credentials (despite, during his campaign, promising not to do so once he became president).<sup id="cite_ref-:17_329-0">[327]  On his first day in office, Trump falsely accused journalists of understating the size of the crowd at his inauguration, and called the media "among the most dishonest human beings on earth".

The relationship between Trump, the media, and fake news has been studied. One study found that between October 7 and November 14, 2016, while one in four Americans visited a fake news website, "Trump supporters visited the most fake news websites, which were overwhelmingly pro-Trump" and "almost 6 in 10 visits to fake news websites came from the 10 percent of people with the most conservative online information diets".<sup id="cite_ref-Guess_Nyhan_Reifler_1/9/2018_330-0">[328] <sup id="cite_ref-Allcott_331-0">[329]  Brendan Nyhan, one of the authors of the study by researchers from Princeton University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Exeter, stated in an interview on NBC News: "People got vastly more misinformation from Donald Trump than they did from fake news websites".<sup id="cite_ref-332">[330]

Popular culture
Main articles: Donald Trump in popular culture and Donald Trump in music

Trump has been the subject of comedians, flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists. He has been parodied regularly on Saturday Night Live by Phil Hartman, Darrell Hammond, and Alec Baldwin, and in South Park as Mr. Garrison. The Simpsons episode "Bart to the Future", written during his 2000 campaign for the Reform party, anticipated a future Trump presidency. A dedicated parody series called The President Show debuted in April 2017 on Comedy Central, while another one called Our Cartoon President debuted on Showtime in February 2018.<sup id="cite_ref-333">[331]

Trump's wealth and lifestyle had been a fixture of hip hop lyrics since the 1980s, as he was named in hundreds of songs, most often in a positive tone.<sup id="cite_ref-538-hiphop_334-0">[332] <sup id="cite_ref-335">[333]  Mentions of Trump turned negative and pejorative after he ran for office in 2015.<sup id="cite_ref-538-hiphop_334-1">[332] <sup id="cite_ref-336">[334] <sup id="cite_ref-337">[335]

Social media
Main article: Donald Trump on social media

Trump's presence on social media has attracted attention worldwide since he joined Twitter in March 2009. He communicated heavily on Twitter during the 2016 election campaign, and has continued to use this channel during his presidency. The attention on Trump's Twitter activity has significantly increased since he was sworn in as president. He uses Twitter as a direct means of communication with the public, sidelining the press.<sup id="cite_ref-federalist-sidelining_338-0">[336]  Many of the assertions he tweeted have been proven false.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20170427_339-0">[337] <sup id="cite_ref-WP-20170501_340-0">[338] <sup id="cite_ref-CT-20170624_341-0">[339]

Recognitions
Further information: List of honors and awards received by Donald Trump

In December 2016, Time named Trump as its "Person of the Year".<sup id="cite_ref-PersonYear_342-0">[340]  In an interview on The Today Show, he said he was honored by the award, but he took issue with the magazine for referring to him as the "President of the Divided States of America."<sup id="cite_ref-343">[341] <sup id="cite_ref-344">[342]  In the same month, he was named Financial Times Person of the Year.<sup id="cite_ref-FT_2016_345-0">[343]  In December 2016, Forbes ranked Trump the second most powerful person in the world, after Vladimir Putin and before Angela Merkel.<sup id="cite_ref-346">[344]  In 2015, Robert Gordon University revoked the honorary Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) it had granted Trump in 2010, stating that "Mr. Trump has made a number of statements that are wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university."<sup id="cite_ref-Scot_347-0">[345]

Political activities up to 2015
Trump's political party affiliation has changed numerous times over the years. He registered as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987,<sup id="cite_ref-PolitiFact.24.Aug.15_348-0">[346]  switched to Independent in 1999, Democrat in 2001, and back to Republican in 2009.<sup id="cite_ref-PolitiFact.24.Aug.15_348-1">[346]  He made donations to both the Democratic and the Republican party, party committees, and candidates until 2010 when he stopped donating to Democrats and increased his donations to Republicans considerably.<sup id="cite_ref-349">[347]

In 1987 Trump spent $94,801 (equivalent to $204,208 in 2017) to place full-page advertisements in three major newspapers, proclaiming that "America should stop paying to defend countries that can afford to defend themselves."<sup id="cite_ref-350">[348]  The advertisements also advocated for "reducing the budget deficit, working for peace in Central America, and speeding up nuclear disarmament negotiations with the Soviet Union."<sup id="cite_ref-democrat.gala_351-0">[349]  After rumors of a presidential run, Trump was invited by Democratic senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, House Speaker [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Claude_Wright_Jr. Jim Wright] of Texas, and Arkansas congressman [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Anthony_Jr. Beryl Anthony Jr.], to host a fundraising dinner for Democratic Congressional candidates and to switch parties. Anthony told The New York Times that "the message Trump has been preaching is a Democratic message." Asked whether the rumors were true, Trump denied being a candidate, but said, "I believe that if I did run for President, I'd win."<sup id="cite_ref-democrat.gala_351-1">[349]  According to a Gallup poll in December 1988, Trump was the tenth most admired man in America.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKranishFisher2017[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidx2jUDQAAQBAJpgPA3_3]_352-0">-352 [350]] <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEGallup1990[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidG7Tf_1GzlHECpgPA3_3]_353-0">-353 [351]]

2000 presidential campaign
Main article: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2000

In 1999, Trump filed an exploratory committee to seek the nomination of the Reform Party for the 2000 presidential election.<sup id="cite_ref-NYTimes.Revolution_354-0">[352] <sup id="cite_ref-355">[353]  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.<sup id="cite_ref-356">[354]  Trump eventually dropped out of the race, but still went on to win the Reform Party primaries in California and Michigan.<sup id="cite_ref-357">[355] <sup id="cite_ref-358">[356]  After his run, Trump left the party due to the involvement of David Duke, Pat Buchanan, and Lenora Fulani.<sup id="cite_ref-NYTimes.Revolution_354-1">[352]  Trump also considered running for president in 2004.<sup id="cite_ref-359">[357]  In 2005, Trump said that he voted for George W. Bush.<sup id="cite_ref-360">[358]  In 2008, he endorsed Republican John McCain for president.<sup id="cite_ref-361">[359]



Trump speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February 2011

2012 presidential speculation
Trump publicly speculated about running for president in the 2012 election, and made his first speaking appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February 2011. The speech is credited for helping kick-start his political career within the Republican Party.<sup id="cite_ref-362">[360]  On May 16, 2011, Trump announced he would not run for president in the 2012 election.<sup id="cite_ref-cnnnotrunning_363-0">[361]  In February 2012, Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president.<sup id="cite_ref-364">[362]

Trump's presidential ambitions were generally not taken seriously at the time.<sup id="cite_ref-365">[363]  Trump's moves were interpreted by some media as possible promotional tools for his reality show The Apprentice.<sup id="cite_ref-cnnnotrunning_363-1">[361] <sup id="cite_ref-366">[364] <sup id="cite_ref-367">[365]  Before the 2016 election, The New York Times speculated that Trump "accelerated his ferocious efforts to gain stature within the political world" after Obama lampooned him at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April 2011.<sup id="cite_ref-368">[366]

2013–2015
In 2013, Trump was a featured CPAC speaker.<sup id="cite_ref-CPAC1_369-0">[367]  In a sparsely-attended speech, he railed against illegal immigration while seeming to encourage immigration from Europe, bemoaned Obama's "unprecedented media protection", advised against harming Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and suggested that the government "take" Iraq's oil and use the proceeds to pay a million dollars each to families of dead soldiers.<sup id="cite_ref-370">[368] <sup id="cite_ref-371">[369]  He spent over $1 million that year to research a possible 2016 candidacy.<sup id="cite_ref-NYPost2016_372-0">[370]

In October 2013, New York Republicans circulated a memo suggesting Trump should run for governor of the state in 2014 against Andrew Cuomo. Trump responded that while New York had problems and its taxes were too high, he was not interested in the governorship.<sup id="cite_ref-373">[371]  A February 2014 Quinnipiac poll had shown Trump losing to the more popular Cuomo by 37 points in a hypothetical election.<sup id="cite_ref-374">[372]  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.<sup id="cite_ref-Feely1_375-0">[373]

Republican primaries
Main article: Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016



Trump campaigning in Laconia, New Hampshire, July 2015

On June 16, 2015, Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States at Trump Tower in Manhattan. In the speech, Trump discussed illegal immigration, offshoring of American jobs, the U.S. national debt, and Islamic terrorism, which all remained large priorities during the campaign. He also announced his campaign slogan: "Make America Great Again".<sup id="cite_ref-6/15/15transcript_298-1">[296] <sup id="cite_ref-AnnouncingCandidacy_297-1">[295]  Trump said his wealth would make him immune to pressure from campaign donors.<sup id="cite_ref-376">[374]  He declared that he was funding his own campaign,<sup id="cite_ref-377">[375]  but according to The Atlantic, "Trump's claims of self-funding have always been dubious at best and actively misleading at worst."<sup id="cite_ref-378">[376]

In the primaries, Trump stood among seventeen candidates vying for the 2016 Republican nomination; this was the largest presidential field in American history.<sup id="cite_ref-379">[377]  Trump's campaign was initially not taken seriously by political analysts, but he quickly rose to the top of opinion polls.<sup id="cite_ref-380">[378]

On Super Tuesday, Trump won the plurality of the vote, and he remained the front-runner throughout the remainder of the primaries. By March 2016, Trump became poised to win the Republican nomination.<sup id="cite_ref-381">[379]  After a landslide win in Indiana on May 3, 2016—which prompted the remaining candidates Cruz and John Kasich to suspend their presidential campaigns—RNC Chairman Reince Priebus declared Trump the presumptive Republican nominee.<sup id="cite_ref-politico_priebus_382-0">[380]

General election
Main article: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016

After becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Trump shifted his focus to the general election. Trump began campaigning against Hillary Clinton, who became the presumptive Democratic nominee on June 6, 2016.

Clinton had established a significant lead over Trump in national polls throughout most of 2016. In early July, Clinton's lead narrowed in national polling averages following the FBI's re-opening of its investigation into her ongoing email controversy.<sup id="cite_ref-383">[381] <sup id="cite_ref-384">[382] <sup id="cite_ref-385">[383]



Candidate Trump and running mate Mike Pence at the Republican National Convention, July 2016

On July 15, 2016, Trump announced his selection of Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate.<sup id="cite_ref-386">[384]  Four days later on July 19, Trump and Pence were officially nominated by the Republican Party at the Republican National Convention.<sup id="cite_ref-387">[385]  The list of convention speakers and attendees included former presidential nominee Bob Dole, but the other prior nominees did not attend.<sup id="cite_ref-missing_388-0">[386] <sup id="cite_ref-389">[387]

Two days later, Trump officially accepted the nomination in a 76-minute speech. The historically long speech received mixed reviews, with net negative viewer reactions according to CNN and Gallup polls.<sup id="cite_ref-390">[388] <sup id="cite_ref-391">[389] <sup id="cite_ref-392">[390]

On September 26, 2016, Trump and Clinton faced off in their first presidential debate, which was held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, and moderated by NBC News anchor Lester Holt.<sup id="cite_ref-393">[391]  The TV broadcast was the most watched presidential debate in United States history.<sup id="cite_ref-394">[392]  The second presidential debate was held at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri. The beginning of that debate was dominated by references to a recently leaked tape of Trump making sexually explicit comments, which Trump countered by referring to alleged sexual misconduct on the part of Bill Clinton. Prior to the debate, Trump had invited four women who had accused Clinton of impropriety to a press conference. The final presidential debate was held on October 19 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Trump's refusal to say whether he would accept the result of the election, regardless of the outcome, drew particular attention, with some saying it undermined democracy.<sup id="cite_ref-395">[393] <sup id="cite_ref-396">[394]

Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Donald Trump

Trump's campaign platform emphasized renegotiating U.S.–China relations and free trade agreements such as NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, strongly enforcing immigration laws, and building a new wall along the U.S.–Mexico border. His other campaign positions included pursuing energy independence while opposing climate change regulations such as the Clean Power Plan and the Paris Agreement, modernizing and expediting services for veterans, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, abolishing Common Core education standards, investing in infrastructure, simplifying the tax code while reducing taxes for all economic classes, and imposing tariffs on imports by companies that offshore jobs. During the campaign, he also advocated a largely non-interventionist approach to foreign policy while increasing military spending, extreme vetting or banning immigrants from Muslim-majority countries<sup id="cite_ref-397">[395]  to pre-empt domestic Islamic terrorism, and aggressive military action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

His political positions have been described as populist,<sup id="cite_ref-:2_398-0">[396] <sup id="cite_ref-399">[397] <sup id="cite_ref-400">[398]  and some of his views cross party lines. For example, his economic campaign plan calls for large reductions in income taxes and deregulation,<sup id="cite_ref-Donaldjtrump.com_401-0">[399]  consistent with Republican Party policies, along with significant infrastructure investment,<sup id="cite_ref-402">[400]  usually considered a Democratic Party policy.<sup id="cite_ref-403">[401] <sup id="cite_ref-404">[402]  According to political writer Jack Shafer, Trump may be a "fairly conventional American populist when it comes to his policy views", but he attracts free media attention, sometimes by making outrageous comments.<sup id="cite_ref-405">[403] <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTETrumpSchwartz2009[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidYe6e_VxM00kCpgPA56_56]_406-0">-406 [404]]

Trump has supported or leaned toward varying political positions over time.<sup id="cite_ref-davida.fahrenthold_407-0">[405] <sup id="cite_ref-thehillFLIP_408-0">[406] <sup id="cite_ref-real_Donald_409-0">[407]  Politico has described his positions as "eclectic, improvisational and often contradictory",<sup id="cite_ref-real_Donald_409-1">[407]  while NBC News counted "141 distinct shifts on 23 major issues" during his campaign.<sup id="cite_ref-nbcnews.com_410-0">[408]

Campaign rhetoric
In his campaign, Trump said that he disdained political correctness; he also stated that the media had intentionally misinterpreted his words, and he made other claims of adverse media bias.<sup id="cite_ref-Walsh-160724_322-1">[320] <sup id="cite_ref-411">[409] <sup id="cite_ref-Blake-150706_323-1">[321]  In part due to his fame, and due to his willingness to say things other candidates would not, and because a candidate who is gaining ground automatically provides a compelling news story, Trump received an unprecedented amount of free media coverage during his run for the presidency, which elevated his standing in the Republican primaries.<sup id="cite_ref-Cillizza-160614_324-1">[322]

Fact-checking organizations have denounced Trump for making a record number of false statements compared to other candidates.<sup id="cite_ref-whoppers_412-0">[410] <sup id="cite_ref-year_413-0">[411] <sup id="cite_ref-wapo-false_414-0">[412]  At least four major publications—Politico, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times—have pointed out lies or falsehoods in his campaign statements, with the Los Angeles Times saying that "Never in modern presidential politics has a major candidate made false statements as routinely as Trump has".<sup id="cite_ref-415">[413]  NPR said that Trump's campaign statements were often opaque or suggestive.<sup id="cite_ref-416">[414]

Trump's penchant for hyperbole is believed to have roots in the New York real estate scene, where Trump established his wealth and where puffery abounds.<sup id="cite_ref-reuters-20150828_417-0">[415]  Trump has called his public speaking style "truthful hyperbole", an effective political tactic that may, however, backfire for overpromising.<sup id="cite_ref-reuters-20150828_417-1">[415]

White supremacist support
According to Michael Barkun, the Trump campaign was remarkable for bringing fringe ideas, beliefs, and organizations into the mainstream.<sup id="cite_ref-418">[416]  During his presidential campaign, Trump was accused of pandering to white supremacists.<sup id="cite_ref-419">[417] <sup id="cite_ref-420">[418] <sup id="cite_ref-421">[419]  He retweeted open racists,<sup id="cite_ref-422">[420] <sup id="cite_ref-423">[421]  and repeatedly refused to condemn David Duke, the Ku Klux Klan or white supremacists, in an interview on CNN's State of the Union, saying that he would first need to "do research" because he knew nothing about Duke or white supremacists.<sup id="cite_ref-424">[422] <sup id="cite_ref-425">[423] Duke himself was an enthusiastic supporter of Trump throughout the 2016 primary and election, and has stated that he and like-minded people voted for Trump because of his promises to "take our country back".<sup id="cite_ref-426">[424] <sup id="cite_ref-427">[425]

After repeated questioning by reporters, Trump said that he disavowed David Duke and the KKK.<sup id="cite_ref-428">[426] <sup id="cite_ref-429">[427] <sup id="cite_ref-cnnduke_430-0">[428]  Trump said on MSNBC's Morning Joe: "I disavowed him. I disavowed the KKK. Do you want me to do it again for the 12th time? I disavowed him in the past, I disavow him now."<sup id="cite_ref-cnnduke_430-1">[428]

The alt-right movement coalesced around Trump's candidacy,<sup id="cite_ref-WPechoes_431-0">[429]  due in part to its opposition to multiculturalism and immigration.<sup id="cite_ref-432">[430] <sup id="cite_ref-CNNexplained_433-0">[431] <sup id="cite_ref-ft_434-0">[432]  Members of the alt-right enthusiastically supported Trump's campaign.<sup id="cite_ref-435">[433]  In August 2016, he appointed Steve Bannon—the executive chairman of Breitbart News—as his campaign CEO; Bannon described Breitbart News as "the platform for the alt-right."<sup id="cite_ref-436">[434]  Trump personally condemned the alt-right in an interview after the election.<sup id="cite_ref-437">[435]

Financial disclosures
As a presidential candidate, Trump disclosed details of his companies, assets, and revenue sources to the extent required by the FEC. His 2015 report listed assets above $1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $265 million.<sup id="cite_ref-Yahoo_News_FEC_104-1">[102] <sup id="cite_ref-images.businessweek.com_438-0">[436]  The 2016 form showed little change.<sup id="cite_ref-cnn-20160519_105-2">[103]

Trump did not release his tax returns during his presidential campaign or afterward,<sup id="cite_ref-439">[437] <sup id="cite_ref-cc180417_440-0">[438]  contrary to usual practice by every candidate since Gerald Ford in 1976 and to his promise in 2014 to do so if he ran for office.<sup id="cite_ref-Rappeport_441-0">[439] <sup id="cite_ref-jd170126_442-0">[440] <sup id="cite_ref-kpe160226_443-0">[441]  Trump's refusal led to speculation that he was hiding something.<sup id="cite_ref-Collinson25Feb_444-0">[442]  He said that his tax returns were being audited, and his lawyers had advised him against releasing them.<sup id="cite_ref-CNNtax26Feb_445-0">[443] <sup id="cite_ref-Browning26Feb_446-0">[444]  Trump has told the press that his tax rate was none of their business, and that he tries to pay "as little tax as possible".<sup id="cite_ref-447">[445] <sup id="cite_ref-Politico24Jan_448-0">[446] <sup id="cite_ref-449">[447]

In October 2016, portions of Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from The New York Times. They show that Trump declared a loss of $916 million that year, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years. During the second presidential debate, Trump acknowledged using the deduction, but declined to provide details such as the specific years it was applied.<sup id="cite_ref-nyt-20161010_450-0">[448]  He said that he did use the tax code to avoid paying taxes.<sup id="cite_ref-2debatetranscript_451-0">[449] <sup id="cite_ref-452">[450] <sup id="cite_ref-453">[451]

On March 14, 2017, the first two pages of Trump's 2005 federal income tax returns were leaked to Rachel Maddow and shown on MSNBC. The document states that Trump had a gross adjusted income of $150 million and paid $38 million in federal taxes. The White House confirmed the authenticity of these documents and stated: "Despite this substantial income figure and tax paid, it is totally illegal to steal and publish tax returns."<sup id="cite_ref-nyt-taxes_454-0">[452] <sup id="cite_ref-hill-taxes_455-0">[453]

Sexual misconduct allegations
Main articles: Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape and Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations

A total of 19 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct as of December 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-456">[454]  Trump and his campaign have denied as of October 2016 all of the sexual misconduct accusations, which Trump has called "false smears", and alleged a conspiracy against him.<sup id="cite_ref-457">[455] <sup id="cite_ref-Fox_Trump_demands_retraction_458-0">[456] <sup id="cite_ref-459">[457]

Two days before the second presidential debate, a 2005 recording surfaced in which Trump was heard bragging about forcibly kissing and groping women.<sup id="cite_ref-460">[458] <sup id="cite_ref-461">[459] <sup id="cite_ref-462">[460]  The hot mic recording was captured on a studio bus in which Trump and Billy Bush were preparing to film an episode of Access Hollywood. In the tape, Trump said: "I just start kissing them ... I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it, you can do anything ... grab 'em by the pussy."<sup id="cite_ref-NBC080716_463-0">[461]  During the recording, Trump also spoke of his efforts to seduce a married woman, saying he "moved on her very heavily".<sup id="cite_ref-NBC080716_463-1">[461]

Trump's language on the tape was described by the media as "vulgar", "sexist", and descriptive of sexual assault. The incident prompted him to make his first public apology during the campaign,<sup id="cite_ref-464">[462] <sup id="cite_ref-465">[463]  and caused outrage across the political spectrum,<sup id="cite_ref-466">[464] <sup id="cite_ref-467">[465]  with many Republicans withdrawing their endorsements of his candidacy and some urging him to quit the race.<sup id="cite_ref-468">[466]  Subsequently, at least 15 women<sup id="cite_ref-Vox_469-0">[467]  came forward with new accusations of sexual misconduct, including unwanted kissing and groping, resulting in widespread media coverage.<sup id="cite_ref-470">[468] <sup id="cite_ref-471">[469]  In his two public statements in response to the controversy, Trump alleged that former President Bill Clinton had "abused women" and that Hillary had bullied her husband's victims.<sup id="cite_ref-472">[470]

Election to the presidency
Main article: United States presidential election, 2016



2016 electoral vote results

On November 8, 2016, Trump received 306 pledged electoral votes versus 232 for Clinton. The official counts were 304 and 227 respectively, after defections on both sides.<sup id="cite_ref-473">[471]  Trump received a smaller share of the popular vote than Clinton, which made him the fifth person to be elected president while losing the popular vote.<sup id="cite_ref-474">[472] <sup id="cite_ref-477">[nb 3]  Clinton was ahead nationwide by 2.1 percentage points, with 65,853,514 votes (48.18%) to 62,984,828 votes (46.09%); neither candidate reached a majority.<sup id="cite_ref-478">[475]

Trump's victory was considered a stunning political upset by most observers, as polls had consistently showed Hillary Clinton with a nationwide—though diminishing—lead, as well as a favorable advantage in most of the competitive states. Trump's support had been modestly underestimated throughout his campaign,<sup id="cite_ref-479">[476]  and many observers blamed errors in polls, partially attributed to pollsters overestimating Clinton's support among well-educated and nonwhite voters, while underestimating Trump's support among white working-class voters.<sup id="cite_ref-480">[477]  Actually, the polls were relatively accurate,<sup id="cite_ref-481">[478]  but media outlets and pundits alike showed overconfidence in a Clinton victory despite a large number of undecided voters and a favorable concentration of Trump's core constituencies in competitive states.<sup id="cite_ref-482">[479]

Trump won 30 states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which had been called a blue wall of Democratic strongholds since the 1990s. Clinton won 20 states and the District of Columbia. Trump's victory marked the return of a Republican White House combined with control of both chambers of Congress.

Trump is the wealthiest president in U.S. history, even after adjusting for inflation.<sup id="cite_ref-483">[480]  He is also the first president without prior government or military service.<sup id="cite_ref-484">[481] <sup id="cite_ref-485">[482] <sup id="cite_ref-voxexp_486-0">[483]  Of the 43<sup id="cite_ref-488">[nb 4]  previous presidents, 38 had held prior elective office, two had not held elective office but had served in the Cabinet, and three had never held public office but had been commanding generals.<sup id="cite_ref-voxexp_486-1">[483]

Protests
Main article: Protests against Donald Trump



Women's March in Washington on January 21, 2017, a day after the inauguration

Some rallies during the primary season were accompanied by protests or violence, including attacks on Trump supporters and vice versa both inside and outside the venues.<sup id="cite_ref-489">[485] <sup id="cite_ref-490">[486] <sup id="cite_ref-491">[487]  Trump's election victory sparked protests across the United States, in opposition to his policies and his inflammatory statements. Trump initially said on Twitter that these were "professional protesters, incited by the media", and were "unfair", but he later tweeted, "Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country."<sup id="cite_ref-492">[488] <sup id="cite_ref-493">[489]

In the weeks following Trump's inauguration, massive anti-Trump demonstrations took place, such as the Women Marches, which gathered 2,600,000 people worldwide,<sup id="cite_ref-USAToday01a_494-0">[490]  including 500,000 in Washington alone.<sup id="cite_ref-495">[491]  Moreover, marches against his travel ban began across the country on January 29, 2017, just nine days after his inauguration.<sup id="cite_ref-496">[492]

Presidency
Main article: Presidency of Donald Trump

For a chronological guide to this subject, see Timeline of the presidency of Donald Trump.

Early actions
See also: Presidential transition of Donald Trump and First 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency

Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017. During his first week in office, he signed six executive orders: interim procedures in anticipation of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, re-instatement of the Mexico City Policy, unlocking the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline construction projects, reinforcing border security, and beginning the planning and design process to construct a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.<sup id="cite_ref-exec-summary_497-0">[493]

On January 31, Trump nominated U.S. Appeals Court judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the seat on the Supreme Court previous held by Justice Antonin Scalia until his death in 2016.<sup id="cite_ref-498">[494]

Economy and trade
Main articles: Economic policy of Donald Trump and Trump tariffs

In December 2017, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which cut the corporate tax rate to 21 percent, lowered personal tax brackets, increased child tax credit, doubled the estate tax threshold to $11.2 million, and limited the state and local tax deduction to $10,000.<sup id="cite_ref-499">[495]  The reduction in individual tax rates ends in 2025. While people would generally get a tax cut, those with higher incomes would see the most benefit.<sup id="cite_ref-BBC_tax_cuts_500-0">[496] <sup id="cite_ref-501">[497]  Households in the lower or middle class would also see a small tax increase after the tax cuts expire. The bill is estimated to increase deficits by $1.5 trillion over 10 years.<sup id="cite_ref-502">[498] <sup id="cite_ref-503">[499]



Trump speaking to automobile workers in Michigan, March 2017

Trump has been described as a protectionist<sup id="cite_ref-504">[500] <sup id="cite_ref-505">[501] <sup id="cite_ref-506">[502]  because he criticized NAFTA,<sup id="cite_ref-507">[503] <sup id="cite_ref-508">[504]  cancelled negotiations towards the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP),<sup id="cite_ref-509">[505]  imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum,<sup id="cite_ref-Turak_510-0">[506] <sup id="cite_ref-Inman_511-0">[507]  and proposed to significantly raise tariffs on Chinese and Mexican exports to the United States.<sup id="cite_ref-512">[508] <sup id="cite_ref-513">[509]  He has also been critical of the World Trade Organization, threatening to leave unless his proposed tariffs are accepted.<sup id="cite_ref-514">[510] <sup id="cite_ref-515">[511]

In March 2018, Trump signed an order imposing import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, with exemptions for Canada, Mexico, and possibly other countries.<sup id="cite_ref-516">[512]  In response, the EU imposed retaliatory tariffs targeting $3.4 billion in U.S. exports.<sup id="cite_ref-517">[513] <sup id="cite_ref-Ewing_518-0">[514]

In July, the United States and China imposed tariffs on $34 billion of each other's goods,<sup id="cite_ref-Boudreau-180706_519-0">[515] <sup id="cite_ref-Hjelmgaard-180706_520-0">[516]  expanded to $50 billion in August.<sup id="cite_ref-521">[517]  In September the U.S. introduced a 10% tariff on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, poised to increase to 25% by the end of the year, and threatened further tariffs on an additional $267 billion if China retaliates.<sup id="cite_ref-Reuters-20180918_522-0">[518]  China countered the move with a 10% tariff on $60 billion of U.S. imports,<sup id="cite_ref-523">[519]  which combined with the previous round of tariffs, covers almost all $110 billion of U.S. imports to China.<sup id="cite_ref-Reuters-20180918_522-1">[518]

According to some analysts, the escalating trade war with China<sup id="cite_ref-Zaharia-180706_524-0">[520]  could impact $2 trillion in global trade.<sup id="cite_ref-Kool-180706_525-0">[521] <sup id="cite_ref-Chang-180703_526-0">[522]

Energy and climate
Main article: Environmental policy under the Trump administration

While campaigning Trump's energy policy advocated domestic support for both fossil and renewable energy sources in order to curb reliance on Middle-Eastern oil and possibly turn the U.S. into a net energy exporter.<sup id="cite_ref-527">[523]  However following his election his "America First Energy Plan" did not mention renewable energy and instead focused on fossil fuels.<sup id="cite_ref-528">[524]  Environmentalists have expressed concerns because he has announced plans to make large budget cuts in programs that research renewable energy and to roll back Obama-era policies directed at curbing climate change and limiting environmental pollution.<sup id="cite_ref-529">[525]

Trump rejects the scientific consensus on climate change<sup id="cite_ref-ParkerDavenport_530-0">[526] <sup id="cite_ref-531">[527]  and his former Environmental Protection Agency chief, Scott Pruitt, does not believe that carbon emissions are the main cause of global warming. While admitting that the climate is warming, Pruitt believes that warming is not necessarily harmful and could be beneficial.<sup id="cite_ref-532">[528]  Based on numerous studies, climate experts disagree with his position.<sup id="cite_ref-533">[529]  On June 1, 2017, Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement, making the U.S. the only nation in the world to not ratify the agreement.<sup id="cite_ref-autogeneratedlcv_534-0">[530] <sup id="cite_ref-535">[531] <sup id="cite_ref-536">[532]

Government size and deregulation
Trump's early policies have favored rollback and dismantling of government regulations. He signed a Congressional Review Act disapproval resolution, the first in 16 years and second overall.<sup id="cite_ref-537">[533]  During his first six weeks in office, he abolished ninety federal regulations.<sup id="cite_ref-538">[534] <sup id="cite_ref-539">[535]

On January 23, 2017, Trump ordered a temporary government-wide hiring freeze, except for those working in certain areas.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT_federal-hiring-freeze_2017_540-0">[536] <sup id="cite_ref-Fox_News_2017_hiring-freeze_541-0">[537]  The Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office told a House committee that hiring freezes have not proven to be effective in reducing costs.<sup id="cite_ref-eyoder_542-0">[538]  Unlike some past freezes, the current freeze bars agencies from adding contractors to make up for employees leaving.<sup id="cite_ref-eyoder_542-1">[538]  A week later Trump signed Executive Order 13771, which directed administrative agencies to repeal two existing regulations for every new regulation they issue.<sup id="cite_ref-543">[539] <sup id="cite_ref-544">[540]  Agency defenders expressed opposition to Trump's criticisms, saying that the bureaucracy exists to protect people against well-organized, well-funded interest groups.<sup id="cite_ref-mcalabresi_545-0">[541]

Health care
In 1999, Trump told Larry King Live: "I believe in universal healthcare."<sup id="cite_ref-Kertscher_546-0">[542]  Trump's 2000 book, The America We Deserve, argued strongly for a single-payer healthcare system based on the Canadian model,<sup id="cite_ref-AWD2000_547-0">[543]  and he has voiced admiration for the Scottish National Health Service.<sup id="cite_ref-Kertscher_546-1">[542] <sup id="cite_ref-548">[544] <sup id="cite_ref-549">[545]

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to repeal and replace Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or "Obamacare").<sup id="cite_ref-Kodjak_550-0">[546] <sup id="cite_ref-Walsh_551-0">[547]  Shortly after taking office, he urged Congress to repeal and replace it. In May of that year, the House of Representatives voted to repeal it.<sup id="cite_ref-552">[548]  Over the course of several months' effort, however, the Senate was unable to pass any version of a repeal bill.<sup id="cite_ref-553">[549]  Trump has expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail", and the Trump administration has cut the ACA enrollment period in half and drastically reduced funding for advertising and other ways to encourage enrollment.<sup id="cite_ref-554">[550] <sup id="cite_ref-Jeffrey_555-0">[551] <sup id="cite_ref-556">[552]  The tax reform Trump signed into law at the end of his first year in office effectively repealed the individual health insurance mandate that was a major element of the Obamacare health insurance system; this repeal is scheduled to be implemented in 2019.<sup id="cite_ref-557">[553] <sup id="cite_ref-558">[554] <sup id="cite_ref-559">[555]

Social issues
Main article: Social policy of Donald Trump

Trump favored changing the 2016 Republican platform to affirm women's right to abortion in the three exceptional cases of rape, incest, and circumstances endangering the health of the mother.<sup id="cite_ref-560">[556]  He has said that he is committed to appointing pro-life justices.<sup id="cite_ref-60min_561-0">[557]  He personally supports "traditional marriage"<sup id="cite_ref-MEhren2_562-0">[558]  but considers the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage a "settled" issue.<sup id="cite_ref-60min_561-1">[557]

Trump supports a broad interpretation of the Second Amendment and says he is opposed to gun control in general,<sup id="cite_ref-563">[559] <sup id="cite_ref-OWSAR_564-0">[560]  although his views have shifted over time.<sup id="cite_ref-565">[561]  Trump opposes legalizing recreational marijuana but supports legalizing medical marijuana.<sup id="cite_ref-Cannabis_566-0">[562]  He favors capital punishment,<sup id="cite_ref-Cop_killers_567-0">[563] <sup id="cite_ref-FullPageAd1989_568-0">[564]  as well as the use of waterboarding and "a hell of a lot worse" methods.<sup id="cite_ref-theguardian.com_569-0">[565] <sup id="cite_ref-ABC_News_570-0">[566]

Immigration
Main article: Immigration policy of Donald Trump



Trump conferring with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly, January 25, 2017

Trump's proposed immigration policies were a topic of bitter and contentious debate during the campaign. He promised to build a more substantial wall on the Mexico–United States border to keep out illegal immigrants and vowed that Mexico would pay for it.<sup id="cite_ref-571">[567]  He pledged to massively deport illegal immigrants residing in the United States,<sup id="cite_ref-CBC_August29_2015_572-0">[568]  and criticized birthright citizenship for creating "anchor babies".<sup id="cite_ref-573">[569]  He said that deportation would focus on criminals, visa overstays, and security threats.<sup id="cite_ref-574">[570]

Travel ban
Further information: Executive Order 13769 and Executive Order 13780

Following the November 2015 Paris attacks, Trump made a controversial proposal to ban Muslim foreigners from entering the United States until stronger vetting systems could be implemented.<sup id="cite_ref-575">[571] <sup id="cite_ref-Barro_576-0">[572] <sup id="cite_ref-577">[573]  He later reframed the proposed ban to apply to countries with a "proven history of terrorism".<sup id="cite_ref-Scots_578-0">[574] <sup id="cite_ref-579">[575] <sup id="cite_ref-580">[576]

On January 27, 2017, Trump signed Executive Order 13769, which suspended admission of refugees for 120 days and denied entry to citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days, citing security concerns. The order was imposed without warning and took effect immediately.<sup id="cite_ref-BBC.March.6.17_581-0">[577]  Confusion and protests caused chaos at airports.<sup id="cite_ref-582">[578] <sup id="cite_ref-583">[579]  The administration then clarified that visitors with a green card were exempt from the ban.<sup id="cite_ref-584">[580] <sup id="cite_ref-Shear_585-0">[581]

On January 30, Sally Yates, the acting Attorney General, directed Justice Department lawyers not to defend the executive order, which she deemed unenforceable and unconstitutional;<sup id="cite_ref-586">[582]  Trump immediately dismissed her.<sup id="cite_ref-587">[583] <sup id="cite_ref-588">[584] Multiple legal challenges were filed against the order, and on February 5 a federal judge in Seattle blocked its implementation.<sup id="cite_ref-589">[585] <sup id="cite_ref-LiptakStands_590-0">[586]  On March 6, Trump issued a revised order, which excluded Iraq, gave specific exemptions for permanent residents, and removed priorities for Christian minorities.<sup id="cite_ref-Chakraborty3/6/17_591-0">[587] <sup id="cite_ref-BBC.March.6.17_581-1">[577]  Again federal judges in three states blocked its implementation.<sup id="cite_ref-592">[588]  On June 26, 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the ban could be enforced on visitors who lack a "credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."<sup id="cite_ref-TravelBanScotus1_593-0">[589]

The temporary order was replaced by Presidential Proclamation 9645 on September 24, 2017, which permanently restricts travel from the originally targeted countries except Iraq and Sudan, and further bans travelers from North Korea and Chad, and certain Venezuelan officials.<sup id="cite_ref-Guardian.Oct.10.13_594-0">[590]  After lower courts partially blocked the new restrictions with injunctions, the Supreme Court allowed the September version to go into full effect on December 4.<sup id="cite_ref-595">[591]  In January 2018, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear a challenge to the travel ban.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20180119_596-0">[592]  The Court heard oral arguments on April 25,<sup id="cite_ref-597">[593] <sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20180119_596-1">[592]  and ultimately upheld the travel ban in a June ruling.<sup id="cite_ref-Wagner_598-0">[594]

DACA
While running for president, Trump said that he intended to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on "day one" of his presidency. The program, introduced in 2012, allowed people who had either entered or remained in the United States illegally as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and be eligible for a work permit.<sup id="cite_ref-599">[595]

In September 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the DACA program would be repealed after six months.<sup id="cite_ref-nytimes-20170905_600-0">[596]  Trump argued that "top legal experts" believed that DACA was unconstitutional, and called on Congress to use the six-month delay to pass legislation solving the "Dreamers" issue permanently.<sup id="cite_ref-Kopan_601-0">[597]  As of March 2018, when the delay expired, no legislation had been agreed on DACA.<sup id="cite_ref-602">[598]  Several states immediately challenged the DACA rescission in court.<sup id="cite_ref-603">[599]  Two injunctions in January and February 2018 allowed renewals of applications and stopped the rolling back of DACA, and in April 2018 a federal judge ordered the acceptance of new applications; this would go into effect in 90 days.<sup id="cite_ref-604">[600]

Family separation at border
Main article: Trump administration family separation policy

In April 2018, Trump enacted a "zero tolerance" immigration policy that took adults irregularly entering the U.S. into custody for criminal prosecution and forcibly separated children from parents, eliminating the policy of previous administrations that made exceptions for families with children.<sup id="cite_ref-605">[601] <sup id="cite_ref-606">[602]  By mid-June, more than 2,300 children had been placed in shelters, including "tender age" shelters for babies and toddlers,<sup id="cite_ref-607">[603]  culminating in demands from Democrats, Republicans, Trump allies, and religious groups that the policy be rescinded.<sup id="cite_ref-Colvin_608-0">[604]  Trump falsely asserted that his administration was merely following the law.<sup id="cite_ref-Davis_609-0">[605] <sup id="cite_ref-Mcardle_610-0">[606] <sup id="cite_ref-Sarlin_611-0">[607]  On June 20, Trump signed an executive order to end family separations at the U.S. border.<sup id="cite_ref-612">[608]  On June 26 a federal judge in San Diego issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to stop detaining immigrants parents separately from their minor children, and to reunite family groups that had been separated at the border.<sup id="cite_ref-613">[609]

Foreign policy
Main articles: Foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration and Foreign policy of Donald Trump



President Trump together with other leaders at the 43rd G7 summit in Italy



Trump, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the 2017 Riyadh summit in Saudi Arabia

Trump has been described as a non-interventionist<sup id="cite_ref-Cassidy_614-0">[610] <sup id="cite_ref-rucker_615-0">[611]  and as an American Nationalist.<sup id="cite_ref-nationalinterest.org_616-0">[612]  He has repeatedly stated that he supports an "America First" foreign policy.<sup id="cite_ref-617">[613]  He supports increasing United States military defense spending,<sup id="cite_ref-nationalinterest.org_616-1">[612]  but favors decreasing United States spending on NATO and in the Pacific region.<sup id="cite_ref-618">[614]  He says America should look inward, stop "nation building", and re-orient its resources toward domestic needs.<sup id="cite_ref-rucker_615-1">[611]

In order to confront the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Trump in 2015 called for seizing the oil in ISIS-occupied areas, using U.S. air power and ground troops.<sup id="cite_ref-619">[615]  In 2016, Trump advocated sending 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops to the region,<sup id="cite_ref-620">[616]  a position he later retracted.<sup id="cite_ref-621">[617]

Trump has praised China's President Xi Jinping,<sup id="cite_ref-622">[618]  Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte,<sup id="cite_ref-623">[619]  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,<sup id="cite_ref-624">[620]  Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,<sup id="cite_ref-625">[621]  King Salman of Saudi Arabia<sup id="cite_ref-626">[622]  and Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.<sup id="cite_ref-627">[623]  On April 7, 2017, Trump ordered a missile strike against a Syrian airfield in retaliation for the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack.<sup id="cite_ref-bbcnewssyriawartrumpsmissilestrike_628-0">[624]  On April 13, 2018, he announced missile strikes against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, following a suspected chemical attack near Damascus.<sup id="cite_ref-629">[625]  According to investigative journalist Bob Woodward, Trump had ordered his Defense Secretary James Mattis to assassinate Assad, but Mattis declined.<sup id="cite_ref-630">[626]

Trump actively supported the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Houthis and signed a $110 billion agreement to sell arms to Saudi Arabia.<sup id="cite_ref-prince_631-0">[627] <sup id="cite_ref-632">[628] <sup id="cite_ref-Phelps-170520_633-0">[629]  Trump also praised his relationship with Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.<sup id="cite_ref-prince_631-1">[627]

In November 2017, the Trump administration tightened the rules on trade with Cuba and individual visits to the county, undoing the Obama administration's loosening of restrictions. According to an administration official, the new rules were intended to hinder trade with businesses with ties to the Cuban military, intelligence and security services.<sup id="cite_ref-634">[630]

U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan increased from 8,500 to 14,000, as of January 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-635">[631]  reversing Trump's pre-election position critical of further involvement in Afghanistan.<sup id="cite_ref-636">[632]  U.S. officials said then that they aimed to "force the Taliban to negotiate a political settlement"; in January 2018, however, Trump spoke against talks with the Taliban.<sup id="cite_ref-637">[633]

Iran
Main articles: Iran–United States relations § 2017–present: Trump administration, and United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

During the campaign Trump maintained that "Iran is now the dominant Islamic power in the Middle East and on the road to nuclear weapons."<sup id="cite_ref-638">[634]  He opposed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or "Iran nuclear deal") that was negotiated with the United States, Iran, and five other world powers in 2015, calling it "terrible" and saying that the Obama administration negotiated the agreement "from desperation."<sup id="cite_ref-KatyTurIranInterview_639-0">[635]  At one point he said that despite opposing the content of the deal, he would attempt to enforce it rather than abrogate it.<sup id="cite_ref-640">[636]  However, in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in March 2016, Trump said that his "number-one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran."<sup id="cite_ref-641">[637]



Protest against Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel, Tehran, December 11, 2017

Shortly after taking office, Trump put Iran 'on notice' following their ballistic missile tests on January 29, 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-642">[638]  In February 2018, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Iran's 25 individuals and entities, which it said were but "initial steps", with Trump's National Security Advisor Michael T. Flynn adding that "the days of turning a blind eye to Iran's hostile and belligerent actions toward the United States and the world community are over."<sup id="cite_ref-643">[639] <sup id="cite_ref-644">[640] <sup id="cite_ref-645">[641]

Trump reportedly lobbied "dozens" of European officials against doing business with Iran during the May 2017 Brussels summit; this likely violated the terms of the JCPOA, under which the U.S. may not pursue "any policy specifically intended to directly and adversely affect the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran." The Trump administration certified in July 2017 that Iran had upheld its end of the agreement.<sup id="cite_ref-646">[642]  On May 18, 2018, Trump announced the United States' unilateral departure from the JCPOA.<sup id="cite_ref-647">[643]

Israel


Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Yad Vashem, May 2017

Regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Trump has stated the importance of being a neutral party during potential negotiations, while also having stated that he is "a big fan of Israel".<sup id="cite_ref-consol_648-0">[644]  During the campaign he said he would relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from its current location, Tel Aviv.<sup id="cite_ref-649">[645]  On May 22, 2017, Trump was the first U.S. president to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem, during his first foreign trip, which included Israel, Italy, the Vatican, and Belgium.<sup id="cite_ref-650">[646] <sup id="cite_ref-651">[647]  Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6, 2017, despite criticism and warnings from world leaders. Trump added that he would initiate the process of establishing a new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem,<sup id="cite_ref-652">[648]  which was later opened on May 14, 2018.<sup id="cite_ref-653">[649]  The United Nations General Assembly condemned the move, adopting a resolution that "calls upon all States to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem" in an emergency session on December 21, 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-654">[650] <sup id="cite_ref-655">[651]

NATO
As a candidate Trump questioned whether he, as president, would automatically extend security guarantees to NATO members,<sup id="cite_ref-656">[652]  and suggested that he might leave NATO unless changes are made to the alliance.<sup id="cite_ref-657">[653]  As president, he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO in March 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-658">[654]  However, he has repeatedly accused fellow NATO members of paying less than their fair share of the expenses of the alliance.<sup id="cite_ref-659">[655]

North Korea


Trump meets Kim Jong-un at the Singapore summit in June 2018

During the campaign and the early months of his presidency, Trump said he hoped that China would help to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions and missile tests.<sup id="cite_ref-over_660-0">[656]  However, North Korea accelerated their missile and nuclear tests leading to increased tension.<sup id="cite_ref-over_660-1">[656]  In July, the country tested two long-range missiles identified by Western observers as intercontinental ballistic missiles, potentially capable of reaching Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. mainland.<sup id="cite_ref-661">[657] <sup id="cite_ref-662">[658]  In August, Trump dramatically escalated his rhetoric against North Korea, warning that further provocation against the U.S. would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen."<sup id="cite_ref-philly_663-0">[659]  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un then threatened to direct the country's next missile test toward Guam.<sup id="cite_ref-664">[660]

On June 12, 2018, after several rounds of preliminary staff-level meetings, Trump and Kim held a bilateral summit in Singapore.<sup id="cite_ref-665">[661]  In a joint declaration, both countries vowed to "join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula", while North Korea repeated its April 2018 promise to "work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."<sup id="cite_ref-666">[662] <sup id="cite_ref-Rosenfeld_667-0">[663]

Russia
Main article: Russia–United States relations



Putin and Trump at the G20 Hamburg summit, July 2017

During his campaign and as president, Trump repeatedly said that he wants better relations with Russia,<sup id="cite_ref-668">[664] <sup id="cite_ref-669">[665]  and he has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader.<sup id="cite_ref-670">[666] <sup id="cite_ref-671">[667]  Trump had pledged to hold a summit meeting with Putin,<sup id="cite_ref-672">[668]  stating that Russia could help the U.S. in fighting ISIS.<sup id="cite_ref-673">[669]  According to Putin and some political experts and diplomats, the U.S.–Russian relations, which were already at the lowest level since the end of the Cold War, have further deteriorated since Trump took office in January 2017.<sup id="cite_ref-674">[670] <sup id="cite_ref-675">[671] <sup id="cite_ref-676">[672]

Trump and Putin met in a 2018 Russia–United States summit in Helsinki on July 16, 2018. Trump drew harsh bipartisan criticism in the United States for appearing to side with Putin's denial of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, rather than accepting the findings of the United States intelligence community.<sup id="cite_ref-zurcher_677-0">[673] <sup id="cite_ref-678">[674]  His comments were strongly criticized by many congressional Republicans and most media commentators, even those who normally support him.<sup id="cite_ref-break_679-0">[675] <sup id="cite_ref-680">[676]

Personnel
Main article: Political appointments by Donald Trump

The Trump administration has been characterized by high turnover, particularly among White House staff. By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.<sup id="cite_ref-Trimble_681-0">[677]  As of early July 2018, 61 percent of Trump's senior aides had left<sup id="cite_ref-Wise_-180702_682-0">[678]  and 141 staffers had left in the past year.<sup id="cite_ref-683">[679]  Both figures set a record for recent presidents—more change in the first 13 months than his four immediate predecessors saw in their first two years.<sup id="cite_ref-Keith_684-0">[680]  Notable early departures included National Security Advisor Mike Flynn (after just 25 days in office), Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, replaced by retired Marine General John F. Kelly on July 28, 2017,<sup id="cite_ref-Baker_685-0">[681]  and Press Secretary Sean Spicer.<sup id="cite_ref-Keith_684-1">[680]  Close personal aides to Trump such as Steve Bannon, Hope Hicks, John McEntee and Keith Schiller, have quit or been forced out.<sup id="cite_ref-Brookings_686-0">[682]

Trump has been slow to appoint second-tier officials in the executive branch, saying that many of the positions are unnecessary. As of October 2017, there were hundreds of sub-cabinet positions vacant.<sup id="cite_ref-687">[683]  At the end of his first year in office, CBS News reported that "of the roughly 600 key executive branch positions, just 241 have been filled, 135 nominated candidates await confirmation while 244 slots have no nominee at all."<sup id="cite_ref-one_year_688-0">[684] [needs update]

Cabinet
Main articles: Cabinet of Donald Trump and Formation of Donald Trump's Cabinet



Cabinet meeting, March 2017

Trump's cabinet nominations included U.S. Senator from Alabama Jeff Sessions as Attorney General,<sup id="cite_ref-nominations-20161118_689-0">[685]  financier Steve Mnuchin as Secretary of the Treasury,<sup id="cite_ref-690">[686]  retired Marine Corps General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense,<sup id="cite_ref-691">[687]  and ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.<sup id="cite_ref-692">[688]  Trump also brought on board politicians who had opposed him during the presidential campaign, such as neurosurgeon Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,<sup id="cite_ref-693">[689]  and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as Ambassador to the United Nations.<sup id="cite_ref-694">[690]

While most of Trump's nominees were approved by the GOP majority in the Senate, the confirmation of education reform activist Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education<sup id="cite_ref-695">[691]  required Vice President Pence to cast a rare tie-breaking vote, the first in a Cabinet nominee's Senate confirmation.<sup id="cite_ref-696">[692]

Two of Trump's 15 original cabinet members were gone within 15 months: Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was forced to resign in September 2017 due to excessive use of private charter jets and military aircraft, and Trump replaced Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo in March 2018 over disagreements on foreign policy.<sup id="cite_ref-697">[693] <sup id="cite_ref-Brookings_686-1">[682]  EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned in July 2018 amidst multiple investigations into his conduct.<sup id="cite_ref-Hersher-180705_698-0">[694]

Russian interference
Main articles: Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and Links between Trump associates and Russian officials

In January 2017, American intelligence agencies—the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA, represented by the Director of National Intelligence—jointly stated with "high confidence" that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump.<sup id="cite_ref-699">[695] <sup id="cite_ref-Declassified_Report_700-0">[696]  In March 2017, FBI Director James Comey told Congress that "the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. That includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts."<sup id="cite_ref-701">[697]  Later, in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8, he affirmed he has "no doubt" that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, adding "they did it with purpose and sophistication".<sup id="cite_ref-702">[698]

Trump's connections to Russia have been widely reported by the press.<sup id="cite_ref-703">[699] <sup id="cite_ref-704">[700]  One of Trump's campaign managers, Paul Manafort, had worked for several years to help pro-Russian politician Viktor Yanukovich win the Ukrainian presidency.<sup id="cite_ref-705">[701]  Other Trump associates, including former National Security Advisor Michael T. Flynn and political consultant Roger Stone, have been connected to Russian officials.<sup id="cite_ref-many_706-0">[702] <sup id="cite_ref-707">[703]  Russian agents were overheard during the campaign saying they could use Manafort and Flynn to influence Trump.<sup id="cite_ref-708">[704] Members of Trump's campaign and later his White House staff, particularly Flynn, were in contact with Russian officials both before and after the November election.<sup id="cite_ref-Reuters2_709-0">[705]  On December 29, 2016, Flynn talked with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about sanctions that had been imposed the same day; Trump later fired Flynn for falsely claiming he had not discussed the sanctions.<sup id="cite_ref-710">[706]

Dismissal of James Comey
Main article: Dismissal of James Comey

On May 9, 2017, Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey. He first attributed this action to recommendations from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein,<sup id="cite_ref-Apuzzo_711-0">[707]  which criticized Comey's conduct in the investigation about Hillary Clinton's emails.<sup id="cite_ref-Guardian-20170509_712-0">[708]  On May 11, Trump stated that he was concerned with the ongoing "Russia thing"<sup id="cite_ref-Barrett-20170511_713-0">[709]  and that he had intended to fire Comey earlier, regardless of DoJ advice.<sup id="cite_ref-theweek-20170511_714-0">[710]

According to a Comey memo of a private conversation on February 14, 2017, Trump said he "hoped" Comey would drop the investigation into Michael Flynn.<sup id="cite_ref-Wilber_715-0">[711]  In March and April, Trump had told Comey that the ongoing suspicions formed a "cloud" impairing his presidency,<sup id="cite_ref-comeytestimony_716-0">[712]  and asked him to publicly state that he was not personally under investigation.<sup id="cite_ref-schmidt_717-0">[713]  He also asked intelligence chiefs Dan Coats and Michael Rogers to issue statements saying there was no evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.<sup id="cite_ref-Sciutto_718-0">[714]  Both refused, considering this an inappropriate request, although not illegal.<sup id="cite_ref-Dilanian_719-0">[715]  Comey eventually testified on June 8 that while he was director, the FBI investigations did not target Trump himself.<sup id="cite_ref-comeytestimony_716-1">[712] <sup id="cite_ref-nyt-20110608_720-0">[716]  In a statement on Twitter Trump implied that he had "tapes" of conversations with Comey, before later stating that he did not in fact have such tapes.<sup id="cite_ref-721">[717]

Special counsel
Main article: Special Counsel investigation (2017–present)

On May 17, 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller, a former Director of the FBI, to serve as special counsel for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). In this capacity, Mueller oversees the investigation into "any links and/or coordination between Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation".<sup id="cite_ref-722">[718]  Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.<sup id="cite_ref-723">[719]  Mueller is also investigating the Trump campaign's possible ties to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Israel, and China.<sup id="cite_ref-724">[720] <sup id="cite_ref-725">[721]

The Washington Post reported that days after Comey's dismissal the special counsel started investigating whether Trump had obstructed justice.<sup id="cite_ref-Vitkovskaya_726-0">[722]  Trump's lawyer Jay Sekulow stated that he had not been notified of any such investigation.<sup id="cite_ref-727">[723] <sup id="cite_ref-728">[724]  ABC News later reported that the special counsel was gathering preliminary information about possible obstruction of justice but had not launched a full-scale investigation.<sup id="cite_ref-thomas17_729-0">[725]

In January 2018, The New York Times reported that Trump had ordered Mueller to be fired in June, after learning that Mueller was investigating possible obstruction of justice, but backed down after White House Counsel Don McGahn said he would quit;<sup id="cite_ref-730">[726]  Trump called the report "fake news".<sup id="cite_ref-731">[727] <sup id="cite_ref-Helderman_732-0">[728]  The New York Times reported in April 2018 that Trump had again wanted the investigation shut down in early December 2017, but stopped after learning the news reports he based his decision on were incorrect.<sup id="cite_ref-733">[729]  In April 2018, following an FBI raid on the office and home of Trump's private attorney Michael Cohen, Trump mused aloud about firing Mueller.<sup id="cite_ref-NBC041118_734-0">[730]

In January 2018, The Washington Post reported that Mueller wants to interview Trump about the removal of Michael Flynn and James Comey.<sup id="cite_ref-735">[731]  Trump has expressed a willingness to do the interview; according to The New York Times, some of his lawyers have warned against doing so. Mueller can subpoena Trump to testify if Trump refuses.<sup id="cite_ref-736">[732]  As of March 2018, Trump is reportedly a "subject" of the investigation, meaning his conduct is being looked at, but not a "target" which would indicate the likelihood of criminal charges.<sup id="cite_ref-subject_737-0">[733]

In August 2018, Trump wrote that Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should stop" the special counsel investigation "right now"; he also referred to it as a "rigged witch hunt".<sup id="cite_ref-Morin-180801_738-0">[734] <sup id="cite_ref-Chiacu-180801_739-0">[735] <sup id="cite_ref-740">[736]

Other legal affairs
Main article: Legal affairs of Donald Trump

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels has alleged that she and Trump had an affair in 2006,<sup id="cite_ref-741">[737]  which Trump denied.<sup id="cite_ref-Nelson_742-0">[738]  In January 2018, it was reported that just before the 2016 presidential election Daniels was paid $130,000 by Trump's attorney Michael Cohen as part of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA); Cohen later said he paid her with his own money.<sup id="cite_ref-743">[739]  In February 2018, Daniels sued Cohen's company asking to be released from the NDA and be allowed to tell her story. Cohen obtained a restraining order to keep her from discussing the case.<sup id="cite_ref-744">[740] <sup id="cite_ref-745">[741]  In March, Daniels claimed in court that the NDA never came into effect because Trump did not sign it personally.<sup id="cite_ref-746">[742]  In April, Trump said that he did not know about Cohen paying Daniels, why Cohen had made the payment or where Cohen got the money from.<sup id="cite_ref-747">[743]  In May, Trump's annual financial disclosure revealed that he reimbursed Cohen in 2017 for payments related to Daniels.<sup id="cite_ref-748">[744]  In August 2018, in a case brought by the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York,<sup id="cite_ref-otherinvestigations_749-0">[745] Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court to breaking campaign finance laws, admitting to paying hush money of $130,000 to Daniels and $150,000 indirectly to Playboy model Karen McDougal, and said that he did it at the direction of Trump,<sup id="cite_ref-750">[746] <sup id="cite_ref-751">[747]  with the aim of influencing the presidential election.<sup id="cite_ref-752">[748]  In response, Trump said that he only knew about the payments "later on", and that he paid back Cohen personally, not out of campaign funds.<sup id="cite_ref-753">[749]  Cohen also said he would cooperate fully with the Special Counsel investigation into collusion with Russia.<sup id="cite_ref-754">[750]

D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh have filed a lawsuit in June 2017 alleging that President Trump violated the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution by continuing to profit from his businesses, such as the Trump International Hotel in D.C., as well as receiving foreign government payments through his businesses.<sup id="cite_ref-otherinvestigations_749-1">[745] <sup id="cite_ref-755">[751]

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has filed a lawsuit in June 2018 against President Trump, alleging that his charity, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, had under his direction illegally coordinated with the 2016 Trump campaign, as well as made other illegal payments to benefit Trump and his businesses.<sup id="cite_ref-otherinvestigations_749-2">[745] <sup id="cite_ref-756">[752]

Impeachment efforts
Main article: Efforts to impeach Donald Trump

Congressman Al Green delivers a speech calling for impeachment of President Trump, June 2017.

Formal efforts to start the process of impeachment against Trump, who took office in January 2017, have been initiated by Representatives Al Green and Brad Sherman, both Democrats.<sup id="cite_ref-greensherman_757-0">[753] <sup id="cite_ref-rollcall_758-0">[754]  Other people and groups have asserted that Trump has engaged in impeachable activity during his presidency.<sup id="cite_ref-Independent-1-20-2017_759-0">[755] <sup id="cite_ref-WashPost-1-20-2017_760-0">[756]  Talk of impeachment began before Trump took office.<sup id="cite_ref-VanityFair_761-0">[757] <sup id="cite_ref-ZT2016_762-0">[758]

Serious proposals to impeach Trump for obstruction of justice were made in May 2017, after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey<sup id="cite_ref-hamedy_763-0">[759] <sup id="cite_ref-roarty_764-0">[760] <sup id="cite_ref-easley_765-0">[761]  and allegations surfaced that Trump had asked Comey to drop the investigation against Michael Flynn.<sup id="cite_ref-arewegetting_766-0">[762]  A December 2017 resolution of impeachment failed in the House by a 58–364 margin.<sup id="cite_ref-DeBonis_767-0">[763]  Since the Republicans control both the House and the Senate, the likelihood of impeachment during the 2017–2019 115th Congress is considered remote.<sup id="cite_ref-768">[764] <sup id="cite_ref-NYT-Dems_769-0">[765]

Trump has argued against his own impeachment because "I don't think they can impeach somebody that's doing a great job".<sup id="cite_ref-770">[766]

Independently of impeachment, some commentators have speculated that Trump could be stripped of his powers and duties for incapacity under the 25th Amendment of the Constitution.<sup id="cite_ref-771">[767] <sup id="cite_ref-772">[768] <sup id="cite_ref-773">[769]

2020 presidential campaign
Main article: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2020

Trump signaled his intention to run for a second term by filing with the FEC within hours of assuming the presidency.<sup id="cite_ref-774">[770]  This transformed his 2016 election committee into a 2020 reelection one.<sup id="cite_ref-775">[771]  Trump marked the official start of the campaign with a rally in Melbourne, Florida, on February 18, 2017, less than a month after taking office.<sup id="cite_ref-776">[772]  By January 2018, Trump's reelection committee had $22 million in hand<sup id="cite_ref-777">[773]  and it had raised a total amount exceeding $50 million towards the 2020 campaign as of July 2018.<sup id="cite_ref-778">[774]