Biography of Donald Trump
Donald John Trump is an American entrepreneur, billionaire, real estate tycoon, and owner of a large chain of hotels and casinos. He has authored numerous books on business and self-development. He is a member of the Republican Party. On November 8, 2016, Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States. He ran in the 2020 election but lost to Joe Biden. He has announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. During a rally for his campaign, he survived an assassination attempt – the bullet grazed his right ear.
Childhood
In 1930, 18-year-old Mary MacLeod, from a Scottish village, came to New York for a vacation. There, fate brought her together with 25-year-old Fred Trump, the son of German immigrants, who already owned his own construction company at such a young age.
First Steps Towards Success
In 1964, Trump graduated brilliantly from military academy and enrolled at Fordham University. After studying there for four semesters, he transferred to the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1968, he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and then joined the family business. Donald took a serious interest in real estate, hoping to become the heir to the Trump construction empire and significantly multiply his father's fortune.
The Rise of an Empire
In 1974, Trump, with help from new connections, won the bid to restore the dilapidated Commodore Hotel. Many buildings around the hotel were also in poor condition and needed financial investment, as did the city itself, which was on the brink of bankruptcy. Donald managed to secure tax breaks from the city for 40 years. Furthermore, major New York banks provided him with a mortgage loan totaling $70 million. The condition was that Trump had to revitalize the area.
On the Verge of Bankruptcy
By the early '90s, Donald Trump's net worth was estimated at $1 billion. Besides a network of hotels, casinos, and luxury residential skyscrapers, the Trump empire included the airline Trump Shuttle, the New Jersey Generals football team, and a vast number of small enterprises that even Donald lost track of. Gradually, he began to lose control over his massively expanding business.
Television Appearances
In 2002, Trump launched the prime-time reality show "The Apprentice." Contestants competed for the chance to become a top executive in Trump's company. Unsuccessful participants heard the businessman's signature phrase: "You're fired!" (In 2004, he even applied to trademark "You're fired!"). For each episode of the first season, Donald received about $50,000, but with the start of the second season, the cost per episode rose to $3 million, making Trump one of the highest-paid hosts on television.
Political Career: The Most Influential Republican
Trump had been considered for the U.S. presidency since the 1980s, but his political compass constantly swung between the right and left poles. By 2009, he had more or less settled on his views and joined the Republican Party. In 2011, people tried to nominate this outstanding economist and manager for the presidential race, but the businessman stated he wasn't ready to leave the private sector.
He detailed his views further in the book "Crippled America," published in 2015.
The results of the 45th U.S. presidential election were unpredictable. A month before the final day, both candidates faced a good share of "black PR." Clinton got embroiled in an FBI scandal, and Trump faced accusations of sexual harassment. Clinton was confidently predicted to win, especially after the third and final debates. However, the results surprised everyone – Trump easily defeated his competitor, securing 306 electoral votes out of the necessary 270, thus earning the Oval Office seat in the White House.
Presidency
President Trump's inauguration took place on January 20, 2017. During his inaugural speech, Trump called to "bridge the divide between the ruling elite, the corrupt establishment, and American society," radically change the labor market by expelling all illegal immigrants, withdraw from unfavorable political blocs, reach an understanding with Russia, direct all resources for the country's benefit, and eliminate Islamist terrorists. Republican Mike Pence became Trump's right-hand man.
But within America, Trump's repeatedly expressed intention to build a wall between the US and Mexico to limit the influx of illegal immigrants sparked particularly heated debates.
Trump's opponents constantly spoke about his ties to Russia and accused him of receiving votes due to indirect interference by the Russian "troll factory" in pre-election campaigning on social media.
For example, the large public page "Black Activist" was mentioned, where journalists claimed that "Prigozhin trolls" convinced the audience not to vote for Hillary Clinton. The president, of course, denied this connection. Special prosecutor Robert Mueller pursued this version for two years but failed, finding no evidence that could influence Congress.
Donald Trump's Personal Life
Donald Trump has been married several times. His first wife was the Czechoslovakian model Ivana Zelnickova. They got married in 1977. In the same year, their first son, Donald Jr., was born. Four years later, businessman Trump became the father of Ivanka Trump, and in 1984, their second son, Eric, was born. Donald and Ivana Trump's marriage ended in 1992. After the divorce, his ex-wife nicknamed him "The Donald," a name that the press enjoyed.
Attempted Impeachment
From the first days of Donald Trump's presidency, Democrats discussed impeachment. Several attempts were made, but the House of Representatives (the lower chamber of the US Congress) was controlled by the Republican Party, so they didn't go beyond voting.Everything changed during the December 2018 elections, exactly in the middle of Trump's presidency, when the entire House of Representatives was reelected, and Democrats gained the majority. The president's opponents had the opportunity to initiate a new anti-corruption investigation against Trump.
Before the December elections, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen admitted that he lied to the court in 2017 about Trump's intentions to build a 100-story Trump Tower in Moscow City. He previously claimed that Trump had no such plans, but new data revealed that the billionaire wanted to build the skyscraper but changed his mind around June 2016. This led to new accusations against Trump involving Russia. More and more Democrats began demanding that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, announce impeachment proceedings against Trump.
However, the reason for the impeachment became the so-called "Ukrainegate," analogous to "Watergate," which ruined President Richard Nixon's political career. Trump was accused of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for two months (from May to September 2019). Trump wanted to get dirt on Joe Biden (potentially his main competitor in the upcoming presidential elections) and promised Ukraine financial and military aid in return.
The US intelligence service reported the pressure on Zelensky, and the White House tried to hide this from Congress, contrary to existing laws. On September 24, 2019, Nancy Pelosi announced the start of an investigation, and on October 31, Donald Trump was officially impeached. Two weeks later, public hearings began. The presidential administration forbade White House staff from cooperating with Congress. Donald Trump responded to all accusations on his Twitter:
However, when the Senate, which had been majority Republican since 2018, reviewed the charges in February 2020, the sitting president was fully acquitted.Witch hunt!
2020 Election
The presidential election in the USA was scheduled for November 3, 2020. Donald Trump's main opponent was Democrat Joe Biden , a senator and vice president under Barack Obama.
After disappointing debates for both politicians, preliminary polls showed Biden leading in support: 51.3% against Trump's 43.5%. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, early voting was possible, including by mail. About one third of voters took advantage of this. Sociological studies showed that Biden supporters, who tended to be more mobile and progressive, predominantly used mail-in voting, while Trump's supporters were expected to prefer traditional voting. This, according to political analysts, threatened to create a complicated situation and increase public unrest in an already tense environment.
After long counts and Trump's attempts to contest the results, the electors voted in favor of Biden: 306 votes for the Democratic candidate against 232 votes for Donald Trump. Thus, Joe Biden became the new president of the USA.
Capitol Riot 2021
The vote count and official recognition of Biden as the new President of the USA did not satisfy Trump's supporters or the politician himself. Right after the results, he accused the Democrats of widespread fraud in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Trump regularly shared his suspicions on Twitter, and soon, the social network blocked the ex-president’s account for misinformation.FBI Search
On the morning of August 8, 2022, the FBI searched Donald Trump's estate in Florida. They discovered boxes containing 11 sets of classified documents. The search was conducted as part of an investigation into the illegal use of defense information, theft, and destruction of documents.The Case of the 2020 Election
The federal criminal case against Donald Trump for attempting to contest the 2020 presidential election results was initiated after he, his legal team, and several supporters made efforts to challenge the vote outcome.According to available information, Trump and his supporters took several steps to alter the election outcome, including pressuring Vice President Mike Pence and creating a list of fake electors.
In January 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into these actions, which later expanded to include the events of January 6, 2021 (the Capitol riot). In November 2022, Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed to lead the investigation.
On August 1, 2023, a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia charged Trump with four counts, including conspiracy to defraud, obstruction of official proceedings, and conspiracy against citizens' rights. This marked the first time in U.S. history that a president faced charges related to actions taken while in office. Trump denied these charges, declaring his innocence.
The case was referred to the U.S. Supreme Court after the District of Columbia Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that Trump did not have immunity from prosecution. The U.S. Supreme Court reviewed the case and on July 1, 2024, decided that former presidents have certain immunity from criminal prosecution for "official acts" performed while in office.
2024 Election Campaign
Donald Trump announced his intention to run for president in 2024 on October 16, 2022, saying:Meanwhile, in October 2022, the U.S. Congress summoned the billionaire for questioning regarding the events of January 2021, and the country's Attorney General sued the former president and his children. Trump faced accusations of multiple fraud instances (200 cases over 10 years) - the Trump Organization allegedly inflated assets to secure better loans and pay lower taxes.To make America great again, I am running for President of the United States tonight.
Additionally, the scandal involving Trump's connection with porn actress Stormy Daniels gained momentum. In 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that before the 2016 election, Trump's lawyer paid Stormy $180,000 to keep quiet about their alleged affair in 2006. In 2023, Trump was found to have paid this money not from his personal funds but from his campaign funds. On May 31, 2024, a jury found the politician guilty.
Despite a series of scandals, Trump was nominated as the candidate from the Republican Party. His opponent was once again Joe Biden.
Assassination Attempt on Trump
On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump held a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Seven minutes after he took the stage, a bullet grazed his right ear. Secret Service agents rushed to shield him. Trump raised his clenched fist and shouted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" A photographer captured this moment, and the image quickly spread on social media. Merchandise featuring the photo went on sale the same day.
The Secret Service sniper shot the assailant. They quickly identified him as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. He fired eight shots from an AR-15 rifle. One bullet killed 50-year-old Trump supporter Corey Comperatore. Two others were seriously injured.
The dossier on Crooks shows he grew up in a middle-class family, did well in school, but faced bullying due to his reclusive nature and love for camouflage clothing. He enjoyed shooting. He was a registered Republican but donated $15 to the Democrats in 2021. Crooks' acquaintances found the assassination attempt strange as he held radical conservative views. The FBI searched his car and found several explosive devices inside.
I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead. I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
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