# Donald Trump > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Donald_Trump > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Donald_Trump.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump > Source revision: 1357276381 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)}} {{redirect2|DJT|Trump|other uses|Donald Trump (disambiguation)|and|DJT (disambiguation)|and|Trump (disambiguation)}} {{pp-extended|small=yes}} {{pp-move}} {{use American English|date=November 2020}} {{use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{bots|deny=InternetArchiveBot}} {{stack begin}} {{infobox officeholder | image = Official Presidential Portrait of President Donald J. Trump (2025) (cropped)(2).jpg | caption = [Official portrait, 2025](/source/Official_portraits_of_Donald_Trump) | alt = Head-and-shoulders shot of Trump with a serious facial expression, his right eye partly closed. He is wearing a dark blue suit, a pale blue dress shirt, a red necktie, and an American flag lapel pin. Parts of the image are slightly out of focus. The background is black. | order = 45th & 47th | office = President of the United States | vice_president = [JD Vance](/source/JD_Vance) | term_start = January 20, 2025 | predecessor = [Joe Biden](/source/Joe_Biden) | vice_president1 = [Mike Pence](/source/Mike_Pence) | term_start1 = January 20, 2017 | term_end1 = January 20, 2021 | predecessor1 = [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) | successor1 = Joe Biden | birth_name = Donald John Trump | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|6|14}} | birth_place = [Queens](/source/Queens), New York City, U.S. | party = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) (1969–1978, 1987–1999, 2009–2011,
since 2012) | other_party = {{unbulleted list | [Reform](/source/Reform_Party_of_the_United_States_of_America) (1999–2001) | [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) (2001–2009) | [Independent](/source/Independent_politician) (2011–2012) }} | spouse = {{unbulleted list | {{marriage|[Ivana Zelníčková](/source/Ivana_Zeln%C3%AD%C4%8Dkov%C3%A1)|April 9, 1977|December 11, 1990|end=divorced}} | {{marriage|[Marla Maples](/source/Marla_Maples)|December 20, 1993|June 8, 1999|end=divorced}} | {{marriage|[Melania Knauss](/source/Melania_Knauss)|January 22, 2005}} }} | children = {{hlist | [Donald Jr.](/source/Donald_Jr.) | [Ivanka](/source/Ivanka_Trump) | [Eric](/source/Eric_Trump) | [Tiffany](/source/Tiffany_Trump) | [Barron](/source/Barron_Trump) }} | parents = {{unbulleted list | [Fred Trump](/source/Fred_Trump) | [Mary Anne MacLeod](/source/Mary_Anne_MacLeod) }} | relatives = [Trump family](/source/Trump_family) | education = [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania) ([BS](/source/Bachelor_of_Science)) | occupation = {{hlist | [Politician](/source/Political_career_of_Donald_Trump) | [businessman](/source/Business_career_of_Donald_Trump) | [media personality](/source/Media_career_of_Donald_Trump) }} | signature = Trumpsignature2025.svg | signature_alt = Donald J. Trump stylized autograph, in ink | website = {{unbulleted list | {{URL|whitehouse.gov|White House website}} | {{URL|trumplibrary.gov|Presidential library}} | {{URL|trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov|White House archives (2017–2021)}} }} | module = {{listen voice | name = Trump | filename = President Trump on the WHO's Declaration of COVID-19 as a Global Pandemic.wav | description = Trump on the [World Health Organization](/source/World_Health_Organization)'s declaration of [COVID-19](/source/COVID-19) as a global pandemic | recorded = March 11, 2020 }} }} {{Donald Trump series}} {{stack end}} '''Donald John Trump''' (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th [president of the United States](/source/president_of_the_United_States). A member of the [Republican Party](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)), he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021. Born into a wealthy New York City family, Trump graduated from the [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania) in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He became the president of his family's real estate business in 1971, renamed it [the Trump Organization](/source/the_Trump_Organization), and began acquiring and building skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. He launched side ventures, many licensing the Trump name, and filed for six business bankruptcies in the 1990s and 2000s. From 2004 to 2015, he hosted the reality television show ''[The Apprentice](/source/The_Apprentice_(American_TV_series))'', bolstering his fame as a billionaire. Presenting himself as a political outsider, Trump won the [2016 presidential election](/source/2016_United_States_presidential_election) against [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) nominee [Hillary Clinton](/source/Hillary_Clinton). During [his first presidency](/source/First_presidency_of_Donald_Trump), Trump imposed [a travel ban](/source/Executive_Order_13769) on seven [Muslim-majority countries](/source/Islam_by_country), expanded the [Mexico–United States border wall](/source/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_border_wall), and enforced [a family separation policy](/source/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy) on the border. He rolled back environmental and business regulations, signed the [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act](/source/Tax_Cuts_and_Jobs_Act), and appointed three Supreme Court justices. He withdrew the U.S. from agreements on climate and trade, and started [a trade war with China](/source/China%E2%80%93United_States_trade_war). In response to the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_United_States) in 2020, he downplayed its severity, contradicted health officials, and signed the [CARES Act](/source/CARES_Act). After losing the [2020 presidential election](/source/2020_United_States_presidential_election) to [Joe Biden](/source/Joe_Biden), Trump refused to concede defeat and [attempted to overturn the result](/source/Attempts_to_overturn_the_2020_United_States_presidential_election), culminating in the [January 6 Capitol attack](/source/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack) in 2021. He was impeached twice—[in 2019](/source/First_impeachment_of_Donald_Trump) for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress and [in 2021](/source/Second_impeachment_of_Donald_Trump) for incitement of insurrection—and acquitted by the Senate both times. In 2023, Trump was found liable in New York state civil cases [for sexual abuse and defamation](/source/E._Jean_Carroll_v._Donald_J._Trump) and [for business fraud](/source/New_York_business_fraud_lawsuit_against_the_Trump_Organization). In May 2024, he was found guilty in a New York state court on 34 counts [of falsifying business records](/source/Prosecution_of_Donald_Trump_in_New_York), making him the first U.S. president convicted of a felony. After winning the [2024 presidential election](/source/2024_United_States_presidential_election) against Vice President [Kamala Harris](/source/Kamala_Harris), he was given a no-penalty sentence, and two federal felony indictments for [retention of classified documents](/source/Federal_prosecution_of_Donald_Trump_(classified_documents_case)) and [obstruction of the 2020 election](/source/Federal_prosecution_of_Donald_Trump_(election_obstruction_case)) were dismissed [without prejudice](/source/Prejudice_(legal_term)). Trump began [his second presidency](/source/Second_presidency_of_Donald_Trump) by initiating [mass layoffs of federal workers](/source/2025_United_States_federal_mass_layoffs). He [imposed tariffs](/source/Tariffs_in_the_second_Trump_administration) on nearly all countries at the highest level since the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression) and signed the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act](/source/One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_Act). His administration's actions—including the [targeting of political opponents and civil society](/source/Targeting_of_political_opponents_and_civil_society_under_the_second_Trump_administration), restriction of transgender rights, mass [deportation of undocumented immigrants](/source/Deportation_in_the_second_Trump_administration), and extensive use of executive orders—have drawn over 550 [lawsuits challenging their legality](/source/Legal_affairs_of_the_second_Trump_presidency). In Latin America, he pursued a campaign to [attack alleged drug traffickers](/source/United_States_strikes_on_alleged_drug_traffickers_during_Operation_Southern_Spear), and ordered [a military raid into Venezuela](/source/2026_United_States_intervention_in_Venezuela) to capture the country's president. In February 2026, he authorized joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran that resulted in the [2026 Iran war](/source/2026_Iran_war). Since 2015, Trump's leadership style and political agenda—often referred to as [Trumpism](/source/Trumpism)—have reshaped the Republican Party's identity. Many of his comments and actions have been [characterized as racist](/source/Racial_views_of_Donald_Trump) or misogynistic. He has [made many false or misleading statements](/source/False_or_misleading_statements_by_Donald_Trump) during his campaigns and presidency, to a degree unprecedented in American politics, and [promotes conspiracy theories](/source/List_of_conspiracy_theories_promoted_by_Donald_Trump). Trump's actions have been described by researchers as authoritarian and contributing to [democratic backsliding](/source/Democratic_backsliding_in_the_United_States). After his first term, scholars and historians ranked him as one of the worst presidents in American history. ==Early life and education== {{main|Early life and education of Donald Trump}} upright=0.65|thumb|left|1964 yearbook photo|alt=A black-and-white photograph of Trump as a teenager, smiling, wearing a dark pseudo-military uniform with three ribbons and a white shoulder strap Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at [Jamaica Hospital](/source/Jamaica_Hospital) in the New York City borough of [Queens](/source/Queens), the fourth child of [Fred Trump](/source/Fred_Trump) and [Mary Anne MacLeod Trump](/source/Mary_Anne_MacLeod_Trump).{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=30, 37}} He is of German and Scottish descent.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=v}} He grew up with his older siblings, [Maryanne](/source/Maryanne_Trump_Barry), [Fred Jr.](/source/Fred_Trump_Jr.), and Elizabeth, and his younger brother, [Robert](/source/Robert_Trump), in a 23-room mansion in the [Jamaica Estates](/source/Jamaica_Estates) neighborhood of Queens.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/us/politics/donald-trumps-old-queens-neighborhood-now-a-melting-pot-was-seen-as-a-cloister.html |title=Donald Trump's Old Queens Neighborhood Contrasts With the Diverse Area Around It |first=Jason |last=Horowitz |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=September 22, 2015 |access-date=December 15, 2025 |url-access=limited}} Fred Trump paid his children each about $20,000 a year, equivalent to $265,000 a year in 2024. Trump was a millionaire in inflation-adjusted dollars by age eight.{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|pp=30–31}} Trump attended the private [Kew-Forest School](/source/Kew-Forest_School) through seventh grade. His father enrolled him in the [New York Military Academy](/source/New_York_Military_Academy), a private boarding school, from eighth to twelfth grade.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=33, 38, 45}} The academy pushed students into sports{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|p=66}} and taught the imperative of winning.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=42}} Trump considered a show business career but, to be closer to home, enrolled at [Fordham University](/source/Fordham_University) in 1964.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=45–47}} He participated in the [Reserve Officers' Training Corps](/source/Reserve_Officers'_Training_Corps) during his first year, attending classes in a military uniform every Wednesday, but dropped it in his second year.{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|p=99}} In his junior year, he transferred to the [Wharton School](/source/Wharton_School) of the [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania), most often commuting to his father's office on weekends, and graduated in May 1968 with a [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in economics.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=47–50}} Contrary to his statements that he was top of his class with the highest grades possible, Wharton's published academic honors and dean's list do not include his name.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=47}}{{cite news |last=Selk |first=Avi |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=May 20, 2018 |title=It's the 50th anniversary of the day Trump left college and nearly had to go to war |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/05/20/its-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-day-trump-left-college-and-nearly-had-to-go-to-war/}} By the time he went to Wharton he was eyeing a career in real estate.{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=75}} He was exempted from the draft during the Vietnam War due to a claim of [bone spurs](/source/Calcaneal_spur) in his heels.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=48}} ==Business career== {{main|Business career of Donald Trump}} {{further|Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|Tax returns of Donald Trump|The Trump Organization}} ===Real estate=== {{see also|The Trump Organization#Real estate}} Starting in 1968, Trump was employed at Trump Management, his father's real estate company,{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=50–51}} which managed the middle-class apartment complexes Fred had built in Queens, [Staten Island](/source/Staten_Island), and [Brooklyn](/source/Brooklyn).{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=52–53}} His main tasks were collecting rent and making repairs{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=76}} for about five years.{{sfn|O'Brien|2005a|p=51}} Trump asked his father to expand to [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan), where prices were higher, but his father was content in the outer boroughs.{{sfn|O'Brien|2005a|p=51}} In 1971, he moved to Manhattan, where he planned to move the business{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=79}} and commuted to his father's office.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=59}} That year, his father made himself chairman and Trump president.{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=75}} Trump began using the Trump Organization as an umbrella for the corporate names of his father's businesses.{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=250}} [Roy Cohn](/source/Roy_Cohn), Trump's most important early influence after his father,{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=81}} was his [fixer](/source/Fixer_(person)), lawyer, and mentor{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=126}} for 13 years in the 1970s and 1980s.{{cite news |last1=Mahler |first1=Jonathan |last2=Flegenheimer |first2=Matt |title=What Donald Trump Learned From Joseph McCarthy's Right-Hand Man |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/us/politics/donald-trump-roy-cohn.html |access-date=May 26, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=June 20, 2016 |url-access=limited}} Cohn taught Trump that life is transactional.{{sfn|Haberman|2022|p=33}} In 1973, Cohn helped Trump countersue the U.S. government for $100 million (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|100|1973}} million in {{inflation/year|US}}{{inflation/fn|US}}) over its charges that Trump's properties had discriminated against Black applicants and tenants. The case was settled in a consent decree agreeing to desegregate, which the Trumps ended up in court for violating four years later.{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=82–84}} Helping Trump projects,{{sfn|Barrett|2016|pp=190–191}} Cohn was a [consigliere](/source/consigliere) whose Mafia connections controlled construction unions.{{sfn|Johnston|2016|pp=45–46}} In 1979, Cohn introduced political consultant [Roger Stone](/source/Roger_Stone) to Trump, who enlisted Stone's services to deal with the federal government.{{cite magazine |last=Brenner |first=Marie |author-link=Marie Brenner |title=How Donald Trump and Roy Cohn's Ruthless Symbiosis Changed America |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/06/donald-trump-roy-cohn-relationship |access-date=May 26, 2020 |magazine=[Vanity Fair](/source/Vanity_Fair_(magazine)) |date=June 28, 2017}} Trump showed a propensity for litigation, no matter the outcome and cost; even when he lost, he described the case as a win.{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|p=126}} By 2018, Trump had been involved in more than 4,000 lawsuits,{{cite news |date=n.d. |title=Donald Trump: Three decades: 4,095 lawsuits |url=https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/ |first1=Nick |last1=Penzenstadler |first2=Steve |last2=Reilly |first3=David |last3=Wilson |first4=Karen |last4=Yi |first5=Pim |last5=Linders |first6=John |last6=Kelly |first7=Jeff |last7=Dionise |access-date=August 26, 2025 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)}} liens, and other filings, often filed for nonpayment against him by employees, contractors, real estate brokers, and his own attorneys.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/09/donald-trump-unpaid-bills-republican-president-laswuits/85297274/ |title=USA Today exclusive: Hundreds allege Donald Trump doesn't pay his bills |last=Reilly |first=Steve |date=April 25, 2018 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)}} Between 1991 and 2009, Trump filed for [Chapter 11](/source/Chapter_11) bankruptcy protection for six of his businesses: the [Plaza Hotel](/source/Plaza_Hotel) in Manhattan, the casinos in [Atlantic City, New Jersey](/source/Atlantic_City%2C_New_Jersey), and the [Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts](/source/Trump_Hotels_%26_Casino_Resorts) company.{{cite news |last=Qiu |first=Linda |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/jun/21/hillary-clinton/yep-donald-trumps-companies-have-declared-bankrupt/ |title=Yep, Donald Trump's companies have declared bankruptcy...more than four times |work=[PolitiFact](/source/PolitiFact) |date=June 21, 2016 |access-date=May 25, 2023}} In 1992 and 1994, Trump, working with several relatives, formed a shell company for paying the vendors providing services and supplies for Trump's rental units, then billing those services and supplies to Trump Management with significant markups; the increased costs were used to get state approval for increasing the rents of his rent-stabilized units. Besides inflating rents, the schemes served to transfer assets from Fred Trump to his children and nephew and lower their tax burden.{{cite news |last1=Barstow |first1=David |author-link1=David Barstow |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |last3=Buettner |first3=Russ |author-link3=Russ Buettner |date=October 2, 2018 |title=Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html |access-date=October 2, 2018 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} ====Manhattan and Chicago developments==== [[File:Donald Trump with model of Television City.jpg|thumb|upright|left|In 1985 with a model of one of his aborted Manhattan development projects{{cite magazine |last=Handy |first=Bruce |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/trump-tower-real-estate-projects/583243/ |title=Trump Once Proposed Building a Castle on Madison Avenue |magazine=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic) |date=April 1, 2019 |access-date=July 28, 2024}}]] Trump gained public attention in 1978 with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture: the renovation of the derelict [Commodore Hotel](/source/Hyatt_Grand_Central_New_York), adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.{{cite news |url=https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/3/18290394/trump-grand-hyatt-nyc-commodore-hotel |work=[Curbed](/source/Curbed) |first=James |last=Nevius |date=April 3, 2019 |title=The winding history of Donald Trump's first major Manhattan real estate project |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406124720/https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/3/18290394/trump-grand-hyatt-nyc-commodore-hotel |archive-date=April 6, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2026}} The financing was facilitated by a $400 million city property tax abatement arranged for him by his father who also, jointly with [Hyatt](/source/Hyatt), guaranteed a $70 million bank construction loan.{{cite magazine |first=Frank |last=Rich |author-link=Frank Rich |title=The Original Donald Trump |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/frank-rich-roy-cohn-the-original-donald-trump.html |magazine=[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine)) |date=April 30, 2018 |access-date=May 8, 2018}}{{cite news |first=Glenn |last=Kessler |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |title=Trump's false claim he built his empire with a 'small loan' from his father |date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=September 29, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/03/03/trumps-false-claim-he-built-his-empire-with-a-small-loan-from-his-father |url-access=limited}} The hotel reopened in 1980 as the [Grand Hyatt Hotel](/source/Hyatt_Grand_Central_New_York),{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 84]}} and that same year, he obtained rights to develop [Trump Tower](/source/Trump_Tower), a mixed-use skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.{{cite magazine |title=The Expanding Empire of Donald Trump |date=April 8, 1984 |access-date=September 29, 2021 |first=William E. |last=Geist |author-link=Bill Geist |magazine=[The New York Times Magazine](/source/The_New_York_Times_Magazine) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html |url-access=limited}} The building houses the headquarters of the Trump Corporation and Trump's [PAC](/source/Political_action_committee) and was his primary residence until 2019.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/trump-new-york-florida-primary-residence.html |title=Trump, Lifelong New Yorker, Declares Himself a Resident of Florida |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |author-link=Maggie Haberman |date=October 31, 2019 |access-date=January 24, 2020}} In 1988, Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of 16 banks.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/04/business/company-news-trump-revises-plaza-loan.html |title=Trump Revises Plaza Loan |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=November 4, 1992 |access-date=May 23, 2023 |url-access=limited}} The hotel filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992, and a reorganization plan was approved a month later, with the banks taking control of the property.{{cite news |title=Trump's Plaza Hotel Bankruptcy Plan Approved |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=December 12, 1992 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/12/business/company-news-trump-s-plaza-hotel-bankruptcy-plan-approved.html |agency=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |access-date=May 24, 2023 |url-access=limited}} In 1995, Trump defaulted on over $3 billion of bank loans, and the lenders seized the Plaza Hotel along with most of his other properties in a "vast and humiliating restructuring" that allowed him to avoid personal bankruptcy.{{cite news |last=Segal |first=David |author-link=David Segal (journalist) |title=What Donald Trump's Plaza Deal Reveals About His White House Bid |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/business/what-donald-trumps-plaza-deal-reveals-about-his-white-house-bid.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=January 16, 2016 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/12/business/trump-is-selling-plaza-hotel-to-saudi-and-asian-investors.html |title=Trump Is Selling Plaza Hotel To Saudi and Asian Investors |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |first1=David |last1=Stout |author-link1=David Stout |first2=Kenneth N. |last2=Gilpin |date=April 12, 1995 |access-date=July 18, 2019 |url-access=limited}} Trump's last major construction project was the 92-story mixed-use [Trump International Hotel and Tower](/source/Trump_International_Hotel_and_Tower_(Chicago)) in Chicago, which opened in 2008. In 2024, [''The New York Times'' and ProPublica reported](/source/Trump_International_Hotel_and_Tower_(Chicago)) that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating whether he had twice written off losses incurred through construction cost overruns and lagging sales of residential units in the building he had declared to be worthless on his 2008 tax return.{{cite news |last1=Kiel |first1=Paul |last2=Buettner |first2=Russ |author-link2=Russ Buettner |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-irs-audit-chicago-hotel-taxes |title=IRS Audit of Trump Could Cost Former President More Than $100 Million |work=[ProPublica](/source/ProPublica) |date=May 11, 2024 |access-date=August 26, 2024}} ====Atlantic City casinos==== [[File:Trump Taj Mahal, 2007.jpg|thumb|alt=The entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal, a casino in Atlantic City. It has motifs evocative of the Taj Mahal in India.|Entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal (now the [Hard Rock Hotel & Casino](/source/Hard_Rock_Hotel_%26_Casino_Atlantic_City)) in [Atlantic City](/source/Atlantic_City)]] In 1984, Trump opened [Harrah's at Trump Plaza](/source/Harrah's_at_Trump_Plaza), a hotel and casino, with financing and management help from the [Holiday Corporation](/source/Holiday_Corporation). It was unprofitable, and he paid Holiday $70 million in May 1986 to take sole control.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA128 128]}} In 1985, he bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it [Trump's Castle](/source/Trump's_Castle).{{cite news |last=Saxon |first=Wolfgang |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/28/nyregion/trump-buys-hilton-s-hotel-in-atlantic-city.html |title=Trump Buys Hilton's Hotel in Atlantic City |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=April 28, 1986 |access-date=May 25, 2023 |url-access=limited}}{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=351}} Both casinos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1992.{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/03/09/Trumps-Castle-and-Plaza-file-for-bankruptcy/3105700117200/ |title=Trump's Castle and Plaza file for bankruptcy |work=[UPI News](/source/UPI_News) |date=March 9, 1992 |access-date=May 25, 2023}} Trump bought a third Atlantic City venue in 1988, the [Trump Taj Mahal](/source/Trump_Taj_Mahal). It was financed with $675 million in [junk bonds](/source/junk_bonds) and completed for $1.1 billion, opening in April 1990. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1991. Under the provisions of the restructuring agreement, Trump gave up half his initial stake and personally guaranteed future performance.{{cite news |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/05/business/company-news-taj-mahal-is-out-of-bankruptcy.html |title=Company News; Taj Mahal is out of Bankruptcy |access-date=May 22, 2008 |date=October 5, 1991 |url-access=limited}} To reduce his $900 million of personal debt, he sold the [Trump Shuttle](/source/Trump_Shuttle) airline; his megayacht, the ''[Trump Princess](/source/Trump_Princess)'', which had been leased to his casinos and kept docked; and other businesses.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/04/29/fourth-times-a-charm-how-donald-trump-made-bankruptcy-work-for-him/ |title=Fourth Time's A Charm: How Donald Trump Made Bankruptcy Work For Him |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes) |date=May 29, 2011 |access-date=January 27, 2022 |last=O'Connor |first=Claire}} In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.{{cite news |title=Trump Plaza casino stock trades today on Big Board |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |first=Floyd |last=Norris |author-link=Floyd Norris |date=June 7, 1995 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/07/business/trump-plaza-casino-stock-trades-today-on-big-board.html |access-date=December 14, 2014 |url-access=limited}} THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle in 1996 and went bankrupt in 2004 and 2009, leaving him with 10 percent ownership.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/08/16/donald-trump-atlantic-city-empire/ |title=The Truth About the Rise and Fall of Donald Trump's Atlantic City Empire |magazine=[Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia_(magazine)) |date=August 16, 2015 |access-date=March 21, 2016 |first=Dan |last=McQuade}} He remained chairman until 2009.{{cite magazine |url=https://fortune.com/2016/03/10/trump-hotel-casinos-pay-failure/ |title=How Donald Trump Made Millions Off His Biggest Business Failure |last=Tully |first=Shawn |author-link=Shawn Tully |date=March 10, 2016 |magazine=[Fortune](/source/Fortune_(magazine)) |access-date=May 6, 2018}} ====Golf clubs==== In 1985, Trump acquired the [Mar-a-Lago](/source/Mar-a-Lago) estate in Palm Beach, Florida.{{cite magazine |last=Peterson-Withorn |first=Chase |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2018/04/23/donald-trump-has-gained-more-than-100-million-on-mar-a-lago/ |title=Donald Trump Has Gained More Than $100 Million On Mar-a-Lago |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes) |date=April 23, 2018 |access-date=July 4, 2018}} In 1995, he converted the estate into a private club with an initiation fee and annual dues. Trump continued to use a wing of the house as a private residence.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/home-decor/a7144/mar-a-lago-history/ |title=A History of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's American Castle |last1=Dangremond |first1=Sam |last2=Kim |first2=Leena |date=December 22, 2017 |magazine=[Town & Country](/source/Town_%26_Country_(magazine)) |access-date=July 3, 2018}} He declared the club his primary residence in 2019. Trump began [building and buying golf courses](/source/Donald_Trump_and_golf) in 1999, owning 17 golf courses globally by 2016.{{cite news |last=Garcia |first=Ahiza |date=December 29, 2016 |title=Trump's 17 golf courses teed up: Everything you need to know |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/29/news/donald-trump-golf-courses/ |access-date=December 15, 2025 |work=[CNN Business](/source/CNN_Business)}} ===Licensing the Trump name=== {{see also|List of things named after Donald Trump}} [The Trump Organization](/source/The_Trump_Organization) often licensed the Trump name for consumer products and services, including foodstuffs, apparel, learning courses, and home furnishings.{{cite news |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=April 13, 2018 |access-date=September 29, 2021 |first1=Zane |last1=Anthony |first2=Kathryn |last2=Sanders |first3=David A. |last3=Fahrenthold |author-link3=David Fahrenthold |title=Whatever happened to Trump neckties? They're over. So is most of Trump's merchandising empire. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/whatever-happened-to-trump-ties-theyre-over-so-is-most-of-trumps-merchandising-empire/2018/04/13/2c32378a-369c-11e8-acd5-35eac230e514_story.html |url-access=limited}} Over 50 licensing or management deals involved his name, generating at least $59 million for his companies.{{cite news |first1=Aaron |last1=Williams |first2=Anu |last2=Narayanswamy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/trump-worldwide-licensing/ |title=How Trump has made millions by selling his name |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=January 25, 2017 |access-date=December 12, 2017 |url-access=limited}} By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license Trump's name. During the 2000s, he licensed his name to real estate developments. Forty of the projects he announced were not completed.{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|p=410}} ===Side ventures=== {{see also|Donald Trump and American football}} [[File:Donald Trump and Doug Flutie at a press conference in the Trump Tower.jpg|thumb|left|1985 New Jersey Generals press conference in [Trump Tower](/source/Trump_Tower)|alt=Trump, Doug Flutie, and New Jersey Generals head coach Walt Michaels standing behind a lectern with big, round New Jersey Generals sign, with members of the press seated in the background]] In 1970, Trump invested $70,000 of his father's wealth to receive billing as coproducer of a Broadway comedy—and lost the money.{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|p=109}} After making low-ball bids for the [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) and the [Cleveland Indians](/source/Cleveland_Indians) baseball teams, in 1983 for about $6 million, he purchased the [New Jersey Generals](/source/New_Jersey_Generals), a team in the [United States Football League](/source/United_States_Football_League).{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=175}} The league folded after the 1985 season, largely due to his attempt to move to a fall schedule (when it would have competed with the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) for audience) and his attempt to force a merger with the NFL by bringing an antitrust suit.{{cite news |first=Arash |last=Markazi |author-link=Arash Markazi |title=5 things to know about Donald Trump's foray into doomed USFL |date=July 14, 2015 |access-date=September 30, 2021 |work=[ESPN](/source/ESPN) |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13255737/five-things-know-donald-trump-usfl-experience}} In 1989 and 1990, he lent his name to the [Tour de Trump](/source/Tour_de_Trump) cycling stage race, an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races such as the [Tour de France](/source/Tour_de_France) or the [Giro d'Italia](/source/Giro_d'Italia).{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/donald-trump-2016-tour-de-trump-bike-race-213801/ |title=The Strange Tale of Donald Trump's 1989 Biking Extravaganza |first=Kevin |last=Hogan |work=[Politico Magazine](/source/Politico_Magazine) |date=April 10, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2016}} From 1986 to 1988, he purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies while suggesting that he intended to take over the company and then sold his shares for a profit,{{cite news |last1=Buettner |first1=Russ |author-link1=Russ Buettner |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |date=May 7, 2019 |title=Decade in the Red: Trump Tax Figures Show Over $1 Billion in Business Losses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/07/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html |access-date=May 8, 2019 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} leading some observers to think he was engaged in [greenmail](/source/greenmail).{{cite news |last1=Mattingly |first1=Phil |author-link1=Phil Mattingly |last2=Jorgensen |first2=Sarah |url=https://cnn.com/2016/08/22/politics/donald-trump-activist-investor/ |title=The Gordon Gekko era: Donald Trump's lucrative and controversial time as an activist investor |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=August 23, 2016 |access-date=September 14, 2022}} ''The New York Times'' found that he initially made millions of dollars in such stock transactions, but "lost most, if not all, of those gains after investors stopped taking his takeover talk seriously". [[File:Donald Trump star Hollywood Walk of Fame.JPG|thumb|upright=0.7|Trump's star on the [Hollywood Walk of Fame](/source/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame)|alt=A red star with a bronze outline and "Donald Trump" and a TV icon written on it in bronze, embedded in a black terrazzo sidewalk]] In 1988, Trump purchased the [Eastern Air Lines Shuttle](/source/Eastern_Air_Lines_Shuttle), financing the purchase with $380 million (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|0.380|1988|r=2}} billion in {{inflation/year|US}}{{inflation/fn|US}}) in loans from a syndicate of 22 banks. He renamed the airline [Trump Shuttle](/source/Trump_Shuttle) and operated it until 1992.{{cite news |work=[The Daily Beast](/source/The_Daily_Beast) |title=The Crash of Trump Air |first=Barbara |last=Peterson |date=April 13, 2017 |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-crash-of-trump-air |access-date=May 17, 2023}} He defaulted on his loans in 1991, and ownership passed to the banks.{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4343030/donald-trump-failures/ |title=10 Donald Trump Business Failures |magazine=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine)) |date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=May 17, 2023}} In 1996, he purchased the [Miss Universe](/source/Miss_Universe) pageants, including [Miss USA](/source/Miss_USA) and [Miss Teen USA](/source/Miss_Teen_USA).{{sfn|Haberman|2022|pp=129–130}} Due to disagreements with [CBS](/source/CBS) about scheduling, he took both pageants to [NBC](/source/NBC) in 2002.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/22/business/three-beauty-pageants-leaving-cbs-for-nbc.html |title=Three Beauty Pageants Leaving CBS for NBC |date=June 22, 2002 |first=Jim |last=Rutenberg |author-link=Jim Rutenberg |access-date=August 14, 2016 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/06/22/there-she-goes-pageants-move-to-nbc/2ba81b9a-bf67-4f3e-b8d6-1c2cc881ed19/ |title=There She Goes: Pageants Move to NBC |date=June 22, 2002 |first=Lisa |last=de Moraes |author-link=Lisa de Moraes |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |access-date=August 14, 2016 |url-access=limited}} In 2007, he received a star on the [Hollywood Walk of Fame](/source/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame) for his work as producer of Miss Universe.{{cite news |last=Zara |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Zara |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/4023036/why-the-heck-does-donald-trump-have-a-walk-of-fame-star-anyway-its-not-the-reason-you-think |title=Why the heck does Donald Trump have a Walk of Fame star, anyway? It's not the reason you think |work=[Fast Company](/source/Fast_Company) |date=October 26, 2016 |access-date=June 16, 2018}} NBC and Univision dropped the pageants in June 2015 in reaction to his comments about Mexican immigrants.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/06/29/nbc-dumps-trump/29471971/ |title=NBC to Donald Trump: You're fired |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |first=Maria |last=Puente |date=June 29, 2015 |access-date=July 28, 2015}} ====Trump University==== In 2005, Trump cofounded [Trump University](/source/Trump_University), a company that sold real estate seminars for up to $35,000. After New York State authorities notified the company that its use of "university" violated state law because it was not an academic institution, its name was changed to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010.{{sfn|D'Antonio|2015|pp=281–282}} In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging that the company made false statements and defrauded consumers. Additionally, two class actions were filed in federal court against Trump and his companies. Internal documents revealed that employees were instructed to use a hard-sell approach, and former employees testified that Trump University had defrauded or lied to its students.{{sfn|D'Antonio|2015|pp=282–283}} Shortly after he won the 2016 presidential election, he agreed to pay a total of $25 million to settle the three cases.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/trump-university.html |title=Donald Trump Agrees to Pay $25 Million in Trump University Settlement |last=Eder |first=Steve |date=November 18, 2016 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=November 18, 2016 |url-access=limited}} ===Foundation=== {{main|Donald J. Trump Foundation}} The Donald J. Trump Foundation was a [private foundation](/source/Private_foundation_(United_States)) established in 1988.{{cite news |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133404773 |title=Nonprofit Explorer |work=[ProPublica](/source/ProPublica) |first1=Mike |last1=Tigas |first2=Sisi |last2=Wei |date=May 9, 2013 |access-date=September 9, 2016}} From 1987 to 2006, Trump gave his foundation $5.4 million, which had been spent by the end of 2006. After donating a total of $65,000 in 2007–2008, he stopped donating any personal funds to the charity,{{cite news |first=David A. |last=Fahrenthold |author-link=David Fahrenthold |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-donald-trump-retooled-his-charity-to-spend-other-peoples-money/2016/09/10/da8cce64-75df-11e6-8149-b8d05321db62_story.html |title=How Donald Trump retooled his charity to spend other people's money |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=September 10, 2016 |access-date=March 19, 2024 |url-access=limited}} which received millions from other donors, including $5 million from [Vince McMahon](/source/Vince_McMahon).{{cite news |last=Pallotta |first=Frank |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/18/media/vince-mcmahon-donald-trump-payments/ |title=Investigation into Vince McMahon's hush money payments reportedly turns up Trump charity donations |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=August 18, 2022 |access-date=March 19, 2024}} The foundation gave to health and sports-related charities, conservative groups,{{cite news |work=[Long Island Business News](/source/Long_Island_Business_News) |date=September 15, 2016 |access-date=September 30, 2021 |first=Claude |last=Solnik |title=Taking a peek at Trump's (foundation) tax returns |url=https://libn.com/2016/09/15/taking-a-peek-at-trumps-foundation-tax-returns/}} and charities that held events at Trump properties. In 2016, ''[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)'' reported that the charity had committed several potential legal and ethical violations, including self-dealing and [tax evasion](/source/tax_evasion).{{cite news |first1=Chris |last1=Cillizza |author-link1=Chris Cillizza |first2=David A. |last2=Fahrenthold |author-link2=David Fahrenthold |title=Meet the reporter who's giving Donald Trump fits |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/15/how-the-reporter-behind-the-trump-foundation-stories-does-it/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=September 15, 2016 |access-date=June 26, 2021 |url-access=limited}} Also in 2016, the New York attorney general stated the foundation had violated state law by soliciting donations without submitting to required annual external audits and ordered it to cease its fundraising activities in New York immediately.{{cite news |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=October 3, 2016 |access-date=May 17, 2023 |first=David A. |last=Fahrenthold |author-link=David Fahrenthold |title=Trump Foundation ordered to stop fundraising by N.Y. attorney general's office |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-foundation-ordered-to-stop-fundraising-by-ny-attorney-generals-office/2016/10/03/1d4d295a-8987-11e6-bff0-d53f592f176e_story.html |url-access=limited}} Trump's team announced in December 2016 that the foundation would be dissolved.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/24/trump-university-shut-down-conflict-of-interest |title=Donald Trump to dissolve his charitable foundation after mounting complaints |last=Jacobs |first=Ben |author-link=Ben Jacobs (journalist) |date=December 24, 2016 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date=December 25, 2016}} In June 2018, the New York attorney general's office filed a civil suit against the foundation, Trump, and his adult children, seeking $2.8 million in restitution and additional penalties.{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/392392-five-things-to-know-about-the-lawsuit-against-the-trump-foundation |title=Five things to know about the lawsuit against the Trump Foundation |last=Thomsen |first=Jacqueline |date=June 14, 2018 |work=[The Hill](/source/The_Hill_(newspaper)) |access-date=June 15, 2018}} In December 2018, the foundation ceased operation and disbursed its assets to other charities.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/nyregion/ny-ag-underwood-trump-foundation.html |title=Trump Foundation Will Dissolve, Accused of 'Shocking Pattern of Illegality' |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=December 18, 2018 |access-date=May 9, 2019 |first=Shane |last=Goldmacher |url-access=limited}} In November 2019, a New York state judge ordered Trump to pay $2 million to a group of charities for misusing the foundation's funds, in part to finance his presidential campaign.{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-foundation-ordered-pay-2m-collection-nonprofits-part/story?id=66827235 |title=President Donald Trump ordered to pay $2M to collection of nonprofits as part of civil lawsuit |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States)) |date=November 7, 2019 |access-date=November 7, 2019 |first=Aaron |last=Katersky |author-link=Aaron Katersky}} ===Legal affairs and bankruptcies=== {{main|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump}} According to a review of state and federal court files conducted by ''[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)'' in 2018, Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions. While Trump has not filed for [personal bankruptcy](/source/personal_bankruptcy), his over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection six times between 1991 and 2009.{{cite news |last=Winter |first=Tom |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-bankruptcy-math-doesn-t-add-n598376 |title=Trump Bankruptcy Math Doesn't Add Up |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |date=June 24, 2016 |access-date=February 26, 2020}} They continued to operate while the banks restructured debt and reduced his shares in the properties. During the 1980s, more than 70 banks had lent Trump $4 billion.{{cite news |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=July 17, 2016 |first=Emily |last=Flitter |title=Art of the spin: Trump bankers question his portrayal of financial comeback |access-date=October 14, 2018 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-bankruptcies-insig/art-of-the-spin-trump-bankers-question-his-portrayal-of-financial-comeback-idUSKCN0ZX0GP |url-access=limited}} After his corporate bankruptcies of the early 1990s, most major banks, with the exception of [Deutsche Bank](/source/Deutsche_Bank), declined to lend to him.{{cite news |work=[Business Insider](/source/Business_Insider) |date=December 8, 2017 |first=Allan |last=Smith |title=Trump's long and winding history with Deutsche Bank could now be at the center of Robert Mueller's investigation |access-date=October 14, 2018 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deutsche-bank-mueller-2017-12}} After the [January 6 Capitol attack](/source/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack), Deutsche Bank also decided not to do business with him or his affiliated company in the future.{{cite news |last1=Riley |first1=Charles |last2=Egan |first2=Matt |title=Deutsche Bank won't do any more business with Trump |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/12/investing/deutsche-bank-trump/ |access-date=September 14, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=January 12, 2021}} ==Media career== {{main|Media career of Donald Trump}} Trump has [published 19 books under his name](/source/Bibliography_of_Donald_Trump), most written or cowritten by [ghostwriters](/source/ghostwriters).{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-books-tweet-ghostwriter-tim-o-brien-tony-schwartz-writer-response-a8431271.html |title=Trump boasted about writing many books – his ghostwriter says otherwise |newspaper=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent) |first=Andrew |last=Buncombe |date=July 4, 2018 |access-date=October 11, 2020}} His first book, the 1987 ''[Art of the Deal](/source/The_Art_of_the_Deal)'', was ghostwritten by [Tony Schwartz](/source/Tony_Schwartz_(author)), who is credited as coauthor. It was a [''New York Times'' Best Seller](/source/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list) and made Trump a celebrity beyond New York as a rich and successful entrepreneur.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-tells-all |title=Donald Trump's Ghostwriter Tells All |magazine=[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker) |first=Jane |last=Mayer |author-link=Jane Mayer |date=July 18, 2016 |access-date=June 19, 2017}} Trump had cameos in many films and television shows from 1985 to 2001.{{cite magazine |first=Adrienne |last=LaFrance |author-link=Adrienne LaFrance |title=Three Decades of Donald Trump Film and TV Cameos |date=December 21, 2015 |magazine=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic) |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/three-decades-of-donald-trump-film-and-tv-cameos/421257/}} Trump acquired his style of politics from [professional wrestling](/source/professional_wrestling). From the late 1980s, he sporadically played himself as a super-rich boss at events staged by professional wrestling promotion [WWE](/source/WWE), including [WrestleMania 23](/source/WrestleMania_23) in 2007.{{sfn|Gaufman|Ganesh|2024|pp=69–70}}{{sfn|O'Brien|2020}}{{page number needed|date=March 2026}} Starting in the 1990s, Trump appeared 24 times as a guest on the nationally syndicated ''[Howard Stern Show](/source/Howard_Stern_Show)''.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA166 166]}} He had his own short-form talk radio program, ''[Trumped!](/source/Trumped!)'', from 2004 to 2008.{{cite news |last1=Massie |first1=Christopher |last2=Kaczynski |first2=Andrew |author-link2=Andrew Kaczynski |title=There Are Hours Of Audio Of Donald Trump's Nationally Syndicated Radio Show In The 2000s |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/christophermassie/theres-hours-of-audio-of-donald-trumps-nationally-syndicated |work=[BuzzFeed](/source/BuzzFeed) |access-date=December 6, 2024 |date=March 16, 2016}} From 2011 until 2015, he was a guest commentator on ''[Fox & Friends](/source/Fox_%26_Friends)''.{{cite news |last1=Grossmann |first1=Matt |last2=Hopkins |first2=David A. |title=How the conservative media is taking over the Republican Party |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/09/09/how-the-conservative-media-is-taking-over-the-republican-party/ |access-date=October 19, 2018 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=September 9, 2016 |url-access=limited}} In 2021, Trump, who had been a member since 1989, resigned from [SAG-AFTRA](/source/SAG-AFTRA) to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack; two days later, the union permanently barred him.{{cite magazine |last=Harmata |first=Claudia |url=https://people.com/tv/sag-aftra-bans-donald-trump-future-readmission/ |title=Donald Trump Banned from Future Re-Admission to SAG-AFTRA: It's 'More Than a Symbolic Step' |magazine=[People](/source/People_(magazine)) |date=February 7, 2021 |access-date=February 8, 2021}} Producer [Mark Burnett](/source/Mark_Burnett) made Trump a television star{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|p=7}} when he created the reality show [''The Apprentice''](/source/The_Apprentice_(American_TV_series)), which Trump hosted from 2004 to 2015 (including variant ''[The Celebrity Apprentice](/source/The_Celebrity_Apprentice)''). On the shows, he was a superrich chief executive who eliminated contestants with the [catchphrase](/source/catchphrase) "you're fired". ''The New York Times'' called his portrayal "a highly flattering, highly fictionalized version" of himself.{{cite news |last1=Grynbaum |first1=Michael M. |last2=Parker |first2=Ashley |author-link2=Ashley Parker |date=July 16, 2016 |title=Donald Trump the Political Showman, Born on 'The Apprentice' |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/business/media/donald-trump-apprentice.html |access-date=July 8, 2018 |url-access=limited}} The shows remade Trump's image for millions of viewers nationwide.{{cite magazine |last=Nussbaum |first=Emily |author-link=Emily Nussbaum |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/31/the-tv-that-created-donald-trump |title=The TV That Created Donald Trump |magazine=[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker) |date=July 24, 2017 |access-date=October 18, 2023}} With the related licensing agreements, they earned him more than $400 million.{{cite news |last=Poniewozik |first=James |author-link=James Poniewozik |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/arts/television/trump-taxes-apprentice.html |title=Donald Trump Was the Real Winner of 'The Apprentice' |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=September 28, 2020 |access-date=October 18, 2023 |url-access=limited}} == Early political aspirations == {{further|Political career of Donald Trump}} [[File:Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 by Mark Taylor.jpg|thumb|Speaking at [CPAC](/source/Conservative_Political_Action_Conference), February 2011|alt=Trump, leaning heavily onto a lectern, with his mouth open mid-speech and a woman clapping next to him]] Trump registered as a Republican in Queens in 1969 and in Manhattan in 1987;{{sfn|Barrett|2016|p=75}}{{cite news |last=Gillin |first=Joshua |date=August 24, 2015 |title=Bush says Trump was a Democrat longer than a Republican 'in the last decade' |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2015/aug/24/jeb-bush/bush-says-trump-was-democrat-longer-republican-las/ |access-date=September 23, 2025 |work=[PolitiFact](/source/PolitiFact)}} a member of the [Independence Party](/source/Independence_Party_of_New_York), the New York state affiliate of the [Reform Party](/source/Reform_Party_of_the_United_States_of_America), in 1999; a [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) in 2001; a Republican in 2009; [unaffiliated](/source/Independent_politician) in 2011; and a Republican in 2012.{{cite news |last=Hall |first=Amy |title=Donald Trump was once a registered Democrat and party donor. So why did he jump ship? |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/donald-trump-was-once-a-registered-democrat-and-party-donor-why-did-he-jump-ship/wj85mj5yq |website=[SBS News](/source/SBS_News) |access-date=March 29, 2025 |date=July 25, 2024}} In 1987, Trump placed full-page advertisements in major newspapers,{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/02/nyregion/trump-gives-a-vague-hint-of-candidacy.html |title=Trump Gives a Vague Hint of Candidacy |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |first=Michael |last=Oreskes |author-link=Michael Oreskes |date=September 2, 1987 |access-date=February 17, 2016 |url-access=limited}} expressing his views on foreign policy and how to eliminate the federal budget deficit.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/18/us/trump-urged-to-head-gala-of-democrats.html |title=Trump Urged To Head Gala Of Democrats |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=November 18, 1987 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |first=Fox |last=Butterfield |author-link=Fox Butterfield |url-access=limited}} In 1988, he approached [Lee Atwater](/source/Lee_Atwater), asking to be put into consideration to be Republican nominee [George H. W. Bush](/source/George_H._W._Bush)'s running mate. Bush found the request "strange and unbelievable".{{sfn|Meacham|2016|p=326}}{{cite news |title=George W. Bush 'surprised' by dad's criticism, author says |last=Gass |first=Nick |date=November 6, 2015 |access-date=December 20, 2024 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/george-w-bush-father-book-215588 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}} Trump [was a candidate](/source/Donald_Trump_2000_presidential_campaign) in the [2000 Reform Party presidential primaries](/source/2000_Reform_Party_presidential_primaries) for three months before he withdrew in February 2000.{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Winger |author-link=Richard Winger |title=Donald Trump Ran For President in 2000 in Several Reform Party Presidential Primaries |date=December 25, 2011 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |website=[Ballot Access News](/source/Ballot_Access_News) |url=https://ballot-access.org/2011/12/25/donald-trump-ran-for-president-in-2000-in-several-reform-party-presidential-primaries/}}{{cite news |last=Clift |first=Eleanor |author-link=Eleanor Clift |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-last-time-trump-wrecked-a-party |title=The Last Time Trump Wrecked a Party |work=[The Daily Beast](/source/The_Daily_Beast) |date=July 18, 2016 |access-date=October 14, 2021}}{{cite news |last=Nagourney |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Nagourney |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/021400wh-ref-trump.html |title=Reform Bid Said to Be a No-Go for Trump |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=February 14, 2000 |access-date=December 26, 2020 |url-access=subscription}} In 2011, Trump considered challenging President [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) in [the 2012 election](/source/2012_United_States_presidential_election). He spoke at the [Conservative Political Action Conference](/source/Conservative_Political_Action_Conference) in February and gave speeches in states with early primaries.{{cite news |last=MacAskill |first=Ewen |author-link=Ewen MacAskill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/16/donald-trump-us-presidential-race |title=Donald Trump bows out of 2012 US presidential election race |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |date=May 16, 2011 |access-date=February 28, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Bobic |first1=Igor |last2=Stein |first2=Sam |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-cpac_n_58adc0f4e4b03d80af7141cf |title=How CPAC Helped Launch Donald Trump's Political Career |work=[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost) |date=February 22, 2017 |access-date=February 28, 2020}} In May 2011, he announced that he would not run. == 2016 presidential election == {{main|2016 United States presidential election}} {{further|Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|2016 Republican Party presidential primaries|First presidential transition of Donald Trump}} thumb|left|alt=Trump speaking in front of an American flag behind a lectern, wearing a black business suit and a bright red "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" baseball cap. The lectern sports a blue "TRUMP" sign.|Campaigning in Arizona, March 2016 Trump announced his candidacy for the 2016 election in June 2015.{{cite news |last=Lerner |first=Adam B. |author-link=Adam B. Lerner |date=June 16, 2015 |title=The 10 best lines from Donald Trump's announcement speech |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066 |access-date=June 7, 2018 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}}{{cite news |last=Graham |first=David A. |date=May 13, 2016 |title=The Lie of Trump's 'Self-Funding' Campaign |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/trumps-self-funding-lie/482691/ |access-date=June 7, 2018 |work=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic)}} Using the slogan "[Make America Great Again](/source/Make_America_Great_Again)" he had trademarked in 2012,{{cite magazine |last=Wilson |first=Chris |url=https://time.com/5084673/donald-trump-make-america-great-again-trademark/ |title='Make America High Again' and 279 Other Ways People Are Ripping Off Trump's Campaign Slogan |magazine=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine)) |date=January 8, 2018 |access-date=April 13, 2026}} he campaigned as a rich, successful businessman and an outsider without political experience,{{cite news |last=Terris |first=Ben |title=Donald Trump begins 2016 bid, citing his outsider status |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/donald-trump-is-now-a-candidate-for-president-of-the-united-states/2015/06/16/5e6d738e-1441-11e5-9ddc-e3353542100c_story.html |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=June 16, 2015 |access-date=April 26, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |date=December 19, 2015 |title=Outsider Sentiment Leaves Its Mark on 2016 Races (Poll) |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/outsider-sentiment-leaves-mark-2016-races-poll/story?id=35850546 |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States))}}{{cite web |last1=Newport |first1=Frank |last2=Saad |first2=Lydia |title=Trump Support Built on Outsider Status, Business Experience |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/189773/trump-support-built-outsider-status-business-experience.aspx |publisher=[Gallup, Inc.](/source/Gallup%2C_Inc.) |date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=April 26, 2025}} and claimed [media bias](/source/media_bias) against him.{{cite news |first=Kenneth T. |last=Walsh |author-link=Kenneth T. Walsh |title=Trump: Media Is 'Dishonest and Corrupt' |date=August 15, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |work=[U.S. News & World Report](/source/U.S._News_%26_World_Report) |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-08-15/trump-media-is-dishonest-and-corrupt}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/06/donald-trumps-failing-war-on-political-correctness/ |title=Donald Trump is waging war on political correctness. And he's losing. |first=Aaron |last=Blake |date=July 6, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} Trump's campaign statements were often opaque and suggestive;{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/08/10/489476187/trump-s-second-amendment-comment-fit-a-pattern-of-ambiguous-speech |last=McCammon |first=Sarah |author-link=Sarah McCammon |title=Donald Trump's controversial speech often walks the line |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2021}} a record number were false.{{cite news |title=The 'King of Whoppers': Donald Trump |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/the-king-of-whoppers-donald-trump/ |work=[FactCheck.org](/source/FactCheck.org) |access-date=March 4, 2019 |date=December 21, 2015}}{{cite news |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/dec/21/2015-lie-year-donald-trump-campaign-misstatements/ |title=2015 Lie of the Year: the campaign misstatements of Donald Trump |work=[PolitiFact](/source/PolitiFact) |date=December 21, 2015 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |first1=Angie Drobnic |last1=Holan |author-link1=Angie Drobnic Holan |first2=Linda |last2=Qiu}}{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Farhi |title=Think Trump's wrong? Fact checkers can tell you how often. (Hint: A lot.) |date=February 26, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-existential-crisis-of-professional-factcheckers-in-the-year-of-trump/2016/02/25/e994f210-db3e-11e5-81ae-7491b9b9e7df_story.html |url-access=limited}} He became the Republican front-runner in March 2016{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=March 23, 2016 |title=Why Donald Trump is poised to win the nomination and lose the general election, in one poll |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/23/why-donald-trump-is-poised-to-win-the-nomination-and-lose-the-general-election-in-one-poll/ |access-date=October 1, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} and was declared the presumptive Republican nominee in May.{{cite news |last=Ohlemacher |first=Stephen |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-north-dakota-campaign-2016-events-united-states-presidential-election-a382673514394788b45cfc109d0febe4 |title=Mister 1,237: North Dakota delegate puts Trump over the top |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=May 26, 2016 |access-date=January 28, 2025}} Trump described [NATO](/source/NATO) as "obsolete"{{cite news |first=Jenna |last=Johnson |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/04/12/trump-on-nato-i-said-it-was-obsolete-its-no-longer-obsolete/ |title=Trump on NATO: 'I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete.' |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=April 12, 2017 |access-date=November 26, 2019 |url-access=limited}}{{sfn|Edwards|2018|loc="On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 'obsolete'"}} and espoused views described by ''The Washington Post'' as [noninterventionist](/source/noninterventionist) and [protectionist](/source/protectionist).{{cite news |last1=Rucker |first1=Philip |author-link1=Philip Rucker |last2=Costa |first2=Robert |author-link2=Robert Costa (journalist) |date=March 21, 2016 |access-date=August 24, 2021 |title=Trump questions need for NATO, outlines noninterventionist foreign policy |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/21/donald-trump-reveals-foreign-policy-team-in-meeting-with-the-washington-post/ |url-access=limited}} His campaign platform emphasized renegotiating [U.S.–China relations](/source/U.S.%26ndash%3BChina_relations) and [free trade agreements](/source/free_trade_agreements) such as [NAFTA](/source/NAFTA) and strongly enforcing immigration laws. Other campaign positions included pursuing [energy independence](/source/energy_independence) while opposing climate change regulations, modernizing [services for veterans](/source/United_States_Department_of_Veterans_Affairs), repealing and replacing the [Affordable Care Act](/source/Affordable_Care_Act), abolishing [Common Core](/source/Common_Core) education standards, [investing in infrastructure](/source/infrastructure-based_development), simplifying the [tax code](/source/Internal_Revenue_Code) while reducing taxes, and imposing [tariff](/source/tariff)s on imports by companies that offshore jobs. He advocated increasing military spending and extreme vetting or banning of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37982000 |title=Trump's promises before and after the election |date=September 19, 2017 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}} He promised to build a [wall on the Mexico–U.S. border](/source/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_border_wall) and vowed that Mexico would pay for it.{{cite news |date=February 6, 2017 |title=Donald Trump's Mexico wall: Who is going to pay for it? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37243269 |access-date=December 9, 2017 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}} He pledged to deport millions of [illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.](/source/Undocumented_immigrant_population_of_the_United_States),{{cite news |date=August 19, 2015 |title=Donald Trump emphasizes plans to build 'real' wall at Mexico border |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/donald-trump-emphasizes-plans-to-build-real-wall-at-mexico-border-1.3196807 |access-date=September 29, 2015 |work=[CBC News](/source/CBC_News)}} and criticized [birthright citizenship](/source/Birthright_citizenship_in_the_United_States) for incentivizing "[anchor babies](/source/anchor_babies)".{{cite magazine |last=Oh |first=Inae |date=August 19, 2015 |title=Donald Trump: The 14th Amendment is Unconstitutional |url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/08/donald-trump-has-some-thoughts-about-the-constitution |access-date=November 22, 2015 |magazine=[Mother Jones](/source/Mother_Jones_(magazine))}} According to an analysis in ''[Political Science Quarterly](/source/Political_Science_Quarterly)'', Trump made "explicitly racist and sexist appeals to win over white voters" during his 2016 presidential campaign.{{sfn|Schaffner|Macwilliams|Nteta|2018|p=31}} In particular, his campaign launch speech drew criticism for claiming Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists";{{cite news |last=Wolf |first=Z. Byron |date=April 6, 2018 |title=Trump basically called Mexicans rapists again |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/06/politics/trump-mexico-rapists/ |access-date=June 28, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} in response, NBC fired him from ''Celebrity Apprentice''.{{cite news |date=August 13, 2015 |title=NBC officially fires Trump from 'Celebrity Apprentice' |url=https://apnews.com/article/cb81efbf341a40f6be98bb8c1933bcf4 |access-date=August 27, 2025 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} Trump's FEC-required reports listed assets above $1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $265 million.{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |author-link1=Jeremy Diamond |last2=Frates |first2=Chris |date=July 22, 2015 |title=Donald Trump's 92-page financial disclosure released |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/22/politics/donald-trump-personal-financial-disclosure/ |access-date=September 14, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}}{{cite report |publisher=[United States Office of Government Ethics](/source/United_States_Office_of_Government_Ethics) |via=[Bloomberg Businessweek](/source/Bloomberg_Businessweek) |date=July 15, 2015 |title=Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (U.S. OGE Form 278e) |url=https://images.businessweek.com/cms/2015-07-22/7-22-15-Report.pdf |archive-date=July 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723053945/https://images.businessweek.com/cms/2015-07-22/7-22-15-Report.pdf |access-date=December 21, 2023}} He did not release [his tax returns](/source/Tax_returns_of_Donald_Trump), contrary to the practice of every major candidate since 1976 and to promises he made in 2014 and 2015 to release them if he ran for office.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/11/donald-trump-breaks-with-recent-history-by-not-releasing-tax-returns/ |title=Donald Trump Breaks With Recent History by Not Releasing Tax Returns |last=Rappeport |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Rappeport |date=May 11, 2016 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=July 19, 2016 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Qiu |first=Linda |title=Pence's False claim that Trump 'hasn't broken' tax return promise |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/05/mike-pence/pences-false-claim-trump-hasnt-broken-tax-return-p/ |work=[PolitiFact](/source/PolitiFact) |date=October 5, 2016 |access-date=April 29, 2020}} He said his tax returns were being [audited](/source/Income_tax_audit), and that his lawyers had advised him against releasing them.{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/02/26/pf/taxes/trump-tax-returns-audit/ |title=Trump says he can't release tax returns because of audits |last1=Isidore |first1=Chris |last2=Sahadi |first2=Jeanne |date=February 26, 2016 |access-date=March 1, 2023 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250701174716/https://money.cnn.com/2016/02/26/pf/taxes/trump-tax-returns-audit/ |archive-date=July 1, 2025}} After a lengthy court battle to block release of his tax returns and other records to the [Manhattan district attorney](/source/Manhattan_district_attorney) for a criminal investigation, including two appeals by Trump to the [U.S. Supreme Court](/source/U.S._Supreme_Court), in February 2021 the high court allowed the records to be released to the prosecutor for review by a grand jury.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/politics/supreme-court-trump-taxes-vance/ |title=Supreme Court allows release of Trump tax returns to NY prosecutor |first=Ariane |last=de Vogue |date=February 22, 2021 |access-date=September 14, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}}{{cite news |first=Jessica |last=Gresko |url=https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-donald-trump-tax-rercords-3aee14146906351ee9dd34aa7b6f4386 |title=Supreme Court won't halt turnover of Trump's tax records |date=February 22, 2021 |access-date=October 2, 2021 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} In October 2016, portions of Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from ''The New York Times''. They show that he had declared a loss of $916 million that year, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html |title=Donald Trump Acknowledges Not Paying Federal Income Taxes for Years |last1=Eder |first1=Steve |last2=Twohey |first2=Megan |author-link2=Megan Twohey |date=October 10, 2016 |access-date=October 2, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Trump won the election with 304 [electoral votes](/source/Electoral_College_(United_States)) versus 227 for Democratic candidate [Hillary Clinton](/source/Hillary_Clinton).{{cite news |first1=Kiersten |last1=Schmidt |first2=Wilson |last2=Andrews |title=A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton |date=December 19, 2016 |access-date=January 31, 2017 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/19/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html |url-access=limited}} The fifth person to be elected president [despite losing the popular vote](/source/List_of_United_States_presidential_elections_in_which_the_winner_lost_the_popular_vote),{{efn|name=electoral-college|Presidential elections in the U.S. are decided by the [Electoral College](/source/United_States_Electoral_College). Each state names a number of electors equal to its representation in [Congress](/source/United_States_Congress) and (in most states) all electors vote for the winner of their state's popular vote.}} he received about 2.87 million fewer votes than Clinton, 46.1% to her 48.2%.{{cite web |title=FEDERAL ELECTIONS 2016 -- Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives |url=https://www.fec.gov/documents/1889/federalelections2016.pdf#page=10 |publisher=[Federal Election Commission](/source/Federal_Election_Commission) |date=December 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2020}} He was the only president who neither served in the military nor held any government office prior to becoming president.{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/11/13587532/donald-trump-no-experience |title=Donald Trump will be the only US president ever with no political or military experience |last=Crockett |first=Zachary |date=November 11, 2016 |work=[Vox](/source/Vox_(website)) |access-date=January 3, 2017}} His election marked the return of a Republican [undivided government](/source/Divided_government_in_the_United_States).{{efn|A Republican president combined with Republican control of both chambers of Congress}}{{cite news |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=October 2, 2021 |first=Amber |last=Phillips |title=Republicans are poised to grasp the holy grail of governance |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/09/republicans-are-about-to-reach-the-holy-grail-of-governance/ |url-access=limited}} Trump's victory [sparked protests](/source/Protests_against_Donald_Trump) in major U.S. cities.{{cite news |last1=Blau |first1=Max |last2=McKirdy |first2=Euan |last3=Yan |first3=Holly |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/11/10/politics/election-results-reaction-streets/ |title=Protesters target Trump buildings in massive street rallies |date=November 11, 2016 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |access-date=December 15, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Mele |first1=Christopher |last2=Correal |first2=Annie |title='Not Our President': Protests Spread After Donald Trump's Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/us/trump-election-protests.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=May 10, 2024 |url-access=limited}} == First presidency (2017–2021) == {{main|First presidency of Donald Trump}} {{for timeline|Timeline of the Donald Trump presidencies#First presidency (2017–2021)}} [[File:Donald Trump swearing in ceremony.jpg|thumb|alt=Trump, with his family watching, raises his right hand and places his left hand on the Bible as he takes the oath of office. Roberts stands opposite him administering the oath|Taking the [presidential oath of office](/source/Oath_of_office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States), administered by Chief Justice [John Roberts](/source/John_Roberts), on January 20, 2017]] Trump [was inaugurated](/source/First_inauguration_of_Donald_Trump) on January 20, 2017. The day after his inauguration, an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide, including 500,000 in Washington, D.C., protested against him in the [Women's Marches](/source/2017_Women's_March).{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/21/womens-march-aims-start-movement-trump-inauguration/96864158/ |title=At 2.6 million strong, Women's Marches crush expectations |last1=Przybyla |first1=Heidi M. |last2=Schouten |first2=Fredreka |date=January 21, 2017 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |access-date=January 22, 2017}} During his first two weeks in office, Trump signed [eighteen executive orders](/source/List_of_executive_orders_in_the_first_Trump_presidency), including authorizing procedures for repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, advancement of the [Keystone XL](/source/Keystone_Pipeline) and [Dakota Access Pipeline](/source/Dakota_Access_Pipeline) projects, and planning for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.{{cite news |last=Quigley |first=Aidan |title=All of Trump's executive actions so far |url=https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/01/all-trump-executive-actions-000288/ |access-date=January 28, 2017 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |date=January 25, 2017}} === Conflicts of interest === {{see also|First presidency of Donald Trump#Ethics}} Trump continued to profit from his businesses during his first presidency and knew how his administration's policies affected them.{{cite news |date=April 18, 2017 |title=Donald Trump: A list of potential conflicts of interest |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38069298 |access-date=October 2, 2021 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}}{{cite news |last=Venook |first=Jeremy |title=Trump's Interests vs. America's, Dubai Edition |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/08/donald-trump-conflicts-of-interests/508382/ |work=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic) |date=August 9, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2021}} Although he said he would eschew "new foreign deals", the Trump Organization pursued operational expansions in Scotland, Dubai, and the Dominican Republic. Lobbyists, foreign government officials, and Trump donors and allies generated hundreds of millions of dollars for his resorts and hotels.{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Peter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/19/donald-trump-businesses-hotels-conflict-of-interest |title=How Trump's businesses are booming with lobbyists, donors and governments |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |date=July 19, 2019 |access-date=November 20, 2024}} === Domestic policy === {{main|Domestic policy of the first Trump administration|Economic policy of the first Trump administration|Environmental policy of the first Trump administration|Social policy of the first Trump administration}} Trump took office at the height of the longest [economic expansion](/source/economic_expansion) in American history,{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Van Dam |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/08/trump-jobs-record/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |title=Trump will have the worst jobs record in modern U.S. history. It's not just the pandemic. |date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=October 2, 2021 |url-access=limited}} which began in 2009 and continued until February 2020, when the [COVID-19 recession](/source/COVID-19_recession) began.{{cite news |last=Smialek |first=Jeanna |date=June 8, 2020 |title=The U.S. Entered a Recession in February |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/business/economy/us-economy-recession-2020.html |access-date=June 10, 2020 |url-access=limited}} In December 2017, he signed the [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017](/source/Tax_Cuts_and_Jobs_Act_of_2017), which reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals and eliminated the penalty associated with the [Affordable Care Act](/source/Affordable_Care_Act)'s individual mandate.{{cite news |last=Long |first=Heather |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/15/the-final-gop-tax-bill-is-complete-heres-what-is-in-it/ |title=The final GOP tax bill is complete. Here's what is in it. |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=December 15, 2017 |access-date=July 31, 2021 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/15/us/politics/final-republican-tax-bill-cuts.html |title=What's in the Final Republican Tax Bill |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |first1=Wilson |last1=Andrews |first2=Alicia |last2=Parlapiano |date=December 15, 2017 |access-date=December 22, 2017 |url-access=limited}} Under Trump, the federal budget deficit increased by almost 50 percent, to nearly $1 trillion in 2019.{{cite news |last1=Long |first1=Heather |last2=Stein |first2=Jeff |author-link2=Jeff Stein (author) |title=The U.S. deficit hit $984 billion in 2019, soaring during Trump era |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/25/us-deficit-hit-billion-marking-nearly-percent-increase-during-trump-era/ |access-date=June 10, 2020 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=October 25, 2019 |url-access=limited}} By the end of his term, the [U.S. national debt](/source/U.S._national_debt) increased by 39 percent, reaching $27.75 trillion, and the U.S. [debt-to-GDP ratio](/source/debt-to-GDP_ratio) hit a post-World War II high.{{cite news |first1=Allan |last1=Sloan |first2=Cezary |last2=Podkul |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump |work=[ProPublica](/source/ProPublica) |title=Donald Trump Built a National Debt So Big (Even Before the Pandemic) That It'll Weigh Down the Economy for Years |date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=October 3, 2021}} Trump rejects the [scientific consensus on climate change](/source/scientific_consensus_on_climate_change). * {{cite news |first1=Ashley |last1=Parker |author-link1=Ashley Parker |first2=Coral |last2=Davenport |title=Donald Trump's Energy Plan: More Fossil Fuels and Fewer Rules |date=May 26, 2016 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/us/politics/donald-trump-global-warming-energy-policy.html |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |first=Jason |last=Samenow |author-link=Jason Samenow |title=Donald Trump's unsettling nonsense on weather and climate |date=March 22, 2016 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/03/22/donald-trumps-unsettling-nonsense-on-weather-and-climate |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last1=Lemire |first1=Jonathan |author-link1=Jonathan Lemire |last2=Madhani |first2=Aamer |last3=Weissert |first3=Will |last4=Knickmeyer |first4=Ellen |date=September 15, 2020 |title=Trump spurns science on climate: 'Don't think science knows' |url=https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-elections-joe-biden-campaigns-bd152cd786b58e45c61bebf2457f9930 |access-date=May 11, 2024 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} * {{cite news |last1=Plumer |first1=Brad |last2=Davenport |first2=Coral |date=December 28, 2019 |title=Science Under Attack: How Trump Is Sidelining Researchers and Their Work |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/climate/trump-administration-war-on-science.html |access-date=May 11, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He reduced the budget for [renewable energy](/source/Renewable_energy_in_the_United_States) research by 40 percent and reversed Obama-era policies directed at curbing [climate change](/source/climate_change).{{cite news |title=Trump proposes cuts to climate and clean-energy programs |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment |date=May 3, 2019 |work=[National Geographic Society](/source/National_Geographic_Society) |access-date=November 24, 2023}} He [withdrew from the Paris Agreement](/source/United_States_and_the_Paris_Agreement), making the U.S. the only nation to not ratify it.{{cite news |last=Dennis |first=Brady |title=As Syria embraces Paris climate deal, it's the United States against the world |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/11/07/as-syria-embraces-paris-climate-deal-its-the-united-states-against-the-world |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=November 7, 2017 |access-date=May 28, 2018 |url-access=limited}} Trump aimed and aims to boost the production and exports of [fossil fuel](/source/fossil_fuel)s.{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Timothy |title=Senate confirms Brouillette, former Ford lobbyist, as energy secretary |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-brouillette/senate-confirms-brouillette-former-ford-lobbyist-as-energy-secretary-idUSKBN1Y62E6 |access-date=December 15, 2019 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=December 3, 2019 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/mt-state-wire-climate-ap-top-news-climate-change-ca-state-wire-2b44ced0e892d7e988e40a486d875b5d |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |title=Trump's fossil fuel agenda gets pushback from federal judges |first=Matthew |last=Brown |date=September 15, 2020 |access-date=October 3, 2021}} [Natural gas](/source/Natural_gas) expanded under Trump, but [coal continued to decline](/source/Coal_mining_in_the_United_States).{{cite news |last=Lipton |first=Eric |author-link=Eric Lipton |date=October 5, 2020 |title='The Coal Industry Is Back,' Trump Proclaimed. It Wasn't. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/us/politics/trump-coal-industry.html |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |first=Tara |last=Subramaniam |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/politics/trump-broken-promises/ |title=From building the wall to bringing back coal: Some of Trump's more notable broken promises |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=January 30, 2021 |access-date=October 3, 2021}} He [rolled back](/source/Rollback) more than 100 federal environmental regulations, including those that curbed [greenhouse gas emissions](/source/greenhouse_gas_emissions), air and [water pollution](/source/water_pollution), and the use of toxic substances. He weakened protections for animals and [environmental standards](/source/Environmental_standard) for federal infrastructure projects, and expanded permitted areas for drilling and [resource extraction](/source/resource_extraction), such as allowing [drilling in the Arctic Refuge](/source/Arctic_Refuge_drilling_controversy).{{cite news |last1=Popovich |first1=Nadja |last2=Albeck-Ripka |first2=Livia |last3=Pierre-Louis |first3=Kendra |author-link3=Kendra Pierre-Louis |title=The Trump Administration Rolled Back More Than 100 Environmental Rules. Here's the Full List. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=January 20, 2021 |access-date=December 21, 2023 |url-access=limited}} Trump dismantled federal regulations on health,{{cite news |last=Thompson |first=Frank W. |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/10/09/six-ways-trump-has-sabotaged-the-affordable-care-act/ |title=Six ways Trump has sabotaged the Affordable Care Act |work=[Brookings Institution](/source/Brookings_Institution) |date=October 9, 2020 |access-date=January 3, 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Arnsdorf |first1=Isaac |last2=DePillis |first2=Lydia |last3=Lind |first3=Dara |last4=Song |first4=Lisa |last5=Syed |first5=Moiz |last6=Osei |first6=Zipporah |url=https://projects.propublica.org/trump-midnight-regulations/ |title=Tracking the Trump Administration's "Midnight Regulations" |work=[ProPublica](/source/ProPublica) |date=November 25, 2020 |access-date=January 3, 2022}} labor, the environment,{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Cayli |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/12/15/the-trump-administrations-major-environmental-deregulations/ |date=December 15, 2020 |access-date=January 29, 2022 |title=The Trump administration's major environmental deregulations |work=[Brookings Institution](/source/Brookings_Institution)}} and other areas, including a bill that revoked the Obama-era regulation restricting the sale of firearms to severely mentally ill people.{{cite news |last=Siemaszko |first=Corky |title=Trump made it easier for the mentally ill to get guns when he rolled back Obama regulation |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/president-trump-made-it-easier-mentally-ill-get-guns-when-n1039301 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |date=August 6, 2017 |access-date=August 21, 2025}} During his first six weeks in office, he delayed, suspended, or reversed ninety federal regulations,{{cite news |last1=Lipton |first1=Eric |author-link1=Eric Lipton |last2=Appelbaum |first2=Binyamin |author-link2=Binyamin Appelbaum |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/trump-deregulation-guns-wall-st-climate.html |title=Leashes Come Off Wall Street, Gun Sellers, Polluters and More |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=March 5, 2017 |access-date=January 29, 2022 |url-access=limited}} often "after requests by the regulated industries".{{cite news |title=Trump-Era Trend: Industries Protest. Regulations Rolled Back. A Dozen Examples |url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3480299-10-Examples-Industries-Push-Followed-by-Trump.html#document/p60/a341284 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |via=[DocumentCloud](/source/DocumentCloud) |access-date=January 29, 2022 |date=March 5, 2017}} Trump vowed to repeal and replace the [Affordable Care Act](/source/Affordable_Care_Act).{{cite news |last=Kodjak |first=Alison |author-link=Alison Kodjak |title=Trump Can Kill Obamacare With Or Without Help From Congress |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/09/501203831/trump-can-kill-obamacare-with-or-without-help-from-congress |access-date=January 12, 2017 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=November 9, 2016}} He scaled back the act's implementation through executive orders.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/us/politics/trump-executive-order-obamacare.html |title=Trump Issues Executive Order Scaling Back Parts of Obamacare |last1=Davis |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |author-link1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |last2=Pear |first2=Robert |author-link2=Robert Pear |date=January 20, 2017 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=January 23, 2017 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/10/12/news/economy/trump-health-care-executive-order/index.html |title=What's in Trump's health care executive order? |first=Tami |last=Luhby |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=October 13, 2017 |access-date=October 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250701174806/https://money.cnn.com/2017/10/12/news/economy/trump-health-care-executive-order/index.html |archive-date=July 1, 2025}} He expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail"; his administration halved the [enrollment period](/source/Annual_enrollment) and drastically reduced funding for enrollment promotion.{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/18/trump-tweet-obamacare-repeal-failure-240664 |title=Trump says he plans to 'let Obamacare fail' |last=Nelson |first=Louis |date=July 18, 2017 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |access-date=September 29, 2017}}{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/trump-obamacare-sabotage-enrollment-cuts_us_59a87bffe4b0b5e530fd5751 |title=Trump Ramps Up Obamacare Sabotage With Huge Cuts To Enrollment Programs |last=Young |first=Jeffrey |date=August 31, 2017 |work=[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost) |access-date=September 29, 2017}} In response to the [opioid epidemic](/source/opioid_epidemic_in_the_United_States), Trump signed legislation in 2018 to increase funding for drug treatments, but was widely criticized for failing to make a concrete strategy.{{cite news |last=Mann |first=Brian |date=October 29, 2020 |title=Opioid Crisis: Critics Say Trump Fumbled Response To Another Deadly Epidemic |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/29/927859091/opioid-crisis-critics-say-trump-fumbled-response-to-another-deadly-epidemic |access-date=December 13, 2020}} He barred organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from receiving federal funds.{{cite news |title=Abortion: How do Trump and Biden's policies compare? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54003808 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News) |access-date=July 17, 2023 |date=September 9, 2020}} His administration rolled back key components of the Obama administration's workplace protections against [discrimination of LGBTQ people](/source/Discrimination_against_LGBT_people).{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-advocates-say-trump-s-news-executive-order-makes-them-n740301 |title=LGBTQ Advocates Say Trump's New Executive Order Makes Them Vulnerable to Discrimination |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |first=Mary Emily |last=O'Hara |date=March 30, 2017 |access-date=July 30, 2017}} His attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections for [transgender](/source/transgender) patients in August 2020 was halted by a federal judge after a Supreme Court ruling extended employees' civil rights protections to [gender identity](/source/gender_identity) and sexual orientation.{{cite news |last=Luthi |first=Susannah |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/17/judge-trump-rollback-transgender-health-397332 |title=Judge halts Trump's rollback of transgender health protections |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |date=August 17, 2020 |access-date=November 8, 2023}} His administration [took an anti-marijuana position](/source/Cannabis_policy_of_the_Donald_Trump_administration), revoking [Obama-era policies](/source/Cole_Memorandum) that provided protections for states that legalized marijuana.{{cite news |last=Bures |first=Brendan |date=February 21, 2020 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |title=Trump administration doubles down on anti-marijuana position |work=[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune) |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/sns-tft-trump-anti-marijuana-stance-20200221-jfdx4urbb5bhrf6ldtfpxleopi-story.html}} Trump is a long-time advocate of capital punishment,{{cite news |last=Wolf |first=Zachary B. |title=Trump returns to the death penalty as Democrats turn against it |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/27/politics/death-penalty-trump-democrats/ |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |access-date=September 18, 2022 |date=July 27, 2019}}{{cite news |last=Honderich |first=Holly |title=In Trump's final days, a rush of federal executions |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55236260 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News) |date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=September 18, 2022}} and his administration oversaw the [federal government execute](/source/Capital_punishment_by_the_United_States_federal_government) 13 prisoners, more than in the previous 56 years combined, ending a 17-year moratorium.{{cite news |first1=Michael |last1=Tarm |first2=Michael |last2=Kunzelman |title=Trump administration carries out 13th and final execution |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wildlife-coronavirus-pandemic-crime-terre-haute-28e44cc5c026dc16472751bbde0ead50 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=January 15, 2021 |access-date=January 30, 2022}} === Pardons and commutations === {{further|List of people granted executive clemency in the first Trump presidency}} During his first term, Trump granted 237 requests for clemency, fewer than all presidents since 1900 with the exception of [George H. W. Bush](/source/George_H._W._Bush) and [George W. Bush](/source/George_W._Bush).{{cite web |last=Gramlich |first=John |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/01/22/trump-used-his-clemency-power-sparingly-despite-a-raft-of-late-pardons-and-commutations/ |title=Trump used his clemency power sparingly despite a raft of late pardons and commutations |publisher=[Pew Research Center](/source/Pew_Research_Center) |date=January 22, 2021 |access-date=July 23, 2023}} Only 25 of them had been vetted by the Justice Department's [Office of the Pardon Attorney](/source/Office_of_the_Pardon_Attorney); the others were granted to people with personal or political connections to him, his family, and his allies, or recommended by celebrities.{{cite news |last=Vogel |first=Kenneth P. |author-link=Kenneth P. Vogel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/us/politics/trump-pardons.html |title=The Road to Clemency From Trump Was Closed to Most Who Sought It |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=March 21, 2021 |access-date=July 23, 2023 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pardon-power-russia-probe-mueller/2020/12/24/c55000c8-45fd-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html |date=December 24, 2020 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |title=Trump wields pardon power as political weapon, rewarding loyalists and undermining prosecutors |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |first1=Toluse |last1=Olorunnipa |author-link1=Toluse Olorunnipa |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |author-link2=Josh Dawsey |url-access=limited}} In his last full day in office, he granted 73 pardons and commuted 70 sentences.{{cite news |first1=Kevin |last1=Johnson |first2=David |last2=Jackson |first3=Dennis |last3=Wagner |url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/19/donald-trump-pardons-steve-bannon-white-house/4209763001/ |title=Donald Trump grants clemency to 144 people (not himself or family members) in final hours |date=January 19, 2021 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |access-date=July 23, 2023}} The pardons of three military service members convicted of or charged with violent crimes were opposed by military leaders.{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Dave |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/us/trump-pardons.html |title=Trump Clears Three Service Members in War Crimes Cases |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=November 22, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2024 |url-access=limited}} === Immigration === {{main|Immigration policy of the first Trump administration}} {{further|Mexico–United States border crisis#First Trump administration (2017–2021)}} [[File:Texas Photo 1.jpg|thumb|Children, sleeping mats, and foil blankets in wire mesh compartment, [Ursula detention facility](/source/Ursula_detention_facility), June 2018]] As president, Trump described illegal immigration as an "invasion" of the United States{{cite news |last=Fritze |first=John |date=August 8, 2019 |title=A USA Today analysis found Trump used words like 'invasion' and 'killer' at rallies more than 500 times since 2017 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/08/08/trump-immigrants-rhetoric-criticized-el-paso-dayton-shootings/1936742001/ |access-date=August 9, 2019 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)}} and drastically escalated immigration enforcement.{{sfn|Johnson|2017a}}{{sfn|Johnson|Cuison-Villazor|2019}} He implemented harsh policies against asylum seekers{{sfn|Johnson|Cuison-Villazor|2019}} and [deployed nearly 6,000 troops](/source/Operation_Faithful_Patriot) to the [U.S.–Mexico border](/source/U.S.%26ndash%3BMexico_border) to stop illegal crossings.{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Ellen |date=January 29, 2019 |title=Pentagon to send a 'few thousand' more troops to southern border |url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/427519-pentagon-to-send-a-few-thousand-more-troops-to-southern-border |access-date=June 4, 2020 |work=[The Hill](/source/The_Hill_(newspaper))}} He reduced the number of [refugees admitted](/source/United_States_Refugee_Admissions_Program) to record lows, from an annual limit of 110,000 before he took office to 15,000 in 2021.{{cite news |last1=Kanno-Youngs |first1=Zolan |author-link1=Zolan Kanno-Youngs |last2=Shear |first2=Michael D. |author-link2=Michael D. Shear |date=October 1, 2020 |title=Trump Virtually Cuts Off Refugees as He Unleashes a Tirade on Immigrants |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/us/politics/trump-refugees.html |access-date=September 30, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |date=November 4, 2019 |title=Donald Trump has cut refugee admissions to America to a record low |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/11/04/donald-trump-has-cut-refugee-admissions-to-america-to-a-record-low |access-date=June 25, 2020 |newspaper=[The Economist](/source/The_Economist)}}{{cite news |last=Hesson |first=Ted |date=October 11, 2019 |title=Trump ending U.S. role as worldwide leader on refugees |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/11/trump-refugee-decrease-immigration-044186 |access-date=June 25, 2020 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}} Trump also increased restrictions on granting [permanent residency](/source/Permanent_residency_in_the_United_States) to [immigrants needing public benefits](/source/Public_charge_rule).{{cite news |last=Snow |first=Anita |date=February 25, 2020 |title=Crackdown on immigrants who use public benefits takes effect |url=https://apnews.com/article/e069e5a84057752a8535b1abe5d2ba6d |access-date=June 4, 2020 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} One of his central campaign promises was to build a [wall along the U.S.–Mexico border](/source/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_border_wall);{{cite news |last=Timm |first=Jane C. |date=January 13, 2021 |title=Fact check: Mexico never paid for it. But what about Trump's other border wall promises? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-mexico-never-paid-it-what-about-trump-s-n1253983 |access-date=December 21, 2021 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}} during his first term, the U.S. built {{convert|73|mi|km}} of wall in areas without barriers and {{convert|365|mi|km}} to replace older barriers.{{cite news |last=Farley |first=Robert |date=February 16, 2021 |title=Trump's Border Wall: Where Does It Stand? |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/12/trumps-border-wall-where-does-it-stand/ |access-date=December 21, 2021 |work=[FactCheck.org](/source/FactCheck.org)}} In 2018, Trump's refusal to sign any [spending bill](/source/spending_bill) unless it allocated funding for the border wall{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |author-link1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |last2=Tackett |first2=Michael |author-link2=Michael Tackett |date=January 2, 2019 |title=Trump and Democrats Dig in After Talks to Reopen Government Go Nowhere |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/us/politics/trump-congress-shutdown.html |access-date=January 3, 2019 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} resulted in [the longest-ever federal government shutdown](/source/2018%E2%80%932019_United_States_federal_government_shutdown), for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019.{{cite news |last1=Gambino |first1=Lauren |last2=Walters |first2=Joanna |date=January 26, 2019 |title=Trump signs bill to end $6bn shutdown and temporarily reopen government |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/25/shutdown-latest-news-trump-reopens-government-deal-democrats |access-date=May 31, 2020 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}}{{cite news |last=Pramuk |first=Jacob |date=January 25, 2019 |title=Trump signs bill to temporarily reopen government after longest shutdown in history |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/25/senate-votes-to-reopen-government-and-end-shutdown-without-border-wall.html |access-date=May 31, 2020 |work=[CNBC](/source/CNBC)}} The shutdown ended after he agreed to fund the government without any funds for the wall. To avoid another shutdown, Congress passed a funding bill with $1.4 billion for border fencing in February.{{cite news |last1=Pramuk |first1=Jacob |last2=Wilkie |first2=Christina |date=February 15, 2019 |title=Trump declares national emergency to build border wall, setting up massive legal fight |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/15/trump-national-emergency-declaration-border-wall-spending-bill.html |access-date=May 31, 2020 |work=[CNBC](/source/CNBC)}} Trump later declared a [national emergency on the southern border](/source/National_Emergency_Concerning_the_Southern_Border_of_the_United_States) to divert $6.1 billion of funding to the border wall despite congressional disagreement.{{cite news |last=Carney |first=Jordain |date=October 17, 2019 |title=Senate fails to override Trump veto over emergency declaration |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/466313-senate-fails-to-override-trumps-emergency-declaration-veto |access-date=May 31, 2020 |work=[The Hill](/source/The_Hill_(newspaper))}} In January 2017, Trump signed [an executive order](/source/Executive_Order_13769) that [denied entry to citizens from six Muslim-majority countries](/source/Trump_travel_ban) for four months and from Syria indefinitely.{{cite news |last1=Walters |first1=Joanna |last2=Helmore |first2=Edward |last3=Dehghan |first3=Saeed Kamali |author-link3=Saeed Kamali Dehghan |date=January 28, 2017 |title=US airports on frontline as Donald Trump's travel ban causes chaos and protests |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/28/airports-us-immigration-ban-muslim-countries-trump |access-date=July 19, 2017 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}}{{cite news |date=January 28, 2017 |title=Protests erupt at airports nationwide over immigration action |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/protests-airports-immigration-action-president-trump/ |access-date=March 22, 2021 |work=[CBS News](/source/CBS_News)}} The order caused [many protests](/source/Protests_against_Executive_Order_13769) and [legal challenges](/source/Legal_challenges_to_the_Trump_travel_ban) that resulted in [nationwide injunction](/source/nationwide_injunction)s.{{cite news |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Frosch |first2=Dan |date=February 4, 2017 |title=Federal Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Order on Immigration, Refugees |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/legal-feud-over-trump-immigration-order-turns-to-visa-revocations-1486153216 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal) |url-access=subscription}} [A revised order](/source/Executive_Order_13780) giving some exceptions was also blocked by courts,{{cite news |last1=Levine |first1=Dan |last2=Rosenberg |first2=Mica |date=March 15, 2017 |title=Hawaii judge halts Trump's new travel ban before it can go into effect |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-court-idUSKBN16M17N |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |date=March 6, 2017 |title=Trump signs new travel ban directive |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39183153 |access-date=March 18, 2017 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}} but [the Supreme Court ruled in June](/source/International_Refugee_Assistance_Project_v._Trump) that the ban could be enforced on those lacking "a ''bona fide'' relationship with a person or entity" in the U.S.{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/9c78ee01f1ab45ffba852974fb229487 |title=Trump travel ban partly reinstated; fall court arguments set |first=Mark |last=Sherman |date=June 27, 2017 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |access-date=March 6, 2026}} Trump replaced the ban in September with [a presidential proclamation](/source/Presidential_Proclamation_9645) extending travel bans to North Koreans, Chadians, and some Venezuelan officials, but excluded Iraq and Sudan.{{cite news |last=Laughland |first=Oliver |date=September 25, 2017 |title=Trump travel ban extended to blocks on North Korea, Venezuela and Chad |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/25/trump-travel-ban-extended-to-blocks-on-north-korea-and-venezuela |access-date=October 13, 2017 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} The Supreme Court allowed that version to go into effect in December 2017,{{cite news |last=Hurley |first=Lawrence |date=December 4, 2017 |title=Supreme Court lets Trump's latest travel ban go into full effect |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-immigration/supreme-court-lets-trumps-latest-travel-ban-go-into-full-effect-idUSKBN1DY2NY |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} and ultimately upheld the ban in 2019.{{cite news |last1=Wagner |first1=Meg |last2=Ries |first2=Brian |last3=Rocha |first3=Veronica |date=June 26, 2018 |title=Supreme Court upholds travel ban |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/supreme-court-travel-ban/ |access-date=June 26, 2018 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} From 2017 to 2018, the Trump administration had [a policy of family separation](/source/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy) that separated over 4,400 children, some as young as four months old,{{cite news |last=Vasquez |first=Tina |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/jan/17/trump-policy-family-separation-future |title=Trump's border policy tore apart many families. Nobody knows what happens to them now |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |date=January 17, 2025 |access-date=November 26, 2025}} from migrant parents at the U.S.–Mexico border.{{cite news |last=Pearle |first=Lauren |date=February 5, 2019 |title=Trump administration admits thousands more migrant families may have been separated than estimated |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-administration-unsure-thousands-migrant-families-separated-originally/story?id=60797633 |access-date=May 30, 2020 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States))}}{{cite news |last=Spagat |first=Elliot |date=October 25, 2019 |title=Tally of children split at border tops 5,400 in new count |url=https://apnews.com/article/c654e652a4674cf19304a4a4ff599feb |access-date=May 30, 2020 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} The unprecedented{{cite news |last1=Domonoske |first1=Camila |last2=Gonzales |first2=Richard |date=June 19, 2018 |title=What We Know: Family Separation And 'Zero Tolerance' At The Border |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/621065383/what-we-know-family-separation-and-zero-tolerance-at-the-border |access-date=May 30, 2020 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} policy sparked public outrage in the country.{{cite news |last=Epstein |first=Jennifer |date=June 18, 2018 |title=Donald Trump's family separations bedevil GOP as public outrage grows |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/donald-trump-s-family-separations-bedevil-gop-as-public-outrage-grows-20180618-p4zm9h.html |access-date=May 30, 2020 |work=[Bloomberg News](/source/Bloomberg_News) |via=[The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald)}} Despite Trump initially blaming Democrats{{cite news |last=Sarlin |first=Benjy |date=June 15, 2018 |title=Despite claims, GOP immigration bill would not end family separation, experts say |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/despite-claims-gop-immigration-bill-would-not-end-family-separation-n883701 |access-date=June 18, 2018 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}}{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |author-link1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |last2=Nixon |first2=Ron |author-link2=Ron Nixon |date=May 29, 2018 |title=Trump Officials, Moving to Break Up Migrant Families, Blame Democrats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/us/politics/trump-democrats-immigrant-families.html |access-date=December 29, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} and insisting he could not stop the policy with an executive order, he acceded to public pressure in June 2018 and mandated that illegal immigrant families be detained together unless "there is a concern" of risk for the child.{{cite magazine |last=Beckwith |first=Ryan Teague |date=June 20, 2018 |title=Here's What President Trump's Immigration Order Actually Does |url=https://time.com/5317703/trump-family-separation-policy-executive-order/ |access-date=May 30, 2020 |magazine=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))}}{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |author-link1=Michael D. Shear |last2=Goodnough |first2=Abby |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |author-link3=Maggie Haberman |date=June 20, 2018 |title=Trump Retreats on Separating Families, but Thousands May Remain Apart |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-immigration-children-executive-order.html |access-date=June 20, 2018 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} A judge later ordered that the families be reunited and further separations stopped except in limited circumstances,{{cite news |last=Hansler |first=Jennifer |date=June 27, 2018 |title=Judge says government does a better job of tracking 'personal property' than separated kids |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/27/politics/family-separation-federal-judge-personal-property-comment/ |access-date=May 30, 2020 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}}{{cite news |last=Walters |first=Joanna |date=June 27, 2018 |title=Judge orders US to reunite families separated at border within 30 days |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/27/us-immigration-must-reunite-families-separated-at-border-federal-judge-rules |access-date=May 30, 2020 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} though over 1,000 additional children were separated from their families after the order. By April 2024, 1,360 children had not been confirmed as reunified with their families. === Foreign policy === {{main|Foreign policy of the first Trump administration|Tariffs in the first Trump administration}} {{further|Russia–United States relations#First Trump administration (2017–2021)|China–United States relations#First Trump administration (2017–2021)|2017–2018 North Korea crisis|2018–19 Korean peace process}} [[File:-G7Biarritz (48616362963).jpg|thumb|alt=A group of seven men and one woman, sitting at a round conference table. Trump wears a dark blue suit, white dress shirt, and light blue necktie. A small sign reading "G7 France Biarritz 2019" hangs on the wall behind them.|[G7](/source/Group_of_Seven) leaders at the [45th summit](/source/45th_G7_summit) in France, 2019]] Trump describes himself as a "nationalist"{{cite news |first=William |last=Cummings |title='I am a nationalist': Trump's embrace of controversial label sparks uproar |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/24/trump-says-hes-nationalist-what-means-why-its-controversial/1748521002/ |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |date=October 24, 2018 |access-date=August 24, 2021}} and his foreign policy as "[America First](/source/America_First)".{{cite news |first=Katrin |last=Bennhold |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/world/europe/germany-troop-withdrawal-america.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |title=Has 'America First' Become 'Trump First'? Germans Wonder |date=June 6, 2020 |access-date=August 24, 2021 |url-access=limited}} He supported [populist](/source/populist), [neo-nationalist](/source/neo-nationalist), and authoritarian governments.{{cite news |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2018/10/can-us-democracy-policy-survive-trump?lang=en |title=Can U.S. Democracy Policy Survive Trump? |last1=Carothers |first1=Thomas |author-link1=Thomas Carothers |last2=Brown |first2=Frances Z. |date=October 1, 2018 |website=[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace](/source/Carnegie_Endowment_for_International_Peace) |access-date=October 19, 2019}} Unpredictability, uncertainty, and inconsistency characterized foreign relations during his tenure.{{sfn|McGurk|2020}} Relations between the U.S. and its European allies were strained under Trump.{{cite news |first=Ana |last=Swanson |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/business/economy/trump-european-union-trade.html |title=Trump Administration Escalates Tensions With Europe as Crisis Looms |date=March 12, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He criticized [NATO allies](/source/Member_states_of_NATO) and privately suggested that the U.S. should [withdraw from NATO](/source/Withdrawal_from_NATO).{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist) |date=May 26, 2017 |access-date=October 4, 2021 |title=Trump Says NATO Allies Don't Pay Their Share. Is That True? |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/world/europe/nato-trump-spending.html}}{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Julian E. |last2=Cooper |first2=Helene |author-link2=Helene Cooper |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/nato-president-trump.html |title=Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=January 14, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2021 |url-access=limited}} Trump supported many of the policies of Israeli prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu](/source/Benjamin_Netanyahu).{{cite news |last=Sommer |first=Allison Kaplan |date=July 25, 2019 |title=How Trump and Netanyahu Became Each Other's Most Effective Political Weapon |work=[Haaretz](/source/Haaretz) |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2019-07-25/ty-article/.premium/how-trump-and-netanyahu-became-each-others-most-effective-political-weapon/0000017f-f22d-d497-a1ff-f2ad5c310000 |access-date=August 2, 2019}} In 2020, Trump hosted the signing of the [Abraham Accords](/source/Abraham_Accords) between Israel and the [United Arab Emirates](/source/United_Arab_Emirates) and [Bahrain](/source/Bahrain) to normalize their foreign relations.{{cite news |last=Crowley |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Crowley (journalist) |date=September 15, 2020 |title=Israel, U.A.E. and Bahrain Sign Accords, With an Eager Trump Playing Host |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/us/politics/trump-israel-peace-emirates-bahrain.html |access-date=February 9, 2024 |url-access=limited}} [[File:President Trump & the First Lady's Trip to Europe (42547210635).jpg|thumb|Shaking hands with Russian president Vladimir Putin during the [2018 summit](/source/2018_Russia%E2%80%93United_States_Summit) in [Helsinki](/source/Helsinki), Finland]] Trump began [a trade war with China](/source/China%E2%80%93United_States_trade_war) in 2018 after imposing tariffs and other trade barriers he said would force China to end longstanding unfair trade practice and [intellectual property infringement](/source/Allegations_of_intellectual_property_infringement_by_China).{{cite news |last=Swanson |first=Ana |date=July 5, 2018 |title=Trump's Trade War With China Is Officially Underway |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/05/business/china-us-trade-war-trump-tariffs.html |access-date=May 26, 2019 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Trump weakened the toughest U.S. sanctions imposed after the [2014 Russian annexation of Crimea](/source/2014_Russian_annexation_of_Crimea).{{cite news |last=Zengerle |first=Patricia |date=January 16, 2019 |title=Bid to keep U.S. sanctions on Russia's Rusal fails in Senate |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-sanctions/bid-to-keep-u-s-sanctions-on-russias-rusal-fails-in-senate-idUSKCN1PA2JB |access-date=October 5, 2021 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Whalen |first=Jeanne |date=January 15, 2019 |title=In rare rebuke of Trump administration, some GOP lawmakers advance measure to oppose lifting Russian sanctions |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/01/16/rare-rebuke-trump-administration-some-gop-lawmakers-advance-measure-oppose-lifting-russian-sanctions/ |access-date=October 5, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} Trump praised and, according to some critics, rarely criticized Russian president [Vladimir Putin](/source/Vladimir_Putin),{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist) |date=August 10, 2017 |title=Trump Praises Putin Instead of Critiquing Cuts to U.S. Embassy Staff |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/world/europe/putin-trump-embassy-russia.html |access-date=June 7, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Nussbaum |first=Matthew |date=April 8, 2018 |title=Trump blames Putin for backing 'Animal Assad' |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/08/trump-putin-syria-attack-508223 |access-date=October 5, 2021 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}} though he opposed some actions of Russia's government.{{cite news |date=December 21, 2019 |title=Nord Stream 2: Trump approves sanctions on Russia gas pipeline |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50875935 |access-date=October 5, 2021 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}} He withdrew the U.S. from the [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty](/source/Intermediate-Range_Nuclear_Forces_Treaty), citing alleged Russian noncompliance,{{cite news |last=Bugos |first=Shannon |date=September 2019 |title=U.S. Completes INF Treaty Withdrawal |url=https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-09/news/us-completes-inf-treaty-withdrawal |access-date=October 5, 2021 |website=[Arms Control Association](/source/Arms_Control_Association)}} and supported Russia's possible return to the [G7](/source/G7).{{cite news |last=Panetta |first=Grace |date=June 14, 2018 |title=Trump reportedly claimed to leaders at the G7 that Crimea is part of Russia because everyone there speaks Russian |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claims-crimea-is-part-of-russia-since-people-speak-russian-g7-summit-2018-6 |access-date=February 13, 2020 |work=[Business Insider](/source/Business_Insider)}} As [North Korea's nuclear weapons](/source/North_Korea's_nuclear_weapons) were increasingly seen as a serious threat,{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Adam |last2=Meko |first2=Tim |date=December 21, 2017 |title=What made North Korea's weapons programs so much scarier in 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/12/21/what-made-north-koreas-weapons-programs-so-much-scarier-in-2017/ |access-date=July 5, 2019 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)}} Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader, meeting [Kim Jong Un](/source/Kim_Jong_Un) three times between June 2018 and June 2019.{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist) |last2=Crowley |first2=Michael |author-link2=Michael Crowley (journalist) |date=June 30, 2019 |title=Trump Steps Into North Korea and Agrees With Kim Jong-un to Resume Talks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/30/world/asia/trump-north-korea-dmz.html |access-date=October 5, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}} Talks on North Korean [denuclearization](/source/denuclearization) broke down in October 2019, and no agreement was reached.{{cite news |last1=Sanger |first1=David E. |author-link1=David E. Sanger |last2=Sang-Hun |first2=Choe |author-link2=Choe Sang-hun |date=June 12, 2020 |title=Two Years After Trump-Kim Meeting, Little to Show for Personal Diplomacy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/world/asia/korea-nuclear-trump-kim.html |access-date=October 5, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}}{{cite news |last1=Tanner |first1=Jari |last2=Lee |first2=Matthew |author-link2=Matt Lee (journalist) |date=October 5, 2019 |title=North Korea Says Nuclear Talks Break Down While U.S. Says They Were 'Good' |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-north-korea-vietnam-c66474b67b3e41cdad6d21ba3385ddc2 |access-date=July 21, 2021 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} === Personnel === {{main|Political appointments of the first Trump administration|First cabinet of Donald Trump}} {{further|Government hiring and personnel of Donald Trump}} By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-12-28/trumps-white-house-has-highest-turnover-rate-in-40-years |title=Trump White House Has Highest Turnover in 40 Years |last=Trimble |first=Megan |date=December 28, 2017 |work=[U.S. News & World Report](/source/U.S._News_%26_World_Report) |access-date=March 16, 2018}} By July 2018, 61 percent of his senior aides had left{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/395222-ap-trump-admin-sets-record-for-white-house-turnover |title=AP: Trump admin sets record for White House turnover |work=[The Hill](/source/The_Hill_(newspaper)) |date=July 2, 2018 |access-date=July 3, 2018 |last=Wise |first=Justin}} and 141 staffers had left in the previous year.{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Zeke |last2=Bridis |first2=Ted |url=https://apnews.com/article/9188152a050f4d57ad543954d011a668 |title=Trump White House sets turnover records |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=July 2, 2018 |access-date=March 9, 2026}} Both figures set a record for recent presidents.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/07/591372397/white-house-staff-turnover-was-already-record-setting-then-more-advisers-left |title=White House Staff Turnover Was Already Record-Setting. Then More Advisers Left |last=Keith |first=Tamara |author-link=Tamara Keith |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=March 7, 2018 |access-date=March 16, 2018}} Various close personal aides to Trump stopped working for him or were forced to leave.{{cite news |first1=Kathryn Dunn |last1=Tenpas |url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/tracking-turnover-in-the-trump-administration/ |title=Tracking Turnover in the Trump Administration |date=March 16, 2018 |website=[Brookings Institution](/source/Brookings_Institution) |access-date=March 16, 2018}} Trump publicly disparaged several of his former top officials.{{cite news |last=Cillizza |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Cillizza |title=Donald Trump makes terrible hires, according to Donald Trump |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/politics/trump-mulvaney-bolton-hiring/ |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=June 19, 2020}} Trump had four [White House chiefs of staff](/source/White_House_chiefs_of_staff), marginalizing or pushing out several.{{cite news |last=Keith |first=Tamara |author-link=Tamara Keith |date=March 6, 2020 |access-date=October 5, 2021 |title=Mick Mulvaney Out, Mark Meadows in As White House Chief Of Staff |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/06/766025774/mick-mulvaney-out-as-white-house-chief-of-staff}} In May 2017, he [dismissed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey](/source/Dismissal_of_James_Comey), saying a few days later that he was concerned about Comey's role in the Trump–Russia investigations.{{cite magazine |last=Stanek |first=Becca |date=May 11, 2017 |title=President Trump just completely contradicted the official White House account of the Comey firing |magazine=[The Week](/source/The_Week) |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/698368/president-trump-just-completely-contradicted-official-white-house-account-comey-firing |access-date=May 11, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Schmidt |first1=Michael S. |author-link1=Michael S. Schmidt |last2=Apuzzo |first2=Matt |author-link2=Matt Apuzzo |date=June 7, 2017 |title=Comey Says Trump Pressured Him to 'Lift the Cloud' of Inquiry |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/us/politics/james-comey-statement-testimony.html |access-date=November 2, 2021 |url-access=limited}} Three of Trump's 15 original cabinet members left or were forced to resign within his first year.{{cite news |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-incredibly-and-historically-unstable-first-year-of-trumps-cabinet/ |title=The Incredibly And Historically Unstable First Year Of Trump's Cabinet |last=Jones-Rooy |first=Andrea |date=November 29, 2017 |work=[FiveThirtyEight](/source/FiveThirtyEight) |access-date=March 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129123144/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-incredibly-and-historically-unstable-first-year-of-trumps-cabinet/ |archive-date=November 29, 2017}} Trump was slow to appoint second-tier officials in the executive branch, saying many of the positions are unnecessary. In October 2017, there were hundreds of sub-cabinet positions without a nominee.{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/10/12/557122200/trump-leaves-top-administration-positions-unfilled-says-hollow-government-by-des |title=Trump Leaves Top Administration Positions Unfilled, Says Hollow Government By Design |last=Keith |first=Tamara |author-link=Tamara Keith |date=October 12, 2017 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |access-date=March 16, 2018}} By January 8, 2019, of 706 key positions, 433 had been filled and he had no nominee for 264.{{cite news |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=January 8, 2019 |access-date=October 6, 2021 |title=Tracking how many key positions Trump has filled so far |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-administration-appointee-tracker/database/ |url-access=limited}} === Judiciary === {{further|List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump|Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies}} Trump appointed 234 [federal judges](/source/United_States_federal_judge), including 54 to the [courts of appeals](/source/United_States_courts_of_appeals) and [three](/source/Donald_Trump_Supreme_Court_candidates) to the [Supreme Court](/source/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States): [Neil Gorsuch](/source/Neil_Gorsuch), [Brett Kavanaugh](/source/Brett_Kavanaugh), and [Amy Coney Barrett](/source/Amy_Coney_Barrett),{{cite web |last=Gramlich |first=John |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/13/how-trump-compares-with-other-recent-presidents-in-appointing-federal-judges/ |title=How Trump compares with other recent presidents in appointing federal judges |publisher=[Pew Research Center](/source/Pew_Research_Center) |date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=May 30, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/apptsbypres.pdf |title=Judgeship Appointments by President |work=United States Courts |access-date=January 16, 2026}} which politically shifted the Court to the right.{{cite news |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/26/trump-legacy-supreme-court-422058 |title=Trump's legacy is now the Supreme Court |first=Anita |last=Kumar |date=September 26, 2020}}{{cite news |work=[Voice of America](/source/Voice_of_America) |title=Trump's Lasting Legacy: Conservative Supermajority on Supreme Court |first=Masood |last=Farivar |date=December 24, 2020 |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_trumps-lasting-legacy-conservative-supermajority-supreme-court/6199935.html |access-date=December 21, 2023}}{{cite news |title=Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court's Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences |first=Joan |last=Biskupic |author-link=Joan Biskupic |url=https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/06/02/nine-black-robes-supreme-court |date=June 2, 2023 |work=[WBUR-FM](/source/WBUR-FM) |access-date=December 21, 2023}} In the 2016 campaign, he pledged that ''[Roe v. Wade](/source/Roe_v._Wade)'' would be overturned "automatically" if he were elected and given the opportunity to appoint two or three anti-abortion justices. He later took credit when ''Roe'' was overturned by ''[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization](/source/Dobbs_v._Jackson_Women's_Health_Organization)'' in 2022; all three of his Supreme Court nominees voted with the majority.{{cite magazine |magazine=[The Week](/source/The_Week) |title=Trump takes credit for Dobbs decision but worries it 'won't help him in the future' |first=Grayson |last=Quay |date=June 25, 2022 |url=https://theweek.com/donald-trump/1014657/trump-takes-credit-for-dobbs-decision-but-worries-it-wont-help-him-in-the |access-date=October 2, 2023}}{{cite news |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-was-able-kill-roe-v-wade-rcna84897 |first=Sahil |last=Kapur |title=Trump: 'I was able to kill Roe v. Wade' |date=May 17, 2023 |access-date=December 21, 2023}} Trump disparaged courts and judges he disagreed with, often in personal terms, and questioned the judiciary's constitutional authority. His attacks on courts drew rebukes from observers, including sitting federal judges, concerned about the effect of his statements on the [judicial independence](/source/judicial_independence) and public confidence in the judiciary.{{cite news |first1=Abby |last1=Phillip |author-link1=Abby Phillip |first2=Robert |last2=Barnes |first3=Ed |last3=O'Keefe |author-link3=Ed O'Keefe |title=Supreme Court nominee Gorsuch says Trump's attacks on judiciary are 'demoralizing' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-nominee-gorsuch-says-trumps-attacks-on-judiciary-are-demoralizing/2017/02/08/64e03fe2-ee3f-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=February 8, 2017 |access-date=October 6, 2021}}{{cite news |first=Katie |last=Shepherd |title=Trump 'violates all recognized democratic norms,' federal judge says in biting speech on judicial independence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/08/judge-says-trump-violates-democratic-norms-judiciary-speech/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=November 8, 2019 |access-date=October 6, 2021 |url-access=limited}} === COVID-19 pandemic === {{main|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}} {{further|U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|Communication of the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic}} {{see also|Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}} [[File:White House Press Briefing (49666120807).jpg|thumb|Conducting a COVID-19 press briefing with members of the [White House Coronavirus Task Force](/source/White_House_Coronavirus_Task_Force) on March 15, 2020|alt=Trump speaks in the West Wing briefing room with various officials standing behind him, all in formal attire and without face masks]] After ignoring public health warnings and calls for action from health officials within his administration for weeks,{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-04-19/coronavirus-outbreak-president-trump-slow-response |title=How Trump let the U.S. fall behind the curve on coronavirus threat |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=November 27, 2024 |first1=David S. |last1=Cloud |first2=Paul |last2=Pringle |author-link2=Paul Pringle |first3=Eli |last3=Stokols |author-link3=Eli Stokols}} Trump established the [White House Coronavirus Task Force](/source/White_House_Coronavirus_Task_Force) in late January.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-outbreak-task-force-created-by-trump-to-lead-us-government-response-to-wuhan-virus/ |title=Trump creates task force to lead U.S. coronavirus response |work=[CBS News](/source/CBS_News) |date=January 30, 2020 |access-date=October 10, 2020}} In March, he signed into law the [CARES Act](/source/CARES_Act)—a $2.2 trillion bipartisan [economic stimulus](/source/economic_stimulus) bill—the largest stimulus in U.S. history.{{cite news |last1=Hulse |first1=Carl |author-link1=Carl Hulse |last2=Cochrane |first2=Emily |title=As Coronavirus Spread, Largest Stimulus in History United a Polarized Senate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/us/coronavirus-senate-stimulus-package.html |website=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=March 26, 2020 |access-date=November 27, 2024 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Andrew |last2=Fram |first2=Alan |last3=Kellman |first3=Laurie |last4=Superville |first4=Darlene |title=Trump signs $2.2T stimulus after swift congressional votes |url=https://apnews.com/2099a53bb8adf2def7ee7329ea322f9d |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=March 28, 2020 |access-date=November 27, 2024}} After weeks of attacks to draw attention away from his slow response, Trump halted funding of the [World Health Organization](/source/World_Health_Organization) in April.{{cite news |last=Ollstein |first=Alice Miranda |title=Trump halts funding to World Health Organization |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/14/trump-world-health-organization-funding-186786 |access-date=September 7, 2020 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |date=April 14, 2020}} He encouraged right-wing [protests against social-distancing policies](/source/COVID-19_protests_in_the_United_States) in states with stay-at-home orders{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |author-link1=Michael D. Shear |last2=Mervosh |first2=Sarah |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html |title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions |date=April 17, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=April 19, 2020}} and repeatedly pressured federal health agencies to take actions he favored,{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/politics/cdc-coronavirus-testing-guidance/ |title=CDC was pressured 'from the top down' to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says |date=August 26, 2020 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |first1=Nick |last1=Valencia |first2=Sara |last2=Murray |author-link2=Sara Murray (journalist) |first3=Kristen |last3=Holmes |access-date=August 26, 2020}} such as approving unproven treatments.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/15/hydroxychloroquine-authorization-revoked-coronavirus/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=June 15, 2020 |access-date=October 7, 2021 |title=FDA pulls emergency approval for antimalarial drugs touted by Trump as covid-19 treatment |first1=Laurie |last1=McGinley |first2=Carolyn Y. |last2=Johnson |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/12/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-treatment-vaccine.html |title=Trump Pressed for Plasma Therapy. Officials Worry, Is an Unvetted Vaccine Next? |date=September 12, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |first1=Sharon |last1=LaFraniere |author-link1=Sharon LaFraniere |first2=Noah |last2=Weiland |first3=Michael D. |last3=Shear |author-link3=Michael D. Shear |access-date=September 13, 2020 |url-access=limited}} In October, Trump was [hospitalized for three days](/source/White_House_COVID-19_outbreak) with a severe case of [COVID-19](/source/COVID-19) while his medical team downplayed the severity of his condition.{{cite news |last1=Weiland |first1=Noah |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |last3=Mazzetti |first3=Mark |author-link3=Mark Mazzetti |last4=Karni |first4=Annie |author-link4=Annie Karni |date=February 11, 2021 |title=Trump Was Sicker Than Acknowledged With Covid-19 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/us/politics/trump-coronavirus.html |access-date=February 16, 2021}} === Investigations === {{further|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Mueller special counsel investigation|Mueller report}} After he assumed office, Trump was the subject of increasing [Justice Department](/source/United_States_Department_of_Justice) and congressional scrutiny, with investigations covering his election campaign, transition, and inauguration, actions taken during his presidency, [his private businesses](/source/The_Trump_Organization), personal taxes, and [his charitable foundation](/source/Donald_J._Trump_Foundation).{{cite news |last1=Woodward |first1=Calvin |last2=Pace |first2=Julie |date=December 16, 2018 |title=Scope of investigations into Trump has shaped his presidency |url=https://apnews.com/article/6d6361fdf19846cb9eb020d9c6fbfa5a |access-date=December 19, 2018 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} There were ten federal criminal investigations, eight state and local investigations, and twelve congressional investigations.{{cite news |last1=Buchanan |first1=Larry |last2=Yourish |first2=Karen |date=September 25, 2019 |title=Tracking 30 Investigations Related to Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/13/us/politics/trump-investigations.html |access-date=October 4, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} In July 2016, the [FBI](/source/FBI) launched [Crossfire Hurricane](/source/Crossfire_Hurricane_(FBI_investigation)), an investigation into possible links between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign.{{cite news |last1=Apuzzo |first1=Matt |author-link=Matt Apuzzo |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |author-link2=Adam Goldman |last3=Fandos |first3=Nicholas |date=May 16, 2018 |title=Code Name Crossfire Hurricane: The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/us/politics/crossfire-hurricane-trump-russia-fbi-mueller-investigation.html |url-access=limited |access-date=December 21, 2023 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}} After Trump fired Comey in May 2017, the FBI opened a second investigation into Trump's personal and [business dealings with Russia](/source/Business_projects_of_Donald_Trump_in_Russia).{{cite news |last=Dilanian |first=Ken |date=September 7, 2020 |title=FBI agent who helped launch Russia investigation says Trump was 'compromised' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fbi-agent-who-helped-launch-russia-investigation-says-trump-was-n1239442 |access-date=December 21, 2023 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}} In January 2017, three U.S. intelligence agencies jointly stated with "high confidence" that [Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election](/source/Russian_interference_in_the_2016_United_States_elections) to favor Trump.{{cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Rosenberg |date=July 6, 2017 |title=Trump Misleads on Russian Meddling: Why 17 Intelligence Agencies Don't Need to Agree |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/06/us/politics/trump-russia-intelligence-agencies-cia-fbi-nsa.html |access-date=October 7, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Sanger |first=David E. |author-link=David E. Sanger |date=January 6, 2017 |title=Putin Ordered 'Influence Campaign' Aimed at U.S. Election, Report Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/politics/russia-hack-report.html |access-date=October 4, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Crossfire Hurricane was later transferred to [Robert Mueller](/source/Robert_Mueller)'s [special counsel investigation](/source/Mueller_special_counsel_investigation);{{cite news |last=Pearson |first=Nick |date=May 17, 2018 |title=Crossfire Hurricane: Trump Russia investigation started with Alexander Downer interview |url=https://www.9news.com.au/world/crossfire-hurricane-trump-russia-investigation-started-with-alexander-downer-interview/16121e23-bdfc-4f32-9822-e4a7f841e3e4 |access-date=December 21, 2023 |work=[Nine News](/source/Nine_News)}} the investigation into Trump's ties to Russia was ended by Deputy Attorney General [Rod Rosenstein](/source/Rod_Rosenstein) after he told the FBI that Mueller would pursue the matter.{{cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Michael S. |author-link=Michael S. Schmidt |date=August 30, 2020 |title=Justice Dept. Never Fully Examined Trump's Ties to Russia, Ex-Officials Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/politics/trump-russia-justice-department.html |url-access=limited |access-date=October 8, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}}{{cite news |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Rosenstein to testify in Senate on Trump-Russia probe |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-rosenstein-idUSKBN23330H |access-date=October 19, 2021 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} At the request of Rosenstein, the Mueller investigation examined criminal matters "in connection with Russia's 2016 election interference". [Mueller's final report](/source/Mueller_report) in March 2019{{cite news |last=Breuninger |first=Kevin |date=March 22, 2019 |title=Mueller probe ends: Special counsel submits Russia report to Attorney General William Barr |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/22/robert-mueller-submits-special-counsels-russia-probe-report-to-attorney-general-william-barr.html |access-date=March 22, 2019 |work=[CNBC](/source/CNBC)}} found that Russia interfered in 2016 to favor Trump{{cite news |date=January 16, 2012 |title=Main points of Mueller report |url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420143436/https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1 |archive-date=April 20, 2019 |access-date=April 20, 2019 |work=[Agence France-Presse](/source/Agence_France-Presse)}} and that Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged the effort,{{cite news |last=Mazzetti |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Mazzetti |date=July 24, 2019 |title=Mueller Warns of Russian Sabotage and Rejects Trump's 'Witch Hunt' Claims |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/us/politics/trump-mueller-testimony.html |access-date=March 4, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=May 30, 2019 |title=Trump briefly acknowledges that Russia aided his election – and falsely says he didn't help the effort |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/30/trump-briefly-acknowledges-that-russia-aided-his-election-falsely-says-he-didnt-help-effort/ |access-date=March 5, 2020 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Polantz |first1=Katelyn |last2=Kaufman |first2=Ellie |last3=Murray |first3=Sara |date=June 19, 2020 |title=Mueller raised possibility Trump lied to him, newly unsealed report reveals |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/politics/mueller-report-rerelease-fewer-redactions/ |access-date=October 30, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} but that the evidence "did not establish" that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russia.{{cite news |last1=Ostriker |first1=Rebecca |last2=Puzzanghera |first2=Jim |last3=Finucane |first3=Martin |last4=Datar |first4=Saurabh |last5=Uraizee |first5=Irfan |last6=Garvin |first6=Patrick |date=April 18, 2019 |title=What the Mueller report says about Trump and more |url=https://apps.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/graphics/2019/03/mueller-report/ |access-date=April 22, 2019 |work=[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)}}{{cite magazine |last=Law |first=Tara |date=April 18, 2019 |title=Here Are the Biggest Takeaways From the Mueller Report |url=https://time.com/5567077/mueller-report-release/ |access-date=April 22, 2019 |magazine=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))}} Trump claimed the report exonerated him despite Mueller writing that it did not.{{cite news |last1=Yen |first1=Hope |last2=Woodward |first2=Calvin |date=July 24, 2019 |title=AP Fact Check: Trump falsely claims Mueller exonerated him |url=https://apnews.com/article/130932b573664ea5a4d186f752bb8d50 |access-date=October 8, 2021 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} The report also detailed potential obstruction of justice by Trump but "did not draw ultimate conclusions"{{cite news |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Zapotosky |first2=Matt |date=April 17, 2019 |title=Mueller report lays out obstruction evidence against the president |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/attorney-general-to-provide-overview-of-mueller-report-at-news-conference-before-its-release/2019/04/17/8dcc9440-54b9-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html |access-date=April 20, 2019 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Farley |first1=Robert |last2=Robertson |first2=Lori |last3=Gore |first3=D'Angelo |last4=Spencer |first4=Saranac Hale |last5=Fichera |first5=Angelo |last6=McDonald |first6=Jessica |date=April 18, 2019 |title=What the Mueller Report Says About Obstruction |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2019/04/what-the-mueller-report-says-about-obstruction/ |access-date=April 22, 2019 |work=[FactCheck.org](/source/FactCheck.org)}} and left the decision to charge the laws to Congress.{{cite news |last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |date=April 18, 2019 |title=Mueller drops obstruction dilemma on Congress |url=https://apnews.com/article/35829a2b010248f193d1efd00c4de7e5 |access-date=April 20, 2019 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} === Impeachments === {{main|First impeachment of Donald Trump|Second impeachment of Donald Trump}} thumb|Displaying the headline "Trump acquitted" in 2020 Trump was [impeached](/source/Impeachment_in_the_United_States) twice by the House of Representatives, though acquitted by the Senate on both occasions. The [first impeachment](/source/First_impeachment_of_Donald_Trump) arose from a whistleblower complaint that in July 2019 Trump [had pressured](/source/2019_Trump%E2%80%93Ukraine_scandal) Ukrainian president [Volodymyr Zelenskyy](/source/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy) to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden,{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |title=Trump wanted Russia's main geopolitical adversary to help undermine the Russian interference story |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/25/trump-wanted-russias-main-geopolitical-adversary-help-him-undermine-russian-interference-story/ |access-date=October 1, 2019 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=September 25, 2019 |url-access=limited}} in an attempt to gain an advantage in the [2020 presidential election](/source/2020_United_States_presidential_election).{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/09/26/us/politics/whistle-blower-complaint.html |title=Document: Read the Whistle-Blower Complaint |date=September 24, 2019 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=October 2, 2019 |url-access=limited}} In December 2019, the House voted to impeach Trump for [abuse of power](/source/abuse_of_power) and [obstruction of Congress](/source/obstruction_of_Congress),{{cite news |last=Gregorian |first=Dareh |title=Trump impeached by the House for abuse of power, obstruction of Congress |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/trump-impeached-house-abuse-power-n1104196 |access-date=December 18, 2019 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |date=December 18, 2019}} and the Senate acquitted him in February 2020.{{cite news |work=[CNBC](/source/CNBC) |date=February 5, 2020 |title=Trump acquitted of both charges in Senate impeachment trial |last1=Wilkie |first1=Christina |last2=Breuninger |first2=Kevin |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/05/trump-acquitted-in-impeachment-trial.html |access-date=February 2, 2021}} The [second impeachment](/source/Second_impeachment_of_Donald_Trump) came after the January 6 Capitol attack, for which the House charged Trump with [incitement of insurrection](/source/incitement_of_insurrection) on January 13, 2021.{{cite news |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |title=Trump Impeached for Inciting Insurrection |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/us/politics/trump-impeached.html |access-date=January 14, 2021 |date=January 13, 2021 |url-access=limited}} Trump left office on January 20, and was acquitted on February 13. Seven Republican senators voted for conviction.{{cite news |last1=Levine |first1=Sam |last2=Gambino |first2=Lauren |date=February 13, 2021 |title=Donald Trump acquitted in impeachment trial |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/13/donald-trump-acquitted-impeachment-trial |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date=February 13, 2021}} === 2020 presidential election and rejection of outcome === {{further|2020 United States presidential election|Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election}} Trump filed to run for reelection only a few hours after becoming president in 2017.{{cite news |last=Morehouse |first=Lee |date=January 31, 2017 |title=Trump breaks precedent, files as candidate for re-election on first day |url=https://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202210255/https://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=February 19, 2017 |work=[KTVK](/source/KTVK)}} He held his first reelection rally less than a month after taking office{{cite news |last=Graham |first=David A. |date=February 15, 2017 |title=Trump Kicks Off His 2020 Reelection Campaign on Saturday |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-kicks-off-his-2020-reelection-campaign-on-saturday/516909/ |access-date=February 19, 2017 |work=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic)}} and officially became the [Republican nominee](/source/2020_Republican_Party_presidential_primaries) in August 2020.{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Jonathan |author-link1=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |last2=Burns |first2=Alexander |author-link2=Alex Burns (journalist) |last3=Karni |first3=Annie |author-link3=Annie Karni |date=August 24, 2020 |title=Nominating Trump, Republicans Rewrite His Record |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/us/politics/republican-convention-recap.html |access-date=August 25, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}} Trump's campaign focused on crime, claiming that cities would descend into lawlessness if Democratic nominee [Joe Biden](/source/Joe_Biden) won.{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |last2=Corasaniti |first2=Nick |last3=Karni |first3=Annie |author-link3=Annie Karni |date=July 21, 2020 |title=As Trump Pushes into Portland, His Campaign Ads Turn Darker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/us/politics/trump-portland-federal-agents.html |access-date=July 25, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Starting in early 2020, Trump sowed doubts about the election, claiming without evidence that it would be rigged and that widespread use of mail balloting would produce massive election fraud.{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Anita |date=August 8, 2020 |title=Trump aides exploring executive actions to curb voting by mail |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/08/trump-wants-to-cut-mail-in-voting-the-republican-machine-is-helping-him-392428 |access-date=August 15, 2020 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}}{{cite news |last1=Saul |first1=Stephanie |author-link1=Stephanie Saul |last2=Epstein |first2=Reid J. |date=August 31, 2020 |title=Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/mail-in-voting-explained.html |access-date=October 8, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results if he lost and commit to a [peaceful transition of power](/source/peaceful_transition_of_power).{{cite news |last=Sonmez |first=Felicia |author-link=Felicia Sonmez |date=July 19, 2020 |title=Trump declines to say whether he will accept November election results |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-declines-to-say-whether-he-will-accept-november-election-results/2020/07/19/40009804-c9c7-11ea-91f1-28aca4d833a0_story.html |access-date=October 8, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Browne |first1=Ryan |last2=Starr |first2=Barbara |author-link2=Barbara Starr |date=September 25, 2020 |title=As Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transition, Pentagon stresses it will play no role in the election |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/pentagon-election-insurrection-act/ |access-date=October 8, 2021 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} Joe Biden won the November 2020 election, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.8 percent){{cite news |date=December 11, 2020 |title=Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-president.html |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |date=December 10, 2020 |title=2020 US Presidential Election Results: Live Map |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2020-us-presidential-election-results-live-map |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States))}} and 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232,{{cite news |last1=Holder |first1=Josh |last2=Gabriel |first2=Trip |author-link2=Trip Gabriel |last3=Paz |first3=Isabella Grullón |date=December 14, 2020 |title=Biden's 306 Electoral College Votes Make His Victory Official |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/14/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} with the [Electoral College](/source/United_States_Electoral_College) formalizing Biden's victory on December 14. Trump declared victory before the results were known on the morning after the election.{{cite news |date=November 4, 2020 |title=With results from key states unclear, Trump declares victory |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/with-results-key-states-unclear-trump-declares-victory-2020-11-04/ |access-date=November 10, 2020 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters)}} Days later, when Biden was projected the winner, Trump baselessly alleged election fraud.{{cite news |last=King |first=Ledyard |date=November 7, 2020 |title=Trump revives baseless claims of election fraud after Biden wins presidential race |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-victory-president-trump-claims-election-far-over/6202892002/ |access-date=November 7, 2020 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)}} As part of [an effort to overturn the results](/source/Attempts_to_overturn_the_2020_United_States_presidential_election), Trump and his allies filed many [lawsuits challenging the results](/source/Post-election_lawsuits_related_to_the_2020_U.S._presidential_election), which were rejected by at least 86 judges in both state and federal courts for having no factual or legal basis.{{cite news |last1=Helderman |first1=Rosalind S. |author-link1=Rosalind S. Helderman |last2=Viebeck |first2=Elise |date=December 12, 2020 |title='The last wall': How dozens of judges across the political spectrum rejected Trump's efforts to overturn the election |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html |access-date=October 9, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=December 14, 2020 |title=The most remarkable rebukes of Trump's legal case: From the judges he hand-picked |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/14/most-remarkable-rebukes-trumps-legal-case-judges-he-hand-picked/ |access-date=October 9, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} Trump's allegations were also refuted by state election officials,{{cite news |last=Woodward |first=Calvin |date=November 16, 2020 |title=AP Fact Check: Trump conclusively lost, denies the evidence |url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-trump-conclusively-lost-bbb9d8c808021ed65d91aee003a7bc64 |access-date=November 17, 2020 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} and the Supreme Court declined to hear [a case asking it to overturn the results](/source/Texas_v._Pennsylvania) in four states won by Biden.{{cite news |last=Liptak |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Liptak |date=December 11, 2020 |title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Trump repeatedly sought help to overturn the results, personally pressuring Republican local and state office-holders,{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Amy |date=January 3, 2021 |title='I just want to find 11,780 votes': In extraordinary hour-long call, Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate the vote in his favor |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html |access-date=January 20, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} Republican legislators,{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Anita |last2=Orr |first2=Gabby |last3=McGraw |first3=Meridith |date=December 21, 2020 |title=Inside Trump's pressure campaign to overturn the election |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/21/trump-pressure-campaign-overturn-election-449486 |access-date=December 22, 2020 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}} the Justice Department,{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Marshall |date=November 5, 2021 |title=Timeline of the coup: How Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/politics/january-6-timeline-trump-coup/ |access-date=November 6, 2021 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} and Vice President Pence,{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |last2=Karni |first2=Annie |author-link2=Annie Karni |date=January 5, 2021 |title=Pence Said to Have Told Trump that he Lacks Power to Change Election Result |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/pence-trump-election-results.html |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} urging actions such as [replacing presidential electors](/source/Trump_fake_electors_plot), or that Georgia officials ["find" votes and announce](/source/Trump%E2%80%93Raffensperger_phone_call) a "recalculated" result. Trump did not attend [Biden's inauguration](/source/Biden's_inauguration) on January 20.{{cite news |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |author-link=Maggie Haberman |date=January 20, 2021 |title=Trump Departs Vowing, 'We Will Be Back in Some Form' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/trump-presidency.html |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} thumb|A crowd of Trump supporters during the attack === January 6 attack === {{further|January 6 United States Capitol attack}} On January 6, 2021, while [Congress was certifying the presidential election results](/source/2021_United_States_Electoral_College_vote_count), [Trump held a rally](/source/January_6_Trump_rally) at which he called for the election to be overturned and urged his supporters to "fight like hell" and "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol.{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=January 10, 2021 |title=Incitement to Riot? What Trump Told Supporters Before Mob Stormed Capitol |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/us/trump-speech-riot.html |access-date=January 11, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} His supporters then formed a mob that broke into the building, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress.{{cite news |last1=Tan |first1=Shelley |last2=Shin |first2=Youjin |last3=Rindler |first3=Danielle |date=January 9, 2021 |title=How one of America's ugliest days unraveled inside and outside the Capitol |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/capitol-insurrection-visual-timeline/ |access-date=May 2, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} More than 140 police officers were injured, and five people died during or after the attack.{{cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Olivia |last2=Mallin |first2=Alexander |last3=Steakin |first3=Will |date=January 4, 2022 |title=By the numbers: How the Jan. 6 investigation is shaping up 1 year later |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/numbers-jan-investigation-shaping-year/story?id=82057743 |access-date=June 4, 2023 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States))}}{{cite news |last=Cameron |first=Chris |date=January 5, 2022 |title=These Are the People Who Died in Connection With the Capitol Riot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-deaths.html |access-date=January 29, 2022 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} The event has been described as an attempted [self-coup](/source/self-coup) by Trump.{{sfn|Pion-Berlin|Bruneau|Goetze|2022}}{{sfn|Harvey|2022|p=3|}}{{sfn|Castañeda|Jenks|2023|p=246}} Congress later reconvened and confirmed Biden's victory in the early hours of January 7.{{cite news |last1=Gregorian |first1=Dareh |last2=Gibson |first2=Ginger |last3=Kapur |first3=Sahil |last4=Helsel |first4=Phil |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Congress confirms Biden's win after pro-Trump mob's assault on Capitol |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/congress-begin-electoral-vote-count-amid-protests-inside-outside-capitol-n1253013 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}} == Between presidencies (2021–2025) == Upon leaving the White House, Trump began living at Mar-a-Lago, establishing an office there as provided for by the [Former Presidents Act](/source/Former_Presidents_Act).{{cite news |last=Wolfe |first=Jan |date=January 27, 2021 |title=Explainer: Why Trump's post-presidency perks, like a pension and office, are safe for the rest of his life |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment-benefits-explai-idUSKBN29W238 |access-date=February 2, 2021 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} His continuing [false claims concerning the 2020 election](/source/Big_lie) were commonly referred to as the "[big lie](/source/big_lie)" by his critics, although in May 2021, he and many of his supporters began using the term to refer to the election itself.{{cite magazine |last=Solender |first=Andrew |date=May 3, 2021 |title=Trump Says He'll Appropriate 'The Big Lie' To Refer To His Election Loss |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/05/03/trump-says-hell-appropriate-the-big-lie-to-refer-to-his-election-loss/ |access-date=October 10, 2021 |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes)}}{{cite news |last=Wolf |first=Zachary B. |date=May 19, 2021 |title=The 5 key elements of Trump's Big Lie and how it came to be |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/19/politics/donald-trump-big-lie-explainer/ |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} The Republican Party used his false claims about the election to justify [imposing new voting restrictions](/source/Republican_efforts_to_restrict_voting_following_the_2020_United_States_presidential_election) in its favor.{{cite news |last=Balz |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Balz |date=May 29, 2021 |title=The GOP push to revisit 2020 has worrisome implications for future elections |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-big-lie-elections-impact/2021/05/29/d7992fa2-c07d-11eb-b26e-53663e6be6ff_story.html |access-date=June 18, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Izaguirre |first1=Anthony |last2=Coronado |first2=Acacia |date=January 31, 2021 |title=GOP lawmakers seek tougher voting rules after record turnout |url=https://apnews.com/article/bills-voting-rights-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-voter-registration-0e94844d72d2a2bf8b51b1c950bd64fc |access-date=January 17, 2023 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}}{{cite news |last=McCaskill |first=Nolan D. |date=March 15, 2021 |title=After Trump's loss and false fraud claims, GOP eyes voter restrictions across nation |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/15/voting-restrictions-states-475732 |access-date=January 17, 2023 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}} He continued to pressure state legislators to overturn the election.{{cite news |last1=Bender |first1=Michael C. |author-link1=Michael C. Bender |last2=Epstein |first2=Reid J. |date=July 20, 2022 |title=Trump Recently Urged a Powerful Legislator to Overturn His 2020 Defeat in Wisconsin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/us/politics/trump-wisconsin-election-call.html |access-date=August 13, 2022 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}} Unlike other former presidents, Trump continued to dominate his party; a 2022 profile in ''The New York Times'' described him as a modern [party boss](/source/party_boss).{{cite news |last=Goldmacher |first=Shane |date=April 17, 2022 |title=Mar-a-Lago Machine: Trump as a Modern-Day Party Boss |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/17/us/politics/trump-mar-a-lago.html |access-date=July 31, 2022 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He continued fundraising, raising a [war chest](/source/war_chest) containing more than twice that of the Republican Party, and profited from fundraisers many Republican candidates held at Mar-a-Lago. Much of his focus was on party governance and installing in key posts officials loyal to him. In the [2022 midterm elections](/source/2022_midterm_elections), Trump endorsed over 200 candidates for various offices.{{cite news |last=Paybarah |first=Azi |author-link=Azi Paybarah |date=August 2, 2022 |title=Where Trump's Endorsement Record Stands Halfway through Primary Season |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/us/politics/trump-endorsements-midterm-primary-election.html |access-date=August 3, 2022 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} In February 2022, his [Trump Media & Technology Group](/source/Trump_Media_%26_Technology_Group) (TMTG) launched a pro-Trump social media platform called [Truth Social](/source/Truth_Social).{{cite news |last=Bhuyian |first=Johana |date=February 21, 2022 |title=Donald Trump's social media app launches on Apple store |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/21/donald-trumps-social-media-app-truth-social-launches-on-apple-store |access-date=May 7, 2023 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} In March 2024, TMTG became a [public company](/source/public_company).{{cite news |last=Harwell |first=Drew |author-link=Drew Harwell |date=March 26, 2024 |title=Trump Media soars in first day of public tradings |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/25/truth-social-trump-media-stock-market-billions/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} === Legal issues === {{see also|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump|Legal affairs of the first Trump presidency}} In 2019, journalist [E. Jean Carroll](/source/E._Jean_Carroll) accused Trump of raping her in the 1990s and [sued him for defamation](/source/E._Jean_Carroll_v._Donald_J._Trump) over his denial.{{cite news |last=Ransom |first=Jan |date=November 4, 2019 |title=E. Jean Carroll, Who Accused Trump of Rape, Sues Him for Defamation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/jean-carroll-sues-trump.html |access-date=January 24, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Carroll sued him again in 2022 for [battery](/source/Battery_(crime)) and further defamation.{{cite news |last=Weiser |first=Benjamin |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Writer Who Accused Trump of Rape to File New Defamation Lawsuit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/17/nyregion/donald-trump-jean-carroll-lawsuit.html |access-date=January 24, 2025 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He was [found liable](/source/Legal_liability) for sexual abuse and defamation and ordered to pay $5 million in one case{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Becky |last2=Bernstein |first2=Andrea |last3=Marritz |first3=Ilya |last4=Lawrence |first4=Quil |date=May 9, 2023 |title=A jury finds Trump liable for battery and defamation in E. Jean Carroll trial |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/09/1174975870/trump-carroll-verdict |access-date=May 10, 2023 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} and $83.3 million in the other.{{cite news |last=Offenhartz |first=Jake |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-appeal-award-d587004df6f7c46ec4a17b563a38bfa9 |title=Appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll's $83.3M defamation judgment against Trump |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=September 8, 2025 |access-date=September 11, 2025}} Federal appeals courts upheld both findings and awards in December 2024 and September 2025, respectively.{{cite news |last1=Neumeister |first1=Larry |last2=Sisak |first2=Michael R. |date=December 30, 2024 |title=An appeals court upholds a $5 million award in a sexual abuse verdict against President-elect Trump |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-lawsuit-defamation-trial-78e4196024539653a6de492312770ff2 |access-date=December 31, 2024 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} In 2022, [New York filed a civil lawsuit](/source/New_York_business_fraud_lawsuit_against_the_Trump_Organization) against Trump accusing him of inflating the Trump Organization's value to gain an advantage with lenders and banks.{{cite news |last=Scannell |first=Kara |date=September 21, 2022 |title=New York attorney general files civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, some of his children and his business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/politics/trump-new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-fraud-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=September 21, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}}{{cite news |last1=Bromwich |first1=Jonah E. |last2=Protess |first2=Ben |date=February 17, 2024 |title=Trump Fraud Trial Penalty Will Exceed $450 Million |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/nyregion/trump-civil-fraud-trial-ruling.html |access-date=February 17, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He was found liable and ordered to pay nearly $355 million plus interest. In August 2025, the appeals court upheld his liability and nonmonetary penalties, but voided the monetary penalty as excessive.{{cite news |last1=Bromwich |first1=Jonah E. |last2=Protess |first2=Ben |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/nyregion/trump-fraud-james.html |title=Divided Court Eliminates Trump's Half-Billion-Dollar Fine in Fraud Case |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=August 21, 2025 |access-date=August 26, 2025 |url-access=limited}} In connection with Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his involvement in the January 6 attack, in December 2022 the [U.S. House committee on the attack](/source/United_States_House_Select_Committee_on_the_January_6_Attack) recommended criminal charges against him for [obstructing an official proceeding](/source/obstructing_an_official_proceeding), inciting or assisting an insurrection, and [conspiracy to defraud the United States](/source/conspiracy_to_defraud_the_United_States).{{cite news |last=Feuer |first=Alan |date=December 19, 2022 |title=It's Unclear Whether the Justice Dept. Will Take Up the Jan. 6 Panel's Charges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/us/politics/jan-6-trump-justice-dept.html |access-date=March 25, 2023 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} In August 2023, a grand jury in [Fulton County, Georgia](/source/Fulton_County%2C_Georgia), indicted him on [13 charges, including racketeering](/source/Georgia_election_racketeering_prosecution), for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election in the state.{{cite news |last1=Lowell |first1=Hugo |last2=Wicker |first2=Jewel |date=August 15, 2023 |title=Donald Trump and allies indicted in Georgia over bid to reverse 2020 election loss |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/14/donald-trump-georgia-indictment-2020-election |access-date=December 22, 2023 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}}{{cite news |last=Drenon |first=Brandon |date=August 25, 2023 |title=What are the charges in Trump's Georgia indictment? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66503668 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}} The case was dismissed in November 2025 after the new prosecutor declined to pursue the charges.{{cite news |last1=Fausset |first1=Richard |last2=Hakim |first2=Danny |title=Judge Dismisses Georgia Election Interference Case Against Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/us/trump-georgia-election-racketeering.html |website=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=November 26, 2025 |access-date=November 26, 2025 |url-access=limited}} thumb|Classified intelligence material found during search of Mar-a-Lago In January 2022, the [National Archives and Records Administration](/source/National_Archives_and_Records_Administration) retrieved [15 boxes of documents](/source/Federal_prosecution_of_Donald_Trump_(classified_documents_case)) Trump had taken to [Mar-a-Lago](/source/Mar-a-Lago) after leaving the White House, some of which were classified.{{cite news |last1=Lybrand |first1=Holmes |last2=Cohen |first2=Marshall |last3=Rabinowitz |first3=Hannah |date=August 12, 2022 |title=Timeline: The Justice Department criminal inquiry into Trump taking classified documents to Mar-a-Lago |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/09/politics/doj-investigation-trump-documents-timeline/ |access-date=August 14, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} In the ensuing Justice Department investigation, officials retrieved more classified documents from his lawyers. On August 8, 2022, [FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago](/source/FBI_search_of_Mar-a-Lago) for illegally held documents, including those in breach of the [Espionage Act](/source/Espionage_Act), collecting 11 sets of classified documents, some marked top secret.{{cite news |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |author-link2=Josh Dawsey |date=August 12, 2022 |title=Agents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago seized 11 sets of classified documents, court filing shows |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/08/12/trump-warrant-release/ |access-date=August 12, 2022 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |last2=Thrush |first2=Glenn |author-link2=Glenn Thrush |last3=Savage |first3=Charlie |author-link3=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=August 12, 2022 |title=Files Seized From Trump Are Part of Espionage Act Inquiry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/trump-espionage-act-laws-fbi.html |access-date=August 13, 2022 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} A [federal grand jury](/source/federal_grand_jury) constituted by Special Counsel [Jack Smith](/source/Jack_Smith_(lawyer)) indicted Trump in June 2023 on 31 counts of "willfully retaining national defense information" under the Espionage Act, among other charges.{{cite news |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |author-link2=Josh Dawsey |last3=Stein |first3=Perry |last4=Alemany |first4=Jacqueline |author-link4=Jacqueline Alemany |date=June 9, 2023 |title=Trump Put National Secrets at Risk, Prosecutors Say in Historic Indictment |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/09/trump-tape-classified-documents/ |access-date=June 10, 2023 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Schonfeld |first=Zach |date=July 28, 2023 |title=5 revelations from new Trump charges |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4124168-revelations-from-new-trump-charges/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |work=[The Hill](/source/The_Hill_(newspaper))}} Trump pleaded not guilty.{{cite news |last1=Greve |first1=Joan E. |last2=Lowell |first2=Hugo |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Trump pleads not guilty to 37 federal criminal counts in Mar-a-Lago case |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/13/trump-arraignment-not-guilty-charges-mar-a-lago-documents-court |access-date=June 14, 2023 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} In July 2024, judge [Aileen Cannon](/source/Aileen_Cannon) dismissed the case, ruling Smith's appointment as special prosecutor was unconstitutional.{{cite news |last=Tucker |first=Eric |date=July 15, 2024 |title=Federal judge dismisses Trump classified documents case over concerns with prosecutor's appointment |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c |access-date=July 15, 2024 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} After his reelection, the [2020 election obstruction case](/source/Federal_prosecution_of_Donald_Trump_(election_obstruction_case)) and the classified documents case were dismissed without [prejudice](/source/Prejudice_(legal_term)) (a legal term meaning charges could be refiled after the end of Trump's second term) due to Justice Department policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.{{cite news |last=Halpert |first=Madeline |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gvd7kxxj5o |title=Special counsel's last criminal case against Trump dismissed |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News) |date=November 27, 2024 |access-date=May 5, 2026}} In May 2024, Trump [was convicted on 34 felony counts](/source/Prosecution_of_Donald_Trump_in_New_York) of [falsifying business records](/source/falsifying_business_records).{{cite news |last1=Protess |first1=Ben |last2=Bromwich |first2=Jonah E. |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |author-link3=Maggie Haberman |last4=Christobek |first4=Kate |last5=McKinley |first5=Jesse |author-link5=Jesse McKinley |last6=Rashbaum |first6=William K. |date=May 30, 2024 |title=Trump Convicted on All Counts to Become America's First Felon President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-convicted-hush-money-trial.html |access-date=January 22, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} The case stemmed from evidence that he booked [Michael Cohen](/source/Michael_Cohen_(lawyer))'s hush-money payments to adult film actress [Stormy Daniels](/source/Stormy_Daniels) as business expenses to cover up his alleged 2006–2007 affair with Daniels during the 2016 election.{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=August 21, 2018 |title=How the campaign finance charges against Michael Cohen implicate Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/08/21/how-the-campaign-finance-charges-against-michael-cohen-may-implicate-trump |access-date=July 25, 2019 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} On January 10, 2025, the judge gave Trump a no-penalty sentence known as an unconditional discharge, saying that punitive requirements would have interfered with presidential immunity.{{cite news |last1=Hawkins |first1=Derek |last2=Jacobs |first2=Shayna |last3=Berman |first3=Mark |date=January 10, 2025 |title=What Trump's unconditional discharge sentence means in the hush money case |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/10/trump-criminal-sentence-unconditional-discharge-no-penalty/ |access-date=January 11, 2025 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} === 2024 presidential election === {{main|2024 United States presidential election}} {{further|Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign|2024 Republican Party presidential primaries|Second presidential transition of Donald Trump}} In November 2022, Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and created a fundraising account.{{cite news |last1=Arnsdorf |first1=Isaac |last2=Scherer |first2=Michael |author-link2=Michael Scherer (journalist) |date=November 15, 2022 |title=Trump, who as president fomented an insurrection, says he is running again |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/15/trump-2024-announcement-running-president/ |access-date=December 5, 2022 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Schouten |first=Fredreka |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Questions about Donald Trump's campaign money, answered |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/politics/donald-trump-war-chest-presidential-campaign/index.html |access-date=December 5, 2022 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} In March 2023, the campaign began diverting ten percent of the donations to his [leadership PAC](/source/leadership_PAC). His campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills by March 2024.{{cite news |last1=Goldmacher |first1=Shane |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |date=June 25, 2023 |title=As Legal Fees Mount, Trump Steers Donations Into PAC That Has Covered Them |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/us/politics/trump-donations-legal-fees.html |access-date=June 25, 2023 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Escobar |first1=Molly Cook |last2=Sun |first2=Albert |last3=Goldmacher |first3=Shane |date=March 27, 2024 |title=How Trump Moved Money to Pay $100 Million in Legal Bills |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/27/us/politics/trump-cases-legal-fund.html |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Trump's policy platform, named [Agenda 47](/source/Agenda_47), was vague and aimed at Republican primaries.{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=June 18, 2024 |title=Trump has unveiled an agenda of his own. He just doesn't mention it much |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/18/trump-has-unveiled-an-agenda-his-own-he-just-doesnt-mention-it-much/ |access-date=June 26, 2024 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)}} He occasionally disavowed knowledge of [Project 2025](/source/Project_2025), an outline for consolidating power in the executive branch,{{cite news |last=Garcia-Navarro |first=Lulu |title=Inside the Heritage Foundation's Plans for 'Institutionalizing Trumpism' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/magazine/heritage-foundation-kevin-roberts.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=January 21, 2024 |access-date=June 23, 2024}} despite personnel overlap with his first administration.{{cite news |last=Contorno |first=Steve |title=Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025. A CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11/politics/trump-allies-project-2025/index.html |access-date=July 11, 2024 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=July 11, 2024}}{{cite web |last=Prokop |first=Andrew |date=July 13, 2024 |title=Project 2025: The myths and the facts |url=https://www.vox.com/politics/360318/project-2025-trump-policies-abortion-divorce |access-date=July 17, 2024 |website=[Vox](/source/Vox_(website))}} During the campaign, he made increasingly violent and authoritarian statements. * {{cite news |last1=Bender |first1=Michael C. |author-link1=Michael C. Bender |last2=Gold |first2=Michael |date=November 20, 2023 |title=Trump's Dire Words Raise New Fears About His Authoritarian Bent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/20/us/politics/trump-rhetoric-fascism.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last=Stone |first=Peter |date=November 22, 2023 |title='Openly authoritarian campaign': Trump's threats of revenge fuel alarm |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/22/trump-revenge-game-plan-alarm |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} * {{cite news |last1=Colvin |first1=Jill |last2=Barrow |first2=Bill |date=December 7, 2023 |title=Trump's vow to only be a dictator on 'day one' follows growing worry over his authoritarian rhetoric |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-hannity-dictator-authoritarian-presidential-election-f27e7e9d7c13fabbe3ae7dd7f1235c72 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} * {{cite news |last=LeVine |first=Marianne |date=November 12, 2023 |title=Trump calls political enemies 'vermin', echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/12/trump-rally-vermin-political-opponents |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} He said that he would weaponize the FBI and the Justice Department against his political opponents{{cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=November 10, 2023 |title=Trump suggests he would use FBI to go after political rivals if elected in 2024 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/10/trump-fbi-rivals-2024-election |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}}{{cite news |last=Vazquez |first=Maegan |date=November 10, 2023 |title=Trump says on Univision he could weaponize FBI, DOJ against his enemies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/09/trump-interview-univision/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} and use the military to target Democratic politicians and those not supporting his candidacy.{{cite news |last=Stracqualursi |first=Veronica |date=October 14, 2024 |title=Trump suggests using military against 'enemy from within' on Election Day |url=https://www..cnn.com/2024/10/13/politics/trump-military-enemy-from-within-election-day/ |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}}{{cite news |last1=Lerer |first1=Lisa |last2=Gold |first2=Michael |date=October 15, 2024 |title=Trump Escalates Threats to Political Opponents He Deems the 'Enemy' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/15/us/politics/trump-opponents-enemy-within.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He used harsher and more dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric than during his presidency. * {{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Michael |last2=Huynh |first2=Anjali |date=April 2, 2024 |title=Trump Again Invokes 'Blood Bath' and Dehumanizes Migrants in Border Remarks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/us/politics/trump-border-blood-bath.html |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Charlie |author-link1=Charlie Savage (journalist) |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |last3=Swan |first3=Jonathan |author-link3=Jonathan Swan |date=November 11, 2023 |title=Sweeping Raids, Giant Camps and Mass Deportations: Inside Trump's 2025 Immigration Plans |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/us/politics/trump-2025-immigration-agenda.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last1=Layne |first1=Nathan |last2=Slattery |first2=Gram |last3=Reid |first3=Tim |date=April 3, 2024 |title=Trump calls migrants 'animals', intensifying focus on illegal immigration |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-expected-highlight-murder-michigan-woman-immigration-speech-2024-04-02/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last1=Philbrick |first1=Ian Prasad |last2=Bentahar |first2=Lyna |date=December 5, 2023 |title=Donald Trump's 2024 Campaign, in His Own Menacing Words |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/us/politics/trump-2024-president-campaign.html |access-date=May 10, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} His rhetoric, calling his political opponents "the enemy", vermin, and fascists, has been described by some historians and scholars as authoritarian, [fascist](/source/Donald_Trump_and_fascism), * {{cite news |title=Trump campaign defends "vermin" speech amid fascist comparisons |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/11/13/trump-vermin-fascist-language-speech |work=[Axios](/source/Axios_(website)) |date=November 13, 2023 |last=Basu |first=Zachary |access-date=December 8, 2023}} * {{cite news |last=Browning |first=Christopher R. |date=July 25, 2023 |title=A New Kind of Fascism |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/07/trump-second-term-isolationist-fascism/674791/ |work=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic) |access-date=December 8, 2023}} * {{cite news |title=Trump compares political opponents to 'vermin' who he will 'root out', alarming historians |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-compares-political-opponents-vermin-root-alarming-historians/story?id=104847748 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States)) |date=November 13, 2023 |last1=Kim |first1=Soo Rin |last2=Ibssa |first2=Lalee |access-date=December 8, 2023}} * {{cite news |last=Ward |first=Myah |date=October 12, 2024 |title=We watched 20 Trump rallies. His racist, anti-immigrant messaging is getting darker. |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/12/trump-racist-rhetoric-immigrants-00183537 |access-date=October 12, 2024}} and unlike anything a political candidate has ever said in American history.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/magazine/trump-rallies-rhetoric.html |title=Donald Trump Has Never Sounded Like This |work=[The New York Times Magazine](/source/The_New_York_Times_Magazine) |date=April 27, 2024 |access-date=April 27, 2024 |last1=Homans |first1=Charles |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Applebaum |first=Anne |author-link=Anne Applebaum |date=October 18, 2024 |title=Trump Is Speaking Like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini |work=[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic) |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-authoritarian-rhetoric-hitler-mussolini/680296/ |access-date=October 18, 2024}} [Age and health concerns](/source/Age_and_health_concerns_about_Donald_Trump) also arose during the campaign, with several medical experts highlighting an increase in rambling, [tangential speech](/source/tangential_speech) and [behavioral disinhibition](/source/Disinhibition).{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist) |last2=Freedman |first2=Dylan |date=October 6, 2024 |title=Trump's Speeches, Increasingly Angry and Rambling, Reignite the Question of Age |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/politics/trump-speeches-age-cognitive-decline.html |access-date=November 6, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" earlier and more frequently than in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns and refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results.{{cite news |last1=Lane |first1=Nathan |last2=Ulmer |first2=Alexandra |date=May 16, 2024 |title=Trump, allies are laying the groundwork to contest potential election loss |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-allies-are-laying-groundwork-contest-potential-election-loss-2024-05-16/ |access-date=September 12, 2024 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Yourish |first1=Karen |last2=Smart |first2=Charlie |date=May 24, 2024 |title=Trump's Pattern of Sowing Election Doubt Intensifies in 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/24/us/politics/trump-election-results-doubt.html |access-date=August 30, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} On July 13, 2024, Trump was shot in the ear in [an assassination attempt](/source/Attempted_assassination_of_Donald_Trump_in_Pennsylvania) at a campaign rally in [Butler Township, Pennsylvania](/source/Butler_Township%2C_Butler_County%2C_Pennsylvania).{{cite news |last1=Browne |first1=Malachy |last2=Lum |first2=Devon |last3=Cardia |first3=Alexander |date=July 26, 2024 |title=Speculation Swirls About What Hit Trump. An Analysis Suggests It was a Bullet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/us/politics/trump-shooter-bullet-trajectory-ear.html |access-date=July 29, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Hutchinson |first1=Bill |last2=Cohen |first2=Miles |date=July 16, 2024 |title=Gunman opened fire at Trump rally as witnesses say they tried to alert police |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/witnesses-trump-assassination-attempt-gunman-roof-shooting/story?id=111947616 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States))}}{{cite news |date=July 14, 2024 |title=AP Photos: Shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-photo-gallery-561478b3f90c950c741eeaa24c6dc159 |access-date=July 23, 2024 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} Two days later, the [2024 Republican National Convention](/source/2024_Republican_National_Convention) nominated him as their presidential candidate.{{cite news |last=Astor |first=Maggie |date=July 15, 2024 |title=What to Know About J.D. Vance, Trump's Running Mate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/us/politics/who-is-jd-vance-trump-vp.html |access-date=July 15, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} In September he was targeted but unharmed in [another assassination attempt](/source/Attempted_assassination_of_Donald_Trump_in_Florida) in Florida.{{cite news |last1=Debusmann |first1=Bernd Jr |last2=Yousif |first2=Nadine |date=September 23, 2024 |title=Suspect described Trump 'assassination attempt' in pre-written note |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c89ly20vvgvo |access-date=November 21, 2024 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}} Trump won the election in November 2024 with 312 electoral votes to incumbent vice president Kamala Harris's 226.{{cite news |title=2024 Presidential Election Results |url=https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/ |date=November 25, 2024 |access-date=November 25, 2024 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} He also won the popular vote with 49.8% to Harris's 48.3%.{{cite web |url=https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2024presgeresults.pdf |title=2024 Presidential Election Results |publisher=[Federal Election Commission](/source/Federal_Election_Commission) |date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=January 16, 2025}} His victory in 2024 was in large part due to the [2021–2023 inflation surge](/source/2021%E2%80%932023_inflation_surge).{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/world/global-politics-conservative-right-shift-ea0e8d05 |title=The Progressive Moment in Global Politics is Over |date=December 27, 2024 |access-date=December 27, 2024 |first1=Bertrand |last1=Benoit |first2=David |last2=Luhnow |first3=Vipal |last3=Monga |website=[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal) |url-access=subscription}}{{cite news |last=Burn-Murdoch |first=John |date=December 29, 2024 |title=What the 'year of democracy' taught us, in 6 charts |url=https://www.ft.com/content/350ba985-bb07-4aa3-aa5e-38eda7c525dd |access-date=December 30, 2024 |work=[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times) |quote=The billions who voted in 2024 sent an angry message to incumbents, and warmed to populists on left and right}} Several outlets described his reelection as an extraordinary comeback.{{cite news |last1=Sheerin |first1=Jude |last2=Murphy |first2=Matt |date=November 6, 2024 |title=Trump pulls off historic White House comeback |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62l5zdv7zko |access-date=November 9, 2024 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}}{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Zeke |author-link1=Zeke Miller |last2=Price |first2=Michelle L. |last3=Weissert |first3=Will |last4=Colvin |first4=Jill |date=November 6, 2024 |title=Trump wins the White House in political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2 |access-date=November 9, 2024 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} == Second presidency (2025–present) == {{main|Second presidency of Donald Trump}} {{for timeline|Timeline of the Donald Trump presidencies#Second presidency (2025–present)}} [[File:Donald Trump takes the oath of office (2025) (alternate).jpg|thumb|Taking the [presidential oath of office](/source/Oath_of_office_of_the_President_of_the_United_States), administered by Chief Justice [John Roberts](/source/John_Roberts), on January 20, 2025]] Trump began his second term upon [his inauguration](/source/Second_inauguration_of_Donald_Trump) on January 20, 2025.{{cite news |last1=Morgan |first1=David |last2=Borter |first2=Gabriella |last3=Mason |first3=Jeff |last4=Ax |first4=Joseph |date=January 20, 2025 |title=Trump sworn in a second time, says he was 'saved by God' to rescue America |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/triumphant-trump-returns-white-house-launching-new-era-upheaval-2025-01-20/ |access-date=January 20, 2025 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} He became the [oldest to assume the presidency](/source/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States_by_age),{{cite news |last=Hussein |first=Mohamed H. |date=January 20, 2025 |title=How does Trump's age at inauguration compare with other presidents? |work=[Al Jazeera](/source/Al_Jazeera_English) |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/20/how-does-trumps-age-at-inauguration-compare-to-other-presidents |access-date=January 20, 2025}} the first president with a felony conviction, and the second person to serve two nonconsecutive terms as president.{{cite news |last1=Ogwude |first1=Haadiza |last2=Page |first2=Susan |date=January 20, 2025 |title=Is Donald Trump the oldest president sworn into office? A look at his historic feats |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/01/20/who-is-the-oldest-president-to-be-sworn-in-donald-trump/77776042007/ |access-date=January 20, 2025}} Trump chose several Project 2025 authors for his second administration;{{cite news |last1=Alfonseca |first1=Kiara |last2=Faulders |first2=Katherine |title=How Trump has infused parts of Project 2025 into his administration |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-project-2025-administration/story?id=116019369 |access-date=February 4, 2025 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States)) |date=December 9, 2024}} after the first year of his second term about half of the project's agenda had been implemented.{{cite news |last=Ordoñez |first=Franco |url=https://www.npr.org/2026/01/19/nx-s1-5640006/trump-has-rolled-out-many-of-the-project-2025-policies-he-once-claimed-ignorance-about |title=Trump has rolled out many of the Project 2025 policies he once claimed ignorance about |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=January 19, 2026 |access-date=April 11, 2026}}{{cite news |last=Wendling |first=Mike |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yvvjw8pdvo |title=From Venezuela to immigration crackdown, Project 2025 provided Trump's roadmap |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News) |date=February 26, 2026 |access-date=April 11, 2026}} Emphasizing his conflicts with judicial authority, ''The New York Times'' said his attempts to expand presidential power are a defining characteristic of his second term.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/politics/trump-power-courts-crisis.html |title=How Trump Is Trying to Consolidate Power Over Courts, Congress and More |first1=Erica L. |last1=Green |first2=Zolan |last2=Kanno-Youngs |author-link2=Zolan Kanno-Youngs |first3=Maggie |last3=Haberman |author-link3=Maggie Haberman |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=March 20, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |url-access=subscription}} Trump's second term saw frequent policy announcements, delays, and reversals leading to the emergence of the term "[TACO](/source/Trump_Always_Chickens_Out)" to describe it.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/chaos-confusion-reversals-trump-second-term-rcna200649 |title=Chaos, confusion and reversals: The story of Trump's second term so far |first=Peter |last=Nicholas |date=April 14, 2025 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |access-date=April 25, 2026}}{{cite news |last=Crowley |first=Kinsey |date=January 22, 2026 |title=Trump's Greenland deal has some saying TACO again. What does it mean? |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/22/donald-trump-taco-greenland-davos-deal/88298149007/ |access-date=April 25, 2026}} === Early actions === {{see also|First 100 days of the second Trump presidency}} More than a month before the 100-day mark of Trump's second term, he had [issued more executive orders](/source/List_of_executive_orders_in_the_second_Trump_presidency) than any other U.S. president's first 100 days.{{cite news |last1=Doan |first1=Laura |last2=Ingram |first2=Julia |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-issues-record-100-executive-order-of-second-term-breakdown/ |title=Trump issues record 100th executive order within first 100 days of term. Here's a breakdown. |work=[CBS News](/source/CBS_News) |date=March 26, 2025 |access-date=November 8, 2025}} As of mid-January 2026, his orders and actions had been challenged in over 550 lawsuits nationwide. Of these, plaintiffs had prevailed in 195 cases, the government had prevailed in 109 cases, there were split rulings in 16 cases, 228 cases were pending, and 25 cases were closed.{{cite web |date=January 12, 2026 |title=Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions |url=https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/ |access-date=January 13, 2026 |website=[Just Security](/source/Just_Security)}} Both Republican and Democratic judicial appointees have found numerous constitutional and statutory flaws with Trump administration policies.Multiple sources: * {{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Ned |last2=Spector |first2=Mike |last3=Eisler |first3=Peter |last4=So |first4=Linda |last5=Raymond |first5=Nate |title=These judges ruled against Trump. Then their families came under attack. |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigations/these-judges-ruled-against-trump-then-their-families-came-under-attack-2025-05-02/ |access-date=August 9, 2025 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=May 2, 2025}} * {{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=It's not just 'leftist' judges. GOP appointees have many sharp words for Trump. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/24/republican-judges-oppose-trump/ |access-date=August 9, 2025 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=April 24, 2025}} * {{cite news |author=The Editorial Board |title= 'Egregious'. 'Brazen'. 'Lawless'. How 48 Judges Describe Trump's Actions, in Their Own Words |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/07/12/opinion/editorials/federal-judges-quotes-trump-administration.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=July 9, 2025 |access-date=August 9, 2025}} Following legal setbacks, Trump increased his criticism of the judiciary and called for impeachment of federal judges who ruled against him.{{cite news |last=Riccardi |first=Nicholas |date=March 16, 2025 |title=Trump administration ramps up rhetoric targeting the courts amid mounting legal setbacks |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-courts-judges-rule-of-law-85058a5ffcef105d4ea2ce0ef078f084 |access-date=March 20, 2025}} By mid-July 2025, a ''[Washington Post](/source/Washington_Post)'' analysis found he defied judges and the courts in roughly one third of all cases against him, actions which were described by legal experts as unprecedented for any presidential administration.{{cite news |last=Jouvenal |first=Justin |date=July 21, 2025 |title=Trump officials accused of defying 1 in 3 judges who ruled against him |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/21/trump-court-orders-defy-noncompliance-marshals-judges/ |url-access=limited |access-date=August 1, 2025}} His administration asserted a constitutional right to ignore federal law in its justification of several actions such as in his refusal to enforce a [federal ban on TikTok](/source/Protecting_Americans_from_Foreign_Adversary_Controlled_Applications_Act), with legal experts describing it as claiming a "constitutional power to immunize private parties to commit otherwise illegal acts with impunity".{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=July 3, 2025 |title=Trump Claims Sweeping Power to Nullify Laws, Letters on TikTok Ban Show |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/03/us/politics/trump-bondi-tiktok-executive-power.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 23, 2025}}{{cite episode |last=Lucas |first=Ryan |date=March 19, 2025 |title=Experts say Trump's targeting of law firms is unprecedented |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/03/19/nx-s1-5323890/experts-say-trumps-targeting-of-law-firms-is-unprecedented |series=[All Things Considered](/source/All_Things_Considered) |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |access-date=April 13, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Scarcella |first1=Mike |last2=Merken |first2=Sara |last3=Sloan |first3=Karen |date=March 21, 2025 |title=Law firm Paul Weiss defends deal with Trump as lawyers sound alarm |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/trumps-deal-with-law-firm-paul-weiss-sparks-alarm-among-lawyers-2025-03-21/ |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |access-date=April 13, 2025 |url-access=limited}} === Conflicts of interest (2025–present) === {{further|Second presidency of Donald Trump#Ethics|Cryptocurrency in the second Trump presidency}} Trump's second presidency has been described as having fewer guardrails against conflicts of interest than his first,{{cite news |last1=Yourish |first1=Karen |last2=Lipton |first2=Eric |author-link2=Eric Lipton |last3=Gamio |first3=Lazaro |date=January 17, 2025 |title=An Illustrated Guide to Trump's Conflict of Interest Risks |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/17/us/politics/trump-conflicts-of-interest.html |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Schouten |first=Fredreka |date=January 8, 2025 |title=Gold-plated watches and electoral map sneakers: Trump's newest merchandise raises conflict of interest questions |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/08/politics/trump-conflicts-of-interest-second-term/index.html |access-date=January 18, 2025 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} breaking with decades of ethical norms,{{cite news |last1=Lipton |first1=Eric |author-link1=Eric Lipton |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |date=February 17, 2025 |title=With Congress Pliant, an Emboldened Trump Pushes His Business Interests |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/us/politics/trump-ethics-conflicts-business-adams.html |url-access=limited}} and raising substantial [corruption](/source/corruption) concerns.{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=May 12, 2025 |title=Trump's Plan to Take Jet From Qatar Heightens Corruption Concerns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/us/trump-qatar-jet-plane.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 18, 2025 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}}{{cite news |last1=Stringer |first1=Connor |last2=Lawford |first2=Melissa |date=May 18, 2025 |title='It's open season for corruption': How Trump turned the White House into a cash cow |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/05/18/trump-turned-white-house-cash-machine/ |access-date=May 18, 2025 |work=[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)}} He maintained a publicly traded company in [Trump Media & Technology Group](/source/Trump_Media_%26_Technology_Group), and diversified it into financial services.{{cite news |title=Trump Media launches FinTech services brand amid crypto boom |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/trump-media-launches-fintech-services-brand-2025-01-29/ |date=January 29, 2025 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} He pursued new overseas real estate deals involving state-affiliated entities, and had several branding and licensing deals selling Trump-branded merchandise. He profited from events held at his hotels and golf courses and did not place his assets in a blind trust, as previous presidents had done.{{cite news |last=Schouten |first=Fredreka |date=January 23, 2025 |title='The gloves are off': Trump appears poised to cash in from his presidency in new ways |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/23/politics/ethics-business-trump-presidency/index.html}} Trump launched, promoted, and personally benefited from [two cryptocurrency tokens](/source/The_Trump_Organization) ("[meme coin](/source/meme_coin)s"), [$Trump](/source/%24Trump) and $Melania.{{cite news |last=Weissert |first=Will |date=January 22, 2025 |title=Trump has canceled Biden's ethics rules. Critics call it the opposite of 'drain the swamp' |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-revokes-ethics-rules-drain-swamp-b8e3ba0f98c9c60af11a8e70cbc902bd |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}}{{cite news |last=Suderman |first=Alan |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-crypto-meme-coin-token-75bf67ef9e6e54bf455f2f9f03470be3 |title=Trump promotes new meme coin before taking office on pro-crypto agenda |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=January 19, 2025 |access-date=May 10, 2025}} He also directly benefited from his family's cryptocurrency company [World Liberty Financial](/source/World_Liberty_Financial), which engaged in an unprecedented mixing of private enterprise and government policy.{{cite news |last1=Lipton |first1=Eric |author-link1=Eric Lipton |last2=Yaffe-Ballany |first2=David |last3=Protess |first3=Ben |date=April 29, 2025 |title=Secret Deals, Foreign Investments, Presidential Policy Changes: The Rise of Trump's Crypto Firm |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/us/politics/trump-crypto-world-liberty-financial.html |url-access=limited}} === Mass terminations of federal employees === {{main|2025 United States federal mass layoffs}} Trump implemented a hiring freeze across the federal government and ordered telework of federal employees to be discontinued within 30 days.{{cite news |last=Davies |first=Emily |title=On Day 4 of President Trump, telework is on the chopping block |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/23/federal-worker-mandates-resistance-trump/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=January 23, 2025 |access-date=February 5, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Erica L. |last2=Robertson |first2=Campbell |last3=Scheiber |first3=Noam |author-link3=Noam Scheiber |title=Trump's Moves to Upend Federal Bureaucracy Touch Off Fear and Confusion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/25/us/politics/trump-federal-workers.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=January 25, 2025 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |url-access=limited}} He ordered a review of many career civil service positions with the intention of [reclassifying them into at-will positions](/source/Policy%2FCareer_appointment) without job protections.{{cite news |last=Doyle |first=Michael |title=Trump plan to upend civil service advances under new name |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/27/trump-plan-civil-service-00200757 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |date=January 27, 2025 |access-date=January 28, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Shalal |first1=Andrea |last2=Spetalnick |first2=Matt |title=Trump accelerates campaign to remake federal bureaucracy |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-attack-diversity-programs-bureaucracy-sends-us-agencies-scrambling-2025-01-23/ |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=January 23, 2025 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |url-access=limited}} He initiated mass job terminations of federal employees,{{cite news |last=Collinson |first=Stephen |date=January 28, 2025 |title=Trump sets about his retribution agenda with relish |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/28/politics/trump-retribution-agenda-analysis/index.html |access-date=January 28, 2025}} which were described by legal experts as unprecedented or in violation of federal law,{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=January 27, 2025 |title=Fired Inspectors General Raise Alarms as Trump Administration Moves to Finalize Purge |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/us/politics/trump-inspectors-general-fired.html |access-date=January 28, 2025 |url-access=limited}} with the intent of replacing them with workers more aligned with his agenda.{{cite news |last1=Basu |first1=Zachary |last2=Lawler |first2=Dave |title=Trump's bureaucracy goes to war |url=https://www.axios.com/2025/01/27/trump-federal-eorkers-inspectors-general |work=[Axios](/source/Axios_(website)) |date=January 27, 2025 |access-date=January 28, 2025}} By late February 2025, the administration had fired more than 30,000 people.{{cite news |title=DOGE continues to hollow federal workforce after already firing more than 30,000 |date=February 28, 2025 |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/doge-continues-to-hollow-federal-workforce-after-already-firing-more-than-30000 |last=Desjardins |first=Lisa |author-link=Lisa Desjardins |work=[PBS Newshour](/source/PBS_Newshour)}} He ordered an end to [diversity, equity, and inclusion](/source/diversity%2C_equity%2C_and_inclusion) (DEI) projects in the federal government and rescinded [Lyndon B. Johnson](/source/Lyndon_B._Johnson)'s 1965 [Executive Order 11246](/source/Executive_Order_11246), which had mandated that federal contractors take affirmative action to end racial discrimination.{{cite news |last=Reid |first=Tim |title=Trump's rapid changes in US government stun federal workers |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-rapid-changes-us-government-stuns-stirs-anxiety-among-federal-workers-2025-01-24/ |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=January 24, 2025 |access-date=January 28, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Mark |first1=Julian |last2=Telford |first2=Taylor |last3=Svrluga |first3=Susan |title=In first days, Trump deals 'death blow' to DEI and affirmative action |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/23/trump-dei-affirmative-action/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=January 23, 2025 |url-access=limited}} Trump and [Elon Musk](/source/Elon_Musk)'s [Department of Government Efficiency](/source/Department_of_Government_Efficiency) largely dismantled several federal agencies including [USAID](/source/USAID) and the [Department of Education](/source/United_States_Department_of_Education), unilaterally fired several thousand staff, and reduced administrative functions to statutory minimums.{{cite news |last=Brownstein |first=Ronald |author-link=Ron Brownstein |date=March 20, 2025 |title=Trump's moves to hollow out government could be difficult to undo |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/politics/trump-musk-federal-government-reagan/index.html |access-date=April 3, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Pager |first=Tyler |date=March 15, 2025 |title=Trump Orders Gutting of 7 Agencies, Including Voice of America's Parent |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/us/politics/trump-order-voice-of-america.html |access-date=April 3, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-usaid-c0c7799be0b2fa7cad4c806565985fe2 |title=Trump and Musk move to dismantle USAID, igniting battle with Democratic lawmakers |date=February 3, 2025 |access-date=February 5, 2025 |first1=Ellen |last1=Knickmeyer |first2=Farnoush |last2=Amiri |first3=Adriana |last3=Gomez Licon |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} === Targeting political opponents === {{main|Targeting of political opponents and civil society under the second Trump administration}} During his second presidency, the Trump administration took a series of actions using the government to target political opponents and [civil society](/source/civil_society). He threatened, signed executive actions, and ordered investigations into his political opponents, critics, and organizations aligned with the Democratic Party.{{cite news |last1=Vogel |first1=Kenneth P. |author-link1=Kenneth P. Vogel |last2=Goldmacher |first2=Shane |date=March 19, 2025 |title=With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/us/politics/trump-republicans-attack-democrats-actblue.html |access-date=March 20, 2025 |url-access=limited}} He ended the post-Watergate norm of [Justice Department](/source/United_States_Department_of_Justice) (DOJ) independence, weaponizing it and agencies across the federal government to target his political enemies.{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Jonathan J. |date=September 6, 2025 |title=How Donald Trump is weaponizing the government to settle personal scores and pursue his agenda |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-weaponizing-government-second-term-54ab244ccb2328d116a498bbaeb680ef |access-date=September 7, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=April 30, 2025 |title=Trump's Maximalist Assertion of Presidential Power Tests the Rule of Law |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/us/politics/trump-100-days-president-power-law.html |access-date=May 4, 2025 |url-access=limited}} Under pressure to bring charges against his opponents, prosecutors advanced weak cases which were rejected by [grand juries](/source/grand_juries) and admonished by judges who accused them of misconduct, leading to an erosion of the DOJ's credibility.{{cite news |last=Feuer |first=Alan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/us/politics/trump-justice-department-grand-juries.html |title=As Trump Politicizes Justice Dept., Prosecutors Struggle With Grand Juries |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=May 26, 2026 |access-date=May 26, 2026}} Trump's actions against civil society were described by hundreds of legal experts and political scientists as [authoritarian](/source/authoritarian), contributing to [democratic backsliding](/source/Democratic_backsliding_in_the_United_States), and negatively impacting the [rule of law](/source/rule_of_law).{{cite news |last=Riccardi |first=Nicholas |date=March 1, 2025 |title=Trump's moves test the limits of presidential power and the resilience of US democracy |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-democracy-autocrats-authoritarian-constitution-threat-542ac437a58880e81c052f8f2df1643f |access-date=April 13, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Leingang |first1=Rachel |last2=Noor |first2=Dharna |date=April 10, 2025 |title=Fear spreads as Trump targets lawyers and non-profits in 'authoritarian' takedown |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/10/trump-administration-authoritarian |access-date=April 13, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-democratic-backsliding-under-trump-encourages-autocrats-globally-democracy-2025-09-11/ |title=US democratic backsliding under Trump encourages autocrats globally, democracy watchdog says |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=April 18, 2025 |access-date=November 20, 2025 |url-access=limited}} === Pardons and commutations (2025–present) === {{further|List of people granted executive clemency in the second Trump presidency}} Trump's pardons and grants of clemency favored political allies and loyalists,{{cite news |last=Lotz |first=Avery |date=May 28, 2025 |title=Trump pardons criminals with MAGA credentials or big money |work=[Axios](/source/Axios_(website)) |url=https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/trump-pardons-chrisley-walczak-jenkins |access-date=May 31, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Thrush |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Thrush |date=May 29, 2025 |title=Trump's Flurry of Pardons Signals a Wholesale Effort to Redefine Crime |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/us/politics/trumps-pardons-redefine-crime.html |url-access=limited |access-date=May 31, 2025}} and disproportionately pardoned "the powerful, famous, well-connected and wealthy" accused of white-collar crime. Trump [granted clemency to all January 6 rioters](/source/Pardon_of_January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack_defendants) convicted or charged on his first day in office, including those who violently attacked police, by pardoning more than 1,500 and commuting the sentences of 14.{{cite news |last=Reilly |first=Ryan J. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-set-pardon-defendants-stormed-capitol-jan-6-2021-rcna187735 |title=Trump pardons roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |date=January 21, 2025 |access-date=January 23, 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/09/965472049/the-capitol-siege-the-arrested-and-their-stories |title=The Jan. 6 attack: The cases behind the biggest criminal investigation in U.S. history |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=March 14, 2025 |access-date=April 14, 2025}} === Domestic policy (2025–present) === {{main|Domestic policy of the second Trump administration|Economic policy of the second Trump administration|Education policy of the second Trump administration|Science policy of the second Trump administration|Persecution of transgender people under the second Trump administration}} Trump ordered agencies to stop enforcement of disfavored rules in an attempt at large-scale deregulation that legal experts described as illegal and contrary to decades of federal law.{{cite news |last1=Plumer |first1=Brad |last2=Friedman |first2=Lisa |date=April 11, 2025 |title=Trump's New Way to Kill Regulations: Because I Say So |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/climate/trump-regulations.html |url-access=limited |access-date=August 23, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Joselow |first1=Maxine |last2=Natanson |first2=Hannah |last3=Duncan |first3=Ian |date=May 18, 2025 |title=Trump orders the government to stop enforcing rules he doesn't like |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/05/18/trump-enforcement-halt-regulations-laws/ |url-access=limited |access-date=August 23, 2025}} He [branded government buildings, programs and money](/source/Branding_of_United_States_government_programs_and_facilities_after_Donald_Trump) with his name or likeness, the first sitting president to do so.{{cite news |first1=Amy |last1=Fan |first2=Margot |last2=Sanger-Katz |date=January 13, 2026 |title=All the things named for Trump, and how long other presidents had to wait |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/upshot/trump-renaming-presidents-comparisons.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 24, 2026}} He sought greater government control over private businesses and shifted away from traditional conservative [free market](/source/free_market) orthodoxy, * {{cite news |last=Aspan |first=Maria |date=August 14, 2025 |title=Trump is tightening the screws on corporate America — and CEOs are staying mum |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/08/14/nx-s1-5501591/trump-corporate-america-capitalism |access-date=August 24, 2025}} * {{cite news |last1=Morrow |first1=Allison |last2=Mattingly |first2=Phil |date=August 20, 2025 |title=Corporate America is silent as Trump abandons free-market principles |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/20/business/companies-trump-free-market |access-date=August 24, 2025}} * {{cite news |last=Wile |first=Rob |date=August 22, 2025 |title=U.S. takes 10% stake in Intel as Trump flexes more power over big business |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/intel-agrees-us-stake-in-company-how-much-what-to-know-rcna226667 |access-date=August 24, 2025 |quote=Trump continues to bulldoze through long-held norms regarding government and business, departing from the free-market ethos that has long prevailed in both major U.S. political parties.}} * {{cite news |last1=Sutton |first1=Sam |last2=Guida |first2=Victoria |date=August 22, 2025 |title=Trump is turning the government into an investment firm |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-money-capital-risk/2025/08/22/trump-is-turning-the-government-into-an-investment-firm-00519364 |access-date=August 24, 2025}} engaging in [state capitalism](/source/state_capitalism) by taking direct government equity stakes in multiple U.S. corporations.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Keith |last2=Lu |first2=Christina |date=July 16, 2025 |title=Trump Embraces State Capitalism |work=[Foreign Policy](/source/Foreign_Policy) |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/16/trump-economy-industry-state-capitalism-steel-rare-earth-investment/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 24, 2025}}{{cite news |date=August 13, 2025 |title=Trump wants to command bosses like Xi does. He is failing |newspaper=[The Economist](/source/The_Economist) |url=https://www.economist.com/business/2025/08/13/trump-wants-to-command-bosses-like-xi-does-he-is-failing |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 24, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Morrow |first=Allison |date=August 13, 2025 |title=Trump is tightening his grip on the economy, taking a page from China |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/13/business/trump-economy-capitalism-nightcap |access-date=August 24, 2025}} His economic policies and frequent tariff announcements and pauses spurred market volatility and the emergence of the "[Sell America](/source/Sell_America)" investment trend on Wall Street.{{cite news |last=Harring |first=Alex |date=January 12, 2026 |title='Sell America' trade: Dollar drops, gold surges as Trump's Fed pressure campaign raises fears about U.S. system |work=[CNBC](/source/CNBC) |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/12/sell-america-trade-trump-powell-investigation.html |access-date=April 24, 2026}} ==== Science ==== Trump [canceled and paused federal grants](/source/2025_United_States_federal_government_grant_pause) and made large cuts to scientific research,{{cite news |last=Casselman |first=Ben |author-link=Ben Casselman |date=March 31, 2025 |title=Trump's Science Policies Pose Long-Term Risk, Economists Warn |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/business/economy/trump-research-cutbacks-economy.html |url-access=limited |access-date=April 3, 2025}} several of which were found by judges and the [Government Accountability Office](/source/Government_Accountability_Office) as being illegal and unconstitutional.{{cite news |last=Waldman |first=Annie |date=June 17, 2025 |title=Federal Judge Deems Trump Administration's Termination of NIH Grants Illegal |work=[ProPublica](/source/ProPublica) |url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-nih-grant-terminations-illegal |access-date=August 16, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Fischler |first=Jacob |date=August 7, 2025 |title=Trump illegally froze 1,800 NIH medical research grants, Congress' watchdog says |work=[Government Executive](/source/Government_Executive) |url=https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2025/08/trump-illegally-froze-1800-nih-medical-research-grants-congress-watchdog-says/407296/ |access-date=January 24, 2026}} Trump and his administration's [Make America Healthy Again](/source/Make_America_Healthy_Again) agenda promoted [anti-science](/source/anti-science) and [anti-vaccine activism](/source/anti-vaccine_activism), resulting in a resurgence of whooping cough and measles.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Michelle R. |last2=Ungar |first2=Laura |date=October 21, 2025 |title=Anti-science bills hit statehouses, stripping away public health protections built over a century |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-fluoride-kennedy-trump-science-antiscience-legislation-73af8e65f407331e8f31b2909812a004 |access-date=October 22, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Sun |first1=Lena H. |last2=Diamond |first2=Dan |date=September 23, 2025 |title=Trump's escalating attacks on vaccines shock public health leaders |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/09/23/trump-vaccines-autism-mmr-schedule/ |access-date=October 22, 2025 |url-access=limited}} ==== National emergencies/health policy ==== Trump relied on declaring national emergencies to justify hundreds of actions and bypass congressional approval or regulatory review.{{cite news |last1=Yourish |first1=Karen |last2=Smart |first2=Charlie |date=August 22, 2025 |title=How Trump Used 10 Emergency Declarations to Justify Hundreds of Actions |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/22/us/politics/trump-emergency-immigration-tariffs-crime.html |access-date=August 23, 2025 |url-access=limited}} For instance, he declared a national energy emergency, allowing the suspension of environmental regulations, loosening the rules for fossil fuel extraction and limiting renewable energy projects.{{cite news |last=Elliott |first=Rebecca F. |title=Oil Companies Embrace Trump, but Not 'Drill, Baby, Drill' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/business/energy-environment/oil-trump-drill-baby-drill.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=January 27, 2025 |access-date=February 16, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Brady |first=Jeff |title=Trump's energy emergency is a gift to fossil fuel firms. It's likely headed to court |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5269717/trump-energy-emergency-climate |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=January 22, 2025 |access-date=February 16, 2025}} Trump withdrew the U.S. from the [Paris Agreement](/source/Paris_Agreement) on climate change during his first presidency, [Biden](/source/Presidency_of_Joe_Biden) reentered the agreement in 2021, and Trump again withdrew from the agreement during his second presidency.{{cite news |last1=Daly |first1=Matthew |last2=Borenstein |first2=Seth |date=January 20, 2025 |title=Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change-788907bb89fe307a964be757313cdfb0 |access-date=January 23, 2025 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} ==== Social ==== Trump attributed societal problems to [diversity, equity, and inclusion](/source/diversity%2C_equity%2C_and_inclusion) (DEI) initiatives and [wokeness](/source/Woke).{{cite news |last=Green |first=Erica L. |date=February 3, 2025 |title=As Trump Attacks Diversity, a Racist Undercurrent Surfaces |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/trump-diversity-racism.html |access-date=February 4, 2025 |url-access=limited}} Equating diversity with incompetence, he reversed pro-diversity policies in the federal government.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Erica L. |last2=Aleaziz |first2=Hamed |date=January 22, 2025 |title=Federal Workers Ordered to Report on Colleagues Over D.E.I. Crackdown |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/us/politics/trump-order-discrimination-federal-hiring.html |access-date=February 4, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Hurley |first=Lawrence |date=February 3, 2025 |title=Under Trump, conservatives reignite a battle over race and the Constitution |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-conservatives-reignite-battle-race-constitution-rcna189842 |access-date=February 4, 2025}} He threatened cultural institutions on DEI grounds{{cite news |title=Trump's changes to the Smithsonian are the latest in his takeover of the arts |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/03/29/nx-s1-5333720/trumps-changes-to-the-smithsonian-are-the-latest-in-his-takeover-of-the-arts |last1=Blair |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Simon |first2=Scott |author-link2=Scott Simon |date=March 29, 2025 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} and sixty universities on accusations of antisemitism,{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/anti-semitism-task-force-who-247c234e |title=The Little-Known Bureaucrats Tearing Through American Universities |last1=Whyte |first1=Liz Essley |last2=Belkin |first2=Douglas |last3=Randazzo |first3=Sara |date=April 14, 2025 |work=[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal) |url-access=subscription}} and forced law firms to capitulate to his political agenda.{{cite news |last=Tucker |first=Eric |date=April 11, 2025 |title=Trump reaches deals with 5 law firms, allowing them to avoid prospect of punishing executive orders |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-law-firms-executive-order-fe8f38a61cf77c5bb6add1315f5f96f1 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} Trump expanded the domestic use of the military and ordered [military deployments to several Democratic Party-led cities](/source/2025_deployment_of_federal_forces_in_the_United_States), and threatened to expand his deployments further.{{cite news |last=Broadwater |first=Luke |author-link=Luke Broadwater |date=June 11, 2025 |title=Suggesting More Troops in More Cities, Trump Bends Military's Role |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/us/politics/trump-domestic-military-expansion.html |url-access=limited |access-date=September 6, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Juliana |last2=Wise |first2=Alana |last3=Lonsdorf |first3=Kat |date=September 6, 2025 |title=Trump threatens 'Apocalypse Now'-style action against Chicago to boost deportations |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/09/06/nx-s1-5532148/national-guard-chicago-baltimore-new-orleans |access-date=September 6, 2025}} Through [a series of executive orders](/source/Persecution_of_transgender_people_under_the_second_Trump_administration) and other actions, Trump banned transgender people from the military;{{cite news |last=Neff |first=Cy |title=US to begin immediate removal of up to 1,000 trans military members |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/08/trump-pentagon-trans-military-ban |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |date=May 9, 2025 |access-date=October 1, 2025}} restricted or defunded gender-affirming healthcare; opposed [inclusive language](/source/inclusive_language);{{cite news |last1=Yourish |first1=Karen |last2=Daniel |first2=Annie |last3=Datar |first3=Saurabh |last4=White |first4=Isaac |last5=Gamio |first5=Lazaro |title=These Words Are Disappearing in the New Trump Administration |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/07/us/trump-federal-agencies-websites-words-dei.html |access-date=September 10, 2025 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=March 7, 2025 |url-access=limited}} censored research and education materials;{{cite news |last=Hansford |first=Amelia |date=August 27, 2025 |title=US government orders 46 states to destroy trans education materials |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/27/trans-education-us-state-directive/ |access-date=September 1, 2025 |work=[PinkNews](/source/PinkNews)}} targeted schools, universities, and cultural institutions accused of promoting what his government calls "gender ideology";{{cite news |last=Kurtzleben |first=Danielle |date=February 7, 2025 |title=Trump's executive actions curbing transgender rights focus on 'gender ideology' |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/02/07/g-s1-46893/trump-anti-trans-rights-executive-action-gender-ideology-confusion |access-date=February 16, 2025 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} barred transgender athletes from sports; and required U.S. passports to state transgender people's sex assigned at birth.{{cite news |date=November 17, 2025 |last=Harmon |first=Amy |author-link=Amy Harmon |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |title=New Passport Rule Sends Blunt and Sweeping Message to Trans Americans |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/us/transgender-passports-supreme-court.html |access-date=November 19, 2025 |url-access=limited}} ==== One Big Beautiful Bill Act ==== {{main|One Big Beautiful Bill Act}} In July 2025, Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. The bill made the temporary tax cuts of the 2017 [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act](/source/Tax_Cuts_and_Jobs_Act) permanent and added additional tax deductions for a total of around $4.5 trillion, mostly benefiting the highest income brackets and costing people in the lowest income bracket $1,600 per year. It increased funding for national defense, deportations, the border wall, and Trump's proposed [Golden Dome](/source/Golden_Dome_(missile_defense_system)) missile defense system. It removed tax credits for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power and for buyers of electric vehicles. The bill cut funding for [Medicaid](/source/Medicaid) and [SNAP](/source/Supplemental_Nutrition_Assistance_Program) and added additional work requirements for eligibility and a $35 co-payment for some Medicaid services; the cuts and additional requirements will take effect after the 2026 general election. The bill was projected by the [Congressional Budget Office](/source/Congressional_Budget_Office) to increase the budget deficit by $3.4 trillion by 2034, cause 11.8 million people to lose Medicaid coverage, and eliminate SNAP benefits for three million people.{{cite news |last1=Freking |first1=Kevin |last2=Mascaro |first2=Lisa |url=https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b |title=What's in the tax and spending bill that Trump has signed into law |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=July 3, 2025 |access-date=July 12, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Romm |first1=Tony |last2=Duehren |first2=Andrew |last3=Sanger-Katz |first3=Margot |last4=Plumer |first4=Brad |last5=Wood |first5=Daniel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/us/politics/tax-cuts-benefit-cuts.html |title=Tax Cuts Now, Benefit Cuts Later: The Timeline in the Republican Megabill |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=July 2, 2025 |access-date=July 12, 2025 |url-access=limited}} === Immigration (2025–present) === {{main|Immigration policy of the second Trump administration|Deportation in the second Trump administration}} {{further|Mexico–United States border crisis#Second Trump administration (2025–present)|Mexico–United States border wall#Second Trump administration (2025–present)|Visa and deportation controversies in the second Trump administration}} During Trump's first days in office, he instructed Border Patrol agents to summarily deport [illegal immigrants](/source/Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States) crossing the border and disabled the [CBP One](/source/CBP_One) app that was being used to schedule border crossings. Trump resumed the [Remain in Mexico](/source/Remain_in_Mexico) policy, designated drug cartels as terrorist groups, and ordered construction to be resumed on a border wall.{{cite news |last=Bustillo |first=Ximena |title=Trump signs sweeping actions on immigration and border security on Day 1 |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/g-s1-43650/trump-inauguration-day-one-immigration |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=January 20, 2025 |access-date=February 16, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Montoya-Galvez |first=Camilo |title=Trump's sweeping immigration crackdown targets some legal means to enter U.S., too |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-migrants-crackdown-legal-immigration/ |website=[CBS News](/source/CBS_News) |date=January 28, 2025 |access-date=February 16, 2025}} He also revoked the parole status of immigrants who entered the U.S. under CBP One and ended [humanitarian parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans](/source/Parole_for_Cubans%2C_Haitians%2C_Nicaraguans%2C_and_Venezuelans). In March 2025, he used the [Alien Enemies Act](/source/Alien_Enemies_Act) of 1798 to [deport migrants without trial](/source/March_2025_American_deportations_of_Venezuelans) to be imprisoned at the [Terrorism Confinement Center](/source/Terrorism_Confinement_Center) in El Salvador.{{cite news |last1=Renteria |first1=Nelson |last2=O'Boyle |first2=Brendan |last3=Cortes |first3=Raul |date=March 20, 2025 |title=Explainer: What is El Salvador's mega-prison holding Venezuelans deported from the US? |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/what-is-el-salvadors-mega-prison-that-could-take-us-criminals-2025-02-04/ |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |access-date=April 12, 2025}} Trump targeted activists, legal immigrants, tourists, and students with visas who expressed criticism of his policies or pro-Palestinian advocacy.{{cite news |last1=Kanno-Youngs |first1=Zolan |author-link1=Zolan Kanno-Youngs |last2=Pager |first2=Tyler |last3=Aleaziz |first3=Hamed |date=March 21, 2025 |title=As Trump Broadens Crackdown, Focus Expands to Legal Immigrants and Tourists |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/us/politics/trump-immigration-visa-crackdown.html |access-date=March 29, 2025 |url-access=limited}} Several [American citizens were detained and deported](/source/Detention_and_deportation_of_American_citizens_in_the_second_Trump_administration).{{cite news |last=Danner |first=Chas |date=May 3, 2025 |title=All the U.S. Citizens Who've Been Caught Up in Trump's Immigration Crackdown |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/tracking-us-citizens-children-detained-deported-ice-trump-updates.html |access-date=May 4, 2025 |work=[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine))}} His aggressive and hardline deportation campaign led to large nationwide protests and violent confrontations with migrants and protesters which increased in intensity following high-profile killings of U.S. citizens by federal agents during [Operation Metro Surge](/source/Operation_Metro_Surge) in January 2026.{{cite news |last1=Hesson |first1=Ted |last2=Cooke |first2=Kristina |date=January 10, 2026 |title=Trump's showy immigration enforcement leads to violent confrontations |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-showy-immigration-enforcement-leads-violent-confrontations-2026-01-10/ |access-date=January 31, 2026 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters)}}{{cite news |last1=Rao |first1=Sonia A. |last2=Mayorquín |first2=Orlando |last3=Schweber |first3=Nate |last4=Watkins |first4=Rhianwen |last5=Bonamo |first5=Mark |date=January 30, 2026 |title=Protesters Denounce Trump Immigration Tactics in 'National Shutdown' |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/us/minnesota-ice-protests-trump-immigration.html |access-date=January 31, 2026 |url-access=limited}} === Foreign policy (2025–present) === {{main|Foreign policy of the second Trump administration}} {{further|Tariffs in the second Trump administration|China–United States trade war|2025–2026 United States trade war with Canada and Mexico|American expansionism under Donald Trump|2026 Iran war}} Trump's second-term foreign policy was described as [expansionist](/source/American_expansionism_under_Donald_Trump) and [imperialist](/source/American_imperialism).{{cite news |last1=Colvin |first1=Jill |last2=Gillies |first2=Rob |date=January 9, 2025 |title=Trump, the 'America First' candidate, has a new preoccupation: Imperialism |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-imperialism-canada-panama-greenland-b4b53445dee97398b498b79eab54d49b |access-date=January 28, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Erlanger |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Erlanger |date=January 7, 2026 |title=Europe and Rest of World Try to Come to Terms With Trump the Imperialist |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/world/europe/trump-venezuela-greenland-ukraine-europe.html |access-date=January 19, 2026 |url-access=limited}} His administration favored [hard power](/source/hard_power) to achieve its [America First](/source/America_First) foreign policy goals,{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist) |date=February 2, 2025 |title=Trump Favors Blunt Force in Dealing With Foreign Allies and Enemies Alike |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/us/politics/trump-tariffs-migrants-power.html |access-date=September 7, 2025 |url-access=limited}} and dismantled or withdrew support from domestic and international organizations dedicated to advancing American [soft power](/source/soft_power).{{cite news |last=Hvistendahl |first=Mar |date=July 23, 2025 |title=China Flexes Muscles at U.N. Cultural Agency, Just as Trump Walks Away |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/world/asia/unesco-china-us.html |access-date=September 7, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Basu |first1=Zachary |last2=Lawler |first2=Dave |date=July 17, 2025 |title=Trump's soft-power retreat scrambles U.S.-China race |website=[Axios](/source/Axios_(website)) |url=https://www.axios.com/2025/07/17/trump-china-retreat-soft-power |access-date=September 7, 2025}} Trump's relations with U.S. allies have been transactional and ranged from indifference to hostility, while he has sought friendlier relations with certain U.S. adversaries.{{cite news |last=Erlanger |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Erlanger |date=February 27, 2025 |title=Indifference or Hostility? Trump's View of European Allies Raises Alarm |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/world/europe/trump-eu-allies.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 28, 2025 |quote=Mr. Trump has rebuffed NATO and aligned himself with the longstanding, principal threat to the alliance: Russia.}} [[File:President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Oval Office, Feb. 28, 2025.webm|thumb|thumbtime=43:14|Meeting with [Volodymyr Zelenskyy](/source/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy), February 2025]] In February 2025, Trump and Vice President Vance [berated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy](/source/2025_Trump%E2%80%93Zelenskyy_Oval_Office_meeting) in a highly contentious televised meeting. Media outlets described it as an unprecedented public confrontation between an American president and a foreign [head of state](/source/head_of_state).{{cite news |last1=Liptak |first1=Kevin |last2=Zeleny |first2=Jeff |author-link2=Jeff Zeleny |last3=Maher |first3=Kit |last4=Collins |first4=Kaitlan |author-link4=Kaitlan Collins |date=February 28, 2025 |title=Trump and Vance erupt at Zelensky in tense Oval Office meeting |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/28/politics/trump-zelensky-vance-oval-office/index.html |access-date=March 20, 2025 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}}{{cite news |last1=De Luce |first1=Dan |date=March 1, 2025 |title=Trump-Zelenskyy clash marks a defining turn away from U.S. defense of democracies |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-zelenskyy-clash-marks-defining-turn-away-us-defense-democracies-rcna193975 |access-date=March 27, 2025 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}} Trump's economic policies have been described as [protectionist](/source/Protectionism_in_the_United_States),{{cite news |last1=Douglas |first1=Jason |last2=Fairless |first2=Tom |date=March 24, 2025 |title=Trade War Explodes Across World at Pace Not Seen in Decades |url=https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/trade-war-explodes-across-world-at-pace-not-seen-in-decades-0b6d6513 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |newspaper=[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal) |url-access=subscription}} with him imposing tariffs on most countries, including large tariffs on major trading partners China, Canada, and Mexico.{{cite news |last1=Swanson |first1=Ana |last2=Austen |first2=Ian |last3=Romero |first3=Simon |author-link3=Simon Romero |title=Trump's Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China Snap Into Effect |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/business/economy/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china.html |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=March 4, 2025 |date=March 4, 2025 |url-access=limited}} He started a global trade war, imposing tariffs at the highest level since the 1930 [Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act](/source/Smoot%E2%80%93Hawley_Tariff_Act) at the onset of the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression).{{cite news |last=Goldman |first=David |date=August 1, 2025 |title=Trump's new tariffs have no precedent in the modern era |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/economy/tariff-policy-trump-trade |access-date=August 8, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Romm |first=Tony |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/business/economy/trump-tariffs-trade-war.html |title=Staggering U.S. Tariffs Begin as Trump Widens Trade War |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=August 7, 2025 |access-date=August 9, 2025 |url-access=limited}} In February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled the tariffs he imposed under the [International Emergency Economic Powers Act](/source/International_Emergency_Economic_Powers_Act) to be illegal.{{cite news |last1=Fritze |first1=John |last2=Cole |first2=Devan |last3=Buchwald |first3=Elizabeth |last4=Sneed |first4=Tierney Sneed |title=Supreme Court rules that Trump's sweeping emergency tariffs are illegal |url=https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/20/politics/supreme-court-tariffs |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=February 20, 2026 |access-date=February 20, 2026}} Trump frequently threatened and enacted tariffs against treaty allies for opposing his political objectives.{{cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Edward |author-link1=Edward Wong |last2=Pierson |first2=David |date=July 11, 2025 |title=Rubio and China's Top Envoy Vie for Influence in Asia Over Trump's Tariffs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/us/politics/china-us-asia-tariffs.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 24, 2025 |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}}{{cite news |last1=Boak |first1=Josh |last2=Burrows |first2=Emma |last3=Niemann |first3=Daniel |date=January 17, 2026 |title=Trump says 8 European countries will face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland |url=https://apnews.com/article/denmark-greenland-us-trump-4ad99ea3975a8b62d37bd04961feda55 |access-date=January 19, 2026 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} In Latin America, Trump pursued legally controversial military strikes against [alleged drug boats](/source/United_States_strikes_on_alleged_drug_traffickers_during_Operation_Southern_Spear) in international waters,{{cite news |last1=Woodward |first1=Alex |date=September 3, 2025 |title=Trump's Venezuelan boat violated international law, experts warn |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-venezuela-drug-boat-attack-video-b2819566.html |access-date=September 3, 2025 |newspaper=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)}} and ordered [a large military buildup](/source/United_States_military_buildup_in_the_Caribbean_during_Operation_Southern_Spear).{{cite news |last1=Chávez |first1=Steve |last2=Stott |first2=Michael |title=US naval build-up near Venezuela stokes tensions in Latin America |url=https://www.ft.com/content/50db68c8-59d2-4a2a-b2c3-7c8c88237763 |access-date=September 5, 2025 |newspaper=[Financial Times](/source/Financial_Times) |date=August 28, 2025|url-access=subscription}} In November 2025, Trump pardoned former Honduran president [Juan Orlando Hernández](/source/Juan_Orlando_Hern%C3%A1ndez), who had been extradited to the U.S. in 2022 and sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking. In January 2026, the U.S. captured Venezuelan president [Nicolás Maduro](/source/Nicol%C3%A1s_Maduro) in [a military raid in Venezuela](/source/2026_United_States_strikes_in_Venezuela) and took him to New York, where he was charged with drug trafficking.{{cite news |last=Downs |first=Garrett |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/04/trump-venezuela-maduro-pardon-honduras.html |title=Trump admin pressed on pardon for ex-Honduras president after Venezuela's Maduro snatched |work=[CNBC](/source/CNBC) |date=January 4, 2026 |access-date=January 6, 2026}} In 2025, Trump [threatened the annexation of Greenland](/source/Greenland_crisis), including by military force or the imposition of tariffs on European allies. In January 2026, he appeared to withdraw both threats, stating that he had reached "the framework of a future deal" with NATO.{{cite news |last1=Jakes |first1=Lara |last2=Tankersley |first2=Jim |last3=Kanno-Youngs |first3=Zolan |author-link3=Zolan Kanno-Youngs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/us/politics/trump-greenland-threats-diplomacy-force.html |title=Trump Says He Has Framework for Greenland Deal as NATO Mulls Idea of U.S. Sovereignty Over Bases |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=January 21, 2026 |access-date=February 4, 2026}} ==== Middle East wars ==== Trump has taken a pro-Israel stance and continued [support for Israel in the Gaza war](/source/United_States_support_for_Israel_in_the_Gaza_war).{{cite news |title=Trump wants Jordan and Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees and floats plan to 'clean out' Gaza |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-israel-bomb-gaza-hamas-war-023b36984c6116c128b5e47f117bba2a |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=January 26, 2025 |access-date=December 26, 2025}} From March to May 2025, Trump [launched an extensive aerial campaign](/source/March%E2%80%93May_2025_United_States_attacks_in_Yemen) against [Houthi](/source/Houthis) targets in Yemen—his first major military operation in the Middle East during his second term.{{cite news |last1=Schmitt |first1=Eric |last2=Wong |first2=Edward |last3=Ismay |first3=John |date=April 4, 2025 |title=U.S. Strikes in Yemen Burning Through Munitions With Limited Success |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/us/politics/us-strikes-yemen-houthis.html |access-date=March 22, 2026 |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)}} In June 2025, Trump joined Israel in its [Twelve-Day War](/source/Twelve-Day_War) with Iran, ordering the [bombing of Iranian nuclear sites](/source/2025_United_States_strikes_on_Iranian_nuclear_sites) by U.S. planes.{{cite news |last=Magid |first=Jacob |title=US bombs Fordo, 2 other nuclear facilities, joining Israel's war in Iran |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-strikes-irans-elusive-fordo-facility-joining-israels-fight-against-nuclear-program/ |access-date=June 22, 2025 |newspaper=[The Times of Israel](/source/The_Times_of_Israel) |date=June 22, 2025}} His [plan for a Gaza ceasefire deal](/source/Gaza_peace_plan) between Israel and [Hamas](/source/Hamas) was signed in October 2025, leading to the creation of the [Board of Peace](/source/Board_of_Peace).{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-hamas-agree-gaza-ceasefire-return-hostages-2025-10-09/ |title=Gazans trek to ruined homes as Israeli forces pull back under ceasefire |last1=Lubell |first1=Maayan |last2=Al-Mughrabi |first2=Nidal |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |date=October 9, 2025 |access-date=October 9, 2025 |url-access=limited}} In February 2026, Trump authorized joint U.S.–Israeli air strikes on Iran, sparking the [2026 Iran war](/source/2026_Iran_war) and killing Iranian supreme leader [Ali Khamenei](/source/Ali_Khamenei).{{cite news |last=Sanger |first=David E. |author-link=David E. Sanger |date=February 28, 2026 |title=For Trump, the Iran Attack Is the Ultimate War of Choice |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/us/politics/trump-iran-attack.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 28, 2026}}{{cite news |last1=Holm |first1=Phil |last2=Jarrett |first2=Will |last3=Vineys |first3=Kevin |title=The US-Israeli war with Iran in maps, graphics and images |url=https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/iran-us-israel-war-conflict-gulf-visuals-8fc2192e3c05d30fd7dad5b18b9743b7 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |date=March 3, 2026 |access-date=March 4, 2026}} During the conflict, Trump and his administration made diverse and inconsistent [explanations for starting the war](/source/Rationale_for_the_2026_Iran_war).{{cite news |url=https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/donald-trump-und-der-iran-krieg-praesident-siegessicher-kriegsziel-unbekannt-a-2df3b848-6ade-4cbb-a4c7-45ed6738fe63 |title=(S+) Trump und Iran: Präsident siegessicher, Kriegsziel unbekannt |language=de |trans-title=(S+) Trump and Iran: President confident of victory, war aim unknown |first=Alexander |last=Sarovic |date=11 March 2026 |work=[Der Spiegel](/source/Der_Spiegel)}} On April 8, a temporary ceasefire went into effect. The Strait of Hormuz remained closed, and both sides continued sporadic attacks while several rounds of talks did not result in a peace settlement.{{cite news |last=Faguy |first=Ana |title=Trump seeking edits to US-Iran deal, US media report |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1w2xve315do |date=May 31, 2026 |access-date=June 1, 2026 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}}{{cite news |last=Aikman |first=Ian |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g44yl7q70o |title=Iran condemns US strikes as 'gross violation' of ceasefire |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News) |date=May 26, 2026 |access-date=June 1, 2026 }} === Personnel (2025–present) === {{main|Political appointments of the second Trump administration|Second cabinet of Donald Trump}} In his second term, Trump selected [cabinet](/source/Second_cabinet_of_Donald_Trump) members with personal loyalty to him,{{cite news |last=Griffiths |first=Brent D. |date=November 13, 2024 |title=Trump's early Cabinet picks show how much he values loyalty in his second term |work=[Business Insider](/source/Business_Insider) |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-cabinet-picks-so-far-loyalty-resumes-11 |access-date=February 23, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Slattery |first1=Gram |last2=Ulmer |first2=Alexander |date=November 11, 2024 |title=As Trump staffs up for second term, only MAGA loyalists need apply |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url=https://www.reuters.com/default/donald-trump-staffs-up-second-term-only-maga-loyalists-need-apply-2024-11-11/ |access-date=February 23, 2025 |url-access=limited}} with the "focus on loyalty over subject-matter expertise". In February 2025, the White House stated that [Elon Musk](/source/Elon_Musk) was a [special government employee](/source/special_government_employee).{{cite news |last=Picchi |first=Aimee |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-special-government-employee-what-does-that-mean/ |title=The White House says Elon Musk is a "special government employee." Here's what that means. |work=[CBS News](/source/CBS_News) |date=February 4, 2025 |access-date=February 5, 2025}} Trump gave Musk's [Department of Government Efficiency](/source/Department_of_Government_Efficiency) (DOGE) access to many federal government agencies. Musk's teams operated in eighteen departments and agencies in the administration's first month,{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-february-23-2025-n1311564 |title=Meet the Press – February 23, 2025 |date=February 23, 2025 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}} including in the Treasury Department's $5 trillion payment system,{{cite news |title=Elon Musk's Team Now Has Access to Treasury's Payments System |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/us/politics/elon-musk-doge-federal-payments-system.html |first1=Andrew |last1=Duehren |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |first3=Theodore |last3=Schleifer |first4=Alan |last4=Rappeport |author-link4=Alan Rappeport |date=February 1, 2025 |access-date=February 2, 2025 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} the [Small Business Administration](/source/Small_Business_Administration), the [Office of Personnel Management](/source/Office_of_Personnel_Management), and the [General Services Administration](/source/General_Services_Administration).{{cite news |first=Nicole |last=Narea |title=Elon Musk's secretive government IT takeover, explained |date=February 5, 2025 |access-date=February 5, 2025 |url=https://www.vox.com/politics/398366/musk-doge-treasury-sba-opm-budget |work=[Vox](/source/Vox_(website))}} == Rhetoric, behavior, and political practice == {{main|Political positions of Donald Trump|Rhetoric of Donald Trump}} Starting with his advocacy of [birther](/source/birther) conspiracy theories in the 2010s, Trump helped bring once-fringe far-right ideas and organizations into the mainstream.{{refn| * {{cite news |last=Bierman |first=Noah |date=August 22, 2016 |title=Donald Trump helps bring far-right media's edgier elements into the mainstream |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-media-20160820-snap-story.html |access-date=October 7, 2021}} * {{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist) |date=December 1, 2022 |title=Trump Embraces Extremism as He Seeks to Reclaim Office |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/01/us/politics/trump-extremism-candidacy.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 20, 2025}} * {{cite news |last=Oreskes |first=Benjamin |date=May 23, 2024 |title=Trump and GOP repeatedly echo Nazi and far-right ideology as they aim to retake White House |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-05-23/trump-gop-nazi-presidential-election-politics |access-date=July 27, 2025 |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)}} * {{cite news |last1=Swenson |first1=Ali |last2=Kunzelman |first2=Michael |date=November 18, 2023 |title=Fears of political violence are growing as the 2024 campaign heats up and conspiracy theories evolve |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/depape-paul-pelosi-qanon-conspiracy-theories-violence-390ad310fa34b0edb925d88540a7ddcd |access-date=January 20, 2025}} }} The [alt-right](/source/alt-right) movement coalesced around and supported his candidacy due in part to [opposition to multiculturalism](/source/opposition_to_multiculturalism) and [immigration](/source/Opposition_to_immigration).{{cite news |last=Weigel |first=David |date=August 20, 2016 |title='Racialists' are cheered by Trump's latest strategy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/racial-realists-are-cheered-by-trumps-latest-strategy/2016/08/20/cd71e858-6636-11e6-96c0-37533479f3f5_story.html |access-date=January 9, 2026 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)}}{{cite news |last=Pearce |first=Matt |date=September 30, 2020 |title=Q&A: What is President Trump's relationship with far-right and white supremacist groups? |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-09-30/la-na-pol-2020-trump-white-supremacy |access-date=January 12, 2026 |website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)}}{{cite news |last=Krieg |first=Gregory |date=August 25, 2016 |title=Clinton is attacking the 'Alt-Right'– What is it? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/25/politics/alt-right-explained-hillary-clinton-donald-trump |access-date=January 9, 2026 |website=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} During his 2016 campaign, Trump's politics and rhetoric led to the formation of a [political movement](/source/political_movement) known as [Trumpism](/source/Trumpism),{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Timothy L. |author-link=Timothy L. O'Brien |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-11-01/trumpism-has-deep-roots-in-american-history-and-it-will-outlast-trump |title=The Peculiarly American Roots of Trumpism |work=[Bloomberg News](/source/Bloomberg_News) |date=November 1, 2024 |access-date=November 26, 2024 |url-access=limited}} which has been [compared to a cult of personality](/source/Trumpism).{{refn| * {{cite journal |last=Sundahl |first=Anne-Mette Holmgård |title=Personality Cult or a Mere Matter of Popularity? |journal=[International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society](/source/International_Journal_of_Politics%2C_Culture%2C_and_Society) |volume=36 |issue=4 |date=May 4, 2022 |pages=431–458 |doi=10.1007/s10767-022-09423-0 |pmid=35528318 |pmc=9066393}} * {{cite journal |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Benajmin E. |last2=Moen |first2=Lars J. K. |date=May 14, 2024 |title=The personality of a personality cult? Personality characteristics of Donald Trump's most loyal supporters |journal=[Political Psychology](/source/Political_Psychology) |volume=46 |issue=Special Issue |pages=225–243 |issn=0162-895X |doi=10.1111/pops.12991 |doi-access=free|hdl=1885/733752725 |hdl-access=free }} * {{cite journal |last1=Adams |first1=Kenneth Alan |date=Spring 2021 |title=The Trump Death Cult |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/c5d4601ebe8dcb232f9ab2965e900d70/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=35407 |journal=[Journal of Psychohistory](/source/Journal_of_Psychohistory) |volume=48 |issue=4 |access-date=February 22, 2026 |pages=256–276 |issn=0145-3378}} * {{cite journal |last1=Diamond |first1=Michael J. |date=February 22, 2023 |title=Perverted Containment: Trumpism, Cult Creation, and the Rise of Destructive American Populism |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |journal=Psychoanalytic Inquiry |volume=43 |issue=2 |access-date=February 22, 2026 |pages=96–109 |issn=0735-1690 |doi=10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |publisher=[Taylor & Francis](/source/Taylor_%26_Francis) |url-access=subscription}} *{{cite journal |last1=Reyes |first1=Antonio |date=May 4, 2020 |title=I, Trump The cult of personality, anti-intellectualism and the Post-Truth era |url=https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |journal=Journal of Language and Politics |volume=19 |issue=6 |access-date=February 22, 2026 |pages=869–892 |issn=1569-2159 |doi=10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |url-access=subscription}} }} His political positions have been described as [populist](/source/populist){{sfn|Ross|2024|p=298}}{{sfn|Urbinati|2019}} or [right-wing populist](/source/right-wing_populist),{{sfn|Campani|Concepción|Soler|Savín|2022}}{{cite news |last=Chotiner |first=Isaac |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/redefining-populism |title=Redefining Populism |magazine=[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker) |date=July 29, 2021 |access-date=October 14, 2021}} and favoring an expansion of presidential power under a maximalist interpretation of the [unitary executive theory](/source/unitary_executive_theory).{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=January 22, 2025 |title=Trump Seeks to Paralyze Independent Privacy and Civil Liberties Watchdog |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/us/trump-privacy-civil-liberties-oversight-board.html |access-date=January 25, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (journalist) |date=January 22, 2025 |title=How Trump Is Pushing at Limits of Presidential Power in Early Orders |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/us/politics/trump-executive-orders.html |access-date=January 28, 2025}} Many of his actions and rhetoric have been described as [authoritarian](/source/authoritarian) and contributing to [democratic backsliding](/source/Democratic_backsliding_in_the_United_States),{{sfn|Parker|Towler|2019|p=505; 513}}{{sfn|Kaufman|Haggard|2019}}{{sfn|Ross|2024|p=300|loc="Donald Trump is broadly seen as posing an existential threat to American democracy."}} as well as establishing an ["us versus them" narrative](/source/In-group_and_out-group).{{sfn|Ross|2024|p=299|}} Trump's rhetoric has been described as using [fearmongering](/source/fearmongering) and [demagogy](/source/demagogy) which [intensified during his 2024 presidential campaign](/source/Donald_Trump_2024_presidential_campaign).{{cite news |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |author-link=Maggie Haberman |date=September 11, 2024 |title='The End of Our Country': Trump Paints Dark Picture at Debate |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/11/us/politics/trump-debate-dark-picture.html |access-date=September 25, 2024 |url-access=limited}} He appeals to [evangelical Christians](/source/Trumpism) and [Christian nationalists](/source/Christian_nationalism_in_the_United_States),{{sfn|Perry|Whitehead|Grubbs|2021|p=229|loc=Christian nationalist ideology was among the strongest predictors of Americans voting for Trump in 2016 and remained a strong predictor of intent to vote for him prior to the 2020 election}}{{cite news |date=May 18, 2024 |title=Jesus is their savior, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president's backers say he shares faith, values |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-christian-evangelicals-conservatives-2024-election-43f25118c133170c77786daf316821c3 |access-date=January 9, 2026 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} and regularly calls his political opponents "evil".{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist) |date=July 16, 2025 |title=For Trump, Domestic Adversaries Are Not Just Wrong, They Are 'Evil' |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/us/politics/trump-political-enemies-evil.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 9, 2026}} === Race and gender === {{main|Racial views of Donald Trump|Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations}} Many of Trump's comments and actions have been characterized as racist. * {{cite journal|last=Logan|first=Enid|title=The 2024 US presidential election & the politics of race: responding to a moment of crisis with analysis, insight & action|journal=Ethnic and Racial Studies|issue=48|volume=15|date=2025|pages=2953–2970 |doi=10.1080/01419870.2025.2524023 }} * {{cite journal|last=Cadena|first=Roger S.|title=Beyond puzzlement: rethinking Latino conservatives' politics of race, ethnicity, and immigration in the Trump era|journal=Ethnic and Racial Studies|issue=48|volume=15|date=2025|pages=3037–3058 |doi=10.1080/01419870.2025.2504613 }} * {{cite news |last=Lopez |first=German |date=February 14, 2019 |title=Donald Trump's long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2019 |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270880/donald-trump-racist-racism-history |access-date=June 15, 2019 |work=[Vox](/source/Vox_(website))}} * {{cite news |last=Desjardins |first=Lisa |author-link=Lisa Desjardins |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Every moment in Trump's charged relationship with race |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/every-moment-donald-trumps-long-complicated-history-race |access-date=January 13, 2018 |work=[PBS NewsHour](/source/PBS_NewsHour)}} * {{cite news |last=Dawsey |first=Josh |author-link=Josh Dawsey |date=January 11, 2018 |title=Trump's history of making offensive comments about nonwhite immigrants |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html |access-date=January 11, 2018 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last=Weaver |first=Aubree Eliza |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Trump's 'shithole' comment denounced across the globe |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/12/trump-shithole-comment-reaction-337926 |access-date=January 13, 2018 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |ref={{harvid|Weaver|2018b}}}} * {{cite news |last1=Stoddard |first1=Ed |last2=Mfula |first2=Chris |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Africa calls Trump racist after 'shithole' remark |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-reaction/africa-calls-trump-racist-after-shithole-remark-idUSKBN1F11VC |access-date=October 1, 2019 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} Several studies and surveys found that racist attitudes fueled Trump's political ascent and were more important than economic factors in determining the allegiance of Trump voters.{{cite news |last=Lopez |first=German |date=December 15, 2017 |title=The past year of research has made it very clear: Trump won because of racial resentment |url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/12/15/16781222/trump-racism-economic-anxiety-study |access-date=January 14, 2018 |work=[Vox](/source/Vox_(website))}} He explicitly and routinely disparages racial, religious, and ethnic minorities,{{sfn|Stephens-Dougan|2021|p=302}} and scholars consistently find that racist and [Islamophobic](/source/Islamophobic) attitudes regarding black people, immigrants, and Muslims are strong indicators of support for Trump.{{sfn|Lajevardi|Oskooii|2018}}{{sfn|Berman|2021|p=76}} Trump has been accused of racism{{cite news |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-central-park-five-presidential-debate_n_66e1a7c2e4b0e13c292dccad |work=[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost) |title=Trump Defends One Of The Most Blatantly Racist Moments From His Past |first=Ryan |last=Grenoble |date=September 11, 2024}} for running full-page newspaper advertisements and insisting that a group of five black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 [Central Park jogger case](/source/Central_Park_jogger_case), even after they were cleared of suspicion in 2002.{{cite news |last=Diaz |first=Jaclyn |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/09/11/nx-s1-5108632/central-park-five-trump-debate |title=The Central Park 5 are suing Trump over Philly debate comments |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=October 21, 2024 |access-date=November 27, 2024}} Trump's comments on the 2017 [Unite the Right rally](/source/Unite_the_Right_rally), condemning "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides" and stating that there were "very fine people on both sides", were criticized as implying a [moral equivalence](/source/moral_equivalence) between the [white supremacist](/source/white_supremacist) demonstrators and the counter-protesters.{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |date=May 8, 2020 |title=The 'very fine people' at Charlottesville: Who were they? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/08/very-fine-people-charlottesville-who-were-they-2/ |access-date=October 23, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} In a January 2018 discussion of immigration legislation, he reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries",{{cite news |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |date=January 11, 2018 |title=Trump's "shithole countries" comment exposes the core of Trumpism |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/1/11/16880804/trump-shithole-countries-racism |access-date=January 11, 2018 |work=[Vox](/source/Vox_(website))}} remarks condemned as racist.{{cite news |last1=Wintour |first1=Patrick |author-link1=Patrick Wintour |last2=Burke |first2=Jason |author-link2=Jason Burke |last3=Livsey |first3=Anna |date=January 13, 2018 |title='There's no other word but racist': Trump's global rebuke for 'shithole' remark |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/unkind-divisive-elitist-international-outcry-over-trumps-shithole-countries-remark |access-date=January 13, 2018 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} In July 2019, a House of Representatives [resolution condemned Trump for racist remarks](/source/Racial_views_of_Donald_Trump) about four minority Democratic congresswomen.{{cite news |last=Mak |first=Tim |author-link=Tim Mak |date=July 16, 2019 |title=House Votes To Condemn Trump's 'Racist Comments' |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742236610/condemnation-of-president-delayed-by-debate-can-lawmakers-call-trump-tweets-raci |access-date=July 17, 2019 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} His 2024 campaign made extensive use of [dehumanizing language](/source/Dehumanization) and [racial stereotypes](/source/racial_stereotypes). * {{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |author-link1=Michael D. Shear |last2=Aleaziz |first2=Hamed |last3=Ulloa |first3=Jazmine |date=September 11, 2024 |title=How Trump Uses Vitriol for Migrants to Sideline Other Issues |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/11/us/politics/trump-debate-migrants.html |access-date=July 27, 2025 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Michael |last2=Huynh |first2=Anjali |date=April 2, 2024 |title=Trump Again Invokes 'Blood Bath' and Dehumanizes Migrants in Border Remarks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/us/politics/trump-border-blood-bath.html |access-date=July 27, 2025 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} * {{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Kate |date=October 6, 2023 |title=Trump's anti-immigrant comments draw rebuke |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/06/politics/trump-anti-immigrant-comments/ |access-date=July 27, 2025 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} * {{cite news |last=Ward |first=Myah |date=October 12, 2024 |title=We watched 20 Trump rallies. His racist, anti-immigrant messaging is getting darker. |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/12/trump-racist-rhetoric-immigrants-00183537 |access-date=July 27, 2025 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}} [[File:President Trump Visits St. John's Episcopal Church (49964153176).jpg|thumb|With a group of officials and advisors walking from the White House to St. John's Church, following the [forced removal of protesters at Lafayette Square](/source/Donald_Trump_photo_op_at_St._John's_Church) in June 2020]] In June 2020, during the [George Floyd protests](/source/George_Floyd_protests), federal law-enforcement officials used tear gas and other crowd control tactics to remove a largely peaceful crowd of lawful protesters from [Lafayette Square](/source/Lafayette_Square%2C_Washington%2C_D.C.), outside the [White House](/source/White_House).{{cite news |last1=Leonnig |first1=Carol D. |author-link1=Carol D. Leonnig |last2=Zapotosky |first2=Matt |last3=Dawsey |first3=Josh |author-link3=Josh Dawsey |last4=Tan |first4=Rebecca |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/barr-personally-ordered-removal-of-protesters-near-white-house-leading-to-use-of-force-against-largely-peaceful-crowd/2020/06/02/0ca2417c-a4d5-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html |title=Barr personally ordered removal of protesters near White House, leading to use of force against largely peaceful crowd |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=June 2, 2020 |access-date=June 3, 2020 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=June 2, 2020 |title=Timeline: The clearing of Lafayette Square |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/02/timeline-clearing-lafayette-square/ |access-date=June 6, 2020 |url-access=limited}} Trump then [posed with a Bible for a photo op](/source/Donald_Trump_photo_op_at_St._John's_Church) at the nearby [St. John's Episcopal Church](/source/St._John's_Episcopal_Church%2C_Lafayette_Square),{{cite news |last1=Gittleson |first1=Ben |last2=Phelps |first2=Jordyn |title=Police use munitions to forcibly push back peaceful protesters for Trump church visit |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/national-guard-troops-deployed-white-house-trump-calls/story?id=71004151 |access-date=June 29, 2021 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States)) |date=June 3, 2020}}{{cite news |last=O'Neil |first=Luke |date=June 2, 2020 |title=What do we know about Trump's love for the Bible? |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/02/what-do-we-know-about-trumps-love-for-the-bible |access-date=June 11, 2020}} with religious leaders condemning both the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself.{{cite news |last1=Stableford |first1=Dylan |last2=Wilson |first2=Christopher |title=Religious leaders condemn teargassing protesters to clear street for Trump |url=https://news.yahoo.com/religious-leaders-condemn-gassing-protesters-to-clear-street-for-trump-192800782.html |access-date=June 8, 2020 |work=[Yahoo News](/source/Yahoo_News) |date=June 3, 2020}} Trump has a history of belittling women when speaking to the media and on social media.{{sfn|Rothe|Collins|2019}}{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |author-link1=Michael D. Shear |last2=Sullivan |first2=Eileen |author-link2=Eileen Sullivan |date=October 16, 2018 |title='Horseface,' 'Lowlife,' 'Fat, Ugly': How the President Demeans Women |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/us/politics/trump-women-insults.html |access-date=August 5, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He made lewd comments, disparaged women's physical appearances, and referred to them using derogatory epithets. In October 2016, a 2005 "[hot mic](/source/hot_mic)" recording surfaced in which [he bragged](/source/Donald_Trump_Access_Hollywood_tape) about kissing and groping women without their consent, saying that, "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the [pussy](/source/Pussy)."{{cite news |last=Timm |first=Jane C. |title=Trump caught on hot mic making lewd comments about women in 2005 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-hot-mic-when-you-re-star-you-can-do-n662116 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |date=October 7, 2016 |access-date=June 10, 2018}} He characterized the comments as "locker-room talk".{{cite news |last=Fahrenthold |first=David |author-link=David Fahrenthold |title=Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |access-date=December 14, 2024 |url-access=limited}} After widespread public outrage, including among Republicans, Trump issued a video with a rare public apology and an attack on Hillary Clinton.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/politics/donald-trump-women.html |title=Donald Trump Apology Caps Day of Outrage Over Lewd Tape |date=October 7, 2016 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=October 8, 2016 |last1=Burns |first1=Alexander |author-link1=Alex Burns (journalist) |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |last3=Martin |first3=Jonathan |author-link3=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |url-access=limited}} As of October 2024, since the 1970s, at least 28 women{{cite magazine |url=https://newrepublic.com/post/187761/pageant-queen-beatrice-keul-trump-sexual-assault |title=Pageant Queen Shares Horrifying Details of Trump Sexual Assault |last=Ferguson |first=Malcolm |magazine=[The New Republic](/source/The_New_Republic) |date=October 31, 2024 |access-date=August 21, 2025}} have accused Trump of various acts of sexual misconduct, including rape, sex with minors, sexual assault, physical abuse, kissing and groping without consent, looking under women's skirts, and walking in on naked pageant contestants.{{cite news |last=Osborne |first=Lucy |date=September 17, 2020 |title='It felt like tentacles': the women who accuse Trump of sexual misconduct |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/17/amy-dorris-donald-trump-women-who-accuse-sexual-misconduct |access-date=June 6, 2024 |newspaper=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} === Link to violence and hate crimes === {{further|Rhetoric of Donald Trump#Violence}} Trump has been identified as a key figure in increasing political violence in the U.S., both for and against him.{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist) |date=September 16, 2024 |title=Trump, Outrage and the Modern Era of Political Violence |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/us/politics/trump-violence-assassination-attempt.html |access-date=January 20, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{sfn|Nacos|Shapiro|Bloch-Elkon|2020}}{{sfn|Piazza|Van Doren|2022}} He is described as embracing extremism, [conspiracy theories](/source/List_of_conspiracy_theories_promoted_by_Donald_Trump) such as [QAnon](/source/QAnon), and far-right [militia movements](/source/American_militia_movement) more than any other modern American president.{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (journalist) |date=December 1, 2022 |title=Trump Embraces Extremism as He Seeks to Reclaim Office |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/01/us/politics/trump-extremism-candidacy.html |access-date=January 20, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Swenson |first1=Ali |last2=Kunzelman |first2=Michael |date=November 18, 2023 |title=Fears of political violence are growing as the 2024 campaign heats up and conspiracy theories evolve |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/depape-paul-pelosi-qanon-conspiracy-theories-violence-390ad310fa34b0edb925d88540a7ddcd |access-date=January 20, 2025}} He has repeatedly accused his political opponents of treason and called for their imprisonment or execution, leading to accusations of promoting violence.{{cite news |last=Basu |first=Zachary |date=November 16, 2019 |title=The 24 times Trump has accused somebody of "treason" |url=https://www.axios.com/2019/06/16/trump-treason-russia-investigation-new-york-times |access-date=May 13, 2026 |work=[Axios](/source/Axios_(website))|url-access=limited}}{{cite news |date=November 20, 2025 |title=Trump calls Democrats who told US military to refuse illegal orders 'traitors' who should face death penalty |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-democrats-who-told-us-military-refuse-illegal-orders-deserve-death-2025-11-20 |access-date=May 13, 2026 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters)}}{{cite news |last=Chasan |first=Aliza |date=September 27, 2023 |title=Gen. Milley says he has "appropriate" safety measures after Trump social media threat |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/general-milley-responds-to-trump-social-media-post-60-minutes/ |access-date=May 13, 2026 |work=[CBS News](/source/CBS_News)}} Research suggests that Trump's rhetoric is associated with an increased incidence of hate crimes,{{cite news |last1=Kunzelman |first1=Michael |last2=Galvan |first2=Astrid |date=August 7, 2019 |title=Trump words linked to more hate crime? Some experts think so |url=https://apnews.com/article/7d0949974b1648a2bb592cab1f85aa16 |access-date=October 7, 2021 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}}{{cite news |last1=Feinberg |first1=Ayal |last2=Branton |first2=Regina |last3=Martinez-Ebers |first3=Valerie |date=March 22, 2019 |title=Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/22/trumps-rhetoric-does-inspire-more-hate-crimes/ |access-date=October 7, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} and that he has an emboldening effect on expressing prejudicial attitudes due to his normalization of explicit racial rhetoric.{{sfn|Stephens-Dougan|2021|p=306}} Researchers have also argued that Trump's "negative characterisations of, and false claims made about, those who became the targets" of the mob at the January 6 riot was a case of [stochastic terrorism](/source/stochastic_terrorism).{{cite news |last=Yousef |first=Odette |date=September 17, 2024 |title=The U.S. has had a long history of political violence, but experts see a new trend |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/09/17/nx-s1-5113997/political-violence-trump |access-date=January 20, 2025}}{{cite journal |last=Angove |first=James |title=Stochastic terrorism: critical reflections on an emerging concept |journal=[Taylor & Francis](/source/Taylor_%26_Francis) |date=February 3, 2024 |volume=17 |pages=21–43 |doi=10.1080/17539153.2024.2305742 |doi-access=free}} Numerous defendants investigated or prosecuted for violent acts and hate crimes cited his rhetoric in arguing that they were not culpable or deserved leniency.{{cite magazine |last=Tracy |first=Abigail |date=August 8, 2019 |title="The President of the United States Says It's Okay": The Rise of the Trump Defense |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/donald-trump-domestic-terrorism-el-paso |access-date=October 7, 2021 |magazine=[Vanity Fair](/source/Vanity_Fair_(magazine))}}{{cite news |last1=Helderman |first1=Rosalind S. |author-link1=Rosalind S. Helderman |last2=Hsu |first2=Spencer S. |last3=Weiner |first3=Rachel |date=January 16, 2021 |title='Trump said to do so': Accounts of rioters who say the president spurred them to rush the Capitol could be pivotal testimony |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-rioters-testimony/2021/01/16/01b3d5c6-575b-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html |access-date=September 27, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} A nationwide review by [ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States)) in May 2020 identified at least 54 criminal cases, from August 2015 to April 2020, in which he was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence mostly by white men and primarily against minorities.{{cite news |last=Levine |first=Mike |date=May 30, 2020 |title='No Blame?' ABC News finds 54 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults. |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889 |access-date=February 4, 2021 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States))}} Trump's refusal to condemn the white supremacist [Proud Boys](/source/Proud_Boys) during a 2020 presidential debate{{cite news |last1=Olorunnipa |first1=Toluse |author-link1=Toluse Olorunnipa |last2=Wootson |first2=Cleve R. Jr. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-debate-white-supremacist-question/2020/09/30/366df500-02c7-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html |title=Trump refused to condemn white supremacists and militia members in presidential debate marked by disputes over race |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=September 30, 2020 |access-date=December 25, 2024 |url-access=limited}} and his comment, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by", were said to have led to increased recruitment for the pro-Trump group.{{cite news |last=Cheney |first=Kyle |author-link=Kyle Cheney (journalist) |title=Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boys leader on Jan. 6, sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/05/sentencing-enrique-tarrio-proud-boys-00114095 |access-date=December 25, 2024 |newspaper=[Politico](/source/Politico) |date=September 5, 2023}} Counterterrorism researchers described his normalization and [revisionist history](/source/Historical_revisionism) of the January 6 Capitol attack, and [grant of clemency to all January 6 rioters](/source/Pardon_of_January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack_defendants), as encouraging future political violence.{{cite news |last1=Hsu |first1=Spencer S. |last2=Silverman |first2=Ellie |last3=Zakrzewski |first3=Cat |date=January 22, 2025 |title=Clemency for Oath Keepers, Proud Boys fuels extremism threat, experts say |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/01/21/pardons-proud-boys-oath-keepers/ |access-date=January 22, 2025 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Feuer |first1=Alan |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |date=April 13, 2024 |title=Inside Donald Trump's Embrace of the Jan. 6 Rioters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/13/us/politics/trump-jan-6.html |access-date=January 20, 2025 |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} === False or misleading statements and conspiracy theories === {{main|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump}} [[File:2017- Donald Trump veracity - composite graph.png|thumb|upright=1.5|[Fact-checkers](/source/Fact-checkers) from ''The Washington Post'',{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |author-link1=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last2=Kelly |first2=Meg |last3=Rizzo |first3=Salvador |last4=Lee |first4=Michelle Ye Hee |author-link4=Michelle Ye Hee Lee |date=January 20, 2021 |title=In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} the ''Toronto Star'',{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale |date=June 5, 2019 |title=Donald Trump has now said more than 5,000 false things as president |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2019/06/05/donald-trump-has-now-said-more-than-5000-false-claims-as-president.html |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)}} and CNN{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale |last2=Subramiam |first2=Tara |date=March 9, 2020 |title=Fact check: Donald Trump made 115 false claims in the last two weeks of February |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-february/ |access-date=December 15, 2025 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} compiled data on "false or misleading claims" (orange background) and "false claims" (violet foreground).|alt=Chart depicting false or misleading claims made by Trump]] Trump frequently makes false statements in public remarks,{{cite news |last=Finnegan |first=Michael |date=September 25, 2016 |title=Scope of Trump's falsehoods unprecedented for a modern presidential candidate |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-false-statements-20160925-snap-story.html |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)}} to an extent that was unprecedented in American politics.{{cite magazine |last=Glasser |first=Susan B. |author-link=Susan Glasser |date=August 3, 2018 |title=It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose |access-date=January 10, 2019 |magazine=[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)}}{{cite news |last=Konnikova |first=Maria |author-link=Maria Konnikova |date=January 20, 2017 |title=Trump's Lies vs. Your Brain |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658/ |access-date=March 31, 2018 |work=[Politico Magazine](/source/Politico_Magazine)}} His false and misleading statements were documented by [fact-checker](/source/fact-checker)s, including at ''The Washington Post'', which tallied 30,573 false or misleading statements made by him during his first presidency, increasing in frequency over time.{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |author-link1=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last2=Kelly |first2=Meg |last3=Rizzo |first3=Salvador |last4=Shapiro |first4=Leslie |last5=Dominguez |first5=Leo |date=January 23, 2021 |title=A term of untruths: The longer Trump was president, the more frequently he made false or misleading claims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/timeline-trump-claims-as-president/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} His falsehoods are a distinctive part of his political identity and have been described as [firehosing](/source/firehosing).{{sfn|Kakutani|2018|pp=94–104}} During his second term, Trump relied on false, misleading, and exaggerated claims to justify his executive actions and policies.{{cite news |last=Qiu |first=Linda |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/us/politics/trump-100-days-fact-check.html |title=In Breakneck 2nd Term, Trump Turns to Falsehoods to Justify His Agenda |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=April 29, 2025 |access-date=March 17, 2026}} He continued to make untrue statements as frequently as before but with less variety while increasing the frequency of repeating a "core set" of falsehoods.{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/27/politics/analysis-donald-trumps-top-25-lies-of-2025 |title=Analysis: Donald Trump's top 25 lies |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=December 27, 2025 |access-date=March 17, 2026}} Some of Trump's falsehoods were inconsequential,{{cite news |last=Qiu |first=Linda |date=January 21, 2017 |title=Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don't show it |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/21/sean-spicer/trump-had-biggest-inaugural-crowd-ever-metrics-don/ |access-date=March 30, 2018 |work=[PolitiFact](/source/PolitiFact)}}{{cite news |last=Rein |first=Lisa |date=March 6, 2017 |title=Here are the photos that show Obama's inauguration crowd was bigger than Trump's |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/06/here-are-the-photos-that-show-obamas-inauguration-crowd-was-bigger-than-trumps/ |access-date=March 8, 2017 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} while others had more far-reaching effects, such as his unproven promotion of antimalarial drugs as a treatment for COVID-19,{{cite news |last=Wong |first=Julia Carrie |author-link=Julia Carrie Wong |date=April 7, 2020 |title=Hydroxychloroquine: how an unproven drug became Trump's coronavirus 'miracle cure' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/hydroxychloroquine-trump-coronavirus-drug |access-date=June 25, 2021 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}}{{cite news |last=Spring |first=Marianna |author-link=Marianna Spring |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Coronavirus: The human cost of virus misinformation |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52731624 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |work=[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)}} contributing to a U.S. shortage of these drugs and [panic buying](/source/panic_buying) in Africa and South Asia.{{cite news |last=Rowland |first=Christopher |date=March 23, 2020 |title=As Trump touts an unproven coronavirus treatment, supplies evaporate for patients who need those drugs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/20/hospitals-doctors-are-wiping-out-supplies-an-unproven-coronavirus-treatment/ |access-date=March 24, 2020 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Parkinson |first1=Joe |last2=Gauthier-Villars |first2=David |date=March 23, 2020 |title=Trump Claim That Malaria Drugs Treat Coronavirus Sparks Warnings, Shortages |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-claim-that-malaria-drugs-treat-coronavirus-sparks-warnings-shortages-11584981897 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 26, 2020 |work=[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal)}} His attacks on mail-in ballots and other election practices weakened public faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election,{{cite news |last=Siders |first=David |date=May 25, 2020 |title=Trump sees a 'rigged election' ahead. Democrats see a constitutional crisis in the making. |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/25/donald-trump-rigged-election-talk-fears-274477 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=[Politico](/source/Politico)}}{{cite news |last=Riccardi |first=Nicholas |date=September 17, 2020 |title=AP Fact Check: Trump's big distortions on mail-in voting |url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-fact-check-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-8c5db90960815f91f39fe115579570b4 |access-date=October 7, 2020 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} while his disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic delayed and weakened the national response to it.{{cite news |first1=Eric |last1=Lipton |author-link1=Eric Lipton |first2=David E. |last2=Sanger |author-link2=David E. Sanger |first3=Maggie |last3=Haberman |author-link3=Maggie Haberman |first4=Michael D. |last4=Shear |author-link4=Michael D. Shear |first5=Mark |last5=Mazzetti |author-link5=Mark Mazzetti |first6=Julian E. |last6=Barnes |title=He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump's Failure on the Virus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-response.html |access-date=April 11, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=April 11, 2020 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Guynn |first=Jessica |date=October 5, 2020 |title=From COVID-19 to voting: Trump is nation's single largest spreader of disinformation, studies say |url=https://usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/05/trump-covid-19-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-twitter-election/3632194001/ |access-date=October 7, 2020 |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)}}{{cite magazine |last1=Bergengruen |first1=Vera |last2=Hennigan |first2=W.J. |date=October 6, 2020 |title='You're Gonna Beat It.' How Donald Trump's COVID-19 Battle Has Only Fueled Misinformation |url=https://time.com/5896709/trump-covid-campaign/ |access-date=October 7, 2020 |magazine=[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))}} He habitually does not apologize for his falsehoods.{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Jonathan |date=December 31, 2018 |title=Does being President Trump still mean never having to say you're sorry? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/does-being-president-trump-still-mean-never-having-say-you-n952841 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}} Until 2018, the media rarely referred to his falsehoods as lies, including when he repeated demonstrably false statements.{{cite news |last=Greenberg |first=David |author-link=David Greenberg (historian) |date=January 28, 2017 |title=The Perils of Calling Trump a Liar |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/the-perils-of-calling-trump-a-liar-214704/ |access-date=June 13, 2020 |work=[Politico Magazine](/source/Politico_Magazine)}}{{cite news |last=Bauder |first=David |date=August 29, 2018 |title=News media hesitate to use 'lie' for Trump's misstatements |url=https://apnews.com/8d3c7387eff7496abcd0651124caf891 |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}}{{cite news |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=June 5, 2019 |title=Lies? The news media is starting to describe Trump's 'falsehoods' that way. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/lies-the-news-media-is-starting-to-describe-trumps-falsehoods-that-way/2019/06/05/413cc2a0-8626-11e9-a491-25df61c78dc4_story.html |access-date=April 11, 2024 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} Since before his first presidency, Trump has [promoted numerous conspiracy theories](/source/List_of_conspiracy_theories_promoted_by_Donald_Trump). In 2011, Trump became the leading proponent of the racist ["birther" conspiracy theory](/source/Barack_Obama_citizenship_conspiracy_theories) that Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, was not born in the United States,{{cite news |last=John |first=Arit |date=June 23, 2020 |title=From birtherism to 'treason': Trump's false allegations against Obama |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-06-23/trump-obamagate-birtherism-false-allegations |access-date=February 17, 2023 |work=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)}} and he claimed credit for pressuring the government to publish Obama's birth certificate, which he considered fraudulent.{{cite news |last=Keneally |first=Meghan |date=September 18, 2015 |title=Donald Trump's History of Raising Birther Questions About President Obama |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-history-raising-birther-questions-president-obama/story?id=33861832 |access-date=August 27, 2016 |work=[ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(United_States))}} In September 2016, he publicly acknowledged [Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama)'s birthplace and falsely claimed that the rumors had been started by [Hillary Clinton](/source/Hillary_Clinton) during her [2008 presidential campaign](/source/Hillary_Clinton_2008_presidential_campaign).{{cite news |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |title=Trump Drops False 'Birther' Theory, but Floats a New One: Clinton Started It |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |first2=Alan |last2=Rappeport |date=September 16, 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html}} Trump often prefaced his conspiracies by claiming he heard them from someone else, and promoted conspiracies such as [climate change denial](/source/climate_change_denial), [alleged Ukrainian interference in U.S. elections](/source/Conspiracy_theories_related_to_the_2019_Trump%E2%80%93Ukraine_scandal), and [vaccines and autism](/source/vaccines_and_autism).{{cite news |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |author-link=Maggie Haberman |date=February 29, 2016 |title=Even as He Rises, Donald Trump Entertains Conspiracy Theories |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/politics/donald-trump-conspiracy-theories.html |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite web |last1=Fichera |first1=Angelo |last2=Spencer |first2=Saranac Hale |date=October 20, 2020 |title=Trump's Long History With Conspiracy Theories |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trumps-long-history-with-conspiracy-theories/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=[FactCheck.org](/source/FactCheck.org)}}{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=November 26, 2019 |title=President Trump loves conspiracy theories. Has he ever been right? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/26/president-trump-loves-conspiracy-theories-has-he-ever-been-right/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} After the 2020 presidential election, he promoted conspiracy theories for his defeat that were characterized as "[the big lie](/source/Big_lie_(2020_United_States_presidential_election))".{{cite magazine |last=McEvoy |first=Jemima |date=December 17, 2020 |title=These Are The Voter Fraud Claims Trump Tried (And Failed) To Overturn The Election With |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/12/17/these-are-the-voter-fraud-claims-trump-tried-and-failed-to-overturn-the-election-with/ |access-date=September 13, 2021 |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes)}}{{cite news |last=Block |first=Melissa |author-link=Melissa Block |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Can The Forces Unleashed By Trump's Big Election Lie Be Undone? |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/16/957291939/can-the-forces-unleashed-by-trumps-big-election-lie-be-undone |access-date=December 25, 2024}} === Relationship with news media === {{main|Donald Trump's conflict with the news media}} In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage,{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/14/this-harvard-study-is-a-powerful-indictment-of-the-medias-role-in-donald-trumps-rise/ |title=This Harvard study is a powerful indictment of the media's role in Donald Trump's rise |first=Chris |last=Cillizza |author-link=Chris Cillizza |date=June 14, 2016 |access-date=October 1, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} estimated at $2 billion.{{cite news |title=$2 Billion Worth of Free Media for Donald Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/upshot/measuring-donald-trumps-mammoth-advantage-in-free-media.html |first1=Nicholas |last1=Confessore |author-link1=Nicholas Confessore |first2=Karen |last2=Yourish |date=March 15, 2016 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} As a candidate and as president, he frequently accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the [enemy of the people](/source/enemy_of_the_people)".{{cite web |last1=Hetherington |first1=Marc |last2=Ladd |first2=Jonathan M. |date=May 1, 2020 |title=Destroying trust in the media, science, and government has left America vulnerable to disaster |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/05/01/destroying-trust-in-the-media-science-and-government-has-left-america-vulnerable-to-disaster/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |publisher=[Brookings Institution](/source/Brookings_Institution)}} The first Trump presidency reduced formal press briefings from about one hundred in 2017 to two by 2019 and revoked the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts.{{cite news |last=Grynbaum |first=Michael M. |date=December 30, 2019 |title=After Another Year of Trump Attacks, 'Ominous Signs' for the American Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/business/media/trump-media-2019.html |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} By 2024, Trump repeatedly voiced support for [outlawing political dissent](/source/Criminalization_of_dissent) and criticism,{{cite news |last=Kapur |first=Sahil |date=October 13, 2024 |title='Totally illegal': Trump escalates rhetoric on outlawing political dissent and criticism |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/totally-illegal-trump-escalates-rhetoric-outlawing-political-dissent-c-rcna174280 |access-date=November 23, 2024 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News)}} and said that reporters should be prosecuted for not divulging confidential sources and media companies should possibly lose their broadcast licenses for unfavorable coverage of him.{{cite news |last=Folkenflik |first=David |author-link=David Folkenflik |date=October 21, 2024 |title=Could Trump's threats against news outlets carry weight if he wins the presidency? |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/10/21/nx-s1-5150039/could-trumps-threats-against-news-outlets-carry-weight-if-he-wins-the-presidency |access-date=November 23, 2024 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} In his second term, Trump's actions against the media were unprecedented in modern American history,{{cite news |last1=Spike |first1=Justin |last2=Riccardi |first2=Nicholas |date=September 18, 2025 |title=Trump's moves against the media mirror approaches by authoritarian leaders to silence dissent |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News) |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-dictators-media-putin-russia-orban-hungary-2de4b920e9d7952eed132d38e1934ce5 |access-date=September 18, 2025}} and historians described them as mirroring actions by authoritarian leaders to censor political opponents and negatively impacting the [freedom of speech](/source/freedom_of_speech) and [free press](/source/free_press).{{cite news |last1=Abels |first1=Grace |last2=Sherman |first2=Amy |date=April 29, 2025 |title=President Trump said he 'brought back free speech.' His first 100 days tell a different story. |work=[PolitiFact](/source/PolitiFact) |url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2025/apr/29/donald-trump-free-speech-First-Amendment-100-days/ |access-date=May 4, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Gilliand |first1=Olivia |last2=Dumalaon |first2=Janelle |date=April 26, 2025 |title=Trump's attacks on media test US press freedom rules |work=[Deutsche Welle](/source/Deutsche_Welle) |url=https://www.dw.com/en/trumps-attacks-on-media-tests-us-first-amendment-press-freedom/a-72359073 |access-date=May 4, 2025}} The campaign to police speech drew comparisons to [cancel culture](/source/cancel_culture), government [censorship](/source/censorship), and [McCarthyism](/source/McCarthyism).{{cite news |last1=Riccardi |first1=Nicholas |last2=Konstantin |first2=Toropin |date=September 15, 2025 |title=Trump administration joins Republicans' campaign to police speech in reaction to Kirk's murder |url=https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-speech-republicans-firings-government-vance-e65a4939b80e4f4822db188e978d8812 |access-date=September 15, 2025 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/16/charlie-kirk-shooting-trump-progressive-groups |title=Progressive groups fear 'McCarthy era' attacks in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting |first=George |last=Chidi |date=September 16, 2025 |website=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date=September 18, 2025}}{{cite news |last=Yerushalmy |first=Jonathan |date=September 18, 2025 |title='Censoring you in real time': suspension of Jimmy Kimmel show sparks shock and fears for free speech |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/18/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-sparks-shock-fears-for-free-speech-censoring-realtime |access-date=September 18, 2025 |work=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)}} The [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) launched investigations into media outlets accused of bias against him.{{cite news |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |date=January 23, 2025 |title=Trump's FCC chair gets to work on punishing TV news stations accused of bias |work=[Ars Technica](/source/Ars_Technica) |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/trumps-fcc-chair-gets-to-work-on-punishing-news-stations-accused-of-bias/ |access-date=March 20, 2025}} As a result of Trump's threats, media executives instructed journalists and their staff to [self-censor](/source/self-censor) and reduce criticism of Trump.{{cite news |last1=Fischer |first1=Sara |last2=Wang |first2=Christine |date=May 27, 2025 |title=Journalism under pressure amid fear of retribution |work=[Axios](/source/Axios_(website)) |url=https://www.axios.com/2025/05/27/trump-journalism-pressure |access-date=May 31, 2025}} Many have characterized Trump as causing a significant decline in [freedom of the press](/source/freedom_of_the_press), including journalist advocacy groups{{cite web |last=Ferragamo |first=Mariel |title=World Press Freedom Continues Decline at a Time of Upheaval |url=https://www.cfr.org/article/world-press-freedom-continues-decline-time-upheaval |website=[Council on Foreign Relations](/source/Council_on_Foreign_Relations) |date=May 2, 2025 |access-date=January 15, 2026}}{{cite web |title=United States |url=https://rsf.org/en/country/united-states |website=[Reporters Without Borders](/source/Reporters_Without_Borders) |access-date=January 15, 2026}}{{cite web |title=Press freedom in the US |url=https://cpj.org/issue/press-freedom-in-the-us/ |website=[Committee to Protect Journalists](/source/Committee_to_Protect_Journalists) |access-date=January 15, 2026}}{{cite web |title=Will press freedom decline further? |url=https://www.media-diversity.org/2026-the-year-ahead-will-press-freedom-decline-further/ |website=[Media Diversity Institute](/source/Media_Diversity_Institute) |date=January 6, 2026 |access-date=January 15, 2026}} and academic sources.{{cite journal |last=West |first=Sonja R. |title=Presidential Attacks on the Press |journal=[Missouri Law Review](/source/Missouri_Law_Review) |volume=83 |pages=915 |year=2018 |url=https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/fac_artchop/1276/ |access-date=January 16, 2026}}{{cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=RonNell Andersen |last2=West |first2=Sonja R. |title=The Fragility of the Free American Press |journal=[Northwestern University Law Review](/source/Northwestern_University_Law_Review) |volume=112 |issue=3 |pages=567 |year=2017 |url=https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/nulr/vol112/iss3/5/ |access-date=January 16, 2026}}{{cite book |last=Kalb |first=Marvin |title=Enemy of the People: Trump's War on the Press, the New McCarthyism, and the Threat to American Democracy |publisher=[Brookings Institution Press](/source/Brookings_Institution_Press) |year=2018 |url=https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/enemy-people-trumps-war-press-new-mccarthyism-and-threat-american-democracy |access-date=January 16, 2026}} === Social media === {{main|Social media use by Donald Trump|Use of X by Donald Trump}} From 2009 until he was banned in January 2021, Trump posted on [Twitter](/source/Twitter) more than 57,000 times.{{cite news |last1=Madhani |first1=Aamer |last2=Colvin |first2=Jill |date=January 9, 2021 |title=A farewell to @realDonaldTrump, gone after 57,000 tweets |url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-donald-trump-ban-cea450b1f12f4ceb8984972a120018d5 |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=[AP News](/source/AP_News)}} After years of criticism for allowing Trump to post misinformation and falsehoods, Twitter began to tag some of his tweets with fact-checks in May 2020.{{cite news |last=Dwoskin |first=Elizabeth |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Twitter labels Trump's tweets with a fact check for the first time |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/26/trump-twitter-label-fact-check/ |access-date=July 7, 2020 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)}} He was banned from [Facebook](/source/Facebook), [Instagram](/source/Instagram), Twitter, and other platforms after the January 6 attack.{{cite news |last1=Fischer |first1=Sara |last2=Gold |first2=Ashley |date=January 11, 2021 |title=All the platforms that have banned or restricted Trump so far |url=https://www.axios.com/platforms-social-media-ban-restrict-trump-d9e44f3c-8366-4ba9-a8a1-7f3114f920f1.html |access-date=January 16, 2021 |work=[Axios](/source/Axios_(website))}}{{cite news |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |author-link1=Kate Conger |last2=Isaac |first2=Mike |author-link2=Mike Isaac |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Inside Twitter's Decision to Cut Off Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/16/technology/twitter-donald-trump-jack-dorsey.html |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} The loss of his social media presence diminished his ability to shape events{{cite news |last=Timberg |first=Craig |date=January 14, 2021 |title=Twitter ban reveals that tech companies held keys to Trump's power all along |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/14/trump-twitter-megaphone/ |access-date=February 17, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Alba |first1=Davey |author-link1=Davey Alba |last2=Koeze |first2=Ella |last3=Silver |first3=Jacob |date=June 7, 2021 |title=What Happened When Trump Was Banned on Social Media |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/06/07/technology/trump-social-media-ban.html |access-date=December 21, 2023 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} and correlated with a dramatic decrease in the volume of misinformation on Twitter.{{cite news |last1=Dwoskin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Timberg |first2=Craig |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump and some allies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/ |access-date=February 17, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} In February 2022, he launched social media platform [Truth Social](/source/Truth_Social) where he attracted a fraction of his Twitter following.{{cite news |last1=Harwell |first1=Drew |author-link1=Drew Harwell |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |author-link2=Josh Dawsey |date=November 7, 2022 |title=Trump once reconsidered sticking with Truth Social. Now he's stuck. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/07/trump-once-reconsidered-sticking-with-truth-social-now-hes-stuck/ |access-date=May 7, 2023 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url-access=limited}} Twitter reinstated his account in November 2022.{{cite news |last1=Mac |first1=Ryan |author-link1=Ryan Mac |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Elon Musk Reinstates Trump's Twitter Account |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/technology/trump-twitter-musk.html |access-date=November 21, 2022 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last1=Dang |first1=Sheila |last2=Coster |first2=Helen |date=November 20, 2022 |title=Trump snubs Twitter after Musk announces reactivation of ex-president's account |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/musks-twitter-poll-showing-narrow-majority-want-trump-reinstated-2022-11-20/ |access-date=May 10, 2024 |work=[Reuters](/source/Reuters) |url-access=limited}} The two-year ban at [Meta Platforms](/source/Meta_Platforms) lapsed in January 2023, allowing him to return to Facebook and Instagram.{{cite news |last=Bond |first=Shannon |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Meta allows Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1146961818/trump-meta-facebook-instagram-ban-ends |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} == Assessments == === Public image === {{main|Public image of Donald Trump|Opinion polling on the first Trump presidency}} In Trump's first term, from 2017 to 2021, international approval ratings of U.S. leadership dropped from about 22 percent in a [Gallup](/source/Gallup%2C_Inc.) poll{{cite news |last=Datta |first=Monti |date=September 16, 2019 |title=3 countries where Trump is popular |url=https://theconversation.com/3-countries-where-trump-is-popular-120317 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=[The Conversation](/source/The_Conversation_(website))}} of 134 countries to 16 percent in a [Pew Research](/source/Pew_Research) poll{{cite web |last1=Wike |first1=Richard |last2=Fetterolf |first2=Janell |last3=Mordecai |first3=Mara |date=September 15, 2020 |title=U.S. Image Plummets Internationally as Most Say Country Has Handled Coronavirus Badly |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/ |access-date=December 24, 2020 |publisher=[Pew Research Center](/source/Pew_Research_Center)}} of 13 countries. In 2017, estimation of U.S. leadership declined most among allies.{{cite news |title=Rating World Leaders: 2018 The U.S. vs. Germany, China and Russia |url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000161-0647-da3c-a371-867f6acc0001 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |publisher=[Gallup, Inc.](/source/Gallup%2C_Inc.) |via=[Politico](/source/Politico)}} Page 9 Domestically, Trump had chiefly partisan support: 88 percent among Republicans and 7 percent among Democrats.{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=January 18, 2021 |title=Last Trump Job Approval 34%; Average Is Record-Low 41% |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/328637/last-trump-job-approval-average-record-low.aspx |access-date=October 3, 2021 |publisher=[Gallup, Inc.](/source/Gallup%2C_Inc.)}} In a 2021 Gallup poll, he was the only president never to reach a 50 percent approval rating, and he was the first not to be named most admired in his first year in office.{{cite magazine |last=Bach |first=Natash |date=December 28, 2017 |title=Trump Is the Only Elected U.S. President Not to Be Named America's Most Admired Man In His First Year |url=https://fortune.com/2017/12/28/gallup-most-admired-man-and-woman-obama-clinton/ |access-date=November 19, 2024 |magazine=[Fortune](/source/Fortune_(magazine))}} === Scholarly rankings === {{further|Historical rankings of presidents of the United States}} After Trump's first term, [historians ranked Trump](/source/Historical_rankings_of_presidents_of_the_United_States) as the fourth-worst president in [C-SPAN](/source/C-SPAN)'s 2021 survey of presidential historians.{{cite web |year=2021 |url=https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2021/ |title=Presidential Historians Survey 2021 |work=[C-SPAN](/source/C-SPAN) |access-date=June 30, 2021}} He rated lowest in the leadership characteristics categories for moral authority and administrative skills.{{cite news |last=Sheehey |first=Maeve |date=June 30, 2021 |title=Trump debuts at 41st in C-SPAN presidential rankings |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/30/trump-cspan-president-ranking-497184 |access-date=March 31, 2023}}{{cite news |last=Brockell |first=Gillian |title=Historians just ranked the presidents. Trump wasn't last. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/06/30/presidential-rankings-2021-cspan-historians/ |access-date=July 1, 2021 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=June 30, 2021 |url-access=limited}} The [Siena College Research Institute](/source/Siena_College_Research_Institute)'s 2022 survey [ranked him](/source/Historical_rankings_of_presidents_of_the_United_States) third-worst. He was ranked near the bottom in all categories except for luck, willingness to take risks, and party leadership, and ranked last in several categories.{{cite web |url=https://scri.siena.edu/2022/06/22/american-presidents-greatest-and-worst/ |title=American Presidents: Greatest and Worst |publisher=[Siena College Research Institute](/source/Siena_College_Research_Institute) |date=June 22, 2022 |access-date=July 11, 2022}} In 2018 and 2024, the [American Political Science Association](/source/American_Political_Science_Association) ranked him the worst president.{{cite news |last1=Rottinghaus |first1=Brandon |last2=Vaughn |first2=Justin S. |date=February 19, 2018 |title=Opinion: How Does Trump Stack Up Against the Best—and Worst—Presidents? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/19/opinion/how-does-trump-stack-up-against-the-best-and-worst-presidents.html |access-date=July 13, 2024 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |last=Chappell |first=Bill |date=February 19, 2024 |title=In historians' Presidents Day survey, Biden vs. Trump is not a close call |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/02/19/1232447088/historians-presidents-survey-trump-last-biden-14th |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News)}} ==Personal life== ===Family=== {{main|Trump family}} [[File:State Visit of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia State Dinner Receiving Line with Ivana Trump and Donald Trump in East Room - DPLA - 1a44d05819eab8ba3dcf7a6883ad92ba.jpg|thumb|Trump (rightmost) and his wife Ivana at a 1985 state dinner for King [Fahd of Saudi Arabia](/source/Fahd_of_Saudi_Arabia) with President [Ronald Reagan](/source/Ronald_Reagan) and First Lady [Nancy Reagan](/source/Nancy_Reagan)|alt=Ivana Trump and King Fahd shake hands, with Ronald Reagan standing next to them smiling]] In 1977, Trump married [Ivana Zelníčková](/source/Ivana_Zeln%C3%AD%C4%8Dkov%C3%A1).{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=300}} They had three children: [Donald Jr.](/source/Donald_Jr.) (b. 1977), [Ivanka](/source/Ivanka_Trump) (b. 1981), and [Eric](/source/Eric_Trump) (b. 1984). Ivana played a crucial role in generating the "fawning press coverage" that shaped Trump's public image as a real estate mogul.{{cite news |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/07/17/without-ivana-trump-there-is-no-donald-trump |title=Without Ivana, There's No 'The Donald' |work=[Politico](/source/Politico) |date=July 17, 2022 |access-date=April 3, 2026}} The couple divorced in 1990, following his affair with model and actress [Marla Maples](/source/Marla_Maples).{{cite news |last=Barron |first=James |author-link=James Barron (journalist) |date=December 12, 1990 |title=Trumps Get Divorce; Next, Who Gets What? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/12/nyregion/trumps-get-divorce-next-who-gets-what.html |access-date=March 5, 2023 |newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} He and Maples married in 1993 and divorced in 1999. They have one daughter, [Tiffany](/source/Tiffany_Trump) (b. 1993), whom Maples raised in California.{{cite news |last=Hafner |first=Josh |date=July 19, 2016 |title=Get to know Donald's other daughter: Tiffany Trump |url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/19/who-is-tiffany-trump/87321708/ |access-date=July 10, 2022 |newspaper=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)}} In 2005, he married Slovenian model [Melania Knauss](/source/Melania_Knauss).{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=266}} Their son [Barron](/source/Barron_Trump) was born in 2006.{{cite news |date=July 2, 2021 |title=Donald Trump Fast Facts |url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/04/us/donald-trump-fast-facts/ |access-date=September 29, 2021 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}} ===Wealth=== {{main|Wealth of Donald Trump}} [[File:1982- Net worth of Donald Trump.svg |thumb |left |upright=1.2 |Trump's net worth over time, as estimated by ''[Forbes](/source/Forbes)''Source for years 1982–2000: {{cite magazine |date=October 3, 2023 |last=Alexander |first=Dan |title=Here's How Much Donald Trump Is Worth |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/article/the-definitive-networth-of-donaldtrump/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110003952/https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/article/the-definitive-networth-of-donaldtrump/ |archive-date=November 10, 2023 |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes) |access-date=March 28, 2026}} Data is not available for 1990 through 1995 because Trump was not included in the [''Forbes'' 400](/source/Forbes_400) list.Source for years 2001–2026: {{cite magazine |date=March 25, 2026 |last1=Alexander |first1=Dan |last2=Khan-Mullins |first2=Kyle |title=Here's How Much Donald Trump Is Worth |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/article/the-definitive-networth-of-donaldtrump/ |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes)}}]] Trump has said he began his career with "a small loan of a million dollars" from his father and that he had to pay it back with interest.{{cite news |last=Stump |first=Scott |date=October 26, 2015 |title=Donald Trump: My dad gave me 'a small loan' of $1 million to get started |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/26/donald-trump-my-dad-gave-me-a-small-loan-of-1-million-to-get-started.html |access-date=November 13, 2016 |work=[CNBC](/source/CNBC)}} He borrowed at least $60 million from his father, did not repay many of the loans, and received $413 million (2018 equivalent, adjusted for inflation) from his father's real estate company.{{cite news |last1=Barstow |first1=David |author-link1=David Barstow |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |last3=Buettner |first3=Russ |author-link3=Russ Buettner |date=October 2, 2018 |title=11 Takeaways From The Times's Investigation into Trump's Wealth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-wealth-fred-trump.html |access-date=October 3, 2018 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url-access=limited}} Posing as a Trump Organization official named "[John Barron](/source/John_Barron_(pseudonym))", Trump called journalist Jonathan Greenberg in 1984, trying to get a higher ranking on the [''Forbes'' 400](/source/Forbes_400) list of wealthiest Americans.{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/20/politics/trump-forbes-400-list-cnntv/ |title=Ex-Forbes reporter says Trump posed as executive, lied to him to crack Forbes 400 list |last=Stracqualursi |first=Veronica |date=April 20, 2018 |access-date=December 25, 2024 |work=[CNN](/source/CNN)}}{{pb}}Trump self-reported his net worth over a wide range, from minus $900 million in 1990,{{cite news |last1=Hilzenrath |first1=David S. |last2=Singletary |first2=Michelle |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/11/29/trump-went-broke-but-stayed-on-top/e1685555-1de7-400c-99a8-9cd9c0bca9fe/ |title=Trump went broke, but stayed on top |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=November 29, 1992 |access-date=June 19, 2025 |url-access=limited}} to $10 billion in 2015.{{sfn|Johnston|2021|p=20}} After his business bankruptcies in the 1990s, his lenders forgave more than 80% of his personal debt and allowed him to keep some of his real estate. In 2015, ''[Forbes](/source/Forbes)'' estimated his net worth at $4.5 billion, based on interviews with more than 80 sources.{{cite magazine |last=Lane |first=Randall |date=September 29, 2015 |title=Inside The Epic Fantasy That's Driven Donald Trump For 33 Years |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/randalllane/2015/09/29/inside-the-epic-fantasy-thats-driven-donald-trump-for-33-years/ |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes) |access-date=April 3, 2025}} In 2026, the magazine set that number at $6.5 billion and ranked him the 645th wealthiest person in the world.{{cite magazine |last1=Peterson-Withorn |first1=Chase |last2=Chung |first2=Grace |last3=Durot |first3=Matt |year=2026 |title=Forbes World's Billionaires List - The Richest in 2026 |url=https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/ |magazine=[Forbes](/source/Forbes) |access-date=March 24, 2026}} – Scroll down and enter "trump" in the search box. ===Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein=== {{main|Relationship of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein}} Trump had a 15-year friendship with convicted sex offender [Jeffrey Epstein](/source/Jeffrey_Epstein). Persons who knew them at the time said they frequently "hit on" and competed for women.{{cite news |last1=Feuer |first1=Alan |last2=Goldstein |first2=Matthew |date=July 19, 2025 |title=Inside the Long Friendship Between Trump and Epstein |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/19/us/politics/inside-trump-epstein-friendship.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=August 27, 2025 |url-access=limited}} Media attention and public pressure mounted in 2025, when his administration did not release [files relating to Epstein](/source/Epstein_files), despite Trump's promise to do so during the 2024 campaign.{{cite news |first1=Victoria |last1=Bisset |first2=Dylan |last2=Wells |date=August 2, 2025 |title=A timeline of how the Epstein controversy became a headache for Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/24/trump-jeffrey-epstein-relationship-controversy-timeline/ |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |access-date=August 27, 2025 |url-access=limited}} Some of the files were released in December 2025, mostly heavily redacted.{{cite news |last=Feuer |first=Alan |date=December 20, 2025 |title=6 Takeaways From the First Batch of the Epstein Files |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/us/politics/epstein-files-takeaways.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=December 20, 2025}} Roughly three million additional pages released in 2026 included approximately 38,000 references to Trump, his wife, Mar-a-Lago, and other Trump-related terms. References to Trump included "salacious information" and uncorroborated statements about him from witnesses in transcripts made since the early 2000s.{{cite news |last1=Eder |first1=Steve |last2=Bender |first2=Michael C. |author-link2=Michael C. Bender |last3=Enrich |first3=David |author-link3=David Enrich |date=February 1, 2026 |title=How Trump Appears in the Epstein Files |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/us/trump-epstein-files.html |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=February 6, 2026}} ===Health=== {{main|Age and health concerns about Donald Trump}} Trump says he has never drunk alcohol, smoked cigarettes, or used drugs,{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/30/us/trump-biden-alcohol.html |title=In Trump and Biden, a Choice of Teetotalers for President |last=Nagourney |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Nagourney |date=October 30, 2020 |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |access-date=February 5, 2021 |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kavanaugh-likes-beer--but-trump-is-a-teetotaler-he-doesnt-like-drinkers/2018/10/02/783f585c-c674-11e8-b1ed-1d2d65b86d0c_story.html |title=Kavanaugh likes beer — but Trump is a teetotaler: 'He doesn't like drinkers.' |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |author-link1=Ashley Parker |last2=Rucker |first2=Philip |author-link2=Philip Rucker |date=October 2, 2018 |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |access-date=February 5, 2021 |url-access=limited}} and that he sleeps about four or five hours a night.{{cite news |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3970379/donald-trump-sleep-hours-night/ |title=Donald Trump sleeps 4–5 hours each night; he's not the only famous 'short sleeper' |last=Dangerfield |first=Katie |date=January 17, 2018 |work=[Global News](/source/Global_News) |access-date=February 5, 2021}}{{sfn|Almond|Du|2020}} He has called golfing his "primary form of exercise", but usually does not walk the course.{{cite news |url=https://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2018/07/14/donald-trump-exercise-golf-cart-turnberry-110166/ |title=Donald Trump says he gets most of his exercise from golf, then uses cart at Turnberry |work=Golf News Net |date=July 14, 2018 |access-date=July 4, 2019 |first=Ryan |last=Ballengee}} He considers exercise a waste of energy, believing the body is "like a battery, with a finite amount of energy" which is depleted by exercise.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-thinks-that-exercising-too-much-uses-up-the-bodys-finite-energy/2017/05/12/bb0b9bda-365d-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html |first=Rachael |last=Rettner |title=Trump thinks that exercising too much uses up the body's 'finite' energy |newspaper=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=May 14, 2017 |access-date=September 29, 2021 |url-access=limited}}{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=133}} In 2015, his campaign released a letter from his longtime personal physician, [Harold Bornstein](/source/Harold_Bornstein), stating that he would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".{{cite news |first1=Alex |last1=Marquardt |first2=Lawrence III |last2=Crook |title=Exclusive: Bornstein claims Trump dictated the glowing health letter |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/01/politics/harold-bornstein-trump-letter/ |work=[CNN](/source/CNN) |date=May 1, 2018 |access-date=May 20, 2018}} In 2018, Bornstein said Trump had dictated the contents of the letter and that three of Trump's agents had seized his medical records in a February 2017 raid on Bornstein's office.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-doc-says-trump-bodyguard-lawyer-raided-his-office-took-n870351 |title=Trump doctor Harold Bornstein says bodyguard, lawyer 'raided' his office, took medical files |last=Schecter |first=Anna |date=May 1, 2018 |work=[NBC News](/source/NBC_News) |access-date=June 6, 2019}} Beginning in 2025, Trump appeared to fall asleep during multiple meetings, raising concerns over his stamina.{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Katie |author-link1=Katie Rogers (journalist) |last2=Freedman |first2=Dylan |date=November 25, 2025 |title=Shorter Days, Signs of Fatigue: Trump Faces Realities of Aging in Office |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/us/politics/trump-age-health.html |access-date=May 11, 2026}}{{cite news |last1=Allison |first1=Natalie |last2=Diamond |first2=Dan |last3=Reiger |first3=JM |date=December 2, 2025 |title=Trump appears to doze off in another meeting |work=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/02/donald-trump-drowsy-cabinet-meeting/ |url-access=limited |access-date=May 11, 2026}}{{cite news |last=Borines |first=Nobelle |date=May 12, 2026 |title='Dozy Don' Trends After Cameras Catch Donald Trump Jolting Awake Mid-Meeting |work=[International Business Times](/source/International_Business_Times) |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trump-drowsiness-white-house-events-1796209 |access-date=May 12, 2026}} ===Religion=== {{main|Donald Trump and religion|Christian support of Donald Trump}} thumb|upright|Trump's April 2026 post Trump said he was a [Presbyterian](/source/Presbyterian) and a [Protestant](/source/Protestant) in 2016.{{cite web |last=Campbell |first=Colin |title=Trump: If I'm president, 'Christianity will have power' in the US |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-christianity-merry-christmas-2016-1 |website=[Business Insider](/source/Business_Insider) |access-date=January 20, 2025 |date=January 23, 2016}}{{cite web |last=Engel |first=Pamela |title=Trump on God: 'Hopefully I won't have to be asking for much forgiveness' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-on-god-jesus-2016-6 |website=[Business Insider](/source/Business_Insider) |access-date=January 20, 2025 |date=June 8, 2016}} In 2020, he said he was a [nondenominational Christian](/source/nondenominational_Christian).{{cite magazine |last1=Jenkins |first1=Jack |last2=Mwaura |first2=Maina |title=Trump, confirmed a Presbyterian, now identifies as 'non-denominational Christian' |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/10/24/trump-confirmed-presbyterian-now-identifies-non-denominational |magazine=[America](/source/America_(magazine)) |access-date=January 20, 2025 |date=October 24, 2020}} In his first term, Trump appointed his personal pastor{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jeremy W. |author-link1=Jeremy W. Peters |last2=Dias |first2=Elizabeth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/us/politics/paula-white-trump.html |title=Paula White, Newest White House Aide, Is a Uniquely Trumpian Pastor |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=November 2, 2019 |access-date=August 14, 2025 |url-access=limited}} and spiritual advisor,{{cite magazine |last=Shellnut |first=Faith |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/2019/11/white-house-appoints-paula-white-to-oversee-faith-outreach/ |title=Trump Appoints Paula White to Oversee Faith Office |magazine=[Christianity Today](/source/Christianity_Today) |date=February 10, 2025 |access-date=August 14, 2025}} televangelist [Paula White-Cain](/source/Paula_White-Cain), to the White House [Office of Public Liaison](/source/Office_of_Public_Liaison).{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jeremy W. |author-link1=Jeremy W. Peters |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/paula-white-trump.html |title=Paula White, Trump's Personal Pastor, Joins the White House |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |date=October 31, 2019 |access-date=September 29, 2021 |url-access=limited}} During his second term, he appointed her as senior advisor of the newly created [White House Faith Office](/source/White_House_Faith_Office).{{cite news |last=Gabbatt |first=Adam |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/paula-white-faith-office-trump |title='False teacher': Trump's pick to head the 'White House faith office' roils some fellow Christians |newspaper=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |date=April 5, 2025 |access-date=August 14, 2025}}{{cite news |last1=Bridges |first1=C. A. |last2=Walker |first2=Diamond |url=https://palmbeachpost.com/story/news/trump/2025/02/20/pastor-paula-white-facts-trumps-head-white-house-faith-office/78604425007/ |title=Trump's new faith office. What to know about controversial Florida pastor Paula White |newspaper=[The Palm Beach Post](/source/The_Palm_Beach_Post) |date=February 20, 2025 |access-date=August 14, 2025}} Many have questioned the depth of Trump's religious affiliations. A survey during his first presidency showed that 63 percent of Americans did not believe that he was religious, despite professing a Christian affiliation, and that only 44 percent believed he was a Christian.{{cite web |last=Fahmy |first=Dalia |date=March 25, 2020 |title=Most Americans don't see Trump as religious; fewer than half say they think he's Christian |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/25/most-americans-dont-see-trump-as-religious/ |access-date=April 21, 2023 |publisher=[Pew Research Center](/source/Pew_Research_Center)}} Some of Trump's comments on the Bible or Christian practice have led critical observers to suggest that his knowledge of Christianity is superficial or erroneous, and few biographers have described him as deeply or even particularly religious.{{cite news |last1=Friedman |first1=Ann |title=Op-Ed: Is Trump religious? Who cares? |url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-friedman-trump-religion-20170419-story.html |access-date=March 31, 2025 |newspaper=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) |date=April 19, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Jessica |title=Citing 'Two Corinthians,' Trump Struggles To Make The Sale To Evangelicals |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/01/18/463528847/citing-two-corinthians-trump-struggles-to-make-the-sale-to-evangelicals |access-date=March 31, 2025 |work=[NPR News](/source/NPR_News) |date=January 18, 2016}} In April 2026, Trump posted an [AI-generated](/source/AI_art) image depicting him as Jesus Christ, which was deleted following criticism. Trump later said he had believed it portrayed him as a doctor, not as Jesus Christ.{{cite news |last=Rogers |first=Katie |author-link=Katie Rogers (journalist) |date=April 13, 2026 |title=Trump Posted a Picture of Himself as Jesus. Now He's Trying to Explain It Away. |work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/politics/trump-jesus-picture-pope-leo.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 4, 2026}} ==See also== * [List of awards and honors received by Donald Trump](/source/List_of_awards_and_honors_received_by_Donald_Trump) * [Pseudonyms used by Donald Trump](/source/Pseudonyms_used_by_Donald_Trump) ==Notes== {{notelist}} ==References== ===Citations=== {{reflist}} ===Print sources=== ====Books==== {{refbegin|30em}} * {{cite book |last=Barrett |first=Wayne |author-link=Wayne Barrett |date=2016 |orig-date=1992 |title=Trump: The Greatest Show On Earth: The Deals, the Downfall, the Reinvention |publisher=[Regan Arts](/source/Regan_Arts) |isbn=978-1-68245-079-6}} * {{cite book |title=[The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire](/source/The_Trumps%3A_Three_Generations_That_Built_an_Empire) |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |author-link=Gwenda Blair |publisher=[Simon & Schuster](/source/Simon_%26_Schuster) |year=2015 |orig-year=2001 |isbn=978-1-5011-3936-9}} * {{cite book |last1=Buettner |first1=Russ |author-link1=Russ Buettner |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |title=[Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune And Created The Illusion of Success](/source/Lucky_Loser_(book)) |publisher=[Penguin Press](/source/Penguin_Press) |date=2024 |isbn=978-0-593-29864-0}} * {{cite book |title=Never enough : Donald Trump and the pursuit of success |last=D'Antonio |first=Michael |author-link=Michael D'Antonio |date=2015 |publisher=Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press |isbn=978-1-250-04238-5}} * {{cite book |title=[Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America](/source/Confidence_Man%3A_The_Making_of_Donald_Trump_and_the_Breaking_of_America) |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |author-link=Maggie Haberman |date=2022 |publisher=Penguin Press |isbn=978-0-593-29734-6}} * {{cite book |last=Harvey |first=Michael |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003110361-1/introduction-michael-harvey |title=Donald Trump in Historical Perspective |date=2022 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-11036-1 |editor-last=Harvey |editor-first=Michael |chapter=Introduction: History's Rhymes |doi=10.4324/9781003110361-1}} * {{cite book |last=Hurt III |first=Harry |author-link=Harry Hurt III |year=1993 |title=Lost Tycoon |publisher=[W. W. Norton & Company](/source/W._W._Norton_%26_Company). |pages=447 |isbn=0-393-03029-6}} * {{cite book |last=Johnston |first=David Cay |author-link=David Cay Johnston |year=2016 |title=[The Making of Donald Trump](/source/The_Making_of_Donald_Trump) |publisher=[Melville House Publishing](/source/Melville_House_Publishing) |isbn=978-1-61219-658-9}} * {{cite book |last=Johnston |first=David Cay |author-link=David Cay Johnston |date=2021 |title=The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America And Enriched Himself And His Family |publisher=[Simon & Schuster](/source/Simon_%26_Schuster) |isbn=978-1-9821-7804-8}} * {{cite book |last1=Kakutani |first1=Michiko |title=The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump |date=2018 |publisher=[Crown/Archetype](/source/Crown%2FArchetype) |isbn=978-0-525-57484-2 |chapter=The Firehose of Falsehood: Propaganda and Fake News |author-link=Michiko Kakutani |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vlw_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT94}} * {{cite book |last=Klein |first=Naomi |author-link=Naomi Klein |date=2017 |title=[No Is Not Enough](/source/No_Is_Not_Enough) |publisher=[Penguin Books](/source/Penguin_Books) |isbn=978-0-14-198679-1}} * {{cite book |title=Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President |last1=Kranish |first1=Michael |author-link1=Michael Kranish |last2=Fisher |first2=Marc |author-link2=Marc Fisher |publisher=[Simon & Schuster](/source/Simon_%26_Schuster) |year=2017 |orig-year=2016 |isbn=978-1-5011-5652-6 |title-link=Trump Revealed}} * {{cite book |first=Jon |last=Meacham |author-link=Jon Meacham |title=[Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush](/source/Destiny_and_Power%3A_The_American_Odyssey_of_George_Herbert_Walker_Bush) |date=2016 |publisher=[Random House](/source/Random_House) |isbn=978-0-8129-7947-3}} * {{cite book |title=TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald |year=2005a |author-link=Timothy L. O'Brien |last=O'Brien |first=Timothy L. |publisher=[Grand Central Publishing](/source/Grand_Central_Publishing) |isbn=978-0-446-69617-3}} * {{cite book |title=Trumped! |last1=O'Donnell |first1=John R. |last2=Rutherford |first2=James |publisher=Crossroad Press Trade Edition |year=1991 |isbn=978-1-946025-26-5 |title-link=Trumped! (book)}} {{refend}}{{cite whitelink|CITEREFLopez2019|CITEREFDesjardins2018|CITEREFDawsey2018|CITEREFStoddardMfula2018|CITEREFWeaver2018b}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKranishFisher2017|CITEREFBlair2015|CITEREFO'DonnellRutherford1991}} ====Journals==== {{refbegin|30em}} * {{cite journal |last1=Adams |first1=Kenneth Alan |date=Spring 2021 |title=The Trump Death Cult |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/c5d4601ebe8dcb232f9ab2965e900d70/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=35407 |journal=[Journal of Psychohistory](/source/Journal_of_Psychohistory) |volume=48 |issue=4 |access-date=February 22, 2026 |pages=256–276 |issn=0145-3378}} * {{cite journal |last1=Diamond |first1=Michael J. |date=February 22, 2023 |title=Perverted Containment: Trumpism, Cult Creation, and the Rise of Destructive American Populism |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |journal=Psychoanalytic Inquiry |volume=43 |issue=2 |access-date=February 22, 2026 |pages=96–109 |issn=0735-1690 |doi=10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106102947/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |archive-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=[Taylor & Francis](/source/Taylor_%26_Francis) |url-access=subscription}} * {{cite journal |first1=Douglas |last1=Almond |first2=Xinming |last2=Du |journal=[Economics Letters](/source/Economics_Letters) |title=Later bedtimes predict President Trump's performance |volume=197 |doi=10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109590 |date=December 2020 |article-number=109590 |pmid=33012904 |pmc=7518119 |issn=0165-1765}} * {{cite journal |last=Berman |first=Sheri |author-link=Sheri Berman |date=May 2021 |title=The Causes of Populism in the West |journal=Annual Review of Political Science |volume=24 |issue= |pages=71–88 |issn=1094-2939 |doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-041719-102503 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Campani |first1=Giovanna |last2=Concepción |first2=Sunamis Fabelo |last3=Soler |first3=Angel Rodriguez |last4=Savín |first4=Claudia Sánchez |date=November 2, 2022 |title=The Rise of Donald Trump Right-Wing Populism in the United States: Middle American Radicalism and Anti-Immigration Discourse |journal=Societies |volume=12 |issue=6 |page=154 |doi=10.3390/soc12060154 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Castañeda |first1=Ernesto |last2=Jenks |first2=Daniel |date=April 17, 2023 |title=January 6th and De-Democratization in the United States |editor-last1=Costa |editor-first1=Bruno Ferreira |editor-last2=Parton |editor-first2=Nigel |journal=Social Sciences |publisher=[MDPI](/source/MDPI) |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=238–253 |doi=10.3390/socsci12040238 |doi-access=free |issn=2076-0760}} * {{cite journal |year=2018 |doi=10.1080/01463373.2018.1438485 |title=Make America Great Again: Donald Trump and Redefining the U.S. Role in the World |journal=[Communication Quarterly](/source/Communication_Quarterly) |volume=66 |issue=2 |page=176 |first=Jason A. |last=Edwards}} * {{cite journal |last1=Gaufman |first1=Elizaveta |last2=Ganesh |first2=Bharath |title=The Trump Carnival: Populism, Transgression and the Far Right Bias - Chapter 6: Laughing Culture |journal=De Gruyter Contemporary Social Sciences |volume=35 |date=2024 |pages=69–70 |doi=10.1515/9783111238135-006 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Benajmin E. |last2=Moen |first2=Lars J. K. |date=May 14, 2024 |title=The personality of a personality cult? Personality characteristics of Donald Trump's most loyal supporters |journal=[Political Psychology](/source/Political_Psychology) |volume=46 |issue=Special Issue |pages=225–243 |issn=0162-895X |doi=10.1111/pops.12991 |doi-access=free|hdl=1885/733752725 |hdl-access=free }} * {{cite journal |last=Johnson |first=Kevin R. |author-link=Kevin Johnson (lawyer) |title=Immigration and civil rights in the Trump administration: Law and policy making by executive order |journal=[Santa Clara Law Review](/source/Santa_Clara_Law_Review) |year=2017a |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=611–665 |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/saclr57&div=21&id=&page=}} * {{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Kevin R. |author-link1=Kevin Johnson (lawyer) |last2=Cuison-Villazor |first2=Rose |title=The Trump Administration and the War on Immigration Diversity |journal=[Wake Forest Law Review](/source/Wake_Forest_Law_Review) |date=May 2, 2019 |url=https://www.wakeforestlawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/w10_VillazorJohnson.pdf |pages=575–616 |volume=54 |issue=2}} * {{cite journal |last1=Kaufman |first1=Robert R. |last2=Haggard |first2=Stephan |author-link2=Stephan Haggard |title=Democratic Decline in the United States: What Can We Learn from Middle-Income Backsliding? |journal=[Perspectives on Politics](/source/Perspectives_on_Politics) |date=2019 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=417–432 |doi=10.1017/S1537592718003377 |s2cid=149457724 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Lajevardi |first1=Nazita |last2=Oskooii |first2=Kassra A. R. |year=2018 |title=Old-Fashioned Racism, Contemporary Islamophobia, and the Isolation of Muslim Americans in the Age of Trump |journal=Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=112–152 |doi=10.1017/rep.2017.37}} * {{cite journal |last=McGurk |first=Brett |author-link=Brett McGurk |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/iran/2020-01-22/cost-incoherent-foreign-policy |title=The Cost of an Incoherent Foreign Policy: Trump's Iran Imbroglio Undermines U.S. Priorities Everywhere Else |journal=[Foreign Affairs](/source/Foreign_Affairs) |date=January 22, 2020}} * {{cite journal |last1=Nacos |first1=Brigitte L. |author-link1=Brigitte L. Nacos |last2=Shapiro |first2=Robert Y. |author-link2=Robert Y. Shapiro |last3=Bloch-Elkon |first3=Yaeli |date=2020 |title=Donald Trump: Aggressive Rhetoric and Political Violence |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26940036 |journal=[Perspectives on Terrorism](/source/Perspectives_on_Terrorism) |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=2–25 |issn=2334-3745 |jstor=26940036 |access-date=January 20, 2025}} * {{cite journal |last=O'Brien |first=Shannon |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-50551-6_3 |title=Donald Trump and the Kayfabe Presidency - Wrestling with the Presidency: How Donald Trump Uses Wrestling and Theatrical Tactics in the Public Sphere |journal=Rhetoric, Politics and Society |date=July 22, 2020 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-50551-6_3 |pages=39–58 |url-access=subscription}} * {{cite journal |last1=Parker |first1=Christopher Sebastian |last2=Towler |first2=Christopher C. |date=May 2019 |title=Race and Authoritarianism in American Politics |journal=[Annual Review of Political Science](/source/Annual_Review_of_Political_Science) |volume=22 |issue= |pages=503–519 |issn=1094-2939 |doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-064519 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Perry |first1=Samuel L. |author-link1=Samuel L. Perry |last2=Whitehead |first2=Andrew L. |last3=Grubbs |first3=Joshua B. |date=April 21, 2021 |title=The Devil That You Know: Christian Nationalism and Intent to Change One's Voting Behavior For or Against Trump in 2020 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S175504832100002X/type/journal_article |journal=Politics and Religion |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=229–246 |doi=10.1017/S175504832100002X |hdl=11244/334967 |hdl-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Piazza |first1=James |last2=Van Doren |first2=Natalia |date=October 8, 2022 |title=It's About Hate: Approval of Donald Trump, Racism, Xenophobia and Support for Political Violence |journal=[American Politics Research](/source/American_Politics_Research) |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=299–314 |issn=1532-673X |doi=10.1177/1532673X221131561 |pmid=40787175 |pmc=12333664}} * {{cite journal |last1=Pion-Berlin |first1=David |author-link1=David Pion-Berlin |last2=Bruneau |first2=Thomas |last3=Goetze |first3=Richard B. Jr. |date=April 7, 2022 |title=The Trump self-coup attempt: comparisons and civil–military relations |journal=[Government and Opposition](/source/Government_and_Opposition) |volume=FirstView |issue=4 |pages=789–806 |doi=10.1017/gov.2022.13 |s2cid=248033246 |doi-access=free|hdl=10945/72654 |hdl-access=free }} * {{cite journal |last1=Reyes |first1=Antonio |date=May 4, 2020 |title=I, Trump The cult of personality, anti-intellectualism and the Post-Truth era |url=https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |journal=Journal of Language and Politics |volume=19 |issue=6 |access-date=February 22, 2026 |pages=869–892 |issn=1569-2159 |doi=10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |url-access=subscription}} * {{cite journal |last1=Rothe |first1=Dawn L. |last2=Collins |first2=Victoria E. |date=November 17, 2019 |title=Turning Back the Clock? Violence against Women and the Trump Administration |journal=Victims & Offenders |volume=14 |issue=8 |pages=965–978 |doi=10.1080/15564886.2019.1671284}} * {{cite journal |last=Ross |first=Bertrall L. |date=July 1, 2024 |title=Polarization, Populism, and the Crisis of American Democracy |journal=[Annual Review of Law and Social Science](/source/Annual_Review_of_Law_and_Social_Science) |volume=20 |pages=293–308 |doi=10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-041922-035113 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Schaffner |first1=Brian F. |author-link1=Brian Schaffner |last2=Macwilliams |first2=Matthew |last3=Nteta |first3=Tatishe |date=March 2018 |title=Understanding White Polarization in the 2016 Vote for President: The Sobering Role of Racism and Sexism |journal=[Political Science Quarterly](/source/Political_Science_Quarterly) |volume=133 |issue=1 |pages=9–34 |doi=10.1002/polq.12737 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last=Stephens-Dougan |first=LaFluer |date=May 2021 |title=The Persistence of Racial Cues and Appeals in American Elections |journal=[Annual Review of Political Science](/source/Annual_Review_of_Political_Science) |volume=24 |issue= |pages=301–320 |issn=1094-2939 |doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-082619-015522 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal |last1=Sundahl |first1=Anne-Mette Holmgård |title=Personality Cult or a Mere Matter of Popularity? |journal=[International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society](/source/International_Journal_of_Politics%2C_Culture%2C_and_Society) |volume=36 |issue=4 |date=May 4, 2022 |pages=431–458 |doi=10.1007/s10767-022-09423-0 |pmid=35528318 |pmc=9066393}} * {{cite journal |last=Urbinati |first=Nadia |author-link=Nadia Urbinati |date=May 2019 |title=Political Theory of Populism |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-070753 |journal=[Annual Review of Political Science](/source/Annual_Review_of_Political_Science) |volume=22 |access-date=December 20, 2024 |pages=111–127 |issn=1094-2939 |doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-070753 |url-access=subscription}} {{refend}} ==Further reading== * [Books credited to Trump](/source/Bibliography_of_Donald_Trump) * [Books about Trump](/source/Bibliography_of_Donald_Trump) ==External links== {{library resources box|by=yes}} * [https://www.thetrumparchive.com/ Archive of Donald Trump's tweets] (Enter 2021-01-09 into the '''End Date''' field to view tweets from before the suspension.) {{Donald Trump}} {{First presidency of Donald Trump}} {{Second presidency of Donald Trump}} {{navboxes top |title=Offices and distinctions }} {{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=[Mitt Romney](/source/Mitt_Romney)}} {{s-ttl|title=[Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) [nominee](/source/List_of_United_States_Republican_Party_presidential_tickets) for President of the United States|years=[2016](/source/2016_United_States_presidential_election), [2020](/source/2020_United_States_presidential_election), [2024](/source/2024_United_States_presidential_election)}} {{s-inc|recent}} {{s-off|usa}} {{s-bef|before=[Barack Obama](/source/Barack_Obama)}} {{s-ttl|title=[President of the United States](/source/President_of_the_United_States)|years=2017–2021}} {{s-aft|after=[Joe Biden](/source/Joe_Biden)}} {{s-bef|before=Joe Biden}} {{s-ttl|title=President of the United States|years=2025–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-prec|usa}} {{s-new|first}} {{s-ttl|title=[Order of precedence of the United States](/source/Order_of_precedence_of_the_United_States)
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