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This frigging image again! It's not his childhood home - maybe his toddlerhood home if there was such a thing. The Trumps moved into the mansion on Midland Parkway when Trump was 4 years old.
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{{short description|45th president of the United States}}
{{other uses}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{pp-dispute|small=yes}}
<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this hatnote without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 17. -->
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Donald Trump official portrait.jpg<!-- DO NOT CHANGE the picture without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 1. -->
| alt = Official White House portrait. Head shot of Trump smiling in front of the U.S. flag, wearing a dark blue suit jacket with American flag lapel pin, white shirt, and light blue necktie.
| caption = <!-- DO NOT ADD A CAPTION without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 46. -->
| order = 45th<!-- DO NOT ADD A LINK. Please discuss any proposal on the talk page first. Most recent discussion at [[Talk:Donald Trump/Archive 65#Link-ifying "45th" in the Infobox?]] had a weak consensus to keep the status-quo of no link. -->
| office = President of the United States
| vicepresident = [[Mike Pence]]
| term_start = January 20, 2017
| term_end = <!--January 20, 2021-->
| predecessor = [[Barack Obama]]
| successor = <!--[[Joe Biden]]: Please see talk page before adding Joe Biden here-->
| birth_name = Donald John Trump
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|6|14}}
| birth_place = [[Queens]], New York City<!-- DO NOT CHANGE (or add to) this location without prior consensus; please see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 2. -->
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] ({{hlist|class=inline | 1987–1999 | 2009–2011 | 2012–present }})
| otherparty = {{plainlist|
* [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform]] (1999–2001)
* [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (2001–2009)
* [[Independent politician|Independent]] (2011–2012)
}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Ivana Trump|Ivana Zelníčková]]|April 7, 1977|March 22, 1992|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Marla Maples]]|December 20, 1993|June 8, 1999|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Melania Trump|Melania Knauss]]<br>|January 22, 2005}}
}}
| children = {{flatlist|
* [[Donald Trump Jr.|Donald Jr.]]
* [[Ivanka Trump|Ivanka]]
* [[Eric Trump|Eric]]
* [[Tiffany Trump|Tiffany]]
* [[Barron Trump|Barron]]<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this link without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 10. -->
}}
| parents = {{plainlist|
* [[Fred Trump]]
* [[Mary Anne MacLeod Trump|Mary Anne MacLeod]]
}}
| relatives = [[Family of Donald Trump]]
| awards = [[List of honors and awards received by Donald Trump|List of honors and awards]]
| residence = [[Residences of Donald Trump]]
| alma_mater = [[Wharton School]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]] in [[Economics|Econ.]])<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this college or diploma without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 18. -->
| net_worth = <!-- Keep empty, per [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 47. -->
| signature = Donald Trump Signature.svg
| signature_alt = Donald J Trump stylized autograph, in ink
| website = {{plainlist|
* {{URL|https://donaldjtrump.com|Official website}}
* {{URL|https://whitehouse.gov/administration/president-trump|White House website}}
}}
}}
{{Donald Trump series}}
<!-- NOTE: Changes to the lead are regularly discussed on the talk page. PLEASE DO NOT EDIT WAR. If you make a change that is reverted, please open a discussion or contribute to an existing one, per [[WP:BRD]]. Consensus items marked "DO NOT CHANGE" require prior discussion. -->
'''Donald John Trump''' (born June 14, 1946) is the [[List of presidents of the United States#Presidents|45th]] and current [[president of the United States]]. Before entering politics, he [[Business career of Donald Trump|was a businessman]] and [[Media career of Donald Trump|television personality]].<!-- DO NOT CHANGE the first paragraph without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 17. -->

Born and raised in [[Queens]], New York City, Trump attended [[Fordham University]] for two years and received a [[bachelor's degree]] in economics from the [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania]]. He became president of his father [[Fred Trump]]'s [[real estate]] business in 1971, renamed it [[The Trump Organization]], and expanded its operations to building or renovating skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. Trump later started [[The Trump Organization#Other ventures and investments|various side ventures]], mostly by licensing his name. Trump and his businesses have been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal [[Legal affairs of Donald Trump|legal actions]], including six bankruptcies. He owned the [[Miss Universe]] brand of [[beauty pageant]]s from 1996 to 2015, and produced and hosted the [[reality television]] series ''[[The Apprentice (American TV series)|The Apprentice]]'' from 2004 to 2015.

[[Political positions of Donald Trump|Trump's political positions]] have been described as [[populist]], [[protectionist]], [[isolationist]], and [[nationalist]]. He entered the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential race]] as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] and was elected in a surprise [[United States Electoral College|electoral college]] victory over [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee [[Hillary Clinton]] while [[List of United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote|losing the popular vote]].{{efn|name=electoral-college|Presidential elections in the United States are decided by the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]]. Each state names a number of electors equal to its representation in [[United States Congress|Congress]], and (in most states) all delegates vote for the winner of the local state vote. Consequently, it is possible for the [[president-elect]] to have received fewer votes from the country's total population (the popular vote). This situation has occurred [[United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote|five times since 1824]].}} He became [[List of presidents of the United States by age|the oldest]] first-term U.S. president{{efn|name=age|[[Ronald Reagan]] was older upon his second-term inauguration, and upon being inaugurated in 2021, President-elect [[Joe Biden]] will replace both as the oldest president ever to serve.<ref name=oldest>{{Cite web|last=Peter|first=Josh|date=2020-11-05|title=Joe Biden will become the oldest president in American history, a title previously held by Ronald Reagan|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/05/oldest-president-joe-biden/6181672002/|url-status=live|access-date=2020-11-18|website=USA Today|language=en-US}}</ref>}} and the first without [[List of presidents of the United States by previous experience|prior military or government service]]. His election and policies have sparked [[Protests against Donald Trump|numerous protests]].<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 20. --> Trump has made [[Veracity of statements by Donald Trump|many false or misleading statements]] during his [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|campaign]] and [[Presidency of Donald Trump|presidency]]. The statements have been documented by [[fact-checker]]s, and the media have widely described the phenomenon as unprecedented in American politics.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 35. --> Many of his [[Racial views of Donald Trump|comments and actions]] have been characterized as racially charged or racist.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this sentence without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 30. -->

During his presidency, Trump [[Executive Order 13769|ordered a travel ban]] on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, citing security concerns; after [[Legal challenges to the Trump travel ban|legal challenges]], the Supreme Court upheld [[Presidential Proclamation 9645|the policy's third revision]].<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this sentence IN ANY WAY without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 23. --> He enacted [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017|a tax-cut package]] for individuals and businesses, rescinding the [[individual shared responsibility provision|individual health insurance mandate]] penalty of the [[Affordable Care Act]] (ACA), but has [[American Health Care Act|failed to repeal and replace]] the ACA as a whole. He appointed [[Neil Gorsuch]], [[Brett Kavanaugh]] and [[Amy Coney Barrett]] to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]. In foreign policy, Trump has pursued an [[America First (policy)|America First]] agenda, withdrawing the U.S. from the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] trade negotiations, the [[Paris Agreement]] on [[climate change]], and the [[United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|Iran nuclear deal]]. He [[Trump tariffs|imposed import tariffs]] which triggered [[China–United States trade war|a trade war with China]], [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem]] and [[American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War#Withdrawal from north Syria|withdrew U.S. troops from northern Syria]]. Trump met three times with North Korean leader [[Kim Jong-un]], but talks on [[denuclearization]] broke down in 2019.

A [[Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)|special counsel investigation]] led by [[Robert Mueller]] found that Trump and his campaign benefited from [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election]], but did not find sufficient evidence to press charges of [[criminal conspiracy]] or coordination with Russia.{{efn|name=coordination|Mueller, Robert (March 2019). [https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf "Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election"]. '''I'''. p. 2. "In connection with that analysis, we addressed the factual question whether members of the Trump Campaign 'coordinat[ed]'{{snd}}a term that appears in the appointment order{{snd}}with Russian election interference activities. Like collusion, 'coordination' does not have a settled definition in federal criminal law. We understood coordination to require an agreement{{snd}}tacit or express{{snd}}between the Trump Campaign and the Russian government on election interference. That requires more than the two parties taking actions that were informed by or responsive to the other's actions or interests. We applied the term coordination in that sense when stating in the report that the investigation did not establish that the Trump Campaign coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." }} Mueller also investigated Trump for [[obstruction of justice]], and [[Mueller Report|his report]] neither indicted nor exonerated Trump on that offense. After Trump [[Trump–Ukraine scandal|solicited Ukraine to investigate]] his political rival [[Joe Biden]], the House of Representatives [[Impeachment of Donald Trump|impeached him]] in December 2019 for [[abuse of power]] and [[obstruction of Congress]]. The Senate [[Impeachment trial of Donald Trump|acquitted him]] of both charges in February 2020.

Trump reacted slowly to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]]. He downplayed the threat, ignored or contradicted many recommendations from health officials, and promoted false information about unproven treatments and the availability of testing.<!-- PLEASE DISCUSS BEFORE CHANGING THIS LANGUAGE. --> Trump lost the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]] to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, but has refused to concede defeat. He has made unsubstantiated accusations of electoral fraud, mounted a [[List of lawsuits relating to the 2020 United States presidential election|series of legal challenges to the results]], and ordered White House officials not to cooperate in the [[Presidential transition of Joe Biden|presidential transition]].
{{toclimit|3}}

== Personal life ==
=== Early life ===
[[File:Donald Trump NYMA.jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|alt=A black-and-white photograph of Donald Trump as a teenager, smiling and wearing a dark pseudo-military uniform with various badges and a light-colored stripe crossing his right shoulder|1964 [[New York Military Academy]] yearbook photo]]

Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at Jamaica Hospital in the borough of [[Queens]], New York City.<ref name="Birth Certificate">{{cite news |title=Certificate of Birth |publisher=Department of Health – City of New York – Bureau of Records and Statistics |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/page?id=13248168 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512232306/https://abcnews.go.com/US/page?id=13248168 |archive-date=May 12, 2016 |via=[[ABC News]]}}</ref><ref name="Birth Certificate 2">{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/20110328125536753.pdf |title=Certificate of Birth: Donald John Trump |publisher=The Jamaica Hospital |via=[[Fox News]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110409070650/https://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/20110328125536753.pdf |archivedate=April 9, 2011 |url-status=live |accessdate=October 23, 2018}}</ref> His father was [[Frederick Christ Trump]], a Bronx-born real estate developer whose parents were German immigrants. His mother was Scottish-born housewife [[Mary Anne MacLeod Trump]]. Trump grew up in the [[Jamaica Estates, Queens|Jamaica Estates]] neighborhood of Queens and attended the [[Kew-Forest School]] from kindergarten through seventh grade.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA32 32]}}<ref>{{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]] |date=September 22, 2015 |accessdate=November 7, 2018}}</ref> At age 13, he was enrolled in the [[New York Military Academy]], a private boarding school.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA38 38]}}
In 1964, he enrolled at [[Fordham University]]. Two years later he transferred to the [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania]], graduating in May 1968 with a [[Bachelor of Science|B.S.]] in economics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.upenn.edu/primdocs/upg/upg7/upg7_1968.pdf |pages=19–21 |title=Two Hundred and Twelfth Commencement for the Conferring of Degrees |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania]] |date=May 20, 1968 |archivedate=July 19, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719213709/https://www.archives.upenn.edu/primdocs/upg/upg7/upg7_1968.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Matt |last=Viser |title=Even in college, Donald Trump was brash |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2015/08/28/donald-trump-was-bombastic-even-wharton-business-school/3FO0j1uS5X6S8156yH3YhL/story.html |date=August 28, 2015 |accessdate=May 28, 2018}}</ref> Profiles of Trump published in ''The New York Times'' in 1973 and 1976 erroneously reported that he had graduated first in his class at Wharton, but he had never made the school's honor roll.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 20, 2018 |first=Avi |last=Selk |title=It's the 50th anniversary of the day Trump left college and (briefly) faced the draft |accessdate=March 3, 2019 |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/}}</ref> In 2015, Trump's lawyer [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]] threatened Fordham University and the New York Military Academy with legal action if they released Trump's academic records.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ashford |first1=Grace |title=Michael Cohen Says Trump Told Him to Threaten Schools Not to Release Grades |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/27/us/politics/trump-school-grades.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=June 9, 2019 |date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>

==== Military deferment ====

While in college, Trump obtained four student [[Conscription in the United States|draft]] deferments.<ref name="defer">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-avoided-vietnam-with-deferments-records-show |title=Donald Trump avoided Vietnam with deferments, records show |date=April 29, 2011 |website=[[CBS News]] |first=Brian |last=Montopoli |accessdate=July 17, 2015}}</ref> In 1966, he was deemed fit for military service based upon a medical examination, and in July 1968 a local draft board classified him as eligible to serve.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/foia/donald-trump-selective-service-draft-card.html |title=Donald John Trump's Selective Service Draft Card and Selective Service Classification Ledger |date=August 15, 2016 |website=[[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]] |access-date=September 23, 2019}} – via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)</ref> In October 1968, he was medically deferred and classified {{nowrap|1-Y}} (unqualified for duty except in the case of a national emergency).<ref name="Whitlock21July">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/questions-linger-about-trumps-draft-deferments-during-vietnam-war/2015/07/21/257677bc-2fdd-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html |title=Questions linger about Trump's draft deferments during Vietnam War |last=Whitlock |first=Craig |authorlink=Craig Whitlock |date=July 21, 2015 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=April 2, 2017|url-access=limited}}</ref> In 1972, he was reclassified {{nowrap|4-F}} due to [[exostosis|bone spurs]], which permanently disqualified him from service.<ref name="SE">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html |title=Donald Trump's Draft Deferments: Four for College, One for Bad Feet |last1=Eder |first1=Steve |last2=Philipps |first2=Dave |author2link=David Philipps |date=August 1, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=August 2, 2016 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="emery">{{cite news |last=Emery |first=David |url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2016/08/02/donald-trumps-draft-deferments/ |title=Donald Trump's Draft Deferments |website=[[Snopes.com]] |date=August 2, 2016 |accessdate=October 16, 2018}}</ref>

=== Family ===

{{Main|Family of Donald Trump}}
{{Further|Trump family}}

==== Parents and siblings ====
{{Main|Fred Trump|Mary Anne MacLeod Trump}}

Fred Trump started working in real estate with his mother [[Elizabeth Christ Trump|Elizabeth]] when he was 15, after his father [[Friedrich Trump|Friedrich]] had died in the [[1918 flu pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=April 30, 2020 |first=Susan B. |last=Glasser |authorlink=Susan Glasser |title=History According to Trump: The President and the 1917 Pandemic That Wasn't |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trump-and-the-1917-pandemic-that-wasnt}}</ref> By 1926, their company, "[[E. Trump & Son]]", was active in the [[Boroughs of New York City|New York boroughs]] of Queens and [[Brooklyn]].<ref name="Blair1">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PmrwtRTQ3fMC&pg=PA120 |title=The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire |isbn=978-0-7432-1079-9 |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |authorlink=Gwenda Blair |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]] |location=New York |date=December 4, 2001 |pages=120–122}}</ref> It would grow to build and sell tens of thousands of houses, barracks, and apartments.<ref name=dad>{{cite news |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |authorlink=Gwenda Blair |date=August 24, 2015 |title=The Man Who Made Trump Who He Is |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/the-man-who-made-trump-who-he-is-121647 |magazine=[[Politico]] |accessdate=July 24, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rozhon |first=Tracie |date=June 26, 1999 |title=Fred C. Trump, Postwar Master Builder of Housing for Middle Class, Dies at 93 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/26/nyregion/fred-c-trump-postwar-master-builder-of-housing-for-middle-class-dies-at-93.html |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> Fred claimed to be Swedish amid the [[anti-German sentiment]] sparked by World War II;<ref name="CNN Swedish">{{cite news |title=Trump's family denied German heritage for years |first=Jennifer |last=Hansler |date=November 28, 2017 |website=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/trump-family-heritage/index.html}}</ref> Donald Trump also claimed Swedish heritage until 1990.<ref name=McGrane-160429>{{cite news |title=The Ancestral German Home of the Trumps |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-ancestral-german-home-of-the-trumps |date=April 29, 2016 |last=McGrane |first=Sally |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=May 23, 2020}}</ref> Trump's mother Mary Anne MacLeod was born in Scotland.<ref name=Pilon>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump's Immigrant Mother |first=Mary |last=Pilon |authorlink=Mary Pilon |date=June 24, 2016 |work=[[The New Yorker]] |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/donald-trumps-immigrant-mother |accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref> Fred and Mary were married in 1936 and raised their family in Queens.<ref name=McGrane-160429/> Trump grew up with three elder siblings{{snd}}[[Maryanne Trump Barry|Maryanne]], Fred Jr., and Elizabeth{{snd}}and younger brother [[Robert Trump|Robert]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=April 11, 2019 |first=Ashley |last=Collman |title=Meet Donald Trump's siblings, the oldest of whom just retired as a federal judge |accessdate=November 2, 2019 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-sibling-bios-judge-sister-alcoholic-brother-retirees-2018-10}}</ref>

==== Wives and children ====

[[File:Trump Family Hand Up.jpg|thumb|Trump is [[Inauguration of Donald Trump|sworn in]] as president by Chief Justice [[John Roberts]] on January 20, 2017. From left: Trump, wife [[Melania Trump|Melania]], and his children [[Donald Trump Jr.|Donald Jr.]], [[Barron Trump|Barron]], [[Ivanka Trump|Ivanka]], [[Eric Trump|Eric]], and [[Tiffany Trump|Tiffany]].]]

In 1977, Trump married [[Czechs|Czech]] model [[Ivana Trump|Ivana Zelníčková]].{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=300}} They have three children, [[Donald Trump Jr.|Donald Jr.]] (born 1977), [[Ivanka Trump|Ivanka]] (born 1981), and [[Eric Trump|Eric]] (born 1984), and ten grandchildren.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/lara-and-eric-trump-welcome-second-child |title=Lara and Eric Trump welcome second child |work=[[NBC Montana]] |date=August 20, 2019 |access-date=August 21, 2019}}</ref> Ivana became a naturalized United States citizen in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Lewiston Journal]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |via=Google News |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1899&dat=19880527&id=LiEgAAAAIBAJ&pg=5053,3823442 |title=Ivana Trump becomes U.S. citizen |date=May 27, 1988 |accessdate=August 21, 2015}}</ref> The couple divorced in 1992, following Trump's affair with actress [[Marla Maples]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/16/ivana-trump-write-memoir-about-raising-us-presidents-donald-children |title=Ivana Trump to write memoir about raising US president's children |work=[[The Guardian]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=March 16, 2017 |accessdate=May 6, 2017}}</ref> Maples and Trump married in 1993<ref>{{cite news |last=Capuzzo |first=Mike |title=Marla Finally Becomes Mrs. Trump It Was 'Paparazzi' Aplenty And Glitz Galore As The Couple Pledged Their Troth. |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=December 21, 1993 |accessdate=June 20, 2019 |url=http://articles.philly.com/1993-12-21/news/25940050_1_donald-trump-ivana-storybook-wedding |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119050108/http://articles.philly.com/1993-12-21/news/25940050_1_donald-trump-ivana-storybook-wedding |archivedate=January 19, 2016}}</ref> and had one daughter, [[Tiffany Trump|Tiffany]] (born 1993).<ref name=Slate07202016>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Ruth |date=July 20, 2016 |title=Tiffany Trump's Sad, Vague Tribute to Her Distant Father |url=https://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/07/20/tiffany_trump_s_sad_vague_rnc_speech.html |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |accessdate=July 24, 2016}}</ref> They were divorced in 1999,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20723536,00.html |title=Marla Maples Still Loves Donald Trump |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |first=Sheila Cosgrove |last=Baylis |date=August 7, 2013 |accessdate=May 6, 2017}}</ref> and Tiffany was raised by Marla in California.<ref name=NYT-20161002>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/02/fashion/tiffany-the-other-trump.html |title=The Other Trump |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Alessandra |last=Stanley |authorlink=Alessandra Stanley |date=October 1, 2016 |accessdate=May 6, 2017}}</ref> In 2005, Trump married [[Slovenia]]n model [[Melania Trump|Melania Knauss]].<ref name=Post52208>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40186-2005Jan26.html |title=Donald Trump, Settling Down |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Tina |last=Brown |authorlink=Tina Brown |date=January 27, 2005 |accessdate=May 7, 2017}}</ref> They have one son, [[Barron Trump|Barron]] (born 2006).<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Fast Facts |url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/04/us/donald-trump-fast-facts/ |accessdate=March 10, 2015 |website=[[CNN]] |date=March 7, 2014}}</ref> Melania gained U.S. citizenship in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gunter |first=Joel |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43256318 |title=What is the Einstein visa? And how did Melania Trump get one? |date=March 2, 2018 |access-date=August 2, 2019 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>

=== Religion ===

Trump went to [[Sunday school]] and was [[Confirmation|confirmed]] in 1959 at the [[First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica|First Presbyterian Church]] in Jamaica, Queens.<ref name="BarronNYT"/><ref name=inactive>{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Eugene |title=Church says Donald Trump is not an 'active member' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/28/politics/donald-trump-church-member/index.html |accessdate=May 26, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=August 28, 2015}}</ref> In the 1970s, his parents joined the [[Marble Collegiate Church]] in Manhattan, which belongs to the [[Reformed Church in America|Reformed Church]].<ref name="BarronNYT"/><ref name="WaPo.March.18.17">{{cite news |last=Schwartzman |first=Paul |title=How Trump got religion – and why his legendary minister's son now rejects him |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/how-trump-got-religion--and-why-his-legendary-ministers-son-now-rejects-him/2016/01/21/37bae16e-bb02-11e5-829c-26ffb874a18d_story.html |accessdate=March 18, 2017 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 21, 2016}}</ref> The pastor at Marble, [[Norman Vincent Peale]],<ref name="BarronNYT">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/nyregion/donald-trump-marble-collegiate-church-norman-vincent-peale.html |title=Overlooked Influences on Donald Trump: A Famous Minister and His Church |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=James |last=Barron |authorlink=James Barron (journalist) |date=September 5, 2016 |accessdate=October 13, 2016}}</ref> ministered to Trump's family until Peale's death in 1993.<ref name="WaPo.March.18.17" /> Trump has described Peale as a mentor.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 81]}} In 2015, after Trump said he attends Marble, the church stated he "is not an active member" of the church.<ref name=inactive/> In November 2019, Trump appointed his personal pastor, televangelist [[Paula White]], to the White House [[Office of Public Liaison]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 31, 2019 |first1=Jeremy W. |last1=Peters |author1link=Jeremy W. Peters |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman |title=Paula White, Trump's Personal Pastor, Joins the White House |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/paula-white-trump.html}}</ref> In October 2020, Trump said that he identified as a [[non-denominational Christian]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Exclusive: Trump, confirmed a Presbyterian, now identifies as 'non-denominational Christian' |url=https://religionnews.com/2020/10/23/exclusive-trump-confirmed-a-presbyterian-now-identifies-as-non-denominational-christian/ |work=[[Religion News Service]] |date=October 23, 2020 |first1=Jack |last1=Jenkins |first2=Maina |last2=Mwaura}}</ref>

=== Health ===

Trump has called golfing his "primary form of exercise" but usually does not walk the course.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He considers exercise a waste of energy, because he believes the body is "like a battery, with a finite amount of energy" which is depleted by exercise.<ref>{{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 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 14, 2017}}</ref> In 2015, [[Harold Bornstein]], who had been Trump's personal physician since 1980, wrote that Trump would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency" in a letter released by the Trump campaign.<ref name="dictation">{{cite news |first1=Alex |last1=Marquardt |first2=Lawrence III |last2=Crook |title=Bornstein claims Trump dictated the glowing health letter |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/01/politics/harold-bornstein-trump-letter/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |date=May 1, 2018 |accessdate=May 20, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, Bornstein said Trump had dictated the contents of the letter and that three agents of Trump had removed his medical records in February 2017 without authorization.<ref name="dictation"/><ref name="Schechter">{{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]] |accessdate=June 6, 2019}}</ref>

Statements by White House physicians [[Ronny Jackson]] and [[Sean Conley]] in 2018, 2019, and 2020 said Trump was healthy overall, but was [[obese]].<ref name=time-20180117>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5105096/donald-trump-physical-exam-transcript/ |first=Jamie |last=Ducharme |title=The White House Doctor Called President Trump's Health 'Excellent'. Here's the Full Summary of His Physical Exam |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=January 17, 2018 |accessdate=January 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name="obese">{{cite news |last1=Howard |first1=Jacqueline |last2=Liptak |first2=Kevin |title=Trump in 'very good health overall' but obese, according to physical exam results |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/14/health/trump-physical-results-2019-bn/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=February 15, 2019 |date=February 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name="summary">{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Katie |last2=Altman |first2=Lawrence K. |date=June 3, 2020 |title=Trump 'Remains Healthy' After Taking Hydroxychloroquine, His Doctor Says |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/politics/trump-physical-hydroxychloroquine.html |access-date=June 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name="memo">{{cite news |last=Conley |first=Sean P. |authorlink=Sean Conley |date=June 3, 2020 |title=President Donald J. Trump's Periodic Physical Exam |url=https://media.arkansasonline.com/news/documents/2020/06/03/Trump_Physical_Exam.pdf |access-date=June 19, 2020 |publisher=Physician to the President |via=[[Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]]}}</ref> Several outside cardiologists commented that Trump's 2018 [[Low-density lipoprotein|LDL cholesterol]] level of 143 did not indicate excellent health.<ref name=nyt-20180117>{{cite news |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Gina |last2=Kolata |author2link=Gina Kolata |title=Trump's Physical Revealed Serious Heart Concerns, Outside Experts Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/us/politics/trump-physical-heart-health-cholesterol.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 17, 2018 |accessdate=June 3, 2018}}</ref> Trump's 2019 [[coronary CT calcium scan]] score indicates he suffers from a common form of [[coronary artery disease]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Gupta |first=Sanjay |authorlink=Sanjay Gupta |title=President Trump has a common form of heart disease |date=February 1, 2018 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/17/health/trump-heart-disease-gupta/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=June 10, 2019}}</ref>

Trump was [[#Hospitalization with COVID-19|hospitalized]] with [[Coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19]] on October 2, 2020, and treated with the antiviral drug [[remdesivir]], the steroid [[dexamethasone]], and an unapproved experimental antibody drug made by [[Regeneron]].<ref name="downplay">{{cite news |last1=Olorunnipa |first1=Toluse |author1link=Toluse Olorunnipa |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |author2link=Josh Dawsey |title=Trump returns to White House downplaying virus that hospitalized him and turned West Wing into a 'ghost town' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-walter-reed-discharge-mask/2020/10/05/91edbe9a-071a-11eb-859b-f9c27abe638d_story.html |accessdate=October 5, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 5, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Thomas-20201005>{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Katie |last2=Kolata |first2=Gina |author2link=Gina Kolata |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/02/health/trump-antibody-treatment.html |title=President Trump Received Experimental Antibody Treatment |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 5, 2020 |access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref> He was discharged on October 5.<ref name="downplay"/> <!--INFORMATION ABOUT TRUMP'S COVID-19 DIAGNOSIS IS IN THE COVID-19 SECTION. DO NOT ADD A DUPLICATE HERE.-->

=== Wealth ===

{{Main|Wealth of Donald Trump}}
{{See also|Tax returns of Donald Trump}}

In 1982, Trump was listed on the initial ''[[Forbes]]'' list of wealthy individuals as having a share of his family's estimated $200&nbsp;million net worth. His financial losses in the 1980s caused him to be dropped from the list between 1990 and 1995.<ref name=OBrien2005Oct>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/business/yourmoney/whats-he-really-worth.html |title=What's He Really Worth? |first=Timothy L. |last=O'Brien |authorlink=Timothy L. O'Brien |accessdate=February 25, 2016 |date=October 23, 2005 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> In its 2020 billionaires ranking, ''Forbes'' estimated Trump's net worth at $2.1&nbsp;billion<!-- Updated annually per [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 5. Otherwise, DO NOT CHANGE this value without prior consensus. -->{{efn|name=Wealth|This estimate is by ''Forbes'' in their annual ranking. [[Bloomberg Billionaires Index]] listed Trump's net worth as $2.97&nbsp;billion in June 2019,<ref name="BBI">{{cite news |title=Bloomberg Billionaires Index–Donald Trump |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/donald-j-trump/ |website=[[Bloomberg News]] |access-date=November 19, 2019}}</ref> and Wealth-X listed it as at least $3.2&nbsp;billion in April 2019.<ref name="WX">{{cite web |title=Donald John Trump–Wealth-X Dossier |url=https://www.wealthx.com/dossier/donald-john-trump/ |website=Wealth-X |access-date=May 9, 2019 |archivedate=April 18, 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418084832/https://www.wealthx.com/dossier/donald-john-trump/}}</ref>}} (1,001st in the world, 275th in the U.S.),<ref name="forbes-billionaires">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/donald-trump/?list=billionaires |title=#1001 Donald Trump |magazine=[[Forbes]] |year=2020 |accessdate=April 13, 2020}}</ref> making him one of the [[List of richest American politicians|richest politicians in American history]] and the first billionaire American president.<ref name="forbes-billionaires"/> During the three years since Trump announced his presidential run in 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth declined 31% and his ranking fell 138 spots.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-forbes-wealthiest-people-in-the-us-list-2018-10 |title=Trump has fallen 138 spots on Forbes' wealthiest-Americans list, his net worth down over $1 billion, since he announced his presidential bid in 2015 |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=October 3, 2018 |first=John |last=Walsh |accessdate=October 3, 2018}}</ref> When he filed mandatory financial disclosure forms with the [[Federal Elections Commission]] in July 2015, Trump claimed a net worth of about $10&nbsp;billion;<ref name="financial-pr">{{cite web |url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/images/uploads/DJT_PFD_Statement_(1).pdf |title=Donald J. Trump Files Personal Financial Disclosure Statement With Federal Election Commission |first1=Corey R. |last1=Lewandowski |author1link=Corey Lewandowski |first2=Hope |last2=Hicks |author2link=Hope Hicks |date=July 15, 2015 |accessdate=March 8, 2016 |archive-date=March 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309043101/https://www.donaldjtrump.com/images/uploads/DJT_PFD_Statement_%281%29.pdf}}</ref> however, FEC figures cannot corroborate this estimate because they only show each of his largest buildings as being worth over $50&nbsp;million, yielding total assets worth more than $1.4&nbsp;billion and debt over $265&nbsp;million.<ref name="Yahoo News FEC"/>
[[File:Ivana Trump shakes hands with Fahd of Saudi Arabia.jpg|thumb|Trump and wife Ivana in the receiving line of a state dinner for King [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia]] in 1985,<ref>{{cite news |first1=Elizabeth |last1=Kastor |first2=Donnie |last2=Radcliffe |title=Trump lied to me about his wealth to get onto the Forbes 400. Here are the tapes. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/02/12/fahds-night-fanfare-fit-for-a-king/670e92d3-f181-48b9-9ffa-abe2a30ddedf/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 12, 1985 |access-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref> with U.S. president [[Ronald Reagan]] and First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]]]]

Journalist Jonathan Greenberg reported in 2018 that Trump, using the pseudonym "[[John Barron (pseudonym)|John Barron]]" and claiming to be a Trump Organization official, called him in 1984 to falsely assert that he owned "in excess of ninety percent" of the Trump family's business, to secure a higher ranking on the [[Forbes 400]] list of wealthy Americans. Greenberg also wrote that ''Forbes'' had vastly overestimated Trump's wealth and wrongly included him on the Forbes 400 rankings of 1982, 1983, and 1984.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 20, 2018 |first=Jonathan |last=Greenberg |title=Trump lied to me about his wealth to get onto the Forbes 400. Here are the tapes. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-lied-to-me-about-his-wealth-to-get-onto-the-forbes-400-here-are-the-tapes/2018/04/20/ac762b08-4287-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html}}</ref>

Trump has often said he began his career with "a small loan of one million dollars" from his father, and that he had to pay it back with interest.<ref name="small-loan">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/26/donald-trump-my-dad-gave-me-a-small-loan-of-1-million-to-get-started.html |title=Donald Trump: My dad gave me 'a small loan' of $1 million to get started |website=[[CNBC]] |first=Scott |last=Stump |date=October 26, 2015 |accessdate=November 13, 2016}}</ref> In October 2018, ''The New York Times'' reported that Trump "was a millionaire by age 8", borrowed at least $60&nbsp;million from his father, largely failed to reimburse him, and had received $413&nbsp;million (adjusted for inflation) from his father's business empire over his lifetime.<ref name="takeaways">{{cite news |last1=Barstow |first1=David |author1link=David Barstow |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author2link=Susanne Craig |last3=Buettner |first3=Russ |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-wealth-fred-trump.html |title=11 Takeaways From The Times's Investigation Into Trump's Wealth |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 2, 2018 |accessdate=October 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Tax_Schemes">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html |title=Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father |work=[[The New York Times]] |last1=Barstow |first1=David |author1link=David Barstow |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author2link=Susanne Craig |last3=Buettner |first3=Russ |date=October 2, 2018 |accessdate=October 2, 2018}}</ref> According to the report, Trump and his family committed tax fraud, which a lawyer for Trump denied. The tax department of New York said it is investigating.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[USA Today]] |first1=Jon |last1=Campbell |first2=Joseph |last2=Spector |title=New York could levy hefty penalties if Trump tax fraud is proven |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/03/new-york-trump-tax-fraud/1512265002/ |date=October 3, 2018 |accessdate=October 5, 2018}}</ref><ref name="AP2018-12-16"/> Trump's investments underperformed the stock market and the New York property market.<ref name="econ_From">{{cite news |title=From the Tower to the White House |work=[[The Economist]] |date=February 20, 2016 |accessdate=February 29, 2016 |url=https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21693230-enigma-presidential-candidates-business-affairs-tower-white |quote=Mr Trump's performance has been mediocre compared with the stockmarket and property in New York.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ana |last=Swanson |title=The myth and the reality of Donald Trump's business empire |date=February 29, 2016 |website=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/29/the-myth-and-the-reality-of-donald-trumps-business-empire/}}</ref> Forbes estimated in October 2018 that the value of Trump's personal brand licensing business had declined by 88% since 2015, to $3&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/02/trump-forbes-400-spot-tumbles-as-net-worth-declines.html |title=Trump tumbles down the Forbes 400 as his net worth takes major hit |first=Kevin |last=Breuninger |date=October 2, 2018 |website=[[CNBC]] |accessdate=January 4, 2019}}</ref>

Trump's tax returns from 1985 to 1994 show net losses totaling $1.17&nbsp;billion over the ten-year period, in contrast to his claims about his financial health and business abilities. ''The New York Times'' reported that "year after year, Mr. Trump appears to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer," and Trump's "core business losses in 1990 and 1991{{snd}}more than $250&nbsp;million each year{{snd}}were more than double those of the nearest taxpayers in the I.R.S. information for those years". In 1995 his reported losses were $915.7&nbsp;million.<ref name=Buettner-190508>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/07/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html |title=Decade in the Red: Trump Tax Figures Show Over $1 Billion in Business Losses |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 8, 2019 |accessdate=May 8, 2019 |first1=Russ |last1=Buettner |first2=Susanne |last2=Craig |author2link=Susanne Craig}}</ref><ref name=Friedersdorf-190508>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/trump-taxes/588967/ |title=The Secret That Was Hiding in Trump's Taxes |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=May 8, 2019 |accessdate=May 8, 2019 |first=Conor |last=Friedersdorf |authorlink=Conor Friedersdorf}}</ref>

According to a September 2020 analysis by ''[[The New York Times]]'' of twenty years of data from Trump's [[tax returns]], Trump had accumulated hundreds of millions of [[U.S. dollar]]s in losses, and deferred declaring $287&nbsp;million in forgiven debt as taxable income.<ref name="Buettner 2020-09-27">{{cite news |last1=Buettner |first1=Russ |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author2link=Susanne Craig |last3=McIntire |first3=Mike |date=September 27, 2020 |title=Trump's Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance |work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html|access-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref> According to the analysis, Trump's main sources of income were his share of revenue from ''[[The Apprentice (American TV series)|The Apprentice]]'' and income from businesses in which he was a minority partner, while his majority-owned businesses were largely running at losses.<ref name="Buettner 2020-09-27" /> A significant portion of Trump's income was in [[tax credit]]s due to his losses, which enables him to avoid paying income tax, or paying as little as $750, for several years.<ref name="Buettner 2020-09-27" /> Over the past decade, Trump has been balancing his businesses' losses by selling and taking out loans against assets, including a $100&nbsp;million [[mortgage]] on [[Trump Tower]] (due in 2022) and the liquidation of over $200&nbsp;million in stocks and bonds.<ref name="Buettner 2020-09-27" /> Trump has personally guaranteed $421&nbsp;million in debt, most of which is due to be repaid by 2024. If he is re-elected and unable to repay or refinance the debt, the lenders may consider foreclosing on a sitting president, an unprecedented situation.<ref name="Leonhardt 2020-09-27">{{cite news |last=Leonhardt |first=David |authorlink=David Leonhardt |date=September 27, 2020 |title=18 Revelations From a Trove of Trump Tax Records |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/27/us/trump-taxes-takeaways.html |access-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref> The tax records also showed Trump had unsuccessfully pursued business deals in China, including by developing a partnership with a major government-controlled company.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-tax-records-china-f086bba3b691acdc51535412f77f2c8e |title=Report: Tax records show Trump tried to land China projects |date=October 21, 2020 |website=[[AP News]]}}</ref>

Trump has a total of over $1&nbsp;billion in debts, borrowed to finance his assets, reported ''Forbes'' in October 2020. Around $640&nbsp;million or more was owed to various banks and trust organizations. Around $450&nbsp;million was owed to unknown creditors. However, Trump's assets still outvalue his debts, reported Forbes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Dan |title=Donald Trump Has At Least $1 Billion In Debt, More Than Twice The Amount He Suggested |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2020/10/16/donald-trump-has-at-least-1-billion-in-debt-more-than-twice-the-amount-he-suggested/#64a3599b4330 |accessdate=October 17, 2020 |work=[[Forbes]] |date=October 16, 2020}}</ref>

== Business career ==

{{Main|Business career of Donald Trump}}
{{Further|Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia}}

=== Real estate ===

[[File:Trump Tower - lower part.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Trump Tower]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]]]]

While a student at Wharton and after graduating in 1968, Trump worked at his father Fred's real estate company, Trump Management, which owned middle-class rental housing in New York City's outer boroughs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/09/03/if-donald-trump-followed-this-really-basic-advice-hed-be-a-lot-richer |title=The real reason Donald Trump is so rich |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 3, 2015 |accessdate=January 17, 2016 |first=Max |last=Ehrenfreund |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name=Mahler />{{sfn|Trump|2020|p=89}} In 1971, he became president of the company and began using [[The Trump Organization]] as an [[umbrella brand]].{{sfn|Blair|2015b|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=uJifCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA250 250]}} The business had previously used the names Fred C. Trump Organization,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/06/29/archives/bid-made-to-start-warbasse-housing.html |title=Bid Made to Start Warbasse Housing |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 29, 1959 |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Wanted to purchase (advertisement) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19890919/fred-c-trump-organization-advertisement/ |work=[[The Miami News]] |date=August 8, 1969 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> Fred Trump Organization,<ref>{{cite news |last=Ryan |first=Harry |title=Real estate |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24271973/real-estate/ |work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]] |date=February 11, 1961 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Controller |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24272037/controller/ |work=[[The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |date=December 23, 1951 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref> and Trump Organization,<ref>{{cite news |title=6 Bikinied Beauties Attend Demolishing Of Coney Landmark |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/09/22/archives/6-bikinied-beauties-attend-demolishing-of-coney-landmark.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 22, 1966 |access-date=August 28, 2020}} (Subscription required to read full article.)</ref> but had not had a single formal name. It was registered as a corporation in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trump Organization Inc/The |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/3603126Z:US |website=[[Bloomberg L.P.]] |access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref>

==== Manhattan developments ====

Trump attracted public attention in 1978 with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture, the renovation of the derelict [[Grand Hyatt New York|Commodore Hotel]], adjacent to [[Grand Central Terminal]]. The financing was facilitated by a $400&nbsp;million city property tax abatement arranged by Fred Trump,<ref>{{cite news |first=Frank |last=Rich |authorlink=Frank Rich |title=The Original Donald Trump |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/frank-rich-roy-cohn-the-original-donald-trump.html |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=April 29, 2018 |accessdate=May 8, 2018}}</ref> who also joined Hyatt in guaranteeing $70&nbsp;million in bank construction financing.<ref name="Kessler160303">{{cite news |first=Glenn |last=Kessler |authorlink=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |title=Trump's false claim he built his empire with a 'small loan' from his father |date=March 3, 2016 |work=[[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}}</ref>{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 84]}} The hotel reopened in 1980 as the [[Grand Hyatt New York|Grand Hyatt Hotel]],{{sfn|Wooten|2009|pp=32–35}} and that same year, Trump obtained rights to develop [[Trump Tower]], a [[Mixed-use development|mixed-use]] skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Expanding Empire of Donald Trump |date=April 8, 1984 |first=William |last=Geist |authorlink=Bill Geist |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html}}</ref> The building houses the headquarters of the Trump Organization and was Trump's primary residence until 2019.<ref name="TrumpTowerResidence1">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/nyregion/donald-trump-new-york-protests.html |title=Donald Trump Loves New York. But It Doesn't Love Him Back. |first=Alexander |last=Burns |authorlink=Alex Burns (journalist) |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 9, 2016 |accessdate=December 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name=moved>{{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]] |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |authorlink=Maggie Haberman |date=October 31, 2019 |accessdate=January 24, 2020}}</ref>

In 1988, Trump acquired the [[Plaza Hotel]] in Manhattan with a loan of $425&nbsp;million from a consortium of banks. Two years later, the hotel filed for bankruptcy protection, and a reorganization plan was approved in 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump's Plaza Hotel bankruptcy plan approved |work=[[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]] |accessdate=July 18, 2019}}</ref> In 1995, Trump lost the hotel to Citibank and investors from Singapore and Saudi Arabia, who assumed $300&nbsp;million of the debt.<ref name="NYT-19950412">{{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]] |first1=David |last1=Stout |author1link=David Stout |first2=Kenneth |last2=Gilpin |date=April 12, 1995 |accessdate=July 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Satow |first=Julie |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-05-23/that-time-trump-sold-the-plaza-hotel-at-an-83-million-loss |title=That Time Trump Sold the Plaza Hotel at an $83 Million Loss |website=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=May 23, 2019 |accessdate=July 18, 2019}}</ref>

In 1996, Trump acquired a vacant 71-story skyscraper at [[40 Wall Street]]. After an extensive renovation, the high-rise was renamed the Trump Building.{{sfn|Wooten|2009|pp=81–82}} In the early 1990s, Trump won the right to develop a {{convert|70|acre|ha|adj=on}} tract in the [[Lincoln Square, Manhattan|Lincoln Square]] neighborhood near the [[Hudson River]]. Struggling with debt from other ventures in 1994, Trump sold most of his interest in the project to Asian investors who were able to finance completion of the project, [[Riverside South, Manhattan|Riverside South]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/01/nyregion/trump-group-selling-west-side-parcel-for-1.8-billion.html |title=Trump Group Selling West Side Parcel for $1.8 billion |last=Bagli |first=Charles V. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 1, 2005 |accessdate=May 17, 2016}}</ref>

==== Palm Beach estate ====

{{Main|Mar-a-Lago}}
[[File:Maralago1 (4158314102).jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Mar-a-Lago in 2009]]

In 1985, Trump acquired the [[Mar-a-Lago]] estate in [[Palm Beach, Florida]].<ref name="CP-W">{{cite news |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/#2fbdf3da5adc |title=Donald Trump Has Gained More Than $100 Million On Mar-a-Lago |work=[[Forbes]] |date=April 23, 2018 |accessdate=July 4, 2018}}</ref> Trump used a wing of the estate as a home, while converting the remainder into a private club with an initiation fee and annual dues.<ref name="town&countryprice">{{cite web |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 |last=Dangremond |first=Sam |date=December 22, 2017 |website=[[Town & Country (magazine)|Town & Country]] |accessdate=July 3, 2018}}</ref> In 2019, Trump declared Mar-a-Lago his primary residence.<ref name = moved/>

==== Atlantic City casinos ====

[[File:Trump Taj Mahal, 2007.jpg|thumb|left|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]] in [[Atlantic City]]]]

In 1984, Trump opened [[Harrah's at Trump Plaza]] hotel and casino in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]], with financing from the [[Holiday Corporation]], who also managed the operation. Gambling had been legalized there in 1977 to revitalize the once-popular seaside destination.{{sfn|Wooten|2009|pp=57–58}} The property's poor financial results worsened tensions between Holiday and Trump, who paid Holiday $70&nbsp;million in May 1986 to take sole control of the property.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA128 128]}} Earlier, Trump had also acquired a partially completed building in Atlantic City from the [[Hilton Worldwide|Hilton Corporation]] for $320&nbsp;million. Upon its completion in 1985, that hotel and casino were called [[Golden Nugget Atlantic City|Trump Castle]]. Trump's then-wife Ivana managed it until 1988.{{sfn|Wooten|2009|pp=59–60}}{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA137 137]}}

Trump acquired a third casino in Atlantic City, the [[Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City|Trump Taj Mahal]], in 1988 in a highly leveraged transaction.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seven Acquisitive Executives Who Made Business News in 1988: Donald Trump–Trump Organization; The Artist of the Deal Turns Sour into Sweet |last=Cuff |first=Daniel |date=December 18, 1988 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/27/business/seven-acquisitive-executives-who-made-business-1988-donald-trump-trump.html |accessdate=May 27, 2011 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> It was financed with $675&nbsp;million in [[junk bonds]] and completed at a cost of $1.1&nbsp;billion, opening in April 1990.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/08/business/trump-s-taj-open-at-last-with-a-scary-appetite.html |title=Trump's Taj – Open at Last, With a Scary Appetite |date=April 8, 1990 |last=Glynn |first=Lenny |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=August 14, 2016}}</ref><ref name=UPI9April>{{cite news |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/04/09/Trump-reaches-agreement-with-bondholders-on-Taj-Mahal/7261671169600/ |title=Trump reaches agreement with bondholders on Taj Mahal |website=[[United Press International]] |date=April 9, 1991 |accessdate=March 21, 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 135]}} The project went bankrupt the following year,<ref name = UPI9April/> and the reorganization left Trump with only half his initial ownership stake and required him to pledge personal guarantees of future performance.<ref name="NYTimes">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/05/business/company-news-taj-mahal-is-out-of-bankruptcy.html |title=Taj Mahal is out of Bankruptcy |accessdate=May 22, 2008 |date=October 5, 1991}}</ref> Facing "enormous debt", he gave up control of his money-losing airline, [[Trump Shuttle]], and sold his [[megayacht]], the ''[[Trump Princess]]'', which had been indefinitely docked in Atlantic City while leased to his casinos for use by wealthy gamblers.<ref name=Hylton>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/11/business/trump-is-reportedly-selling-yacht.html |title=Trump Is Reportedly Selling Yacht |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 11, 1990 |accessdate=July 3, 2018 |last=Hylton |first=Richard}}</ref>{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA132 132–133]}}

In 1995, Trump founded [[Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts]] (THCR), which assumed ownership of Trump Plaza, Trump Castle, and the [[Majestic Star II|Trump Casino]] in [[Gary, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump Plaza casino stock trades today on Big Board |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Floyd |last=Norris |authorlink=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 |accessdate=December 14, 2014}}</ref> THCR purchased the Taj Mahal in 1996 and underwent successive bankruptcies in 2004, 2009, and 2014, leaving Trump with only ten percent ownership.<ref name=McQuade16Aug>{{cite news |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 |work=[[Philadelphia (magazine)|Philadelphia]] |date=August 16, 2015 |accessdate=March 21, 2016 |first=Dan |last=McQuade}}</ref> He remained chairman of THCR until 2009.<ref>{{cite news |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 |date=March 10, 2016 |work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |accessdate=May 6, 2018}}</ref>

==== Golf courses ====

{{Main|Donald Trump and golf}}

The Trump Organization began acquiring and constructing golf courses in 1999.<ref name=CNNMoney>{{cite news |last=Garcia |first=Ahiza |title=Trump's 17 golf courses teed up: Everything you need to know |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/12/29/news/donald-trump-golf-courses/index.html |accessdate=January 21, 2018 |website=[[CNN Money]] |date=December 29, 2016}}</ref> It owned 16 golf courses and resorts worldwide and operated another two {{as of|lc=y|December 2016}}.<ref name="cnn-20160519">{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/05/18/news/trump-finances/ |title=A peek at Donald Trump's finances |first1=Cristina |last1=Alesci |author1link=Cristina Alesci |first2=Laurie |last2=Frankel |first3=Jeanne |last3=Sahadi |website=[[CNN]] |date=May 19, 2016 |accessdate=May 20, 2016}}</ref>

From his inauguration until the end of 2019, Trump spent around one of every five days at one of his golf clubs.<ref>{{cite news |first=Betsy |last=Klein |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/31/politics/trump-golfing-vacation/index.html |title=Trump spent 1 of every 5 days in 2019 at a golf club |website=[[CNN]] |date=December 31, 2019|access-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref>

=== Branding and licensing ===

{{See also|List of things named after Donald Trump}}
[[File:Chicago September 2016-2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)|Trump International Hotel and Tower]] in Chicago]]

After the Trump Organization's financial losses in the early 1990s, it refocused its business on branding and licensing the Trump name for projects owned and operated by other people and companies.<ref name="NYer Branding">{{cite news |last=Cassidy |first=John |authorlink=John Cassidy (journalist) |title=Donald Trump's Business Failures Were Very Real |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/donald-trumps-business-failures-were-very-real |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=May 10, 2019 |accessdate=November 9, 2019}}</ref> In the late 2000s and early 2010s, it expanded this branding and management business to [[Trump International Hotel and Tower|hotel towers]] located around the world, including [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)|Chicago]]; [[Trump International Hotel Las Vegas|Las Vegas]]; [[Old Post Office (Washington, D.C.)|Washington, D.C.]]; [[Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower|Panama City]]; [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Toronto)|Toronto]]; and [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Vancouver)|Vancouver]]. There were also Trump-branded buildings in Dubai, [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Honolulu)|Honolulu]], [[Trump Towers Istanbul|Istanbul]], Manila, Mumbai, and Indonesia.<ref name="Forbes-20170320">{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferwang/2017/03/20/these-foreign-businessmen-are-paying-donald-trump-the-most-money/ |title=From Manila to Hawaii, Meet The Licensing Partners Who Paid Trump The Most |work=[[Forbes]] |first=Jennifer |last=Wang |date=March 20, 2017 |accessdate=May 6, 2017}}</ref>

The Trump name has also been licensed for various consumer products and services, including foodstuffs, apparel, adult learning courses, and home furnishings.<ref name="overseas">{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Michelle Ye Hee |title=How many Trump products were made overseas? Here's the complete list. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/08/26/how-many-trump-products-were-made-overseas-heres-the-complete-list/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 26, 2016 |access-date=May 17, 2019}}</ref><ref name="neckties">{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 13, 2018 |first1=Zane |last1=Anthony |first2=Kathryn |last2=Sanders |first3=David A. |last3=Fahrenthold |author3link=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}}</ref> According to an analysis by ''The Washington Post'', there are more than fifty licensing or management deals involving Trump's name, which have generated at least $59&nbsp;million in yearly revenue for his companies.<ref>{{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 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 25, 2017 |accessdate=December 12, 2017}}</ref> By 2018 only two consumer goods companies continued to license his name.<ref name="neckties"/>

=== Legal affairs and bankruptcies ===

{{Main|Legal affairs of Donald Trump|List of lawsuits involving Donald Trump}}

[[Fixer (person)|Fixer]] [[Roy Cohn]] served as Trump's lawyer and mentor for 13 years in the 1970s and 1980s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hornaday |first1=Ann |title=A portrait of an infamous fixer – and his most famous pupil – in 'Where's My Roy Cohn?' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/a-portrait-of-an-infamous-fixer--and-his-most-famous-pupil--in-wheres-my-roy-cohn/2019/09/24/73013ed0-dca5-11e9-bfb1-849887369476_story.html |accessdate=May 26, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 24, 2019}}</ref><ref name=Mahler2>{{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 |accessdate=May 26, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 20, 2016}}</ref> According to Trump, they were so close that Cohn sometimes waived fees due to their friendship.<ref name=Mahler/> In 1973, Cohn helped Trump counter-sue the United States government for $100&nbsp;million over its charges that Trump's properties had racial discriminatory practices; in 1975 an agreement was struck for Trump's properties to change their practices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dunlap |first1=David |title=1973 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2015/07/30/1973-meet-donald-trump/ |accessdate=May 26, 2020 |date=July 30, 2015}}</ref> It was Cohn who introduced political consultant [[Roger Stone]] to Trump, who enlisted Stone's services to deal with the federal government.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brenner |first1=Julie |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 |accessdate=May 26, 2020 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |date=June 28, 2017}}</ref>

{{As of|April 2018}}, Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions, according to a running tally by ''[[USA Today]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump: Three decades, 4,095 lawsuits |url=https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/ |accessdate=April 17, 2018 |work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref>

While Trump has not filed for [[personal bankruptcy]], his over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York filed for [[Chapter&nbsp;11 bankruptcy]] protection six times between 1991 and 2009.<ref name="CO">{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/04/29/fourth-times-a-charm-how-donald-trump-made-bankruptcy-work-for-him/ |first=Clare |last=O'Connor |title=Fourth Time's A Charm: How Donald Trump Made Bankruptcy Work For Him |work=[[Forbes]] |date=April 29, 2011 |accessdate=February 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name="TW">{{cite news |last=Winter |first=Tom |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-bankruptcy-math-doesn-t-add-n598376 |title=4Trump Bankruptcy Math Doesn't Add Up |work=[[NBC News]] |date=June 24, 2016 |accessdate=February 26, 2020}}</ref> They continued to operate while the banks restructured debt and reduced Trump's shares in the properties.<ref name="CO"/><ref name="TW"/>

During the 1980s, more than 70 banks had lent Trump $4&nbsp;billion,<ref name="ArtOfTheSpin">{{cite news |work=[[Reuters]] |date=July 17, 2016 |first=Emily |last=Flitter |title=Art of the spin: Trump bankers question his portrayal of financial comeback |accessdate=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}}</ref> but in the aftermath of his corporate bankruptcies of the early 1990s, most major banks declined to lend to him, with only [[Deutsche Bank]] still willing to lend money.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[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 |accessdate=October 14, 2018 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deutsche-bank-mueller-2017-12}}</ref>

In April 2019, the [[House Oversight Committee]] issued [[subpoena]]s seeking financial details from Trump's banks, Deutsche Bank and [[Capital One]], and his accounting firm, [[Mazars USA]]. In response, Trump sued the banks, Mazars, and committee chairman [[Elijah Cummings]] to prevent the disclosures.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump sues Deutsche Bank and Capital One over Democrat subpoenas |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48102647 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=April 30, 2019 |accessdate=May 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 22, 2019 |last1=Fahrenthold |first1=David |author1link=David Fahrenthold |last2=Bade |first2=Rachael |last3=Wagner |first3=John |title=Trump sues in bid to block congressional subpoena of financial records |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-sues-in-bid-to-block-congressional-subpoena-of-financial-records/2019/04/22/a98de3d0-6500-11e9-82ba-fcfeff232e8f_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=May 1, 2019}}</ref> In May, [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|DC District Court]] judge [[Amit Mehta]] ruled that Mazars must comply with the subpoena,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/us/politics/trump-financial-records.html |title=Accountants Must Turn Over Trump's Financial Records, Lower-Court Judge Rules |first=Charlie |last=Savage |authorlink=Charlie Savage |date=May 20, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> and judge [[Edgardo Ramos]] of the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District Court of New York]] ruled that the banks must also comply.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judge-rejects-trumps-request-to-halt-congressional-subpoenas-for-his-banking-records/2019/05/22/28f9b93a-7ccd-11e9-8bb7-0fc796cf2ec0_story.html |title=Judge rejects Trump's request to halt congressional subpoenas for his banking records |website=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 22, 2019 |first1=Renae |last1=Merle |first2=Michael |last2=Kranish |author2link=Michael Kranish |first3=Felicia |last3=Sonmez}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/business/deutsche-bank-trump-subpoena.html |title=Deutsche Bank Can Release Trump Records to Congress, Judge Rules |first=Emily |last=Flitter |date=May 22, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Trump's attorneys appealed the rulings,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-subpoena-appeal-merrick-garland-court-1431543 |title=Trump's appeal to keep finances away from Democrats goes to court headed by Merrick Garland |date=May 21, 2019 |website=[[Newsweek]] |first=Alexandra |last=Hutzler}}</ref> arguing that Congress was attempting to usurp the "exercise of law-enforcement authority that the Constitution reserves to the executive branch".<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Lawfare (blog)|Lawfare]] |date=June 10, 2019 |first=Mikhaila |last=Vogel |title=Trump Legal Team Files Brief in Mazars Appeal |accessdate=June 12, 2019 |url=https://www.lawfareblog.com/trump-legal-team-files-brief-mazars-appeal}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 28, 2019 |first=Renae |last=Merle |title=House subpoenas for Trump's bank records put on hold while President appeals |accessdate=May 28, 2019 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/29/house-subpoenas-trumps-bank-records-put-hold-while-president-appeals/}}</ref>

=== Side ventures ===
[[File:Donald trump at the game (3728975319).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Trump attending a [[New York Mets]] baseball game at [[Citi Field]]]]
In September 1983, Trump purchased the [[New Jersey Generals]], a team in the [[United States Football League]]. After the 1985 season, the league folded, largely due to Trump's strategy of moving games to a fall schedule (where they competed with the [[NFL]] for audience) and trying to force a merger with the NFL by bringing an [[United States antitrust law|antitrust suit]] against the organization.<ref name=Markazi>{{cite news |first=Arash |last=Markazi |authorlink=Arash Markazi |title=5 things to know about Donald Trump's foray into doomed USFL |date=July 14, 2015 |website=[[ESPN]] |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13255737/five-things-know-donald-trump-usfl-experience}}</ref><ref name=Morris>{{cite news |url=https://fortune.com/2017/09/24/donald-trump-nfl-usfl/ |title=Donald Trump Fought the NFL Once Before. He Got Crushed |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |date=September 24, 2017 |accessdate=June 22, 2018 |last=Morris |first=David}}</ref>

Trump's businesses have hosted several boxing matches at the [[Boardwalk Hall|Atlantic City Convention Hall]] adjacent to and promoted as taking place at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/25/sports/trump-gets-tyson-fight.html |title=Trump Gets Tyson Fight |accessdate=February 11, 2011 |date=February 25, 1988 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=137}} In 1989 and 1990, Trump lent his name to the [[Tour de Trump]] cycling stage race, which was an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races such as the [[Tour de France]] or the [[Giro d'Italia]].<ref name=Hogan>{{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]] |date=April 10, 2016 |accessdate=April 12, 2016}}</ref>

In the late 1980s, Trump mimicked the actions of Wall Street's so-called [[corporate raider]]s, whose tactics had attracted wide public attention. Trump began to purchase significant blocks of shares in various public companies, leading some observers to think he was engaged in the practice called [[greenmail]], or feigning the intent to acquire the companies and then pressuring management to repurchase the buyer's stake at a premium. ''The New York Times'' found that Trump initially made millions of dollars in such stock transactions, but later "lost most, if not all, of those gains after investors stopped taking his takeover talk seriously".<ref name=Buettner-190508/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/06/business/american-air-gets-trump-bid-of-7.5-billion.html |title=American Air Gets Trump Bid Of $7.5 Billion |first=Agis |last=Salpukas |date=October 6, 1989 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/23/nyregion/trump-ends-his-struggle-to-gain-control-of-bally.html |title=Trump Ends His Struggle to Gain Control of Bally |first=Donald |last=Janson |date=February 23, 1987 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

In 1988, Trump purchased the defunct [[Eastern Air Lines]] shuttle, with 21 planes and landing rights in New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C. He financed the purchase with $380&nbsp;million from 22 banks, rebranded the operation the [[Trump Shuttle]], and operated it until 1992. Trump failed to earn a profit with the airline and sold it to [[USAir]].<ref name="plane_rumour">{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |authorlink=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/08/11/too-good-to-check-sean-hannitys-tale-of-a-trump-rescue/ |title=Too good to check: Sean Hannity's tale of a Trump rescue |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 11, 2016 |accessdate=March 14, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Donald Trump star Hollywood Walk of Fame.JPG|thumb|upright=0.6|Trump's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]

In 1992, Trump, his siblings Maryanne, Elizabeth, and Robert, and cousin John W. Walter, each with a 20 percent share, formed All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp. The company had no offices and is alleged to have been a shell company for paying the vendors providing services and supplies for Trump's rental units, and then billing those services and supplies to Trump Management with markups of 20–50 percent and more. The proceeds generated by the markups were shared by the owners.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/07/trump-new-york-times-tax-evasion-221082 |title=Did the Trump Family Historian Drop a Dime to the New York Times? |work=[[Politico]] |date=October 17, 2018 |accessdate=August 14, 2020}}</ref> The increased costs were used as justification to get state approval for increasing the rents of Trump's rent-stabilized units.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/>

From 1996 to 2015, Trump owned all or part of the [[Miss Universe]] pageants, including [[Miss USA]] and [[Miss Teen USA]].<ref name="pageantsaleWME">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/business/media/trump-sells-miss-universe-organization-to-wme-img-talent-agency.html |title=Trump Sells Miss Universe Organization to WME-IMG Talent Agency |date=September 14, 2015 |first=John |last=Koblin |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=January 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-sells-miss-universe-img-2015-9 |title=Donald Trump just sold off the entire Miss Universe Organization |date=September 14, 2015 |first=Jethro |last=Nededog |work=[[Business Insider]] |accessdate=May 6, 2016}}</ref> Due to disagreements with [[CBS]] about scheduling, he took both pageants to [[NBC]] in 2002.<ref>{{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 |authorlink=Jim Rutenberg |accessdate=August 14, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{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 |authorlink=Lisa de Moraes |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=August 14, 2016}}</ref> In 2007, Trump received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for his work as producer of Miss Universe.<ref name="cz160129">{{cite news |last=Zara |first=Christopher |authorlink=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 (magazine)|Fast Company]] |date=October 29, 2016 |accessdate=June 16, 2018}}</ref> After [[NBC]] and [[Univision]] dropped the pageants from their broadcasting lineups in June 2015,<ref name="mp">{{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]] |first=Maria |last=Puente |date=July 1, 2015 |access-date=July 28, 2015}}</ref> Trump bought NBC's share of the Miss Universe Organization and sold the entire company to [[Endeavor (company)|the William Morris talent agency]].<ref name="pageantsaleWME"/>

==== Trump University ====

{{Main|Trump University}}

In 2004, Trump co-founded [[Trump University]], a company that sold real estate training courses priced from $1,500 to $35,000.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gitell |first=Seth |date=March 8, 2016 |title=I Survived Trump University |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/i-survived-trump-university-213710 |work=[[Politico]] |accessdate=March 18, 2016}}</ref><ref name=vf>{{cite news |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/01/trump-university-fraud-scandal |title=Big Hair on Campus: Did Donald Trump Defraud Thousands of Real Estate Students? |last=Cohan |first=William D. |authorlink=William D. Cohan |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |accessdate=March 6, 2016}}</ref> After New York State authorities notified the company that its use of the word "university" violated state law, its name was changed to Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010.<ref name=nyt511>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Barbaro |authorlink=Michael Barbaro |title=New York Attorney General Is Investigating Trump's For-Profit School |date=May 19, 2011 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/nyregion/trumps-for-profit-school-said-to-be-under-investigation.html}}</ref>

In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40&nbsp;million civil suit against Trump University; the suit alleged that the company made false statements and defrauded consumers.<ref name="AppealsCourt2016">{{cite news |first=David |last=Halperin |title=NY Court Refuses to Dismiss Trump University Case, Describes Fraud Allegations |date=March 1, 2016 |website=[[The Huffington Post]] |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidhalperin/ny-court-refuses-to-dismi_b_9358360.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/02/27/donald-trumps-misleading-claim-that-hes-won-most-of-lawsuits-over-trump-university/ |first=Michelle Ye Hee |last=Lee |title=Donald Trump's misleading claim that he's 'won most of' lawsuits over Trump University |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 27, 2016 |accessdate=February 27, 2016}}</ref> In addition, two [[class action]]s 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.<ref name=twofront>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/08/26/trump-entrepreneur-initiative-case/2700811/ |title=Trump faces two-front legal fight over 'university' |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Kevin |last=McCoy |date=August 26, 2013}}</ref><ref name=ronald_tu>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/us/politics/donald-trump-university.html |title=Former Trump University Workers Call the School a 'Lie' and a 'Scheme' in Testimony |last1=Barbaro |first1=Michael |author1link=Michael Barbaro |last2=Eder |first2=Steve |date=May 31, 2016 |website=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=March 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/01/480279246/hard-sell-the-potential-political-consequences-of-the-trump-university-documents |title=Hard Sell: The Potential Political Consequences of the Trump University Documents |last=Montenaro |first=Domenico |date=June 1, 2016 |publisher=[[NPR]] |accessdate=June 2, 2016}}</ref> Shortly after he won the presidency, Trump agreed to pay a total of $25&nbsp;million to settle the three cases.<ref>{{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]] |accessdate=November 18, 2016}}</ref>

=== Foundation ===

{{Main|Donald J. Trump Foundation}}

The Donald J. Trump Foundation was a private foundation established in 1988.<ref name=":0b">{{cite news |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133404773 |title=Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica |website=[[ProPublica]] |first1=Mike |last1=Tigas |first2=Sisi |last2=Wei |accessdate=September 9, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1b">{{cite news |first=David A. |last=Fahrenthold |authorlink=David Fahrenthold |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/ |title=Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general |website=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 1, 2016}}</ref> In the foundation's final years its funds mostly came from donors other than Trump, who did not donate any personal funds to the charity from 2009 until 2014.<ref name="WaPoMissing">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-portrait-of-trump-the-donor-free-rounds-of-golf-but-no-personal-cash/2016/04/10/373b9b92-fb40-11e5-9140-e61d062438bb_story.html |title=Missing from Trump's list of charitable giving: His own personal cash |date=April 10, 2016 |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |author1link=David Fahrenthold |last2=Helderman |first2=Rosalind S. |author2link=Rosalind Helderman |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> The foundation gave to health care and sports-related charities, as well as conservative groups.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Long Island Business News]] |date=September 15, 2016 |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/}}</ref>

In 2016, ''The Washington Post'' reported that the charity had committed several potential legal and ethical violations, including alleged self-dealing and possible tax evasion.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 15, 2016 |first1=Chris |last1=Cillizza |author1link=Chris Cillizza |first2=David A. |last2=Fahrenthold |author2link=David Fahrenthold |title=Meet the reporter who's giving Donald Trump fits |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/15/how-the-reporter-behind-the-trump-foundation-stories-does-it/}}</ref> Also in 2016, the New York State attorney general's office said the foundation appeared to be in violation of New York laws regarding charities and ordered it to immediately cease its fundraising activities in New York.<ref name="hit">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/13/politics/eric-schneiderman-donald-trump-foundation/ |title=NY attorney general is investigating Trump Foundation practices |date=September 14, 2016 |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=September 25, 2016 |last1=Bradner |first1=Eric |last2=Frehse |first2=Rob}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 3, 2016 |first=David A. |last=Fahrenthold |authorlink=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}}</ref> Trump's team announced in December 2016 that the foundation would be dissolved.<ref>{{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 |authorlink=Ben Jacobs (journalist) |date=December 24, 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=December 25, 2016}}</ref>

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&nbsp;million in restitution and additional penalties.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/14/politics/new-york-lawsuit-trump-foundation/index.html |title=New York attorney general sues Trump Foundation |website=[[CNN]] |first1=Chris |last1=Isidore |first2=Melanie |last2=Schuman |date=June 14, 2018 |accessdate=June 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]] |accessdate=June 15, 2018}}</ref> In December 2018, the foundation ceased operation and disbursed all its assets to other charities.<ref name=Goldmacher-181218>{{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]] |date=December 18, 2018 |accessdate=May 9, 2019 |first=Shane |last=Goldmacher}}</ref> In November 2019, a New York state judge ordered Trump to pay $2&nbsp;million to a group of charities for misusing the foundation's funds, in part to finance his presidential campaign.<ref name=Katersky-191107>{{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]] |date=November 7, 2019 |accessdate=November 7, 2019 |first=Aaron |last=Katersky}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50338231 |title=Judge orders Trump to pay $2m for misusing Trump Foundation funds |date=November 8, 2019 |work=[[BBC News]] |accessdate=March 5, 2020}}</ref>

=== Conflicts of interest ===

[[File:Trump AVM opening ceremony.jpg|thumb|[[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], then the [[Prime Minister of Turkey]], attended the opening of [[Trump Towers Istanbul]] AVM in 2012.]]

Before being inaugurated as president, Trump moved his businesses into a [[revocable trust]] run by his eldest sons and a business associate.<ref name="NPR012018">{{cite news |first=Marilyn |last=Geewax |title=Trump Has Revealed Assumptions About Handling Presidential Wealth, Businesses |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/01/20/576871315/trump-has-revealed-assumptions-about-handling-presidential-wealth-businesses |website=[[NPR]] |date=January 20, 2018}}</ref><ref name="BBC041817">{{cite news |title=A list of Trump's potential conflicts |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38069298 |work=[[BBC Online]] |date=April 18, 2017}}</ref> According to ethics experts, this measure does not help avoid conflicts of interest, because Trump continues to profit from his businesses.<ref name="Venook">{{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]] |date=August 9, 2017}}</ref> Because Trump would have knowledge of how his administration's policies affect his businesses, ethics experts recommend selling the businesses.<ref name="BBC041817" /> Though Trump said he would eschew "new foreign deals", the Trump Organization has since pursued expansions of its operations in Dubai, Scotland, and the Dominican Republic.<ref name="Venook"/>

Pending lawsuits allege that Trump is violating the [[Domestic Emoluments Clause|Domestic]] and [[Foreign Emoluments Clause]]s of the [[U.S. Constitution]].<ref name=CRSRpt>{{cite report|title=In Focus: The Emoluments Clauses of the U.S. Constitution|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF11086.pdf|date=August 19, 2020|publisher=Congressional Research Service}}</ref> The plaintiffs say that Trump's business interests could allow foreign governments to influence him.<ref name=CRSRpt/><ref name="Venook" /><ref name="LaFraniere">{{cite news |last=LaFraniere |first=Sharon |authorlink=Sharon LaFraniere |title=Lawsuit on Trump Emoluments Violations Gains Traction in Court |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/25/us/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit.html |date=January 25, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=January 25, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Polantz">{{cite news |title=Appeals court lets emoluments lawsuit against Trump proceed |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/14/politics/appeals-court-emoluments-trump-hotel/index.html |date=May 14, 2020 |first1=Katelyn |last1=Polantz |first2=Devan |last2=Cole |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> [[NBC News]] reported in 2019 that representatives of at least 22 foreign governments, including some facing charges of corruption or human rights abuses, appeared to have spent money at Trump Organization businesses during his presidency.<ref>{{cite news |title=Reps of 22 foreign governments have spent money at Trump properties |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/reps-22-foreign-governments-have-spent-money-trump-properties-n1015806 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=June 12, 2019 |first1=Shelby |last1=Hanssen |first2=Ken |last2=Dilanian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How Trump's businesses are booming with lobbyists, donors and governments |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/19/donald-trump-businesses-hotels-conflict-of-interest |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=July 19, 2019 |first=Peter |last=Stone}}</ref> The litigation marks the first time that the Emoluments Clauses have been substantively litigated in court.<ref name=CRSRpt/><ref name="Polantz" /> As president, Trump mocked the Emoluments Clause as "phony".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/21/donald-trump-mocks-constitution-emoluments-clause-phony/4055162002/ |title='Phony'. Donald Trump mocks 'emoluments' clause of U.S. Constitution that bans foreign gifts |last1=Subramanian |first1=Courtney |last2=Collins |first2=Michael |last3=Jackson |first3=David |date=October 21, 2019 |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=December 8, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Venook" />

== Media career ==

{{Main|Media career of Donald Trump}}

=== Books ===

{{Main|Bibliography of Donald Trump}}

Trump has written up to 19 books on business, financial, or political topics, though he has employed ghostwriters to actually write them.<ref>{{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 |work=[[The Independent]] |first=Andrew |last=Buncombe |date=July 18, 2016 |accessdate=October 11, 2020}}</ref> Trump's first book, ''[[The Art of the Deal]]'' (1987), was on the [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]] for 48 weeks. While Trump was credited as co-author, the entire book was [[Ghostwriter|ghostwritten]] by [[Tony Schwartz (author)|Tony Schwartz]].<ref>{{cite news |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]] |first=Jane |last=Mayer |authorlink=Jane Mayer |date=July 18, 2016 |accessdate=June 19, 2017}}</ref> According to ''[[The New Yorker]]'', "The book expanded Trump's renown far beyond New York City, promoting an image of himself as a successful dealmaker and tycoon." Trump has called the book his second favorite after the Bible.<ref>{{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]] |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}}</ref>

=== WWF/WWE ===
Trump has had a sporadic relationship with the [[professional wrestling]] promotion [[WWE]] (World Wrestling Entertainment) since the late 1980s.<ref name="myth">{{cite news |last=Lelinwalla |first=Mark |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/138117/20160304/donald-trumps-history-wwe.htm |title=Looking Back At Donald Trump's WWE Career |website=Tech Times |date=March 4, 2016|access-date=July 6, 2019}}</ref><ref name=wwebio>{{cite web |url=https://www.wwe.com/superstars/donald-trump |title=Donald Trump bio |website=[[WWE]] |accessdate=March 14, 2015}}</ref> He was inducted into the celebrity wing of the [[WWE Hall of Fame (2013)|WWE Hall of Fame in 2013]].<ref name="chief heel">{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Chris |last2=Wetherbee |first2=Brandon |url=https://slate.com/culture/2016/12/donald-trump-learned-his-political-moves-from-wwe.html |title=Heel in Chief |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=March 5, 2019}}</ref> Most notably, he shaved [[Vince McMahon]]'s head bald after [[Bobby Lashley]] represented him in a Hair vs. Hair match against [[Umaga (wrestler)|Umaga]] at WWE's annual flagship event [[WrestleMania 23]] in 2007.

=== ''The Apprentice'' ===

{{Main|The Apprentice (American TV series)}}

In 2003, Trump became the co-producer and host of ''The Apprentice'', a [[reality show]] in which Trump played the role of a powerful [[Chief executive officer|chief executive]] and contestants competed for a year of employment at the Trump Organization. Trump winnowed out contestants with his famous [[catchphrase]] "You're fired".<ref name="born_7-17-16">{{cite news |last1=Grynbaum |first1=Michael M. |last2=Parker |first2=Ashley |author2link=Ashley Parker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/business/media/donald-trump-apprentice.html |title=Donald Trump the Political Showman, Born on 'The Apprentice' |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 16, 2016 |accessdate=July 8, 2018}}</ref> He later co-hosted ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]'', in which celebrities competed to win money for charities.<ref name="born_7-17-16" />

=== Acting ===

{{Main|Donald Trump filmography}}

Trump has made [[cameo appearances]] in eight films and television shows.<ref name=Atlantic>{{cite news |first=Adrienne |last=LaFrance |title=Three Decades of Donald Trump Film and TV Cameos |date=December 21, 2015 |website=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/three-decades-of-donald-trump-film-and-tv-cameos/421257/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lockett |first=Dee |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/06/donald-trump-was-in-the-little-rascals.html |title=Yes, Donald Trump Did Actually Play a Spoiled Rich Kid's Dad in The Little Rascals |work=Vulture |date=June 21, 2016 |accessdate=July 14, 2018}}</ref>

=== Talk shows ===

Starting in the 1990s, Trump was a guest about 24 times on the nationally syndicated ''[[Howard Stern Show]]''.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA166 166]}} He also had his own short-form talk radio program called ''[[Trumped!]]'' (one to two minutes on weekdays) from 2004 to 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.people.com/people/article/0,,632500,00.html |title=The Donald to Get New Wife, Radio Show |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=April 29, 2004 |accessdate=November 19, 2013 |first=Stephen M. |last=Silverman |authorlink=Stephen M. Silverman}}</ref><!-- Only sources I find are from 2004 like this: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040607005748/en/Trumped!-Donald-Trump-Biggest-Launch-Radio-History --><ref>{{cite news |first=Bob |last=Tedeschi |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/06/technology/now-for-sale-online-the-art-of-the-vacation.html |title=Now for Sale Online, the Art of the Vacation |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 6, 2006 |accessdate=October 21, 2018}}</ref> In 2011, he was given a weekly unpaid guest commentator spot on ''[[Fox & Friends]]'', a role that continued until he became a presidential candidate in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=Montopoli |first=Brian |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-gets-regular-fox-news-spot/ |title=Donald Trump gets regular Fox News spot |website=[[CBS News]] |date=April 1, 2011 |accessdate=July 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Grossman |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/ |accessdate=October 19, 2018 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 9, 2016}}</ref>

== Political career ==

{{Main|Political career of Donald Trump}}

=== Political activities up to 2015 ===

[[File:Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.jpg|thumb|Trump and President [[Bill Clinton]] in June 2000]]

Trump's political party affiliation changed numerous times. He registered as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987, switched to the Reform Party in 1999, the Democratic Party in 2001, and back to the Republican Party in 2009.<ref name="PolitiFact.24.Aug.15">{{cite news |last=Gillin |first=Joshua |title=Bush says Trump was a Democrat longer than a Republican 'in the last decade' |url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/aug/24/jeb-bush/bush-says-trump-was-democrat-longer-republican-las/ |accessdate=March 18, 2017 |website=[[PolitiFact]] |date=August 24, 2015}}</ref>

In 1987, Trump placed full-page advertisements in three major newspapers,<ref name="hint">{{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]] |first=Michael |last=Oreskes |authorlink=Michael Oreskes |date=September 2, 1987 |accessdate=February 17, 2016}}</ref> advocating peace in Central America, accelerated nuclear disarmament talks with the Soviet Union, and reduction of the federal budget deficit by making American allies pay "their fair share" for military defense.<ref>{{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]] |date=November 18, 1987 |first=Fox |last=Butterfield}}</ref> He ruled out running for local office but not for the presidency.<ref name="hint"/>

==== 2000 presidential campaign ====

{{Main|Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign}}

In 1999, Trump filed an [[exploratory committee]] to seek the nomination of the [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] for the 2000 presidential election.<ref name=NYTimes.Revolution>{{cite news |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |title=What I Saw at the Revolution |date=February 19, 2000 |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/19/opinion/what-i-saw-at-the-revolution.html}}</ref><ref name=Winger-111225>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Winger |authorlink=Richard Winger |title=Donald Trump Ran For President in 2000 in Several Reform Party Presidential Primaries |date=December 25, 2011 |website=[[Ballot Access News]] |url=https://ballot-access.org/2011/12/25/donald-trump-ran-for-president-in-2000-in-several-reform-party-presidential-primaries/}}</ref> A July 1999 poll matching him against likely Republican nominee [[George W. Bush]] and likely Democratic nominee [[Al Gore]] showed Trump with seven percent support.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump eyeing a run at the White House |last=Johnson |first=Glen |work=Standard-Speaker |location=Hazleton, Pennsylvania}}</ref> Trump dropped out of the race in February 2000.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clift |first=Eleanor |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-last-time-trump-wrecked-a-party |title=The Last Time Trump Wrecked a Party |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=April 13, 2017 |accessdate=February 25, 2020}}</ref>

==== 2012 presidential speculation ====

[[File:Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 by Mark Taylor.jpg|thumb|Trump speaking at CPAC 2011]]

Trump speculated about running against President Barack Obama in [[2012 United States presidential election|the 2012 election]], making his first speaking appearance at the [[Conservative Political Action Conference]] (CPAC) in February 2011 and giving speeches in early primary states.<ref name="McA">{{cite news |last=MacAskill |first=Ewen |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]] |date=May 16, 2011 |access-date=February 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{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]] |date=February 22, 2017 |access-date=February 28, 2020}}</ref> In May 2011 he announced he would not run.<ref name="McA"/>

Trump's presidential ambitions were generally not taken seriously at the time.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/11/donald-trump-cpac-president-act_n_821923.html |title=Donald Trump Brings His 'Pretend To Run For President' Act To CPAC |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |accessdate=April 21, 2011 |first=Jason |last=Linkins |date=February 11, 2011}}</ref> Before the 2016 election, ''The New York Times'' speculated that Trump "accelerated his ferocious efforts to gain stature within the political world" after Obama lampooned him at the [[White House Correspondents' Association]] Dinner in April 2011.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 12, 2016 |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |author1link=Maggie Haberman |first2=Alexander |last2=Burns |author2link=Alex Burns (journalist) |title=Donald Trump's Presidential Run Began in an Effort to Gain Stature |accessdate=April 13, 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/us/politics/donald-trump-campaign.html}}</ref>

In 2011, the superintendent of the New York Military Academy at the time, Jeffrey Coverdale, ordered the headmaster of the school, Evan Jones, to give him Trump's academic records so he could keep them secret, according to Jones. Coverdale confirmed that he had been asked to hand the records over to members of the school's board of trustees who were Trump's friends, but he refused to and instead sealed them on campus. The incident reportedly happened days after Trump demanded the release of Obama's academic records.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 5, 2019 |last1=Fisher |first1=Marc |authorlink=Marc Fisher |title='Grab that record': How Trump's high school transcript was hidden |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/grab-that-record-how-trumps-high-school-transcript-was-hidden/2019/03/05/8815b7b8-3c61-11e9-aaae-69364b2ed137_story.html |website=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=June 9, 2019}}</ref>

==== 2013–2015 ====

In 2013, Trump spoke at CPAC again;<ref name="CPAC1">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump to address CPAC |url=https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/donald-trump-address-cpac-205409450--politics.html |website=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=March 5, 2013 |first=Chris |last=Moody |accessdate=March 6, 2013}}</ref> he railed against illegal immigration, bemoaned Obama's "unprecedented media protection", advised against harming Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and suggested the government "take" Iraq's oil and use the proceeds to pay a million dollars each to families of dead soldiers.<ref>{{cite news |first=Lucy |last=Madison |title=Trump: Immigration reform a "suicide mission" for GOP |date=March 15, 2013 |website=[[CBS News]] |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-immigration-reform-a-suicide-mission-for-gop/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Amira |title=Photos of Donald Trump Delivering His Self-Aggrandizing CPAC Speech to a Half-Empty Ballroom |date=March 15, 2013 |website=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] (magazine) |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/03/donald-trump-cpac-speech-empty-seat-photos.html}}</ref> He spent over $1&nbsp;million that year to research a possible 2016 candidacy.<ref name="NYPost2016">{{cite news |title=Trump researching 2016 run |date=May 27, 2013 |website=[[Page Six]] |url=https://pagesix.com/2013/05/27/trump-researching-2016-run/}}</ref>

In October 2013, New York Republicans circulated a memo suggesting that Trump [[2014 New York gubernatorial election|run for governor]] in 2014 against [[Andrew Cuomo]]. Trump responded that while New York had problems and its taxes were too high, he was not interested in the governorship.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spector |first=Joseph |title=N.Y. Republicans want Donald Trump to run for governor |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/10/14/trump-new-york-governor/2979589/ |work=[[USA Today]] |date=October 14, 2013 |accessdate=October 31, 2013}}</ref> A poll showed Trump losing to the more popular Cuomo by 37 points in a hypothetical election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Jake |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-trumped-by-andrew-cuomo-in-new-york-governor-race-poll-finds/ |title=Trump trumped by Cuomo in N.Y. governor race, poll finds |date=February 13, 2014 |website=[[CBS News]] |accessdate=February 9, 2017}}</ref>

Trump's attorney [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]] said that he sent letters to the New York Military Academy and Fordham in May 2015, threatening legal action if the schools ever released Trump's grades or SAT scores. Fordham confirmed receipt of the letter as well as a phone call from a member of the Trump team.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2019/2/27/18243099/michael-cohen-trump-fordham-grades |title=Michael Cohen: I threatened Fordham to keep quiet about Trump's SAT scores and grades |last=Coaston |first=Jane |date=February 27, 2019 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}</ref>

=== 2016 presidential campaign ===

{{Main|Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign}}

==== Republican primaries ====

{{See also|2016 Republican Party presidential primaries}}
[[File:Donald Trump Laconia Rally, Laconia, NH 4 by Michael Vadon July 16 2015 19.jpg|thumb|alt=Trump speaking behind a brown wooden podium, wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie. The podium sports a blue "TRUMP" sign.|Trump campaigning in [[Laconia, New Hampshire]], July 2015]]

On June 16, 2015, Trump announced his candidacy for President of the United States.<ref name="spectacle">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066 |first=Adam B. |last=Lerner |title=The 10 best lines from Donald Trump's announcement speech |work=[[Politico]] |date=June 16, 2015 |accessdate=June 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/trumps-self-funding-lie/482691/ |title=The Lie of Trump's 'Self-Funding' Campaign |work=[[The Atlantic]] |first=David A. |last=Graham |date=May 13, 2016 |accessdate=June 7, 2018}}</ref> His campaign was initially not taken seriously by political analysts, but he quickly rose to the top of opinion polls.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/123228/how-donald-trump-evolved-joke-almost-serious-candidate |date=October 27, 2015 |first=Elspeth |last=Reeve |title=How Donald Trump Evolved From a Joke to an Almost Serious Candidate |work=[[The New Republic]] |accessdate=July 23, 2018}}</ref>

On [[Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016#March 1, 2016: Super Tuesday|Super Tuesday]], Trump received the most votes, and he remained the front-runner throughout the primaries.<ref>{{cite news |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/ |title=Why Donald Trump is poised to win the nomination and lose the general election, in one poll |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=March 23, 2016 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> After a landslide win in [[Indiana Republican primary, 2016|Indiana]] on May 3, 2016{{snd}}which prompted the remaining candidates Cruz and [[John Kasich]] to suspend their presidential campaigns{{snd}}[[Republican National Committee|RNC]] chairman [[Reince Priebus]] declared Trump the presumptive Republican nominee.<ref name="politico_priebus">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/reince-priebus-donald-trump-is-nominee-222767 |title=RNC Chairman: Trump is our nominee |last=Nussbaum |first=Matthew |date=May 3, 2016 |accessdate=May 4, 2016 |work=[[Politico]]}}</ref>

==== General election campaign ====

[[Hillary Clinton]] had a significant lead over Trump in [[Nationwide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2016|national polls]] throughout most of 2016. In early July, her lead narrowed in national polling averages.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/amp/poll-clinton-trump-now-tied-gop-convention-kicks-n611936 |title=Poll: Clinton and Trump Now Tied as GOP Convention Kicks Off |last1=Hartig |first1=Hannah |last2=Lapinski |first2=John |last3=Psyllos |first3=Stephanie |date=July 19, 2016 |website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton |title=2016 General Election: Trump vs. Clinton |accessdate=October 3, 2016 |website=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton-5491.html |title=General Election: Trump vs. Clinton |accessdate=October 3, 2016 |website=RealClearPolitics}}</ref>
[[File:Donald Trump and Mike Pence RNC July 2016.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Donald Trump and his running mate for vice president, Mike Pence. They appear to be standing in front of a huge screen with the colors of the American flag displayed on it. Trump is at left, facing toward the viewer and making "thumbs-up" gestures. Pence is at right, facing Trump and clapping.|Candidate Trump and running mate [[Mike Pence]] at the [[Republican National Convention]], July 2016]]

On July 15, 2016, Trump announced his selection of Indiana governor [[Mike Pence]] as his vice presidential running mate.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/15/donald-trump-officially-names-mike-pence-as-his-vp.html |title=Donald Trump officially names Mike Pence for VP |last=Levingston |first=Ivan |date=July 15, 2016 |website=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> Four days later, the two were officially nominated by the Republican Party at the Republican National Convention.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/19/republicans-start-process-to-nominate-trump-for-president.html |title=Trump closes the deal, becomes Republican nominee for president |date=July 19, 2016 |website=[[Fox News]]}}</ref>

Trump and Clinton faced off in [[2016 United States presidential debates|three presidential debates]] in September and October 2016. Trump's refusal to say whether he would accept the result of the election, regardless of the outcome, drew particular attention, with some saying it undermined democracy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-37706499 |title=US presidential debate: Trump won't commit to accept election result |date=October 20, 2016 |accessdate=October 27, 2016 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-20/how-the-us-media-viewed-the-third-presidential-debate/7950418 |title=How US media reacted to the third presidential debate |date=October 20, 2016 |accessdate=October 27, 2016 |website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref>

==== Political positions ====

{{Main|Political positions of Donald Trump}}

Trump's campaign platform emphasized renegotiating [[U.S.–China relations]] and free trade agreements such as [[NAFTA]] and the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]], strongly enforcing immigration laws, and building [[Trump wall|a new wall]] along the U.S.–Mexico border. His other campaign positions included pursuing [[energy independence]] while opposing climate change regulations such as the [[Clean Power Plan]] and the [[Paris Agreement]], modernizing and expediting [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs#Benefits|services for veterans]], repealing and replacing the [[Affordable Care Act]], abolishing [[Common Core]] education standards, [[Infrastructure-based development|investing in infrastructure]], simplifying the [[Internal Revenue Code|tax code]] while reducing taxes for all economic classes, and imposing [[tariff]]s on imports by companies that offshore jobs. During the campaign, he also advocated a largely [[United States non-interventionism|non-interventionist]] approach to foreign policy while increasing military spending, extreme vetting or banning immigrants from Muslim-majority countries<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37982000 |title=Trump's promises before and after election |date=September 19, 2017 |work=[[BBC Online]]}}</ref> to pre-empt domestic Islamic terrorism, and aggressive military action against the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]]. During the campaign Trump repeatedly called [[NATO]] "obsolete".<ref>{{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.' |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 12, 2017 |accessdate=November 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |issn=0146-3373 |year=2018 |doi=10.1080/01463373.2018.1438485 |title=Make America Great Again: Donald Trump and Redefining the U.S. Role in the World |quote=On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 'obsolete'. |journal=[[Communication Quarterly]] |volume=66 |issue=2<!-- |pages=176–195 --> |page=176 |first=Jason A. |last=Edwards|s2cid=149040989 }}</ref>

Trump's political positions and rhetoric are [[Right-wing populism|right-wing populist]].<ref name=":2">{{cite book |title=What Is Populism? |last=Muller |first=Jan-Werner |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-8122-9378-4 |page=101}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first1=Todd |last1=Donovan |first2=David |last2=Redlawsk |title=Donald Trump and right-wing populists in comparative perspective |volume=28 |issue=2 |year=2018 |journal=Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17457289.2018.1441844|pages=190–207|doi=10.1080/17457289.2018.1441844 |s2cid=148746487 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first1=Thomas |last1=Ferguson |first2=Benjamin I. |last2=Page |first3=Jacob |last3=Rothschild |first4=Arturo |last4=Chang |first5=Jie |last5=Chen |title= The Roots of Right-Wing Populism: Donald Trump in 2016 |volume=49 |issue=2 |year=2020 |journal=International Journal of Political Economy |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08911916.2020.1778861?|pages=102–123|doi=10.1080/08911916.2020.1778861 |s2cid=221061555 }}</ref> He supported or leaned toward varying political positions over time.<ref name="davida.fahrenthold">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/17/20-times-donald-trump-has-changed-his-mind-since-june/ |title=20 times Donald Trump has changed his mind since June |last=Fahrenthold |first=David A. |authorlink=David Fahrenthold |date=August 17, 2015 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="thehillFLIP">{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/247643-meet-the-press-tracks-trumps-flip-flops |title='Meet the Press' tracks Trump's flip-flops |last=Hensch |first=Mark |date=July 12, 2015 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref> ''[[Politico]]'' has described his positions as "eclectic, improvisational and often contradictory",<ref name="real Donald">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/will-the-real-donald-trump-please-stand-up-120607 |title=Will the real Donald Trump please stand up? |last=Noah |first=Timothy |authorlink=Timothy Noah |date=July 26, 2015 |work=[[Politico]]}}</ref> while NBC News counted "141 distinct shifts on 23 major issues" during his campaign.<ref name="nbcnews.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/full-list-donald-trump-s-rapidly-changing-policy-positions-n547801 |title=A Full List of Donald Trump's Rapidly Changing Policy Positions |last=Timm |first=Jane C. |accessdate=July 12, 2016 |website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

==== Campaign rhetoric ====

In his campaign, Trump said he disdained [[political correctness]] and frequently made claims of [[media bias]].<ref name=Walsh-160724>{{cite news |first=Kenneth T. |last=Walsh |authorlink=Kenneth T. Walsh |title=Trump: Media Is 'Dishonest and Corrupt' |date=August 15, 2016 |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-08-15/trump-media-is-dishonest-and-corrupt}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ted |last=Koppel |authorlink=Ted Koppel |title=Trump: "I feel I'm an honest person" |date=July 24, 2016 |website=[[CBS News]] |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-i-feel-im-an-honest-person/}}</ref><ref name=Blake-150706>{{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, 2015 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> His fame and provocative statements earned him an unprecedented amount of [[earned media|free media coverage]], elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.<ref name=Cillizza-160614>{{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 |authorlink=Chris Cillizza |date=June 14, 2016 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

Trump made a record number of false statements compared to other candidates;<ref name="whoppers"/><ref name="year">{{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 |website=[[PolitiFact]] |date=December 21, 2015 |first1=Angie Drobnic |last1=Holan |author1link=Angie Drobnic Holan |first2=Linda |last2=Qiu}}</ref><ref name="wapo-false">{{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 |website=[[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}}</ref> the press reported on his campaign lies and falsehoods, with the ''Los Angeles Times'' saying, "Never in modern presidential politics has a major candidate made false statements as routinely as Trump has."<ref>{{cite news |website=[[CNN]] |url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/09/25/media/newspapers-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-lies/index.html |title=The weekend America's newspapers called Donald Trump a liar |first=Brian |last=Stelter |authorlink=Brian Stelter |date=September 26, 2016}}</ref> His campaign statements were often opaque or suggestive.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCammon |first=Sarah |title=Donald Trump's controversial speech often walks the line |website=[[NPR]] |date=August 10, 2016 |quote=Many of Trump's opaque statements seem to rely on suggestion and innuendo.}}</ref>

Trump adopted the phrase "truthful hyperbole", coined by his ghostwriter [[Tony Schwartz (author)|Tony Schwartz]], to describe his public speaking style.<ref name="reuters-20150828">{{cite news |first1=Emily |last1=Flitter |first2=James |last2=Oliphant |title=Best president ever! How Trump's love of hyperbole could backfire |date=August 28, 2015 |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-hyperbole-insight-idUSKCN0QX11X20150828}}</ref><ref name=Konnikova />

==== <span id="White supremacist support"></span> Support from the far right ====

According to [[Michael Barkun]], the Trump campaign was remarkable for bringing fringe ideas, beliefs, and organizations into the mainstream.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Barkun |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Barkun |year=2017<!-- |issn=0954-6553 (print) --> |title=President Trump and the ''Fringe'' |journal=[[Terrorism and Political Violence]] |volume=29<!-- |pages=437–443 --> |issue=3 |page=437 |doi=10.1080/09546553.2017.1313649 |s2cid=152199771 |issn=1556-1836}}</ref> During his presidential campaign, Trump was accused of pandering to white supremacists.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lopez |first=German |title=We need to stop acting like Trump isn't pandering to white supremacists |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/13/16140504/trump-charlottesville-white-supremacists |accessdate=January 2, 2018 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=August 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Blow |first=Charles M. |authorlink=Charles M. Blow |title=Is Trump a White Supremacist? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/opinion/trump-white-supremacist.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kharakh |first1=Ben |last2=Primack |first2=Dan |title=Donald Trump's Social Media Ties to White Supremacists |url=https://fortune.com/donald-trump-white-supremacist-genocide/ |work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |date=March 22, 2016}}</ref> He retweeted open racists,<ref>{{cite news |last=White |first=Daniel |title=Trump Criticized for Retweeting Racist Account |url=https://time.com/4190482/donald-trump-twitter-racist-retweet/ |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=January 26, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=White Nationalists and the Alt-Right Celebrate Trump's Victory |date=November 9, 2016 |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/11/09/white-nationalists-and-alt-right-celebrate-trump%E2%80%99s-victory |website=[[Southern Poverty Law Center]] |accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> and repeatedly refused to condemn [[David Duke]], the [[Ku Klux Klan]] or white supremacists, in an interview on CNN's ''[[State of the Union (American TV program)|State of the Union]]'', saying he would first need to "do research" because he knew nothing about Duke or white supremacists.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump Refuses to Condemn KKK, Disavow David Duke Endorsement |url=https://time.com/4240268/donald-trump-kkk-david-duke/ |accessdate=January 20, 2018 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=February 28, 2016 |first=Melissa |last=Chan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lozada |first=Carlos |title=Donald Trump and the alt-right: A marriage of convenience |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/book-party/wp/2016/12/30/donald-trump-and-the-alt-right-a-marriage-of-convenience/ |accessdate=March 18, 2017 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 30, 2016}}</ref> Duke himself enthusiastically supported Trump throughout the 2016 primary and election, and has said he and like-minded people voted for Trump because of his promises to "take our country back".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2017/8/12/16138358/charlottesville-protests-david-duke-kkk |title="Why we voted for Donald Trump": David Duke explains the white supremacist Charlottesville protests |last=Nelson |first=Libby |date=August 12, 2017 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |accessdate=August 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/08/15/david-duke-reaction-trump-news-conference/570517001/ |title=Former KKK leader David Duke praises Trump for his 'courage' |last=Cummings |first=William |date=August 15, 2017 |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=August 18, 2018}}</ref>

After repeated questioning by reporters, Trump said he disavowed Duke and the Klan.<ref name="cnnduke">{{cite news |website=[[CNN]] |date=March 3, 2016 |first=Eugene |last=Scott |title=Trump denounces David Duke, KKK |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/donald-trump-disavows-david-duke-kkk/index.html}}</ref>

The [[alt-right]] movement coalesced around and enthusiastically supported Trump's candidacy,<ref name="WPechoes">{{cite news |last=Ohlheiser |first=Abby |title=Anti-Semitic Trump supporters made a giant list of people to target with a racist meme |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/06/03/anti-semitic-trump-supporters-made-a-giant-list-of-people-to-target-with-a-racist-meme/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Hawley |first=George |title=Making Sense of the Alt-Right |date=2017 |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |isbn=978-0-231-54600-3}}</ref> due in part to its [[opposition to multiculturalism]] and [[Opposition to immigration|immigration]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Weigel |first=David |authorlink=David Weigel |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/racial-realists-are-cheered-by-trumps-latest-strategy/2016/08/20/cd71e858-6636-11e6-96c0-37533479f3f5_story.html |title='Racialists' are cheered by Trump's latest strategy |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 20, 2016 |accessdate=June 23, 2018}}</ref><ref name="CNNexplained">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/08/25/politics/alt-right-explained-hillary-clinton-donald-trump/ |title=Clinton is attacking the 'Alt-Right' – What is it? |first=Gregory |last=Krieg |accessdate=August 25, 2016 |date=August 25, 2016 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref name="ft">{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e148d930-6cdb-11e6-9ac1-1055824ca907.html |title='Alt-right' movement makes mark on US presidential election |first=Demetri |last=Sevastopulo |work=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref>

In August 2016, he appointed [[Steve Bannon]]{{snd}}the executive chairman of [[Breitbart News]]{{snd}}as his campaign CEO; Bannon described Breitbart News as "the platform for the alt-right".<ref>{{cite news |title=Clickbait scoops and an engaged alt-right: everything to know about Breitbart News |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/15/breitbart-news-alt-right-stephen-bannon-trump-administration |accessdate=November 18, 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=November 15, 2016 |first=Jason |last=Wilson}}</ref> In an interview days after the election, Trump condemned supporters who celebrated his victory with Nazi salutes.<ref name=BBC.Disavows>{{cite news |title=Trump disavows 'alt-right' supporters |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38069469 |work=[[BBC Online]] |date=November 23, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 23, 2016 |title=Donald Trump's New York Times Interview: Full Transcript |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/politics/trump-new-york-times-interview-transcript.html}}</ref>

==== Financial disclosures ====
As a candidate, Trump's FEC-required reports listed assets above $1.4&nbsp;billion<ref name="Yahoo News FEC">{{cite news |first1=Jeff|last1=Horwitz|first2=Stephen|last2=Braun|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-wealth-details-released-federal-regulators-165854286--finance.html/ |website=[[Yahoo! News]] |title=Donald Trump wealth details released by federal regulators |date=July 22, 2015 |accessdate=August 9, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801033902/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-wealth-details-released-federal-regulators-165854286--finance.html |archivedate=August 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[U.S. Office of Government Ethics]] |via=[[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 |archivedate=July 23, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723053945/https://images.businessweek.com/cms/2015-07-22/7-22-15-Report.pdf}}</ref> and outstanding debts of at least $315&nbsp;million.<ref name="cnn-20160519" />

Trump has not released [[Donald Trump's tax returns|his tax returns]], contrary to the practice of every major candidate since 1976 and his promises in 2014 and 2015 to do so if he ran for office.<ref name="Rappeport">{{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 |authorlink=Alan Rappeport |date=May 11, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Qiu |first1=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]] |access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> He said his tax returns were being audited (in actuality, audits do not prevent release of tax returns), and his lawyers had advised him against releasing them.<ref name="CNNtax26Feb">{{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 |accessdate=February 26, 2016 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump has told the press his tax rate is none of their business, and that he tries to pay "as little tax as possible".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/13/politics/donald-trump-tax-rate-none-of-your-business/ |title=Trump on his tax rate: 'None of your business' |last=Kopan |first=Tal |authorlink=Tal Kopan |date=May 13, 2016 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

In October 2016, portions of Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from ''The New York Times''. They show that Trump had declared a loss of $916&nbsp;million that year, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years. During the second presidential debate, Trump acknowledged using the deduction, but declined to provide details such as the specific years it was applied.<ref name="nyt-20161010">{{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 |author2link=Megan Twohey |date=October 10, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

On March 14, 2017, the first two pages of Trump's 2005 federal income tax returns were leaked to [[MSNBC]]. The document states that Trump had a gross adjusted income of $150&nbsp;million and paid $38&nbsp;million in federal taxes. The White House confirmed the authenticity of the documents.<ref name="nyt-taxes">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html |title=Trump Wrote Off $100 Million in Business Losses in 2005 |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |author1link=Peter Baker (journalist) |last2=Drucker |first2=Jesse |last3=Craig |first3=Susanne |author3link=Susanne Craig |last4=Barstow |first4=David |author4link=David Barstow |date=March 15, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=March 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name="hill-taxes">{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/324016-wh-releases-trump-tax-info-ahead-of-msnbc-report-made-150m-in-2005 |title=WH releases Trump tax info ahead of MSNBC report: He paid $38M in federal taxes in '05 |last=Jagoda |first=Naomi |accessdate=March 15, 2017 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref>

In 2019, the [[House Ways and Means Committee]] sought Trump's personal and business tax returns from 2013 to 2018 from the [[Internal Revenue Service]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/79e6935010f94b399bb5e967ad6c1ec2 |title=House chairman asks IRS for 6 years of Trump's tax returns |first=Marcy |last=Gordon |date=April 4, 2019 |website=[[AP News]]}}</ref> Treasury Secretary [[Steven Mnuchin]] refused to turn over the documents,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/treasury-says-it-will-miss-democrats-deadline-for-turning-over-trump-tax-returns/2019/04/10/14319f9c-5bce-11e9-842d-7d3ed7eb3957_story.html |title=Treasury says it will miss Democrats' deadline for turning over Trump tax returns, casts skepticism over request |website=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 10, 2019 |first1=Jeff |last1=Stein |first2=Damian |last2=Paletta |author2link=Damian Paletta}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/23/donald-trump-tax-returns-deadline-1288760 |title=IRS blows deadline to hand over Trump tax returns |first=Aaron |last=Lorenzo |website=[[Politico]] |date=April 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/us/politics/trump-tax-returns-mnuchin.html |title=Steven Mnuchin Refuses to Release Trump's Tax Documents to Congress |first=Alan |last=Rappeport |authorlink=Alan Rappeport |date=May 6, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> and ultimately defied a [[congressional subpoena|subpoena issued by the committee]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/mnuchin-defies-subpoena-for-president-trumps-tax-returns-11558123367 |title=Mnuchin Defies Subpoena for President Trump's Tax Returns |first=Richard |last=Rubin |date=May 17, 2019 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> A fall 2018 draft IRS legal memo asserted that tax returns must be provided to Congress upon request, unless a president invokes executive privilege, contradicting the administration's position.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/confidential-draft-irs-memo-says-tax-returns-must-be-given-to-congress-unless-president-invokes-executive-privilege/2019/05/21/8ed41834-7b1c-11e9-8bb7-0fc796cf2ec0_story.html |title=Confidential draft IRS memo says tax returns must be given to Congress unless president invokes executive privilege |website=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 21, 2019 |first1=Jeff |last1=Stein |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |author2link=Josh Dawsey}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/22/steven-mnuchin-irs-trump-tax-returns-1339270 |title=Mnuchin dismisses IRS memo saying Congress must be given Trump's tax returns |first=Toby |last=Eckert |website=[[Politico]] |date=May 22, 2019}}</ref>

==== Election to the presidency ====

{{Main|2016 United States presidential election}}
[[File:ElectoralCollege2016.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|2016 electoral vote results]]

On November 8, 2016, Trump received 306 pledged [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]] versus 232 for Clinton. The official counts were 304 and 227 respectively, after [[Faithless electors in the United States presidential election, 2016|defections on both sides]].<ref>{{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 |accessdate=January 31, 2017 |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/19/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html}}</ref> Trump received nearly 2.9&nbsp;million fewer popular votes than Clinton, which made him the fifth person to be elected president [[United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote|while losing the popular vote]].{{efn|Records on this matter date from the year 1824. The number "five" includes the elections of [[1824 United States presidential election|1824]], [[1876 United States presidential election|1876]], [[1888 United States presidential election|1888]], [[2000 United States presidential election|2000]], and [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]. Despite their similarities, some of these five elections had peculiar results; e.g. [[John Quincy Adams]] trailed in ''both'' the national popular vote and the electoral college in 1824 (since no one had a majority in the electoral college, Adams was chosen by the House of Representatives), and [[Samuel Tilden]] in 1876 remains the only losing candidate to win an actual majority of the popular vote (rather than just a [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]]).<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=G. Scott |title=Counting the Votes: A New Way to Analyze America's Presidential Elections |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XvxPCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA125 |page=125 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |date=2015 |isbn=978-1-4408-3883-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Cheney |first=Kyle |authorlink=Kyle Cheney (journalist) |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/donald-trump-electoral-college-232665 |title=Trump lawyer cites 1876 crisis to rebuke Electoral College suit |website=[[Politico]] |date=December 14, 2016}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Desilver |first=Drew |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/20/why-electoral-college-landslides-are-easier-to-win-than-popular-vote-ones/ |title=Trump's victory another example of how Electoral College wins are bigger than popular vote ones |website=[[Pew Research Center]] |date=December 20, 2017}}</ref> Clinton was ahead nationwide, with 65,853,514 votes ({{percentage|<!-- CLINTON: --> 65,853,514|<!-- TOTAL: --> 136,669,276|2|pad=yes}}) compared to Trump's 62,984,828 votes ({{percentage|<!-- TRUMP: --> 62,984,828|<!-- TOTAL: --> 136,669,276|2|pad=yes}}).<ref>{{cite web |title=Official 2016 Presidential General Election Results |url=https://transition.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2016/federalelections2016.pdf |website=[[Federal Election Commission]] |date=December 2017 |accessdate=February 12, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:JANUS-Tête-à-Tête- Sitting President & President-elect, Barack Obama & Donald Trump squatting next to each other on arm-chairs in the Oval Office on November 10th 2016. (31196987133).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|President [[Barack Obama|Obama]] and president-elect Trump on November 10, 2016]]
Trump's victory was a political upset.<ref name=Maxwell>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/election-results-2016-clinton-trump-231070 |title=Trump pulls off biggest upset in U.S. history |work=[[Politico]] |date=November 9, 2016 |first=Maxwell |last=Tani |accessdate=November 9, 2016}}</ref> Polls had consistently shown Clinton with a [[Nationwide opinion polling for the 2016 United States presidential election|nationwide]]{{snd}}though diminishing{{snd}}lead, as well as an advantage in most of the [[Statewide opinion polling for the 2016 United States presidential election|competitive states]]. Trump's support had been modestly underestimated, while Clinton's had been overestimated.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/upshot/why-trump-won-working-class-whites.html |title=Why Trump Won: Working-Class Whites |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 9, 2016 |first=Nate |last=Cohn |accessdate=November 9, 2016}}</ref> The polls were relatively accurate,<ref>{{cite news |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |date=January 17, 2017 |first=Nate |last=Silver |authorlink=Nate Silver |title=Can You Trust Trump's Approval Rating Polls? |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/can-you-trust-polling-in-the-age-of-trump/}}</ref> but media outlets and pundits alike showed overconfidence in a Clinton victory despite a large number of undecided voters and a favorable concentration of Trump's core constituencies in competitive states.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |date=September 21, 2017 |first=Nate |last=Silver |authorlink=Nate Silver |title=The Media Has A Probability Problem |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-has-a-probability-problem/}}</ref>

Trump won 30 states; included were [[Michigan]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Wisconsin]], which had been part of what was considered a [[Blue wall (politics)|blue wall]] of Democratic strongholds since the 1990s. Clinton won 20&nbsp;states and the [[District of Columbia]]. Trump's victory marked the return of an [[Divided government in the United States|undivided]] Republican government{{snd}}a Republican White House combined with Republican control of both chambers of [[United States Congress|Congress]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 9, 2016 |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/}}</ref>

Trump is the [[List of presidents of the United States by age|oldest person to take office]] as president.<ref name=oldest/>{{efn|name=age}} He is also [[List of Presidents of the United States by previous experience|the first president]] who did not serve in the military or hold any government office prior to becoming president.<ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Weber |title=Donald Trump will be the first U.S. president with no government or military experience |date=November 9, 2016 |website=[[The Week]] |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/660840/donald-trump-first-president-no-government-military-experience}}</ref><ref name="voxexp">{{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 (website)|Vox]] |accessdate=January 3, 2017}}</ref>

==== Protests ====

{{Main|Protests against Donald Trump}}
[[File:Women's March on Washington (32593123745).jpg|thumb|[[2017 Women's March|Women's March]] in Washington on January 21, 2017, a day after Trump's inauguration]]

Some rallies during the primary season were accompanied by protests or violence, both inside and outside the venues.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/03/10/trump-protester-sucker-punched-at-north-carolina-rally-videos-show/ |title=Trump supporter charged after sucker-punching protester at North Carolina rally |last1=Moyer |first1=Justin Wm. |author1link=Justin Moyer |last2=Starrs |first2=Jenny |last3=Larimer |first3=Sarah |date=March 11, 2016 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=August 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/06/03/ugly-bloody-scenes-in-san-jose-as-protesters-attack-trump-supporters-outside-rally/ |title=Ugly, bloody scenes in San Jose as protesters attack Trump supporters outside rally |last1=Sullivan |first1=Sean |last2=Miller |first2=Michael E. |date=June 3, 2016 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=August 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/27/politics/donald-trump-san-diego-protesters/ |title=Pro-Trump, anti-Trump groups clash in San Diego |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |authorlink=Jeremy Diamond (journalist) |date=May 28, 2016 |accessdate=August 31, 2016 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump's election victory sparked protests across the United States, in opposition to his policies and his inflammatory statements. Trump initially tweeted that these were "professional protesters, incited by the media" and "unfair", but later "Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/11/10/trump-tweet-professional-protesters-media/93624612/ |title=Trump calls protests 'unfair' in first controversial tweet as president-elect |last=Cummings |first=William |date=November 11, 2016 |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=November 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://uk.businessinsider.com/trump-tweets-that-protesters-have-passion-for-our-great-country-2016-11 |title=Trump says protesters have 'passion for our great country' after calling demonstrations 'very unfair' |last=Colson |first=Thomas |date=November 11, 2016 |work=[[Business Insider]] |accessdate=November 14, 2016}}</ref>

In the weeks following Trump's inauguration, massive anti-Trump demonstrations took place, such as the [[2017 Women's March|Women's Marches]], which gathered 2.6&nbsp;million people worldwide,<ref name="USAToday01a">{{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 22, 2017 |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=January 22, 2017}}</ref> including 500,000 in Washington alone.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/womens-march-on-washington-pink-pussy-hat-500000-donald-trump-resist-latest-a7540396.html |title=We asked ten people why they felt empowered wearing a pink 'pussy' hat |last=Buncombe |first=Andrew |date=January 22, 2017 |work=[[The Independent]] |accessdate=January 15, 2017}}</ref> Marches against his [[Executive Order 13769|travel ban]] began across the country on January 29, 2017, just nine days after his inauguration.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thinkprogress.org/muslim-ban-protests-344f6e66022e/ |title=Here's your list of all the protests happening against the Muslim Ban |work=[[ThinkProgress]] |date=January 28, 2017 |first=Adrienne Mahsa |last=Varkiani |accessdate=September 18, 2018}}{{better source|date=February 2020}}</ref>

== Presidency (2017–present) ==

{{Main|Presidency of Donald Trump}}
{{for timeline|Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency}}

=== Early actions ===

{{See also|Presidential transition of Donald Trump|First 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency}}
[[File:58th Presidential Inaugural Ceremony 170120-D-BP749-1327.jpg|thumb|right|Trump during his inauguration in 2017. From left, [[Barack Obama]], [[Joe Biden]], [[Chuck Schumer]].]]

[[Inauguration of Donald Trump|Trump was inaugurated]] as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, 2017. During his first week in office, he signed [[List of executive actions by Donald Trump#Executive orders|six executive orders]]: interim procedures in anticipation of repealing the [[Affordable Care Act]] ("Obamacare"), withdrawal from the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] negotiations, reinstatement of the [[Mexico City Policy]], unlocking the [[Keystone XL]] and [[Dakota Access Pipeline]] construction projects, reinforcing border security, and beginning the planning and design process to construct a [[Trump wall|wall along the U.S. border with Mexico]].<ref name=exec-summary>{{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 |accessdate=January 28, 2017 |work=[[Politico]] |date=January 25, 2017}}</ref>

Upon inauguration, Trump delegated the management of his real estate business to his sons Eric and Donald Jr.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/12/us/politics/eric-trump-donald-trump-jr.html |title=Trump Sons Forge Ahead Without Father, Expanding and Navigating Conflicts |first1=Eric |last1=Lipton |author1link=Eric Lipton |first2=Susanne |last2=Craig |author2link=Susanne Craig |date=February 12, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=May 7, 2017}}</ref> His daughter Ivanka and her husband [[Jared Kushner]] became [[Assistant to the President]] and [[Senior Advisor to the President of the United States|Senior Advisor to the President]], respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2017/03/family-affair |author=V.v.B |title=Ivanka Trump's new job |date=March 31, 2017 |accessdate=April 3, 2017 |work=[[The Economist]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Michael S. |last1=Schmidt |author1link=Michael S. Schmidt |first2=Eric |last2=Lipton |author2link=Eric Lipton |first3=Charlie |last3=Savage |author3link=Charlie Savage |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/donald-trump-jared-kushner-justice-department.html |title=Jared Kushner, Trump's Son-in-Law, Is Cleared to Serve as Adviser |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 21, 2017 |accessdate=May 7, 2017}}</ref>

=== Domestic policy ===
==== Economy and trade ====

{{Main|Economic policy of Donald Trump}}
{{See also|Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017|Trump tariffs}}

The period of economic expansion that began in June 2009 continued until February 2020, when [[Coronavirus recession|the COVID-19 recession]] began.<ref name="recession">{{cite news |last1=Smialek |first1=Jeanna |date=June 8, 2020 |title=The U.S. Entered a Recession in February |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/business/economy/us-economy-recession-2020.html |accessdate=June 10, 2020}}</ref> Throughout his presidency, Trump mischaracterized the economy as the best in American history.<ref name="greatesteconomy">{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |authorlink=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |date=September 7, 2018 |title=President Trump's repeated claim: 'The greatest economy in the history of our country' |work=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/07/president-trumps-repeated-claim-greatest-economy-history-our-country/ |accessdate=May 27, 2019}}</ref>

In December 2017, Trump signed [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017|tax legislation]] that permanently cut the corporate tax rate to 21 percent, lowered personal income tax rates until 2025, increased child tax credits, doubled the [[Estate tax in the United States|estate tax]] exemption to $11.2&nbsp;million, and limited the state and local tax deduction to $10,000.<ref>{{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]] |first1=Wilson |last1=Andrews |first2=Alicia |last2=Parlapiano |date=December 15, 2017 |accessdate=December 22, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Donald Trump in Ypsilanti (33998674940) (cropped2).jpg|thumb|Trump speaks to automobile workers in Michigan, March 2017]]

Trump is a skeptic of multilateral trade agreements, believing they incentivize unfair commercial practices, favoring bilateral trade agreements, as they allow one party to withdraw if the other party is believed to be behaving unfairly. Trump adopted his current skepticism of trade liberalization in the 1980s, and sharply criticized [[NAFTA]] during the Republican primary campaign in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schlesinger |first=Jacob M. |title=Trump Forged His Ideas on Trade in the 1980s – And Never Deviated |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-forged-his-ideas-on-trade-in-the-1980sand-never-deviated-1542304508 |date=November 15, 2018 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |accessdate=November 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-lays-out-protectionist-views-in-trade-speech-1467145538 |title=Donald Trump Lays Out Protectionist Views in Trade Speech |last1=Epstein |first1=Reid J. |last2=Nelson |first2=Colleen McCain |date=June 28, 2016 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] {{subscription required}} |accessdate=July 22, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-calls-nafta-a-disaster/ |title=Trump calls NAFTA a "disaster" |date=September 25, 2015 |website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref> He withdrew the U.S. from the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] (TPP) negotiations,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/politics/trump-tpp-things-to-know/index.html |title=Trump's TPP withdrawal: 5 things to know |last=Bradner |first=Eric |date=January 23, 2017 |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=March 12, 2018}}</ref> imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports,<ref name=Inman>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/10/war-over-steel-trump-tips-global-trade-turmoil-tariffs |title=The war over steel: Trump tips global trade into new turmoil |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=March 10, 2018 |accessdate=March 15, 2018 |last=Inman |first=Phillip}}</ref> and launched a [[China–United States trade war|trade war]] with China by sharply increasing tariffs on 818 categories (worth $50&nbsp;billion) of Chinese goods imported into the U.S.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/07/donald-trump-says-he-favors-big-tariffs-on-chinese-exports/ |title=Donald Trump Says He Favors Big Tariffs on Chinese Exports |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |authorlink=Maggie Haberman |date=January 7, 2016 |website=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=July 22, 2016}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-ministry/trump-sets-tariffs-on-50-billion-in-chinese-goods-beijing-strikes-back-idUSKBN1JB0KC |title=Trump sets tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods; Beijing strikes |date=June 16, 2018 |work=[[Reuters]] |first1=David |last1=Lawder |first2=Ben |last2=Blanchard}}</ref> On several occasions, Trump has said incorrectly that these import tariffs are paid by China into the [[U.S. Treasury]].<ref name="Newburger-190512">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/12/kudlow-says-us-will-pay-for-china-tariffs-contradicting-trump.html |title=Kudlow acknowledges US will pay for China tariffs, contradicting Trump |website=[[CNBC]] |date=May 12, 2019 |accessdate=May 20, 2019 |first=Emma |last=Newburger}}</ref> Although Trump pledged during his 2016 campaign to significantly reduce the U.S.'s large [[trade deficits]], the U.S. trade deficit reached its highest level in 12 years under his administration.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/dd93ecd3cafc5df88a8f9f4a61693b07 |work=[[AP News]] |title=US trade deficit surges in July to highest in 12 years |date=September 2, 2020 |first=Martin |last=Crutsinger}}</ref>

Despite a campaign promise to eliminate the national debt in eight years, Trump as president has approved large increases in government spending, as well as the 2017 tax cut. As a result, the American government's budget deficit has increased by almost 50%, to nearly $1{{nbsp}}trillion in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Long |first1=Heather |last2=Stein |first2=Jeff |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/ |accessdate=June 10, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 26, 2019}}</ref> In 2016, the year before Trump took office, the [[U.S. national debt]] was around $19{{nbsp}}trillion; by mid-2020, it had increased to $26{{nbsp}}trillion under the Trump administration.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=The GOP's decision to keep its 2016 platform is, well, a little awkward for Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/11/gops-decision-keep-its-2016-platform-is-well-little-awkward-trump/ |accessdate=July 12, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 12, 2020}}</ref>

In April 2020, the official unemployment rate rose to 14.7% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was an underestimation of the actual unemployment rate, but still was the highest level of unemployment since 1939.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rugaber |first=Christopher |title=US unemployment surges to a Depression-era level of 14.7% |url=https://apnews.com/908d7a004c316baceb916112c0a35ed0 |accessdate=June 10, 2020 |work=[[AP News]] |date=May 9, 2020}}</ref>

Analysis published by ''The Wall Street Journal'' in October 2020 found the trade war Trump initiated in early 2018 did not achieve the primary objective of reviving American manufacturing, nor did it result in the [[reshoring]] of factory production.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zumbrun |first1=Josh |title=China Trade War Didn't Boost U.S. Manufacturing Might |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-trade-war-didnt-boost-u-s-manufacturing-might-11603618203 |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |date=October 25, 2020}}</ref>

==== Energy and climate ====

{{Main|Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration|Climate change in the United States}}

Trump rejects the [[scientific consensus on climate change]].<ref name="ParkerDavenport">{{cite news |first1=Ashley |last1=Parker |author1link=Ashley Parker |first2=Coral |last2=Davenport |title=Donald Trump's Energy Plan: More Fossil Fuels and Fewer Rules |date=May 26, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/us/politics/donald-trump-global-warming-energy-policy.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jason |last=Samenow |authorlink=Jason Samenow |title=Donald Trump's unsettling nonsense on weather and climate |date=March 22, 2016 |website=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/03/22/donald-trumps-unsettling-nonsense-on-weather-and-climate}}</ref> He made large budget cuts to programs that research renewable energy and rolled back Obama-era policies directed at curbing climate change.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump proposes cuts to climate and clean-energy programs |url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment |date=February 12, 2018 |website=[[National Geographic Society]] |accessdate=May 27, 2018 |first1=Michael |last1=Greshko |first2=Laura |last2=Parker |first3=Brian Clark |last3=Howard |first4=Daniel |last4=Stone |first5=Alejandra |last5=Borunda |first6=Sarah |last6=Gibbens}}</ref> In June 2017, Trump announced [[United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement|the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement]], making the U.S. the only nation in the world to not ratify the agreement.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dennis |first=Brandy |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 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=May 28, 2018}}</ref> At the [[2019 G7 summit]], Trump skipped the sessions on climate change but said afterward during a press conference that he is an environmentalist.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Teirstein |first1=Zoya |title=Donald 'I'm an environmentalist' Trump skips G7 climate meeting |url=https://grist.org/article/donald-im-an-environmentalist-trump-skips-g7-climate-meeting/ |website=[[Grist (magazine)|Grist]] |date=August 26, 2019 |accessdate=August 27, 2019}}</ref>

Trump has rolled back federal regulations aimed at curbing [[greenhouse gas]] emissions, air pollution, water pollution, and the usage of toxic substances. One example is the [[Clean Power Plan]]. He relaxed environmental standards for federal infrastructure projects, while expanding permitted areas for drilling and resource extraction, such as allowing [[Arctic Refuge drilling controversy|drilling in the Arctic Refuge]]. Trump also weakened protections for animals.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Popovich |first1=Nadja |last2=Albeck-Ripka |first2=Livia |last3=Pierre-Louis |first3=Kendra |title=The Trump Administration Is Reversing 100 Environmental Rules. Here's the Full List. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html |accessdate=June 2, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> Trump's energy policies aimed to boost the production and exports of coal, oil, and natural gas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=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 |accessdate=December 15, 2019 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=December 3, 2019}}</ref>

====Deregulation ====
During his presidency, Trump has [[deregulation|dismantled many federal regulations]] on health, labor, and the environment, among other topics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brookings.edu/interactives/tracking-deregulation-in-the-trump-era/ |date=November 2, 2020 |title=Tracking deregulation in the Trump era |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]}}</ref> Trump signed 15 [[Congressional Review Act]] resolutions repealing federal regulations, becoming the second president to sign a CRA resolution, and the first president to sign more than one CRA resolution.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Adriance |first=Sam |title=President Trump Signs First Congressional Review Act Disapproval Resolution in 16 Years |url=https://www.natlawreview.com/article/president-trump-signs-first-congressional-review-act-disapproval-resolution-16-years |date=February 16, 2017 |magazine=[[The National Law Review]] |accessdate=March 8, 2017}}</ref> During his first six weeks in office, he delayed, suspended or reversed ninety federal regulations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Farand |first=Chloe |title=Donald Trump Disassembles 90 Federal State Regulations in Just Over a Month in White House |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-federal-state-regulations-month-oval-office-white-house-us-president-deregulate-a7614031.html |date=March 6, 2017 |work=[[The Independent]] |accessdate=March 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{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]] |via=[[DocumentCloud]] |accessdate=March 7, 2017 |date=March 5, 2017 |quote=More than 90 Obama-era federal regulations have been revoked or delayed or enforcement has been suspended, in many cases based on requests from the industries the rules target.}}</ref>

On January 30, 2017, Trump signed [[Executive Order 13771]], which directed that for every new regulation administrative agencies issue "at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination".<ref>{{cite news |last=Plumer |first=Brad |url=https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/30/14441430/trump-executive-order-regulations |title=Trump wants to kill two old regulations for every new one issued. Sort of. |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=January 30, 2017 |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref> Agency defenders expressed opposition to Trump's criticisms, saying the bureaucracy exists to protect people against well-organized, well-funded interest groups.<ref name="mcalabresi">{{cite news |last=Calabresi |first=Massimo |title=Inside Donald Trump's War against the State |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=March 9, 2017 |url=https://time.com/4696428/donald-trump-war-state-government/ |quote=Staffed by experts who oversee an open governmental process, they say, the federal bureaucracy exists to protect those who would otherwise be at the mercy of better-organized, better-funded interests.}}</ref>

==== Health care ====
During his campaign, Trump vowed to [[Efforts to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act|repeal]] and replace the [[Affordable Care Act]],<ref name="Kodjak">{{cite news |last=Kodjak |first=Alison |authorlink=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 |accessdate=January 12, 2017 |work=[[All Things Considered]] |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> and shortly after taking office, Trump urged Congress to do so. In May 2017, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed [[American Health Care Act of 2017|legislation to repeal the ACA]] in a party-line vote,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/331937-house-passes-obamacare-repeal |title=House passes Obamacare repeal |last=Sullivan |first=Peter |date=May 4, 2017 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |accessdate=July 31, 2017}}</ref> but repeal proposals were narrowly voted down in the Senate after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing it.<ref>{{cite news |first=Leigh Ann |last=Caldwell |title=Obamacare Repeal Fails: Three GOP Senators Rebel in 49-51 Vote |work=[[NBC News]] |url= https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-gop-effort-repeal-obamacare-fails-n787311 |date=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Haeyoun |last1=Park |first2=Alicia |last2=Parlapiano |first3=Margot |last3=Sanger-Katz |author3link=Margot Sanger-Katz |title=The Three Plans to Repeal Obamacare That Failed in the Senate This Week |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/25/us/which-health-bill-will-the-senate-vote-on.html |date=July 28, 2020}}</ref>

Trump scaled back the implementation of the ACA through [[Executive Order 13765|Executive Orders 13765]]<ref>{{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 |author1link=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |last2=Pear |first2=Robert |author2link=Robert Pear |date=January 20, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> and [[Executive Order 13813|13813]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/10/12/news/economy/trump-health-care-executive-order/ |title=What's in Trump's health care executive order? |first=Tami |last=Luhby |work=[[CNN]] |date=October 13, 2017 |accessdate=October 14, 2017}}</ref> Trump has expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail"; his administration cut the ACA [[Annual enrollment|enrollment period]] in half and drastically reduced funding for advertising and other ways to encourage enrollment.<ref>{{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]] |accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Jeffrey">{{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]] |accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/31/trump-obamacare-outreach-cuts-242225 |title=Trump administration slashes Obamacare outreach |last=Pradhan |first=Rachana |date=August 31, 2017 |work=[[Politico]] |accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref> The [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017|2017 tax bill]] signed by Trump effectively repealed the ACA's [[Individual shared responsibility provision|individual health insurance mandate]] in 2019,<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Pear |author1link=Robert Pear |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/us/politics/tax-cut-obamacare-individual-mandate-repeal.html |title=Without the Insurance Mandate, Health Care's Future May Be in Doubt |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Sullivan |url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/362838-senate-gop-repeals-obamacare-mandate |title=Senate GOP repeals ObamaCare mandate |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=December 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Health Affairs]] |date=December 20, 2017 |first=Timothy |last=Jost |authorlink=Timothy Jost |title=The Tax Bill And The Individual Mandate: What Happened, And What Does It Mean? |url=https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20171220.323429/full/ |doi=10.1377/hblog20171220.323429 |doi-broken-date=November 3, 2020}}</ref> and a budget bill Trump signed in 2019 repealed the [[Cadillac insurance plan|Cadillac plan tax]], medical device tax, and [[tanning tax]].<ref name=CadillacRepealed>{{cite news |url=https://www.hrdive.com/news/trump-signs-bill-repealing-aca-cadillac-tax-granting-relief-for-employer/569551/ |work=HR Dive |first=Ryan |last=Golden |date=December 23, 2019 |accessdate=December 24, 2019 |title=Trump signs bill repealing ACA Cadillac tax, granting 'relief' for employers}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1865/text |publisher=Congress.gov |title=Text – H.R.1865 – 116th Congress (2019-2020): Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020}}</ref> As president, Trump has falsely claimed he saved the coverage of pre-existing conditions provided by the ACA;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politifact.com/health-check/statements/2020/jan/15/donald-trump/trumps-claim-he-saved-pre-ex-conditions-part-fanta/ |title=Trump's claim that he 'saved' pre-ex conditions 'part fantasy, part delusion' |website=[[PolitiFact]] |date=January 14, 2020 |first=Shefali |last=Luthra |accessdate=September 9, 2020}}</ref> in fact, the Trump administration has [[California v. Texas|joined a lawsuit]] seeking to strike down the entire ACA, including protections for those with pre-existing conditions.<ref name=StolbergACA>{{cite news |first=Sheryl Gay |last=Stolberg |title=Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Strike Down Affordable Care Act |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/us/politics/obamacare-trump-administration-supreme-court.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Obamacare Must 'Fall,' Trump Administration Tells Supreme Court |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/26/883819835/obamacare-must-fall-trump-administration-tells-supreme-court |work=[[NPR]] |first=Mark |last=Katkov |date=June 23, 2020}}</ref> If successful, the lawsuit would eliminate [[Health insurance coverage in the United States|health insurance coverage]] for up to 23&nbsp;million Americans.<ref name=StolbergACA/> As a 2016 candidate, Trump promised to protect funding for Medicare and other social safety-net programs, but in January 2020 he suggested he was willing to consider cuts to such programs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/us/politics/medicare-trump.html |title=Trump Opens Door to Cuts to Medicare and Other Entitlement Programs |first1=Alan |last1=Rappeport |author1link=Alan Rappeport |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman |date=January 22, 2020 |accessdate=January 24, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

==== Social issues ====

{{Main|Social policy of Donald Trump}}

Trump favored modifying the 2016 Republican platform opposing abortion, to allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and circumstances endangering the health of the mother.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/21/politics/donald-trump-republican-platform-abortion/ |title=Trump: I would change GOP platform on abortion |last=Wright |first=David |date=April 21, 2016 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> He has said he is committed to appointing "[[pro-life]]" justices,<ref name="60min" /> pledging in 2016 to appoint justices who would "automatically" overturn ''[[Roe v. Wade]]''.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Meridith |last1=McGraw |first2=Nancy |last2=Cook |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/25/trump-supreme-court-abortion-421443 |title=Trump walks abortion tightrope on SCOTUS pick |work=[[Politico]] |date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> He says he personally supports "traditional marriage"<ref name="MEhren2">{{cite news |first=Max |last=Ehrenfreund |title=Here's what Donald Trump really believes |date=July 22, 2015 |website=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/07/22/heres-what-donald-trump-really-believes/}}</ref> but considers the [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|nationwide legality]] of [[same-sex marriage]] a "settled" issue.<ref name="60min">{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/14/politics/trump-gay-marriage-abortion-supreme-court/ |title=Trump: Same-sex marriage is 'settled', but Roe v Wade can be changed |website=[[CNN]] |first=Ariane |last=De Vogue |date=November 15, 2016 |accessdate=November 30, 2016}}</ref> Despite the statement by Trump and the White House saying they would keep in place a 2014 executive order from the Obama administration which created federal workplace protections for LGBT people,<ref>{{cite news |last=Peters |first=Jeremy W. |authorlink=Jeremy W. Peters |title=Obama's Protections for L.G.B.T. Workers Will Remain Under Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/us/politics/obama-trump-protections-lgbt-workers.html |accessdate=February 2, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 30, 2017}}</ref> in March 2017, the Trump administration rolled back key components of the Obama administration's workplace protections for LGBT people.<ref name=NBCNews>{{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 |website=[[NBC News]] |first=Mary Emily |last=O'Hara |access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref>

Trump says he is [[Gun politics in the United States|opposed]] to [[gun control]] in general,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/brief-history-donald-trumps-stance-gun-rights-461705 |title=A brief history of Donald Trump's stance on gun rights |work=[[Newsweek]] |last=Gorman |first=Michele |date=May 20, 2016}}</ref> although his views have shifted over time.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/donald-trump-gun-positions-nra-orlando/ |title=The times Trump changed his positions on guns |website=[[CNN]] |date=June 20, 2016 |first=Gregory |last=Krieg}}</ref> After several [[mass shootings in the United States|mass shootings]] during his term, Trump initially said he would propose legislation to curtail gun violence, but abandoned the idea in November 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-quietly-abandons-proposing-ideas-to-curb-gun-violence-after-saying-he-would-following-mass-shootings/2019/10/31/8bca030c-fa6e-11e9-9534-e0dbcc9f5683_story.html |title=Trump abandons proposing ideas to curb gun violence after saying he would following mass shootings |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Josh |last=Dawsey |authorlink=Josh Dawsey |date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> The Trump administration has taken an [[Cannabis policy of the Donald Trump administration|anti-marijuana position]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Brendan |last=Bures |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/sns-tft-trump-anti-marijuana-stance-20200221-jfdx4urbb5bhrf6ldtfpxleopi-story.html |title=Trump administration doubles down on anti-marijuana position |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=February 21, 2020}}</ref> revoking [[Cole Memorandum|Obama-era policies]] that provided protections for states that legalized marijuana.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Natalie |last1=Fertig |first2=Paul |last2=Demko |title=Marijuana vote poses November risk for Democrats |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/09/marijuana-vote-risk-democrats-410257 |work=[[Politico]] |date=September 9, 2020}}</ref> Trump favors [[Capital punishment in the United States|capital punishment]];<ref name="Cop_killers">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/10/politics/donald-trump-police-officers-death-penalty/ |title=Trump: Death penalty for cop killers |date=December 11, 2015 |website=[[CNN]] |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |authorlink=Jeremy Diamond |accessdate=March 15, 2016}}</ref><ref name="FullPageAd1989">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/01/nyregion/angered-by-attack-trump-urges-return-of-the-death-penalty.html |title=Angered by Attack, Trump Urges Return of the Death Penalty |date=May 1, 1989 |work=[[The New York Times]] |last=Foderaro |first=Lisa W. |accessdate=March 15, 2016}}</ref> under Trump, the first [[Capital punishment by the United States federal government|federal execution]] in 17 years took place.<ref name=GersteinFirst>{{cite news |first=Josh |last=Gerstein |title=Trump administration carries out first federal execution in 17 years |work=[[Politico]] |date=July 14, 2020 |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/14/supreme-court-federal-execution-injunction-360490}}</ref> Five more federal prisoners were executed, making the total number of federal executions under Trump higher than all of his predecessors combined going back to 1963.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-executions/u-s-puts-convicted-killer-to-death-in-6th-federal-execution-under-trump-idUSKCN26D1GJ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=September 22, 2020 |first=Jonathan |last=Allen |title=U.S. puts convicted killer to death in 6th federal execution under Trump}}</ref> In 2016, Trump said he supported the use of [[waterboarding]] and "a hell of a lot worse" methods <ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Tom |title=Donald Trump: I'd bring back 'a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/06/donald-trump-waterboarding-republican-debate-torture |work=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=February 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="ABC News">{{cite news |title=Ted Cruz, Donald Trump Advocate Bringing Back Waterboarding |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/ted-cruz-donald-trump-advocate-bringing-back-waterboarding-36764410 |website=[[ABC News]] |date=February 6, 2016 |accessdate=February 9, 2016}}</ref> but later apparently recanted, at least partially, his support for [[torture]] due to the opposition of Defense Secretary [[James Mattis]].<ref>{{cite journal |first=Ron E. |last=Hassner |title=What Do We Know about Interrogational Torture? |journal=International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence |volume=33 |issue=1 |date=2020 |pages=4–42 |doi=10.1080/08850607.2019.1660951 |s2cid=213244706 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08850607.2019.1660951?journalCode=ujic20}}</ref>

==== Pardons and commutations ====

{{Main|List of people granted executive clemency by Donald Trump}}

In 2017, Trump pardoned [[Joe Arpaio]], a former Arizona sheriff who was convicted of [[contempt of court]] for disobeying a court order to halt the [[racial profiling]] of Latinos.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-grants-pardon-former-sheriff-joe-arpaio-n796191 |title=President Trump Grants Pardon for Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio |first1=Vaughn |last1=Hillyard |first2=Phil |last2=Helsel |work=[[NBC News]] |date=August 26, 2017 |access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> In March 2018, he pardoned former Navy sailor [[Kristian Saucier]], who was convicted of taking classified photographs of a submarine.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/09/592440282/trump-pardons-ex-navy-sailor-sentenced-for-photos-of-submarine |title=Trump Pardons Ex-Navy Sailor Sentenced For Photos of Submarine |first=Ryan |last=Lucas |work=[[NPR]] |date=March 9, 2018 |access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> In April 2018, Trump pardoned [[Scooter Libby]], a political aide to former Vice President [[Dick Cheney]]. Libby had been convicted of obstruction of justice, [[perjury]] and [[making false statements]] to the FBI.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/13/president-trump-plans-to-pardon-former-cheney-chief-of-staff-scooter-libby.html |title=President Trump pardons former Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby |first1=Mike |last1=Calia |first2=Jacob |last2=Pramuk |date=April 13, 2018 |work=[[CNBC]] |access-date=April 30, 2020}}</ref> In June 2018 he pardoned conservative commentator [[Dinesh D'Souza]], who had made illegal political campaign contributions.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-offers-pardon-to-conservative-pundit-dinesh-dsouza-for-campaign-finance-violations/2018/05/31/b4939a08-64d5-11e8-a768-ed043e33f1dc_story.html |title=Trump pardons conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, suggests others also could receive clemency |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first1=Philip |last1=Rucker |author1link=Philip Rucker |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |author2link=Josh Dawsey |first3=John |last3=Wagner |date=June 1, 2018 |access-date=April 30, 2020}}</ref> That month he also commuted the life sentence of [[Alice Marie Johnson]], a non-violent drug trafficking offender, following a request by celebrity [[Kim Kardashian]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-has-commuted-the-life-sentence-of-alice-marie-johnson-a-woman-whose-case-was-championed-by-kim-kardashian/2018/06/06/ce5bbf20-69a7-11e8-9e38-24e693b38637_story.html |title=Trump has commuted the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a woman whose case was championed by Kim Kardashian |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first1=John |last1=Wagner |first2=Sari |last2=Horwitz |date=June 6, 2018 |access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref> In February 2020, Trump pardoned white-collar criminals [[Michael Milken]], [[Bernard Kerik]], and [[Edward J. DeBartolo Jr.]], and [[Commutation (law)|commuted]] former Illinois governor [[Rod Blagojevich]]'s 14-year corruption sentence.<ref name="Commutation">{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |author1link=Peter Baker (journalist) |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author2link=Maggie Haberman |last3=Shear |first3=Michael D. |author3link=Michael D. Shear |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/us/politics/trump-pardon-debartolo.html |title=Trump Commutes Corruption Sentence of Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois |date=February 18, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Seidel |first1=Jon |last2=Sneed |first2=Michael |last3=Sweet |first3=Lynn |author3link=Lynn Sweet |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2020/2/18/20792391/rod-blagojevich-trump-clemency-illinois-governor-patti |title=President frees imprisoned ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevioch-now a grateful 'Trumpocrat' |date=February 19, 2020 |access-date=February 20, 2020 |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref> In July 2020, Trump commuted the 40-month sentence for his friend and adviser Roger Stone, who had been soon due to report to prison for covering up for Trump during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gregorian |first1=Dareh |last2=Bennett |first2=Geoff |last3=Williams |first3=Pete |title=Trump commutes Roger Stone's prison sentence after he was convicted of covering up for the president |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-commutes-roger-stone-s-prison-sentence-after-he-was-n1138981 |accessdate=July 11, 2020 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=July 11, 2020}}</ref>

==== Lafayette Square protester removal and photo op ====
{{Main|Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church}}
{{external media
| float = right
| width = 300px
| video1 = {{YouTube|link=no|id=JxYmILDya0A|title=A video timeline of the crackdown on protesters before Trump's photo op}} (The Washington Post) (12:12)
| video2 = {{YouTube|link=no|id=0oRQF68psdY|title=Trump Stands In Front of Church Holding Bible After Threatening Military Action Against Protesters}} (NBC) (2:40)
| video3 = {{YouTube|link=no|id=5ShnqmiKLE8|title=President Trump walks across Lafayette Park to St. John's Church}} {{nowrap|(C-SPAN)}} (7:46)
}}
On June 1, 2020, federal law enforcement officials used batons, rubber bullets, [[pepper spray|pepper spray projectiles]],<ref name="wb">{{cite news |last1=Leonnig |first1=Carol D. |author1link=Carol D. Leonnig |last2=Zapotosky |first2=Matt |last3=Dawsey |first3=Josh |author3link=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 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 2, 2020 |access-date=June 3, 2020}}</ref> [[stun grenade]]s, and smoke to remove a largely peaceful crowd of protesters from [[Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.|Lafayette Square]], outside the White House. The removal had been ordered by Attorney General [[William Barr]].<ref name="wb" /><ref name="bumpline">{{Cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=June 6, 2020 |title=Timeline: The clearing of Lafayette Square |work=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/02/timeline-clearing-lafayette-square/ |access-date=June 6, 2020}}</ref> Trump then walked to [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square|St. John's Episcopal Church]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lowe |first1=Lindsay |title=A look at damage inside historic St. John's Church, which burned during protests |url=https://www.today.com/news/look-damage-inside-historic-st-john-s-church-washington-dc-t182954 |accessdate=June 6, 2020 |work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] |date=June 2, 2020}}</ref> He posed for photographs holding a Bible, with Cabinet members and other officials later joining him in photos.<ref name="wb"/><ref name="bumpline"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/03/2-new-developments-reinforce-how-problematic-trumps-church-photo-op-was/ |title=2 new developments reinforce how problematic Trump's church photo op was |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 3, 2020 |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref>

Religious leaders condemned the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself.<ref>{{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 |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=June 3, 2020}}</ref><ref name="clash">{{Cite news |last1=Rucker |first1=Philip |author1link=Philip Rucker |last2=Parker |first2=Ashley |author2link=Ashley Parker |date=June 14, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/lafayette-square-clash-still-reverberating-becomes-an-iconic-episode-in-donald-trumps-presidency/2020/06/13/9ddcc348-acb8-11ea-9063-e69bd6520940_story.html |title=Lafayette Square clash, still reverberating, becomes an iconic episode in Donald Trump's presidency |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Many retired military leaders and defense officials condemned Trump's proposal to use the U.S. military against the protesters.<ref name="clash"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Scores of retired military leaders publicly denounce Trump |url=https://apnews.com/252914f8a989a740544be6d4992d044c |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[AP News]] |date=June 6, 2020}}</ref> The chairman of the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], General [[Mark A. Milley]], later apologized for accompanying Trump on the walk and thereby "creat[ing] the perception of the military involved in domestic politics".<ref name="apology">{{Cite news |last=Lamothe |first=Dan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/06/11/pentagons-top-general-apologizes-appearing-alongside-trump-lafayette-square/ |title=Pentagon's top general apologizes for appearing alongside Trump in Lafayette Square/ |date=June 11, 2020 |access-date=July 5, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

=== Immigration ===

{{Main|Immigration policy of Donald Trump}}

Trump's proposed immigration policies were a topic of bitter and contentious debate during the campaign. He promised to build [[Mexico–United States barrier|a more substantial wall]] on the [[Mexico–United States border]] to keep out [[illegal immigrants]] and vowed Mexico would pay for it.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37243269 |title=Who pays for Donald Trump's wall? |date=February 6, 2017 |work=[[BBC Online]] |accessdate=December 9, 2017}}</ref> He pledged to massively deport [[Illegal immigrant population of the United States|illegal immigrants residing in the United States]],<ref name="CBC_August29_2015">{{cite news |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 |website=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |accessdate=September 29, 2015 |date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> and criticized [[Birthright citizenship in the United States|birthright citizenship]] for creating "[[anchor babies]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/08/donald-trump-has-some-thoughts-about-the-constitution |title=Donald Trump: The 14th Amendment is Unconstitutional |work=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |date=August 19, 2015 |accessdate=November 22, 2015 |first=Inae |last=Oh}}</ref> As president, he frequently described illegal immigration as an "invasion" and conflated immigrants with the gang [[MS-13]], though research shows undocumented immigrants have a lower crime rate than native-born Americans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/08/08/trump-immigrants-rhetoric-criticized-el-paso-dayton-shootings/1936742001/ |title=A USA TODAY analysis found Trump used words like 'invasion' and 'killer' at rallies more than 500 times since 2017 |last=Fritze |first=John |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=August 9, 2019 |date=August 8, 2019}}</ref>

Trump has attempted to drastically escalate immigration enforcement.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Kevin |title=Immigration and civil rights in the Trump administration: Law and policy making by executive order |journal=[[Santa Clara Law Review]] |date=2017 |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=611–665 |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/saclr57&div=21&id=&page= |accessdate=June 1, 2020}}</ref> Some of the results are harsher immigration enforcement policies against asylum seekers from Central America than any modern U.S. president.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Kevin |last2=Cuison-Villazor |first2=Rose |title=The Trump Administration and the War on Immigration Diversity |journal=[[Wake Forest Law Review]] |date=May 2, 2019 |url=https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/wflr54&section=21 |accessdate=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Ricciardelli/> This was accompanied by the Trump administration's mandating in 2018 that immigration judges must complete 700 cases a year to be evaluated as performing satisfactorily.<ref>{{cite news |last=Spagat |first=Elliot |title=Justice Department imposes quotas on immigration judges |url=https://apnews.com/3b1f1f09171141b5b99dece73afbf202/Justice-Department-imposes-quotas-on-immigration-judges |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=[[AP News]] |date=April 3, 2018}}</ref> Although Trump pledged to deport "millions of illegal aliens," that did not occur.<ref>{{cite news |first=Zolan |last=Kanno-Youngs |authorlink=Zolan Kanno-Youngs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/us/politics/trump-deportations-undocumented-immigrants.html |title=Promises Aside, Deportations Under Trump Dropped in Last Year |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 11, 2019}}</ref> Under Trump, migrant apprehensions at the U.S.&ndash;Mexico border rose to their highest level in 12 years, but deportations remained below the record highs of fiscal years 2012&ndash;2014.<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Gramlich |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/02/how-border-apprehensions-ice-arrests-and-deportations-have-changed-under-trump/ |title=How border apprehensions, ICE arrests and deportations have changed under Trump |publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] |date=March 2, 2020}}</ref>

From 2018 onwards, Trump [[Operation Faithful Patriot|deployed nearly 6,000 troops to the U.S.&ndash;Mexico border]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mitchell |first1=Ellen |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 |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=January 29, 2019}}</ref> in 2019 was allowed by the Supreme Court to stop most Central American migrants from seeking U.S. asylum,<ref>{{cite news |last=Liptak |first=Adam |authorlink=Adam Liptak |title=Supreme Court Says Trump Can Bar Asylum Seekers While Legal Fight Continues |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-asylum.html |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 11, 2019}}</ref> and from 2020 used the [[public charge rule]] to restrict immigrants using government benefits from getting permanent residency via [[green card]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Mica |title=New U.S. rule targeting poor immigrants sows fear, confusion, advocates say |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration/new-u-s-rule-targeting-poor-immigrants-sows-fear-confusion-advocates-say-idUSKCN20I2BW |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=February 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Snow |first1=Anita |title=Crackdown on immigrants who use public benefits takes effect |url=https://apnews.com/e069e5a84057752a8535b1abe5d2ba6d |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=[[AP News]] |date=February 25, 2020}}</ref> Trump has reduced the number of [[United States Refugee Admissions Program|refugees admitted]] into the U.S. to record lows. When Trump took office, the annual limit was 110,000; Trump set a limit of 18,000 in the 2020 fiscal year and 15,000 in the 2021 fiscal year.<ref>{{cite news |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 |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=[[The Economist]] |date=November 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |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 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 1, 2020 |first1=Zolan |last1=Kanno-Youngs |authorlink=Zolan Kanno-Youngs |first2=Michael D. |last2=Shear |author2link=Michael D. Shear}}</ref> Additional restrictions implemented by the Trump administration caused (potentially long-lasting) bottlenecks in processing refugee applications, resulting in fewer refugees accepted compared to the allowed limits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hesson |first1=Ted |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 |accessdate=June 25, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |date=October 11, 2019}}</ref>

==== Travel ban ====

{{Main|Executive Order 13769|Executive Order 13780}}

Following the [[2015 San Bernardino attack]], Trump made a controversial proposal to ban Muslim foreigners from entering the United States until stronger vetting systems could be implemented.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pilkington |first=Ed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/07/donald-trump-ban-all-muslims-entering-us-san-bernardino-shooting |title=Donald Trump: ban all Muslims entering US |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref> He later reframed the proposed ban to apply to countries with a "proven history of terrorism".<ref name=Scots>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 25, 2016 |first=Jenna |last=Johnson |title=Trump now proposes only Muslims from terrorism-heavy countries would be banned from U.S. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/25/trump-now-says-muslim-ban-only-applies-to-those-from-terrorism-heavy-countries/ |quote=[A] reporter asked Trump if [he] would be OK with a Muslim from Scotland coming into the United States and he said it 'wouldn't bother me'. Afterward, [spokeswoman] Hicks said in an email that Trump's ban would now just apply to Muslims in terror states&nbsp;...}}</ref>

On January 27, 2017, Trump signed [[Executive Order 13769]], which suspended admission of refugees for 120 days and denied entry to citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days, citing security concerns. The order took effect immediately and without warning.<ref name="BBC.March.6.17">{{cite news |title=Trump signs new travel ban directive |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39183153 |accessdate=March 18, 2017 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> Confusion and protests caused chaos at airports.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grinberg |first1=Emanuella |last2=Park |first2=Madison |title=2nd day of protests over Trump's immigration policies |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/29/politics/us-immigration-protests/ |accessdate=March 18, 2017 |website=[[CNN]] |date=January 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/28/airports-us-immigration-ban-muslim-countries-trump |title=US airports on frontline as Donald Trump's travel ban causes chaos and protests |date=January 28, 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]] |first1=Joanna |last1=Walters |first2=Edward |last2=Helmore |first3=Saeed Kamali |last3=Dehghan |accessdate=July 19, 2017}}</ref> [[Sally Yates]], the acting [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]], directed Justice Department lawyers not to defend the executive order, which she deemed unenforceable and unconstitutional;<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/donald-trump-immigration-order-department-of-justice/index.html |title=Trump fires acting AG after she declines to defend travel ban |first1=Evan |last1=Perez |first2=Jeremy |last2=Diamond |author2link=Jeremy Diamond (journalist) |website=[[CNN]] |date=January 30, 2017 |accessdate=March 12, 2018}}</ref> Trump immediately dismissed her.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump Fires Acting Attorney General Who Defied Him |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/us/politics/trump-immigration-ban-memo.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=August 29, 2017 |date=January 30, 2017 |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Mark |last2=Landler |author2link=Mark Landler |first3=Matt |last3=Apuzzo |author3link=Matt Apuzzo |first4=Eric |last4=Lichtblau |author4link=Eric Lichtblau}}</ref> [[Legal challenges to Executive Orders 13769 and 13780|Multiple legal challenges]] were filed against the order, and a federal judge [[National injunctions|blocked its implementation nationwide]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=February 4, 2017 |first1=Devlin |last1=Barrett |first2=Dan |last2=Frosch |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}}</ref><ref name="LiptakStands">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 5, 2017 |first=Adam |last=Liptak |authorlink=Adam Liptak |title=Where Trump's Travel Ban Stands |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/05/us/politics/trumps-travel-ban.html}}</ref> On March 6, Trump issued [[Executive Order 13780|a revised order]], which excluded Iraq, gave specific exemptions for [[Permanent residence (United States)|permanent residents]], and removed priorities for Christian minorities.<ref name="Chakraborty3/6/17">{{cite news |last=Chakraborty |first=Barnini |title=Trump Signs New Immigration Order, Narrows Scope of Travel Ban |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/06/trump-signs-new-immigration-order-narrows-scope-travel-ban.html |date=March 6, 2017 |website=[[Fox News]] |accessdate=March 6, 2017}}</ref><ref name="BBC.March.6.17" /> Again federal judges in three states blocked its implementation.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Reuters]] |date=March 15, 2017 |first1=Dan |last1=Levine |first2=Mica |last2=Rosenberg |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}}</ref> In a [[Int'l Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump|decision in June 2017]], the [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] ruled that the ban could be enforced on visitors who lack a "credible claim of a ''bona fide'' relationship with a person or entity in the United States".<ref name="TravelBanScotus1">{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-travel-ban-supreme-court-20170626-story.html |title=Trump says Supreme Court decision on travel ban a 'clear victory for our national security' |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |first=Mark |last=Sherman |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=June 26, 2017 |accessdate=June 27, 2017}}</ref>

The temporary order was replaced by [[Presidential Proclamation 9645]] on September 24, 2017, which permanently restricts travel from the originally targeted countries except Iraq and Sudan, and further bans travelers from North Korea and Chad, along with certain Venezuelan officials.<ref name="Guardian.Oct.10.13">{{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 |work=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=October 13, 2017}}</ref> After lower courts partially blocked the new restrictions, the Supreme Court allowed the September version to go into full effect on December 4, 2017,<ref>{{cite news |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 |first=Lawrence |last=Hurley |date=December 4, 2017 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> and ultimately upheld the travel ban in a June 2019 ruling.<ref name=Wagner>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/supreme-court-travel-ban/index.html |title=Supreme Court upholds Trump's travel ban |website=[[CNN]] |date=June 26, 2018 |accessdate=June 26, 2018 |last1=Wagner |first1=Meg |last2=Ries |first2=Brian}}</ref>

==== Family separation at border ====

{{Main|Trump administration family separation policy}}
{{multiple image
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| width = 220
| image1 = Ursula (detention center) 1.png
| alt1 = Children sitting within a wire mesh compartment
| image2 = Ursula (detention center) 2.jpg
| alt2 = Children and juveniles in a wire mesh compartment, showing sleeping mats and thermal blankets on floor
| footer = Children sitting within a wire mesh compartment in the [[Ursula (detention center)|Ursula detention facility]] in [[McAllen, Texas]], June 2018
}}

The Trump administration has separated more than 5,400 migrant children from their parents at the U.S.&ndash;Mexico border while the families attempted to enter the U.S.<ref name=Spagat>{{cite news |last=Spagat |first=Elliot |title=Tally of children split at border tops 5,400 in new count |url=https://apnews.com/c654e652a4674cf19304a4a4ff599feb |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[AP News]] |date=October 25, 2019}}</ref> The Trump administration sharply increased the number of family separations at the border starting from the summer of 2017, before an official policy was announced in 2018; this was not reported publicly until January 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pearle |first1=Lauren |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 |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[ABC News]] |date=February 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Long |first1=Colleen |last2=Alonso-Zaldivar |first2=Ricardo |title=Watchdog: Thousands more children may have been separated |url=https://apnews.com/c648954057594364b01a38b8d16701ac |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[AP News]] |date=January 18, 2019}}</ref>

In April 2018, the Trump administration announced a "[[Trump administration family separation policy|zero tolerance]]" policy whereby every adult suspected of [[illegal entry]] would be criminally prosecuted.<ref name=Farivar>{{cite news |last1=Farivar |first1=Masood |title=Sessions Announces 'Zero-Tolerance' Policy on Illegal Border Crossings |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/jeff-sessions-zero-tolerance-policy-illegal-entry-us/4336134.html |work=[[Voice of America]] |accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name=davisshear>{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |author1link=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |last2=Shear |first2=Michael D. |author2link=Michael D. Shear |title=How Trump Came to Enforce a Practice of Separating Migrant Families |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/16/us/politics/family-separation-trump.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |date=June 16, 2018}}</ref> This resulted in family separations, as the migrant adults were put in criminal detention for prosecution, while their children were taken away as unaccompanied alien minors.<ref>{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |authorlink=Charlie Savage |title=Explaining Trump's Executive Order on Family Separation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/family-separation-executive-order.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |date=June 20, 2018}}</ref> The children would be brought to immigration detention, immigrant shelters, tent camps, or metal cages, with the stated aim of releasing them to relatives or sponsors.<ref name=Domonoske>{{cite news |last1=Domonoske |first1=Camila |last2=Gonzales |first2=Richard |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 |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[NPR]] |date=June 19, 2018}}</ref> Administration officials described the policy as a way to deter illegal immigration.<ref name=Domonoske/><ref name=davisshear/>

The policy of family separations had no precedent in previous administrations<ref name=Domonoske/> and sparked public outrage,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Epstein |first1=Jennifer |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 |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=June 18, 2018}}</ref> with Democrats, Republicans, Trump allies, and religious groups demanding that the policy be rescinded.<ref name=Colvin>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5314595/donald-trump-family-separation-policy-dividing-republicans/ |title=President Trump's Family Separation Policy Is Dividing Republicans |website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 18, 2018 |accessdate=June 18, 2018 |last=Colvin |first=Jill |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618091110/http://time.com/5314595/donald-trump-family-separation-policy-dividing-republicans/ |archive-date=June 18, 2018}}</ref> Trump falsely asserted that his administration was merely following the law, blaming Democrats, when in fact this was his administration's policy.<ref name=Davis>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/trump-immigration-separation-border.html |title=Separated at the Border From Their Parents: In Six Weeks, 1,995 Children |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 15, 2018 |accessdate=June 18, 2018 |last=Davis |first=Julie}}</ref><ref name=McArdle>{{cite news |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/white-house-blames-democrats-for-separation-of-families-at-border/ |title=White House Blames Democrats for Separation of Families at Border |website=[[National Review]] |date=June 15, 2018 |accessdate=June 18, 2018 |last=McArdle |first=Mairead}}</ref><ref name=Sarlin>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/despite-claims-gop-immigration-bill-would-not-end-family-separation-n883701 |title=Despite claims, GOP immigration bill would not end family separation, experts say |website=[[NBC News]] |date=June 15, 2018 |accessdate=June 18, 2018 |last=Sarlin |first=Benjy}}</ref> More than 2,300 children were separated as a result of the "zero tolerance policy", the Trump administration revealed in June 2018.<ref name=Domonoske/>

Although Trump originally argued that the issue could not be solved via executive order, he proceeded to sign an executive order on June 20, 2018, mandating that migrant families be detained together, unless the administration judged that doing so would harm the child.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beckwith |first1=Ryan |title=Here's What President Trump's Immigration Order Actually Does |url=https://time.com/5317703/trump-family-separation-policy-executive-order/ |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 20, 2018 |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Abby |last2=Goodnough |first3=Maggie |last3=Haberman |author3link=Maggie Haberman |title=Trump Retreats on Separating Families, but Thousands May Remain Apart |accessdate=June 20, 2018 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-immigration-children-executive-order.html}}</ref> On June 26, 2018, a federal judge concluded that the Trump administration had "no system in place to keep track of" the separated children, nor any effective measures for family communication and reunification;<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hansler |first1=Jennifer |title=Judge says government does a better job of tracking 'personal property' than separated kids |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/27/politics/family-separation-federal-judge-personal-property-comment/index.html |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> the judge ordered for the families to be reunited, and family separations stopped, except in the cases where the parent(s) are judged unfit to take care of the child, or if there is parental approval.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/27/us-immigration-must-reunite-families-separated-at-border-federal-judge-rules |title=Judge orders US to reunite families separated at border within 30 days |last=Walters |first=Joanna |date=June 27, 2018 |website=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref>

In 2019, the Trump administration reported that 4,370 children were separated from July 2017 to June 2018.<ref name=Spagat/> Even after the June 2018 federal court order, the Trump administration continued to practice family separations, with more than a thousand migrant children separated.<ref name=Spagat/>

==== Migrant detentions ====

{{Main|Trump administration migrant detentions}}
[[File:Overcrowded Families in Weslaco Station-11Jun2019-DHS OIG.png|thumb|right|Overcrowded conditions for migrant families detained in [[Weslaco, Texas]] were reported by inspectors from the federal government in June 2019.<ref name=OIGjuly2019>{{cite web |title=Management Alert – DHS Needs to Address Dangerous Overcrowding and Prolonged Detention of Children and Adults in the Rio Grande Valley (Redacted) |url=https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2019-07/OIG-19-51-Jul19_.pdf |publisher=[[Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General]] |accessdate=July 13, 2019 |date=July 2, 2019}}</ref>]]

While the Obama administration detained and deported migrants at high rates, the Trump administration took it to a significantly higher level.<ref name=Ricciardelli>{{cite journal |last1=Ricciardelli |first1=Lauren |last2=Nackerud |first2=Larry |last3=Cochrane |first3=Katherine |last4=Sims |first4=India |last5=Crawford |first5=Latifa |last6=Taylor |first6=Demetria |title=A Snapshot of Immigration Court at Stewart Detention Center: How Social Workers Can Advocate & Advance Social Justice Efforts in the United States |journal=Critical Social Work |date=July 18, 2019 |volume=20 |issue=1 |url=https://ojs.uwindsor.ca/index.php/csw/article/view/5960 |accessdate=May 31, 2019 |doi=10.22329/csw.v20i1.5960 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

The [[Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General]] inspections of migrant detention centers in 2018 and 2019 found that [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] (CBP) "in many instances" violated federal guidelines for detaining migrant children for too long before passing them to the [[Office of Refugee Resettlement]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Duehren |first1=Andrew |title=U.S. Government Watchdog Reports Faults in DHS Migrant Family Separation Policy |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-government-watchdog-reports-faults-in-dhs-migrant-family-separation-policy-1538506696 |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[Wall Street Journal]] |date=October 2, 2018}}</ref> and that migrants were detained for prolonged periods under dangerous conditions failing federal standards, enduring dangerous overcrowding and poor hygiene and food.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[United Press International]] |last1=Haynes |first1=Danielle |title=Watchdog: 'Dangerous overcrowding' of migrant processing center |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/05/31/Watchdog-Dangerous-overcrowding-of-migrant-processing-center/6021559326553/ |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |date=May 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kiely |first1=Eugene |last2=Farley |first2=Robert |last3=Robertson |first3=Lori |title=Confusion at the Border |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2019/07/confusion-at-the-border/ |website=[[FactCheck.org]] |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |date=July 3, 2019}}</ref> CBP Commissioner [[Kevin McAleenan]] said in 2019 that there was a "border security and a humanitarian crisis" and that the immigration system was at a "breaking point".<ref>{{cite news |first1=Daniel |last1=Borunda |first2=Aaron |last2=Martinez |title=CBP commissioner visits El Paso border, says immigration system at 'breaking point' |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2019/03/27/live-us-customs-and-border-protection-talks-el-paso-border-crisis-immigration/3282390002/ |work=[[El Paso Times]] |date=March 27, 2019}}</ref>

The treatment of the detained migrants resulted in a public outcry by July 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ferris |first1=Sarah |title=Dems seize offensive against Trump after detention center outrage |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/03/democrats-trump-immigration-detention-centers-border-1398414 |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |date=July 3, 2019}}</ref> That month, Trump reacted to criticism of the migrant detentions by saying if the migrants were unhappy about the conditions of the detention facilities, "just tell them not to come."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brice |first1=Makini |title=Trump says immigrants 'unhappy' with detention centers should stay home |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration/trump-says-immigrants-unhappy-with-detention-centers-should-stay-home-idUSKCN1TY1A5 |website=[[Reuters]] |accessdate=July 22, 2019 |date=May 30, 2020}}</ref>

In August 2019, the administration attempted to change the 1997 [[Flores Agreement]] that limits detention of migrant families to 20 days; the new policy allowing indefinite detention was blocked before it would go into effect.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cooke |first1=Kristina |title=U.S. judge blocks Trump rule on migrant child detention |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration/us-judge-blocks-trump-rule-on-migrant-child-detention-idUSKBN1WC2ED |accessdate=June 24, 2020 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=September 28, 2019}}</ref>

==== 2018–2019 federal government shutdown ====

{{Main|2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown}}
[[File:Donald Trump visits San Diego border wall prototypes.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Trump examines border wall prototypes in [[Otay Mesa, California]].]]

On December 22, 2018, the federal government was partially shut down after Trump declared that any funding extension must include $5.6&nbsp;billion in federal funds for a [[Trump border wall|U.S.&ndash;Mexico border wall]] to partly fulfill his campaign promise.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last1=Davis |author1link=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |first2=Michael |last2=Tackett |author2link=Michael Tackett |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/us/politics/trump-congress-shutdown.html |title=Trump and Democrats Dig In After Talks to Reopen Government Go Nowhere |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 2, 2019 |access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> The shutdown was caused by a lapse in funding for nine federal departments, affecting about one-fourth of federal government activities.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wamsley |first=Laurel |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/01/09/683642605/how-is-the-shutdown-affecting-america-let-us-count-the-ways |title=How Is The Shutdown Affecting America? Let Us Count The Ways |date=January 9, 2019 |website=[[NPR]]}}</ref> Trump said he would not accept any bill that did not include funding for the wall, and Democrats, who control the House, said they would not support any bill that does. Senate Republicans have said they will not advance any legislation Trump would not sign.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Damian |last1=Paletta |author1link=Damian Paletta |first2=Erica |last2=Werner |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-falsely-claims-mexico-is-paying-for-wall-demands-taxpayer-money-before-meeting-with-top-democrats/2019/01/02/408bf86e-0e97-11e9-8938-5898adc28fa2_story.html |title=Trump falsely claims Mexico is paying for wall, demands taxpayer money for wall in meeting with Democrats |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 2, 2019 |access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> In earlier negotiations with Democratic leaders, Trump commented that he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security".<ref name=Nakamura-190109>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hes-a-gut-politician-trumps-go-to-negotiating-tactics-not-working-in-shutdown-standoff/2019/01/09/c7bb5ff2-142b-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html |title='He's a gut politician': Trump's go-to negotiating tactics aren't working in shutdown standoff |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 9, 2019 |accessdate=January 10, 2019 |first1=David |last1=Nakamura |author1link=David Nakamura |first2=Seung Min |last2=Kim |author2link=Seung Min Kim}}</ref>

As a result of the shutdown, about 380,000 government employees were [[furlough]]ed and 420,000 government employees worked without pay.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fritze |first1=John |title=By the numbers: How the government shutdown is affecting the US |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/24/government-shutdown-has-wide-impact-numbers/2666872002/ |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[USA Today]] |date=January 27, 2020}}</ref> According to a [[Congressional Budget Office|CBO]] estimate, the shutdown resulted in a permanent loss of $3&nbsp;billion to the U.S. economy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/28/government-shutdown-cost-the-economy-11-billion-cbo.html |title=Government shutdown cost the economy $11 billion: CBO |last=Mui |first=Ylan |date=January 28, 2019 |website=[[CNBC]] |access-date=May 31, 2020}}</ref> About half of Americans blamed Trump for the shutdown, and Trump's approval ratings dropped.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bacon |first1=Perry |title=Why Trump Blinked |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/government-shutdown-ends/ |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |date=January 25, 2019}}</ref>

On January 25, 2019, Congress unanimously approved a temporary funding bill that provided no funds for the wall but would provide delayed paychecks to government workers. Trump signed the bill that day, ending the shutdown at 35 days. It was the [[List of United States federal funding gaps|longest U.S. government shutdown in history]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gambino |first1=Lauren |last2=Walters |first2=Joanna |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 |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=January 26, 2019 |agency=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pramuk |first1=Jacob |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 |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[CNBC]] |date=January 25, 2019}}</ref>

Since the government funding was temporary, another shutdown loomed. On February 14, 2019, Congress approved a funding bill that included $1.375&nbsp;billion for 55 miles of border fences, in lieu of Trump's intended wall.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pramuk |first1=Jacob |title=Congress passes bill to prevent another US government shutdown, sending it to Trump |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/14/congress-votes-to-pass-spending-bill-and-avoid-government-shutdown.html |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[CNBC]] |date=February 14, 2019}}</ref> Trump signed the bill the next day.<ref name=Wilkie>{{cite news |last1=Pramuk |first1=Jacob |last2=Wilkie |first2=Christina |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 |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[CNBC]] |date=February 15, 2019}}</ref>

==== National emergency regarding the southern border ====

On February 15, 2019, after Trump received from Congress only $1.375&nbsp;billion for border fencing after demanding $5.7&nbsp;billion for the Trump wall, he declared a [[National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States]], in hopes of getting another $6.7&nbsp;billion without congressional approval, using funds for military construction, [[drug interdiction]], and money from the Treasury.<ref name=Wilkie/> In doing so, Trump acknowledged that he "didn't need to" declare a national emergency, but he "would rather do it much faster".<ref name=Wilkie/>

Congress twice passed resolutions to block Trump's national emergency declarations, but Trump vetoed both and there were not enough votes in Congress for a [[veto override]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Jordan |title=Trump issues first veto, warning of 'reckless' resolution |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/434212-trump-issues-first-veto-on-emergency-declaration |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=March 15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Montoya-Galvez |first1=Camilo |title=Attempt to override Trump veto on national emergency resolution fails in House |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/attempt-to-override-trump-veto-on-national-emergency-resolution-fails-in-house/ |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[CBS News]] |date=March 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Carney |first1=Jordain |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 |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=October 17, 2019}}</ref> Trump's decision to divert other government funding to fund the wall resulted in legal challenges. In July 2019, the Supreme Court allowed Trump to use $2.5&nbsp;billion (originally meant for anti-drug programs) from the Department of Defense to build the Trump wall.<ref>{{cite news |last1=De Vogue |first1=Ariane |title=Supreme Court clears way for Trump admin to use Defense funds for border wall construction |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/26/politics/supreme-court-pentagon-border-wall-construction/index.html |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=July 27, 2019}}</ref><ref name=MQuinn>{{cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Melissa |title=Federal judge blocks Trump administration from using Pentagon funds for wall |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-trump-administration-from-using-pentagon-funds-for-wall/ |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[CBS News]] |date=December 11, 2019}}</ref> In December 2019, a federal judge stopped the Trump administration from using $3.6&nbsp;billion of military construction funds for the Trump wall.<ref name=MQuinn/>

==== Trump wall ====

{{Main|Trump wall}}

As a presidential candidate, Trump promised to construct a wall along the U.S.&ndash;Mexico border to prevent migration.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yen |first1=Hope |last2=Long |first2=Colleen |last3=Woodward |first3=Calvin |title=Trump's shift on concrete wall, tariff myth |url=https://apnews.com/d47a6370e5dd41289f86fc9d5e19c3d5 |work=[[AP News]] |accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref> In 2017, the border had 654 miles of primary fencing, 37 miles of secondary fencing and 14 miles of tertiary fencing.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cunningham |first1=Anne |title=Deporting Immigrants |date=December 15, 2017 |publisher=Greenhaven Publishing |isbn=9781534502406 |page=151 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nntmDwAAQBAJ |accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref> Trump's target, from 2015 to 2017, was 1,000 miles of wall.<ref name=wallisawall>{{cite news |last1=Cummings |first1=William |title='A WALL is a WALL!' Trump declares. But his definition has shifted a lot over time |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/01/08/trump-wall-concept-timeline/2503855002/ |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[USA Today]] |date=January 31, 2019}}</ref> The Trump administration set a target of 450 miles of new or renovated barriers by December 2020, with an ultimate goal of 509 miles of new or renovated barriers by August 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Miroff |first1=Nick |last2=Blanco |first2=Adrian |title=Trump ramps up border-wall construction ahead of 2020 vote |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/immigration/border-wall-progress/ |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 6, 2020}}</ref> Even into 2020, Trump has repeatedly provided false assertions that Mexico is paying for the Trump wall, although American taxpayers are footing the bill from funds being diverted from the U.S. Department of Defense.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Woodward |first1=Calvin |title=AP FACT CHECK: Trump revives false claim on wall at CPAC |url=https://apnews.com/28e60e866f6d32cdadedd126e292eba7 |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |date=March 1, 2020 |work=[[AP News]]}}</ref>

In October 2018, the administration revealed two miles of replacement fences made of steel posts, which it called the first section of Trump's 'wall', although earlier that year Border Patrol had said the project was unrelated to the Trump wall and had been long planned (dating to 2009).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Flores |first1=Adolfo |title=A Plaque Says This Fence In Southern California Is The First Completed Section Of Trump's Border Wall |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adolfoflores/immigration-wall-border-trump-dedication-fence |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[Buzzfeed News]] |date=October 26, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Satherley |first1=Dan |title=Donald Trump's wall 'different than a fence' |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/10/donald-trump-s-wall-different-than-a-fence.html |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[Newshub]] |date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> In December 2018 and January 2019, Trump tweeted out a design of a steel fence, and a picture of a fence, while declaring "the wall is coming."<ref name=wallisawall/>

By November 2019, the Trump administration had replaced around 78 miles of the [[Mexico–United States barrier]] along the border; these replacement barriers were not walls, but fences made of [[bollards]].<ref name=AlVal>{{cite news |last1=Alvarez |first1=Priscilla |last2=Valencia |first2=Nick |title=The private border wall group is building again, this time in Texas |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/15/politics/fisher-industries-border-wall/index.html |accessdate=May 30, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=November 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nichols |first1=Chris |title=Nancy Pelosi stated on November 17, 2019 in an interview on "Face the Nation": President Trump "hasn't built any new (border) wall" during his time in office. |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/nov/23/nancy-pelosi/mostly-true-nancy-pelosis-claim-president-trump-ha/ |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[PolitiFact]] |date=November 22, 2019}}</ref> The administration in November 2019 said it had "just started breaking ground" to build new barriers in areas where no structure existed.<ref name=AlVal/> By May 2020, the Trump administration had replaced 172 miles of dilapidated or outdated design barriers, and constructed 15 miles of new border barriers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Valverde |first1=Miriam |title=Donald Trump stated on May 19, 2020 in a speech: "On the Southern border, as you know, the wall is going up, it's going up very rapidly. We're at 182 miles." |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/20/donald-trump/facts-donald-trumps-claim-182-miles-border-wall-co/ |accessdate=May 31, 2020 |work=[[PolitiFact]] |date=May 20, 2020}}</ref>

=== Foreign policy ===
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
[[File:-G7Biarritz_(48616362963).jpg|thumb|Trump with [[Emmanuel Macron]], [[Angela Merkel]], [[Justin Trudeau]] and other leaders at the [[45th G7 summit]] in France, 2019]]
[[File:Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Melania Trump, and Donald Trump, May 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump, King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]], and Egyptian president [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]] at the [[2017 Riyadh summit]] in Saudi Arabia]]

Trump describes himself as a "nationalist"<ref>{{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]] |date=October 24, 2018}}</ref> and his foreign policy as "[[America First (policy)|America First]]".<ref>{{cite news |first=Christiane |last=Amanpour |authorlink=Christiane Amanpour |title=Donald Trump's speech: 'America first', but an America absent from the world |date=July 22, 2016 |website=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/22/opinions/donald-trump-speech-amanpour/}}</ref><ref name=Bennhold>{{cite news |first=Katrin |last=Bennhold |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/world/europe/germany-troop-withdrawal-america.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=Has 'America First' Become 'Trump First'? Germans Wonder |date=June 6, 2020}}</ref> He has espoused [[isolationist]], [[Non-interventionism|non-interventionist]], and [[protectionist]] views.<ref name="Cassidy">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/donald-trump-is-transforming-the-g-o-p-into-a-populist-nativist-party |title=Donald Trump Is Transforming the G.O.P. Into a Populist, Nativist Party |last=Cassidy |first=John |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=February 29, 2016 |accessdate=March 5, 2016}}</ref><ref name="rucker">{{cite news |first1=Philip |last1=Rucker |author1link=Philip Rucker |first2=Robert |last2=Costa |author2link=Robert Costa (journalist) |title=Trump questions need for NATO, outlines noninterventionist foreign policy |date=March 21, 2016 |website=[[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/}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kupchan |first=Charles A. |date=September 27, 2020 |title=Isolationism Is Not a Dirty Word |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/virtue-isolationism/616499/ |magazine=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kagan |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Kagan |date=September 23, 2018 |title='America First' Has Won |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/23/opinion/trump-foreign-policy-america-first.html |access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Forsby |first=Andreas Bøje |date=November 2016 |title=Putting America First Could Give China The Edge |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep13102 |journal=DIIS Policy Brief}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump reveals his isolationist foreign-policy instincts |date=May 22, 2016 |website=[[The Economist]] |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2016/03/aipac-and-foreign-policy}}</ref>

His foreign policy has been marked by repeated praise and support of [[Neo-nationalism|neo-nationalist]] and [[authoritarian]] [[Strongman (politics)|strongmen]] and criticism of [[Liberal democracy|democratic governments]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/10/01/can-u.s.-democracy-policy-survive-trump-pub-77381 |title=Can U.S. Democracy Policy Survive Trump? |last1=Carothers |first1=Thomas |last2=Brown |first2=Frances Z. |date=October 1, 2019 |website=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]] |access-date=October 19, 2019}}</ref> Trump has cited Israel's [[Benjamin Netanyahu]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=LaFranchi |first=Howard |date=March 22, 2019 |title=Trump-Netanyahu: True bromance, or marriage of convenience? |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2019/0322/Trump-Netanyahu-True-bromance-or-marriage-of-convenience |access-date=October 17, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title='Only the Strong Survive.' How Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu Is Testing the Limits of Power |url=https://time.com/longform/benjamin-netanyahu-interview/ |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=July 11, 2019 |first=Brian |last=Bennett |access-date=October 17, 2020}}</ref> the Philippines' [[Rodrigo Duterte]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3857619/donald-trump-praises-philippines-duterte/ |title=Donald Trump repeatedly praises Philippines' President Duterte during Asia trip |website=[[Global News]] |date=November 13, 2017 |first1=Jonathan |last1=Lemire |first2=Jill |last2=Colvin}}</ref> Egypt's [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]],<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Independent]] |date=May 21, 2017 |first=Rachael |last=Revesz |title=Donald Trump praises Egypt President al-Sisi and plans trip to Cairo |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-praises-egypt-president-abdel-fattah-al-sisi-safety-visit-cairo-saudi-arabia-meeting-a7747171.html}}</ref> Turkey's [[Tayyip Erdoğan]],<ref>{{cite news |website=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=September 21, 2017 |first1=Margaret |last1=Talev |first2=Jennifer |last2=Jacobs |title=Trump Praises Erdogan for 'High Marks' Amid Crackdown Concerns |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-21/trump-praises-erdogan-for-high-marks-amid-crackdown-concerns}}</ref> Russia's [[Vladimir Putin]],<ref name="Putin">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/11/14/trump-faces-backlash-over-appointing-bannon-as-a-top-aide-a-choice-critics-say-will-empower-white-nationalists/ |title=Trump, Putin agree in phone call to improve 'unsatisfactory' relations between their countries, Kremlin says |last1=Viebeck |first1=Elise |last2=Markon |first2=Jerry |author2link=Jerry Markon |last3=DeYoung |first3=Karen |author3link=Karen DeYoung |date=November 14, 2016 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=March 14, 2017}}</ref> King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]],<ref>{{cite news |website=[[CNBC]] |date=November 6, 2017 |first=Angelica |last=LaVito |title=Trump praises Saudi king after crackdown |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/06/trump-praises-saudi-king-after-crackdown.html}}</ref> Brazil's [[Jair Bolsonaro]],<ref>{{cite news |website=[[CNBC]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=January 1, 2019 |title=Trump praises Brazil's new President Bolsonaro after he vowed to 'strengthen democracy' |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/01/trump-praises-brazils-new-president-bolsonaro-after-he-vowed-to-strengthen-democracy-.html}}</ref> Italy's [[Giuseppe Conte]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://video.corriere.it/trump-il-primo-ministro-italiano-conte-fantastico-severo-sull-immigrazione-questo-momento-paga/d065ab42-70a9-11e8-8f08-e72858c58491|title=Trump: "Il primo ministro italiano Conte è fantastico. È severo sull'immigrazione e in questo momento paga"|date=15 June 2018|accessdate=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330233402/https://video.corriere.it/trump-il-primo-ministro-italiano-conte-fantastico-severo-sull-immigrazione-questo-momento-paga/d065ab42-70a9-11e8-8f08-e72858c58491|archive-date=30 March 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> India's [[Narendra Modi]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dalmia |first=Shikha |date=February 26, 2020 |title=While Trump Was Praising Modi for Religious Freedom, Modi-Supporting Hindus Slaughtered Muslims in the Streets |url=https://reason.com/2020/02/26/while-trump-was-praising-modi-for-religious-freedom-modi-supporting-hindus-slaughtered-muslims-in-the-streets/ |access-date=October 17, 2020 |website=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]}}</ref><ref name="wapost-modi">{{cite news |title=In India, Trump validates Modi's divisive agenda |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/24/india-trump-validates-modis-divisive-agenda/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> Hungary's [[Viktor Orbán]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/trump-xi-jinping-dictators/554810/ |title=Nine Notorious Dictators, Nine Shout-Outs From Donald Trump |first=Krishnadev |last=Calamur |date=March 4, 2018 |website=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref> and Poland's [[Andrzej Duda]] as examples of good leaders.<ref>{{cite news |title=Poland's clash of values in presidential election |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53190016 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=June 28, 2020}}</ref>

As a candidate, Trump questioned the need for [[NATO]];<ref name="rucker"/> as president, he repeatedly and publicly criticized NATO and the U.S.'s NATO allies, and has privately suggested on multiple occasions that the United States should withdraw from NATO.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |authorlink=Peter Baker (journalist) |title=Trump Says NATO Allies Don't Pay Their Share. Is That True? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/world/europe/nato-trump-spending.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 26, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |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 |last1=Barnes |first1=Julian E. |last2=Cooper |first2=Helene |author2link=Helene Cooper |date=January 14, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/politics/trump-nato-withdraw.html |title=Allies and Former U.S. Officials Fear Trump Could Seek NATO Exit in a Second Term |last=Crowley |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Crowley (journalist) |date=September 3, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Hallmarks of foreign relations during Trump's tenure include unpredictability and uncertainty,<ref name=Bennhold/> a lack of a consistent foreign policy,<ref>{{cite news |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 |first=Brett |last=McGurk |authorlink=Brett McGurk |work=[[Foreign Affairs]] |date=January 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-08-20/trump-s-true-foreign-policy-chaos |title=Trump's True Foreign Policy: Chaos |first=Hal |last=Brands |authorlink=Hal Brands |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=August 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Richard |last=Haass |authorlink=Richard Haass |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-08-11/present-disruption |title=Present at the Disruption: How Trump Unmade U.S. Foreign Policy |magazine=[[Foreign Affairs]] |date=September–October 2020}}</ref> and strained and sometimes antagonistic relationships with the U.S.'s European allies.<ref name=Bennhold/><ref>{{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, 2012 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

==== Syria====
Trump ordered [[2017 Shayrat missile strike|missile strikes in April 2017]] and [[2018 bombing of Damascus and Homs|in April 2018]] against the Assad regime in Syria, in retaliation for the [[Khan Shaykhun chemical attack|Khan Shaykhun]] and [[Douma chemical attack]]s, respectively.<ref name="bbcnewssyriawartrumpsmissilestrike">{{cite news |title=Syria war: Trump's missile strike attracts US praise – and barbs |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39529605 |accessdate=April 8, 2017 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=April 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-strikes-syria-after-suspected-chemical-attack-by-assad-regime |first=Kathleen |last=Joyce |title=US strikes Syria after suspected chemical attack by Assad regime |date=April 14, 2018 |website=[[Fox News]] |accessdate=April 14, 2018}}</ref>

In December 2018, Trump declared "we have won against ISIS," contradicting Department of Defense assessments, and ordered the withdrawal of all troops from Syria.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/19/us/politics/trump-syria-turkey-troop-withdrawal.html |title=Trump withdraws U.S. Forces From Syria, Declaring 'We Have Won Against ISIS' |first1=Mark |last1=Landler |author1link=Mark Landler |first2=Helene |last2=Cooper |author2link=Helene Cooper |first3=Eric |last3=Schmitt |author3link=Eric P. Schmitt |date=December 19, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=December 31, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Syria conflict: Trump's withdrawal plan shocks allies |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46628811 |accessdate=December 20, 2018 |work=[[BBC Online]] |date=December 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Borger |first1=Julian |author1link=Julian Borger |last2=Chulov |first2=Martin |title=Trump shocks allies and advisers with plan to pull US troops out of Syria |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/19/us-troops-syria-withdrawal-trump |accessdate=December 20, 2018 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 20, 2018}}</ref> Mattis resigned the next day in opposition to Trump's foreign policy, calling his decision an abandonment of the U.S.'s [[Rojava|Kurdish allies]] who played a key role in fighting ISIS.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Helene |authorlink=Helene Cooper |title=Jim Mattis, Defense Secretary, Resigns in Rebuke of Trump's Worldview |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/us/politics/jim-mattis-defense-secretary-trump.html |accessdate=December 21, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 20, 2018}}</ref> One week after his announcement, Trump said he would not approve any extension of the American deployment in Syria.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 6, 2019 |first=Karoun |last=Demirjian |authorlink=Karoun Demirjian |title=Contradicting Trump, Bolton says no withdrawal from Syria until ISIS destroyed, Kurds' safety guaranteed |accessdate=January 6, 2019 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/bolton-promises-no-troop-withdrawal-from-syria-until-isis-contained-kurds-safety-guaranteed/2019/01/06/ee219bba-11c5-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html}}</ref> In January 2019, national security advisor [[John Bolton]] announced America would remain in Syria until ISIS is eradicated and Turkey guarantees it will not strike the Kurds.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 6, 2019 |first1=David E. |last1=Sanger |author1link=David E. Sanger |first2=Noah |last2=Weiland |first3=Eric |last3=Schmitt |author3link=Eric P. Schmitt |title=Bolton Puts Conditions on Syria Withdrawal, Suggesting a Delay of Months or Years |accessdate=January 6, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/06/world/middleeast/bolton-syria-pullout.html}}</ref>

[[File:President Trump Meets with the President of Turkey (49060819653).jpg|thumb|right|Trump with Turkish president Erdoğan in November 2019]]
In October 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], the White House acknowledged Turkey would carry out a [[2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria|military offensive into northern Syria]], and [[American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War|U.S. troops in northern Syria]] were withdrawn from the area. The statement also passed responsibility for the area's captured ISIS fighters to Turkey.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |last2=Neuman |first2=Scott |title=In Major Policy Shift, U.S. Will Stand Aside As Turkish Forces Extend Reach In Syria |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/10/07/767777899/in-major-policy-shift-u-s-will-stand-aside-as-turkish-forces-extend-reach-in-syr |accessdate=October 11, 2019 |work=[[NPR]] |date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> As a result, Turkey launched an invasion, attacking and [[Forced displacement|displacing]] American-allied [[Kurds in Syria|Kurds]] in the area. Later that month, the U.S. House of Representatives, in a rare bipartisan vote of 354 to 60, condemned Trump's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, for "abandoning U.S. allies, undermining the struggle against ISIS, and spurring a humanitarian catastrophe".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/16/house-condemns-trumps-syria-pull-out-000286 |title=House condemns Trump's Syria withdrawal |last=O'Brien |first=Connor |date=October 16, 2019 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/us/politics/house-vote-trump-syria.html |title=In Bipartisan Rebuke, House Majority Condemns Trump for Syria Withdrawal |last=Edmondson |first=Catie |date=October 16, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref>

==== Saudi Arabia and Yemen====
Trump actively supported the [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen]] against the [[Houthis]] and signed a $110&nbsp;billion agreement to sell arms to Saudi Arabia.<ref name="prince">{{cite news |title=Trump praises arms sales as he meets Saudi crown prince |url=https://www.ft.com/content/94204940-2c47-11e8-9b4b-bc4b9f08f381 |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=March 20, 2018 |first=Katrina |last=Manson}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Senate Votes Down Ending Trump's Support for Saudi-led War in Yemen |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/senate-votes-down-ending-trump-s-support-for-saudi-led-war-in-yemen-1.5931874 |work=[[Haaretz]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=May 21, 2018}}</ref><ref name=Phelps-170520>{{cite news |title=Trump signs $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on 'a tremendous day' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-signs-110-billion-arms-deal-saudi-arabia/story?id=47531180 |website=[[ABC News]] |date=May 20, 2017 |accessdate=July 6, 2018 |first1=Jordyn |last1=Phelps |first2=Ryan |last2=Struyk}}</ref>

==== Afghanistan====
U.S. troop numbers in [[Afghanistan]] increased from 8,500 to 14,000, {{as of|2017|1|lc=y}},<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jaffe |first1=Greg |last2=Ryan |first2=Missy |author2link=Missy Ryan |title=Up to 1,000 more U.S. troops could be headed to Afghanistan this spring |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/up-to-1000-more-us-troops-could-be-headed-to-afghanistan-this-spring/2018/01/21/153930b6-fd1b-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 21, 2018}}</ref> reversing his pre-election position critical of further involvement in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gordon |first1=Michael R. |author1link=Michael R. Gordon |last2=Schmitt |first2=Eric |author2link=Eric P. Schmitt |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |author3link=Maggie Haberman |title=Trump Settles on Afghan Strategy Expected to Raise Troop Levels |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/20/world/asia/trump-afghanistan-strategy-mattis.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 20, 2017}}</ref> On February 29, 2020, the Trump administration signed a conditional [[Afghan peace process|peace agreement with the Taliban]],<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S.-Taliban Deal: India should Chalk-out a New Strategy |url=https://opedcolumn.news.blog/2020/03/21/us-taliban-deal-india-should-chalk-out-a-new-strategy/ |last=Rai |first=Manish |website=OpedColumn.News.Blog}}</ref> which calls for the [[Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan|withdrawal of foreign troops]] in 14 months if the Taliban uphold the terms of the agreement.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghanistan-us-taliban-peace-deal-signing/2020/02/29/b952fb04-5a67-11ea-8efd-0f904bdd8057_story.html |title=U.S. signs peace deal with Taliban agreeing to full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan |last=George |first=Susannah |date=February 29, 2020 |website=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

==== Iran ====

{{See also|Iran–United States relations#2017–present: Trump administration | United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis}}

Trump has described the regime in Iran as "the rogue regime", although he has also asserted he does not seek regime change.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weiler |first1=Yuram Abdullah |title=What is Basij and how does it function against U.S. and Zionism? |url=http://english.khamenei.ir/news/5306/What-is-Basij-and-how-does-it-function-against-U-S-and-Zionism |website=Khamenei.ir |accessdate=February 6, 2019 |date=December 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 27, 2019 |first=Michael |last=Kranish |authorlink=Michael Kranish |title=Trump says he is not seeking 'regime change' in Iran |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-says-he-is-not-seeking-regime-change-in-iran/2019/05/27/94d3053a-808d-11e9-933d-7501070ee669_story.html}}</ref>

Trump repeatedly criticized the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]] (JCPOA), a nuclear deal negotiated with the United States, Iran, and five other world powers in 2015.<ref name="KatyTurIranInterview">{{cite news |website=[[NBC News]] |date=July 14, 2015 |first=Katy |last=Tur |authorlink=Katy Tur |title=Donald Trump Weighs in on Iran Deal |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-weighs-iran-deal-n391926}}</ref><ref name="AP180508"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Igor |last=Bobic |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-iran-deal_55d0a844e4b0ab468d9d907e |title=Donald Trump Would Not Rip Up The Iran Deal |work=[[HuffPost]] |date=August 16, 2015 |accessdate=August 17, 2019}}</ref> In May 2018, Trump announced [[United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|the U.S.' unilateral departure]] from the JCPOA.<ref name="AP180508">{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/cead755353a1455bbef08ef289448994/Trump-decides-to-exit-nuclear-accord-with-Iran |title=Trump declares US leaving 'horrible' Iran nuclear accord |last=Lederman |first=Josh |date=May 8, 2018 |work=[[AP News]] |accessdate=May 8, 2018}}</ref> After withdrawing from the agreement, the Trump administration moved forward with a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran via economic sanctions, but without support of other parties to the deal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html |title=Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned |first=Mark |last=Landler |authorlink=Mark Landler |date=May 8, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/despite-us-pressure-europeans-remain-united-russia-china-preserve-iran-nuclear-deal-1529024 |title=Despite U.S. pressure, Europeans remain "united" with Russia and China to "preserve" Iran nuclear deal, diplomats say |first=Jason |last=Lemon |date=September 1, 2020 |website=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref> The Trump State Department had certified Iran's compliance with the deal in July 2017, but Iran began breaching its terms in May 2020, and by September the [[IAEA]] reported the country had ten times the amount of enriched uranium allowed under the deal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/17/537793465/state-department-certifies-irans-compliance-with-nuclear-deal |title=State Department Certifies Iran's Compliance With Nuclear Deal |website=[[NPR]] |date=July 17, 2017 |first=Scott |last=Neuman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-un-sanctions-idUSKCN25F2S4 |title=Pompeo warns Russia, China against ignoring move to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran |first=Andrea |last=Shalal |date=August 19, 2020 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54033441 |title=Iran's enriched uranium stockpile '10 times limit' |date=September 5, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> During the summer of 2020 the United States attempted to "snap back" pre-deal sanctions by asserting to the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]] that it remained a participant in the deal, but only the [[Dominican Republic]] voted with the United States on the proposal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/20/904475552/pompeo-tries-starting-snapback-clock-to-restore-sanctions-against-iran-by-u-n |title=Pompeo Tries Starting 'Snapback' Clock To Restore Sanctions Against Iran By U.N. |website=[[NPR]] |date=August 20, 2020 |first=David |last=Welna}}</ref>

Following [[Iranian missile tests]] in January 2017, the Trump administration sanctioned 25 Iranian individuals and entities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Borger |first1=Julian |author1link=Julian Borger |last2=Smith |first2=David |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/01/iran-trump-michael-flynn-on-notice |title=Trump administration 'officially putting Iran on notice', says Michael Flynn |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 2, 2017 |accessdate=November 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump administration tightens Iran sanctions, Tehran hits back |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-usa-idUSKBN15H253 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=February 3, 2016 |last=Torbati |first=Yeganeh}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Borger |first1=Julian |author1link=Julian Borger |last2=Smith |first2=David |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/03/trump-administration-iran-sanctions |title=Trump administration imposes new sanctions on Iran |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 3, 2017 |accessdate=November 9, 2018}}</ref> In August 2017, Trump signed [[Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act|legislation imposing additional sanctions]] [[United States sanctions against Iran|against Iran]], Russia, and North Korea.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-usa-sanctions-idUSKBN1AI2N0 |title=Iran says new U.S. sanctions violate nuclear deal, vows 'proportional reaction' |website=[[Reuters]] |date=August 2, 2017}}</ref>

In May 2017, strained relations between the U.S. and Iran escalated when Trump deployed military bombers and a carrier group to the Persian Gulf. Trump hinted at war on social media, provoking a response from Iran for what Iranian foreign minister [[Javad Zarif]] called "genocidal taunts".<ref name=Budryk-190519>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/444502-trump-i-will-not-let-iran-have-nuclear-weapons |title=Trump: 'I will not let Iran have nuclear weapons' |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=May 19, 2019 |accessdate=May 20, 2019 |first=Zack |last=Budryk}}</ref><ref name=Chamberlain-190519>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-war-iran-never-threaten-united-states |title=Trump says war will mean 'official end of Iran', warns 'never threaten the United States again' |work=[[Fox News]] |date=May 19, 2019 |accessdate=May 20, 2019 |first=Samuel |last=Chamberlain}}</ref><ref name=Wintour-190520>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/20/iran-trump-tweet-genocidal-taunts |title=Iran hits back at Trump for tweeting 'genocidal taunts' |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=May 20, 2019 |accessdate=May 20, 2019 |first=Patrick |last=Wintour}}</ref> Trump and Saudi Crown Prince [[Mohammad bin Salman]] are allies in the [[Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict|conflict with Iran]].<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Tells Saudi Arabia Oil Attacks Were Launched From Iran |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-tells-saudi-arabia-oil-attacks-were-launched-from-iran-11568644126 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=September 17, 2019 |first1=Dion |last1=Nissenbaum |first2=Summer |last2=Said |first3=Jared |last3=Malsin}}</ref> Trump approved the deployment of additional U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia and the [[United Arab Emirates]] following the [[2019 Abqaiq–Khurais attack|attack on Saudi oil facilities]] which the United States has blamed on Iran.<ref>{{cite news |title=US to deploy more troops to Saudi Arabia after attack on oil industry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/20/us-troops-saudia-arabia-iran-oil-industry-attack |work=[[The Guardian]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=September 20, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Demonstrations in Iran over the death of Qasem Soleimani.jpg|thumb|Demonstrations in Iran over the death of [[Qasem Soleimani]], January 3, 2020]]

On January 2, 2020, Trump ordered [[2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike|a U.S. airstrike]] that killed Iranian general and [[Quds Force]] commander [[Qasem Soleimani]], Iraqi [[Popular Mobilization Forces]] commander [[Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis]], and eight other people.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html |title=U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces |last1=Crowley |first1=Michael |author1link=Michael Crowley (journalist) |last2=Hassan |first2=Falih |last3=Schmitt |first3=Eric |author3link=Eric P. Schmitt |date=January 2, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref> Trump publicly threatened to attack Iranian cultural sites, or react "in a disproportionate manner" if Iran retaliated; though such attacks by the U.S. would violate international law as war crimes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Swart |first1=Mia |title=Trump, his tweets and international law |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/trump-tweets-international-law-200107064935688.html |accessdate=June 14, 2020 |work=[[Al Jazeera]] |date=January 8, 2020}}</ref> Several days later, Iran retaliated with airstrikes against [[Al Asad Air Base]] in Iraq. Initially the Trump administration claimed no Americans suffered injuries and Trump said injuries were not "very serious", but by February 2020, more than a hundred [[traumatic brain injuries]] were diagnosed in U.S. troops.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zaveri |first1=Mihir |title=More Than 100 Troops Have Brain Injuries From Iran Missile Strike, Pentagon Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/10/world/middleeast/iraq-iran-brain-injuries.html |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 10, 2020}}</ref>

==== Israel ====

{{See also|Israel–United States relations#Trump administration (2017–present)|Abraham Accords}}
[[File:President Trump visit to Israel May 22-23, 2017 DSC 3982F (34847749905).jpg|thumb|Trump and Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] at [[Yad Vashem]], May 2017]]

Trump supported the policies of Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-how-trump-and-netanyahu-became-each-other-s-most-effective-political-weapon-1.7569757 |title=How Trump and Netanyahu Became Each Other's Most Effective Political Weapon |work=[[Haaretz]] |first=Allison Kaplan |last=Sommer |date=July 25, 2019 |access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> Under Trump, the U.S. [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel]] in 2017, and opened an embassy in Jerusalem in May 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/trump-move-embassy-jerusalem-israel-reaction-281973 |last1=Nelson |first1=Louis |last2=Nussbaum |first2=Matthew |title=Trump says U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite global condemnation |website=[[Politico]] |date=December 6, 2017 |accessdate=December 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Eglash |first=Ruth |title=Under banner of peace, U.S. opens embassy in Jerusalem. Sixty miles away, dozens of Palestinians are killed. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/jerusalem-gears-up-to-embrace-the-new-us-embassy/2018/05/14/1d6707dc-5558-11e8-a6d4-ca1d035642ce_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 14, 2018 |access-date=September 26, 2020 }}</ref> The [[United Nations General Assembly]] adopted [[United Nations General Assembly resolution ES-10/L.22|a resolution condemning]] the move.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/ES-10/L.22&Submit=Search&Lang=E |title=Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory – Turkey and Yemen: draft resolution – Status of Jerusalem |website=[[United Nations General Assembly]] |date=December 19, 2017 |accessdate=December 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-united-nations.html |title=Defying Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decree on Jerusalem |first=Rick |last=Gladstone |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 21, 2017 |accessdate=December 21, 2017}}</ref> In March 2019, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by [[United States recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel|recognizing]] [[Golan Heights Law|Israel's annexation]] of the [[Golan Heights]],<ref>{{cite news |title='The jungle is back.' With his Golan Heights tweet, Trump emboldens the annexation agendas of the world's strongmen |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-the-jungle-is-back-with-his-golan-heights-tweet-trump-will/ |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=March 22, 2019 |first=Mark |last=MacKinnon |authorlink=Mark MacKinnon}}</ref> a move condemned by the [[European Union]] and the [[Arab League]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Outcry as Trump backs Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights |url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/22/outcry-as-trump-backs-israeli-sovereignty-over-golan-heights |website=[[Euronews]] |date=March 22, 2019 |first=Natalie |last=Huet |agency=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

==== China ====

{{See also|China–United States relations#Trump's presidency (2017–)|China–United States trade war}}
[[File:Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meets at 2018 G20 Summit.jpg|thumb|Donald Trump met with [[Paramount leader|Chinese leader]] [[Xi Jinping]] at 2018 G20 Summit]]

Before and during his presidency, Trump has repeatedly accused China of taking unfair advantage of the U.S.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-idUSKCN1UX1WO |title=Trump says China is 'killing us with unfair trade deals' |date=August 7, 2019 |work=[[Reuters]] |access-date=August 24, 2019 |first1=Nandita |last1=Bose |first2=Andrea |last2=Shalal}}</ref> During his presidency, Trump has [[China–United States trade war|launched a trade war against China]], sanctioned [[Huawei]] for its alleged ties to Iran,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2019/05/21/huawei-why-facing-sanctions-and-who-get-hurt-most/3750738002/ |title=Huawei sanctions: Who gets hurt in dispute? |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=August 24, 2019 |first1=Frank |last1=Bajak |first2=Michael |last2=Liedtke}}</ref> significantly increased visa restrictions on Chinese students and scholars,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5600299/donald-trump-china-trade-war-students/ |title=Trump's Trade War Targets Chinese Students at Elite U.S. Schools |website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 3, 2019 |access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/25/716032871/visas-are-the-newest-weapon-in-u-s-china-rivalry |title=Visas Are The Newest Weapon In U.S.-China Rivalry |work=[[NPR]] |date=April 25, 2019 |first=Emily |last=Feng |access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref> and classified China as a "[[currency manipulator]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/06/trade-war-china-responds-to-us-after-claim-of-being-a-currency-manipulator.html |title=China responds to US after Treasury designates Beijing a 'currency manipulator' |last=Meredith |first=Sam |date=August 6, 2019 |work=[[CNBC]] |access-date=August 6, 2019}}</ref> Trump has also juxtaposed verbal attacks on China with praise of [[Chinese Communist Party]] [[Leader of the Chinese Communist Party|leader]] [[Xi Jinping]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Sink |first=Justin |date=April 11, 2018 |title=Trump Praises China's Xi's Trade Speech, Easing Tariff Tensions |work=[[IndustryWeek]] |url=https://www.industryweek.com/the-economy/article/22025453/trump-praises-chinas-xis-trade-speech-easing-tariff-tensions}}</ref> which has been attributed to trade war negotiations with the leader.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nakamura |first=David |authorlink=David Nakamura |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Amid trade war, Trump drops pretense of friendship with China's Xi Jinping, calls him an 'enemy' |work=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/amid-trade-war-trump-drops-pretense-of-friendship-with-chinas-xi-jinping-calls-him-an-enemy/2019/08/23/2063e80e-c5bb-11e9-b5e4-54aa56d5b7ce_story.html |access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 2020 |title=China hawks latch on to Trump's campaign against Beijing |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a4529344-6808-4f33-902e-4fc47218df56 |access-date=October 25, 2020 |website=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref> After initially praising China for its handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Ward |first=Myah |date=April 15, 2020 |title=15 times Trump praised China as coronavirus was spreading across the globe |work=[[Politico]] |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/trump-china-coronavirus-188736}}</ref> he began a campaign of criticism over its response starting in March.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Jeff |last1=Mason |first2=Matt |last2=Spetalnick |first3=Alexandra |last3=Alper |date=March 18, 2020 |title=Trump ratchets up criticism of China over coronavirus |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-china-idUSKBN2153N5 |access-date=October 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |first1=Nahal |last1=Toosi |first2=Lara |last2=Seligman |date=May 22, 2020 |title=Trump seizes a new cudgel to bash China: Taiwan |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-seizes-a-new-cudgel-to-bash-china-taiwan/ |access-date=October 25, 2020 |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref>

Trump said he resisted punishing China for its [[Human rights in China|human rights abuses]] against ethnic minorities in the northwestern [[Xinjiang]] region for fear of jeopardizing trade negotiations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump held off sanctioning Chinese over Uighurs to pursue trade deal |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53138833 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=June 22, 2020}}</ref> In July 2020, [[United States sanctions|the Trump administration imposed sanctions]] and visa restrictions against senior Chinese officials, including Xinjiang [[Party Committee Secretary]] [[Chen Quanguo]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump administration sanctions Chinese officials over human rights abuses |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/506575-trump-administration-sanctions-chinese-officials-over-human-rights |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=July 9, 2020 |first=Brett |last=Samuels}}</ref> a member of [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist Party]]'s powerful [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party|Politburo]], who expanded mass [[Xinjiang re-education camps|detention camps]] holding more than a million members of the country's [[Uyghurs|Uyghur]] [[Islam in China|Muslim]] minority.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Officials Over Mass Detention of Muslims |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/09/world/asia/trump-china-sanctions-uighurs.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 9, 2020 |first1=Pranshu |last1=Verma |first2=Edward |last2=Wong |author2link=Edward Wong}}</ref>

==== North Korea ====

{{See also|North Korea–United States relations}}
[[File:Kim and Trump shaking hands at the red carpet during the DPRK–USA Singapore Summit.jpg|thumb|Trump meets [[Kim Jong-un]] at [[2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit|the Singapore summit]], June 2018.]]

In 2017, [[North Korea's nuclear weapons]] were increasingly seen as a serious threat.<ref name="scarier">{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Adam |last2=Meko |first2=Tim |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/12/21/what-made-north-koreas-weapons-programs-so-much-scarier-in-2017/ |title=What made North Korea's weapons programs so much scarier in 2017 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 21, 2017 |access-date=July 5, 2019}}</ref> In August 2017, Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning that North Korean threats would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen".<ref name=Windrem>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-crisis-how-events-have-unfolded-under-trump-n753996 |title=North Korea crisis: How events have unfolded under Trump |last1=Windrem |first1=Robert |last2=Siemaszko |first2=Corky |last3=Arkin |first3=Daniel |date=November 30, 2017 |work=[[NBC News]] |accessdate=June 8, 2020}}</ref> North Korea responded by releasing plans for missile tests that would land near [[Guam]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/10/north-korea-details-guam-strike-trump-load-of-nonsense#maincontent |title=North Korea details Guam strike plan and calls Trump 'bereft of reason' |last=Borger |first=Julian |authorlink=Julian Borger |date=August 11, 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=June 8, 2020}}</ref> In a September 2017 speech at the [[United Nations General Assembly|UN General Assembly]], Trump said the U.S. would "totally destroy North Korea" if "forced" to defend itself or its allies.<ref>{{cite news |last=Borger |first=Julian |authorlink=Julian Borger |title=Donald Trump threatens to 'totally destroy' North Korea in UN speech |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/sep/19/donald-trump-threatens-totally-destroy-north-korea-un-speech |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 19, 2017}}</ref> Also in September 2017, Trump increased sanctions on North Korea, declared that he wanted North Korea's "complete denuclearization", and engaged in [[name-calling]] with leader [[Kim Jong-un]].<ref name=Windrem/><ref>{{cite news |last1=McCausland |first1=Phil |title=Kim Jong Un Calls President Trump 'Dotard' and 'Frightened Dog' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-s-kim-jong-un-calls-president-trump-frightened-n803631 |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[NBC News]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=September 22, 2017}}</ref> After this period of tension in 2017, however, Trump and Kim exchanged at least 27 letters (described by Trump as "love letters"), in which the two men describe a warm personal friendship.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/transcripts-kim-jong-un-letters-trump/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=September 9, 2020 |title=Transcript: Kim Jong Un's letters to President Trump}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='A magical force': New Trump-Kim letters provide window into their 'special friendship' |date=September 9, 2020 |first1=Jamie |last1=Gangel |author1link=Jamie Gangel |first2=Jeremy |last2=Herb |work=[[CNN]]|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/kim-jong-un-trump-letters-rage-book/index.html}}</ref>

In March 2018, Trump immediately agreed to Kim's proposal for a meeting.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 10, 2018 |first1=Peter |last1=Baker |author1link=Peter Baker (journalist) |first2=Choe |last2=Sang-Hun |author2link=Choe Sang-hun |title=With Snap 'Yes' in Oval Office, Trump Gambles on North Korea |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/world/asia/trump-north-korea.html}}</ref> In June 2018, Trump and Kim [[2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit|met in Singapore]].<ref name=Meixler>{{cite news |last1=Meixler |first1=Eli |title=President Trump and Kim Jong Un Just Agreed to Work Toward Denuclearization. Read the Full Text Here |url=https://time.com/5309425/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-summit-document-full-text/ |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 12, 2018}}</ref> Kim affirmed his intent "to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,"<ref name=Meixler/> but a [[2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit|second Trump–Kim summit]] in [[Hanoi]] in February 2019 terminated abruptly without an agreement.<ref name=Wong>{{cite news |last=Wong |first=Edward |authorlink=Edward Wong |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/world/asia/trump-kim-vietnam-summit.html |title=Trump's Talks With Kim Jong-un Collapse, and Both Sides Point Fingers |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 28, 2019 |access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref> Both countries blamed each other and offered differing accounts of the negotiations.<ref name=Wong/> In June 2019, Trump, Kim, and South Korean President [[Moon Jae-in]] held [[2019 Koreas–United States DMZ Summit|brief talks]] in the [[Korean Demilitarized Zone]], marking the first time a sitting U.S. president had set foot in North Korea. Trump and Kim agreed to resume negotiations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/trump-confirms-meet-kim-dmz-190630050353219.html |title=Trump meets North Korea's Kim at DMZ in landmark visit |work=[[Al Jazeera]] |date=June 30, 2019 |access-date=July 8, 2019}}</ref> Bilateral talks in October 2019 were unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5693526/north-korea-us-nuclear-diplomacy-sweden/ |title=North Korea Says Nuclear Talks Break Down While U.S. Says They Were 'Good' |first1=Jari |last1=Tanner |first2=Matthew |last2=Lee |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=October 5, 2019 |access-date=February 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007060513/https://time.com/5693526/north-korea-us-nuclear-diplomacy-sweden/ |archive-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

==== Russia ====

{{See also|Russia–United States relations}}
[[File:President Trump at the G20 (48144045996).jpg|thumb|Putin and Trump at the [[2019 G20 Osaka summit|G20 Osaka summit]], June 2019]]

During his campaign and as president, Trump has repeatedly asserted that he desires better relations with Russia.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-urges-good-relationship-with-russia-in-tweets/ |title=Donald Trump urges 'good relationship' with Russia in tweets |last=Flores |first=Reena |date=January 7, 2017 |website=[[CBS News]] |accessdate=May 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/trump-gop-russia-sanctions/ |title=GOP warns Trump not to lift Russia sanctions after call with Putin |last=Berry |first=Lynn |date=January 29, 2017 |agency=[[Associated Press]] |work=[[PBS NewsHour]] |accessdate=May 2, 2017}}</ref> According to Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] and some political experts and diplomats, the [[Russia–United States relations|U.S.–Russian relations]], which were already at the lowest level since the end of the [[Cold War]], have further deteriorated since Trump took office in January 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title=US–Russia relations fail to improve in Trump's first year and they are likely to get worse |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-first-year-inauguration-anniversary-russia-vladimir-putin-relations-moscow-a8168801.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=January 19, 2018 |first=Oliver |last=Carroll}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Vladimir Putin says US–Russia relations are worse since Donald Trump took office |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-us-russia-relations-worse-military-syria-chemical-attack-barack-obama-a7679796.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=April 12, 2017 |first=Samuel |last=Osborne}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=U.S.-Russian relations worst Ambassador Antonov can remember |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s-russian-relations-worst-ambassador-antonov-can-remember-n861391 |website=[[NBC News]] |date=March 30, 2018 |first=Alexander |last=Smith}}</ref>

Trump has criticized Russia about the [[Nord Stream 2|Nord Stream{{nbsp}}2]] gas pipeline from Russia to Germany,<ref>{{cite news |title=Nord Stream 2: Trump approves sanctions on Russia gas pipeline |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50875935 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=December 21, 2019}}</ref> and the [[Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal|Skripal poisoning]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump expelling 60 Russian diplomats in wake of UK nerve agent attack |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/us-expel-russian-diplomats/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |first1=Jeremy |last1=Diamond |author1link=Jeremy Diamond |first2=Allie |last2=Malloy |first3=Angela |last3=Dewan |date=March 26, 2018}}</ref> but remained silent on the [[Poisoning of Alexei Navalny|Navalny]] poisoning,<ref>{{cite news |first1=Michael |last1=Crowley |author1link=Michael Crowley (journalist) |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/us/politics/trump-russia-navalny-poisoning.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 3, 2020 |title=As Others Condemn Putin Critic's Poisoning, Trump Just Wants to 'Get Along'}}</ref> and sent mixed messages regarding Crimea.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pager |first=Tyler |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/trump-crimea-sanctions-russia-226292 |title=Trump to look at recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, lifting sanctions |website=[[Politico]] |date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=February 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Panetta |first=Grace |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claims-crimea-is-part-of-russia-since-people-speak-russian-g7-summit-2018-6 |title=Trump reportedly claimed to leaders at the G7 that Crimea is part of Russia because everyone there speaks Russian |website=[[Business Insider]] |date=June 14, 2018 |access-date=February 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Trump expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine: White House |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-ukraine/trump-expects-russia-to-return-crimea-to-ukraine-white-house-idUSKBN15T2IY |work=[[Reuters]] |date=February 14, 2017}}</ref>

Trump announced in October 2018 that he was withdrawing the U.S. from the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]], citing alleged Russian non-compliance.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/20/trump-us-nuclear-arms-treaty-russia |title=Trump says US will withdraw from nuclear arms treaty with Russia |last=Pengelly |first=Martin |date=October 20, 2018 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In 2017, Trump signed the [[Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act|legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia]];<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump signs bill approving new sanctions against Russia |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/02/politics/donald-trump-russia-sanctions-bill/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |date=August 3, 2017}}</ref> in 2018, however, the Trump administration lifted other U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia after its [[2014 annexation of Crimea]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Patricia |last=Zengerle |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 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=January 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jeanne |last=Whalen |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/01/16/rare-rebuke-trump-administration-some-gop-lawmakers-advance-measure-oppose-lifting-russian-sanctions/ |title=In rare rebuke of Trump administration, some GOP lawmakers advance measure to oppose lifting Russian sanctions |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 15, 2019}}</ref> As a presidential candidate, Trump described Putin as a strong leader.<ref name="Putin"/> After he met Putin at the [[2018 Russia–United States summit|Helsinki Summit]] in July 2018, Trump drew bipartisan criticism for siding with Putin's denial of [[Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election]], rather than accepting the findings of the [[U.S. Intelligence Community]].<ref name="zurcher">{{cite news |last=Zurcher |first=Anthony |title=Trump-Putin summit: After Helsinki, the fallout at home |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44830012 |accessdate=July 18, 2018 |work=[[BBC Online]] |date=July 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/07/trump-putin/565238/ |title=Trump Sides With the Kremlin, Against the U.S. Government |last=Calamur |first=Krishnadev |date=July 16, 2018 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |accessdate=July 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name="break">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/16/politics/congress-reaction-trump-putin-comments/index.html |title=Top Republicans in Congress break with Trump over Putin comments |last=Fox |first=Lauren |date=July 16, 2018 |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=July 18, 2018}}</ref> Trump has repeatedly praised, and rarely criticized, Putin.<ref name=BakerAugust10>{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |authorlink=Peter Baker (journalist) |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 |accessdate=June 7, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 10, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Syria-blame">{{cite news |title=Trump blames Putin for backing 'Animal Assad' |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/08/trump-putin-syria-attack-508223 |work=[[Politico]] |first=Matthew |last=Nussbaum |date=April 8, 2018}}</ref>

=== Personnel ===

{{Main|Political appointments by Donald Trump|Cabinet of Donald Trump}}
{{See also|Formation of Donald Trump's Cabinet}}
[[File:Donald Trump Cabinet meeting 2017-03-13 04.jpg|thumb|Cabinet meeting, March 2017]]

The Trump administration has been characterized by high turnover, particularly among White House staff. By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.<ref name="Trimble">{{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]] |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref> {{As of|2018|7|pre=early}}, 61 percent of Trump's senior aides had left<ref name="Wise -180702">{{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 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=July 2, 2018 |accessdate=July 3, 2018 |last=Wise |first=Justin}}</ref> and 141 staffers had left in the past year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-white-house-sets-turnover-records-analysis-shows-n888396 |title=Trump White House sets turnover records, analysis shows |website=[[NBC News]] |date=July 2, 2018 |accessdate=July 3, 2018 |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Both figures set a record for recent presidents{{snd}}more change in the first 13 months than his four immediate predecessors saw in their first two years.<ref name="Keith">{{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 |website=[[NPR]] |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref> Notable early departures included National Security Advisor [[Michael Flynn]] (after just 25 days in office), and Press Secretary [[Sean Spicer]].<ref name="Keith" /> Close personal aides to Trump including [[Steve Bannon]], [[Hope Hicks]], [[John McEntee (political aide)|John McEntee]], and [[Keith Schiller]] have quit or been forced out.<ref name=Brookings /> Some, like Hicks and McEntee, later returned to the White House in different posts.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Katie |last2=Karni |first2=Annie |author2link=Annie Karni |title=Home Alone at the White House: A Sour President, With TV His Constant Companion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/23/us/politics/coronavirus-trump.html |accessdate=May 5, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 23, 2020}}</ref> Trump has disparaged several of his former top officials as incompetent, stupid, or crazy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |title=Donald Trump makes terrible hires, according to Donald Trump |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/19/politics/trump-mulvaney-bolton-hiring/index.html |accessdate=June 24, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=June 19, 2020}}</ref>

Trump has had four [[White House chiefs of staff]],<ref name=Keither>{{cite news |first=Tamara |last=Keith |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/06/766025774/mick-mulvaney-out-as-white-house-chief-of-staff |title=Mick Mulvaney Out, Mark Meadows In As White House Chief Of Staff |work=[[NPR]] |date=March 6, 2020}}</ref> marginalizing or pushing out several.<ref name=WeakerKelly>{{cite news |title=Chief of staff John Kelly's position in the White House looks weaker as President Trump asserts himself and chaos reign |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/30/trump-chief-of-staff-john-kelly-power-wanes-as-chaos-reigns.html |work=[[CNBC]] |date=March 30, 2018}}</ref><ref name=LemireLucey>{{cite news |first1=Jonathan |last1=Lemire |first2=Catherine |last2=Lucey |title='Tired of being told no,' Trump freezes out chief of staff |date=April 6, 2018 |work=[[AP News]] |url=https://apnews.com/article/1ee81c8bcba1436db9fbfd03bf1fef12}}</ref> [[Reince Priebus]] was replaced after seven months by retired Marine general [[John F. Kelly]].<ref name=Baker>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/us/politics/reince-priebus-white-house-trump.html |title=Reince Priebus Pushed Out After Rocky Tenure as Trump Chief of Staff |first1=Peter |last1=Baker |authorlink=Peter Baker (journalist) |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> Kelly resigned in December 2018 after a tumultuous tenure<ref name=Fritze>{{cite news |work=[[USA Today]] |first1=John |last1=Fritze |first2=Courtney |last2=Subramanian |first3=Michael |last3=Collins |date=September 4, 2020 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/04/trump-gen-john-kelly-couldnt-handle-pressure-chief-staff/5720974002/ |title=Trump says former chief of staff Gen. John Kelly couldn't 'handle the pressure' of the job}}</ref> in which his influence waned,<ref name=WeakerKelly/><ref name=LemireLucey/> and Trump subsequently disparaged him.<ref name=Fritze/> Kelly was succeeded by [[Mick Mulvaney]] as acting chief of staff; he was replaced in March 2020 by [[Mark Meadows (North Carolina politician)|Mark Meadows]].<ref name=Keither/>

Trump's Cabinet nominations included U.S. senator from Alabama [[Jeff Sessions]] as [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-attorney-general.html |title=Jeff Sessions, as Attorney General, Could Overhaul Department He's Skewered |last=Lichtblau |first=Eric |authorlink=Eric Lichtblau |date=November 18, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=December 19, 2019}}</ref> financier [[Steve Mnuchin]] as [[Secretary of the Treasury]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38141686 |title=Former US banker Steve Mnuchin confirms he will be US treasury secretary |date=November 30, 2016 |work=[[BBC News]] |accessdate=November 30, 2016}}</ref> retired Marine Corps general [[James Mattis]] as [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Lamothe |first=Dan |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-has-chosen-retired-marine-gen-james-mattis-for-secretary-of-defense/2016/12/01/6c6b3b74-aff9-11e6-be1c-8cec35b1ad25_story.html |title=Trump has chosen retired Marine Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defense |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=December 1, 2016}}</ref> and [[ExxonMobil]] CEO [[Rex Tillerson]] as [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/us/politics/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-trump.html |title=Rex Tillerson, Exxon C.E.O., chosen as Secretary of State |date=December 12, 2016 |accessdate=December 26, 2016}}</ref> Trump also brought on board politicians who had opposed him during the presidential campaign, such as neurosurgeon [[Ben Carson]] as [[Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Trip |last=Gabriel |title=Trump Chooses Ben Carson to Lead HUD |date=December 5, 2016 |accessdate=December 5, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/us/politics/ben-carson-housing-urban-development-trump.html}}</ref> and South Carolina governor [[Nikki Haley]] as [[United States Ambassador to the United Nations|Ambassador to the United Nations]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sc-gov-nikki-haley-tapped-to-be-trumps-un-ambassador/2016/11/23/c1395cb6-b144-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Gov. Nikki Haley tapped to be Trump's U.N. ambassador |date=November 23, 2016 |accessdate=November 23, 2016 |first=Robert |last=Costa |authorlink=Robert Costa (journalist)}}</ref>

Two of Trump's 15 original Cabinet members were gone within 15 months: [[Health and Human Services Secretary]] [[Tom Price (American politician)|Tom Price]] was forced to resign in September 2017 due to excessive use of private charter jets and military aircraft, and Trump replaced Tillerson as Secretary of State with [[Mike Pompeo]] in March 2018 over disagreements on foreign policy.<ref>{{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]] |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref><ref name=Brookings>{{cite news |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]] |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Interior Secretary [[Ryan Zinke]] resigned amid multiple investigations into their conduct.<ref name=Hersher-180705>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/07/05/594078923/scott-pruitt-out-at-epa |title=Scott Pruitt Out At EPA |website=[[NPR]] |date=July 5, 2018 |accessdate=July 5, 2018 |first1=Rebecca |last1=Hersher |first2=Brett |last2=Neelyin}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-ryan-zinke-resigns-interior-secretary-20181215-story.html |title=Ryan Zinke resigns as interior secretary amid multiple investigations |first1=Juliet |last1=Eilperin |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |author2link=Josh Dawsey |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |accessdate=January 3, 2019}}</ref>

Trump has been slow to appoint second-tier officials in the executive branch, saying many of the positions are unnecessary. In October 2017, there were still hundreds of sub-cabinet positions without a nominee.<ref>{{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 |date=October 12, 2017 |website=[[NPR]] |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref> By January 8, 2019, of 706 key positions, 433 had been filled (61%) and Trump had no nominee for 264 (37%).<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 8, 2019 |title=Tracking how many key positions Trump has filled so far |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-administration-appointee-tracker/database/}}</ref>

==== Dismissal of James Comey ====

{{Main|Dismissal of James Comey}}

On May 9, 2017, Trump dismissed FBI director [[James Comey]]. He first attributed this action to recommendations from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy AG [[Rod Rosenstein]],<ref name=Apuzzo>{{cite news |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Matt |last2=Apuzzo |author2link=Matt Apuzzo |title=F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html |accessdate=May 10, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 10, 2017}}</ref> which criticized Comey's conduct in the investigation about [[Hillary Clinton email controversy#October 2016 – Additional investigation|Hillary Clinton's emails]].<ref name=Guardian-20170509>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/09/james-comey-fbi-fired-donald-trump |title=Donald Trump fires FBI director Comey over handling of Clinton investigation |last=Smith |first=David |date=May 9, 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=May 9, 2017}}</ref> A few days later, Trump said he was concerned with the ongoing "Russia thing"<ref name=Barrett-20170511>{{cite news |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Rucker |first2=Philip |author2link=Philip Rucker |title=Trump said he was thinking of Russia controversy when he decided to fire Comey |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-says-fbi-director-comey-told-him-three-times-he-wasnt-under-investigation-once-in-a-phone-call-initiated-by-the-president/2017/05/11/2b384c9a-3669-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 11, 2017 |accessdate=May 12, 2017}}</ref> and that he had intended to fire Comey earlier, regardless of DOJ advice.<ref name=theweek-20170511>{{cite news |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/698368/president-trump-just-completely-contradicted-official-white-house-account-comey-firing |title=President Trump just completely contradicted the official White House account of the Comey firing |date=May 11, 2017 |work=[[The Week]] |first=Becca |last=Stanek |accessdate=May 11, 2017}}</ref>

According to a [[Comey memo]] of a private conversation on February 14, 2017, Trump said he "hoped" Comey would drop the investigation into National Security Advisor [[Michael Flynn]].<ref name="Wilber">{{cite news |last1=Wilber |first1=Del Quentin |author1link=Del Quentin Wilber |last2=Viswanatha |first2=Aruna |title=Trump Asked Comey to Drop Flynn Investigation, According to Memo Written by Former FBI Director |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-asked-comey-to-drop-flynn-investigation-according-to-memo-written-by-former-fbi-director-1494974774 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] {{subscription required}} |date=May 16, 2017 |accessdate=May 16, 2017}}</ref>
In March and April, Trump had told Comey the ongoing suspicions formed a "cloud" impairing his presidency,<ref name="comeytestimony">{{cite web |last=Comey |first=James |title=Statement for the Record Senate Select Committee on Intelligence |url=https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-jcomey-060817.pdf |website=United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence |publisher=United States Government |accessdate=June 7, 2017 |page=7 |date=June 8, 2017}}</ref> and asked him to publicly state that he was not personally under investigation.<ref name="schmidt">{{cite news |last1=Schmidt |first1=Michael S. |author1link=Michael S. Schmidt |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |author2link=Adam Goldman |title=Comey to Testify Trump Pressured Him to Say He Wasn't Under Investigation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/us/politics/james-comey-statement-testimony.html |accessdate=June 7, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 7, 2017}}</ref> He also asked intelligence chiefs [[Dan Coats]] and [[Michael S. Rogers|Michael Rogers]] to issue statements saying there was no evidence that his campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.<ref name=Sciutto>{{cite news |last1=Sciutto |first1=Jim |last2=Watkins |first2=Eli |title=Trump asked DNI, NSA to deny evidence of Russia collusion |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/22/politics/donald-trump-intelligence-community/index.html |website=[[CNN]] |date=May 23, 2017}}</ref> Both refused, considering this an inappropriate request, although not illegal.<ref name=Dilanian>{{cite news |last1=Dilanian |first1=Ken |last2=Windrem |first2=Robert |title=Trump Asked Top Intel Officials to Push Back Publicly on Russia Probe |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-asked-top-intel-officials-push-back-publicly-russia-probe-n763336 |website=[[NBC News]] |date=May 22, 2017}}</ref> Comey eventually testified on June{{nbsp}}8 that, while he was director, the FBI investigations had not targeted Trump himself.<ref name="comeytestimony" /><ref name=nyt-20110608>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/08/us/politics/trump-speech-faith-freedom-coalition.html |title='I Was Right': As Trump Watches Comey on TV, Anxiety Yields to Relief |work=[[The New York Times]] |first1=Glenn |last1=Thrush |author1link=Glenn Thrush |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman |date=June 8, 2017 |accessdate=June 9, 2017}}</ref>

=== Impeachment ===

{{Main|Impeachment of Donald Trump}}
{{See also|Trump–Ukraine scandal}}

==== Impeachment by the House of Representatives ====

{{Further|Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump}}
[[File:House of Representatives Votes to Adopt the Articles of Impeachment Against Donald Trump.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Members of House of Representatives vote on two [[articles of impeachment]] {{Nowrap|({{USBill|116|H. Res.|755}})}}, December&nbsp;18,&nbsp;2019]]

During much of Trump's presidency, Democrats were divided on the question of impeachment.<ref>{{cite news |title='Reluctant impeachment': Will Pelosi ever be swayed to go there? |first=Lindsey |last=McPherson |url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/reluctant-impeachment-will-pelosi-ever-swayed-go |work=[[Roll Call]] |date=May 24, 2019}}</ref> Fewer than 20 representatives in the House supported impeachment by January 2019; after the Mueller Report was released in April and special counsel Robert Mueller testified in July, this number grew to around 140 representatives.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bump |first1=Philip |title=The most important number in the impeachment fight keeps getting smaller |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/24/most-important-number-impeachment-fight-right-now/ |accessdate=October 1, 2019 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 25, 2019}}</ref>

In August 2019, a [[Whistleblower protection in the United States|whistleblower]] filed a complaint with the [[Inspector General of the Intelligence Community]] about a July 25 phone call between Trump and President of Ukraine [[Volodymyr Zelensky]], during which Trump had pressured Zelensky to investigate [[CrowdStrike]] and Democratic presidential primary candidate [[Joe Biden]] and his son [[Hunter Biden|Hunter]], adding that the White House had attempted to cover-up the incident.<ref name="undermine">{{cite news |last1=Bump |first1=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/ |accessdate=October 1, 2019 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 25, 2019}}</ref> The whistleblower further stated that the call was part of a wider pressure campaign by Trump's personal attorney Giuliani and the Trump administration which may have included withholding financial aid from Ukraine in July 2019 and canceling Vice President Pence's May 2019 Ukraine trip.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/politics/whistleblower-complaint-released/index.html |title=Whistleblower says White House tried to cover up Trump's abuse of power |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=September 26, 2019 |access-date=September 26, 2019 |first1=Marshall |last1=Cohen |first2=Katelyn |last2=Polantz |first3=David |last3=Shortell}}</ref> Trump later confirmed having withheld military aid from Ukraine and offered contradictory reasons for the decision.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Forgey |first1=Quint |title=Trump changes story on withholding Ukraine aid |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/24/donald-trump-ukraine-military-aid-1509070 |accessdate=October 1, 2019 |work=[[Politico]] |date=September 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=John |last1=Wagner |first2=Felicia |last2=Sonmez |first3=Colby |last3=Itkowitz |title=Live updates: Top Democrat warns White House 'we're not fooling around' on impeachment inquiry |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-whistleblower/2019/10/02/80df829a-e494-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html |accessdate=October 2, 2019 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Andrew E. |title=Ukraine to Review Criminal Case on Owner of Firm Linked to Biden's Son |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/04/world/europe/ukraine-biden-burisma.html |accessdate=October 4, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 4, 2019}}</ref>

House speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] initiated [[Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump|a formal impeachment inquiry]] on September 24, 2019.<ref name="Fandos">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 24, 2019 |first=Nicholas |last=Fandos |authorlink=Nicholas Fandos |title=Nancy Pelosi Announces Formal Impeachment Inquiry of Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/us/politics/democrats-impeachment-trump.html}}</ref><ref name="The Washington Post">{{cite news |last1=Rucker |first1=Philip |author1link=Philip Rucker |last2=Bade |first2=Rachael |last3=Costa |first3=Robert |author3link=Robert Costa (journalist) |title=Trump deflects and defies as Democrats speed up impeachment strategy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-deflects-and-defies-as-democrats-speed-up-impeachment-strategy/2019/09/25/d73de84a-dfc9-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html |accessdate=September 26, 2019 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 25, 2019}}</ref> The Trump administration subsequently released a memorandum of the July 25 phone call, confirming that after Zelensky mentioned purchasing American anti-tank missiles, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate and to discuss these matters with Giuliani and Attorney General Barr.<ref name="undermine"/><ref name="abcnews.go.com">{{cite news |last1=Santucci |first1=John |last2=Mallin |first2=Alexander |last3=Thomas |first3=Pierre |author3link=Pierre Thomas (journalist) |last4=Faulders |first4=Katherine |title=Trump urged Ukraine to work with Barr and Giuliani to probe Biden: Call transcript |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-trump-call-ukraine-includes-talk-giuliani-barr/story?id=65848768 |accessdate=October 1, 2019 |work=[[ABC News]] |date=September 25, 2019}}</ref> The testimony of multiple administration officials and former officials confirmed that this was part of a broader effort to further Trump's personal interests by giving him an advantage in the upcoming presidential election.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2019/09/24/whistleblower-complaint/assets/amp.html |title=Newsgraphics: Read The Whistleblower Complaint |date=September 24, 2019 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=October 2, 2019}}</ref> In October 2019, [[William B. Taylor Jr.]], the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Ukraine|chargé d'affaires for Ukraine]], testified before congressional committees that soon after arriving in Ukraine in June 2019, he found that Zelensky was being subjected to pressure directed by Trump and led by Giuliani. According to Taylor and others, the goal was to coerce Zelensky into making a public commitment to investigate the company that employed Hunter Biden, as well as rumors about Ukrainian involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/us/trump-impeachment-ukraine.html |title=Ukraine Envoy Testifies Trump Linked Military Aid to Investigations, Lawmaker Says |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |author1link=Michael D. Shear |last2=Fandos |first2=Nicholas |author2link=Nicholas Fandos |date=October 22, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=October 22, 2019}}</ref> He said it was made clear that until Zelensky made such an announcement, the administration would not release scheduled military aid for Ukraine and not invite Zelensky to the White House.<ref name=":3">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/us/politics/william-taylor-testimony.html |title=6 Key Revelations of Taylor's Opening Statement to Impeachment Investigators |last=LaFraniere |first=Sharon |authorlink=Sharon LaFraniere |date=October 22, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=October 23, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/22/william-taylor-ukraine-testimony-trump-054259 |title=William Taylor testifies about deep-seated push for Ukraine quid pro quo |last1=Cheney |first1=Kyle |author1link=Kyle Cheney (journalist) |last2=Desiderio |first2=Andrew |date=October 22, 2019 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=October 22, 2019}}</ref> Zelensky denied that he felt pressured by Trump.<ref name="Zelensky Pressure">{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5686305/zelensky-ukraine-denies-trump-pressure/ |title='Nobody Pushed Me.' Ukrainian President Denies Trump Pressured Him to Investigate Biden's Son |last=Law |first=Tara |date=September 25, 2019 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=November 20, 2019}}</ref>

In December 2019, the [[House Intelligence Committee]] published a report authored by Democrats on the committee, stating that "the impeachment inquiry has found that President Trump, personally and acting through agents{{Nbsp}}... solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, to benefit his reelection." The report said Trump had withheld military aid and a White House invitation to pressure Ukraine to announce investigations into Trump's political rivals. Furthermore, the report stated that Trump "openly and indiscriminately" defied impeachment proceedings by telling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mascaro |first1=Lisa |last2=Jalonick |first2=Mary Clare |first3=Zeke |last3=Miller |first4=Colleen |last4=Long |first5=Eric |last5=Tucker |first6=Jill |last6=Colvin |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=House Releases 300-Page Report Outlining Evidence for Trump's Impeachment |url=https://time.com/5743345/house-releases-trump-impeachment-report/ |accessdate=December 11, 2019 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=December 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Weiland |first1=Noah |title=Impeachment Briefing: The Democratic Report |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/us/politics/impeachment-briefing-the-democratic-report.html |accessdate=December 11, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 3, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Intel-Report">{{cite web |url=https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/the_trump-ukraine_impeachment_inquiry_report.pdf |title=Report of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Pursuant to H. Res. 660 in Consultation with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs |date=December 3, 2019 |publisher=[[House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]] |access-date=December 5, 2019}}</ref>{{Rp|8,208}} House Republicans released a draft of a countering report the previous day, saying that the evidence "does not prove any of these Democrat allegations."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/12/02/house-gop-draft-report-defends-president-trump-impeachment-inquiry/2590245001/ |title=House GOP report on impeachment inquiry defends Trump's dealings with Ukraine |work=[[USA Today]] |date=December 2, 2019 |accessdate=December 12, 2019 |first1=Bart |last1=Jansen |first2=Christal |last2=Hayes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/12/02/784183484/read-republican-report-on-the-impeachment-inquiry |title=Republican Report On The Impeachment Inquiry |work=[[NPR]] |date=December 2, 2019 |accessdate=December 12, 2019}}</ref>

On December 13, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to pass two articles of impeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.<ref name=Siegel>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-judiciary-committee-set-vote-trump-impeachment-articles/story?id=67706093 |last1=Siegel |first1=Benjamin |last2=Faulders |first2=Katherine |title=House Judiciary Committee passes articles of impeachment against President Trump |date=December 13, 2019 |work=[[ABC News]] |accessdate=December 13, 2019}}</ref> After debate, the House of Representatives impeached Trump with both articles on December 18.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gregorian |first1=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 |accessdate=December 18, 2019 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=December 18, 2019}}</ref>

==== Impeachment trial in the Senate ====

{{Main|Impeachment trial of Donald Trump}}

The Senate impeachment trial began on January 16, 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last=Herb |first=Jeremy |title=Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump officially begins |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/16/politics/senate-impeachment-trial-starts/index.html |accessdate=January 18, 2020 |website=[[CNN]] |date=January 16, 2020}}</ref> On January 22, the Republican Senate majority rejected amendments proposed by the Democratic minority to call witnesses and subpoena documents; evidence collected during the House impeachment proceedings was entered into the Senate record.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/senate-passes-mcconnell-impeachment-rules-after-nearly-13-hours-debate-n1119861 |title=Senate passes McConnell impeachment rules after nearly 13 hours of debate |work=[[NBC News]] |first=Dareh |last=Gregorian |date=January 22, 2020 |accessdate=January 22, 2020}}</ref>

For three days, January 22–24, the impeachment managers for the House presented their case to the Senate. They cited evidence to support charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and asserted that Trump's actions were exactly what the founding fathers had in mind when they included an impeachment process in the Constitution.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-detail-abuse-of-power-charge-against-trump-as-republicans-complain-of-repetitive-arguments/2020/01/23/3fb149b4-3e05-11ea-8872-5df698785a4e_story.html |title=Democrats detail abuse-of-power charge against Trump as Republicans complain of repetitive arguments |date=January 23, 2019 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=January 27, 2020 |first1=Seung Min |last1=Kim |author1link=Seung Min Kim |first2=John |last2=Wagner |first3=Karoun |last3=Demirjian |author3link=Karoun Demirjian}}</ref>
[[File:President Trump Delivers Remarks (49498772251).jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|alt=|Trump displaying the front page of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reporting his acquittal by the Senate]]<!-- wp:caption "Not every image ..." -->

Responding over the next three days, the Trump legal team did not deny the facts as presented in the charges but said Trump had not broken any laws or obstructed Congress.<ref name="brazen">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 22, 2020 |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Nicholas |last2=Fandos |author2link=Nicholas Fandos |title=Trump's Defense Team Calls Impeachment Charges 'Brazen' as Democrats Make Legal Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/18/us/politics/house-trump-impeachment.html|access-date=January 30, 2020}}</ref> They argued that the impeachment was "constitutionally and legally invalid" because Trump was not charged with a crime and that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.<ref name="brazen"/>

On January 31, the Senate voted against allowing subpoenas for witnesses or documents; 51 Republicans formed the majority for this vote.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Herb |first1=Jeremy |last2=Mattingly |first2=Phil |last3=Raju |first3=Manu |author3link=Manu Raju |last4=Fox |first4=Lauren |title=Senate impeachment trial: Wednesday acquittal vote scheduled after effort to have witnesses fails |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/31/politics/senate-impeachment-trial-last-day/index.html |accessdate=February 2, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=January 31, 2020}}</ref> Thus, this became the first impeachment trial in U.S. history without witness testimony.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bookbinder |first=Noah |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/01/09/senate-has-conducted-15-impeachment-trials-it-heard-witnesses-every-one/ |title=The Senate has conducted 15 impeachment trials. It heard witnesses in every one. |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 9, 2020 |access-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref> On February 5, Trump was acquitted of both charges in a vote nearly along party lines, with Republican [[Mitt Romney]] voting to convict on one of the charges, "abuse of power".<ref>{{cite news |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |authorlink=Nicholas Fandos |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/politics/trump-acquitted-impeachment.html |title=Trump Acquitted of Two Impeachment Charges in Near Party-Line Vote |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 5, 2020 |access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref>

Following his acquittal, Trump began removing impeachment witnesses and political appointees and career officials he deemed insufficiently loyal.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 22, 2020 |first=Peter |last=Baker |authorlink=Peter Baker (journalist) |title=Trump's Efforts to Remove the Disloyal Heightens Unease Across His Administration |accessdate=February 22, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/us/politics/trump-disloyalty-turnover.html}}</ref>

=== COVID-19 pandemic ===

{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|Trump administration communication during the COVID-19 pandemic}}
[[File:President Trump Signs the Congressional Funding Bill for Coronavirus Response (49627907646).jpg|thumb|Trump signs the [[Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020|Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act]] into law on March&nbsp;6, 2020.]]

In December 2019, the [[pandemic]] of [[coronavirus disease 2019|COVID-19 coronavirus]] erupted in [[Wuhan]], China; the virus spread worldwide within weeks.<ref name="WHOpandemic2">{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020 |title=WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 11 March 2020 |date=March 11, 2020 |publisher=[[World Health Organization]] |access-date=March 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Coronavirus disease 2019 |url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 |publisher=[[World Health Organization]] |accessdate=March 15, 2020}}</ref> The first confirmed case in the United States was reported on January 20, 2020.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Holshue |first=Michelle L. |display-authors=etal |date=March 5, 2020 |title=First Case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States |journal=[[The New England Journal of Medicine]] |volume=382 |issue=10 |pages=929–936 |doi=10.1056/NEJMoa2001191 |pmid=32004427|pmc=7092802 }}</ref> The outbreak was officially declared a public health emergency by [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|Health and Human Services]] (HHS) [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Secretary]] [[Alex Azar]] on January 31, 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hein |first=Alexandria |date=January 31, 2020 |title=Coronavirus declared public health emergency in US |url=https://www.foxnews.com/health/coronavirus-declared-public-health-emergency-in-us |access-date=October 2, 2020 |website=[[Fox News]]}}</ref>

Trump's public discussions of the risks of COVID-19 were at odds with his private understanding. In February 2020, Trump publicly implied that [[the flu]] was more dangerous than COVID-19 and asserted that the outbreak in the U.S. was "very much under control" and would soon be over, yet he told [[Bob Woodward]] at the time that COVID-19 was "deadly", "more deadly than even your strenuous flus", and "tricky" to handle due to its [[airborne transmission]]. In March 2020, Trump privately told Woodward, "I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic." Trump's comments to Woodward were made public in September 2020.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 10, 2020 |title=Trump deliberately downplayed virus, book says |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54094559 |access-date=September 18, 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Mike |last1=Hayes |first2=Meg |last2=Wagner |first3=Veronica |last3=Rocha |date=September 9, 2020 |title=Tapes of Trump's conversations released |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-woodward-book-09-09-2020/h_5bb44945ec0cf0eba9cdd92ab28fde3c |access-date=September 18, 2020 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> A [[Cornell University]] study concluded that Trump was the "likely the largest driver" of [[COVID-19 misinformation]] in the first five months of 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Coleman |first1=Justine |title=Study finds Trump was 'the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation' early in pandemic |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/519226-study-finds-trump-was-the-largest-driver-of-the-covid-19 |accessdate=October 4, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=October 1, 2020}}</ref>

==== Initial response ====

Trump was slow to address the spread of the disease, initially dismissing the imminent threat and ignoring persistent public health warnings and calls for action from health officials within his administration and Secretary Azar.<ref name="Cloud-200419">{{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]] |date=April 19, 2020 |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |first1=David |last1=Cloud |first2=Paul |last2=Pringle |author2link=Paul Pringle |first3=Eli |last3=Stokols |author3link=Eli Stokols}}</ref><ref name="NYT 4 11 20">{{cite news |first1=Eric |last1=Lipton |author1link=Eric Lipton |first2=David E. |last2=Sanger |author2link=David E. Sanger |first3=Maggie |last3=Haberman |author3link=Maggie Haberman |first4=Michael D. |last4=Shear |author4link=Michael D. Shear |first5=Mark |last5=Mazzetti |author5link=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 |accessdate=April 11, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 11, 2020}}</ref> Instead, throughout January and February he focused on economic and political considerations of the outbreak.<ref name="Kelly-200321">{{cite news |last=Kelly |first=Caroline |date=March 21, 2020 |title=Washington Post: US intelligence warned Trump in January and February as he dismissed coronavirus threat |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/20/politics/us-intelligence-reports-trump-coronavirus/index.html |accessdate=April 21, 2020}}</ref><ref name="NYT 4 11 20" /> By mid-March, most global financial markets had [[2020 stock market crash|severely contracted]] in response to the emerging pandemic.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Partington |first1=Richard |last2=Wearden |first2=Graeme |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/09/global-stock-markets-post-biggest-falls-since-2008-financial-crisis |title=Global stock markets post biggest falls since 2008 financial crisis |date=March 9, 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=March 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Laura |last1=He |first2=Clare |last2=Duffy |first3=Julia |last3=Horowitz |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/08/investing/stock-dow-futures-coronavirus/index.html |title=US stocks halted after falling 7%. Global stocks plunge as oil crashes and coronavirus fear spreads |date=March 9, 2020 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump continued to claim that a vaccine was months away, although HHS and [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) officials had repeatedly told him that [[COVID-19 vaccine|vaccine development]] would take 12–18 months.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/02/12/804628081/timetable-for-a-vaccine-against-the-new-coronavirus-maybe-this-fall |title=Timetable for a Vaccine Against the New Coronavirus? Maybe This Fall |work=[[NPR]] |first=Joe |last=Palca |authorlink=Joe Palca |date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=March 3, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Allen-200305">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/05/coronavirus-trump-vaccine-rhetoric-121796 |title=Trump gets a fact check on coronavirus vaccines – from his own officials |work=[[Politico]] |date=March 5, 2020 |accessdate=April 12, 2020 |first1=Arthur |last1=Allen |author1link=Arthur Allen (author) |first2=Meredith |last2=McGraw}}</ref> Trump also falsely claimed that "anybody that wants a test can get a test," despite the availability of tests being severely limited.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://khn.org/news/donald-trumps-wrong-claim-that-anybody-can-get-tested-for-coronavirus/ |title=Donald Trump's Wrong Claim That 'Anybody' Can Get Tested For Coronavirus |last=Valverde |first=Miriam |date=March 12, 2020 |work=[[Kaiser Health News]] |accessdate=March 18, 2020}}</ref><ref name="AP-200411">{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2020-04-11/trump-and-his-trail-of-unmet-promises-in-coronavirus-fight |title=Trump Leaves Trail of Unmet Promises in Coronavirus Response |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |first=Calvin |last=Woodward |date=April 11, 2020 |accessdate=April 12, 2020 |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

On March 6, Trump signed the [[Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act]] into law, which provided $8.3&nbsp;billion in emergency funding for federal agencies.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump signs emergency coronavirus package, injecting $8.3 billion into efforts to fight the outbreak |url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trump-signs-billion-emergency-funding-package-fight-coronavirus-legislation-covid19-020-3-1028972206 |work=[[Business Insider]] |first=Gina |last=Heeb |date=March 6, 2020}}</ref> On March 11, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) recognized the spread of COVID-19 as a [[pandemic]],<ref name="WHOpandemic2"/> and Trump announced partial travel restrictions for most of Europe, effective March 13.<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: What you need to know about Trump's Europe travel ban |url=https://www.thelocal.dk/20200312/trump-imposes-travel-ban-from-europe-over-coronavirus-outbreak |work=[[The Local]] |date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> That same day, he gave his first serious assessment of the virus in a nationwide Oval Office address, calling the outbreak "horrible" but "a temporary moment" and saying there was no financial crisis.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-address.html |title=In Rare Oval Office Speech, Trump Voices New Concerns and Old Themes |last1=Karni |first1=Annie |author1link=Annie Karni |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author2link=Maggie Haberman |date=March 12, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=March 18, 2020}}</ref> On March 13, he declared a [[state of emergency|national emergency]], freeing up federal resources.<ref name="Politico 3 13 2020">{{cite news |last1=Oprysko |first1=Caitlin |work=[[Politico]] |title='I don't take responsibility at all': Trump deflects blame for coronavirus testing fumble |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/13/trump-coronavirus-testing-128971 |accessdate=April 11, 2020 |date=March 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Frum April 2020">{{cite news |last1=Frum |first1=David |title=This Is Trump's Fault |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/americans-are-paying-the-price-for-trumps-failures/609532/ |accessdate=April 11, 2020 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=April 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/politics/donald-trump-emergency/index.html |title=Trump declares national emergency – and denies responsibility for coronavirus testing failures |last=Liptak |first=Kevin |date=March 13, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |accessdate=March 18, 2020}}</ref>

On April 22, Trump signed an executive order restricting some forms of [[immigration to the United States]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump's immigration executive order: What you need to know |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-immigration-executive-order-200423185402661.html |work=[[Al Jazeera]] |date=April 23, 2020}}</ref> In late spring and early summer, with infections and death counts continuing to rise, he adopted a strategy of blaming the states for the growing pandemic, rather than accepting that his initial assessments of the course of the pandemic were overly-optimistic or his failure to provide presidential leadership.<ref name="NYT 719 Failure">{{cite news |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Noah |last2=Weiland |first3=Eric |last3=Lipton |author3link=Eric Lipton |first4=Maggie |last4=Haberman |author4link=Maggie Haberman |first5=David E. |last5=Sanger |author5link=David E. Sanger |title=Inside Trump's Failure: The Rush to Abandon Leadership Role on the Virus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/18/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-response-failure-leadership.html |accessdate=July 19, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 19, 2020}}</ref>

==== White House Coronavirus Task Force ====
[[File:White House Press Briefing (49666120807).jpg|thumb|right|Trump conducts a COVID-19 press briefing with members of the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]] on March 15, 2020.]]
Trump established the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]] on January 29, 2020.<ref>{{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]] |date=January 30, 2020 |access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, Trump held a daily task force press conference, joined by medical experts and other administration officials,<ref name=Karni>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-briefing.html |title=In Daily Coronavirus Briefing, Trump Tries to Redefine Himself |last=Karni |first=Annie |authorlink=Annie Karni |date=March 23, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=April 8, 2020}}</ref> sometimes disagreeing with them by promoting unproven treatments.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-malaria-drug.html |title=Trump's Aggressive Advocacy of Malaria Drug for Treating Coronavirus Divides Medical Community |first1=Peter |last1=Baker |author1link=Peter Baker (journalist) |first2=Katie |last2=Rogers |first3=David |last3=Enrich |author3link=David Enrich |first4=Maggie |last4=Haberman |author4link=Maggie Haberman |date=April 6, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=April 8, 2020}}</ref> Trump was the main speaker at the briefings, where he praised his own response to the pandemic, frequently criticized rival presidential candidate [[Joe Biden]], and denounced members of the [[White House press corps]].<ref name=Karni/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/5812588/donald-trump-coronavirus-briefings-message-campaign/ |title='He's Walking the Tightrope.' How Donald Trump Is Getting Out His Message on Coronavirus |last=Berenson |first=Tessa |date=March 30, 2020 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |accessdate=April 8, 2020}}</ref> On March 16, he acknowledged for the first time that the pandemic was not under control and that months of disruption to daily lives and a recession might occur.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |authorlink=Daniel Dale |title=Fact check: Trump tries to erase the memory of him downplaying the coronavirus |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/17/politics/fact-check-trump-always-knew-pandemic-coronavirus/index.html |accessdate=March 19, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=March 17, 2020}}</ref> His repeated use of the terms "Chinese virus" and "China virus" to describe [[COVID-19]] drew criticism from health experts.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2020/3/18/21185478/coronavirus-usa-trump-chinese-virus |title=Trump's new fixation on using a racist name for the coronavirus is dangerous |last=Scott |first=Dylan |accessdate=March 19, 2020 |date=March 18, 2020 |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/who-langauge-stigmatizing-coronavirus-trump-chinese-1493172 |title=WHO expert condemns language stigmatizing coronavirus after Trump repeatedly calls it the "Chinese virus" |date=March 19, 2020 |accessdate=March 19, 2020 |last=Georgiou |first=Aristos |website=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/488311-us-china-relationship-worsens-over-coronavirus |title=US-China relationship worsens over coronavirus |last=Beavers |first=Olivia |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=March 19, 2020 |accessdate=March 19, 2020}}</ref>

By early April, as the pandemic worsened and amid criticism of his administration's response, Trump refused to admit any mistakes in his handling of the outbreak, instead blaming the media, Democratic state governors, the previous administration, China, and the WHO.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lemire |first1=Jonathan |title=As pandemic deepens, Trump cycles through targets to blame |url=https://apnews.com/58f1b869354970689d55ccae37c540f3 |accessdate=May 5, 2020 |work=[[AP News]] |date=April 10, 2020}}</ref> By mid-April 2020, some national news agencies began limiting live coverage of his daily press briefings, with ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reporting that "[[propaganda|propagandistic]] and false statements from Trump alternate with newsworthy pronouncements from members of his White House Coronavirus Task Force, particularly coronavirus response coordinator [[Deborah Birx]] and [[National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases]] Director [[Anthony S. Fauci]]."<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 16, 2020 |first=Erik |last=Wemple |authorlink=Erik Wemple |title=More news outlets are bailing on Trump's coronavirus briefings |accessdate=April 16, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/16/more-news-outlets-are-bailing-trumps-coronavirus-briefings/}}</ref> The daily coronavirus task force briefings ended in late April, after a briefing at which Trump suggested the dangerous idea of ingesting bleach or injecting a disinfectant to treat COVID-19;<ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Outcry after Trump suggests injecting disinfectant as treatment |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52407177 |accessdate=August 11, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=April 24, 2020}}</ref> the comment was widely condemned by medical professionals.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aratani |first1=Lauren |title=Why is the White House winding down the coronavirus taskforce? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/05/white-house-coronavirus-taskforce-winding-down-why |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=May 5, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Trump says virus task force to focus on reopening economy |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52563577 |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=May 6, 2020}}</ref>

[[File:President Trump Visits with the President of Poland (50044008817).jpg|thumb|[[Poland]]'s president [[Andrzej Duda]] visited the [[White House]] on June 24, 2020, the first foreign leader to do so since the start of the pandemic.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump's first foreign visitor amid pandemic is Poland's president |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/24/politics/donald-trump-andrzej-duda-coronavirus/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |last1=Liptak |first1=Kevin |date=June 24, 2020}}</ref>]]
In early May, Trump proposed that the coronavirus task force should be phased out, to accommodate another group centered on reopening the economy. Amid a backlash, Trump publicly said the task force would continue on "indefinitely".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Liptak |first1=Kevin |title=In reversal, Trump says task force will continue 'indefinitely' – eyes vaccine czar |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/06/politics/trump-task-force-vaccine/index.html |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=May 6, 2020}}</ref> By the end of May, the coronavirus task force's meetings were sharply reduced.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Acosta |first1=Jim |author1link=Jim Acosta |last2=Liptak |first2=Kevin |last3=Westwood |first3=Sarah |title=As US deaths top 100,000, Trump's coronavirus task force is curtailed |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-task-force/index.html |accessdate=June 8, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=May 29, 2020}}</ref>

==== Pandemic response program terminated ====

In September 2019, the Trump administration terminated the [[PREDICT (USAID)|PREDICT]] program, a $200&nbsp;million [[epidemiological]] research program that had been initiated by the [[United States Agency for International Development]] (USAID) in 2009 to provide early warning of pandemics abroad.<ref name="LATimes_PREDICT">{{cite news |last1=Baumgaertner |first1=Emily |last2=Rainey |first2=James |url=https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-02/coronavirus-trump-pandemic-program-viruses-detection |title=Trump administration ended pandemic early-warning program to detect coronaviruses |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=April 2, 2020 |access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name="CNN_PREDICT">{{cite news |first=Zachary |last=Cohen |date=April 10, 2020 |accessdate=July 10, 2020 |title=Trump administration shuttered pandemic monitoring program, then scrambled to extend it |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/10/politics/trump-usaid-prevent-program-coronavirus/index.html |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McNeil |first=Donald G. Jr. |authorlink=Donald McNeil Jr. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/25/health/predict-usaid-viruses.html |title=Scientists Were Hunting for the Next Ebola. Now the U.S. Has Cut Off Their Funding. |date=October 25, 2019 |access-date=July 11, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |accessdate=July 10, 2020 |title=Trump administration cut pandemic early warning program in September |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/03/trump-scrapped-pandemic-early-warning-program-system-before-coronavirus |date=April 3, 2020 |website=[[The Guardian]] |first=Oliver |last=Milman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Kayla |last1=Epstein |date=April 3, 2020 |accessdate=July 10, 2020 |title=The Trump administration stopped funding a pandemic warning program just a few months before the novel coronavirus outbreak |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/us-cut-pandemic-warning-project-before-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-4 |website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Conor |last=Finnegan |date=February 12, 2020 |accessdate=July 10, 2020 |title=Trump budget proposes cuts to global health amid two global health crises |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-budget-proposes-cuts-global-health-amid-global/story?id=68911515 |website=[[ABC News]]}}</ref> The program trained scientists in sixty foreign laboratories to detect and respond to viruses that have the potential to cause pandemics. One such laboratory was the Wuhan lab that first identified the virus that causes COVID-19. After revival in April 2020, the program was given two 6-month extensions to help fight COVID-19 in the U.S. and other countries.<ref name="LATimes_PREDICT"/><ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Will Revive Global Virus-Hunting Effort Ended Last Year |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/health/predict-pandemic-usaid.html |last1=McNeil |first1=Donald G. Jr. |author1link=Donald McNeil Jr. |last2=Kaplan |first2=Thomas |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 2, 2020 |accessdate=October 21, 2020}}</ref>

==== Pressure to abandon pandemic shutdown mandates early ====

In April 2020, Republican-connected groups organized [[Protests in the United States over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|anti-lockdown protests]] against the measures state governments were taking to combat the pandemic;<ref name="Grauniad-Right">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Jason |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/17/far-right-coronavirus-protests-restrictions |title=The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions |date=April 17, 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Andone |first=Dakin |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/protests-coronavirus-stay-home-orders/index.html |title=Protests Are Popping Up Across the US over Stay-at-Home Restrictions |date=April 17, 2020 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump encouraged the protests on Twitter,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |author1link=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]] |access-date=April 19, 2020}}</ref> even though the targeted states did not meet the Trump administration's own guidelines for reopening.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/493701-trump-support-for-protests-threatens-to-undermine-social-distancing |title=Trump support for protests threatens to undermine social distancing rules |last1=Chalfant |first1=Morgan |last2=Samuels |first2=Brett |date=April 20, 2020 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |accessdate=July 10, 2020}}</ref> He first supported, then later criticized, Georgia Governor [[Brian Kemp]]'s plan to reopen some nonessential businesses,<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump approved of Georgia's plan to reopen before bashing it |url=https://apnews.com/a031d395d414ffa655fdc65e6760d6a0 |work=[[AP News]] |accessdate=April 28, 2020 |date=April 24, 2020 |first1=Jonathan |last1=Lemire |first2=Ben |last2=Nadler}}</ref> which was a key example of Trump often reversing his stances in his communication during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=12 of Trump's worst coronavirus contradictions |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/23/12-trumps-worst-coronavirus-contradictions/ |accessdate=May 13, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 24, 2020}}</ref> Throughout the spring he increasingly pushed for ending the restrictions as a way to reverse the damage to the country's economy.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/18/trump-reopening-economy-193885 |title=Trump's unspoken factor on reopening the economy: Politics |last=Kumar |first=Anita |date=April 18, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |accessdate=July 10, 2020}}</ref>

Despite record numbers of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. from mid-June onward and an increasing percentage of positive test results, Trump continued to mostly downplay the pandemic, including his claim in early July 2020 that 99% of COVID-19 cases are "totally harmless", a claim which contradicts health officials in the U.S.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=President Trump, coronavirus truther |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/06/trump-throws-caution-wind-coronavirus/ |accessdate=July 11, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 6, 2020}}</ref> He also began insisting that all states should open schools to in-person education in the fall despite a July spike in reported cases.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/07/888157257/white-house-pushes-to-reopen-schools-despite-a-surge-in-coronavirus-cases |title=Trump Pledges To 'Pressure' Governors To Reopen Schools Despite Health Concerns |last=Sprunt |first=Barbara |date=July 7, 2020 |work=[[NPR]] |accessdate=July 10, 2020}}</ref>

==== Controversy over face masks as strategy for pandemic mitigation ====

Trump has refused to [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|wear a face mask]] at most public events, contrary to his own administration's April 2020 guidance that Americans should wear masks in public.<ref name=99days>{{cite news |last1=Danner |first1=Chas |title=99 Days Later, Trump Finally Wears a Face Mask in Public |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/07/trump-finally-wears-a-face-mask-in-public-covid-19.html |accessdate=July 12, 2020 |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=July 11, 2020}}</ref> and despite nearly unanimous consensus by the medical community that masks are important to preventing the spread of the virus.<ref name="WAPost_Mask">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/25/trumps-dumbfounding-refusal-encourage-wearing-masks/ |title=Trump's dumbfounding refusal to encourage wearing masks |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=June 25, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=July 10, 2020}}</ref> By June, Trump had said masks were a "double-edged sword"; ridiculed Biden for wearing masks; continually emphasized that mask-wearing was optional; and suggested that wearing a mask is a political statement against him personally.<ref name="WAPost_Mask"/> Trump's contradictory example to medical recommendations weakened national efforts to mitigate the pandemic.<ref name=99days/><ref name="WAPost_Mask"/>

==== World Health Organization ====

Prior to the pandemic, Trump had been critical of the WHO and other international bodies as taking advantage of U.S. aid.<ref name="Politico_WHO">{{cite news |last1=Ollstein |first1=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 |accessdate=September 7, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |date=April 14, 2020}}</ref> His administration's proposed 2021 federal budget, released in February, had reduced WHO funding by more than half.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/> In May and April, Trump accused the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus" and alleging without evidence that the organization was under Chinese control and had enabled the Chinese government's concealment of the origins of the pandemic.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/><ref name="CNN_WHO">{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Zachary |last2=Hansler |first2=Jennifer |last3=Atwood |first3=Kylie |last4=Salama |first4=Vivian |last5=Murray |first5=Sara |author5link=Sara Murray (journalist) |title=Trump administration begins formal withdrawal from World Health Organization |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/07/politics/us-withdrawing-world-health-organization/index.html |accessdate=July 19, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |date=July 7, 2020}}</ref><ref name="BBC_WHO">{{cite news |title=Coronavirus: Trump moves to pull US out of World Health Organization |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53327906 |accessdate=August 11, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=July 7, 2020}}</ref> He then announced that he was withdrawing funding for the organization.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/> Trump's criticisms and actions regarding the WHO were seen as attempts to distract attention from his own mishandling of the pandemic.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/><ref name="Atlantic_WHO">{{cite news |last=Wood |first=Graeme |authorlink=Graeme Wood (journalist) |title=The WHO Defunding Move Isn't What It Seems |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/trump-threatens-defund-world-health-organization/610030/ |accessdate=September 7, 2020 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=April 15, 2020}}</ref><ref name="WA_Post_WHO">{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Amber |title=Why exactly is Trump lashing out at the World Health Organization? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/08/why-exactly-is-president-trump-lashing-out-world-health-organization/ |accessdate=September 8, 2020 |work=[[Washington Post]] |date=April 8, 2020}}</ref> In July 2020, Trump announced the formal withdrawal of the United States from the WHO effective July 2021.<ref name="CNN_WHO"/><ref name="BBC_WHO"/> The decision was widely condemned by health and government officials as "short-sighted", "senseless", and "dangerous".<ref name="CNN_WHO"/><ref name="BBC_WHO"/>

==== Testing ====

In June and July Trump said several times that the U.S. would have fewer cases of coronavirus if it did less testing, that having a large number of reported cases "makes us look bad".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/14/trump-says-us-would-have-half-the-number-of-coronavirus-cases-if-it-did-half-the-testing.html |title=Trump says U.S. would have half the number of coronavirus cases if it did half the testing |last=Higgins-Dunn |first=Noah |date=July 14, 2020 |work=[[CNBC]] |accessdate=August 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/23/trumps-right-that-with-less-testing-we-record-fewer-cases-fact-thats-already-happening/ |title=Trump is right that with lower testing, we record fewer cases. That's already happening. |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=July 23, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=August 26, 2020}}</ref> The CDC guideline was that any person exposed to the virus should be "quickly identified and tested" even if they are not showing symptoms, because asymptomatic people can still spread the virus.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/26/cdc-quietly-revises-coronavirus-guidance-to-downplay-importance-of-testing-for-asymptomatic-people.html |title=CDC quietly revises coronavirus guidance to downplay importance of testing for asymptomatic people |last=Feuer |first=Will |date=August 26, 2020 |work=[[CNBC]] |accessdate=August 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/25/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html |title=The C.D.C. changes testing guidelines to exclude those exposed to virus who don't exhibit symptoms. |date=August 26, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=August 26, 2020}}</ref> In August 2020, however, the CDC quietly lowered its recommendation for testing, advising that people who have been exposed to the virus, but are not showing symptoms, "do not necessarily need a test". The change in guidelines was made by HHS political appointees under Trump administration pressure, against the wishes of CDC scientists.<ref name="CNN-testing-pressure">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/politics/cdc-coronavirus-testing-guidance/index.html |title=CDC was pressured 'from the top down' to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says |date=August 26, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |first1=Nick |last1=Valencia |first2=Sara |last2=Murray |author2link=Sara Murray (journalist) |first3=Kristen |last3=Holmes |accessdate=August 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html#link-3392d8f0 |title=The C.D.C. was pressured to change guidance on testing asymptomatic people exposed to the virus. |date=August 26, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=August 26, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Gumbrecht>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/18/health/covid-19-testing-guidance-cdc-hhs/index.html |title=Controversial coronavirus testing guidance came from HHS and didn't go through CDC scientific review, sources say |date=September 18, 2020 |work=[[CNN]] |first1=Jamie |last1=Gumbrecht |first2=Sanjay |last2=Gupta |author2link=Sanjay Gupta |first3=Nick |last3=Valencia |accessdate=September 18, 2020}}</ref> The following day, the testing guideline was changed back to its original recommendation, stressing that anyone who has been in contact with an infected person should be tested.<ref name=Gumbrecht/>

==== Political pressure on health agencies ====
{{Main|Trump administration political interference with science agencies}}
Trump repeatedly pressured federal health agencies to take particular actions that he favored,<ref name="CNN-testing-pressure"/> such as giving approval to unproven treatments that he favored <ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/15/hydroxychloroquine-authorization-revoked-coronavirus/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 15, 2020 |title=FDA pulls emergency approval for antimalarial drugs touted by Trump as covid-19 treatment |first1=Laurie |last1=McGinley |first2=Carolyn Y. |last2=Johnson}}</ref><ref name=pressed/> or speeding up the approval of vaccines.<ref name=pressed>{{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]] |first1=Sharon |last1=LaFraniere |author1link=Sharon LaFraniere |first2=Noah |last2=Weiland |first3=Michael D. |last3=Shear |author3link=Michael D. Shear |accessdate=September 13, 2020}}</ref> Trump administration political appointees at HHS sought to gain control over the communications from the CDC, to remove any reporting that undermined Trump's claims that the COVID-19 pandemic was under control. CDC resisted many of the changes, but increasingly allowed HHS personnel to review articles and suggest changes before publication.<ref name=Diamond>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/11/exclusive-trump-officials-interfered-with-cdc-reports-on-covid-19-412809 |title=Trump officials interfered with CDC reports on Covid-19 |last=Diamond |first=Dan |date=September 11, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |accessdate=September 14, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Sun>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/09/12/trump-control-over-cdc-reports/ |title=Trump officials seek greater control over CDC reports on coronavirus |last=Sun |first=Lena H. |date=September 12, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=September 14, 2020}}</ref> Trump alleged without evidence that FDA scientists were part of a "[[deep state]]" opposing him, and delaying approval of vaccines and treatments to hurt him politically.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Laurie |last1=McGinley |first2=Carolyn Y. |last2=Johnson |first3=Josh |last3=Dawsey |author3link=Josh Dawsey |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/08/22/trump-without-evidence-accuses-deep-state-fda-slow-walking-coronavirus-vaccines-treatments/ |title=Trump without evidence accuses 'deep state' at FDA of slow-walking coronavirus vaccines and treatments |date=August 22, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

==== Effect of Trump's response on the 2020 presidential campaign ====
By July 2020, Trump's handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] became a major issue for the 2020 presidential election.<ref name="Election_NBCNews">{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/warning-signs-flash-trump-wisconsin-pandemic-response-fuels-disapproval-n1232646 |title=Warning signs flash for Trump in Wisconsin as pandemic response fuels disapproval |date=July 5, 2020 |work=[[NBC News]] |first1=Adam |last1=Edelman |accessdate=September 14, 2020}}</ref> Democratic challenger [[Joe Biden]] sought to make the election a referendum on Trump's performance on the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy.<ref name="Election_WSJ">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-biden-enter-a-contentious-stage-in-the-presidential-race-11599485222 |title=Trump, Biden Enter a Contentious Stage in the Presidential Race |date=September 7, 2020 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |first1=Catherine |last1=Lucey |first2=Ken |last2=Thomas |accessdate=September 14, 2020}}</ref> Polls indicated voters blamed Trump for continued pandemic problems<ref name="Election_NBCNews"/> and disbelieved his rhetoric concerning the virus, with an [[Ipsos]]/[[ABC News]] poll indicating 65% of Americans disapproving of his pandemic response.<ref name="Election_ABC">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/deep-skepticism-trumps-coronavirus-response-endures-poll/story?id=72974847 |title=Deep skepticism for Trump's coronavirus response endures: POLL |date=September 13, 2020 |work=[[ABC News]] |first1=Kendall |last1=Karson |accessdate=September 14, 2020}}</ref> In the final months of the campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed that the United States was "rounding the turn" in managing the pandemic despite increasing numbers of reported cases and deaths.<ref name="Election_Rounding">{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-us-rounding-turn-covid-trump-claims-1542145 |title=Fact Check: Is U.S. 'Rounding the Turn' On COVID, as Trump Claims? |date=October 26, 2020 |work=[[Newsweek]] |first1=Matthew |last1=Impelli |accessdate=October 31, 2020}}</ref> A few days before the November 3 election, the United States reported more than 100,000 cases in a single day for the first time.<ref name="Election_100K">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-record/u-s-reports-world-record-of-more-than-100000-covid-19-cases-in-single-day-idUSKBN27G07S |title=U.S. reports world record of more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases in single day |date=October 31, 2020 |work=[[Reuters]] |first1=Anurag |last1=Maan |accessdate=October 31, 2020}}</ref>

==== Hospitalization with COVID-19 ====
[[File:President Trump Boards Marine One (50437670702).jpg|thumb|Trump departs the White House for COVID-19 treatment on October 2, 2020]]
{{further|White House COVID-19 outbreak}}

On October 2, 2020, Trump announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.<ref name="liptak">{{cite news |last1=Liptak |first1=Kevin |last2=Klein |first2=Betsy |date=October 5, 2020 |title=A timeline of Trump and those in his orbit during a week of coronavirus developments |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/02/politics/timeline-trump-coronavirus/index.html |access-date=October 3, 2020 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> He was admitted to [[Walter Reed National Military Medical Center]] that day and treated with the antiviral drug remdesevir, the steroid dexamethasone, and the unapproved experimental antibody [[REGN-COV2]].<ref name="downplay"/><ref name=Thomas-20201005/> He was discharged on October 5.<ref name="downplay"/> White House physician Sean Conley announced on October 12 that Trump has tested negative for COVID-19 on consecutive days.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Betsy |last=Klein |title=Trump's doctor says the President has tested negative on consecutive days |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/12/politics/trump-health-coronavirus/index.html |access-date=October 25, 2020 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

=== Investigations ===

{{Further2
|Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (<!--
-->[[Timeline of post-election transition following Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|transition]], <!--
-->[[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (January–June 2017)|January–June 2017]], <!--
-->[[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (July–December 2017)|July–December 2017]], <!--
-->[[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (January–June 2018)|January–June 2018]], <!--
-->[[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (July–December 2018)|July–December 2018]], <!--
-->[[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (2019)|2019]], and <!--
-->[[Timeline of investigations into Trump and Russia (2020–2021)|2020–2021]]<!--
-->)}}

The [[Crossfire Hurricane (FBI investigation)|Crossfire Hurricane]] FBI investigation into possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign was launched in mid-2016 during the campaign season. Since he assumed the presidency, Trump has been the subject of increasing Justice Department and congressional scrutiny, with investigations covering his election campaign, transition and inauguration, actions taken during his presidency, along with his [[The Trump Organization|private businesses]], personal taxes, and [[Donald J. Trump Foundation|charitable foundation]].<ref name="AP2018-12-16">{{cite news |last1=Woodward |first1=Calvin |last2=Pace |first2=Julie |title=Scope of investigations into Trump has shaped his presidency |url=https://apnews.com/6d6361fdf19846cb9eb020d9c6fbfa5a |accessdate=December 19, 2018 |work=[[AP News]] |date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> There are 30 open investigations of Trump, including ten federal criminal investigations, eight state and local investigations, and twelve Congressional investigations.<ref name="NYT_Inv">{{cite news |last1=Buchanan |first1=Larry |last2=Yourish |first2=Karen |title=Tracking 30 Investigations Related to Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/13/us/politics/trump-investigations.html |accessdate=October 4, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> A book by [[Jeffrey Toobin]], published in 2020, summarizes evidence against Trump as if he were on trial before a jury.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[NPR]] |date=July 31, 2020 |first=Ron |last=Elving |title=In 'True Crimes,' Toobin Presents A Summation For The Jury In The Case Against Trump |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/31/897055924/in-true-crimes-toobin-presents-a-summation-for-the-jury-in-the-case-against-trum}}</ref>

==== Hush payments ====

{{Main|Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal}}
{{See also|Legal affairs of Donald Trump#Payments related to alleged affairs|Karen McDougal#Alleged affair with Donald Trump}}

[[American Media, Inc.]] (AMI) paid $150,000 to ''[[Playboy]]'' model [[Karen McDougal]] in August 2016,<ref name="WSJT">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/national-enquirer-shielded-donald-trump-from-playboy-models-affair-allegation-1478309380 |title=National Enquirer Shielded Donald Trump From Playboy Model's Affair Allegation |last1=Palazzolo |first1=Joe |last2=Rothfeld |first2=Michael |last3=Alpert |first3=Lukas |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=November 4, 2016 |access-date=February 17, 2018}}</ref> and Trump's attorney [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]] paid $130,000 to [[Pornographic film actor|adult film actress]] [[Stormy Daniels]] in October 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43334326 |title=Why the Stormy Daniels-Donald Trump story matters |last=Luckhurst |first=Toby |work=[[BBC Online]] |date=May 3, 2018}}</ref> Both women were paid for [[non-disclosure agreement]]s regarding their alleged affairs with Trump between 2006 and 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/08/21/how-the-campaign-finance-charges-against-michael-cohen-may-implicate-trump |title=How the campaign finance charges against Michael Cohen implicate Trump |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Philip |last=Bump |date=August 21, 2018 |access-date=July 25, 2019}}</ref> Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to breaking campaign finance laws, saying he had arranged both payments at the direction of Trump in order to influence the presidential election.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/74aaf72511d64fceb1d64529207bde64 |title=Cohen pleads guilty, implicates Trump in hush-money scheme |last1=Neumeister |first1=Larry |last2=Hays |first2=Tom |date=August 22, 2018 |work=[[AP News]]}}</ref> AMI admitted paying McDougal to prevent publication of stories that might damage Trump's electoral chances.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prosecutors-media-company-admitted-it-paid-off-playboy-model-to-protect-trump-before-election/ |title=National Enquirer owner admits to paying off Playboy model to protect Trump |last1=Watson |first1=Kathryn |website=[[CBS News]] |accessdate=July 22, 2019}}</ref> Trump denied the affairs, and claimed he was not aware of Cohen's payment to Daniels, but reimbursed him in 2017.<ref name="Nelson">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/07/trump-stormy-daniels-payment-444133 |title=White House on Stormy Daniels: Trump 'denied all these allegations' |last=Nelson |first=Louis |date=March 7, 2018 |work=[[Politico]] |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/22/trump-insists-learned-michael-cohen-payments-later-on-in-fox-friends-exclusive.html |title=Trump insists he learned of Michael Cohen payments 'later on', in 'Fox & Friends' exclusive |last=Singman |first=Brooke |accessdate=August 23, 2018 |website=[[Fox News]] |date=August 22, 2018}}</ref> Federal prosecutors asserted that Trump had been involved in discussions regarding non-disclosure payments as early as 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/federal-prosecutors-recommend-substantial-prison-term-for-former-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen/2018/12/07/e144f248-f7f3-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html |title=Court filings directly implicate Trump in efforts to buy women's silence, reveal new contact between inner circle and Russian |work=[[The Washington Post]] |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Zapotosky |first2=Matt |date=December 7, 2018 |access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> Court documents showed that the FBI believed Trump was directly involved in the payment to Daniels, based on calls he had with Cohen in October 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-cohen/documents-detail-trump-teams-efforts-to-arrange-payment-to-porn-star-idUSKCN1UD18D |title=FBI documents point to Trump role in hush money for porn star Daniels |last1=Allen |first1=Jonathan |last2=Stempel |first2=Jonathan |work=[[Reuters]] |date=July 18, 2019 |access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.apnews.com/2d4138abfd0b4e71a63c94d3203e435a |title=Records detail frenetic effort to bury stories about Trump |last1=Mustian |first1=Jim |work=[[AP News]] |date=July 19, 2019 |access-date=July 22, 2019}}</ref> Federal prosecutors closed the investigation,<ref>{{cite news |work=[[AP News]] |date=July 19, 2019 |first=Jim |last=Mustian |title=Why no hush-money charges against Trump? Feds are silent |url=https://apnews.com/0543a381b39a42d09c27567274477983}}</ref> but days later the [[Manhattan District Attorney]] subpoenaed the Trump Organization and AMI for records related to the hush payments<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/nyregion/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-vance.html |title=Manhattan D.A. Subpoenas Trump Organization Over Stormy Daniels Hush Money |first1=Ben |last1=Protess |first2=William K. |last2=Rashbaum |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 1, 2019 |access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> and in August subpoenaed eight years of tax returns for Trump and the Trump Organization.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 16, 2019 |first1=William K. |last1=Rashbaum |first2=Ben |last2=Protess |title=8 Years of Trump Tax Returns Are Subpoenaed by Manhattan D.A. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/nyregion/trump-tax-returns-cy-vance.html}}</ref>

==== Russian election interference ====

{{Main|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections}}
{{See also|Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election|Links between Trump associates and Russian officials|Steele dossier|Trump-Ukraine scandal}}

In January 2017, American intelligence agencies{{snd}}the [[CIA]], the [[FBI]], and the [[NSA]], represented by the [[Director of National Intelligence]]{{snd}}jointly stated with "[[Analytic confidence#Levels of analytic confidence in national security reports|high confidence]]" that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/06/us/politics/trump-russia-intelligence-agencies-cia-fbi-nsa.html |title=Trump Misleads on Russian Meddling: Why 17 Intelligence Agencies Don't Need to Agree |last=Rosenberg |first=Matthew |authorlink=Matthew Rosenberg |date=July 6, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Declassified Report">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/06/us/politics/document-russia-hacking-report-intelligence-agencies.html |title=Intelligence Report on Russian Hacking |date=January 6, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=January 8, 2017 |page=ii |quote=We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary [[Hillary Clinton|Clinton]], and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We have high confidence in these judgments.}}</ref> In March 2017, FBI Director [[James Comey]] told Congress "the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. That includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/its-official-the-fbi-is-investigating-trumps-links-to-russia/520134/ |title=It's Official: The FBI Is Investigating Trump's Links to Russia |last=Berman |first=Russell |date=March 20, 2017 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |accessdate=June 7, 2017}}</ref>

The connections between Trump associates and Russia have been widely reported by the press.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/13/donald-trump-russia-vladimir-putin-us-election-hack |title=Trump's relationship with Russia – what we know and what comes next |last=McCarthy |first=Tom |date=December 13, 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] |accessdate=March 11, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/03/the-web-of-relationships-between-team-trump-and-russia/ |title=The web of relationships between Team Trump and Russia |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=March 3, 2017 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=March 11, 2017}}</ref> One of Trump's campaign managers, [[Paul Manafort]], had worked from December 2004 until February 2010 to help pro-Russian politician [[Viktor Yanukovych]] win the Ukrainian presidency.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/19/paul-manaforts-complicated-ties-to-ukraine-explained/ |title=Paul Manafort's complicated ties to Ukraine, explained |last=Phillips |first=Amber |date=August 19, 2016 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=June 14, 2017}}</ref> Other Trump associates, including former National Security Advisor [[Michael T. Flynn]] and political consultant [[Roger Stone]], have been connected to Russian officials.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Risen |first1=James |title=Roger Stone Made His Name as a Dirty Trickster, but the Trump-Russia Cover-Up May Finally Bring Him Down |url=https://theintercept.com/2019/01/26/roger-stone-made-his-name-as-a-dirty-trickster-but-the-trump-russia-coverup-may-finally-bring-him-down/ |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=January 26, 2019}}</ref><ref name="many">{{cite news |url=https://time.com/4433880/donald-trump-ties-to-russia/ |title=Donald Trump's Many, Many, Many, Many Ties to Russia |last=Nesbit |first=Jeff |date=August 15, 2016 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |accessdate=February 28, 2017}}</ref> Russian agents were overheard during the campaign saying they could use Manafort and Flynn to influence Trump.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/335035-nyt-russians-discussed-using-manafort-flynn-to-influence-trump |title=NYT: Russians discussed using Manafort, Flynn to influence Trump |last=Williams |first=Katie Bo |date=May 24, 2017 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |accessdate=May 28, 2017}}</ref> Members of Trump's campaign and later his White House staff, particularly Flynn, were in contact with Russian officials both before and after the November election.<ref>{{cite news |title=We Still Don't Know What Happened Between Trump and Russia |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/11/we-still-dont-know-what-happened-between-trump-and-russia/602116/ |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=November 15, 2019 |first=David A. |last=Graham}}</ref><ref name="Reuters2">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-contacts-idUSKCN18E106 |title=Exclusive: Trump campaign had at least 18 undisclosed contacts with Russians: sources |last1=Parker |first1=Ned |last2=Landay |first2=Jonathan |last3=Strobel |first3=Warren |date=May 18, 2017 |accessdate=May 19, 2017 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> On December 29, 2016, Flynn talked with Russian Ambassador [[Sergey Kislyak]] about sanctions that had been imposed the same day; Flynn later resigned in the midst of controversy over whether he misled Pence.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/13/politics/michael-flynn-white-house-national-security-adviser/ |title=Flynn resigns amid controversy over Russia contacts |last1=Murray |first1=Sara |author1link=Sara Murray (journalist) |last2=Borger |first2=Gloria |author2link=Gloria Borger |last3=Diamond |first3=Jeremy |author3link=Jeremy Diamond (journalist) |date=February 14, 2017 |accessdate=March 2, 2017 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Trump had told Kislyak and [[Sergei Lavrov]] in May 2017 he was unconcerned about Russian interference in U.S. elections.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-told-russian-officials-in-2017-he-wasnt-concerned-about-moscows-interference-in-us-election/2019/09/27/b20a8bc8-e159-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html |title=Trump told Russian officials in 2017 he wasn't concerned about Moscow's interference in U.S. election |website=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 26, 2019 |first1=Shane |last1=Harris |author1link=Shane Harris |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |author2link=Josh Dawsey |first3=Ellen |last3=Nakashima |author3link=Ellen Nakashima}}</ref>

Trump and his allies have promoted [[Conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal|a conspiracy theory]] that Ukraine, rather than Russia, interfered in the 2016 election{{snd}}which has also been promoted by Russia to [[Frameup|frame]] Ukraine.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/us/politics/ukraine-russia-interference.html |title=Charges of Ukrainian Meddling? A Russian Operation, U.S. Intelligence Says |first1=Julian E. |last1=Barnes |first2=Matthew |last2=Rosenberg |author2link=Matthew Rosenberg |date=November 22, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> After the [[Democratic National Committee]] was hacked, Trump firstly claimed it withheld "its server" from the FBI (in actuality there were more than 140 servers, of which digital copies were given to the FBI); secondly that [[CrowdStrike]], the company which investigated the servers, was Ukraine-based and Ukrainian-owned (in actuality, CrowdStrike is U.S.-based, with the largest owners being American companies); and thirdly that "the server" was hidden in Ukraine. Members of the Trump administration have spoken out against the conspiracy theories.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pelley |first=Scott |authorlink=Scott Pelley |title=Why President Trump asked Ukraine to look into a DNC "server" and CrowdStrike |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-crowdstrike-ukraine-server-conspiracy-theory-60-minutes-2020-02-16/ |accessdate=February 18, 2020 |work=[[CBS News]] |date=February 16, 2020}}</ref>

On November 2, 2020, newly released passages from the Mueller report regarding [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]] indicated that "federal prosecutors could not establish that the [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|hacked emails]] amounted to campaign contributions benefitting Trump's election chances" and that publication of those emails are likely protected by the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=New: Mueller Investigated Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, And Roger Stone For DNC Hacks And Election Law Violations |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/new-mueller-investigated-julian-assange-wikileaks-and-roger |access-date=November 3, 2020 |website=[[BuzzFeed News]] |date=November 3, 2020 |first1=Jason |last1=Leopold |author1link=Jason Leopold |first2=Ken |last2=Bensinger}}</ref>

==== 2017 FBI counterintelligence inquiry ====
After Trump fired FBI director [[James Comey]] in May 2017, the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into Trump's personal and [[Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|business dealings with Russia]]. Within days of its opening, deputy attorney general [[Rod Rosenstein]] curtailed the inquiry, giving the bureau the impression that the incipient [[Mueller investigation]] would pursue it, though Rosenstein instructed Mueller not to, effectively ending the inquiry.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/politics/trump-russia-justice-department.html |title=Justice Dept. Never Fully Examined Trump's Ties to Russia, Ex-Officials Say |first=Michael S. |last=Schmidt |authorlink=Michael S. Schmidt |date=August 30, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/peter-strzok-defends-belief-trump-compromised-by-russia-their-leverage-renders-him-incapable-of-defending-national-interest/ |title=Peter Strzok Defends Belief Trump 'Compromised' by Russia: Their Leverage Renders Him 'Incapable' of Defending National Interest |first=Ken |last=Meyer |date=September 13, 2020 |work=[[Mediaite]]}}</ref>

==== Special counsel investigation ====

{{Main|Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)|Mueller report}}
[[File:Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election.pdf|thumb|upright|The [[Sanitization (classified information)|redacted]] version of the ''[[:File:Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election.pdf|Mueller report]]'' released by the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] on April 18, 2019]]

On May 17, 2017, former [[United States Deputy Attorney General|Deputy Attorney General]] [[Rod Rosenstein]] appointed [[Robert Mueller]], a former [[director of the FBI]], to serve as [[special counsel]] for the [[United States Department of Justice]] (DOJ) investigating "any links and/or coordination between Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation",<ref name="Mueller_Report">{{cite web |publisher=U.S. Department of Justice |date=March 2019 |first=Robert S. III |last=Mueller |title=Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election |url=https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf |quote=The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion. [...] In connection with that analysis, we addressed the factual question whether members of the Trump Campaign 'coordinat[ed]'{{snd}}a term that appears in the appointment order{{snd}}with Russian election interference activities. Like collusion, 'coordination' does not have a settled definition in federal criminal law. We understood coordination to require an agreement{{snd}}tacit or express{{snd}}between the Trump Campaign and the Russian government on election interference. That requires more than the two parties taking actions that were informed by or responsive to the other's actions or interests. We applied the term coordination in that sense when stating in the report that the investigation did not establish that the Trump Campaign coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.}}</ref><ref name="Rosenstein_5/17/2017"/> thus taking over the existing "[[Crossfire Hurricane (FBI investigation)|Crossfire Hurricane]]" FBI investigation into the matter.<ref name="Rosenstein_5/17/2017">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/17/us/politics/document-Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.html |title=Rod Rosenstein's Letter Appointing Mueller Special Counsel |last=Rosenstein |first=Rod |date=May 17, 2017 |website=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=May 18, 2017}}</ref> The special counsel also investigated whether Trump's [[dismissal of James Comey]] as FBI director constituted obstruction of justice, and possible campaign ties to other national governments.<ref name=Vitkovskaya>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/06/15/the-president-is-under-investigation-for-obstruction-of-justice-how-did-we-get-here/ |title=Trump Is Officially under Investigation. How Did We Get Here? |work=[[The Washington Post]] |last=Vitkovskaya |first=Julie |date=June 16, 2017 |accessdate=June 16, 2017 }}</ref> Trump repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and the Russian government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |title=Analysis {{!}} Trump and the White House have denied Russian collusion more than 140 times |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/01/11/trump-and-the-white-house-have-denied-russian-collusion-more-than-140-times/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> Mueller also investigated the Trump campaign's possible ties to [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Arab Emirates]], [[Turkey]], [[Qatar]], [[Israel]], and [[China]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Joshua |last=Keating |authorlink=Joshua Keating |title=It's Not Just a "Russia" Investigation Anymore |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/03/mueller-investigation-spreads-to-qatar-israel-uae-china-turkey.html |work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |date=March 8, 2018}}</ref>

Trump sought to fire Mueller on several occasions{{snd}}in June 2017, December 2017, and April 2018{{snd}}and close the investigation but backed down after his staff objected or after changing his mind.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author1link=Maggie Haberman |last2=Schmidt |first2=Michael S. |author2link=Michael S. Schmidt |title=Trump Sought to Fire Mueller in December |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/us/politics/trump-sought-to-fire-mueller-in-december.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> He bemoaned the recusal of his first Attorney General Jeff Sessions regarding Russia matters, and believed Sessions should have stopped the investigation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-sessions-twitter-stop-rigged-witch-hunt/story?id=56962100 |title=Trump to Sessions: Shut down Russia probe |last1=Keneally |first1=Meghan |last2=Mallin |first2=Alexander |date=August 1, 2018 |website=[[ABC News]] |accessdate=August 1, 2018}}</ref>

On March 22, 2019, Mueller concluded his investigation and gave [[Mueller report|his report]] to Attorney General William Barr.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/22/robert-mueller-submits-special-counsels-russia-probe-report-to-attorney-general-william-barr.html |title=Mueller probe ends: Special counsel submits Russia report to Attorney General William Barr |last=Breuninger |first=Kevin |date=March 22, 2019 |website=[[CNBC]] |access-date=March 22, 2019}}</ref> On March 24, Barr sent [[Barr letter|a four-page letter]] to Congress summarizing the "principal conclusions" in the report. He quoted Mueller as stating "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." Barr further wrote that he and Rosenstein did not see sufficient evidence to prove obstruction of justice.<ref name=Pramuk>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/24/attorney-general-william-barr-to-release-mueller-russia-probe-findings.html |title=Trump did not collude with Russia, says Mueller, and is cleared of obstruction by the attorney general |first1=Jacob |last1=Pramuk |first2=Spencer |last2=Kimball |date=March 24, 2019 |website=[[CNBC]] |access-date=March 24, 2019}}</ref> Trump interpreted Mueller's report as a "complete exoneration", a phrase he repeated multiple times in the ensuing weeks.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-47687956/mueller-report-a-complete-exoneration-donald-trump |title=Mueller report a 'complete exoneration' – Donald Trump |date=March 24, 2019 |work=[[BBC News]] |accessdate=June 1, 2019}}</ref> Mueller privately complained to Barr on March 27 that his summary did not accurately reflect what the report said,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mueller-complained-that-barrs-letter-did-not-capture-context-of-trump-probe/2019/04/30/d3c8fdb6-6b7b-11e9-a66d-a82d3f3d96d5_story.html |title=Mueller complained that Barr's letter did not capture 'context' of Trump probe |first1=Devlin |last1=Barrett |first2=Matt |last2=Zapotosky |date=April 30, 2019 |website=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=May 30, 2019}}</ref> and some legal analysts called the Barr letter misleading.<ref name="testcomm2">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/04/19/mueller-report-analysis-legal-experts-226662 |title=The Surprises in the Mueller Report |date=April 19, 2019 |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref>

A redacted version of the report was released to the public on April 18, 2019. The first volume found that Russia interfered to favor Trump's candidacy and hinder Clinton's.<ref name=AFPpoints>{{cite news |title=Main points of Mueller report |url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1 |website=[[Agence France-Presse]] |accessdate=April 20, 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420143436/https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1 |archivedate=April 20, 2019}}</ref> Despite "numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign", the prevailing evidence "did not establish" that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russian interference.<ref name="GlobeGraphic">{{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 |title=What the Mueller report says about Trump and more |url=https://apps.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/graphics/2019/03/mueller-report/ |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |accessdate=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref name="TIMErelease">{{cite news |last=Law |first=Tara |title=Here Are the Biggest Takeaways From the Mueller Report |date=April 18, 2019 |url=http://time.com/5567077/mueller-report-release/ |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |accessdate=April 22, 2019}}</ref> The report states that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was illegal and occurred "in sweeping and systematic fashion",<ref name="Mueller_Report"/> and it details how Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged foreign interference believing they would politically benefit.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 24, 2019 |first=Mark |last=Mazzetti |authorlink=Mark Mazzetti |title=Mueller Warns of Russian Sabotage and Rejects Trump's 'Witch Hunt' Claims |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/us/politics/trump-mueller-testimony.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[ABC News]] |date=April 19, 2019 |first=Lucien |last=Bruggeman |title=What did the Mueller report reveal about Trump's overtures to the Russians? |accessdate=March 4, 2020 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mueller-report-reveal-trumps-overtures-russians/story?id=62511529}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 30, 2019 |last=Bump |first=Philip |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/30/trump-briefly-acknowledges-that-russia-aided-his-election-falsely-says-he-didnt-help-effort/ |accessdate=March 5, 2020 |title=Trump briefly acknowledges that Russia aided his election – and falsely says he didn't help the effort |quote=Mueller's investigation bolstered those findings and demonstrated ways in which Trump and his campaign aided or encouraged those interference efforts, even if unwittingly.}}</ref>

The second volume of the Mueller report dealt with possible obstruction of justice by Trump.<ref name="WaPoLays">{{cite news |last1=Barrett |first1=Devlin |last2=Zapotosky |first2=Matt |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 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 17, 2019 |accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The report did not exonerate Trump of obstruction inasmuch as investigators were not confident of his innocence after examining his intent and actions.<ref name="FactCheck11">{{cite news |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2019/04/what-the-mueller-report-says-about-obstruction/ |title=What the Mueller Report Says About Obstruction |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 19, 2019 |website=[[FactCheck.org]] |access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref> Investigators decided they could not "apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgment that the President committed crimes" as an [[Office of Legal Counsel]] opinion stated that a sitting president could not be indicted, and investigators would not accuse him of a crime when he cannot clear his name in court.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/robert-mueller-statement-today-report-investigation-trump-2016-election-live-updates-2019-05/ |title=Mueller: If it were clear president committed no crime, "we would have said so" |last=Segers |first=Grace |date=May 29, 2019 |work=[[CBS News]] |accessdate=June 2, 2019}}</ref> The report concluded that Congress, having the authority to take action against a president for wrongdoing, "may apply the obstruction laws".<ref name=APdilemma>{{cite news |last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |title=Mueller drops obstruction dilemma on Congress |url=https://www.apnews.com/35829a2b010248f193d1efd00c4de7e5 |work=[[AP News]] |date=April 18, 2019 |accessdate=April 20, 2019}}</ref> Congress subsequently launched an [[Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump|impeachment inquiry]] following the [[Trump–Ukraine scandal]], albeit it ultimately did not press charges related to the Mueller investigation.

==== Associates ====

{{See also|Criminal charges brought in the Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019)}}

In August 2018, former Trump campaign chairman [[Paul Manafort]] was [[Trials of Paul Manafort|convicted]] on eight felony counts of false tax filing and bank fraud.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/manafort-jury-suggests-it-cannot-come-to-a-consensus-on-a-single-count/2018/08/21/a2478ac0-a559-11e8-a656-943eefab5daf_story.html |title=Manafort convicted on eight counts; mistrial declared on ten others |last1=Zapotosky |first1=Matt |last2=Bui |first2=Lynh |last3=Jackman |first3=Tom |last4=Barrett |first4=Devlin |date=August 21, 2018 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=August 21, 2018}}</ref> Trump said he felt very badly for Manafort and praised him for resisting the pressure to make a deal with prosecutors. According to [[Rudy Giuliani]], Trump's personal attorney, Trump had sought advice about pardoning Manafort but was counseled against it.<ref name="Leonnig823">{{cite news |last1=Leonnig |first1=Carol D. |author1link=Carol D. Leonnig |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |author2link=Josh Dawsey |date=August 23, 2018 |title=Trump sought his lawyers' advice weeks ago on possibility of pardoning Manafort, Giuliani says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-sought-his-lawyers-advice-weeks-ago-on-possibility-of-pardoning-manafort-but-they-counseled-against-it-giuliani-says/2018/08/23/17dce5c6-a70a-11e8-8fac-12e98c13528d_story.html |work=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=August 23, 2018}}</ref>

In November 2018, Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump's 2016 attempts to reach a deal with Russia to build [[Trump Tower Moscow|a Trump Tower in Moscow]]. Cohen said he had made the false statements on behalf of Trump, who was identified as "Individual-1" in the court documents.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/michael-cohen-trumps-former-lawyer-pleads-guilty-to-lying-to-congress/2018/11/29/5fac986a-f3e0-11e8-bc79-68604ed88993_story.html |title=Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Moscow project |date=November 29, 2018 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first1=Devlin |last1=Barrett |first2=Matt |last2=Zapotosky |first3=Rosalind S. |last3=Helderman |author3link=Rosalind Helderman |accessdate=December 12, 2018}}</ref>

The five Trump associates who have pleaded guilty or have been convicted in Mueller's investigation or related cases include Paul Manafort, deputy campaign manager [[Rick Gates (political consultant)|Rick Gates]], foreign policy advisor [[George Papadopoulos]], Michael Flynn, and Michael Cohen.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mangan |first=Dan |title=Trump and Giuliani are right that 'collusion is not a crime.' But that doesn't matter for Mueller's probe |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/30/giuliani-is-right-collusion-isnt-a-crime-but-that-wont-help-trump.html |website=[[CNBC]] |date=July 30, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=<!-- staff writers; no byline --> |title=Mueller investigation: No jail time sought for Trump ex-adviser Michael Flynn |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46449950 |work=[[BBC Online]] |date=December 5, 2018}}</ref>

In February 2020, Trump campaign adviser [[Roger Stone]] was sentenced to over three years in jail, after being convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering regarding his attempts to learn more about hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 election. The sentencing judge said Stone "was prosecuted for covering up for the president".<ref name=WP-200220>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/roger-stone-sentence-due-thursday-in-federal-court/2020/02/19/2e01bfc8-4c38-11ea-9b5c-eac5b16dafaa_story.html |title=Roger Stone sentenced to three years and four months in prison, as Trump predicts 'exoneration' for his friend |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 20, 2020 |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}</ref>

==== 2019 congressional investigation ====

In March 2019, the [[House Judiciary Committee]] launched a broad investigation of Trump for possible obstruction of justice, corruption, and abuse of power.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/house-judiciary-committee-launches-probe-191841170.html |title=House Judiciary Committee launches probe into possible obstruction by Trump |date=March 3, 2019 |accessdate=March 3, 2019 |website=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref> Committee chairman [[Jerrold Nadler]] sent letters demanding documents to 81&nbsp;individuals and organizations associated with Trump's presidency, business, and private life, saying it is "very clear that the president obstructed justice".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/house-panel-widen-trump-probe-request-documents-190303172658255.html |title=US: House panel to widen Trump probe, request documents |date=March 3, 2019 |accessdate=March 3, 2019 |website=[[Al Jazeera]]}}</ref><ref name="Fandos-190304">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/us/politics/trump-obstruction.html |title=With Sweeping Document Request, Democrats Launch Broad Trump Corruption Inquiry |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |authorlink=Nicholas Fandos |date=March 4, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=March 6, 2019}}</ref> Three other committee chairmen wrote the White House and State Department requesting details of Trump's communications with Putin, including any efforts to conceal the content of those communications.<ref name="Fandos-190304" /> The White House refused to comply, asserting that presidential communications with foreign leaders are protected and confidential.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/21/politics/trump-putin-white-house-rejects/index.html |title=White House rejects Dem requests for info on Putin communications |last1=Herb |first1=Jeremy |date=March 21, 2019 |accessdate=March 21, 2019 |website=[[CNN]] |last2=Brown |first2=Pamela |author2link=Pamela Brown (journalist)}}</ref>

===Judiciary===
{{Main|List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump|Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies}}
Trump has appointed more than 200 [[United States federal judges|federal judges]] who were confirmed by the Senate.<ref name=WheelerFriday>{{cite web |first=Russell |last=Wheeler |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/06/26/trumps-200th-judicial-appointment-less-than-meets-the-eye/ |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]] |work=FixGov |title=Trump's 200th judicial appointment: Less than meets the eye |date=June 26, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Hulse>{{cite news |first=Carl |last=Hulse |authorlink=Carl Hulse |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/us/trump-senate-judges-wilson.html |title=With Wilson Confirmation, Trump and Senate Republicans Achieve a Milestone |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 24, 2020}}</ref> Senate Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader [[Mitch McConnell]], have rapidly confirmed Trump's judicial appointees, usually against unified Democratic opposition.<ref name=Hulse/><ref name=Ruiz>{{cite news |first1=Rebecca R. |last1=Ruiz |first2=Robert |last2=Gebeloff |first3=Steve |last3=Eder |first4=Ben |last4=Protess |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/us/trump-appeals-court-judges.html |title=A Conservative Agenda Unleashed on the Federal Courts |date=March 14, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Trump's appointments have shifted the federal judiciary to the [[Right-wing politics|right]].<ref name=Ruiz/> Trump's judicial appointments have been overwhelmingly white men,<ref name=Ruiz/><ref name=Cohen>{{cite web |first=Andrew |last=Cohen |date=July 1, 2020 |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/trump-and-mcconnells-overwhelmingly-white-male-judicial-appointments |publisher=[[Brennan Center for Justice]] |title=Trump and McConnell's Overwhelmingly White Male Judicial Appointments}}</ref> and are younger on average than appointees by Trump's predecessors.<ref name=Ruiz/> Many are affiliated with the [[Federalist Society]].<ref name=Ruiz/>

Trump has made three nominations to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]: [[Neil Gorsuch]], [[Brett Kavanaugh]], and [[Amy Coney Barrett]].<ref name=Barrett>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/us/politics/amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court.html |title=Trump Selects Amy Coney Barrett to Fill Ginsburg's Seat on the Supreme Court |first1=Peter |last1=Baker |author1link=Peter Baker (journalist) |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman |date=September 25, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> [[Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court nomination|Gorsuch was confirmed]] in 2017 in a mostly [[party-line vote]] of 54&ndash;45, after Republicans invoked the "[[nuclear option]]" (a historic change to Senate rules removing the 60-vote threshold for advancing Supreme Court nominations) to defeat a Democratic [[filibuster]].<ref name=Caldwell>{{cite news |first=Leigh Ann |last=Caldwell |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/neil-gorsuch-confirmed-supreme-court-after-senate-uses-nuclear-option-n743766 |work=[[NBC News]] |title=Neil Gorsuch Confirmed to Supreme Court After Senate Uses 'Nuclear Option' |date=April 7, 2020}}</ref> Trump's predecessor [[Merrick Garland Supreme Court nomination|Obama had nominated]] [[Merrick Garland]] in 2016 to fill the vacancy, left by the death of [[Antonin Scalia]], but Senate Republicans under McConnell refused to consider the nomination in the last year of Obama's presidency, angering Democrats.<ref name=Caldwell/> [[Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination|Trump nominated Kavanaugh]] in 2018 to replace retiring Justice [[Anthony Kennedy]]; the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh in a mostly party-line vote of 50–48, after a bitter confirmation battle centered on [[Christine Blasey Ford]]'s allegation that Kavanaugh had attempted to rape her when they were teenagers, which Kavanaugh denied.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sheryl Gay |last=Stolberg |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court.html |date=October 6, 2018 |title=Kavanaugh Is Sworn In After Close Confirmation Vote in Senate |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> In 2020, weeks before the elections, [[Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination|Trump nominated]] [[Amy Coney Barrett]] to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]].<ref name=Barrett/> On October 26, 2020, the Senate voted 52–48 to confirm her nomination.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Veronica |last=Rocha |date=October 27, 2020 |title=Amy Coney Barrett's Senate confirmation vote |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/amy-coney-barrett-senate-confirmation-vote/index.html |access-date=October 27, 2020 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

As president, Trump has disparaged courts and judges whom he disagrees with, often in personal terms, and has questioned the judiciary's constitutional authority. Trump's attacks on the courts have drawn rebukes from observers, including sitting federal judges, who are concerned with the effect of Trump's statements on the [[judicial independence]] and public confidence in the judiciary.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Abby |last1=Phillip |first2=Robert |last2=Barnes |first3=Ed |last3=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 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=February 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=OwnWords>{{cite report |title=In His Own Words: The President's Attacks on the Courts |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/his-own-words-presidents-attacks-courts |publisher=[[Brennan Center for Justice]] |date=February 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{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/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 8, 2019}}</ref>

=== 2020 presidential election ===
{{main|Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|2020 United States presidential election}}
{{see also|2020 United States Postal Service crisis}}
Trump signaled his intention to run for a second term by filing with the FEC within a few hours of assuming the presidency.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-hints-at-re-election-bid-vowing-eight-years-of-great-things/article/2612632 |title=Trump hints at re-election bid, vowing 'eight years' of 'great things' |last=Westwood |first=Sarah |work=[[Washington Examiner]] |date=January 22, 2017 |accessdate=February 19, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Jessica |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/06/18/733505037/trump-set-to-officially-launch-reelection-but-hasnt-he-been-running-all-along?t=1594367350966 |title=Trump Set To Officially Launch Reelection Bid, But Hasn't He Been Running All Along? |date=June 18, 2019 |access-date=July 9, 2020 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref> This transformed his 2016 election committee into a 2020 reelection one.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election |title=Trump breaks precedent, files as candidate for re-election on first day |publisher=[[KTVK]] |location=Phoenix, Arizona |first=Lee |last=Morehouse |date=January 31, 2017 |accessdate=February 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202210255/http://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election |archive-date=February 2, 2017}}</ref> Trump marked the official start of the campaign with a rally in [[Melbourne, Florida]], on February 18, 2017, less than a month after taking office.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-kicks-off-his-2020-reelection-campaign-on-saturday/516909/ |title=Trump Kicks Off His 2020 Reelection Campaign on Saturday |last=Graham |first=David A. |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=February 15, 2017 |accessdate=February 19, 2017}}</ref> In his first two years in office, Trump's reelection committee reported raising $67.5&nbsp;million, allowing him to begin 2019 with $19.3&nbsp;million cash on hand.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://publicintegrity.org/politics/donald-trump-money-campaign-2020/ |publisher=[[Center for Public Integrity]] |date=February 1, 2019 |first1=Ashley |last1=Balcerzak |first2=Dave |last2=Levinthal |first3=Carrier |last3=Levine |first4=Sarah |last4=Kleiner |first5=Lateshia |last5=Beachum |title=Donald Trump's campaign cash machine: big, brawny and burning money}}</ref> From the beginning of 2019 through July 2020, the Trump campaign and Republican Party raised $1.1&nbsp;billion, but spent $800&nbsp;million of that amount, evaporating their formerly large cash advantage over the Democratic nominee, former Vice President [[Joe Biden]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/us/politics/trump-election-campaign-fundraising.html |title=How Trump's Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 7, 2020 |first1=Shane |last1=Goldmacher |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> The campaign's cash crunch forced a scale-back in advertising spending.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Misyrlena |last1=Egkolfopoulou |first2=Bill |last2=Allison |first3=Gregory |last3=Korte |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-14/trump-campaign-slashes-ad-spending-in-key-states-in-cash-crunch |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=September 14, 2020 |title=Trump Campaign Slashes Ad Spending in Key States in Cash Crunch}}</ref>

Trump became the [[2020 Republican Party presidential primaries|Republican nominee]] on August 24, 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Jonathan |author1link=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |last2=Burns |first2=Alexander |author2link=Alex Burns (journalist) |last3=Karni |first3=Annie |author3link=Annie Karni |title=Nominating Trump, Republicans Rewrite His Record |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/us/politics/republican-convention-recap.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 25, 2020 |access-date=August 25, 2020}}</ref> Starting in spring 2020, Trump began to sow doubts about the election, repeatedly warning that the election would be "rigged"<ref name="Politico-Rigged">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/25/donald-trump-rigged-election-talk-fears-274477 |title=Trump sees a 'rigged election' ahead. Democrats see a constitutional crisis in the making. |last=Siders |first=David |date=May 25, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |accessdate=August 15, 2020}}</ref> and claiming without evidence that the expected widespread use of mail balloting would produce "massive election fraud".<ref name="Politico-Mail">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/08/trump-wants-to-cut-mail-in-voting-the-republican-machine-is-helping-him-392428 |title=Trump aides exploring executive actions to curb voting by mail |last=Kumar |first=Anita |date=August 8, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |accessdate=August 15, 2020}}</ref><ref name="NYT-MailFraud">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/mail-in-voting-explained.html |title=Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts. |first1=Stephanie |last1=Saul |author1link=Stephanie Saul |first2=Reid J. |last2=Epstein |date=August 31, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> When the House of Representatives voted for a $25&nbsp;billion grant to the U.S. Postal Service for the expected surge in mail voting, Trump blocked funding, saying he wanted to prevent any increase in voting by mail.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/ |title=Trump says Postal Service needs money for mail-in voting, but he'll keep blocking funding |last=Bogage |first=Jacob |date=August 12, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |accessdate=August 14, 2020}}</ref> In what ''The New York Times'' called an "extraordinary breach of presidential decorum", Trump raised the idea on July 30 of delaying the election.<ref name=NYT-200730>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/us/elections/biden-vs-trump.html |title=2020 Election Live Updates: Republicans Rebuke Trump for Floating Delaying Election, Something He Cannot Do |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 30, 2020 |accessdate=July 30, 2020}}</ref> He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results of the election and commit to a [[peaceful transition of power]] if he lost.<ref>{{cite news |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 |title=Trump declines to say whether he will accept November election results |last=Sonmez |first=Felicia |date=July 19, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Ryan |last1=Browne |first2=Barbara |last2=Starr |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/pentagon-election-insurrection-act/index.html |title=As Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transition, Pentagon stresses it will play no role in the election |work=[[CNN]] |date=September 25, 2020}}</ref>

Trump campaign advertisements focused on crime, claiming that cities would descend into lawlessness if his opponent, Biden, won the presidency.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/us/politics/trump-portland-federal-agents.html |title=As Trump Pushes Into Portland, His Campaign Ads Turn Darker |date=July 21, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |author1link=Maggie Haberman |first2=Nick |last2=Corasaniti |first3=Annie |last3=Karni |author3link=Annie Karni |accessdate=July 25, 2020}}</ref> Trump repeatedly misrepresented Biden's positions during the campaign.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gregory |last=Korte |title=Trump's Speech Misrepresents Biden's Positions, Economic Facts |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-28/trump-s-speech-misrepresents-biden-s-positions-economic-facts |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=August 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Bump |title=Nearly every claim Trump made about Biden's positions was false |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/28/nearly-every-claim-trump-made-about-bidens-positions-was-false/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Daniel |last1=Dale |author1link=Daniel Dale |first2=Tara |last2=Subramaniam |first3=Holmes |last3=Lybrand |title=Fact check: Trump makes more false claims about Biden and protests |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/politics/trump-kenosha-briefing-fact-check/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |date=August 31, 2020}}</ref> Trump's campaign message shifted to racist rhetoric in an attempt to reclaim voters lost from his base.<ref name=Allen-200709>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/desperate-trump-bets-racism-2020-election-n1233116 |title=A desperate Trump bets on racism in 2020 election |work=[[NBC News]] |date=July 9, 2020 |accessdate=July 8, 2020 |first=Jonathan |last=Allen}}</ref><ref name="Costa -200709">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-racism-white-nationalism-republicans/2020/07/04/2b0aebe6-bbaf-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html |title=Trump's push to amplify racism unnerves Republicans who have long enabled him |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 9, 2020 |accessdate=July 4, 2020 |first1=Robert |last1=Costa |author1link=Robert Costa (journalist) |first2=Philip |last2=Rucker |author2link=Philip Rucker}}</ref>

The election was held on November 3. At 2:00 the following morning, with the election results unclear, Trump declared victory.<ref>{{cite news |title=With results from key states unclear, Trump declares victory |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-election-trump-statement/with-results-from-key-states-unclear-trump-declares-victory-idUKKBN27K0U3 |accessdate=November 10, 2020 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> On November 7, major news organizations projected Biden as the winner.<ref name=projected>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2020/11/07/fox-news-biden-president/ |title=First CNN, then within minutes, most other news organizations called the race for Biden |date=November 8, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] | first1=Elahe |last1=Izadi |accessdate=November 11, 2020}}</ref> In response, Trump said, "this election is far from over" and alleged election fraud without providing evidence.<ref name="USATODAY_election">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-victory-president-trump-claims-election-far-over/6202892002/ |title=Trump revives baseless claims of election fraud after Biden wins presidential race |last=King |first=Ledyard |date=November 7, 2020 |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=7 November 2020}}</ref> He said he would continue legal challenges in key states,<ref name="USATODAY_election"/> but most of them have been dismissed by the courts.<ref name=conclusive/><ref name="ft lawsuits">{{cite news |first=Kadhim |last=Shubber |title=Lawsuit tracker: Trump's battle faces tough test this week |url=https://www.ft.com/content/20b114b5-5419-493b-9923-a918a2527931 |accessdate=17 November 2020 |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=16 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="buzzfeed-tillman">{{cite news |last1=Tillman |first1=Zoe |title=Judges Are Rejecting Trump's False Claims Of Shady Poll Practices After Looking At The Evidence |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/trump-false-claims-election-judges-reject-court-challenges |work=[[BuzzFeed News]] |accessdate=November 11, 2020 |date=November 5, 2020}}</ref> He blocked government officials from cooperating in the [[presidential transition of Joe Biden]]."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lamire |first1=Jonathan |title=Refusing to concede, Trump blocks cooperation on transition |url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-2d39186996f69de245e59c966d4d140f |work=[[Associated Press]] |accessdate=November 10, 2020 |date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> Attorney General William Barr authorized the Justice Department to initiate investigations "if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Balsamo |first1=Michael |title=Barr tells DOJ to probe election fraud claims if they exist |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-4eeb9e0c97301a23ae8d05b54c3144fd |work=[[Associated Press]] |accessdate=November 18, 2020 |date=November 10, 2020}}</ref>

Trump's allegations of widespread voting fraud were refuted by judges, state election officials, and his own administration's [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] (CISA).<ref name=conclusive>{{cite news |last1=Woodward |first1=Calvin |title=AP Fact Check: Trump conclusively lost, denies the evidence |url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-trump-conclusively-lost-bbb9d8c808021ed65d91aee003a7bc64 |accessdate=November 17, 2020 |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=November 17, 2020}}</ref> After CISA director [[Chris Krebs]] contradicted Trump's voting fraud allegations, Trump fired him on November 17.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump fires election security official who contradicted him |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54982360 |accessdate=November 18, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=November 18, 2020}}</ref>

== Public profile ==
=== Approval ratings ===

{{Further|Opinion polling on the Donald Trump administration}}

At the end of Trump's second year, his two-year average Gallup approval rating was the lowest of any president since World War II.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-average-approval-rating-first-two-years-lowest-any-president-1293785 |title=Donald Trump Approval Rating Average in First Two Years is Lowest For Any President Since World War II |first=Jessica |last=Kwong |date=January 16, 2019 |website=[[Newsweek]] |accessdate=January 25, 2019}}</ref> In January 2020, his Gallup rating reached 49%,<ref>{{cite news |last=Samuels |first=Brett |date=February 24, 2020 |title=Trump hits highest Gallup approval rating of his presidency |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/481360-trump-hits-highest-gallup-approval-rating-of-his-presidency |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}</ref> the highest point since he took office, with 63% of those polled approving his handling of the economy.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cummings |first=William |date=February 13, 2020 |title=Six in 10 Americans say they feel better off after first 3 years of Trump, poll says |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/02/13/gallup-poll-says-6-10-americans-feel-better-off-3-years-after-trump/4747228002/ |access-date=October 17, 2020 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> His approval and disapproval ratings have been unusually stable.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 21, 2018 |title=Trump Approval More Stable Than Approval for Prior Presidents |url=https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/245567/trump-approval-stable-approval-prior-presidents.aspx |access-date=January 17, 2020 |website=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trumps-approval-rating-is-incredibly-steady-is-that-weird-or-the-new-normal/ |title=Trump's Approval Rating Is Incredibly Steady. Is That Weird Or The New Normal? |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=March 28, 2019 |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/presidential-approval-poll-tracker-n1102776 |title=Trump's approval rating steady despite impeachment: NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls |date=December 17, 2019 |work=[[NBC News]] |accessdate=March 3, 2020}}</ref>

In [[Gallup's most admired man and woman poll|Gallup's end-of-year poll]] asking Americans to name the man they admire the most, Trump placed second to Obama in 2017 and 2018, and tied with Obama for most admired man in 2019.<ref name="gallup1678">{{cite news |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/1678/most-admired-man-woman.aspx |title=Most Admired Man and Woman |website=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] |accessdate=June 12, 2018}}</ref> Since Gallup started conducting the poll in 1948,<ref name="tie"/> Trump is the first elected president not to be named most admired in his first year in office.<ref name="tie">{{cite news |last=Panetta |first=Grace |work=[[Business Insider]] |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-barack-obama-tie-2019-most-admired-man-gallup-2019-12 |title=Donald Trump and Barack Obama are tied for 2019's most admired man in the US |date=December 30, 2019 |access-date=July 24, 2020}}</ref>

Globally, a [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] poll on 134 countries comparing the approval ratings of U.S. leadership between the years 2016 and 2017 found that only in 29 of them did Trump lead Obama in job approval,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Datta |first=Monti |title=3 countries where Trump is popular |url=http://theconversation.com/3-countries-where-trump-is-popular-120317 |access-date=October 15, 2020 |website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]}}</ref> with more international respondents disapproving rather than approving of the Trump administration. Overall ratings were similar to those in the last two years of the [[Presidency of George W. Bush|George W. Bush presidency]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018 |title=Rating World Leaders: 2016-2017 The U.S. vs. Germany, China and Russia (page 9)|url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000161-0647-da3c-a371-867f6acc0001 |publisher=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] |via=[[Politico]]}}</ref>

=== Social media ===

{{Main|Donald Trump on social media}}

Trump's presence on social media has attracted attention worldwide since he joined [[Twitter]] in March 2009. He frequently tweeted during the 2016 election campaign and has continued to do so as president. As of October 2020, Trump has more than 85&nbsp;million Twitter followers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 50 Twitter users sorted by Followers |url=https://socialblade.com/twitter/top/50 |work=[[Social Blade]] |accessdate=October 2, 2020}}</ref>

By the end of May 2020, Trump had written about 52,000 tweets.<ref name="BBCTweets">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52815552 |title=Twitter tags Trump tweet with fact-checking warning |date=May 27, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref> These include 22,115 tweets over seven years before his presidential candidacy, 8,159 tweets during the {{frac|1|1|2}} years of his candidacy and transition period, and 14,186 tweets over the first three years of his presidency.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trumptwitterarchive.com/archive |title=Search |website=Trump Twitter Archive |access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>

Trump has frequently used Twitter as a direct means of communication with the public, sidelining the press.<ref name="federalist-sidelining">{{cite news |url=https://thefederalist.com/2017/01/23/donald-trumps-social-media-use-key-sidelining-press-2/ |title=Donald Trump's Social Media Use Is Key To Sidelining The Press |first=Dustin |last=Steeve |date=January 23, 2017 |work=[[The Federalist (website)|The Federalist]] |accessdate=May 31, 2017}}</ref> A White House press secretary said early in his presidency that Trump's tweets are official statements by the president of the United States,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/index.html |title=Spicer: Tweets are Trump's official statements |first=Elizabeth |last=Landers |date=June 6, 2017 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> employed for announcing policy or personnel changes. Trump used Twitter to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in March 2018<ref>{{cite news |last=Singletary |first=Michelle |title=Trump dumped Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a tweet. What's the worst way you've been fired? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2018/03/15/trump-dumped-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-a-tweet-whats-the-worst-way-youve-been-fired/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 15, 2018 |accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref> and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in November 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gaouette |first1=Nicole |last2=Starr |first2=Barbara |last3=Browne |first3=Ryan |last4=Klein |first4=Betsy |title=Trump fires Secretary of Defense Mark Esper |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/09/politics/trump-fires-esper/index.html |work=[[CNN]] |date=November 9, 2020 |accessdate=November 9, 2020}}</ref>

Many of Trump's tweets contain false assertions.<ref name="NYT-20170427">{{cite news |last=Qiu |first=Linda |title=Fact-Checking President Trump Through His First 100 Days |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/29/us/politics/fact-checking-president-trump-through-his-first-100-days.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 27, 2017 |accessdate=June 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="WP-20170501">{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |author1link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last2=Lee |first2=Michelle Ye Hee |title=Fact Checker Analysis – President Trump's first 100 days: The fact check tally |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/05/01/president-trumps-first-100-days-the-fact-check-tally/ |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=May 1, 2017 |accessdate=June 25, 2017}}</ref><ref name="CT-20170624">{{cite news |last1=Drinkard |first1=Jim |last2=Woodward |first2=Calvin |title=Fact check: Trump's missions unaccomplished despite his claims |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/factcheck/ct-fact-check-trump-missions-20170624-story.html |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=June 24, 2017 |accessdate=June 25, 2017}}</ref>
In May 2020, Twitter began tagging some Trump tweets with fact-checking warnings<ref name="BBCTweets"/><ref name="Twitter refutes">{{cite news |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |last2=Alba |first2=Davey |author2link=Davey Alba |title=Twitter Refutes Inaccuracies in Trump's Tweets About Mail-In Voting |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/technology/twitter-trump-mail-in-ballots.html |accessdate=July 7, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 26, 2020}}</ref><ref name="first label">{{cite news |last=Dwoskin |first=Elizabeth |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/26/trump-twitter-label-fact-check/ |title=Twitter labels Trump's tweets with a fact check for the first time |date=May 27, 2020|access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> and labels for violations of Twitter rules.<ref name="second label">{{cite news |last=Dwoskin |first=Elizabeth |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/29/inside-twitter-trump-label/ |title=Twitter's decision to label Trump's tweets was two years in the making |date=May 30, 2020|access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Trump responded by threatening to "strongly regulate" or "close down" social media platforms.<ref name="BBCTweets"/><ref name="lashing out">{{cite news |last=Dwoskin |first=Elizabeth |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/27/trump-twitter-label/ |title=Trump lashes out at social media companies after Twitter labels tweets with fact checks |date=June 14, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

=== False statements ===

{{Main|Veracity of statements by Donald Trump}}
[[File:2017- Donald Trump veracity - composite graph.png|thumb|upright=1.5|[[Fact-checkers]] from ''The Washington Post'',<ref name=Kessler.FMC/> the ''Toronto Star'',<ref name=TorontoStar_20190605>{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |authorlink=Daniel Dale |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 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |date=June 5, 2019}}</ref> and CNN<ref name=Dale_20200309>{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Trump is averaging about 59 false claims per week since ... July 8, 2019. |url=https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1237083913496989702 |date=March 9, 2020}} ([https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ESsA5nTXYAA562e?format=png direct link to chart image])</ref> compiled data on "false or misleading claims" (orange background), and "false claims" (violet foreground), respectively.]]

As president, Trump has frequently made false statements in public speeches and remarks.<ref name="NYT-20170427"/><ref name="WP-20170501"/><ref>{{cite news |first=Linda |last=Qiu |title=In One Rally, 12 Inaccurate Claims From Trump |date=June 22, 2017 |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/us/politics/factcheck-donald-trump-iowa-rally.html}}</ref> The misinformation has been documented by [[fact-checker]]s; academics and the media have widely described the phenomenon as unprecedented in American politics.<ref name=unprecedenteduntruths>
* {{cite journal |last=McGranahan |first=Carole |title=An anthropology of lying: Trump and the political sociality of moral outrage |journal=[[American Ethnologist]] |date=May 2017 |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=243–248 |doi=10.1111/amet.12475 |quote=It has long been a truism that politicians lie, but with the entry of Donald Trump into the U.S. political domain, the frequency, degree, and impact of lying in politics are now unprecedented [...] Donald Trump is different. By all metrics and counting schemes, his lies are off the charts. We simply have not seen such an accomplished and effective liar before in U.S. politics.}}
* {{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 7, 2017 |first=Sheryl Gay |last=Stolberg |authorlink=Sheryl Gay Stolberg |title=Many Politicians Lie. But Trump Has Elevated the Art of Fabrication. |accessdate=March 11, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/07/us/politics/lies-trump-obama-mislead.html |quote=President Trump, historians and consultants in both political parties agree, appears to have taken what the writer [[Hannah Arendt]] once called 'the conflict between truth and politics' to an entirely new level.}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/12/30/year-unprecedented-deception-trump-averaged-false-claims-day/ |title=A year of unprecedented deception: Trump averaged 15 false claims a day in 2018 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 30, 2018 |accessdate=February 20, 2019 |first=Glenn |last=Kessler |authorlink=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |quote='When before have we seen a president so indifferent to the distinction between truth and falsehood, or so eager to blur that distinction?' presidential historian [[Michael R. Beschloss]] said of Trump in 2018.}}
* {{cite news |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 6, 2017 |first=Mark Z. |last=Barabak |title=There's a long history of presidential untruths. Here's why Donald Trump is 'in a class by himself' |accessdate=March 11, 2019 |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-trump-presidential-lies-2017-story.html |quote=White House scholars and other students of government agree there has never been a president like Donald Trump, whose volume of falsehoods, misstatements and serial exaggerations{{snd}}on matters large and wincingly small{{snd}}place him 'in a class by himself', as Texas A&amp;M's [[George C. Edwards III|George Edwards]] put it.}}
* {{cite news |work=[[Toronto Star]] |date=December 22, 2017 |first=Daniel |last=Dale |authorlink=Daniel Dale |title=Donald Trump has spent a year lying shamelessly. It hasn't worked |accessdate=March 4, 2019 |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2017/12/22/donald-trump-has-spent-a-year-lying-shamelessly-it-hasnt-worked.html |quote='We've had presidents that have lied or misled the country, but we've never had a serial liar before. And that's what we're dealing with here,' said [[Douglas Brinkley]], the prominent Rice University presidential historian.}}
* {{cite news |website=[[CNN]] |date=May 9, 2018 |first=Chris |last=Cillizza |authorlink=Chris Cillizza |title=President Trump lied more than 3,000 times in 466 days |accessdate=March 4, 2019 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/01/politics/donald-trump-3000/index.html |quote=We've never had a president with such a casual relationship to the truth&nbsp;... The sheer rate of Trump's untruth-telling is staggering. It is unprecedented.}}
* {{cite web |website=[[Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism]] |date=2017 |first=Heidi Taksdal |last=Skjeseth |title=All the president's lies: Media coverage of lies in the US and France |url=https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2017-10/Taksdal%20Skjeseth%2C%20All%20the%20President%27s%20Lies%20-%20Media%20Coverage%20of%20lies%20in%20the%20US%20and%20France.pdf |quote=...{{nbsp}}a president who is delivering untruths on an unprecedented scale. Mr Trump did this both while running for president, and he has continued to do so in office. There is no precedent for this amount of untruths in the U.S.}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Stern |first1=Donnel |title=Constructivism in the Age of Trump: Truth, Lies, and Knowing the Difference |journal=Psychoanalytic Dialogues |date=May 9, 2019 |volume=29 |issue=2 |pages=189–196 |doi=10.1080/10481885.2019.1587996 |s2cid=164971149 |quote=Donald Trump lies so often that some have wondered whether he has [[poisoned the well]] [...] We expect politicians to stretch the truth. But Trump is a whole different animal. He lies as a policy.}}
* {{cite news |last1=Grosz |first1=Stephen |title=The real reason Donald Trump lies |url=https://www.ft.com/content/b752121c-127a-11e9-a581-4ff78404524e |website=[[Financial Times]] |accessdate=June 25, 2019 |date=January 9, 2019 |quote=We all lie, but we don't lie like President Trump. He is the most extravagant, reckless, inexhaustible fibber of our era.}}</ref><ref name=Glasser-180803>{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose |title=It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose |work=[[The New Yorker]] |date=August 3, 2018 |accessdate=January 10, 2019 |first=Susan |last=Glasser |authorlink=Susan Glasser}}</ref><ref name=Konnikova>{{cite news |last=Konnikova |first=Maria |authorlink=Maria Konnikova |title=Trump's Lies vs. Your Brain |website=[[Politico]] |date=January 20, 2017 |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658 |accessdate=March 31, 2018}}</ref> This behavior was similarly observed when he was a presidential candidate.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Finnegan |first1=Michael |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 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdate=March 4, 2019 |quote=Never in modern presidential politics has a major candidate made false statements as routinely as Trump has.}}</ref><ref name="whoppers">{{cite news |title=The 'King of Whoppers': Donald Trump |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/the-king-of-whoppers-donald-trump/ |website=[[FactCheck.org]] |accessdate=March 4, 2019 |quote=In the 12 years of FactCheck.org's existence, we've never seen his match. |date=December 21, 2015}}</ref> His falsehoods have also become a distinctive part of his political identity.<ref name=Glasser-180803/>

Trump uttered "at least one false or misleading claim per day on 91 of his first 99 days" in office, according to ''The New York Times'',<ref name="NYT-20170427"/> and 1,318 total in his first 263 days in office, according to the "Fact Checker" political analysis column of ''The Washington Post''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Michelle Ye Hee |last2=Kessler |first2=Glenn |author2link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last3=Kelly |first3=Meg |title=President Trump has made 1,318 false or misleading claims over 263 days |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/10/10/president-trump-has-made-1318-false-or-misleading-claims-over-263-days |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 10, 2017 |accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref> By the ''Post''{{'}}s tally, it took Trump 601 days to reach 5,000 false or misleading statements and another 226 days to reach the 10,000 mark.<ref name=Kessler-190429>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/29/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/ |title=President Trump has made more than 10,000 false or misleading claims |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 29, 2019 |accessdate=April 29, 2019 |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly}}</ref> For the seven weeks leading up to the midterm elections, it rose to an average of thirty per day<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly |title=President Trump has made 6,420 false or misleading claims over 649 days |date=November 2, 2018 |accessdate=November 2, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/02/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-over-days/}}</ref> from 4.9 during his first hundred days in office.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 13, 2018 |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly |title=President Trump has made more than 5,000 false or misleading claims |accessdate=October 16, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/13/president-trump-has-made-more-than-false-or-misleading-claims/}}</ref> The ''Post''{{'}}s reported tally is 22,247 as of August&nbsp;27, 2020,<ref name=Kessler.FMC>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 22, 2020 |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly |title=Trump is averaging more than 50 false or misleading claims a day |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/22/president-trump-is-averaging-more-than-50-false-or-misleading-claims-day/}}</ref> with the 2019 total more than double the cumulative total of 2017 and 2018.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 20, 2020 |first1=Glenn |last1=Kessler |author1link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |first2=Salvador |last2=Rizzo |first3=Meg |last3=Kelly |title=President Trump made 16,241 false or misleading claims in his first three years |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/20/president-trump-made-16241-false-or-misleading-claims-his-first-three-years/}}</ref>

Some of Trump's falsehoods are inconsequential, such as his claims of a large crowd size during his inauguration.<ref name="PolitiFact_1/21/2017">{{cite news |title=Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don't show it |publisher=[[PolitiFact]] |date=January 21, 2017 |first=Linda |last=Qiu |url=http://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 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205200625/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/21/sean-spicer/trump-had-biggest-inaugural-crowd-ever-metrics-don/ |archive-date=February 5, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Rein_3/6/2017">{{cite news |last=Rein |first=Lisa |title=Here are the photos that show Obama's inauguration crowd was bigger than Trump's |website=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 6, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/06/here-are-the-photos-that-show-obamas-inauguration-crowd-was-bigger-than-trumps/ |accessdate=March 8, 2017}}</ref> Others have had more far-reaching effects, such as Trump's promotion of unproven antimalarial drugs as a treatment for COVID‑19 in a press conference and on Twitter in March 2020.<ref name=20200319washingtonpost>{{cite news |last=Nisen |first=Max |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/trump-is-overhyping-unproven-coronavirus-drugs/2020/03/19/ed1ff4e2-6a1a-11ea-b199-3a9799c54512_story.html |title=Trump Is Overhyping Unproven Coronavirus Drugs |date=March 19, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name="M.Spring">{{cite news |last=Spring |first=Marianna |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52731624 |title=Coronavirus: The human cost of virus misinformation |date=May 27, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> The claims had consequences worldwide, such as a shortage of these drugs in the United States and [[panic-buying]] in Africa and South Asia.<ref name=20200323washingtonpost>{{cite news |last=Rowland |first=Christopher |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/20/hospitals-doctors-are-wiping-out-supplies-an-unproven-coronavirus-treatment/ |title=As Trump touts an unproven coronavirus treatment, supplies evaporate for patients who need those drugs |date=March 23, 2020 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name=wsj1158498189>{{cite news |last1=Parkinson |first1=Joe |last2=Gauthier-Villars |first2=David |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-claim-that-malaria-drugs-treat-coronavirus-sparks-warnings-shortages-11584981897 |title=Trump Claim That Malaria Drugs Treat Coronavirus Sparks Warnings, Shortages |date=March 23, 2020 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=March 26, 2020 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The state of [[Florida]] obtained nearly a million doses for its hospitals, even though most of them did not want the drug.<ref name="Atterbury-Dixon">{{cite news |last1=Atterbury |first1=Andrew |last2=Dixon |first2=Matt |url=https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2020/06/11/florida-ordered-1-million-doses-of-a-trump-touted-drug-hospitals-didnt-want-it-1292638 |title=Florida ordered 1M doses of a Trump-touted drug. Hospitals didn't want it |date=June 11, 2020 |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> Other misinformation, such as Trump's retweet of unverified videos of a far-right British nationalist group in November 2017, serves Trump's domestic political purposes.<ref name="AZurcher">{{cite news |last=Zurcher |first=Anthony |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42171550 |title=Trump's anti-Muslim retweet fits a pattern |date=November 29, 2017 |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> As a matter of principle, Trump does not apologize for his falsehoods.<ref name="JAllen">{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Jonathan |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/does-being-president-trump-still-mean-never-having-say-you-n952841 |title=Does being President Trump still mean never having to say you're sorry? |date=December 31, 2018 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>

Despite the frequency of Trump's falsehoods, the media rarely referred to them as "lies",<ref name="DGreenberg">{{cite news |last=Greenberg |first=David |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/the-perils-of-calling-trump-a-liar-214704 |title=The Perils of Calling Trump a Liar |date=January 28, 2017 |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name="DBouder">{{cite news |last=Bouder |first=David |url=https://apnews.com/88675d3fdd674c7c9ec70f170f6e4a1a/News-media-hesitate-to-use-'lie'-for-Trump's-misstatements |title=News media hesitate to use 'lie' for Trump's misstatements |date=August 29, 2018 |work=[[AP News]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> a word that has in the past been avoided out of respect for the presidential office.<ref name="DGreenberg"/><ref name="DBouder"/> Nevertheless, in August 2018 ''The Washington Post'' declared for the first time that some of Trump's misstatements (statements concerning hush money paid to [[Stormy Daniels]] and ''Playboy'' model [[Karen McDougal]]) were lies.<ref name="GKessler">{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |authorlink=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/08/23/not-just-misleading-not-merely-false-lie/ |title=Not just misleading. Not merely false. A lie. |date=August 23, 2018 |work=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name="DBouder"/>

In 2020, Trump was a significant source of disinformation on national voting practices and the COVID-19 virus.<ref name="Politico-Mail"/> <ref name="NYT-MailFraud"/><ref name="USAT-Disinfo">{{cite news |last=Guynn |first=Jessica |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/05/trump-covid-19-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-twitter-election/3632194001/ |title=From COVID-19 to voting: Trump is nation's single largest spreader of disinformation, studies say |date=October 5, 2020 |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref> Trump's attacks on mail-in ballots and other election practices served to weaken public faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election,<ref name="Politico-Rigged"/><ref name="AP-Elections">{{cite news |last=Riccardi |first=Nicholas |url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-fact-check-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-8c5db90960815f91f39fe115579570b4 |title=AP FACT CHECK: Trump's big distortions on mail-in voting |date=September 17, 2020 |work=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref> while his disinformation about the pandemic dangerously delayed and weakened the national response to it.<ref name="USAT-Disinfo"/><ref name="NYT 4 11 20"/><ref name="Time-BeatIt">{{cite news |last1=Bergengruen |first1=Vera |last2=Hennigan |first2=W.J. |url=https://time.com/5896709/trump-covid-campaign/ |title='You're Gonna Beat It.' How Donald Trump's COVID-19 Battle Has Only Fueled Misinformation |date=October 6, 2020 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref>

Some view the nature and frequency of Trump's falsehoods as having profound and corrosive consequences on democracy.<ref name="MTomasky">{{cite news |last=Tomasky |first=Michael |authorlink=Michael Tomasky |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/opinion/trump-lies.html |title=Why Does Trump Lie? |date=June 11, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> James Pfiffner, professor of policy and government at George Mason University, wrote in 2019 that Trump lies differently from previous presidents, because he offers "egregious false statements that are demonstrably contrary to well-known facts"; these lies are the "most important" of all Trump lies. By calling facts into question, people will be unable to properly evaluate their government, with beliefs or policy irrationally settled by "political power"; this erodes [[liberal democracy]], wrote Pfiffner.<ref name="Pfiffner">{{cite book |last=Pfiffner |first=James P. |editor-last1=Lamb |editor-first1=Charles M. |editor-last2=Neiheisel |editor-first2=Jacob R. |title=Presidential Leadership and the Trump Presidency: Executive Power and Democratic Government |location=New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |date=2019 |pages=17–40 |chapter=The Lies of Donald Trump: A Taxonomy |url=https://pfiffner.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Pfiffner-The-Lies-of-Donald-Trump-A-Taxonomy.pdf |isbn=978-3-030-18979-2}}</ref>

=== Promotion of conspiracy theories ===

Before and throughout his presidency, Trump has [[List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump|promoted numerous conspiracy theories]], including "[[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|birtherism]]", the [[Clinton Body Count]] theory, [[QAnon]] and [[Conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal|alleged Ukrainian interference in U.S. elections]].<ref>
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/politics/donald-trump-conspiracy-theories.html |title=Even as He Rises, Donald Trump Entertains Conspiracy Theories |first=Maggie |last=Haberman |authorlink=Maggie Haberman |date=February 29, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/26/president-trump-loves-conspiracy-theories-has-he-ever-been-right/ |title=President Trump loves conspiracy theories. Has he ever been right? |first=Philip |last=Bump |website=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 26, 2019}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/02/politics/trump-conspiracy-theorists-qanon/index.html |title=The Conspiracy-Theorist-in-Chief clears the way for fringe candidates to become mainstream |first=Maeve |last=Reston |website=[[CNN]] |date=July 2, 2020}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/us/politics/klausutis-letter-jack-dorsey.html |title=Trump Pushes a Conspiracy Theory That Falsely Accuses a TV Host of Murder |first1=Peter |last1=Baker |author1link=Peter Baker (journalist) |first2=Maggie |last2=Astor |date=May 26, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/us/politics/trump-conspiracy-theories-spygate.html |title=With 'Spygate,' Trump Shows How He Uses Conspiracy Theories to Erode Trust |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last1=Davis |author1link=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author2link=Maggie Haberman |date=May 28, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}
</ref> In October 2020, Trump retweeted a QAnon follower who asserted that [[Osama bin Laden]] was still alive, a [[body double]] had been killed in his place and "Biden and Obama may have had [[Seal Team 6]] killed."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/donald-trump-osama-bin-laden-conspiracy-theory-fact-check/index.html |title=Fact-checking the dangerous bin Laden conspiracy theory that Trump touted |first1=Tara |last1=Subramaniam |first2=Holmes |last2=Lybrand |website=[[CNN]] |date=October 15, 2020}}</ref>

=== Relationship with the press ===

{{Further|Presidency of Donald Trump#Relationship with the news media}}
[[File:President Trump's First 100 Days- 45 (33573172373).jpg|thumb|Trump talking to the press, March 2017]]

Throughout his career, Trump has sought media attention, with a "love-hate" relationship with the press.<ref name=Parnes>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/385245-trumps-love-hate-relationship-with-the-press |title=Trump's love-hate relationship with the press |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=April 28, 2018 |accessdate=July 4, 2018 |last=Parnes |first=Amy}}</ref><ref name=Ingram-160301>{{cite news |url=https://fortune.com/2016/03/01/media-love-hate-trump/ |title=Love and Hate: The Media's Co-Dependent Relationship With Donald Trump |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |date=March 1, 2016 |accessdate=July 4, 2018 |last=Ingram |first=Mathew}}</ref><ref name=AN-170124>{{cite news |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1043476/science-technology |title=Trump's love-hate relationship with media intensifies |website=[[Arab News]] |date=January 24, 2017 |accessdate=July 4, 2018 |first=Ben |last=Flanagan}}</ref> Trump began promoting himself in the press in the 1970s.<ref name=Dantonio-160710>{{cite interview |title=Who is Donald Trump? |date=July 10, 2016 |accessdate=July 4, 2018 |last=D'Antonio |first=Michael |website=[[CNN]] |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/10/opinions/donald-trump-biography-michael-dantonio/index.html}}</ref> Fox News anchor [[Bret Baier]] and former House speaker [[Paul Ryan]] have characterized Trump as a "[[internet troll|troll]]" who makes controversial statements to see people's "heads explode".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/bret-baier-trump-likes-trolling-the-left-to-watch-heads-explode-even-if-he-contradicts-himself/ |title=Bret Baier: Trump Likes Trolling the Left to Watch 'Heads Explode', Even If He Contradicts Himself |work=[[Mediaite]] |date=July 24, 2018 |first=Josh |last=Feldman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/07/magazine/paul-ryan-speakership-end-trump.html |title=This Is the Way Paul Ryan's Speakership Ends |first=Mark |last=Leibovich |authorlink=Mark Leibovich |date=August 7, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.<ref name=Cillizza-160614/> ''New York Times'' writer [[Amy Chozick]] wrote in 2018 that Trump's media dominance, which enthralls the public and creates "can't miss" [[reality television]]-type coverage, was politically beneficial for him.<ref name="ChozickNYT">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/sunday-review/trump-2020-reality-tv.html |title=Why Trump Will Win a Second Term |last=Chozick |first=Amy |authorlink=Amy Chozick |date=September 29, 2018 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref>

Throughout his 2016 presidential campaign and his presidency, Trump has accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the [[enemy of the people]]".<ref name=Walsh-160724 /><ref>{{cite news |last=Bondarenko |first=Veronika |title=Trump keeps saying 'enemy of the people' – but the phrase has a very ugly history |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-president-trumps-phrase-an-enemy-of-the-people-2017-2 |work=[[Business Insider]] |accessdate=October 25, 2017}}</ref> After winning the election, journalist [[Lesley Stahl]] recounted Trump's saying he intentionally demeaned and discredited the media "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you."<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomsen |first=Jacqueline |title='60 Minutes' correspondent: Trump said he attacks the press so no one believes negative coverage |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/388855-60-minutes-correspondent-trump-said-he-attacks-the-press-so-no-one |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>

Trump has privately and publicly mused about revoking the press credentials of journalists he views as critical.<ref name=":17">{{cite news |url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/09/media/president-trump-press-credentials/index.html |title=Trump's latest shot at the press corps: 'Take away credentials?' |first1=Brian |last1=Stelter |author1link=Brian Stelter |first2=Kaitlan |last2=Collins |author2link=Kaitlan Collins |website=[[CNN Money]] |accessdate=May 9, 2018}}</ref> His administration moved to revoke the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts.<ref name="auto2">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/business/media/trump-media-2019.html |title=After Another Year of Trump Attacks, 'Ominous Signs' for the American Press |first=Michael M. |last=Grynbaum |date=December 30, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> In 2019, a member of the foreign press reported many of the same concerns as those of media in the U.S., expressing concern that a normalization process by reporters and media results in an inaccurate characterization of Trump.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/20/as-a-foreign-reporter-visiting-the-us-i-was-stunned-by-trumps-press-conference |title=As a foreign reporter visiting the US I was stunned by Trump's press conference |last=Taylor |first=Lenore |authorlink=Lenore Taylor |date=September 20, 2019 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref> The Trump White House held about a hundred formal press briefings in 2017, declining by half during 2018 and to two in 2019.<ref name="auto2"/>

Trump has employed the legal system as an intimidation tactic against the press.<ref name="Atlantic_Press">{{cite news |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=March 11, 2020 |first1=Joshua A.|last1=Geltzer |first2=Neal K.|last2=Katyal |title=The True Danger of the Trump Campaign's Defamation Lawsuits |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/true-danger-trump-campaigns-libel-lawsuits/607753/|access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref> In early 2020, the Trump campaign sued ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and CNN for alleged defamation.<ref>{{cite news |work=[[NPR]] |date=March 3, 2020 |first=David |last=Folkenflik |authorlink=David Folkenflik |title=Trump 2020 Sues 'Washington Post,' Days After 'N.Y. Times' Defamation Suit |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/03/811735554/trump-2020-sues-washington-post-days-after-ny-times-defamation-suit}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[Fox News]] |date=March 6, 2020 |first1=Brian |last1=Flood |first2=Brooke |last2=Singman |title=Trump campaign sues CNN over 'false and defamatory' statements, seeks millions in damages |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-campaign-sues-cnn-false-defamatory-statements-millions-damages.amp}}</ref> These lawsuits lacked merit and were not likely to succeed, however.<ref name="Atlantic_Press"/><ref name="TheHill_Press">{{cite news |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=March 8, 2020 |first=Justin |last=Wise |title=Trump escalates fight against press with libel lawsuits |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/486273-trump-escalates-fight-against-press-with-libel-lawsuits|access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref>

=== Racial views ===

{{Main|Racial views of Donald Trump}}

Many of Trump's comments and actions have been seen as racially charged.<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite news |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |last1=Lopez |first1=German |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 |accessdate=June 15, 2019 |date=February 14, 2019}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/every-moment-donald-trumps-long-complicated-history-race |title=Every moment in Trump's charged relationship with race |date=January 12, 2018 |work=[[PBS NewsHour]] |accessdate=January 13, 2018}}
* {{cite news |title=A history of Donald Trump's racially charged statements |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/a-history-of-donald-trump-s-racially-charged-statements |accessdate=October 3, 2019 |work=[[SBS News]] |agency=[[Agence France Presse]] |date=July 16, 2019}}
* {{cite news |last=Dawsey |first=Josh |authorlink=Josh Dawsey |title=Trump's history of making offensive comments about nonwhite immigrants |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 11, 2018 |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 |accessdate=January 11, 2018}}
* {{cite news |title=Trump's 'shithole' comment denounced across the globe |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/12/trump-shithole-comment-reaction-337926 |accessdate=January 13, 2018 |work=[[Politico]] |date=January 12, 2018 |first=Aubree Eliza |last=Weaver}}
* {{cite news |last1=Stoddard |first1=Ed |last2=Mfula |first2=Chris |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 |accessdate=October 1, 2019 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=January 12, 2018 |quote=African politicians and diplomats labeled U.S. President Donald Trump a racist on Friday.}}</ref> He has repeatedly denied he is racist, asserting: "I am the least racist person there is anywhere in the world."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-denies-racism-most-americans-dont-believe-him |title=As Trump denies racism, most Americans don't believe him |last=Benen |first=Steve |date=August 1, 2019 |website=[[MSNBC]]}}</ref> Many of his supporters say the way he speaks reflects his rejection of [[political correctness]], while others accept it because they share such beliefs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://morningconsult.com/2017/06/29/poll-majority-trump-voters-say-political-correctness-right/ |title=Poll: Majority of Trump Voters Say His Political Correctness Is 'About Right' |last=Nichols |first=Laura |date=June 29, 2017 |accessdate=January 13, 2018 |website=[[Morning Consult]]}}</ref><ref name="nation-20170508">{{cite news |title=Economic Anxiety Didn't Make People Vote Trump, Racism Did |url=https://www.thenation.com/article/economic-anxiety-didn't-make-people-vote-trump-racism-did/ |accessdate=January 13, 2018 |work=[[The Nation]] |date=May 8, 2017 |first1=Sean |last1=McElwee |first2=Jason |last2=McDaniel}}</ref> Scholars have discussed Trump's rhetoric in the context of [[white supremacy]].<ref>
*{{cite journal |last=Inwood |first=Joshua |date=2018 |title=White supremacy, white counter-revolutionary politics, and the rise of Donald Trump |journal=Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=579–596 |doi=10.1177/2399654418789949|s2cid=158269272}}
*{{cite journal |last=Giroux |first=Henry A. |date=2017 |title=White nationalism, armed culture and state violence in the age of Donald Trump |journal=Philosophy & Social Criticism |volume=43 |issue=9 |pages=887–910 |doi=10.1177/0191453717702800|s2cid=151410842}}
*{{cite journal |last=Bobo |first=Lawrence D. |date=2017 |title=The empire strikes back: Fall of the Postracial Myth and Stirrings of Renewed White Supremacy |journal=Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.1017/S1742058X1700008X}}
*{{cite journal |last=Sanchez |first=James Chase |date=2018 |title=Trump, the KKK, and the Versatility of White Supremacy Rhetoric |journal=Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric |volume=8 |issue=1/2 |pages=44–56 |doi=10.1177/2399654418789949|s2cid=158269272}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Pulido |first1=Laura |first2=Tianna |last2=Bruno |first3=Cristina |last3=Faiver-Serna |first4=Cassandra |last4=Galentine |date=2018 |title=Environmental Deregulation, Spectacular Racism, and White Nationalism in the Trump Era |journal=Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics |volume=109 |issue=2 |pages=520–532 |doi=10.1080/24694452.2018.1549473|s2cid=159402163}}
</ref>

Several studies and surveys have found that racist attitudes fueled Trump's political ascendance and have been more important than economic factors in determining the allegiance of Trump voters.<ref name="nation-20170508" /><ref name="vox-20171215">{{cite news |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 |accessdate=January 14, 2018 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=December 15, 2017 |first=German |last=Lopez}}</ref> Racist and [[Islamophobic]] attitudes have been shown to be a powerful indicator of support for Trump.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lajevardi |first1=Nazita |last2=Oskooii |first2=Kassra A. R. |date=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}}</ref> In national polling, about half of Americans say that Trump is racist; a greater proportion believe that he has emboldened racists.<ref name="Marcin">{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-racist-44-percent-white-americans-poll-survey-new-1007434 |title=44 Percent Of White Americans Think Donald Trump Is Racist, New Poll Finds |last=Marcin |first=Tim |date=July 5, 2018 |accessdate=July 5, 2018 |website=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref><ref name="Quinnipiac-180703">{{cite web |url=https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2554 |title=Harsh Words For U.S. Family Separation Policy, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Have Dim View Of Trump, Dems On Immigration |website=[[Quinnipiac University Polling Institute]] |date=July 3, 2018 |accessdate=July 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=William |last=Cummins |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/31/donald-trump-racist-majority-say-quinnipiac-university-poll/1877168001/ |title=A majority of voters say President Donald Trump is a racist, Quinnipiac University poll finds |work=[[USA Today]] |date=July 31, 2019}}</ref>

In 1975, he settled a 1973 Department of Justice lawsuit that alleged housing discrimination against black renters.<ref name="Mahler">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/us/politics/donald-trump-housing-race.html |title='No Vacancies' for Blacks: How Donald Trump Got His Start, and Was First Accused of Bias |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 27, 2016 |accessdate=January 13, 2018 |last1=Mahler |first1=Jonathan |last2=Eder |first2=Steve}}</ref> He has also been accused of racism for insisting a group of black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 [[Central Park jogger case]], even after they were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2002. He has maintained his position on the matter into 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ransom |first1=Jan |title=Trump Will Not Apologize for Calling for Death Penalty Over Central Park Five |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/nyregion/central-park-five-trump.html |accessdate=June 29, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 18, 2019}}</ref>

Trump relaunched his political career in 2011 as a leading proponent of [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|"birther" conspiracy theories]] alleging that Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, was not born in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last=Farley |first=Robert |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/feb/14/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-people-who-went-school-obama-nev/ |title=Donald Trump says people who went to school with Obama never saw him |website=[[PolitiFact]] |date=February 14, 2011 |access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Moody |first=Chris |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/donald-trump-first-speech-to-cpac/index.html |title=Gay conservatives who helped kickstart Trump's GOP career have serious regrets |website=[[CNN]] |date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=February 1, 2020}}</ref> In April 2011, Trump claimed credit for pressuring the White House to publish the "long-form" birth certificate, which he considered fraudulent, and later saying this made him "very popular".<ref name="Madison27April">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-takes-credit-for-obama-birth-certificate-release-but-wonders-is-it-real/ |title=Trump takes credit for Obama birth certificate release, but wonders 'is it real?' |last=Madison |first=Lucy |date=April 27, 2011 |accessdate=May 9, 2011 |website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-history-raising-birther-questions-president-obama/story?id=33861832 |title=Donald Trump's History of Raising Birther Questions About President Obama |website=[[ABC News]] |last=Keneally |first=Meghan |date=September 18, 2015 |accessdate=August 27, 2016}}</ref> In September 2016, amid pressure, he acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S. and falsely claimed the rumors had been started by [[Hillary Clinton]] during [[Hillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaign|her 2008 presidential campaign]].<ref name="nyt-drops">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |title=Trump Drops False 'Birther' Theory, but Floats a New One: Clinton Started It |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |author1link=Maggie Haberman |first2=Alan |last2=Rappeport |author2link=Alan Rappeport |date=September 16, 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html}}</ref> In 2017, he reportedly still expressed birther views in private.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author1link=Maggie Haberman |last2=Martin |first2=Jonathan |author2link=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |date=November 28, 2017 |title=Trump Once Said the 'Access Hollywood' Tape Was Real. Now He's Not Sure. |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/us/politics/trump-access-hollywood-tape.html |access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref>

According to an analysis in ''[[Political Science Quarterly]]'', Trump made "explicitly racist appeals to whites" during his 2016 presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schaffner |first1=Brian F. |author1link=Brian Schaffner |last2=Macwilliams |first2=Matthew |last3=Nteta |first3=Tatishe |title=Understanding White Polarization in the 2016 Vote for President: The Sobering Role of Racism and Sexism |journal=[[Political Science Quarterly]] |date=March 2018 |volume=133 |issue=1 |pages=9–34 |doi=10.1002/polq.12737}}</ref> In particular, his campaign launch speech drew widespread criticism for claiming Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists."<ref>{{cite news |first=Katie |last=Reilly |title=Here Are All the Times Donald Trump Insulted Mexico |url=https://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/ |accessdate=January 13, 2018 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=August 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Five Insults Donald Trump Has Fired At Mexicans In The Presidential Race |url=https://news.sky.com/story/five-insults-donald-trump-has-fired-at-mexicans-in-the-presidential-race-10559438 |accessdate=January 13, 2018 |website=[[Sky News]] |date=September 1, 2016}}</ref> His later comments about a Mexican-American judge presiding over a civil suit regarding [[Trump University]] were also criticized as racist.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/us/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-gonzalo-curiel.html |title=Paul Ryan Calls Donald Trump's Attack on Judge 'Racist', but Still Backs Him |date=June 7, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |first1=Jennifer |last1=Steinhauer |author1link=Jennifer Steinhauer |first2=Jonathan |last2=Martin |author2link=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |first3=David M. |last3=Herszenhorn |accessdate=January 13, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:President Trump Gives a Statement on the Infrastructure Discussion.webm|thumb|start=13:11|Trump answers questions from reporters about the [[Unite the Right rally]] in Charlottesville.]]

Trump's comments in reaction to the [[Unite the Right rally|2017 Charlottesville far-right rally]] were interpreted by some as implying a [[moral equivalence]] between white supremacist demonstrators and counter-protesters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/15/politics/trump-charlottesville-delay/index.html |title=Trump: 'Both sides' to blame for Charlottesville |last=Merica |first=Dan |date=August 26, 2017 |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

In a January 2018 [[Oval Office]] meeting to discuss immigration legislation, he reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries".<ref name="zack">{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/1/11/16880804/trump-shithole-countries-racism |title=Trump's "shithole countries" comment exposes the core of Trumpism |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |date=January 11, 2018 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |accessdate=January 11, 2018}}</ref> His remarks were condemned as racist worldwide, as well as by many members of Congress.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump's 'shithole' comment denounced across the globe |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/12/trump-shithole-comment-reaction-337926 |accessdate=January 13, 2018 |work=[[Politico]] |date=January 12, 2018 |first=Aubree Eliza |last=Weaver}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/unkind-divisive-elitist-international-outcry-over-trumps-shithole-countries-remark |title='There's no other word but racist': Trump's global rebuke for 'shithole' remark |date=January 13, 2018 |work=[[The Guardian]] |first1=Patrick |last1=Wintour |author1link=Patrick Wintour |first2=Jason |last2=Burke |author2link=Jason Burke |first3=Anna |last3=Livsey |accessdate=January 13, 2018}}</ref>

In July 2019, Trump tweeted that four Democratic members of Congress{{snd}}all four minority women, three of them native-born Americans{{snd}}should "[[Go back where you came from|go back]]" to the countries they "came from".<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 14, 2019 |first1=Katie |last1=Rogers |first2=Nicholas |last2=Fandos |author2link=Nicholas Fandos |title=Trump Tells Congresswomen to 'Go Back' to the Countries They Came From |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/14/us/politics/trump-twitter-squad-congress.html}}</ref> Two days later the House of Representatives voted 240–187, mostly along party lines, to condemn his "racist comments".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742236610/condemnation-of-president-delayed-by-debate-can-lawmakers-call-trump-tweets-raci |title=House Votes To Condemn Trump's 'Racist Comments' |last=Mak |first=Tim |date=July 16, 2019 |website=[[NPR]] |accessdate=July 17, 2019}}</ref> [[White nationalist]] publications and social media sites praised his remarks, which continued over the following days.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/white-supremacists-cheer-trump-racist-tweets-soh/index.html |title=Trump said 'many people agree' with his racist tweets. These white supremacists certainly do. |last1=Simon |first1=Mallory |last2=Sidner |first2=Sara |author2link=Sara Sidner |date=July 16, 2019 |website=[[CNN]] |accessdate=July 20, 2019}}</ref> Trump continued to make similar remarks during his 2020 campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/22/trump-attacks-ilhan-omar-420267 |work=[[Politico]] |title='She's telling us how to run our country': Trump again goes after Ilhan Omar's Somali roots |date=September 22, 2020 |first=Matthew |last=Choi}}</ref>

=== Misogyny and allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct ===

{{Main|Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations|Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape}}

Trump has a history of insulting or demeaning comments against women.<ref name="NYTimes_Trump_insults">{{cite news |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |author1link=Michael D. Shear |first2=Eileen |last2=Sullivan |author2link=Eileen Sullivan |title='Horseface,' 'Lowlife,' 'Fat, Ugly': How the President Demeans Women |date=October 16, 2018 |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/us/politics/trump-women-insults.html |accessdate=August 5, 2020}}</ref><ref name="BBC_Trump_talks">{{cite news |first=Ritu |last=Prasad |title=How Trump talks about women – and does it matter? |date=November 29, 2019 |website=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50563106 |accessdate=August 5, 2020}}</ref> After being questioned about his behavior during an [[2016 Republican Party presidential debates and forums#August 6, 2015 – Cleveland, Ohio|Republican primary debate]] by Fox News journalist and debate moderator [[Megyn Kelly]] in August 2015, Trump brushed off the question and implied that she was treating him unfairly. In an interview the next day, Trump said of Kelly, "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever."<ref name="WAPost_Kelly">{{cite news |first=Philip |last=Rucker |authorlink=Philip Rucker |title=Trump says Fox's Megyn Kelly had 'blood coming out of her wherever' |date=August 8, 2015 |website=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/07/trump-says-foxs-megyn-kelly-had-blood-coming-out-of-her-wherever/ |accessdate=August 5, 2020}}</ref><ref name="People_Kelly">{{cite news |first=Adam |last=Carlson |title=Donald Trump: 'Only a Deviant' Would Think Megyn Kelly 'Blood' Comment Was About Menstruating |date=August 9, 2015 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |url=https://people.com/celebrity/donald-trump-only-a-deviant-thinks-megyn-kelly-comment-was-about-menstruating/ |accessdate=August 5, 2020}}</ref> The comment was widely viewed as referring to menstrual blood.<ref name="People_Kelly"/> Trump denied the comment was about menstruation and insisted that what he said was appropriate.<ref name="NBC_Kelly">{{cite news |first=Aaron |last=Joseczyk |title=Donald Trump on Megyn Kelly: 'What I Said Was Appropriate' |date=August 9, 2015 |website=[[NBC News]] |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/trump-what-i-said-was-appropriate-n406661 |accessdate=August 5, 2020}}</ref><ref name="People_Kelly"/> Trump incurred bipartisan condemnation for his comments.<ref name="People_Kelly"/>

In October 2016, two days before the [[2016 United States presidential debates#Second presidential debate (Washington University in St. Louis)|second presidential debate]], a 2005 "[[hot mic]]" recording surfaced in which Trump was heard bragging about kissing and groping women without their consent, saying "when you're a star, they let you do it, you can do anything&nbsp;... grab 'em by the [[Pussy#Female genitalia|pussy]]."<ref name=NBC080716>{{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 |website=[[NBC News]] |date=October 7, 2016 |accessdate=June 10, 2018}}</ref> The incident's widespread media exposure led to Trump's first public apology during the campaign<ref>{{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]] |accessdate=October 8, 2016 |last1=Burns |first1=Alexander |author1link=Alex Burns (journalist) |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author2link=Maggie Haberman |last3=Martin |first3=Jonathan |author3link=Jonathan Martin (journalist)}}</ref> and caused outrage across the political spectrum.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/299895-kaine-on-lewd-trump-tapes-makes-me-sick-to-my-stomach |title=Kaine on lewd Trump tapes: 'Makes me sick to my stomach' |last=Hagen |first=Lisa |date=October 7, 2016 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |accessdate=October 8, 2016}}</ref>

At least twenty-six women have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct {{as of|2020|09|lc=y}}, including his then-wife Ivana. There were allegations of rape, violence, being kissed and groped without consent, looking under women's skirts, and walking in on naked women.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Libby |last2=McGann |first2=Laura |title=E. Jean Carroll joins at least 21 other women in publicly accusing Trump of sexual assault or misconduct |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/21/18701098/trump-accusers-sexual-assault-rape-e-jean-carroll |accessdate=June 25, 2019 |date=June 21, 2019 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rupar |first1=Aaron |title=Trump faces a new allegation of sexually assaulting a woman at Mar-a-Lago |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/9/20906567/trump-karen-johnson-sexual-assault-mar-a-lago-barry-levine-monique-el-faizy-book |accessdate=April 27, 2020 |work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |date=October 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Osborne |first=Lucy |date=September 17, 2020 |title='It felt like tentacles': the women who accuse Trump of sexual misconduct |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/17/amy-dorris-donald-trump-women-who-accuse-sexual-misconduct |access-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref> In 2016, he denied all accusations, calling them "false smears", and alleged there was a conspiracy against him.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/us/politics/donald-trump-women.html |title=Donald Trump Calls Allegations by Women 'False Smears' |last1=Healy |first1=Patrick |last2=Rappeport |first2=Alan |author2link=Alan Rappeport |date=October 13, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |accessdate=October 13, 2016}}</ref>

=== Allegations of inciting violence ===

Some research suggests Trump's rhetoric causes an increased incidence of hate crimes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/7d0949974b1648a2bb592cab1f85aa16 |title=Trump words linked to more hate crime? Some experts think so |last1=Kunzelman |first1=Michael |last2=Galvan |first2=Astrid |date=August 7, 2019 |website=[[AP News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/22/trumps-rhetoric-does-inspire-more-hate-crimes/ |title=Analysis &#124; Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes |website=[[The Washington Post]] |first1=Ayal |last1=Feinberg |first2=Regina |last2=Branton |first3=Valerie |last3=Martinez-Ebers}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Social Science Research Network]] |last1=Rushin |first1=Stephen |last2=Edwards |first2=Griffin Sims |date=January 14, 2018 |title=The Effect of President Trump's Election on Hate Crimes |ssrn=3102652}}</ref> During the [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|2016 campaign]], he urged or praised physical attacks against protesters or reporters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://time.com/4203094/donald-trump-hecklers/ |title=Donald Trump Tells Crowd To "Knock the Crap Out Of" Hecklers |last=White |first=Daniel |date=February 1, 2016 |website=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/trump-gianforte-congressman-assault-journalist-montana |title=Trump Thinks It's Totally Cool That A Congressman Assaulted A Journalist For Asking A Question |last=Koerner |first=Claudia |date=October 18, 2018 |website=[[BuzzFeed News]] |access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref> Since then, some defendants prosecuted for hate crimes or violent acts cited Trump's rhetoric in arguing that they were not culpable or should receive a lighter sentence.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/donald-trump-domestic-terrorism-el-paso |title="The President of the United States Says It's Okay": The Rise of the Trump Defense |last=Tracy |first=Abigail |date=August 8, 2019 |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref> In August 2019 it was reported that a man who allegedly assaulted a minor for perceived disrespect toward the national anthem had cited Trump's rhetoric in his own defense.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/national-anthem-assault-curt-brockway-wally-trump-boy-rodeo |title=Trump's "Rhetoric" Inspired This Man To Assault A 13-Year-Old For Wearing A Hat During The Anthem, His Lawyer Said |last=Reinstein |first=Julia |date=August 8, 2019 |website=[[BuzzFeed News]] |access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref> In August 2019, a nationwide review by ABC News identified at least 36 criminal cases in which Trump was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence. Of these, 29 were based around someone echoing presidential rhetoric, while the other seven were someone protesting it or not having direct linkage.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889 |title='No Blame?' ABC News finds 36 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults. |date=August 14, 2019 |first=Mike |last=Levine |publisher=[[ABC News]] |access-date=August 16, 2019}}</ref>

=== Popular culture ===

{{Main|Donald Trump in popular culture|Donald Trump in music}}

Trump has been the subject of parody, comedy, and caricature. He has been parodied regularly on [[Saturday Night Live parodies of Donald Trump|''Saturday Night Live'']] by [[Phil Hartman]], [[Darrell Hammond]], and [[Alec Baldwin]], and in ''[[South Park]]'' as [[Mr. Garrison]]. ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Bart to the Future]]"{{snd}}written during his [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2000|2000 campaign for the Reform Party]]{{snd}}anticipated a Trump presidency. A parody series called ''[[The President Show]]'' debuted in April 2017 on [[Comedy Central]], while another one called ''[[Our Cartoon President]]'' debuted on [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] in February 2018.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/04/donald-trump-impression-gets-a-comedy-central-show/521718/ |title='Donald Trump' Gets a Comedy Central Series |first=Megan |last=Garber |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=April 3, 2017 |accessdate=April 4, 2017}}</ref>

Trump's wealth and lifestyle had been a fixture of [[hip-hop]] lyrics since the 1980s; he was named in hundreds of songs, most often in a positive tone.<ref name=538-hiphop /><ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3PDW6g1ceU |title=25 years of Donald Trump mentions in hip hop |via=YouTube |author=mantolius |date=February 25, 2016 |accessdate=November 15, 2016}}</ref> Mentions of Trump in hip-hop turned negative and pejorative after he ran for office in 2015.<ref name=538-hiphop>{{cite news |url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/clinton-trump-hip-hop-lyrics |title=Hip-Hop Is Turning On Donald Trump |work=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |date=July 14, 2016 |first=Allison |last=McCann}}</ref>

=== Recognition ===

{{Further|List of honors and awards received by Donald Trump}}

In 1983, Trump received the [[Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award]], after he helped fund two playgrounds, a park, and a reservoir in Israel.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-inside-donald-trump-s-history-of-donations-in-israel-1.5469673 |title=Inside Donald Trump's History of Donations in Israel |work=[[Haaretz]] |first=Judy |last=Maltz |date=May 9, 2017 |access-date=October 13, 2019}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite news |first=Judy |last=Maltz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-when-trump-helped-resettle-evacuated-israelis-1.5468499 |title=Trump Once Helped Finance Resettlement of Israelis Evacuated From Sinai |date=May 4, 2017 |work=[[Haaretz]]}}</ref> In 1986, he received the [[Ellis Island Medal of Honor]] in recognition of "patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.snopes.com/trump-received-ellis-island-award-in-1986/ |title=Did Donald Trump Receive an Ellis Island Award in 1986? |first=Dan |last=Evon |date=September 5, 2016 |website=[[Snopes]]}}</ref> and in 1995 was awarded the President's Medal from the [[Freedoms Foundation]] for his support of youth programs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28799230/the_philadelphia_inquirer/ |title=Trump to be honored for working with youths |date=May 25, 1995 |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]}}</ref> He has been awarded five honorary doctorates, but one was revoked by [[Robert Gordon University]] in 2015 after Trump called for a Muslim ban, citing Trump's speech being "wholly incompatible{{nbsp}}... with the ethos and values of the university". The remaining awards are [[Lehigh University]]'s honorary doctorate of laws in 1988, [[Wagner College]]'s honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2004, and [[Liberty University]]'s honorary doctorates of business and law in 2012 and 2017 respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/13/trump-has-now-been-awarded-five-honorary-doctorates-and-stripped-of-one/ |title=Donald Trump has now been awarded five honorary doctorates – and stripped of one |date=May 14, 2017 |website=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Callum |last=Borchers |accessdate=June 5, 2020}}</ref>

In December 2016, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' named Trump as its "[[Time Person of the Year|Person of the Year]]",<ref name=PersonYear>{{cite news |last=Gibbs |first=Nancy |authorlink=Nancy Gibbs |title=Why Donald Trump is TIME's Person of the Year |url=https://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2016-donald-trump-choice/ |accessdate=December 7, 2016 |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=December 7, 2016}}</ref> but Trump took issue with the magazine for referring to him as the "President of the Divided States of America".<ref>{{cite news |last=Kim |first=Eun Kyung |title=Donald Trump: Mitt Romney is still in the running for secretary of state |url=https://www.today.com/news/donald-trump-mitt-romney-still-running-secretary-state-t105685 |accessdate=December 7, 2016 |work=[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]] |date=December 7, 2016}}</ref> In the same month, he was named ''[[Financial Times]]'' [[Financial Times Person of the Year|Person of the Year]]<ref name="FT 2016">{{cite news |last=Luce |first=Edward |authorlink=Edward Luce |title=FT Person of the Year: Donald Trump |url=https://www.ft.com/content/b7bb61ec-c054-11e6-81c2-f57d90f6741a |accessdate=December 17, 2017 |work=[[Financial Times]] |date=December 12, 2016}}</ref> and was ranked by ''Forbes'' the [[Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People|second most powerful person in the world]] after [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The World's Most Powerful People |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2016/12/14/the-worlds-most-powerful-people-2016/ |work=[[Forbes]] |date=December 2016 |accessdate=December 14, 2016}}</ref> As president, Trump received the [[Order of King Abdulaziz|Collar of The Order of Abdulaziz al Saud]] from Saudi Arabia in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-latest-saudi-arabia-highest-civilian-honour-king-abdulaziz-al-saud-collar-gold-a7746566.html |title=Donald Trump awarded with Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour within hours of landing in the country |last1=Wilts |first1=Alexandra |date=May 20, 2017 |work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=May 20, 2017}}</ref>

== Notes ==

{{notelist}}

== References ==

{{reflist}}

=== Works cited ===

<!-- This section is ONLY for books that are cited in footnotes of this Wikipedia article. -->
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |title=Trump: The Deals and the Downfall |last=Barrett |first=Wayne |authorlink=Wayne Barrett |publisher=[[Harper Collins]] |year=2016 |orig-year=First published 1992 |edition=First Regan Art Paperback |isbn=978-1-682450-79-6}} Paperback title: ''The greatest show on Earth{{snd}}The deals, the downfall, the reinvention''.
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ig1ZCgAAQBAJ |title=Donald Trump: The Candidate |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |authorlink=Gwenda Blair |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=2015a |isbn=978-1-4391-2937-1}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uJifCgAAQBAJ |title=The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire |last=Blair |first=Gwenda |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2015b |orig-year=2001 |isbn=978-1-5011-3936-9}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G7Tf_1GzlHEC |title=The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion 1989 |last=Gallup |first=George Jr. |authorlink=George Gallup Jr. |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-8420-2344-3}}
* {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/empire00mitc |url-access=registration |title=Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon |last=Pacelle |first=Mitchell |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-471-23865-2}}
* {{cite book |title=Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President |last1=Kranish |first1=Michael |author1link=Michael Kranish |last2=Fisher |first2=Marc |author2link=Marc Fisher |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=2017 |orig-year=First published 2016 |isbn=978-1-5011-5652-6 |title-link=Trump Revealed}}
* {{cite book |title=Trumped! |last1=O'Donnell |first1=John R. |last2=Rutherford |first2=James |publisher=Crossroad Press Trade Edition |year=1991 |orig-year=First published 1991 |isbn=978-1946025-26-5 |title-link=Trumped! (book)}}
* {{cite book |title=Too Much and Never Enough |last=Trump |first=Mary L. |authorlink=Mary L. Trump |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-9821-4146-2 |title-link=Too Much and Never Enough}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NIPOonZnkDEC |title=Donald Trump: From Real Estate to Reality TV |last=Wooten |first=Sara |publisher=[[Enslow Publishers]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7660-2890-6}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Library resources box|by=yes}}
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* [https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-trump Trump's profile on WhiteHouse.gov]
* [https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump Donald Trump] on [[Twitter]] (personal)<!-- DO NOT CHANGE without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 9. -->
* [https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/607230 Donald Trump] at ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''
* [https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/donald-trump Donald Trump collected news and commentary] from ''[[The New York Times]]''
* [https://www.c-span.org/person/?donaldtrump Donald Trump appearances] on [[C-SPAN]]
* [https://archive.org/details/trumparchive Donald Trump] on the [[Internet Archive]]
* [https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/people/donald-j-trump Talking About Donald Trump] at [[The Interviews: An Oral History of Television]]

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'''Black Lives Matter.'''

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Black Lives Matter.

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