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This article is about Donald John Trump. For his son, see Donald Trump, Jr.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump, February 2011
Born
Donald John Trump

(1946-06-14) June 14, 1946 (age 78)
Queens, New York, U.S.
EducationFordham University

University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business (B.S.)

Occupation(s)Businessperson
Chief executive officer
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Political partyRegistered Republican
(c. 1987–1999; 2009–present)[1] Reform Party (1999-2000) [2]
Spouse(s)Ivana Trump (1977–92)
Marla Maples (1993–99)
Melania Trump (2005–present)
ChildrenDonald Trump, Jr. (born 1977)
Ivanka Trump (born 1981)
Eric Trump (born 1984)
Tiffany Trump (born 1993)
Barron Trump (born 2006)
Parent(s)Fred Christ Trump (1905–1999)
Mary Anne MacLeod (1912–2000)
WebsiteThe Trump Organization
Signature

Donald John Trump, Sr. (born June 14, 1946) is an American business magnate, socialite, author, and television personality. He is the Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, a US-based real-estate developer. Trump is also the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which operates numerous casinos and hotels across the world. Trump's extravagant lifestyle and outspoken manner have made him a celebrity for years, a status amplified by the success of his NBC reality show, The Apprentice (where he serves as host and executive producer). Donald Trump is considered a possible candidate for President of the United States in 2012.[6][7]

Donald is the fourth of five children of Fred Trump, a real-estate developer based in New York City and self-made millionaire. Donald was strongly influenced by his father in his eventual goals to make a career in real estate development,[8] and upon his graduation from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, Donald Trump joined his father's company, Elizabeth Trump & Son.[9] Trump subsequently formed his own company, The Trump Organization, in 1971.[10]

Starting with the renovation of the Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt with the Pritzker family, he continued with Trump Tower in New York City and several other residential projects. Trump would later expand into the airline industry (buying the Eastern Shuttle routes),[11] and Atlantic City casino business, including buying the Taj Mahal Casino from the Crosby family, then taking it into bankruptcy. This expansion, both personal and business, led to mounting debt.[12] Much of the news about him in the early 1990s involved his much publicized financial problems, creditor-led bailout, extramarital affair with Marla Maples (whom he later married), and the resulting divorce from his first wife, Ivana Trump.

The late 1990s saw a resurgence in his financial situation and fame. In 2001, he completed Trump World Tower, a 72-story residential tower across from the United Nations Headquarters.[13] Also, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. Trump owns commercial space in Trump International Hotel and Tower, a 44-story mixed-use (hotel and condominium) tower on Columbus Circle. Trump currently owns several million square feet of prime Manhattan real estate,[14] and remains a major figure in the field of real estate in the United States and a celebrity for his prominent media exposures.

Trump has expressed a desire to run for the United States presidency several times, but claims he has never seriously considered it until the 2012 election. He has also repeatedly asked President Barack Obama to show his birth certificate, if only to put to rest rumors he might not have been born in the U.S. Trump has continually stated that there is "something on that birth certificate he doesn't want people to see."

Background and education

Donald Trump is a son of Fred Christ Trump (October 11, 1905 – June 25, 1999) and wife Mary Anne MacLeod (May 10, 1912, Stornoway, Scotland – August 7, 2000), who married in 1936 and had five children; one of whom, Fred Jr., their eldest son, predeceased his parents by suicide. Donald Trump's paternal grandparents were German immigrants. His grandfather, Frederick Trump (né Drumpf), emigrated to the United States in 1885 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1892. Frederick married Elisabeth Christ (October 10, 1880 – June 6, 1966)[15] at Kallstadt, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, on August 26, 1902. They had three children.

Donald Trump attended the The Kew-Forest School, Forest Hills, New York, as did some of his siblings. After he had some difficulties there when he was thirteen years old, his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy (NYMA) hoping to direct his energy and assertiveness in a positive manner.[16] At NYMA, in upstate New York, Trump earned academic honors, played varsity football in 1962, varsity soccer in 1963, and varsity baseball from 1962-64 (baseball captain 1964). The baseball coach, Ted Dobias, a local celebrity for his work with area youth, awarded him the Coach's Award in 1964. Promoted to Cadet Captain-S4 (Cadet Battalion Logistics Officer) his Senior Year, Trump and Cadet First Sergeant Jeff Donaldson (NYMA class of 1965; West Point 1969) formed a composite company of cadets, taught them advanced close-order drill, and marched them all down Fifth Avenue on Memorial Day in 1964. Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics and concentration in finance.

In his book, Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump discusses his undergraduate career: "After I graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964, I flirted briefly with the idea of attending film school... but in the end I decided real estate was a much better business. I began by attending Fordham University... but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in...I was also very glad to get finished. I immediately moved back home and went to work full time with my father." [citation needed]

Career

Early success (1968–1989)

Trump began his career at his father's company,[17] the Trump Organization, and initially concentrated on his father's preferred field of middle-class rental housing in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. One of Donald's first projects, while he was still in college, was the revitalization of the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, which his father had purchased for 5.7 million dollars in 1962. Donald became intimately involved in the project, personally flying in for a few days at a time to carry out landscaping and other low-level tasks. After $500,000 investment, Donald successfully turned a 1200-unit complex with a 66% vacancy rate to 100% occupancy within two years. The Trump Organization sold Swifton Village for $6.75 million in 1972.[18]

In 1971 Trump moved his residence to Manhattan, where he became convinced of the economic opportunity in the city, specifically large building projects in Manhattan that would offer opportunities for earning high profits, utilizing attractive architectural design, and winning public recognition.[8] Trump began by landing the rights to develop the old Penn Central yards on the West Side, then — with the help of a 40-year tax abatement by the financially strained New York City government, which was eager to give tax concessions in exchange for investments at a time of financial crisis — turned the bankrupt Commodore Hotel into a new Grand Hyatt.[19]

He was also instrumental in steering the development of the Javits Convention Center on property he had an option on. The development saga of the Javits Convention Center brought Trump into contact with the New York City government when a project he had estimated could have been completed by his company for $110 million ended up costing the city between $750 million to $1 billion. He offered to take over the project at cost but the offer was not accepted.[20]

A similar opportunity would arise in the city's attempt to restore the Wollman Rink in Central Park, a project started in 1980 with an expected 2½-year construction schedule that was still, with $12 million spent, nowhere near completion in 1986. Trump offered to take over the job at no charge to the city, an offer that was initially rebuffed until it received much local media attention. Trump was given the job which he completed in six months and with $750,000 of the $3 million budgeted for the project left over.[21]

Trump was also involved with the old USFL, a competitor to the NFL, as owner of the New Jersey Generals.[22] In addition, Trump at one time acted as a financial advisor for Mike Tyson,[23] and he hosted Tyson's fight against Michael Spinks in Atlantic City.[24]

Financial problems (1989–1997)

By 1989, the effects of recession left Trump unable to meet loan payments. Trump financed the construction of his third casino, the $1 billion Taj Mahal, primarily with high-interest junk bonds. Although he shored up his businesses with additional loans and postponed interest payments, by 1991 increasing debt brought Trump to business bankruptcy[12] and the brink of personal bankruptcy. Banks and bond holders had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, but opted to restructure his debt to avoid the risk of losing more money in court. The Taj Mahal re-emerged from bankruptcy on October 5, 1991, with Trump ceding 50% ownership in the casino to the original bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates on the debt and more time to pay it off.[25]

On November 2, 1992, the Trump Plaza Hotel was forced to file a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection plan after being unable to make its debt payments. Under the plan, Trump agreed to give up a 49% stake in the luxury hotel to Citibank and five other lenders. In return Trump would receive more favorable terms on the remaining $550+ million owed to the lenders and retain his position as chief executive, though he would not be paid and would not have a role in day-to-day operations.[26]

By 1994, Trump had eliminated a large portion of his $900 million personal debt[27] and reduced significantly his nearly $3.5 billion in business debt. While he was forced to relinquish the Trump Shuttle (which he had bought in 1989), he managed to retain Trump Tower in New York City and control of his three casinos in Atlantic City. Chase Manhattan Bank, which lent Trump the money to buy the West Side yards, his biggest Manhattan parcel, forced the sale of a parcel to Asian developers. According to former members of the Trump Organization, Trump did not retain any ownership of the site's real estate - the owners merely promised to give him about 30 percent of the profits once the site was completely developed or sold. Until that time, the owners wanted to keep Trump on to do what he did best: build things. They gave him a modest construction fee and a management fee to oversee the development. The new owners also allowed him to put his name on the buildings that eventually rose on the yards because his well-known moniker allowed them to charge a premium for their condos.[28]

Trump was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 1995.[29]

In 1995, he combined his casino holdings into the publicly held Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. Wall Street drove its stock above $35 in 1996, but by 1998 it had fallen into single digits as the company remained profitless and struggled to pay just the interest on its nearly $3 billion in debt. Under such financial pressure, the properties were unable to make the improvements necessary for keeping up with their flashier competitors. Finally, on October 21, 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts announced a restructuring of its debt.[30] The plan called for Trump's individual ownership to be reduced from 56 percent to 27 percent, with bondholders receiving stock in exchange for surrendering part of the debt. Since then, Trump Hotels has been forced to seek voluntary bankruptcy protection to stay afloat. After the company applied for Chapter 11 Protection in November 2004, Trump relinquished his CEO position but retained a role as Chairman of the Board. In May 2005[31] the company re-emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.[32]

Resurgence (1997–2007)

Trump announcing David Blaine's latest feat

Trump has several projects under way. The level of success of the progress of the projects varies. The Trump International Hotel and Tower - Honolulu seems to be a success. According to Trump, buyers paid non-refundable deposits to commit to purchase every unit on the first day they were made available. Construction of the Trump International Hotel and Tower - Chicago seems to be proceeding as planned although 30% of the units remain unsold. The Trump International Hotel and Tower - Toronto has had a series of delays and a height reduction. The Trump Tower - Tampa has been quite controversial because the initial sales were so successful that all deposits were returned to charge a higher price. Three years after construction of this controversial development began, construction has delayed and lawsuits have been filed. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida one Trump construction project was put on hold in favor of another (Trump International Hotel and Tower - Fort Lauderdale). Meanwhile, Trump Towers - Atlanta is being developed in a housing market which has the nation's second-highest inventory of unsold homes.[33]

2008 financial crisis

Trump has been caught in the 2008 financial crisis as sales for his Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago have been lagging and he failed to pay a $40m loan to Deutsche Bank in December.[34] Arguing that the crisis is an Act of God, he evoked a clause in the contract to not pay the loan and initiated a countersuit asserting his image has been damaged.[34] Deutsche Bank has in turn noted in court that 'Trump is no stranger to overdue debt' and that he has twice previously filed for bankruptcy with respect to his casino operations.[34]

On February 17, 2009 Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy; Trump having stated on February 13 that he would resign from the board.[35] Trump Entertainment Resorts has three properties in Atlantic City.

Properties

Future site of Trump International Hotel & Tower, Toronto

In its October 7, 2007 Forbes 400 issue, "Acreage Aces," Forbes valued Trump's wealth to $3.0 billion.[36]

Selected completed properties

  • Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY. It is valued at $290 million.
  • Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Trump owns the retail and office space on the lower half of this building. It is valued at $288 million.
    • Personal Residence: Trump Tower: top 3 floors of Trump Tower with approximately 30,000 square feet (3,000 m²) of space; detailed in bronze, gold, and marble. Worth as much as $50 million, it is one of the most valuable apartments in New York City.
  • AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
  • 555 California Street, formerly the Bank of America Center, in San Francisco: When Trump was forced to sell a stake in the railyards on Manhattan's West Side, the Asian group to which he sold then sold much of the site for $1.76 billion. They then reinvested the rest of the money, via a tax-free exchange, into two office buildings: 1290 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan and 555 California Street in San Francisco (The Group has since sold their stake to Vornado Realty Trust). Trump ended up owning 30% of the two buildings. Based on the recent sales price, Trump's stake is valued at $540 million.
  • The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street: Trump bought and renovated this building for about $35 million in 1996. Although Trump claims it is worth $400 million, New York tax assessors value it at only $90 million. Mr. Trump has taken out a $145 million mortgage on this property to use for other investments. Forbes values the property at $260 million.
  • Trump Entertainment Resorts: This company owns the Trump branded casino resorts. After a long period of financial trouble, the company entered bankruptcy protection in 2004. Trump agreed to invest $55 million cash in the new company and pay $16.4 million to the company's debtors. In return he holds a 29.16% stake in the new public company. This stake was worth approximately $171 million in October 2006. The Trump branded casino resorts include the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza and the Trump Marina.
  • Riverside South/Trump Place When completed, Riverside South will be the largest single private development in New York City's history. It was built by the Trump Organization, although financed by investors from Hong Kong and owned by the Hudson Waterfront Company. During his financial difficulties in the mid 90's, Trump was forced to sell this site, the former west side rail-yards. The new owners continued Trump's involvement with the property and sought to use his name to seek higher sales prices. Trump was paid $2 million annually for his oversight of the project, and he was offered an estimated 30% of the net profits upon completion of this 10 year project. The investors sold off the uncompleted project in 2005 for $1.8 billion and offered Mr. Trump $500 million. Trump contends that the property should have been sold for more than $3 billion and in 2006 sued the owners for selling without his consent, and sought $1 billion in damages. Forbes values his stake in the property at $170 million.
  • Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago . The entire project is valued at $1.2 billion ($112 million stake for Trump).
  • Trump Hotel Las Vegas This is a joint development with fellow Forbes 400 member, Phil Ruffin, and Jack Wishna. Trump's stake is valued at $162 million.
Trump International Hotel and Tower (NY) at Columbus Circle
  • Trump International Hotel and Tower New York, Trump provided his name and expertise to the building's owner (GE) during the building's re-development in 1994 for a fee totaling $40 million ($25 million for project management and $15 million in incentives deriving from the condo sales). Forbes values Trump's stake at $12 million.
  • Trump Park Avenue: Park Avenue & 59th Street. It is valued at $142 million.
  • Nike Store: The Niketown store is located in Trump Tower. It is valued at $120 million
  • Palm Beach estate: 43,000 square feet (4,000 m²) on a large oceanfront lot in Palm Beach. Trump purchased this property for $40 million at a bankruptcy auction in 2004. Renovations to the property were led by the Season 3 Apprentice Kendra Todd, and Trump sold the property for $100 million in June 2008, making it the most expensive house ever sold in the United States. (The preivous record is $70 million for Ron Perelman's Palm Beach estate in 2004.). Forbes values his stake in the property for $43 million.
  • Mar-A-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida. Most of this estate has been converted into a private club. This landmark property, according to Trump, has received bids near $200,000,000. However, Forbes magazine does not take into account either of Trump's large vacation residences (Mar-A-Lago or his 213-acre (0.86 km2) spread near Bedford, NY in Westchester County, NY) for its valuation of his wealth.

Golf courses

(valued at $127 million)

  • Trump currently owns four golf courses in the United States: Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, New York, Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.
  • In 2006 Trump purchased a 1,400-acre (5.7 km2) plot just north of Aberdeen at Menie (Balmedie), Scotland, with the intention of turning it into a £1billion golf resort and "the world's best golf course" capable of hosting world class events such as The Open Championship.[37] There has been opposition from some locals and negative reaction from environmental groups, but the project continues (see below).
  • Trump is also building Trump International Golf Club in the Caribbean island of Canouan Island, The Grenadines. The development will include Trump Club Privee, a Monte Carlo inspired casino.
  • Trump also builds residential housing developments near these golf clubs. Examples include: The Estates at Trump National in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, Trump Island Villas on Canouan Island, The Grenadines, and The Residences at Trump National in Westchester County, NY.
Balmedie Golf Course (Aberdeen, Scotland)

The development plan for Trump International Golf Links, Scotland (TIGLS) included two 18-hole courses, a 5-star hotel, golf villas, holiday homes, and a golf academy. It was strongly supported by local business leaders[38] but met opposition from some local campaigners and from environmental groups anxious to preserve the 4,000-year-old sand dunes that are designated an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). Though recommended for approval by Aberdeenshire Council officials[39] the development was initially rejected by a local subcommittee of elected members. However it was subsequently approved following a controversial planning inquiry ordered by the Scottish Government in June 2008, at which Trump personally testified. Work began on the site in July 2010.[40]

In March 2009 the Trump Organisation had asked the Council to use its powers of compulsory purchase to acquire some areas of land at Balmedie not forming part of the original TIGLS site for which planning permission already existed. These included four family-owned properties.[41] In response local campaigners established Tripping Up Trump, a movement aimed at protecting the families at Menie being threatened with eviction. When it emerged at the end of January 2011 that Queen guitarist Brian May had agreed for the band's hit Bohemian Rhapsody to be used in a film highlighting the plight of the families, Trump appeared to deny in a media statement that there had ever been an eviction threat, declaring "we have no interest in compulsory purchase and have never applied for it."[42]

Real estate licensing

Trump in 2009

Many developers pay Donald Trump to market their properties and be the public face for their projects. For that reason, Trump does not own many of the buildings that display his name. According to Forbes, this portion of Trump's empire, actually run by his children, is by far his most valuable with a valuation of $562 million. According to Forbes, there are 33 licensing projects under development including seven "condo hotels" (i.e. The seven Trump International Hotel and Tower developments). Some examples are:

In the media

Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Donald Trump, a two-time Emmy Award-nominated personality, has made appearances as a caricatured version of himself in television series and films (e.g. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Days of our Lives), and as a character (The Little Rascals.) He has been the subject of comedians, flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists.

In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show, The Apprentice, in which a group of competitors battled for a high-level management job in one of Trump's commercial enterprises. The other contestants were successively "fired" and eliminated from the game. In 2004, Donald Trump filed a trademark application for the catchphrase "You're fired".[1][2][3]

For the first year of the show Trump was paid $50,000 per episode (roughly $700,000 for the first season), but following the show's initial success, he is now paid a reported $3 million per episode, making him one of the highest paid TV personalities.

In December 2006, talk show host Rosie O'Donnell criticized Trump on The View for "acting as a moral compass for 20-year-olds" after giving a second chance to Miss USA, Tara Conner, who had violated pageant guidelines by partying and drinking. Trump, who owns the rights to the pageant, decided to let Conner retain the Miss USA crown while she pursued rehabilitation. O'Donnell called Trump a snake oil salesman and claimed he was bankrupt. A tabloid war raged for several weeks thereafter between the two celebrities.[44] Trump appeared on numerous TV shows slamming O'Donnell, calling her names, threatening to sue her, threatening to take away her partner Kelli and claimed that Barbara Walters regretted hiring O'Donnell [citation needed]. Walters denied the allegations.

In 2007, Donald Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to television (The Apprentice).

In October 2007, Trump appeared on Larry King Live and delivered a strong criticism of then-United States President George W. Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. He also predicted that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton would win the Republican and Democratic Presidential nominations, respectively, and said that he would be very supportive of either of them being elected President. He made further statements about the issue on The Situation Room, in which he said "anybody who wants more troops in Iraq, I don't feel can win an election" as Rudy Giuliani supports that position. On the same show, he was also critical of the public perception of Angelina Jolie as a grand beauty.[45]

On September 17, 2008, Trump officially endorsed John McCain for the U.S. Presidency on Larry King Live.[46]

In November 2009, Trump filmed a cameo scene for the 2010 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the Wall Street sequel, in an unspecified role.[47]

Trump has said that he is seriously considering running for President of the United States in 2012.[48][49]

In March of 2011, Trump was the subject of a Comedy Central Roast. The special was hosted by Seth MacFarlane, and roasters included Larry King, Snoop Dogg and Anthony Jeselnik among regular roast participants. Trump's Daughter Ivanka was seen in the audience.

Other ventures

The Miss Universe Organization is owned by Donald Trump and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). The organization produces the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants.

Other investments include a 17.2% stake in Parker Adnan, Inc. (formerly AdnanCo Group), a Bermuda-based financial services holdings company. In late 2003, Trump, along with his siblings, sold their late father's real estate empire to a group of investors that included Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and LamboNuni Bank reportedly for $600 million. Donald Trump's 1/3 share was $200 million, which he later used to finance Trump Casino & Resorts.

Trump has succeeded in marketing the Trump name on a large number of products, including Trump Financial (a mortgage firm), Trump Sales and Leasing (residential sales), Trump University (a business education company),[4] Trump Restaurants (Located in Trump Tower and consisting of Trump Buffet, Trump Catering, Trump Ice Cream Parlor, and Trump Bar), GoTrump[5] (an online travel website), Donald J. Trump Signature Collection (a line of menswear, men's accessories, and watches), Donald Trump The Fragrance (2004), Trump Ice bottled water, Trump Magazine, Trump Golf, Trump Institute, Trump The Game (1989 Board Game), Trump Vodka, and Trump Steaks. In addition, Trump reportedly receives $1.5 million for each one-hour presentation he does for The Learning Annex.[50]

Tavern on the Green

Trump is in the process of negotiating a deal with New York City to reopen the Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park, previously one of the world's highest grossing restaurants.[51]

World Wrestling Entertainment

Trump is a known World Wrestling Entertainment fan and friend of WWE owner Vince McMahon. He has hosted two WrestleMania events in the Trump Plaza and has been an active participant in several of the shows. Trump's Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was host to the 1991 WBF Championship (which was owned by WWE, known at the time as the "World Wrestling Federation."). Trump was interviewed by Jesse Ventura ringside at WrestleMania XX. He also appeared at WrestleMania 23 in the corner of Bobby Lashley who competed against Umaga with WWE Chairman McMahon in his corner, in a hair versus hair match, with either Trump or McMahon having their head shaved if their competitor lost. Lashley won the match, and he and Trump both proceeded to shave McMahon bald.[52]

On June 15, 2009, as part of a storyline, McMahon announced on WWE Raw that he had 'sold' the show to Donald Trump. Appearing on screen, Trump confirmed it and declared he would be at the following commercial-free episode in person and would give a full refund to the people who purchased tickets to the arena for that night's show in the amount of USD $235,000. McMahon "bought back" Raw on June 22, 2009. [citation needed]

In wrestling
  • Accomplishments

Vitamins

In the fall of 2009, Trump launched The Trump Network, a direct selling vitamin company. The products include PrivaTest, a multi-vitamin, Silhoutte Solution, a series of weight loss products, and QuikStik, mood infusion beverages. The company positions itself as offering coaching from Trump, and that one may become an entrepreneur by joining.[53]

Politics

2000s

In the 2000 election, Trump jockeyed to run as a third-party candidate for the United States presidency, considering running nomination by the Reform Party as a business conservative, socially moderate candidate.[54][55][56][57] In his 2000 tome, The America We Deserve, economic policies Trump proposed include:

  • Institution of a once-only 14.25% tax on personal estates and trusts over $10 million, which he estimated would raise $5.7 trillion in revenue toward retirement of the national debt, tax cuts for the middle class, and supplementing the funding of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; and, by way of compensating this one-time tax on the wealthy, permanent abolishment of the 55% federal inheritance tax.
  • Repeal of limits on campaign contributions, combined with outlawing soft money campaign contributions
    See also: Campaign finance reform in the United States
  • Regarding universal health care, Trump touted himself as "a conservative on most issues, but a liberal on this one. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our greatest asset."[58][59]
  • Renegotiation of U.S. trade policies[60]

For 2004 and 2008, Trump speculated about running for President in the Republican party and for 2006 considered running for governor of New York as a representative of the party[61]

Trump had switched to the Democratic Party from the Republican Party in 2001 and again registered as a Republican in 2009.[62] Trump said in an interview in 2007, "I'm very much independent in that way. I go for the person, not necessarily the party. I mean, I vote for Republicans and I vote for Democrats."[63]

Since the 1990 U.S. elections, Trump contributed to the campaigns of both Republicans, such as John McCain, Rudolph Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush[64] and such Democratic Party candidates as Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Tom Daschle, Joe Biden, Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Charles Rangel.[64][65][66]

2012 Presidential Candidacy

For 2012, Trump has made an energetic investigation of a presidential candidacy, including a February speech to a CPAC gathering,[67] an early venue for candidates considering a presidential run, as a write-in candidate in its straw poll for the office. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Donald Trump leading among potential contenders for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, one point ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.[68] A Newsweek poll conducted February 2011 showed that Donald Trump garnered sufficient support to prevail in the November 2012 general election for President of the United States against Barack Obama.[7]

Trump's political stances included the following:[69]

With Trump expected to make a decision by the summer of 2011, his campaign has been reported by some media as a possible promotional tool for his reality show The Apprentice.[73][74] Time.com had the headline "Donald Trump Begins Not Running For President"[75] and the Huffington Post was similarly dismissive.[76]

Skepticism of Obama's birth and religion status

In a March 17, 2011, interview on Good Morning America, Trump said he was seriously considering running for president and also revealed he gives some validity to the questioning of President Barack Obama's place of birth. He said that he was a "little" skeptical of Obama's citizenship, and that someone who shares this view shouldn't be so quickly dismissed as an "idiot." Trump added, "Growing up no one knew him."[77] Later, Trump appeared on The View repeating several times that "I want him (Obama) to show his birth certificate". He speculated that "there’s something on that birth certificate that he doesn’t like."[78]

Appearing on Fox and Friends on March 28, 2011, he again expressed doubt about Obama's birthplace, saying "You have no nurses -- this is the President of the United States -- that remember. ... He could have been born outside of this country. Why can't he produce a birth certificate?"[79]

Trump later attempted to prove how easily it would be for the president to provide his birth certificate by providing his own to Newsmax.com. However Ben Smith, writing in Politico reported that the certificate Trump provided was issued by the hospital he was born at and not by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Vital Records, being neither the correct format nor carrying the official Department of Health stamp. Trump responded by making the requested version of his birth certificate public a few days later.

On March 30, 2011, on The O'Reilly Factor, Trump also stated "I have a birth certificate. People have birth certificates. He doesn't have a birth certificate. He may have one but there is something on that birth certificate -- maybe religion, maybe it says he's a Muslim, I don't know. Maybe he doesn't want that. Or, he may not have one".[80]

Personal life

Donald Trump is popularly known as The Donald, a nickname given to him by the media after his first wife Ivana Trump, a native of the Czech Republic, referred to him as such in an interview.[81]

He is known for his catchphrase, "You're Fired", made popular by his television series The Apprentice. Trump is known for his distinctive hairstyle, which he has refused to change throughout his career. According to a 1999 Time article, Trump does not shake hands because of fear of germs.[82]

Religion

In a 2011 interview with the conservative publication Human Events, Trump said that he is "a Presbyterian within the Protestant group".[4] His religious affiliation has been reported differently in the past, including an article in The Daily Telegraph which stated that Trump was Catholic[83] and an article in Politics Daily which described Trump as "apparently a member of the Dutch Reformed Church."[84]

Family

Melania Knauss-Trump

Trump's mother Mary Anne was born at Tong, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland in 1912. In 1930, aged 18, on holiday in New York, she met Fred Trump and stayed in New York. Born in Queens, New York, Donald Trump has four siblings - two brothers (Fred Jr., who is deceased, and Robert) and two sisters (Maryanne and Elizabeth). His elder sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, is a federal appeals court judge.

In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelničkova (later Ivana Trump) and together they have three children: Donald, Jr. (born December 31, 1977), Ivanka (born October 30, 1981), and Eric (born January 6, 1984). They were divorced in 1992. In 1993, he married Marla Maples and together they had one child, Tiffany (born October 13, 1993). They divorced on June 8, 1999. In a February 2008 interview on ABC's Nightline Trump commented on his ex-wives by saying, "I just know it's very hard for them (Ivana and Marla) to compete because I do love what I do. I really love it." [citation needed]

On April 26, 2004, he proposed to Melania Knauss (Melanija Knavs), a native of Slovenia. Trump and Knauss (who is 24 years Trump's junior) married on January 22, 2005, at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church, on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate.[85] Melania gave birth to a boy named Barron William Trump, Trump's fifth child, on March 20, 2006. Trump became a grandfather when son Donald Jr. and his wife Vanessa welcomed a daughter Kai Madison[86] and a son, Donald Trump III.[87]

Hobbies

Trump is a golfer, with a low single-figure handicap. He is a member of the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, and also plays regularly at the other courses he owns and operates.[88]

Bibliography

Trump has authored many books including:

  • Trump: The Art of the Deal (1987)
  • Trump: Surviving at the Top (1990)
  • Trump: The Art of Survival (1991)
  • Trump: The Art of the Comeback (1997)
  • Trump: How to Get Rich (2004)
  • The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received (2004)
  • Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life (2004)
  • Trump: The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received (2005)
  • Why We Want You to be Rich: Two Men - One Message (2006), co-written with Robert Kiyosaki.
  • Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life (2007), co-written with Bill Zanker. (ISBN 978-0-06-154783-6)
  • The America We Deserve (2000) (with Dave Shiflett, ISBN 1-58063-131-2)
  • Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies (2007)
  • Trump 101: The Way to Success (2007)
  • Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success (2008)

References

  1. ^ Griffith, Carson; Fischer, Molly (February 15, 2011). "President Trump? The Donald swapped party affiliations for potential presidential bid in 2009: doc". New York Daily News.
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  5. ^ "#22 Donald Trump - The 2009 Celebrity 100". Forbes. June 3, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
  6. ^ Donald Trump serirously considers running for President in 2012. New York Post October 5, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2010.
  7. ^ a b Poll: "Could Trump beat Obama in 2012?"
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  9. ^ Trump, Donald; Schwartz, Tony (1987). The Art of the Deal. Random House. p. 67.
  10. ^ Trump, Donald; Schwartz, Tony (1987). The Art of the Deal. Random House. p. 105.
  11. ^ Sloan, Allan (September 24, 1991). "The Art of the Greater Fool: How the Shuttle Business Got Grounded". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
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  51. ^ Trump seeks to run NYC's Tavern on the Green
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  62. ^ Amira, Dan (February 16, 2011). "Donald Trump vs. Donald Trump: The Difference a Decade Makes". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Text "New York Magazine" ignored (help)
  63. ^ Travis, Shannon (February 17, 2011). "Is Trump 'flip-flopping' or evolving?". CNN.
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  87. ^ Donald John Trump III
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Further reading

Wikiquote has quotations related to Donald Trump.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Donald Trump.

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