Donald Trump: The controversial career of the next American president

The couple returned to America in 1902, where their first child was born in 1904, but arrived back in Germany shortly afterwards. The family again headed for the US in 1905. Their son Fred (Donald Trump's father) was born there the same year. Fred Trump is seen in this family photograph standing far left.

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Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod -

Fred Trump married Mary Anne MacLeod (pictured), originally from Scotland, in 1936. The couple had five children, Maryanne, Fred Jr., Elizabeth, Donald, and Robert. Meanwhile, Fred was heading a successful real estate business started by his parents.

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Donald Trump's early life -

Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York City. At age 13, he entered the New York Military Academy, a private boarding school. In 1968, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in economics. In the fall of that year, Donald Trump received a of bone spurs in his heels that led to his medical exemption from the military at the height of the Vietnam War.

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Exemption from military service -

In fact, Trump received military draft deferments five times, effectively avoiding the draft. Trump's selective service system classification record lists him in line 580 of the document as having registered on June 24, 1964 and "Disq." or disqualified from the draft in Jamaica, New York.

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Like father, like son -

When Trump senior died aged 93 on June 25, 1999, he'd amassed a fortune constructing apartments. Donald Trump had joined the family business in 1968 and eventually became the president of his father's real estate business in 1971, renaming it The Trump Organization.

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The Trump Organization -

Donald Trump immediately set his sights on Manhattan, which Fred Trump had avoided as too risky.

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Donald and Ivana Trump -

While busy negotiating property and land deals, Donald Trump found time to marry, tying the knot with Czech model Ivana Marie Zelnickova on April 9, 1977. The couple had three children, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka, and Eric before divorcing in 1990. Ivana Trump died on July 14, 2022.

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First Manhattan venture -

In 1978, Donald Trump launched his first Manhattan venture, the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. He's pictured in his apartment after receiving the news that the Board of Estimate unanimously approved an unprecedented 40-year tax abatement plan. It was under this arrangement that he was able to purchase and refurbish the property. The hotel reopened in 1980 as the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

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Trump Tower -

Also in 1980, Trump obtained rights to develop Trump Tower. This iconic Manhattan landmark today serves as the headquarters of the Trump Corporation.

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Flying high -

In the 1980s, Trump was flying high. He made millions by purchasing blocks of shares in various public companies and investing in all sorts of projects, anything from sports teams to airline operations. It was also during this time that the real estate developer stepped out onto the national stage, becoming a celebrity in the process.

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Purchasing Mar-a-Lago -

The Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, was acquired in 1985, initially as a private club. In 2019, Trump declared the property as his primary residence.

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Trump on a roll -

In the mid-1990s, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts under the umbrella Trump Entertainment Resorts, a gambling and hospitality company. At one point the portfolio featured six properties, including Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal, both in Atlantic City. They have all since closed, been demolished, or sold.

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Donald Trump and Marla Maples -

In 1993, Trump married actress Marla Maples. They have one child together, a daughter named Tiffany. The couple divorced in 1999.

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Driving force -

The late 1990s saw the Trump Corporation buying golf courses, including this one in Trump's own backyard, Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach. According to Golf Week, he currently owns 16 golf courses variously located around the world.

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'The Apprentice' -

Donald Trump's celebrity profile was raised considerably in 2004 as host for the first 14 seasons of 'The Apprentice.' Episodes ended with him eliminating one contestant from the competition with the now famous words, "You're fired."

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TV personality -

The real estate mogul reveled in his newfound role as a television personality and appeared at events across the United States to promote the show.

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Donald and Melania Trump -

Donald Trump tied the knot for the third time in 2005, marrying Slovenian model Melanija Knavs. They have one son, Barron.

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Republican presidential candidate -

Trump registered as a Republican in 1987; a Democrat in 2001; a Republican in 2009; unaffiliated in 2011; and again as a Republican in 2012. In 2015, he announced his candidacy for President of the United States.

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45th president of the United States -

On January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C., Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

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Term in office -

Trump's term in office is remembered by most as a four-year-long storm of tweets, rallies, and on-air rants. And while he did manage to change some key areas of federal policy, for example passing an historic US $1.5 trillion tax cut and reforming the tax code, his for the most part was a fraught and often controversial tenure.

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Meeting and greeting -

Besides meeting the Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2018, Trump also sat down with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2019 for a series of talks. But the summits themselves delivered little of substance for either side, notes Politico.

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"Stop the Steal" -

Trump served one term in the White House before losing to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential campaign. On January 6, 2021, pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in protest at the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. The events of that day were seen not just as an attack on the building, but on democracy and the rule of law itself.

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Classified documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago -

In August 2022, the FBI found a horde of classified documents stored in boxes during a raid of Trump's Mar-a-Largo residence.

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Mugshot -

In 2023, the former president was booked on 13 charges related to an alleged plan to overturn the results of the 2020 election. His mugshot, taken at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, was published around the world.

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Guilty as charged -

Trump was again caught glaring into the camera, this time on May 30, 2024, after being charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments made to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about a sexual encounter between them. He was later found guilty on all counts, making him the first former US president to be convicted of a crime.

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Donald Trump's net worth -

Forbes currently estimates Donald Trump's net worth as US$5.7 billion, a figure boosted by the Nasdaq debut on March 26, 2024 of Trump Media & Technology Group.

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A political comeback and lucky escape -

Despite the controversy surrounding him and his turbulent first term in office, Trump clinched the Republican presidential nomination in March 2024. But his remarkable political comeback nearly ended on July 13 when he survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.

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Introducing J.D. Vance -

Just a few days later on July 20, Trump appeared at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with running mate J.D. Vance.

Sources: (Reuters) (The Hill) (The Atlantic) (ProPublica) (Politico)

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The Trump family tree -

Donald Trump's ancestry can be traced back to the village of Kallstadt, a village in the Palatine part of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Getty Images

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Frederick and Elizabeth Trump -

Public Domain

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From Germany to America -

Public Domain

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Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod -

Getty Images

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Donald Trump's early life -

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Exemption from military service -

Getty Images

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Like father, like son -

Getty Images

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The Trump Organization -

Donald Trump immediately set his sights on Manhattan, which Fred Trump had avoided as too risky.

Getty Images

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Donald and Ivana Trump -

Getty Images

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First Manhattan venture -

Getty Images

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Trump Tower -

Also in 1980, Trump obtained rights to develop Trump Tower. This iconic Manhattan landmark today serves as the headquarters of the Trump Corporation.

Getty Images

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Flying high -

Getty Images

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Purchasing Mar-a-Lago -

The Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, was acquired in 1985, initially as a private club. In 2019, Trump declared the property as his primary residence.

Getty Images

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Trump on a roll -

NL Beeld

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Donald Trump and Marla Maples -

In 1993, Trump married actress Marla Maples. They have one child together, a daughter named Tiffany. The couple divorced in 1999.

Getty Images

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Driving force -

Getty Images

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'The Apprentice' -

NL Beeld

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TV personality -

The real estate mogul reveled in his newfound role as a television personality and appeared at events across the United States to promote the show.

NL Beeld

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Donald and Melania Trump -

Donald Trump tied the knot for the third time in 2005, marrying Slovenian model Melanija Knavs. They have one son, Barron.

Getty Images

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Republican presidential candidate -

Getty Images

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45th president of the United States -

On January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C., Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

Getty Images

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Term in office -

Getty Images

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Meeting and greeting -

Getty Images

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"Stop the Steal" -

Getty Images

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Classified documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago -

In August 2022, the FBI found a horde of classified documents stored in boxes during a raid of Trump's Mar-a-Largo residence.

Getty Images

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Mugshot -

Getty Images

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Guilty as charged -

Getty Images

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Donald Trump's net worth -

Forbes currently estimates Donald Trump's net worth as US$5.7 billion, a figure boosted by the Nasdaq debut on March 26, 2024 of Trump Media & Technology Group.

Getty Images

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A political comeback and lucky escape -

Getty Images

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Introducing J.D. Vance -

Just a few days later on July 20, Trump appeared at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with running mate J.D. Vance.

Sources: (Reuters) (The Hill) (The Atlantic) (ProPublica) (Politico)

Getty Images

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Donald Trump: The controversial career of the next American president

Trump has declared victory as the next President of the United States

06/11/24 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Politics

Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, marking an extraordinary comeback for the former president who, after refusing to concede his prior defeat four years ago, incited a violent insurrection at the US Capitol, faced felony convictions, and survived two assassination attempts.

Trump is the first former president to reclaim the White House since Grover Cleveland won in 1892. He also becomes the first person with a felony conviction to be elected president and, at 78, the oldest individual ever elected to the office.

Donald Trump is one of the most controversial public figures in recent American history, a man who has made billions in real estate, sat in the Oval Office, and survived two assassination attempts. But how did Trump get where he is today, and what did he do to get there?

Click through for a fascinating look into the life and career of Donald Trump.