Joseph early biography of donald

Bush Bill Clinton George W. Upcoming Events Past Events Donate. Help inform the discussion Support the Miller Center. University of Virginia Miller Center. Donald Trump: Life in brief. Breadcrumb U. Benjamin C. Life Before the Presidency. Campaigns and Elections. Domestic Affairs. Foreign Affairs. Life Between the Presidencies. Family Life. A year later, Donald and Melania welcomed their son, Barron.

Trump has five children.

Joseph early biography of donald

He and his first wife, Ivana , had three kids together: Donald Trump Jr. Donald and his second wife, Marla , had daughter Tiffany Trump in October Donald Jr. In early , the brothers took on their current leadership positions in The Trump Organization as their father began serving as president. Elsewhere, she worked with her dad on The Apprentice and became an entrepreneur with the creation of her eponymous fashion label.

Her husband, Jared Kushner , similarly served as a senior adviser to President Trump. However, Donald Jr. She has served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee since March but announced in December she is stepping down. Tiffany Trump largely grew up with her mother in southern California but maintained ties to her half-siblings and father.

She is expecting her first child with husband Michael Boulos. He was 10 years old when his dad became president and moved to Washington D. Now an adult, Barron is a student at New York University. In addition to his five children, the former president is also a grandfather. He has 10 grandchildren with another one on the way. However, the business leader had shown an interest in politics decades earlier and even explored running for president on the Reform Party ticket in A decade and a half later, Trump became one of the most recognizable politicians in the world.

Trump, a registered Republican, has done more to reshape his political party than anyone else in the past decade. In , Trump registered as a Republican before becoming an Independent two years later. In , Trump registered as a Democrat. Since his first ascension to the presidency in , Trump has ushered in a more populist, more conservative identity to the Republican Party.

In mid-June , Trump announced he was running to be president of the United States as a Republican in the election. In an unorthodox move, the candidate repeatedly refused to release his tax returns while they were being audited by the Internal Revenue Service. Initially considered a long-shot candidate in a crowded field that included experienced politicians like Jeb Bush , Ted Cruz , and Chris Christie, the famous businessman became the Republican nominee a little more than a year into his campaign.

He faced Democrat Hillary Clinton in the general election, and defying polls and media projections, Trump pulled off a stunning victory on November 8, Despite losing the popular vote to Clinton by almost 2. After one of the most contentious presidential races in U. Trump soon became the leader of the United States having never before held public office.

Grant , and Dwight D. Eisenhower were similarly inexperienced at the time of their elections, though all had extensive military backgrounds. He did not release his tax returns during the election, and he has not to date. It was the first time a major party candidate had not released such information to the public before a presidential election since Richard Nixon in After Democrats regained control of the House with the elections, Trump again faced calls to release his tax returns.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin rejected the request, as well as Neal's follow-up subpoena for the documents. In May the New York State Assembly passed legislation that authorized tax officials to release the president's state returns to the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation for any "specified and legitimate legislative purpose.

A Manhattan federal district judge dismissed Trump's lawsuit in October, though the U. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit agreed to temporarily delay enforcement of the subpoena while considering arguments in the case. A few days later, that same appeals court rejected Trump's bid to block another subpoena issued to Mazars USA, this one from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

After the U. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments over whether the president could block the disclosure of his financial information to congressional committees and the Manhattan district attorney in December , the cases were presented to the Court the following May. A lawyer for the Trump Organization replied that "most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate" in the Times report.

In his inaugural speech, Trump shared a populist, and at times bleak, message. In his term as president, Trump issued executive orders to make good on some of his campaign promises as well as several orders aimed at deregulation. The president proposed a budget with increased spending for the military, veterans affairs, and national security, including building a wall on the border with Mexico, as well as major cuts to government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Endowment for the Arts.

One of his most significant monetary accomplishments was signing a tax bill into law that lowered taxes for individuals and corporations. At various points during the Trump administration, the president and some members of his staff were embroiled in controversy or the subject of federal investigations. Trump was impeached twice: for abuse of power and obstructing Congress in related to a campaign scandal involving Ukraine, then for incitement of insurrection in related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

The newest appointees have conservative-leaning ideologies, cementing the current conservative majority of the Supreme Court. Less than two weeks after assuming office, the president nominated Neil Gorsuch to replace Antonin Scalia. After Gorsuch testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in March , Democrats blocked his appointment in the first successful partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee.

In another historic move, Republicans lowered the threshold for advancing Supreme Court nominations from 60 votes to a simple majority of A textualist and originalist in the mold of Scalia, the nomination continued the rightward push of the Supreme Court. However, he earned confirmation in a close vote that October. One month later, the Senate voted to confirm Barrett, who became the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Just before the end of his first days, in late April , Trump announced his tax plan in a one-page outline that would dramatically change tax codes. The plan called for streamlining seven personal income tax brackets to three—10, 25, and 35 percent—lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 to 15 percent, eliminating the alternative minimum tax and estate tax, and simplifying the process for filing tax returns.

On December 2, , Trump achieved the first major legislative victory of his administration when the Senate passed a sweeping tax reform bill. Approved along party lines by a vote, the bill drew criticism for extensive last-minute rewrites, with frustrated Democrats posting photos of pages filled with crossed-out text and handwriting crammed into the margins.

Among other measures, the Senate bill called for the slashing of the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent, doubling personal deductions, and ending the Obamacare mandate. Now, these great Republicans will be going for final passage. Thank you to House and Senate Republicans for your hard work and commitment! Reportedly angry that the bill did not fully fund his long-promised Mexican border wall, he nevertheless signed the bill into law on March 23, hours before another government shutdown would have gone into effect.

Trump told reporters, "I don't believe it. In June , Trump met with then- Prince Charles and reportedly discussed climate change at length. It used to be called global warming, that wasn't working, then it was called climate change and now actually it is called extreme weather. On June 1, , Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, which President Obama had joined along with the leaders of other countries.

The accord requires all participating nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb climate change over the ensuing century and also to allocate resources for the research and development of alternative energy sources. However, Nicaragua eventually joined the Paris Climate Agreement months later. The pipelines had been halted by President Obama following protests from environmental and Native American groups.

Trump owned shares of Energy Transfer Partners, the company in charge of construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, but sold his stake in the company in December On March 28, , the president, surrounded by American coal miners, signed the "Energy Independence" executive order, calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back Obama's Clean Power Plan, curb climate and carbon emissions regulations and to rescind a moratorium on coal mining on U.

This included changes to legislation that gave the government increased discretion over matters of climate change and economic cost when determining whether a species should be protected. However, the controversial bill ultimately didn't have enough Republican votes and was withdrawn a few weeks later, representing a major legislative setback for Speaker Ryan and Trump.

After intense negotiations among party factions, a new Republican health care plan was brought to a vote in the House of Representatives on May 4, , and passed by a slim margin of to That passed the buck to the Senate. Almost immediately after a draft was unveiled on June 22, conservative senators such as Ted Cruz declared they could not support the bill's failure to significantly lower premiums, while moderates like Susan Collins voiced concerns over its steep cuts to Medicaid.

However, on September 26, Senate Republicans announced they would not move forward with the current plan, as they were short of the required votes. He also announced that he would get rid of health insurance subsidies. For years, the mandate was threatened by lawsuits from conservative and religious groups. He has supported bans on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and has cited his appointments of conservative Supreme Court judges Gorsuch and Kavanaugh as helping to make abortion laws in some states more restrictive.

Trump changed his beliefs on abortion from pro-choice to anti-abortion in In January , after his administration threatened to cut federal funds to California over a mandate that the state's health insurance plans cover abortion, Trump became the first sitting president to address the annual March for Life rally in Washington, D. On February 22, , the Trump administration rolled back federal protection for transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity, allowing states and school districts to interpret federal anti-discrimination law.

On March 27, , Trump signed several measures under the Congressional Review Act to reverse regulations related to education, land use and a "blacklisting rule" requiring federal contractors to disclose violations of federal labor, wage and workplace safety laws. Later that year, the president tweeted that he would enact a ban on transgender people from serving in the military.

The official policy went into effect the following March with the statement that "transgender persons with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria — individuals who the policies state may require substantial medical treatment, including medications and surgery — are disqualified from military service except under certain limited circumstances.

Following a legal challenge, the Supreme Court allowed the ban to go into effect in January , while allowing lower courts to hear additional arguments. Trump has vowed to defend the Second Amendment and gun ownership since taking office. However, Trump has also at times said he would be willing to consider a range of measures to restrict gun access.

His administration also banned bump stocks in October after a mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival left 58 people dead. The Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left a total of 17 students and faculty dead, sparked a strong response from Trump. He ordered the Justice Department to issue regulations banning bump stocks and suggested he was willing to consider a range of measures, from strengthening background checks to raising the minimum age for buying rifles.

He also backed an NRA-fueled proposal for arming teachers, which drew backlash from many in the profession. The president remained invested in the issue even as the usual cycle of outrage began diminishing: In a televised February 28 meeting with lawmakers, he called for gun control legislation that would expand background checks to gun shows and internet transactions, secure schools and restrict sales for some young adults.

At one point he called out Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey for being "afraid of the NRA," and at another, he suggested that authorities should seize guns from mentally ill or other potentially dangerous people without first going to court. His stances seemingly stunned the Republican lawmakers at the meeting, as well as the NRA, which previously considered the president as a strong supporter.

Within a few days, Trump was walking back his proposal to raise the age limit and mainly pushing for arming select teachers. Two months later, after back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the president suggested tying expanded background checks to immigration reform legislation. In his first televised interview as president, Trump said the initial construction of the wall would be funded by U.

After funding for the wall failed to materialize, from either Mexico or Congress, Trump in April announced that he would reinforce security along the U. The following day, the president signed a proclamation that directed National Guard troops to the U. The Department of Homeland Security said that the deployment would be in coordination with governors, that the troops would "support federal law enforcement personnel, including [Customs and Border Protection]," and that federal immigration authorities would "direct enforcement efforts.

With Democrats refusing to give in to his demand, a partial government shutdown ensued for a record 35 days, until all sides agreed to another attempt at striking a compromise. In response, a coalition of 16 states filed a lawsuit that challenged Trump's power to circumvent Congress on this issue. After the House voted for a resolution to overturn the national emergency declaration in late February, the Senate followed suit on March 14 when 12 Republican senators joined a united Democratic side to vote for the resolution.

Trump promptly issued the first veto of his presidency the following day, calling the resolution a "vote against reality. In late July , the Supreme Court overturned an appellate decision and ruled that the Trump administration could begin using Pentagon money for construction during the ongoing litigation over the issue. As part of attempts to seal the U.

As children were legally not allowed to be detained with their parents, this meant that they were to be held separately as family cases wound through immigration courts. A furor ensued after reports surfaced that nearly 2, children had been separated from their parents over a six-week period that ended in May , compounded by photos of toddlers crying in cages.

Trump initially deflected blame for the situation, insisting it resulted from the efforts of predecessors and political opponents. The president ultimately caved to pressure from the bad PR, and on June 20 he signed an executive order that directed the Department of Homeland Security to keep families together. In the meantime, the DHS essentially revived the "catch-and-release" system that the zero-tolerance policy was meant to eradicate while dealing with the logistics of reuniting families.

President Trump signed one of his most controversial executive orders on January 27, , calling for "extreme vetting" to "keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. The order called for a ban on immigrants from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen for at least 90 days, temporarily suspended the entry of refugees for days and barred Syrian refugees indefinitely.

In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Trump also said he would give priority to Christian refugees trying to gain entry into the United States. After facing multiple legal hurdles, Trump signed a revised executive order on March 6, , calling for a day ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries including Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Iraq, which was included in the original executive order, was removed from the list. Travelers from the six listed countries, who hold green cards or have valid visas as of the signing of the order, will not be affected. Trump borrowed significant amounts of money to fund the hotels and casinos. In the years that followed, Trump used bankruptcy protection to reconfigure the debts of the many companies that comprised the Trump Organization, successfully making debt payments even as he accumulated more total debt at higher interest rates.

He also formed a publicly traded company, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts, both protecting himself from financial liability and allowing him to sell shares to the general public. In , the company was unable to pay its loans and had failed to turn a profit. It entered bankruptcy protection, and Trump reduced his stock holdings to 27 percent, giving up an active role in the company.

Efforts to revive the company failed, and it entered bankruptcy again in and By the time Trump announced his campaign for president in , his gambling businesses had entirely ceased operation. During his tumultuous business career, Donald Trump retained the public appearance of high-flying success. As his real estate and gambling businesses failed, he succeeded in protecting his brand and shifting into licensing businesses in the United States and abroad.

Working with ghostwriters, Trump published a number of how-to and business advice books, including the widely read Trump: The Art of the Deal , first released in The next year, Trump announced that he had settled lawsuits with them and sold his stake in the pageants. Trump played himself on the program, which pitted would-be business leaders against each other in a series of challenges.

Only when Trump formally announced his presidential campaign with anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric did NBCUniversal formally end his relationship with the program. Trump took over the company in , renamed it in , and bestowed formal leadership of it to his sons Donald, Jr. Unlike a typical business corporation that officially owns its subsidiary parts, the Trump Organization is a collection of approximately individual business entities, all owned principally or solely by Donald Trump himself.

None of those constituent parts are publicly traded companies, so they are not required to publicly disclose their financial status or value as public corporations are. Trump was impeached on December 18, , on two articles—abuse of power and obstruction of justice. The impeachment charges stemmed mainly from a July 25, phone call with the newly-elected president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

During the call, Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden, vice president under Barack Obama and a Democratic hopeful for the presidential race. An anonymous whistleblower came forward to report the call. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump on September 24, Just under a month later, members of the House voted along partisan lines in favor of impeachment.

No Republicans voted in favor of either article of impeachment against Trump, and on February 5, , the Senate voted largely along party lines to acquit Trump on both charges. In October, Trump, as well as several of his cabinet members, contracted the coronavirus. He was hospitalized at Walter Reed Medical Center for three days where he received multiple treatments, including an experimental antibody.

Results from Election Day initially appeared promising for the incumbent Trump. However, since a record number of Americans voted early or by mail-in ballots due to the pandemic, counting of those votes continued for days. After the fourth day of vote-counting, the Associated Press and other major media outlets declared Biden the winner.

The vote was certified by the Electoral College on December 14, and later by Congress. The voter turnout rate in the election was the highest in over a century, and while Biden received the most votes in U. On January 6, —the same day members of Congress met to certify the results of the election—Trump addressed a crowd of supporters outside the White House.

In the speech, he aired unfounded grievances about election fraud, reiterated false claims about winning the election and vowed to "never concede.