User:Mandruss/sandbox2

{{Short description|President of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = TrumpPortrait.jpg

| alt = Official 2025 presidential portrait of Donald Trump, a white middle-aged man with light blond hair, wearing a blue suit and tie, standing in front of an American flag

| caption = Official portrait, 2025

| order = 45th & 47th

| office = President of the United States

| vicepresident = JD Vance

| term_start = January 20, 2025

| term_end =

| predecessor = Joe Biden

| successor =

| vicepresident1 = Mike Pence

| term_start1 = January 20, 2017

| term_end1 = January 20, 2021

| predecessor1 = Barack Obama

| successor1 = Joe Biden

| birth_name = Donald John Trump

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|6|14}}

| birth_place = Queens, New York City, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Republican (1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present)

| otherparty = {{ubl

| Reform (1999–2001)

| Democratic (2001–2009)

| Independent (2011–2012)}}

| spouse = {{ubl

| {{marriage|Ivana Zelníčková|April 9, 1977|December 11, 1990|end=divorced}}

| {{marriage|Marla Maples|December 20, 1993|June 8, 1999|end=divorced}}

| {{marriage|Melania Knauss|January 22, 2005}}

}}

| children = {{hlist

| Donald Jr.

| Ivanka

| Eric

| Tiffany

| Barron

}}

| parents = {{ubl

| Fred Trump

| Mary Anne MacLeod}}

| relatives = See Trump family

| education = University of Pennsylvania (BS)

| occupation = {{hlist

| Politician

| businessman

| media personality

}}

| residence = White House

| awards = Full list

| signature = Donald Trump (Presidential signature).svg

| signature_alt = Donald J. Trump stylized autograph, in ink

| website = {{ubl

| {{URL|donaldjtrump.com|Campaign website}}

| {{URL|trumplibrary.gov|Presidential library}}

| {{URL|whitehouse.gov|White House website}}

| {{URL|trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov|White House archives}}

}}

| module = {{Listen voice

| filename = Donald Trump speaks on declaration of Covid-19 as a Global Pandemic by the World Health Organization.ogg

| description = Trump on the WHO's declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.

| recorded = March 11, 2020

}}

Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who has been the 47th and current president of the United States since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.

Trump graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. He became president of the Trump family real estate business in 1971 and focused on luxury accommodations. After a series of business bankruptcies in the 1990s, he launched several side ventures. From 2004 to 2015, he hosted and co-produced the reality television series The Apprentice.

Trump won the 2016 presidential election. His immigration policy included a temporary travel ban targeting refugees and nationals of certain Muslim-majority countries, and expanding the U.S.–Mexico border wall; he also briefly implemented a family separation policy. He rolled back more than 100 environmental policies and regulations, signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, initiated a trade war with China in 2018, and withdrew the U.S. from international agreements on climate, trade, and the nuclear program of Iran. Trump was the first sitting U.S. president to enter North Korea; he met with its leader Kim Jong Un without progress on denuclearization. He nominated three Supreme Court justices in his first term. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he downplayed its severity, contradicted guidance from international public health bodies, and signed the CARES Act economic stimulus. He was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and in 2021 for incitement of insurrection; the Senate acquitted him in both cases. After his first term, scholars and historians ranked Trump as one of the worst presidents in American history.

Trump's politics led to the Trumpism movement. Many of his comments and actions have been characterized as racially charged, racist, and misogynistic. He promoted conspiracy theories and made false and misleading statements during his campaigns and presidency to a degree unprecedented in American politics. He lost the 2020 presidential election but did not concede, falsely claiming widespread electoral fraud and attempting to overturn the results, including through his involvement in the January 6 Capitol attack. In civil proceedings, he was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in 2023, and financial fraud in 2024. He was found guilty of falsifying business records in May 2024 and sentenced to unconditional discharge in January 2025, making him the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. Two felony indictments related to interference in the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents were dismissed without prejudice following his victory in the 2024 election.

Early life and education

File:Donald Trump NYMA.jpg, 1964]]

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at Jamaica Hospital in the New York City borough of Queens, the fourth child of Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=30, 37}} He is of German and Scottish descent.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=v}} He was confirmed as a Presbyterian.{{cite book |last1=Pomante |first1=Michael J. |last2=Trantham |first2=Austin |title=Historical Dictionary of the Donald Trump Administration |date=October 1, 2024 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-5728-2 |page=3 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Jenkins |first1=Jack |last2=Mwaura |first2=Maina |title=Trump, confirmed a Presbyterian, now identifies as 'non-denominational Christian' |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/10/24/trump-confirmed-presbyterian-now-identifies-non-denominational |publisher=America Magazine |access-date=January 20, 2025 |language=en |date=October 24, 2020 |quote="Though I was confirmed at a Presbyterian church as a child, I now consider myself to be a non-denominational Christian," Trump, who has repeatedly identified as a Presbyterian in the past, said in a written response to RNS.}} He grew up with his older siblings, Maryanne, Fred Jr., and Elizabeth, and his younger brother, Robert, in a mansion in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/us/politics/donald-trumps-old-queens-neighborhood-now-a-melting-pot-was-seen-as-a-cloister.html|title=Donald Trump's Old Queens Neighborhood Contrasts With the Diverse Area Around It|first=Jason|last=Horowitz|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 22, 2015|access-date=November 7, 2018}} By age eight, he was a millionaire in 2024 dollars.{{efn|Beginning when Trump was three years old, his father gave each of his children $6,000 every year, the maximum allowed without incurring a gift tax. To avoid taxes, Fred made them landlords of two of his housing developments, paying each $13,928 in rent every year.{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|pp=30–31}}}}{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|pp=30–31}}

Trump attended the private Kew-Forest School through seventh grade, and attended Sunday School at First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.{{cite book |last1=Pomante |first1=Michael J. |last2=Trantham |first2=Austin |title=Historical Dictionary of the Donald Trump Administration |date=October 1, 2024 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-5728-2 |page=3 |language=en}} He was a difficult child and showed an early interest in his father's business. His father enrolled him in New York Military Academy, a private boarding school, to complete secondary school.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=33, 38, 45}} Trump considered a show business career but instead in 1964 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 in economics. He was exempted from the draft during the Vietnam War due to bone spurs in his heels.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|pp=45–48}}{{cite news|url=https://archives.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/commencement-program-1968.pdf|pages=19–21|title=Two Hundred and Twelfth Commencement for the Conferring of Degrees|work=University of Pennsylvania|date=May 20, 1968|access-date=March 31, 2023}} In 2015, he threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board with legal action if they released his academic records.{{Cite news|last=Ashford|first=Grace|date=February 27, 2019|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}}

Business career

{{Further|Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|Tax returns of Donald Trump}}

=Real estate=

Starting in 1968, Trump was employed at his father's real estate company, Trump Management, which owned racially segregated middle-class rental housing in New York City's outer boroughs.{{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|access-date=January 13, 2018|last1=Mahler|first1=Jonathan|last2=Eder|first2=Steve}}{{cite news|first=Frank|last=Rich|author-link=Frank Rich|title=The Original Donald Trump|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/04/frank-rich-roy-cohn-the-original-donald-trump.html|work=New York|date=April 30, 2018|access-date=May 8, 2018}} In 1971, his father made him president of the company and he began using the Trump Organization as an umbrella brand.{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=uJifCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA250 250]}} Roy Cohn was Trump's fixer, lawyer, and mentor for 13 years in the 1970s and 1980s.{{cite news|last1=Mahler|first1=Jonathan|last2=Flegenheimer|first2=Matt|title=What Donald Trump Learned From Joseph McCarthy's Right-Hand Man|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/us/politics/donald-trump-roy-cohn.html|access-date=May 26, 2020|work=The New York Times|date=June 20, 2016}} In 1973, Cohn helped Trump countersue the U.S. government for $100 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|100|1973}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}){{Inflation/fn|US}} over its charges that Trump's properties had racial discriminatory practices. Trump's counterclaims were dismissed, and the government's case was settled with the Trumps signing a consent decree agreeing to desegregate.{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 23, 2016|first1=Michael|last1=Kranish|author-link1=Michael Kranish|first2=Robert Jr.|last2=O'Harrow|title=Inside the government's racial bias case against Donald Trump's company, and how he fought it|access-date=January 7, 2021|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-the-governments-racial-bias-case-against-donald-trumps-company-and-how-he-fought-it/2016/01/23/fb90163e-bfbe-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160_story.html}} Helping Trump projects, Cohn was a consigliere whose Mafia connections controlled construction unions.{{sfn|Johnston|2016|pp=45–46}} Cohn introduced political consultant Roger Stone to Trump, who enlisted Stone's services to deal with the federal government.{{cite news|last=Brenner|first=Marie|title=How Donald Trump and Roy Cohn's Ruthless Symbiosis Changed America|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/06/donald-trump-roy-cohn-relationship|access-date=May 26, 2020|work=Vanity Fair|date=June 28, 2017}} Between 1991 and 2009, he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for six of his businesses: the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, the casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts company.{{cite news|last=Qiu|first=Linda|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2016/jun/21/hillary-clinton/yep-donald-trumps-companies-have-declared-bankrupt/|title=Yep, Donald Trump's companies have declared bankruptcy...more than four times|work=PolitiFact|date=June 21, 2016|access-date=May 25, 2023}}

In 1992, Trump, his siblings Maryanne, Elizabeth, and Robert, and his 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, then billing those services and supplies to Trump Management with markups of 20–50 percent and more. The owners shared the proceeds generated by the markups. The increased costs were used to get state approval for increasing the rents of his rent-stabilized units.{{cite news |last1=Barstow |first1=David |author-link1=David Barstow |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |last3=Buettner |first3=Russ |date=October 2, 2018 |title=Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html |access-date=October 2, 2018 |work=The New York Times}}

== Manhattan and Chicago developments ==

File:Donald Trump with model of Television City.jpg|date=April 1, 2019|access-date=July 28, 2024}}]]

Trump attracted public attention in 1978 with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture, the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel, adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.{{cite news|url=https://ny.curbed.com/2019/4/3/18290394/trump-grand-hyatt-nyc-commodore-hotel|work=Curbed|first=James|last=Nevius|date=April 3, 2019|title=The winding history of Donald Trump's first major Manhattan real estate project}} The financing was facilitated by a $400 million city property tax abatement arranged for him by his father who also, jointly with Hyatt, guaranteed a $70 million bank construction loan.{{cite news|first=Glenn|last=Kessler|author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist)|title=Trump's false claim he built his empire with a 'small loan' from his father|date=March 3, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|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}} The hotel reopened in 1980 as the Grand Hyatt Hotel,{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 84]}} and that same year, he obtained rights to develop Trump Tower, a mixed-use skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.{{cite news|title=The Expanding Empire of Donald Trump|date=April 8, 1984|access-date=September 29, 2021|first=William E.|last=Geist|author-link=Bill Geist|work=The New York Times Magazine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html}} The building houses the headquarters of the Trump Corporation and Trump's PAC and was his primary residence until 2019.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/trump-new-york-florida-primary-residence.html|title=Trump, Lifelong New Yorker, Declares Himself a Resident of Florida|work=The New York Times|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|author-link=Maggie Haberman|date=October 31, 2019|access-date=January 24, 2020}} In 1988, Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of 16 banks.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/04/business/company-news-trump-revises-plaza-loan.html|title=Trump Revises Plaza Loan|work=The New York Times|date=November 4, 1992|access-date=May 23, 2023}} The hotel filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992, and a reorganization plan was approved a month later, with the banks taking control of the property.{{cite news|title=Trump's Plaza Hotel Bankruptcy Plan Approved|work=The New York Times|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|access-date=May 24, 2023}}

In 1995, he defaulted on over $3 billion of bank loans, and the lenders seized the Plaza Hotel along with most of his other properties in a "vast and humiliating restructuring" that allowed him to avoid personal bankruptcy.{{cite news|last=Segal|first=David|author-link=David Segal (reporter)|title=What Donald Trump's Plaza Deal Reveals About His White House Bid|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/business/what-donald-trumps-plaza-deal-reveals-about-his-white-house-bid.html|work=The New York Times|date=January 16, 2016|access-date=May 3, 2022}}{{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|author-link1=David Stout|first2=Kenneth N.|last2=Gilpin|date=April 12, 1995|access-date=July 18, 2019}} The lead bank's attorney said of the banks' decision that they "all agreed that he'd be better alive than dead". In 1996, Trump acquired and renovated the mostly vacant 71-story skyscraper at 40 Wall Street, later rebranded as the Trump Building.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Lqf0CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA298 298]}} In the early 1990s, he won the right to develop a {{convert|70|acre|ha|adj=on}} tract in the Lincoln Square neighborhood near the Hudson River. Struggling with debt from other ventures in 1994, he sold most of his interest in the project to Asian investors, who financed the project's completion, Riverside South.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/01/nyregion/trump-group-selling-west-side-parcel-for-18-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|access-date=May 17, 2016}} Trump's last major construction project was the 92-story mixed-use Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago which opened in 2008. In 2024, the New York Times and ProPublica reported that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating whether he had twice written off losses incurred through construction cost overruns and lagging sales of residential units in the building he had declared to be worthless on his 2008 tax return.{{cite news|last1=Kiel|first1=Paul|last2=Buettner|first2=Russ|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-irs-audit-chicago-hotel-taxes|title=IRS Audit of Trump Could Cost Former President More Than $100 Million|work=ProPublica|date=May 11, 2024|access-date=August 26, 2024}}

== Atlantic City casinos ==

File:Trump Taj Mahal, 2007.jpg in Atlantic City]]

In 1984, Trump opened Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino, with financing and management help from the Holiday Corporation. It was unprofitable, and he paid Holiday $70 million in May 1986 to take sole control.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA128 128]}} In 1985, he bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it Trump Castle.{{cite news|last=Saxon|first=Wolfgang|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/28/nyregion/trump-buys-hilton-s-hotel-in-atlantic-city.html|title=Trump Buys Hilton's Hotel in Atlantic City|work=The New York Times|date=April 28, 1986|access-date=May 25, 2023}} Both casinos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1992.{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/03/09/Trumps-Castle-and-Plaza-file-for-bankruptcy/3105700117200/|title=Trump's Castle and Plaza file for bankruptcy|work=United Press International|date=March 9, 1992|access-date=May 25, 2023}} Trump bought a third Atlantic City venue in 1988, the Trump Taj Mahal. It was financed with $675 million in junk bonds and completed for $1.1 billion, opening in April 1990. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1991. Under the provisions of the restructuring agreement, he gave up half his initial stake and personally guaranteed future performance.{{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=Company News; Taj Mahal is out of Bankruptcy|access-date=May 22, 2008|date=October 5, 1991}} To reduce his $900 million of personal debt, he sold the Trump Shuttle airline; his megayacht, the Trump Princess, which had been leased to his casinos and kept docked; and other businesses.{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2011/04/29/fourth-times-a-charm-how-donald-trump-made-bankruptcy-work-for-him/|title=Fourth Time's A Charm: How Donald Trump Made Bankruptcy Work For Him|work=Forbes|date=May 29, 2011|access-date=January 27, 2022|last=O'Connor|first=Claire}} In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.{{cite news|title=Trump Plaza casino stock trades today on Big Board|work=The New York Times|first=Floyd|last=Norris|author-link=Floyd Norris|date=June 7, 1995|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/07/business/trump-plaza-casino-stock-trades-today-on-big-board.html|access-date=December 14, 2014}} THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle in 1996 and went bankrupt in 2004 and 2009, leaving him with 10 percent ownership.{{cite 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|date=August 16, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2016|first=Dan|last=McQuade}} He remained chairman until 2009.{{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|access-date=May 6, 2018}}

== Clubs ==

In 1985, Trump acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.{{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/|title=Donald Trump Has Gained More Than $100 Million On Mar-a-Lago|work=Forbes|date=April 23, 2018|access-date=July 4, 2018}} In 1995, he converted the estate into a private club with an initiation fee and annual dues. He continued to use a wing of the house as a private residence.{{cite news|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/home-decor/a7144/mar-a-lago-history/|title=A History of Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's American Castle|last1=Dangremond|first1=Sam|last2=Kim|first2=Leena|date=December 22, 2017|work=Town & Country|access-date=July 3, 2018}} He declared the club his primary residence in 2019. The Trump Organization began building and buying golf courses in 1999.{{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/|access-date=January 21, 2018|work=CNN Money|date=December 29, 2016}} It owns 14 and manages another three Trump-branded courses worldwide.{{cite news|url=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/take-a-look-at-the-golf-courses-owned-by-donald-trump/|title=Take a look at the golf courses owned by Donald Trump|work=Golfweek|date=July 24, 2020|access-date=July 7, 2021}}

= Licensing the Trump name =

The Trump Organization has licensed the Trump name for consumer products and services, including foodstuffs, apparel, learning courses, and home furnishings.{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 13, 2018|access-date=September 29, 2021|first1=Zane|last1=Anthony|first2=Kathryn|last2=Sanders|first3=David A.|last3=Fahrenthold|author-link3=David Fahrenthold|title=Whatever happened to Trump neckties? They're over. So is most of Trump's merchandising empire.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/whatever-happened-to-trump-ties-theyre-over-so-is-most-of-trumps-merchandising-empire/2018/04/13/2c32378a-369c-11e8-acd5-35eac230e514_story.html}} According to The Washington Post, there are more than 50 licensing or management deals involving his name, and they have generated at least $59 million for his companies.{{cite news|first1=Aaron|last1=Williams|first2=Anu|last2=Narayanswamy|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/trump-worldwide-licensing/|title=How Trump has made millions by selling his name|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 25, 2017|access-date=December 12, 2017}} By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license his name.

= Side ventures =

File:Donald Trump and Doug Flutie at a press conference in the Trump Tower.jpg at a 1985 press conference in Trump Tower|alt=Trump, Doug Flutie, and an unnamed official standing behind a lectern with big, round New Jersey Generals sign, with members of the press seated in the background]]

In 1970, Trump invested $70,000 to receive billing as coproducer of a Broadway comedy.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/theater/for-a-young-donald-j-trump-broadway-held-sway.html|title=For a Young Donald J. Trump, Broadway Held Sway|date=March 6, 2016|access-date=March 7, 2016|first=Michael|last=Paulson|work=The New York Times}} In September 1983, he purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the United States Football League. After the 1985 season, the league folded, largely due to his attempt to move to a fall schedule (when it would have competed with the National Football League (NFL) for audience) and trying to force a merger with the NFL by bringing an antitrust suit.{{cite news|first=Arash|last=Markazi|author-link=Arash Markazi|title=5 things to know about Donald Trump's foray into doomed USFL|date=July 14, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2021|publisher=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13255737/five-things-know-donald-trump-usfl-experience}} Trump and his Plaza Hotel hosted several boxing matches at the Atlantic City Convention Hall.{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=137–143}} In 1989 and 1990, he lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race, an attempt to create an American equivalent of European races such as the Tour de France or the Giro d'Italia.{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/04/donald-trump-2016-tour-de-trump-bike-race-213801|title=The Strange Tale of Donald Trump's 1989 Biking Extravaganza|first=Kevin|last=Hogan|work=Politico|date=April 10, 2016|access-date=April 12, 2016}} From 1986 to 1988, he purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies while suggesting that he intended to take over the company and then sold his shares for a profit,{{cite news |last1=Buettner |first1=Russ |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |date=May 7, 2019 |title=Decade in the Red: Trump Tax Figures Show Over $1 Billion in Business Losses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/07/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html |access-date=May 8, 2019 |work=The New York Times}} leading some observers to think he was engaged in greenmail.{{cite news|last1=Mattingly|first1=Phil|last2=Jorgensen|first2=Sarah|url=https://cnn.com/2016/08/22/politics/donald-trump-activist-investor/|title=The Gordon Gekko era: Donald Trump's lucrative and controversial time as an activist investor|work=CNN|date=August 23, 2016|access-date=September 14, 2022}} The New York Times found that he initially made millions of dollars in such stock transactions, but "lost most, if not all, of those gains after investors stopped taking his takeover talk seriously".

File:Donald Trump star Hollywood Walk of Fame.JPG

In 1988, Trump purchased the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle, financing the purchase with $380 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|380|1988}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}){{Inflation/fn|US}} in loans from a syndicate of 22 banks. He renamed the airline Trump Shuttle and operated it until 1992.{{cite news|work=The Daily Beast|title=The Crash of Trump Air|first=Barbara|last=Peterson|date=April 13, 2017|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-crash-of-trump-air|access-date=May 17, 2023}} He defaulted on his loans in 1991, and ownership passed to the banks.{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4343030/donald-trump-failures/|title=10 Donald Trump Business Failures|magazine=Time|date=October 11, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2023}} In 1996, he purchased the Miss Universe pageants, including Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.{{sfn|Haberman|2022|pp=129–130}} Due to disagreements with CBS about scheduling, he took both pageants to NBC in 2002.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/22/business/three-beauty-pageants-leaving-cbs-for-nbc.html|title=Three Beauty Pageants Leaving CBS for NBC|date=June 22, 2002|first=Jim|last=Rutenberg|author-link=Jim Rutenberg|access-date=August 14, 2016|work=The New York Times}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/06/22/there-she-goes-pageants-move-to-nbc/2ba81b9a-bf67-4f3e-b8d6-1c2cc881ed19/|title=There She Goes: Pageants Move to NBC|date=June 22, 2002|first=Lisa|last=de Moraes|author-link=Lisa de Moraes|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 14, 2016}} In 2007, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work as producer of Miss Universe.{{cite news|last=Zara|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Zara|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/4023036/why-the-heck-does-donald-trump-have-a-walk-of-fame-star-anyway-its-not-the-reason-you-think|title=Why the heck does Donald Trump have a Walk of Fame star, anyway? It's not the reason you think|work=Fast Company|date=October 26, 2016|access-date=June 16, 2018}} NBC and Univision dropped the pageants in June 2015 in reaction to his comments about Mexican immigrants.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/06/29/nbc-dumps-trump/29471971/|title=NBC to Donald Trump: You're fired|work=USA Today|first=Maria|last=Puente|date=June 29, 2015|access-date=July 28, 2015}}

In 2005, Trump cofounded Trump University, a company that sold real estate seminars for up to $35,000. After New York State authorities notified the company that its use of "university" violated state law (as it was not an academic institution), its name was changed to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010.{{sfn|D'Antonio|2015|pp=281–282}} In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40 million civil suit against Trump University, alleging that the company made false statements and defrauded consumers. Additionally, two class actions were filed in federal court against Trump and his companies. Internal documents revealed that employees were instructed to use a hard-sell approach, and former employees testified that Trump University had defrauded or lied to its students.{{sfn|D'Antonio|2015|pp=282–283}} Shortly after he won the 2016 presidential election, he agreed to pay a total of $25 million to settle the three cases.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/trump-university.html|title=Donald Trump Agrees to Pay $25 Million in Trump University Settlement|last=Eder|first=Steve|date=November 18, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 18, 2016}}

= Foundation =

The Donald J. Trump Foundation was a private foundation established in 1988.{{cite news|url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133404773|title=Nonprofit Explorer|work=ProPublica|first1=Mike|last1=Tigas|first2=Sisi|last2=Wei|date=May 9, 2013|access-date=September 9, 2016}} From 1987 to 2006, Trump gave his foundation $5.4 million which had been spent by the end of 2006. After donating a total of $65,000 in 2007–2008, he stopped donating any personal funds to the charity,{{cite news|first=David A.|last=Fahrenthold|author-link=David Fahrenthold|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-donald-trump-retooled-his-charity-to-spend-other-peoples-money/2016/09/10/da8cce64-75df-11e6-8149-b8d05321db62_story.html|title=How Donald Trump retooled his charity to spend other people's money|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 10, 2016|access-date=March 19, 2024}} which received millions from other donors, including $5 million from Vince McMahon.{{cite news|last=Pallotta|first=Frank|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/18/media/vince-mcmahon-donald-trump-payments/index.html|title=Investigation into Vince McMahon's hush money payments reportedly turns up Trump charity donations|work=CNN|date=August 18, 2022|access-date=March 19, 2024}} The foundation gave to health- and sports-related charities, conservative groups,{{cite news|work=Long Island Business News|date=September 15, 2016|access-date=September 30, 2021|first=Claude|last=Solnik|title=Taking a peek at Trump's (foundation) tax returns|url=https://libn.com/2016/09/15/taking-a-peek-at-trumps-foundation-tax-returns/}} and charities that held events at Trump properties. In 2016, The Washington Post reported that the charity committed several potential legal and ethical violations, including alleged self-dealing and possible tax evasion.{{cite news|first1=Chris|last1=Cillizza|author-link1=Chris Cillizza|first2=David A.|last2=Fahrenthold|author-link2=David Fahrenthold|title=Meet the reporter who's giving Donald Trump fits|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/15/how-the-reporter-behind-the-trump-foundation-stories-does-it/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 15, 2016|access-date=June 26, 2021}} Also in 2016, the New York attorney general determined the foundation to be in violation of state law, for soliciting donations without submitting to required annual external audits, and ordered it to cease its fundraising activities in New York immediately.{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 3, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2023|first=David A.|last=Fahrenthold|author-link=David Fahrenthold|title=Trump Foundation ordered to stop fundraising by N.Y. attorney general's office|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-foundation-ordered-to-stop-fundraising-by-ny-attorney-generals-office/2016/10/03/1d4d295a-8987-11e6-bff0-d53f592f176e_story.html}} Trump's team announced in December 2016 that the foundation would be dissolved.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/24/trump-university-shut-down-conflict-of-interest|title=Donald Trump to dissolve his charitable foundation after mounting complaints|last=Jacobs|first=Ben|author-link=Ben Jacobs (journalist)|date=December 24, 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=December 25, 2016}} In June 2018, the New York attorney general's office filed a civil suit against the foundation, Trump, and his adult children, seeking $2.8 million in restitution and additional penalties.{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/392392-five-things-to-know-about-the-lawsuit-against-the-trump-foundation|title=Five things to know about the lawsuit against the Trump Foundation|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|date=June 14, 2018|work=The Hill|access-date=June 15, 2018}} In December 2018, the foundation ceased operation and disbursed its assets to other charities.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/nyregion/ny-ag-underwood-trump-foundation.html|title=Trump Foundation Will Dissolve, Accused of 'Shocking Pattern of Illegality'|work=The New York Times|date=December 18, 2018|access-date=May 9, 2019|first=Shane|last=Goldmacher}} In November 2019, a New York state judge ordered Trump to pay $2 million to a group of charities for misusing the foundation's funds, in part to finance his presidential campaign.{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-foundation-ordered-pay-2m-collection-nonprofits-part/story?id=66827235|title=President Donald Trump ordered to pay $2M to collection of nonprofits as part of civil lawsuit|work=ABC News|date=November 7, 2019|access-date=November 7, 2019|first=Aaron|last=Katersky}}

= Legal affairs and bankruptcies =

According to a review of state and federal court files conducted by USA Today in 2018, Trump and his businesses had been involved in more than 4,000 state and federal legal actions.{{cite news|title=Donald Trump: Three decades, 4,095 lawsuits |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/ |access-date=April 17, 2018}} While he has not filed for personal bankruptcy, his over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection six times between 1991 and 2009.{{cite news|last=Winter|first=Tom|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-bankruptcy-math-doesn-t-add-n598376|title=Trump Bankruptcy Math Doesn't Add Up|work=NBC News|date=June 24, 2016|access-date=February 26, 2020}} They continued to operate while the banks restructured debt and reduced his shares in the properties. During the 1980s, more than 70 banks had lent Trump $4 billion.{{cite news|work=Reuters|date=July 17, 2016|first=Emily|last=Flitter|title=Art of the spin: Trump bankers question his portrayal of financial comeback|access-date=October 14, 2018|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-bankruptcies-insig/art-of-the-spin-trump-bankers-question-his-portrayal-of-financial-comeback-idUSKCN0ZX0GP}} After his corporate bankruptcies of the early 1990s, most major banks, with the exception of Deutsche Bank, declined to lend to him.{{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|access-date=October 14, 2018|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deutsche-bank-mueller-2017-12}} After the January 6 Capitol attack, the bank decided not to do business with him or his company in the future.{{cite news|last1=Riley|first1=Charles|last2=Egan|first2=Matt|title=Deutsche Bank won't do any more business with Trump|url=https://cnn.com/2021/01/12/investing/deutsche-bank-trump/|access-date=September 14, 2022|work=CNN|date=January 12, 2021}}

= Wealth =

File:Ivana Trump shakes hands with Fahd of Saudi Arabia.jpg with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan|alt=Ivana Trump and King Fahd shake hands, with Ronald Reagan standing next to them smiling]]

Trump has often said he began his career with "a small loan of a million dollars" from his father and that he had to pay it back with interest.{{cite news |last=Stump |first=Scott |date=October 26, 2015 |title=Donald Trump: My dad gave me 'a small loan' of $1 million to get started |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/26/donald-trump-my-dad-gave-me-a-small-loan-of-1-million-to-get-started.html |access-date=November 13, 2016 |work=CNBC}} He borrowed at least $60 million from his father, largely did not repay the loans, and received another $413 million (2018 equivalent, adjusted for inflation) from his father's company.{{cite news |last1=Barstow |first1=David |author-link1=David Barstow |last2=Craig |first2=Susanne |author-link2=Susanne Craig |last3=Buettner |first3=Russ |date=October 2, 2018 |title=11 Takeaways From The Times's Investigation into Trump's Wealth |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-wealth-fred-trump.html |access-date=October 3, 2018 |work=The New York Times}} Posing as a Trump Organization official named "John Barron", Trump called journalist Jonathan Greenberg in 1984, trying to get a higher ranking on the Forbes 400 list of wealthy Americans.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/20/politics/trump-forbes-400-list-cnntv/index.html|title=Ex-Forbes reporter says Trump posed as executive, lied to him to crack Forbes 400 list|last=Stracqualursi|first=Veronica|date=April 20, 2018|access-date=December 25, 2024|work=CNN}} Trump self-reported his net worth over a wide range: from a low of minus $900 million in 1990,{{efn|Trump acknowledged a negative net worth in 1990 of minus $900 million in his book The Art of the Comeback.{{cite news|title=Donald Trump revealed $900 million business loss in '97 book|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/3/trump-revealed-900-million-business-loss-97-book/|last=Boyer|first=Dave|date=October 3, 2016|access-date=December 18, 2024|work=The Washington Times}} Timothy L. O'Brien explains in his book TrumpNation that Forbes dropped Trump from its list of wealthiest Americans from 1990–1995. Not until 1997 did Forbes acknowledge Trump's 1990 negative net worth of minus $900 million.{{sfn|O'Brien|2005|p=150–151}}}} to a high of $10 billion in 2015.{{sfn|Johnston|2021|p=20}} In their 2024 billionaires ranking, his net worth was estimated to be $2.3 billion (1,438th in the world).{{cite news |year=2024 |title=Profile Donald Trump |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/donald-trump/?list=billionaires |access-date=March 28, 2024 |work=Forbes}}

Media career

Trump has produced 19 books under his name, most written or cowritten by ghostwriters.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-books-tweet-ghostwriter-tim-o-brien-tony-schwartz-writer-response-a8431271.html|title=Trump boasted about writing many books – his ghostwriter says otherwise|newspaper=The Independent|first=Andrew|last=Buncombe|date=July 4, 2018|access-date=October 11, 2020}} His first book, The Art of the Deal (1987), was a New York Times Best Seller, and was credited by The New Yorker with making Trump famous as an "emblem of the successful tycoon".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/07/25/donald-trumps-ghostwriter-tells-all|title=Donald Trump's Ghostwriter Tells All|magazine=The New Yorker|first=Jane|last=Mayer|author-link=Jane Mayer|date=July 18, 2016|access-date=June 19, 2017}} The book was ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz, who is credited as a coauthor. Trump had cameos in many films and television shows from 1985 to 2001.{{cite magazine|first=Adrienne|last=LaFrance|title=Three Decades of Donald Trump Film and TV Cameos|date=December 21, 2015|magazine=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/three-decades-of-donald-trump-film-and-tv-cameos/421257/}} Starting in the 1990s, Trump was a guest 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 had his own short-form talk radio program, Trumped!, from 2004 to 2008.{{cite web|last1=Massie|first1=Christopher|last2=Kaczynski|first2=Andrew|title=There Are Hours Of Audio Of Donald Trump's Nationally Syndicated Radio Show In The 2000s|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/christophermassie/theres-hours-of-audio-of-donald-trumps-nationally-syndicated|work=BuzzFeed|access-date=December 6, 2024|date=March 16, 2016}} From 2011 until 2015, he was a guest commentator on Fox & Friends.{{cite news|last1=Grossmann|first1=Matt|last2=Hopkins|first2=David A.|title=How the conservative media is taking over the Republican Party|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/09/09/how-the-conservative-media-is-taking-over-the-republican-party/|access-date=October 19, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 9, 2016}} In 2021, Trump, who had been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1989, resigned to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack.{{cite news|last=Rao|first=Sonia|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/02/04/trump-resigns-screen-actors-guild/|title=Facing expulsion, Trump resigns from the Screen Actors Guild: 'You have done nothing for me'|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 4, 2021|access-date=February 5, 2021}} Two days later, the union permanently barred him.{{cite magazine|last=Harmata|first=Claudia|url=https://people.com/tv/sag-aftra-bans-donald-trump-future-readmission/|title=Donald Trump Banned from Future Re-Admission to SAG-AFTRA: It's 'More Than a Symbolic Step'|magazine=People|date=February 7, 2021|access-date=February 8, 2021}}

= ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' =

Producer Mark Burnett made Trump a TV star{{sfn|Buettner|Craig|2024|p=7|loc="Mark Burnett, the television producer who made Trump a star, did not just hand him a fortune."}} when he created The Apprentice, which Trump coproduced and hosted from 2004 to 2015 (including variant The Celebrity Apprentice). On the shows, he was a superrich chief executive who eliminated contestants with the catchphrase "you're fired". The New York Times called his portrayal "highly flattering, highly fictionalized". The shows remade Trump's image for millions of viewers nationwide.{{cite news|last1=Grynbaum|first1=Michael M.|last2=Parker|first2=Ashley|author-link2=Ashley Parker|date=July 16, 2016|title=Donald Trump the Political Showman, Born on 'The Apprentice'|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/business/media/donald-trump-apprentice.html|access-date=July 8, 2018}}{{cite magazine |last=Nussbaum |first=Emily |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/07/31/the-tv-that-created-donald-trump |title=The TV That Created Donald Trump |magazine=The New Yorker |date=July 24, 2017 |access-date=October 18, 2023}} With the related licensing agreements, they earned him more than $400 million.{{cite news|last=Poniewozik |first=James |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/arts/television/trump-taxes-apprentice.html |title=Donald Trump Was the Real Winner of 'The Apprentice' |work=The New York Times |date=September 28, 2020 |access-date=October 18, 2023}}

Early political aspirations

File:Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.jpg, June 2000|alt=Donald Trump shakes hands with Bill Clinton in a lobby; Trump is speaking and Clinton is smiling, and both are wearing suits.]]

Trump registered as a Republican in 1987;{{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/|access-date=March 18, 2017|work=PolitiFact|date=August 24, 2015}} a member of the Independence Party, the New York state affiliate of the Reform Party, in 1999;{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/10/25/trump.cnn/|title=Trump Officially Joins Reform Party|work=CNN|date=October 25, 1999|access-date=December 26, 2020}} a Democrat in 2001; a Republican in 2009; unaffiliated in 2011; and a Republican in 2012. In 1987, Trump placed full-page advertisements in three major newspapers,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/02/nyregion/trump-gives-a-vague-hint-of-candidacy.html|title=Trump Gives a Vague Hint of Candidacy|work=The New York Times|first=Michael|last=Oreskes|author-link=Michael Oreskes|date=September 2, 1987|access-date=February 17, 2016}} expressing his views on foreign policy and how to eliminate the federal budget deficit.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/18/us/trump-urged-to-head-gala-of-democrats.html|title=Trump Urged To Head Gala Of Democrats|work=The New York Times|date=November 18, 1987|access-date=October 1, 2021|first=Fox|last=Butterfield}} In 1988, he approached Lee Atwater, asking to be put into consideration to be Republican nominee George H. W. Bush's running mate. Bush found the request "strange and unbelievable".{{sfn|Meacham|2016|p=326}}{{cite news|title=George W. Bush 'surprised' by dad's criticism, author says|last=Gass|first=Nick|date=November 6, 2015|access-date=December 20, 2024|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/george-w-bush-father-book-215588|work=Politico}} Trump was a candidate in the 2000 Reform Party presidential primaries for three months, but withdrew from the race in February 2000.{{cite news|first=Richard|last=Winger|author-link=Richard Winger|title=Donald Trump Ran For President in 2000 in Several Reform Party Presidential Primaries|date=December 25, 2011|access-date=October 1, 2021|website=Ballot Access News|url=https://ballot-access.org/2011/12/25/donald-trump-ran-for-president-in-2000-in-several-reform-party-presidential-primaries/}}{{cite news|last=Clift|first=Eleanor|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=July 18, 2016|access-date=October 14, 2021}}{{cite news|last=Nagourney|first=Adam|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/021400wh-ref-trump.html|title=Reform Bid Said to Be a No-Go for Trump|work=The New York Times|date=February 14, 2000|access-date=December 26, 2020}} In 2011, Trump speculated about running against President Barack Obama in the 2012 election, making his first speaking appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February and giving speeches in early primary states.{{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}}{{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}} In May, he announced he would not run. His presidential ambitions were generally not taken seriously at the time.{{cite news|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-cpac-president-act_n_821923|title=Donald Trump Brings His 'Pretend To Run For President' Act To CPAC|work=HuffPost|access-date=September 14, 2022|first=Jason|last=Linkins|date=February 11, 2011}}

2016 presidential election

{{further|2016 Republican Party presidential primaries|2016 United States presidential election}}

Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015.{{cite news |last=Lerner |first=Adam B. |date=June 16, 2015 |title=The 10 best lines from Donald Trump's announcement speech |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066 |access-date=June 7, 2018 |work=Politico}}{{cite news |last=Graham |first=David A. |date=May 13, 2016 |title=The Lie of Trump's 'Self-Funding' Campaign |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/trumps-self-funding-lie/482691/ |access-date=June 7, 2018 |work=The Atlantic}} His campaign was initially not taken seriously by political analysts, but he quickly rose to the top of opinion polls.{{cite news |last=Reeve |first=Elspeth |date=October 27, 2015 |title=How Donald Trump Evolved From a Joke to an Almost Serious Candidate |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/123228/how-donald-trump-evolved-joke-almost-serious-candidate |access-date=July 23, 2018 |magazine=The New Republic}} He became the front-runner in March 2016{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=March 23, 2016 |title=Why Donald Trump is poised to win the nomination and lose the general election, in one poll |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/23/why-donald-trump-is-poised-to-win-the-nomination-and-lose-the-general-election-in-one-poll/ |access-date=October 1, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} and was declared the presumptive Republican nominee in May.{{cite news |last=Nussbaum |first=Matthew |date=May 3, 2016 |title=RNC Chairman: Trump is our nominee |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/reince-priebus-donald-trump-is-nominee-222767 |access-date=May 4, 2016 |work=Politico}} Trump's fame and provocative statements earned him an unprecedented amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/14/this-harvard-study-is-a-powerful-indictment-of-the-medias-role-in-donald-trumps-rise/|title=This Harvard study is a powerful indictment of the media's role in Donald Trump's rise|first=Chris|last=Cillizza|author-link=Chris Cillizza|date=June 14, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}} His campaign statements were often opaque and suggestive,{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/08/10/489476187/trump-s-second-amendment-comment-fit-a-pattern-of-ambiguous-speech|last=McCammon|first=Sarah|title=Donald Trump's controversial speech often walks the line|work=NPR|date=August 10, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021}} and a record number were false.{{cite news|title=The 'King of Whoppers': Donald Trump|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2015/12/the-king-of-whoppers-donald-trump/|work=FactCheck.org|access-date=March 4, 2019|date=December 21, 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/dec/21/2015-lie-year-donald-trump-campaign-misstatements/|title=2015 Lie of the Year: the campaign misstatements of Donald Trump|work=PolitiFact|date=December 21, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2021|first1=Angie Drobnic|last1=Holan|author-link1=Angie Drobnic Holan|first2=Linda|last2=Qiu}}{{cite news|first=Paul|last=Farhi|title=Think Trump's wrong? Fact checkers can tell you how often. (Hint: A lot.)|date=February 26, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|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}} He said he disdained political correctness and frequently made claims of media bias.{{cite news|first=Kenneth T.|last=Walsh|author-link=Kenneth T. Walsh|title=Trump: Media Is 'Dishonest and Corrupt'|date=August 15, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=U.S. News & World Report|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-08-15/trump-media-is-dishonest-and-corrupt}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/06/donald-trumps-failing-war-on-political-correctness/|title=Donald Trump is waging war on political correctness. And he's losing.|first=Aaron|last=Blake|date=July 6, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}} Hillary Clinton led Trump in national polling averages throughout the campaign, but, in early July, her lead narrowed.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/data-points/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|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=NBC News}} In mid-July he selected Indiana governor Mike Pence as his running mate,{{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|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=CNBC}} and the two were officially nominated at the 2016 Republican National Convention.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-closes-the-deal-becomes-republican-nominee-for-president|title=Trump closes the deal, becomes Republican nominee for president|date=July 19, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=Fox News}} Trump and Clinton faced off in three presidential debates in September and October 2016. He twice refused to say whether he would accept the result of the election.{{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|access-date=October 27, 2016|work=BBC News}}

File:Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore 5.jpg

Trump described NATO as "obsolete"{{cite news|first=Jenna|last=Johnson|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/04/12/trump-on-nato-i-said-it-was-obsolete-its-no-longer-obsolete/|title=Trump on NATO: 'I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete.'|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 12, 2017|access-date=November 26, 2019}}{{sfn|Edwards|2018|loc="On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 'obsolete'"}} and espoused views that were described as noninterventionist and protectionist.{{cite news|last1=Rucker|first1=Philip|author-link1=Philip Rucker|last2=Costa|first2=Robert|author-link2=Robert Costa (journalist)|date=March 21, 2016|access-date=August 24, 2021|title=Trump questions need for NATO, outlines noninterventionist foreign policy|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/03/21/donald-trump-reveals-foreign-policy-team-in-meeting-with-the-washington-post/}} His campaign platform emphasized renegotiating U.S.–China relations and free trade agreements such as NAFTA and strongly enforcing immigration laws. Other campaign positions included pursuing energy independence while opposing climate change regulations, modernizing services for veterans, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, abolishing Common Core education standards, investing in infrastructure, simplifying the tax code while reducing taxes, and imposing tariffs on imports by companies that offshore jobs. He advocated increasing military spending and extreme vetting or banning of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37982000|title=Trump's promises before and after the election|date=September 19, 2017|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=BBC News}} Trump's proposed immigration policies were a topic of bitter debate during the 2016 campaign. He promised to build a wall on the Mexico–U.S. border to restrict illegal movement and vowed that Mexico would pay for it.{{cite news |date=February 6, 2017 |title=Donald Trump's Mexico wall: Who is going to pay for it? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37243269 |access-date=December 9, 2017 |work=BBC News}} He pledged to deport millions of illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.,{{cite news |date=August 19, 2015 |title=Donald Trump emphasizes plans to build 'real' wall at Mexico border |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/donald-trump-emphasizes-plans-to-build-real-wall-at-mexico-border-1.3196807 |access-date=September 29, 2015 |work=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation}} and criticized birthright citizenship for incentivizing "anchor babies".{{cite news |last=Oh |first=Inae |date=August 19, 2015 |title=Donald Trump: The 14th Amendment is Unconstitutional |url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/08/donald-trump-has-some-thoughts-about-the-constitution |access-date=November 22, 2015 |work=Mother Jones}} According to an analysis in Political Science Quarterly, Trump made "explicitly racist appeals to whites" during his 2016 presidential campaign.{{cite journal |last1=Schaffner |first1=Brian F. |author-link1=Brian Schaffner |last2=Macwilliams |first2=Matthew |last3=Nteta |first3=Tatishe |date=March 2018 |title=Understanding White Polarization in the 2016 Vote for President: The Sobering Role of Racism and Sexism |journal=Political Science Quarterly |volume=133 |issue=1 |pages=9–34 |doi=10.1002/polq.12737 |doi-access=free}} In particular, his campaign launch speech drew criticism for claiming Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists";{{cite web |last=Wolf |first=Z. Byron |date=April 6, 2018 |title=Trump basically called Mexicans rapists again |url=https://cnn.com/2018/04/06/politics/trump-mexico-rapists/ |access-date=June 28, 2022 |work=CNN}} in response, NBC fired him from Celebrity Apprentice.{{Cite web |date=August 13, 2015 |title=NBC Officially Fires Trump From 'Celebrity Apprentice' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/nbc-officially-fires-trump-celebrity-apprentice-n409381 |access-date=November 9, 2024 |work=NBC News |agency=Associated Press}}

Trump's FEC-required reports listed assets above $1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $315 million.{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |last2=Frates |first2=Chris |date=July 22, 2015 |title=Donald Trump's 92-page financial disclosure released |url=https://cnn.com/2015/07/22/politics/donald-trump-personal-financial-disclosure/ |access-date=September 14, 2022 |work=CNN}}{{cite report|work=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|archive-date=July 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723053945/https://images.businessweek.com/cms/2015-07-22/7-22-15-Report.pdf|access-date=December 21, 2023}} He did not release his tax returns, 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/05/11/donald-trump-breaks-with-recent-history-by-not-releasing-tax-returns/|title=Donald Trump Breaks With Recent History by Not Releasing Tax Returns|last=Rappeport|first=Alan|author-link=Alan Rappeport|date=May 11, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 19, 2016}}{{cite news|last=Qiu|first=Linda|title=Pence's False claim that Trump 'hasn't broken' tax return promise|url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/05/mike-pence/pences-false-claim-trump-hasnt-broken-tax-return-p/|work=PolitiFact|date=October 5, 2016|access-date=April 29, 2020}} He said his tax returns were being audited, and that his lawyers had advised him against releasing them.{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/02/26/pf/taxes/trump-tax-returns-audit/|title=Trump says he can't release tax returns because of audits|last1=Isidore|first1=Chris|last2=Sahadi|first2=Jeanne|date=February 26, 2016|access-date=March 1, 2023|work=CNN}} After a lengthy court battle to block release of his tax returns and other records to the Manhattan district attorney for a criminal investigation, including two appeals by Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court, in February 2021 the high court allowed the records to be released to the prosecutor for review by a grand jury.{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2021/02/22/politics/supreme-court-trump-taxes-vance/|title=Supreme Court allows release of Trump tax returns to NY prosecutor|first=Ariane|last=de Vogue|date=February 22, 2021|access-date=September 14, 2022|work=CNN}}{{cite news|first=Jessica|last=Gresko|url=https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-donald-trump-tax-rercords-3aee14146906351ee9dd34aa7b6f4386|title=Supreme Court won't halt turnover of Trump's tax records|date=February 22, 2021|access-date=October 2, 2021|work=AP News}} In October 2016, portions of Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from The New York Times. They show that he had declared a loss of $916 million that year, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html|title=Donald Trump Acknowledges Not Paying Federal Income Taxes for Years|last1=Eder|first1=Steve|last2=Twohey|first2=Megan|author-link2=Megan Twohey|date=October 10, 2016|access-date=October 2, 2021|work=The New York Times}}

On November 8, 2016, Trump received 306 pledged electoral votes versus 232 for Clinton, although, after elector defections on both sides, the official count was ultimately 304 to 227.{{cite news|first1=Kiersten|last1=Schmidt|first2=Wilson|last2=Andrews|title=A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton|date=December 19, 2016|access-date=January 31, 2017|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/19/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html}} The fifth person to be elected president while losing the popular vote,{{efn|name=electoral-college|Presidential elections in the U.S. are decided by the Electoral College. Each state names a number of electors equal to its representation in Congress and (in most states) all electors vote for the winner of their state's popular vote.}} he received nearly 2.9 million fewer votes than Clinton, 46.3% to her 48.25%.{{cite news|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, 2016|access-date=October 2, 2021}} He was the only president who neither served in the military nor held any government office prior to becoming president.{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/11/13587532/donald-trump-no-experience|title=Donald Trump will be the only US president ever with no political or military experience|last=Crockett|first=Zachary|date=November 11, 2016|work=Vox|access-date=January 3, 2017}} Trump won 30 states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, states which had been considered a blue wall of Democratic strongholds since the 1990s. His victory marked the return of an undivided Republican government—a Republican president combined with Republican control of both chambers of Congress.{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 9, 2016|access-date=October 2, 2021|first=Amber|last=Phillips|title=Republicans are poised to grasp the holy grail of governance|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/09/republicans-are-about-to-reach-the-holy-grail-of-governance/}} Trump's victory sparked protests in major U.S. cities.{{cite news|last1=Blau|first1=Max|last2=McKirdy|first2=Euan|last3=Yan|first3=Holly|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/10/politics/election-results-reaction-streets/index.html|title=Protesters target Trump buildings in massive street rallies|date=November 11, 2016|work=CNN|access-date=January 21, 2025}}{{Cite news|last1=Mele|first1=Christopher|last2=Correal|first2=Annie|title='Not Our President': Protests Spread After Donald Trump's Election|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/us/trump-election-protests.html|work=The New York Times|date=November 9, 2016|access-date=May 10, 2024}}

First presidency (2017–2021)

File:Donald Trump swearing in ceremony.jpg administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. at the Capitol, January 20, 2017]]

File:Donald Trump official portrait.jpg, white shirt, and light blue necktie|Official White House presidential portrait of Donald Trump]]

= Early actions =

{{See also|First presidential transition of Donald Trump|First 100 days of the first Donald Trump presidency}}

File:Women's March on Washington (32593123745).jpg in Washington, D.C., on January 21, 2017|alt=Pennsylvania Ave., completely packed with protesters, mostly women, many wearing pink and holding signs with progressive feminist slogans]]

Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017. On the day after his inauguration, an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide, including an estimated half million in Washington, D.C., protested against him in the Women's Marches.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/21/womens-march-aims-start-movement-trump-inauguration/96864158/|title=At 2.6 million strong, Women's Marches crush expectations|last1=Przybyla|first1=Heidi M.|last2=Schouten|first2=Fredreka|date=January 21, 2017|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=January 22, 2017}} During his first week in office, he signed six executive orders, authorizing interim procedures in anticipation of repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, reinstatement of the Mexico City policy, advancement of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline projects, reinforcement of border security, and a planning process for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.{{cite news|last=Quigley|first=Aidan|title=All of Trump's executive actions so far|url=https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2017/01/all-trump-executive-actions-000288|access-date=January 28, 2017|newspaper=Politico|date=January 25, 2017}} Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner became his assistant and senior advisor, respectively.{{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|access-date=April 3, 2017|newspaper=The Economist}}{{cite news|first1=Michael S.|last1=Schmidt|author-link1=Michael S. Schmidt|first2=Eric|last2=Lipton|author-link2=Eric Lipton|first3=Charlie|last3=Savage|author-link3=Charlie Savage (author)|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|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 21, 2017|access-date=May 7, 2017}}

= Conflicts of interest =

Before being inaugurated, Trump moved his businesses into a revocable trust,{{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|work=NPR|date=January 20, 2018|access-date=October 2, 2021}}{{cite news|title=Donald Trump: A list of potential conflicts of interest|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38069298|work=BBC News|date=April 18, 2017|access-date=October 2, 2021}} rather than a blind trust or equivalent arrangement "to cleanly sever himself from his business interests".{{Cite news|first1=Karen|last1=Yourish|first2=Larry|last2=Buchanan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/12/us/politics/ethics-experts-trumps-conflicts-of-interest.html|access-date=September 3, 2024|title=It 'Falls Short in Every Respect': Ethics Experts Pan Trump's Conflicts Plan|work=The New York Times|date=January 12, 2017}} He continued to profit from his businesses and knew how his administration's policies affected them.{{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|access-date=October 2, 2021}} Although he said he would eschew "new foreign deals", the Trump Organization pursued operational expansions in Scotland, Dubai, and the Dominican Republic. Lobbyists, foreign government officials, and Trump donors and allies generated hundreds of millions of dollars for his resorts and hotels.{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Peter|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/19/donald-trump-businesses-hotels-conflict-of-interest|title=How Trump's businesses are booming with lobbyists, donors and governments|work=The Guardian|date=July 19, 2019|access-date=November 20, 2024}} Trump was sued for violating the Domestic and Foreign Emoluments Clauses of the U.S. Constitution, the first time that the clauses had been substantively litigated.{{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|access-date=October 2, 2021|work=Congressional Research Service}} One case was dismissed in lower court.{{cite news|last=LaFraniere|first=Sharon|author-link=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|access-date=January 25, 2018}} Two were dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court as moot after his term.{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2021/01/25/politics/emoluments-supreme-court-donald-trump-case/|title=Supreme Court dismisses emoluments cases against Trump|first1=Ariane|last1=de Vogue|first2=Devan|last2=Cole|work=CNN|date=January 25, 2021|access-date=September 14, 2022}}

= Domestic policy =

{{Main|Economic policy of the first Donald Trump administration|Environmental policy of the first Donald Trump administration|Social policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}

Trump took office at the height of the longest economic expansion in American history,{{cite news|first=Andrew |last=Van Dam|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/08/trump-jobs-record/|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Trump will have the worst jobs record in modern U.S. history. It's not just the pandemic.|date=January 8, 2021|access-date=October 2, 2021}} which began in 2009 and continued until February 2020, when the COVID-19 recession began.{{cite news|last=Smialek|first=Jeanna|date=June 8, 2020|title=The U.S. Entered a Recession in February|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/business/economy/us-economy-recession-2020.html|access-date=June 10, 2020}} In December 2017, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. It reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals and set the penalty associated with the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate to $0.{{cite news|last=Long|first=Heather|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/12/15/the-final-gop-tax-bill-is-complete-heres-what-is-in-it/|title=The final GOP tax bill is complete. Here's what is in it.|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 15, 2017|access-date=July 31, 2021}}{{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|access-date=December 22, 2017}} The Trump administration claimed that the act would not decrease government revenue, but 2018 revenues were 7.6 percent lower than projected.{{cite news|last=Gale|first=William G.|url=https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/did-the-2017-tax-cut-the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-pay-for-itself/|title=Did the 2017 tax cut—the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—pay for itself?|work=Brookings Institution|date=February 14, 2020|access-date=July 31, 2021}} Under Trump, the federal budget deficit increased by almost 50 percent, to nearly $1 trillion in 2019.{{cite news|last1=Long|first1=Heather|last2=Stein|first2=Jeff|title=The U.S. deficit hit $984 billion in 2019, soaring during Trump era|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/10/25/us-deficit-hit-billion-marking-nearly-percent-increase-during-trump-era/|access-date=June 10, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 25, 2019}} By the end of his term, the U.S. national debt increased by 39 percent, reaching $27.75 trillion, and the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio hit a post-World War II high.{{cite news|first1=Allan|last1=Sloan|first2=Cezary|last2=Podkul|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump|work=ProPublica|title=Donald Trump Built a National Debt So Big (Even Before the Pandemic) That It'll Weigh Down the Economy for Years|date=January 14, 2021|access-date=October 3, 2021}} Trump also failed to deliver the $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan on which he had campaigned.{{cite news|last=Bliss|first=Laura|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-16/what-did-all-those-infrastructure-weeks-add-up-to|title=How Trump's $1 Trillion Infrastructure Pledge Added Up|work=Bloomberg News|date=November 16, 2020|access-date=December 29, 2021}}

Trump is the only modern U.S. president to leave office with a smaller workforce than when he took office, by 3 million people.{{Cite news|last=Burns|first=Dan|date=January 8, 2021|title=Trump ends his term like a growing number of Americans: out of a job|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN29D31G/|access-date=May 10, 2024|work=Reuters}} Trump rejects the scientific consensus on climate change.{{cite news|first1=Ashley|last1=Parker|author-link1=Ashley Parker|first2=Coral|last2=Davenport|title=Donald Trump's Energy Plan: More Fossil Fuels and Fewer Rules|date=May 26, 2016|access-date=October 3, 2021|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/us/politics/donald-trump-global-warming-energy-policy.html}}{{cite news|first=Jason|last=Samenow|author-link=Jason Samenow|title=Donald Trump's unsettling nonsense on weather and climate|date=March 22, 2016|access-date=October 3, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/03/22/donald-trumps-unsettling-nonsense-on-weather-and-climate}}{{Cite news|last1=Lemire|first1=Jonathan|last2=Madhani|first2=Aamer|last3=Weissert|first3=Will|last4=Knickmeyer|first4=Ellen|date=September 15, 2020|title=Trump spurns science on climate: 'Don't think science knows'|url=https://apnews.com/article/climate-climate-change-elections-joe-biden-campaigns-bd152cd786b58e45c61bebf2457f9930|access-date=May 11, 2024|work=AP News}}{{Cite news |last1=Plumer |first1=Brad |last2=Davenport |first2=Coral |date=December 28, 2019 |title=Science Under Attack: How Trump Is Sidelining Researchers and Their Work |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/climate/trump-administration-war-on-science.html |access-date=May 11, 2024 |work=The New York Times}} He reduced the budget for renewable energy research by 40 percent and reversed Obama-era policies directed at curbing climate change.{{cite news|title=Trump proposes cuts to climate and clean-energy programs|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment|date=May 3, 2019|work=National Geographic Society|access-date=November 24, 2023}} He withdrew from the Paris Agreement, making the U.S. the only nation to not ratify it.{{cite news|last=Dennis|first=Brady|title=As Syria embraces Paris climate deal, it's the United States against the world|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/11/07/as-syria-embraces-paris-climate-deal-its-the-united-states-against-the-world|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 7, 2017|access-date=May 28, 2018}} Trump aimed to boost the production and exports of fossil fuels.{{cite news|last=Gardner|first=Timothy|title=Senate confirms Brouillette, former Ford lobbyist, as energy secretary|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-brouillette/senate-confirms-brouillette-former-ford-lobbyist-as-energy-secretary-idUSKBN1Y62E6|access-date=December 15, 2019|work=Reuters|date=December 3, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/mt-state-wire-climate-ap-top-news-climate-change-ca-state-wire-2b44ced0e892d7e988e40a486d875b5d|work=AP News|title=Trump's fossil fuel agenda gets pushback from federal judges|first=Matthew|last=Brown|date=September 15, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2021}} Natural gas expanded under Trump, but coal continued to decline.{{Cite news |last=Lipton |first=Eric |author-link=Eric Lipton |date=October 5, 2020 |title='The Coal Industry Is Back,' Trump Proclaimed. It Wasn't. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/us/politics/trump-coal-industry.html |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite news|first=Tara|last=Subramaniam|url=https://cnn.com/2021/01/30/politics/trump-broken-promises/|title=From building the wall to bringing back coal: Some of Trump's more notable broken promises|work=CNN|date=January 30, 2021|access-date=October 3, 2021}} He rolled back more than 100 federal environmental regulations, including those that curbed greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and the use of toxic substances. He weakened protections for animals and environmental standards for federal infrastructure projects, and expanded permitted areas for drilling and resource extraction, such as allowing drilling in the Arctic Refuge.{{cite news|last1=Popovich|first1=Nadja|last2=Albeck-Ripka|first2=Livia|last3=Pierre-Louis|first3=Kendra|title=The Trump Administration Rolled Back More Than 100 Environmental Rules. Here's the Full List.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html|work=The New York Times|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=December 21, 2023}}

Trump dismantled many federal regulations on health,{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Frank W.|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/10/09/six-ways-trump-has-sabotaged-the-affordable-care-act/|title=Six ways Trump has sabotaged the Affordable Care Act|work=Brookings Institution|date=October 9, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2022}}{{cite news|last1=Arnsdorf|first1=Isaac|last2=DePillis|first2=Lydia|last3=Lind|first3=Dara|last4=Song|first4=Lisa|last5=Syed|first5=Moiz|last6=Osei|first6=Zipporah|url=https://projects.propublica.org/trump-midnight-regulations/|title=Tracking the Trump Administration's "Midnight Regulations"|work=ProPublica|date=November 25, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2022}} labor,{{cite news|last=Poydock|first=Margaret|url=https://www.epi.org/blog/president-trump-has-attacked-workers-safety-wages-and-rights-since-day-one/|title=President Trump has attacked workers' safety, wages, and rights since Day One|work=Economic Policy Institute|date=September 17, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2022}} and the environment,{{cite news|last=Baker|first=Cayli|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/12/15/the-trump-administrations-major-environmental-deregulations/|date=December 15, 2020|access-date=January 29, 2022|title=The Trump administration's major environmental deregulations|work=Brookings Institution}} among others, including a bill that made it easier for severely mentally ill persons to buy guns.{{cite magazine|last=Grunwald|first=Michael|title=Trump's Secret Weapon Against Obama's Legacy|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/04/donald-trump-obama-legacy-215009/|magazine=Politico Magazine|date=April 10, 2017|access-date=January 29, 2022}} During his first six weeks in office, he delayed, suspended, or reversed ninety federal regulations,{{cite news|last1=Lipton|first1=Eric|last2=Appelbaum|first2=Binyamin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/05/us/politics/trump-deregulation-guns-wall-st-climate.html|title=Leashes Come Off Wall Street, Gun Sellers, Polluters and More|work=The New York Times|date=March 5, 2017|access-date=January 29, 2022}} often "after requests by the regulated industries".{{cite news|title=Trump-Era Trend: Industries Protest. Regulations Rolled Back. A Dozen Examples|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3480299-10-Examples-Industries-Push-Followed-by-Trump.html#document/p60/a341284|work=The New York Times|via=DocumentCloud|access-date=January 29, 2022|date=March 5, 2017}} The Institute for Policy Integrity found that 78 percent of his proposals were blocked by courts or did not prevail over litigation.{{cite news|title=Roundup: Trump-Era Agency Policy in the Courts|url=https://policyintegrity.org/trump-court-roundup|work=Institute for Policy Integrity|date=April 25, 2022|access-date=January 8, 2022}} During his campaign, Trump vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.{{cite news|last=Kodjak|first=Alison|author-link=Alison Kodjak|title=Trump Can Kill Obamacare With Or Without Help From Congress|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/09/501203831/trump-can-kill-obamacare-with-or-without-help-from-congress|access-date=January 12, 2017|work=NPR|date=November 9, 2016}} In office, he scaled back the Act's implementation through executive orders.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/us/politics/trump-executive-order-obamacare.html|title=Trump Issues Executive Order Scaling Back Parts of Obamacare|last1=Davis|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|author-link1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis|last2=Pear|first2=Robert|author-link2=Robert Pear|date=January 20, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 23, 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/10/12/news/economy/trump-health-care-executive-order/index.html|title=What's in Trump's health care executive order?|first=Tami|last=Luhby|work=CNN|date=October 13, 2017|access-date=October 14, 2017}} He expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail"; his administration halved the enrollment period and drastically reduced funding for enrollment promotion.{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/18/trump-tweet-obamacare-repeal-failure-240664|title=Trump says he plans to 'let Obamacare fail'|last=Nelson|first=Louis|date=July 18, 2017|work=Politico|access-date=September 29, 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/trump-obamacare-sabotage-enrollment-cuts_us_59a87bffe4b0b5e530fd5751|title=Trump Ramps Up Obamacare Sabotage With Huge Cuts To Enrollment Programs|last=Young|first=Jeffrey|date=August 31, 2017|work=HuffPost|access-date=September 29, 2017}} In June 2018, the Trump administration joined 18 Republican-led states in arguing before the Supreme Court that the elimination of the financial penalties associated with the individual mandate had rendered the Act unconstitutional.{{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|access-date=October 3, 2021}}{{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 26, 2020|access-date=September 29, 2021}} Their pleading would have eliminated health insurance coverage for up to 23 million Americans, but was unsuccessful. During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised to protect funding for Medicare and other social safety-net programs. In January 2020, he expressed willingness to consider cuts to them.{{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|author-link1=Alan Rappeport|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|date=January 22, 2020|access-date=January 24, 2020|work=The New York Times}}

In response to the opioid epidemic, Trump signed legislation in 2018 to increase funding for drug treatments, but was widely criticized for failing to make a concrete strategy.{{cite news|last=Mann|first=Brian|date=October 29, 2020|title=Opioid Crisis: Critics Say Trump Fumbled Response To Another Deadly Epidemic|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/29/927859091/opioid-crisis-critics-say-trump-fumbled-response-to-another-deadly-epidemic|access-date=December 13, 2020}} Trump barred organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from receiving federal funds.{{cite news|title=Abortion: How do Trump and Biden's policies compare?|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54003808 |work=BBC News|access-date=July 17, 2023|date=September 9, 2020}} He said he supported "traditional marriage", but considered the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage "settled".{{cite news|url=https://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|work=CNN|first=Ariane|last=de Vogue|date=November 15, 2016|access-date=November 30, 2016}} His administration rolled back key components of the Obama administration's workplace protections against discrimination of LGBTQ people.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-advocates-say-trump-s-news-executive-order-makes-them-n740301|title=LGBTQ Advocates Say Trump's New Executive Order Makes Them Vulnerable to Discrimination|work=NBC News|first=Mary Emily|last=O'Hara|date=March 30, 2017|access-date=July 30, 2017}} His attempted rollback of anti-discrimination protections for transgender patients in August 2020 was halted by a federal judge after a Supreme Court ruling extended employees' civil rights protections to gender identity and sexual orientation.{{cite news|last=Luthi|first=Susannah|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/17/judge-trump-rollback-transgender-health-397332|title=Judge halts Trump's rollback of transgender health protections|work=Politico|date=August 17, 2020|access-date=November 8, 2023}} Trump has said he is opposed to gun control, although his views have shifted over time.{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/donald-trump-gun-positions-nra-orlando/|title=The times Trump changed his positions on guns|work=CNN|date=June 20, 2016|access-date=October 3, 2021|first=Gregory|last=Krieg}} His administration took an anti-marijuana position, revoking Obama-era policies that provided protections for states that legalized marijuana.{{cite news|last=Bures|first=Brendan|date=February 21, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2021|title=Trump administration doubles down on anti-marijuana position|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/marijuana/sns-tft-trump-anti-marijuana-stance-20200221-jfdx4urbb5bhrf6ldtfpxleopi-story.html}} Trump is a long-time advocate of capital punishment.{{cite news|last=Wolf|first=Zachary B.|title=Trump returns to the death penalty as Democrats turn against it|url=https://cnn.com/2019/07/27/politics/death-penalty-trump-democrats/|work=CNN|access-date=September 18, 2022|date=July 27, 2019}}{{cite news|last=Honderich|first=Holly|title=In Trump's final days, a rush of federal executions|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55236260|work=BBC News|date=January 16, 2021|access-date=September 18, 2022}} Under his administration, the federal government executed 13 prisoners, more than in the previous 56 years combined, ending a 17-year moratorium.{{cite news|first1=Michael|last1=Tarm|first2=Michael|last2=Kunzelman|title=Trump administration carries out 13th and final execution|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wildlife-coronavirus-pandemic-crime-terre-haute-28e44cc5c026dc16472751bbde0ead50|work=AP News|date=January 15, 2021|access-date=January 30, 2022}} In 2016, he said he supported the use of interrogation torture methods such as waterboarding.{{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|date=February 7, 2016|access-date=February 8, 2016}}{{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|work=ABC News|date=February 6, 2016|access-date=February 9, 2016}}

= Race relations =

File:President Trump Visits St. John's Episcopal Church (49963649028).jpg outside St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square in June 2020.]]

Trump's comments on the 2017 Unite the Right rally, condemning "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides" and stating that there were "very fine people on both sides", were criticized as implying a moral equivalence between the white supremacist demonstrators and the counter-protesters.{{cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |date=May 8, 2020 |title=The 'very fine people' at Charlottesville: Who were they? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/08/very-fine-people-charlottesville-who-were-they-2/ |access-date=October 23, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} In a January 2018 discussion of immigration legislation, Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries".{{cite web |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |date=January 11, 2018 |title=Trump's "shithole countries" comment exposes the core of Trumpism |url=https://www.vox.com/2018/1/11/16880804/trump-shithole-countries-racism |access-date=January 11, 2018 |work=Vox}} His remarks were condemned as racist.{{cite web |last1=Wintour |first1=Patrick |author-link1=Patrick Wintour |last2=Burke |first2=Jason |author-link2=Jason Burke |last3=Livsey |first3=Anna |date=January 13, 2018 |title='There's no other word but racist': Trump's global rebuke for 'shithole' remark |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/unkind-divisive-elitist-international-outcry-over-trumps-shithole-countries-remark |access-date=January 13, 2018 |work=The Guardian}}

In July 2019, Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen—all minorities, three of whom are native-born Americans—should "go back" to the countries they "came from".{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Katie |last2=Fandos |first2=Nicholas |author-link2=Nicholas Fandos |date=July 14, 2019 |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 |access-date=September 30, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} Two days later the House of Representatives voted 240–187, mostly along party lines, to condemn his "racist comments".{{cite web |last=Mak |first=Tim |date=July 16, 2019 |title=House Votes To Condemn Trump's 'Racist Comments' |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742236610/condemnation-of-president-delayed-by-debate-can-lawmakers-call-trump-tweets-raci |access-date=July 17, 2019 |work=NPR}} White nationalist publications and social media praised his remarks, which continued over the following days.{{cite web |last1=Simon |first1=Mallory |last2=Sidner |first2=Sara |author-link2=Sara Sidner |date=July 16, 2019 |title=Trump said 'many people agree' with his racist tweets. These white supremacists certainly do. |url=https://cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/white-supremacists-cheer-trump-racist-tweets-soh/ |access-date=July 20, 2019 |work=CNN}} He continued to make similar remarks during his 2020 campaign.{{cite web |last=Choi |first=Matthew |date=September 22, 2020 |title='She's telling us how to run our country': Trump again goes after Ilhan Omar's Somali roots |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/22/trump-attacks-ilhan-omar-420267 |access-date=October 12, 2021 |work=Politico}} In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, federal law-enforcement officials controversially removed a largely peaceful crowd of lawful protesters from Lafayette Square, outside the White House.{{cite news|last1=Leonnig|first1=Carol D.|author-link1=Carol D. Leonnig|last2=Zapotosky|first2=Matt|last3=Dawsey|first3=Josh|author-link3=Josh Dawsey|last4=Tan|first4=Rebecca|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/barr-personally-ordered-removal-of-protesters-near-white-house-leading-to-use-of-force-against-largely-peaceful-crowd/2020/06/02/0ca2417c-a4d5-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html|title=Barr personally ordered removal of protesters near White House, leading to use of force against largely peaceful crowd|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 2, 2020|access-date=June 3, 2020}}{{cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=June 2, 2020|title=Timeline: The clearing of Lafayette Square|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/02/timeline-clearing-lafayette-square/|access-date=June 6, 2020}} Trump then posed with a Bible for a photo-op at the nearby St. John's Episcopal Church,{{cite news|last1=Gittleson|first1=Ben|last2=Phelps|first2=Jordyn|title=Police use munitions to forcibly push back peaceful protesters for Trump church visit|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/national-guard-troops-deployed-white-house-trump-calls/story?id=71004151|access-date=June 29, 2021|work=ABC News|date=June 3, 2020}}{{cite news|last=O'Neil|first=Luke|date=June 2, 2020|title=What do we know about Trump's love for the Bible?|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/02/what-do-we-know-about-trumps-love-for-the-bible|access-date=June 11, 2020}} with religious leaders condemning both the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself.{{cite news|last1=Stableford|first1=Dylan|last2=Wilson|first2=Christopher|title=Religious leaders condemn teargassing protesters to clear street for Trump|url=https://news.yahoo.com/religious-leaders-condemn-gassing-protesters-to-clear-street-for-trump-192800782.html|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=Yahoo! News|date=June 3, 2020}} Many retired military leaders and defense officials condemned his proposal to use the U.S. military against anti-police-brutality protesters.{{cite news|title=Scores of retired military leaders publicly denounce Trump|url=https://apnews.com/article/252914f8a989a740544be6d4992d044c|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=AP News|date=June 6, 2020}}

= Pardons and commutations =

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

Trump granted 237 requests for clemency, fewer than all presidents since 1900 with the exception of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.{{cite news|last=Gramlich|first=John|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/01/22/trump-used-his-clemency-power-sparingly-despite-a-raft-of-late-pardons-and-commutations/|title=Trump used his clemency power sparingly despite a raft of late pardons and commutations|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=January 22, 2021|access-date=July 23, 2023}} Only 25 of them had been vetted by the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney; the others were granted to people with personal or political connections to him, his family, and his allies, or recommended by celebrities.{{cite news|last=Vogel|first=Kenneth P.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/us/politics/trump-pardons.html|title=The Road to Clemency From Trump Was Closed to Most Who Sought It|work=The New York Times|date=March 21, 2021|access-date=July 23, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pardon-power-russia-probe-mueller/2020/12/24/c55000c8-45fd-11eb-b0e4-0f182923a025_story.html|date=December 24, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2021|title=Trump wields pardon power as political weapon, rewarding loyalists and undermining prosecutors|newspaper=The Washington Post|first1=Toluse|last1=Olorunnipa|first2=Josh|last2=Dawsey|author-link2=Josh Dawsey}} In his last full day in office, he granted 73 pardons and commuted 70 sentences.{{cite news|first1=Kevin|last1=Johnson|first2=David|last2=Jackson|first3=Dennis|last3=Wagner|url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/19/donald-trump-pardons-steve-bannon-white-house/4209763001/|title=Donald Trump grants clemency to 144 people (not himself or family members) in final hours|date=January 19, 2021|work=USA Today|access-date=July 23, 2023}} Several Trump allies were not eligible for pardons under Justice Department rules, and in other cases the department had opposed clemency. The pardons of three military service members convicted of or charged with violent crimes were opposed by military leaders.{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=Dave|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/us/trump-pardons.html|title=Trump Clears Three Service Members in War Crimes Cases|work=The New York Times|date=November 22, 2019|access-date=April 18, 2024}}

= Immigration =

{{Main|Immigration policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}

As president, he frequently described illegal immigration as an "invasion" and conflated immigrants with the criminal gang MS-13.{{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|work=USA Today|access-date=August 9, 2019|date=August 8, 2019}} Trump drastically escalated immigration enforcement, including implementing harsher immigration enforcement policies against asylum seekers from Central America than any modern U.S. president.{{sfn|Johnson|2017a}}{{sfn|Johnson|Cuison-Villazor|2019}} From 2018 onward, Trump deployed nearly 6,000 troops to the U.S.–Mexico border{{cite news|last=Mitchell|first=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|access-date=June 4, 2020|work=The Hill|date=January 29, 2019}} to stop most Central American migrants from seeking asylum. In 2020, his administration widened the public charge rule to further restrict immigrants who might use government benefits from getting permanent residency.{{cite news|last=Snow|first=Anita|title=Crackdown on immigrants who use public benefits takes effect|url=https://apnews.com/article/e069e5a84057752a8535b1abe5d2ba6d|access-date=June 4, 2020|work=AP News|date=February 25, 2020}} He reduced the number of refugees admitted to record lows. When he took office, the annual limit was 110,000; he set a limit of 18,000 in the 2020 fiscal year and 15,000 in the 2021 fiscal year.{{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|access-date=June 25, 2020|newspaper=The Economist|date=November 4, 2019}}{{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|access-date=September 30, 2021|first1=Zolan|last1=Kanno-Youngs|author-link1=Zolan Kanno-Youngs|first2=Michael D.|last2=Shear|author-link2=Michael D. Shear}} Additional restrictions implemented by the Trump administration caused significant bottlenecks in processing refugee applications, resulting in fewer refugees accepted than the allowed limits.{{cite news|last=Hesson|first=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|access-date=June 25, 2020|work=Politico|date=October 11, 2019}}

== Travel ban ==

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, causing chaos at airports.{{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|access-date=July 19, 2017}}{{cite news|title=Protests erupt at airports nationwide over immigration action|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/protests-airports-immigration-action-president-trump/|work=CBS News|date=January 28, 2017|access-date=March 22, 2021}} Protests began at airports the next day, and legal challenges resulted in nationwide preliminary injunctions.{{cite news|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=February 4, 2017|access-date=October 3, 2021|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}} A March 6 revised order, which excluded Iraq and gave other exemptions, again was blocked by federal judges in three states.{{cite news|work=Reuters|date=March 15, 2017|access-date=October 3, 2021|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}}{{cite news|title=Trump signs new travel ban directive|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39183153|access-date=March 18, 2017|work=BBC News|date=March 6, 2017}} In a decision in June 2017, the 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".{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-travel-ban-supreme-court-20170626-story.html|title=Limited version of Trump's travel ban to take effect Thursday|work=Chicago Tribune|first=Mark|last=Sherman|agency=Associated Press|date=June 26, 2017|access-date=August 5, 2017}} The temporary order was replaced by Presidential Proclamation 9645 on September 24, 2017, which restricted travel from the originally targeted countries except Iraq and Sudan, and further banned travelers from North Korea and Chad, along with certain Venezuelan officials.{{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|access-date=October 13, 2017}} After lower courts partially blocked the new restrictions, the Supreme Court allowed the September version to go into full effect on December 4, 2017,{{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|access-date=October 3, 2021|work=Reuters}} and ultimately upheld the travel ban in a ruling in June 2019.{{cite news|last1=Wagner|first1=Meg|last2=Ries|first2=Brian|last3=Rocha|first3=Veronica|url=https://cnn.com/politics/live-news/supreme-court-travel-ban/|title=Supreme Court upholds travel ban|work=CNN|date=June 26, 2018|access-date=June 26, 2018}}

== Family separation at the border ==

{{#invoke:multiple image|

| direction = vertical

| 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 facility in McAllen, Texas, June 2018

}}

The Trump administration separated more than 5,400 children of migrant families from their parents at the U.S.–Mexico border, a sharp increase in the number of family separations at the border starting from the summer of 2017.{{cite news|last=Pearle|first=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|access-date=May 30, 2020|work=ABC News|date=February 5, 2019}}{{cite news|last=Spagat|first=Elliot|date=October 25, 2019|title=Tally of children split at border tops 5,400 in new count|work=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/article/c654e652a4674cf19304a4a4ff599feb|access-date=May 30, 2020}} In April 2018, the administration announced a "zero tolerance" policy whereby adults suspected of illegal entry were to be detained and criminally prosecuted while their children were taken away as unaccompanied alien minors.{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|author-link1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis|last2=Shear|first2=Michael D.|author-link2=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|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 30, 2020|date=June 16, 2018}}{{cite news|last=Savage|first=Charlie|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|title=Explaining Trump's Executive Order on Family Separation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/family-separation-executive-order.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 30, 2020|date=June 20, 2018}} The policy was unprecedented in previous administrations and sparked public outrage.{{cite news|last1=Domonoske|first1=Camila|last2=Gonzales|first2=Richard|date=June 19, 2018|title=What We Know: Family Separation And 'Zero Tolerance' At The Border|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/621065383/what-we-know-family-separation-and-zero-tolerance-at-the-border|access-date=May 30, 2020}}{{cite news|last=Epstein|first=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|access-date=May 30, 2020|via=The Sydney Morning Herald|work=Bloomberg News|date=June 18, 2018}} Trump falsely asserted that his administration was merely following the law, blaming Democrats, despite the separations being his administration's policy.{{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|work=NBC News|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018|last=Sarlin|first=Benjy}}{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|author-link1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis|last2=Nixon|first2=Ron|author-link2=Ron Nixon|date=May 29, 2018|title=Trump Officials, Moving to Break Up Migrant Families, Blame Democrats|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/us/politics/trump-democrats-immigrant-families.html|access-date=December 29, 2020}}

Although Trump originally argued that the separations could not be stopped by an executive order, he acceded to intense public objection and signed an executive order in June 2018, mandating that migrant families be detained together unless "there is a concern" of a risk to the child.{{cite news|last=Beckwith|first=Ryan Teague|title=Here's What President Trump's Immigration Order Actually Does|url=https://time.com/5317703/trump-family-separation-policy-executive-order/|access-date=May 30, 2020|magazine=Time|date=June 20, 2018}}{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=June 20, 2018|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|first2=Abby|last2=Goodnough|first3=Maggie|last3=Haberman|author-link3=Maggie Haberman|title=Trump Retreats on Separating Families, but Thousands May Remain Apart|access-date=June 20, 2018|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-immigration-children-executive-order.html}} On June 26, 2018, Judge Dana Sabraw 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;{{cite news|last=Hansler|first=Jennifer|title=Judge says government does a better job of tracking 'personal property' than separated kids|url=https://cnn.com/2018/06/27/politics/family-separation-federal-judge-personal-property-comment/|access-date=May 30, 2020|work=CNN|date=June 27, 2018}} Sabraw ordered for the families to be reunited and family separations stopped except in limited circumstances.{{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|work=The Guardian|access-date=May 30, 2020}} After the order, the administration separated more than a thousand migrant children from their families; the ACLU contended that the administration had abused its discretion and asked Sabraw to more narrowly define the circumstances warranting separation.

== Mexico–United States border wall and government shutdown ==

{{Main|Mexico–United States border wall|2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown}}

File:Donald Trump visits San Diego border wall prototypes.jpg.|alt=Trump speaks with U.S. Border Patrol agents. Behind him are black SUVs, four short border wall prototype designs, and the current border wall in the background]]

One of Trump's central campaign promises was to build a {{convert|1,000|mi|km|adj=on}} border wall to Mexico and have Mexico pay for it.{{cite news|last=Timm|first=Jane C.|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-mexico-never-paid-it-what-about-trump-s-n1253983|title=Fact check: Mexico never paid for it. But what about Trump's other border wall promises?|work=NBC News|date=January 13, 2021|access-date=December 21, 2021}} By the end of his term, the U.S. had built "{{convert|40|mi|km|disp=sqbr}} of new primary wall and {{convert|33|mi|km|disp=sqbr}} of secondary wall" in locations where there had been no barriers and {{convert|365|mi|km}} of primary or secondary border fencing replacing dilapidated or outdated barriers.{{cite news|last=Farley|first=Robert|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/12/trumps-border-wall-where-does-it-stand/|title=Trump's Border Wall: Where Does It Stand?|work=FactCheck.org|date=February 16, 2021 |access-date=December 21, 2021}}

In 2018, Trump refused to sign any appropriations bill from Congress unless it allocated $5.6 billion for the border wall,{{cite news|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|last1=Davis|author-link1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis|first2=Michael|last2=Tackett|author-link2=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}} resulting in the federal government partially shutting down for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, the longest U.S. government shutdown in history.{{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|access-date=May 31, 2020|work=The Guardian|date=January 26, 2019|agency=Reuters}}{{cite news|last=Pramuk|first=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|access-date=May 31, 2020|work=CNBC|date=January 25, 2019}} Around 800,000 government employees were furloughed or worked without pay.{{cite news|last=Fritze|first=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/|access-date=May 31, 2020|work=USA Today|date=January 24, 2019}} Trump and Congress ended the shutdown by approving temporary funding that provided delayed payments to government workers, but no funds for the wall. The shutdown resulted in an estimated permanent loss of $3 billion to the economy, according to the Congressional Budget Office.{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/28/government-shutdown-cost-the-economy-11-billion-cbo.html|title=The government shutdown cost the economy $11 billion, including a permanent $3 billion loss, Congressional Budget Office says|last=Mui|first=Ylan|date=January 28, 2019|work=CNBC|access-date=May 31, 2020}} About half of those polled blamed Trump for the shutdown, and his approval ratings dropped.{{cite news|last=Bacon|first=Perry Jr.|title=Why Trump Blinked|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/government-shutdown-ends/|work=FiveThirtyEight|date=January 25, 2019|access-date=October 3, 2021}}

To prevent another imminent shutdown in February 2019, Congress passed and Trump signed a funding bill that included $1.375 billion for {{convert|55|mi|km}} of bollard border fencing.{{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|access-date=May 31, 2020|work=CNBC|date=February 15, 2019}} He also declared a national emergency on the southern border, intending to divert $6.1 billion of funds Congress had allocated to other purposes. He vetoed a joint resolution to overturn the declaration, and the Senate voted against a veto override.{{cite news|last=Carney|first=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|access-date=May 31, 2020|work=The Hill|date=October 17, 2019}} Legal challenges to the diversion of $2.5 billion originally meant for the Department of Defense's drug interdiction efforts{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-allows-trump-to-use-military-funds-for-border-wall-construction/|title=Supreme Court allows Trump to use military funds for border wall construction|first=Melissa|last=Quinn|date=December 11, 2019|work=CBS News|access-date=September 19, 2022}}{{ussc|name=Trump v. Sierra Club|docket=19A60|volume=588|year=2019|el=no}} and $3.6 billion originally meant for military construction{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/09/794969121/appeals-court-allows-trump-to-divert-3-6-billion-in-military-funds-for-border-wa|title=Appeals Court Allows Trump To Divert $3.6 Billion In Military Funds For Border Wall|first=Bobby|last=Allyn|date=January 9, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2022|work=NPR}}{{cite court|litigants=El Paso Cty. v. Trump|vol=982|reporter=F.3d|opinion=332|court=5th Cir.|date=December 4, 2020|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-ca5-19-51144/USCOURTS-ca5-19-51144-0 |access-date=September 19, 2022}} were unsuccessful.

= Foreign policy =

{{See also|List of international presidential trips made by Donald Trump#First presidency (2017–2021)}}

File:-G7Biarritz (48616362963).jpg leaders at the 45th summit in France, 2019|alt=Trump and other G7 leaders sit at a conference table]]

Trump described himself as a "nationalist"{{cite news|first=William|last=Cummings|title='I am a nationalist': Trump's embrace of controversial label sparks uproar|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/24/trump-says-hes-nationalist-what-means-why-its-controversial/1748521002/|work=USA Today|date=October 24, 2018|access-date=August 24, 2021}} and his foreign policy as "America First".{{cite news|first=Katrin|last=Bennhold|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/world/europe/germany-troop-withdrawal-america.html|work=The New York Times|title=Has 'America First' Become 'Trump First'? Germans Wonder|date=June 6, 2020|access-date=August 24, 2021}} He supported populist, neo-nationalist, and authoritarian governments.{{cite news|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, 2018|website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|access-date=October 19, 2019}} Unpredictability, uncertainty, and inconsistency characterized foreign relations during his tenure.{{sfn|McGurk|2020}} Tensions between the U.S. and its European allies were strained under Trump.{{cite news|first=Ana|last=Swanson|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/business/economy/trump-european-union-trade.html|title=Trump Administration Escalates Tensions With Europe as Crisis Looms|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2021|work=The New York Times}} He criticized NATO allies and privately suggested that the U.S. should withdraw from NATO.{{cite news|last=Baker|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Baker (journalist)|date=May 26, 2017 |access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Trump Says NATO Allies Don't Pay Their Share. Is That True?|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/26/world/europe/nato-trump-spending.html}}{{cite news|last1=Barnes|first1=Julian E.|last2=Cooper|first2=Helene|author-link2=Helene Cooper|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/nato-president-trump.html|title=Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia|work=The New York Times|date=January 14, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2021}}

== Trade ==

Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations,{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2017/01/23/politics/trump-tpp-things-to-know/|title=Trump's TPP withdrawal: 5 things to know|last=Bradner|first=Eric|date=January 23, 2017|work=CNN|access-date=March 12, 2018}} imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports,{{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|access-date=March 15, 2018|last=Inman|first=Phillip}} and launched a trade war with China by sharply increasing tariffs on 818 categories (worth $50 billion) of Chinese goods imported into the U.S.{{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 back|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2021|work=Reuters|first1=David|last1=Lawder|first2=Ben|last2=Blanchard}} While he said that import tariffs are paid by China into the U.S. Treasury, they are paid by American companies that import goods from China.{{cite news|last=Singh|first=Rajesh Kumar|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-tariffs-explainer-idUSKCN1UR5YZ|title=Explainer: Trump's China tariffs – Paid by U.S. importers, not by China|work=Reuters|date=August 2, 2019|access-date=November 27, 2022}} Although he pledged during the campaign to significantly reduce the U.S.'s trade deficits, they skyrocketed.{{cite news|last1=Palmer|first1=Doug| title=America's trade gap soared under Trump, final figures show|work=Politico|date=February 5, 2021|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/05/2020-trade-figures-trump-failure-deficit-466116|access-date=June 1, 2024}} Following a 2017–2018 renegotiation, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) became effective in July 2020 as the successor to NAFTA.{{cite news|last=Rodriguez|first=Sabrina|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/24/north-american-trade-deal-to-take-effect-on-july-1-207402|title=North American trade deal to take effect on July 1|date=April 24, 2020|access-date=January 31, 2022|work=Politico}}

== Russia ==

{{See also|Russia–United States relations#First Trump administration (2017–2021)}}

File:President Trump at the G20 (48144047611).jpg and Trump shaking hands at the G20 Osaka summit, June 2019|alt=Trump and Putin, both seated, lean over and shake hands]]

The Trump administration weakened the toughest sanctions imposed by the U.S. after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.{{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|access-date=October 5, 2021}}{{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|access-date=October 5, 2021}} Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, citing alleged Russian noncompliance,{{cite news|first=Shannon|last=Bugos|title=U.S. Completes INF Treaty Withdrawal|url=https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-09/news/us-completes-inf-treaty-withdrawal|website=Arms Control Association|date=September 2019|access-date=October 5, 2021}} and supported a potential return of Russia to the G7.{{cite news|last=Panetta|first=Grace|date=June 14, 2018|title=Trump reportedly claimed to leaders at the G7 that Crimea is part of Russia because everyone there speaks Russian|work=Business Insider|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-claims-crimea-is-part-of-russia-since-people-speak-russian-g7-summit-2018-6|access-date=February 13, 2020}} Trump repeatedly praised and, according to some critics, rarely criticized Russian president Vladimir Putin{{cite news|last=Baker|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Baker (journalist)|date=August 10, 2017|title=Trump Praises Putin Instead of Critiquing Cuts to U.S. Embassy Staff|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/world/europe/putin-trump-embassy-russia.html|access-date=June 7, 2020}}{{cite news|last=Nussbaum|first=Matthew|date=April 8, 2018|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Trump blames Putin for backing 'Animal Assad'|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/08/trump-putin-syria-attack-508223}} but opposed some actions of the Russian government.{{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|access-date=October 5, 2021}}{{cite news|title=Trump expelling 60 Russian diplomats in wake of UK nerve agent attack|url=https://cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/us-expel-russian-diplomats/|work=CNN|first1=Jeremy|last1=Diamond|author-link1=Jeremy Diamond|first2=Allie|last2=Malloy|first3=Angela|last3=Dewan|date=March 26, 2018|access-date=October 5, 2021}} After he met Putin at the Helsinki Summit in 2018, he drew bipartisan criticism for accepting Putin's denial of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election rather than the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies.{{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|access-date=July 18, 2018|work=BBC News|date=July 16, 2018}}{{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|access-date=July 18, 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2018/07/16/politics/congress-reaction-trump-putin-comments/|title=Top Republicans in Congress break with Trump over Putin comments|last=Fox|first=Lauren|date=July 16, 2018|work=CNN|access-date=July 18, 2018}}

== East Asia ==

=== China, Hong Kong, Taiwan ===

{{See also|China–United States relations#First Trump administration (2017–2021)}}

File:Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meets at 2018 G20 Summit.jpg at the G20 Buenos Aires summit, December 2018|alt=Donald Trump and Xi Jinping stand next to each other, both smiling and wearing suits]]

Trump repeatedly accused China of taking unfair advantage of the U.S.{{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}} He launched a trade war against China that was widely characterized as a failure,{{cite news|title=More pain than gain: How the US-China trade war hurt America|last1=Hass|first1=Ryan|last2=Denmark|first2=Abraham|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/08/07/more-pain-than-gain-how-the-us-china-trade-war-hurt-america/|work=Brookings Institution|date=August 7, 2020 |access-date=October 4, 2021}}{{cite news|title=How China Won Trump's Trade War and Got Americans to Foot the Bill|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-11/how-china-won-trump-s-good-and-easy-to-win-trade-war|work=Bloomberg News|date=January 11, 2021 |access-date=October 4, 2021}} sanctioned Huawei for alleged ties to Iran,{{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?|work=USA Today|date=May 21, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2019|first1=Frank|last1=Bajak|first2=Michael|last2=Liedtke}} significantly increased visa restrictions on Chinese students and scholars,{{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|magazine=Time|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2019}} and classified China as a currency manipulator.{{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}} He juxtaposed verbal attacks on China with praise of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping,{{cite news|last=Sink|first=Justin|date=April 11, 2018|access-date=October 5, 2021|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}} which was attributed to trade war negotiations.{{cite news|last=Nakamura|first=David|author-link=David Nakamura|date=August 23, 2019|title=Amid trade war, Trump drops pretense of friendship with China's Xi Jinping, calls him an 'enemy'|newspaper=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}} After initially praising China's handling of COVID-19, he began a campaign of criticism in March 2020.{{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}} Trump said he resisted punishing China for its human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang for fear of jeopardizing trade negotiations.{{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|access-date=October 5, 2021}} In July 2020, his administration imposed sanctions and visa restrictions against senior Chinese officials, in response to expanded mass detention camps holding more than a million of the country's Uyghur minority.{{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|access-date=October 5, 2021|first1=Pranshu|last1=Verma|first2=Edward|last2=Wong|author-link2=Edward Wong}}

=== North Korea ===

{{See also|North Korea–United States relations#First Trump administration (2017–2021)|2017–2018 North Korea crisis|2018–19 Korean peace process}}

File:Kim and Trump shaking hands at the red carpet during the DPRK–USA Singapore Summit.jpg at the Singapore summit, June 2018|alt=Trump and Kim shake hands on a stage with U.S. and North Korean flags in the background]]

In 2017, when North Korea's nuclear weapons were increasingly seen as a serious threat,{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 21, 2017|access-date=July 5, 2019}} Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning that North Korean aggression would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen".{{cite news|last1=Windrem|first1=Robert|last2=Siemaszko|first2=Corky|last3=Arkin|first3=Daniel|date=May 2, 2017|title=North Korea crisis: How events have unfolded under Trump|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korea-crisis-how-events-have-unfolded-under-trump-n753996|access-date=June 8, 2020}}{{cite news|last=Borger|first=Julian|author-link=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|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=The Guardian|date=September 19, 2017}} In 2017, he declared that he wanted North Korea's "complete denuclearization", and engaged in name-calling with leader Kim Jong Un.{{cite news|last=McCausland|first=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|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=NBC News|date=September 22, 2017}} After this period of tension, he and Kim exchanged at least 27 letters in which the two men described a warm personal friendship.{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/transcripts-kim-jong-un-letters-trump/|work=CNN|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Transcript: Kim Jong Un's letters to President Trump}}{{cite news|title='A magical force': New Trump-Kim letters provide window into their 'special friendship'|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|author-link1=Jamie Gangel|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|work=CNN|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/kim-jong-un-trump-letters-rage-book/}} In March 2019, he lifted some U.S. sanctions against North Korea against the advice of his Treasury Department.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/world/asia/north-korea-sanctions.html|work=The New York Times|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=September 30, 2021|title=Trump Overrules Own Experts on Sanctions, in Favor to North Korea|first=Alan|last=Rappeport|author-link=Alan Rappeport}} Trump, the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader, met Kim three times: in Singapore in 2018, in Hanoi in 2019, and in the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2019.{{cite news|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|first2=Michael|last2=Crowley|author-link2=Michael Crowley (journalist)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/30/world/asia/trump-north-korea-dmz.html|title=Trump Steps Into North Korea and Agrees With Kim Jong-un to Resume Talks|work=The New York Times|date=June 30, 2019|access-date=October 5, 2021}} However, no denuclearization agreement was reached,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/world/asia/korea-nuclear-trump-kim.html|work=The New York Times|date=June 12, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Two Years After Trump-Kim Meeting, Little to Show for Personal Diplomacy|first1=David E.|last1=Sanger|author-link1=David E. Sanger|first2=Choe|last2=Sang-Hun|author-link2=Choe Sang-hun}} and talks in October 2019 broke down after one day.{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-north-korea-vietnam-c66474b67b3e41cdad6d21ba3385ddc2|title=North Korea Says Nuclear Talks Break Down While U.S. Says They Were 'Good'|first1=Jari|last1=Tanner|first2=Matthew|last2=Lee|work=AP News|date=October 5, 2019 |access-date=July 21, 2021}} While conducting no nuclear tests since 2017, North Korea continued to build up its arsenal of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles.{{cite news|title=Kim Jong Un's Nuclear Weapons Got More Dangerous Under Trump|first=Jon|last=Herskovitz|work=Bloomberg News|date=December 28, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-28/four-ways-kim-jong-un-got-more-dangerous-under-trump-sanctions}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-kim-north-korea-nuclear/2020/09/30/2b7305c8-032b-11eb-b7ed-141dd88560ea_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=October 5, 2021|date=September 30, 2020|title=As Kim wooed Trump with 'love letters', he kept building his nuclear capability, intelligence shows|last1=Warrick|first1=Joby|author-link1=Joby Warrick|last2=Denyer|first2=Simon|author-link2=Simon Denyer}}

== Middle East ==

=== Afghanistan ===

File:Secretary Pompeo Meets With the Taliban Delegation (50333305012).jpg meeting with Taliban delegation in Qatar in September 2020|alt=U.S. and Taliban officials stand spaced apart in a formal room]]

U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan increased from 8,500 in January 2017 to 14,000 a year later,{{cite news|last1=Jaffe|first1=Greg|last2=Ryan|first2=Missy|date=January 21, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Up to 1,000 more U.S. troops could be headed to Afghanistan this spring|newspaper=The Washington Post|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|author-link2=Missy Ryan}} reversing Trump's preelection position critical of further involvement in Afghanistan.{{cite news|last1=Gordon|first1=Michael R.|author-link1=Michael R. Gordon|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|author-link2=Eric P. Schmitt|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|author-link3=Maggie Haberman|date=August 20, 2017|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Trump Settles on Afghan Strategy Expected to Raise Troop Levels|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/20/world/asia/trump-afghanistan-strategy-mattis.html}} In February 2020, his administration signed the United States–Taliban deal, which called for the withdrawal of foreign troops in 14 months "contingent on a guarantee from the Taliban that Afghan soil will not be used by terrorists with aims to attack the United States or its allies" and for the U.S. to seek the release of 5,000 Taliban imprisoned by the Afghan government.{{cite news|last1=George|first1=Susannah|last2=Dadouch|first2=Sarah|last3=Lamothe|first3=Dan|date=February 29, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=U.S. signs peace deal with Taliban agreeing to full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/afghanistan-us-taliban-peace-deal-signing/2020/02/29/b952fb04-5a67-11ea-8efd-0f904bdd8057_story.html}}{{cite news|last=Mashal|first=Mujib|date=February 29, 2020|title=Taliban and U.S. Strike Deal to Withdraw American Troops From Afghanistan|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/world/asia/us-taliban-deal.html|access-date=December 29, 2020}}{{cite news|last1=Kiely|first1=Eugene|last2=Farley|first2=Robert|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2021/08/timeline-of-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/|title=Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan|work=FactCheck.org|date=August 17, 2021 |access-date=August 31, 2021}} By the end of his term, 5,000 Taliban had been released, and, despite the Taliban continuing attacks on Afghan forces and integrating Al-Qaeda members into its leadership, U.S. troops had been reduced to 2,500.

=== Israel ===

Trump supported many of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.{{cite news|last=Sommer|first=Allison Kaplan|date=July 25, 2019|title=How Trump and Netanyahu Became Each Other's Most Effective Political Weapon|work=Haaretz|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-how-trump-and-netanyahu-became-each-other-s-most-effective-political-weapon-1.7569757|access-date=August 2, 2019}} Under Trump, the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel{{cite news|last1=Nelson|first1=Louis|last2=Nussbaum|first2=Matthew|date=December 6, 2017|title=Trump says U.S. recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, despite global condemnation|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/06/trump-move-embassy-jerusalem-israel-reaction-281973|access-date=December 6, 2017}} and Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights,{{cite news|last=Romo|first=Vanessa|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/03/25/706588932/trump-formally-recognizes-israeli-sovereignty-over-golan-heights?t=1617622343037|title=Trump Formally Recognizes Israeli Sovereignty Over Golan Heights|work=NPR|date=March 25, 2019 |access-date=April 5, 2021}} leading to international condemnation including from the UN General Assembly, European Union, and Arab League.{{cite news|last1=Gladstone|first1=Rick|last2=Landler|first2=Mark|author-link2=Mark Landler|date=December 21, 2017|title=Defying Trump, U.N. General Assembly Condemns U.S. Decree on Jerusalem|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/world/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-united-nations.html|access-date=December 21, 2017}}{{cite news|last=Huet|first=Natalie|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=October 4, 2021|title=Outcry as Trump backs Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights|work=Euronews|agency=Reuters|url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/22/outcry-as-trump-backs-israeli-sovereignty-over-golan-heights}} In 2020, the White House hosted the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize their foreign relations.{{cite news|last=Crowley|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Crowley (journalist)|date=September 15, 2020|title=Israel, U.A.E. and Bahrain Sign Accords, With an Eager Trump Playing Host|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/us/politics/trump-israel-peace-emirates-bahrain.html|access-date=February 9, 2024}}

=== Saudi Arabia ===

File:Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Melania Trump, and Donald Trump, May 2017.jpg, and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the 2017 Riyadh summit in Saudi Arabia|alt=Trump, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi place their hands on a glowing white orb light at waist level]]

Trump actively supported the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen against the Houthis and in 2017 signed a $110 billion agreement to sell arms to Saudi Arabia.{{cite news|last1=Phelps|first1=Jordyn|last2=Struyk|first2=Ryan|date=May 20, 2017|title=Trump signs $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on 'a tremendous day'|work=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-signs-110-billion-arms-deal-saudi-arabia/story?id=47531180|access-date=July 6, 2018}} In 2018, the U.S. provided limited intelligence and logistical support for the intervention.{{cite news|last1=Holland|first1=Steve|last2=Bayoumy|first2=Yara|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-idUSKBN1GW2CA|title=Trump praises U.S. military sales to Saudi as he welcomes crown prince|work=Reuters|date=March 20, 2018|access-date=June 2, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-whitehouse-idUSKBN1GX1PP/|first1=Doina|last1=Chiacu|first2=Idrees|last2=Ali|title=Trump, Saudi leader discuss Houthi 'threat' in Yemen: White House|work=Reuters|date=March 21, 2018|access-date=June 2, 2021}} Following the 2019 attack on Saudi oil facilities, which the U.S. and Saudi Arabia blamed on Iran, he approved the deployment of 3,000 additional U.S. troops, including two Patriot batteries and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.{{cite news|last1=Stewart|first1=Phil|last2=Ali|first2=Idrees|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco-attacks-exclusive-idUSKBN1WQ21Z/ |title=U.S. says deploying more forces to Saudi Arabia to counter Iran threat|work=Reuters|date=October 11, 2019 |access-date=October 4, 2021}}

=== Syria ===

File:President Trump and President Erdoğan joint statement in the Roosevelt Room, May 16, 2017.jpg at the White House in May 2017]]

Trump ordered missile strikes in 2017 and 2018 against the Assad regime in Syria, in retaliation for the Khan Shaykhun and Douma chemical attacks, respectively.{{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|access-date=April 8, 2017|work=BBC News|date=April 7, 2017}}{{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|work=Fox News |access-date=April 14, 2018}} In December 2018, he declared "we have won against ISIS", contradicting Department of Defense assessments, and ordered the withdrawal of troops from Syria.{{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|author-link1=Mark Landler|first2=Helene|last2=Cooper|author-link2=Helene Cooper|first3=Eric|last3=Schmitt|author-link3=Eric P. Schmitt|date=December 19, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 31, 2018}}{{cite news|last1=Borger|first1=Julian|author-link1=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|access-date=December 20, 2018|work=The Guardian|date=December 20, 2018}} Mattis resigned in protest, calling Trump's decision an abandonment of the U.S.'s Kurdish allies who played a key role in fighting ISIS.{{cite news|last=Cooper|first=Helene|author-link=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|access-date=December 21, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=December 20, 2018}} In 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, U.S. troops in northern Syria were withdrawn from the area and Turkey invaded northern Syria, attacking and displacing American-allied Kurds.{{cite news|last1=McKernan|first1=Bethan|last2=Borger|first2=Julian|last3=Sabbagh|first3=Dan|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/09/turkey-launches-military-operation-in-northern-syria-erdogan|title=Turkey launches military operation in northern Syria|work=The Guardian|date=October 9, 2019 |access-date=September 28, 2021}} The U.S. House of Representatives voted 354–60 to condemn Trump's withdrawal from northern Syria.{{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|work=Politico|access-date=October 17, 2019}}{{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}} In October 2019, Trump approved the Barisha raid which resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the first leader of the Islamic State.{{Cite press release |title=Statement from the President on the Death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi |date=27 October 2019|via=National Archives |work=whitehouse.gov |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-death-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi/}}

=== Iran ===

In May 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 agreement that lifted most economic sanctions against Iran in return for restrictions on Iran's nuclear program.{{cite news|last1=Lederman|first1=Josh|last2=Lucey|first2=Catherine|date=May 8, 2018|title=Trump declares US leaving 'horrible' Iran nuclear accord|work=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/article/cead755353a1455bbef08ef289448994/Trump-decides-to-exit-nuclear-accord-with-Iran|access-date=May 8, 2018}}{{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|author-link=Mark Landler|date=May 8, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2021|work=The New York Times}} In August 2020, his administration unsuccessfully attempted to use the nuclear deal to have the UN reimpose sanctions against Iran.{{cite news|last=Nichols|first=Michelle|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-un-idUSKBN2AI2Y9|title=U.S. rescinds Trump White House claim that all U.N. sanctions had been reimposed on Iran|work=Reuters|date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2021}} Analysts determined that, after the U.S. withdrawal, Iran moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon.{{cite news|last=Hennigan|first=W.J.|title='They're Very Close.' U.S. General Says Iran Is Nearly Able to Build a Nuclear Weapon|url=https://time.com/6123380/iran-near-nuclear-weapon-capability/|magazine=Time|date=November 24, 2021 |access-date=December 18, 2021}}{{Cite news |last1=Donevan |first1=Connor |last2=Dorning |first2=Courtney |last3=Kelly |first3=Mary Louise |date=May 30, 2023 |title=5 years after U.S. left Iran nuclear deal, more enriched Uranium and much less trust |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/30/1178919266/trump-abandoned-the-nuclear-deal-5-years-ago-could-the-u-s-stop-a-bomb-from-iran |access-date=November 3, 2024 |work=NPR}} On January 3, 2020, Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, who had planned nearly every significant Iranian and Iranian-backed operation over the preceding two decades.{{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|author-link1=Michael Crowley (journalist)|last2=Hassan|first2=Falih|last3=Schmitt|first3=Eric|author-link3=Eric P. Schmitt|date=January 2, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 3, 2020}}{{cite news|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|last2=Bergman|first2=Ronen|author-link2=Ronen Bergman|last3=Kirkpatrick|first3=David D.|author-link3=David D. Kirkpatrick|last4=Barnes|first4=Julian E.|last5=Rubin|first5=Alissa J.|author-link5=Alissa J. Rubin|date=January 11, 2020|title=Seven Days in January: How Trump Pushed U.S. and Iran to the Brink of War|website=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/us/politics/iran-trump.html |access-date=November 8, 2022}} Iran retaliated with missile strikes against two U.S. airbases in Iraq. Dozens of soldiers sustained traumatic brain injuries. Trump downplayed their injuries, and they were initially denied Purple Heart medals and the associated benefits.{{cite news|last1=Horton|first1=Alex|last2=Lamothe|first2=Dan|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/12/08/purple-heart-iran-missile-attack/|title=Army awards more Purple Hearts for troops hurt in Iranian attack that Trump downplayed|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 8, 2021|access-date=November 8, 2021}}

= Personnel =

{{Main|Political appointments of the first Trump administration|First cabinet of Donald Trump}}

The Trump administration had a high turnover of personnel, particularly among White House staff. By the end of his first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-12-28/trumps-white-house-has-highest-turnover-rate-in-40-years|title=Trump White House Has Highest Turnover in 40 Years|last=Trimble|first=Megan|date=December 28, 2017|work=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=March 16, 2018}} {{As of|2018|7|pre=early}}, 61 percent of his senior aides had left{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/395222-ap-trump-admin-sets-record-for-white-house-turnover|title=AP: Trump admin sets record for White House turnover|work=The Hill|date=July 2, 2018|access-date=July 3, 2018|last=Wise|first=Justin}} and 141 staffers had left in the previous year.{{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|work=NBC News|date=July 2, 2018|access-date=July 3, 2018|agency=Associated Press}} Both figures set a record for recent presidents.{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/07/591372397/white-house-staff-turnover-was-already-record-setting-then-more-advisers-left|title=White House Staff Turnover Was Already Record-Setting. Then More Advisers Left|last=Keith|first=Tamara|work=NPR|date=March 7, 2018|access-date=March 16, 2018}} Notable early departures included National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (after just 25 days), and Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Close personal aides to Trump including Steve Bannon, Hope Hicks, John McEntee, and Keith Schiller quit or were forced out.{{cite news|first1=Kathryn Dunn|last1=Tenpas|first2=Elaine|last2=Kamarck|first3=Nicholas W.|last3=Zeppos|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|access-date=March 16, 2018}} Some later returned in different posts.{{cite news|last1=Rogers|first1=Katie|last2=Karni|first2=Annie|author-link2=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|access-date=May 5, 2020|work=The New York Times|date=April 23, 2020}} He publicly disparaged several of his former top officials.{{cite news|last=Cillizza|first=Chris|author-link=Chris Cillizza|title=Donald Trump makes terrible hires, according to Donald Trump|url=https://cnn.com/2020/06/19/politics/trump-mulvaney-bolton-hiring/|access-date=June 24, 2020|work=CNN|date=June 19, 2020}}

Trump had four White House chiefs of staff, marginalizing or pushing out several.{{cite news|last=Keith|first=Tamara|date=March 6, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=Mick Mulvaney Out, Mark Meadows in As White House Chief Of Staff|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/06/766025774/mick-mulvaney-out-as-white-house-chief-of-staff}} Reince Priebus was replaced after seven months by John F. Kelly.{{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|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|date=July 28, 2017|access-date=October 6, 2021}} Kelly resigned in December 2018 after a tumultuous tenure in which his influence waned, and Trump subsequently disparaged him.{{cite news|last1=Fritze|first1=John|last2=Subramanian|first2=Courtney|last3=Collins|first3=Michael|date=September 4, 2020|access-date=October 6, 2021|title=Trump says former chief of staff Gen. John Kelly couldn't 'handle the pressure' of the job|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/04/trump-gen-john-kelly-couldnt-handle-pressure-chief-staff/5720974002/}} Kelly was succeeded by Mick Mulvaney as acting chief of staff; he was replaced in March 2020 by Mark Meadows. In May 2017, Trump dismissed FBI director James Comey. While initially attributing this action to Comey's conduct in the investigation about Hillary Clinton's emails, Trump said a few days later that he was concerned with Comey's role in the ongoing Trump-Russia investigations.{{cite news|last=Stanek|first=Becca|date=May 11, 2017|title=President Trump just completely contradicted the official White House account of the Comey firing|work=The Week|url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/698368/president-trump-just-completely-contradicted-official-white-house-account-comey-firing|access-date=May 11, 2017}} At a private conversation in February, he said he hoped Comey would drop the investigation into Flynn.{{cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael S.|author-link1=Michael S. Schmidt|last2=Apuzzo|first2=Matt|author-link2=Matt Apuzzo|date=June 7, 2017|title=Comey Says Trump Pressured Him to 'Lift the Cloud' of Inquiry|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/us/politics/james-comey-statement-testimony.html|access-date=November 2, 2021}} In March and April, he asked Comey to "lift the cloud impairing his ability to act" by saying publicly that the FBI was not investigating him.{{cite news|date=June 8, 2017|title=Statement for the Record Senate Select Committee on Intelligence James B. Comey|url=https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-jcomey-060817.pdf|access-date=November 2, 2021|publisher=United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence|page=7}}

Trump lost three of his 15 original cabinet members within his first year.{{cite news|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-incredibly-and-historically-unstable-first-year-of-trumps-cabinet/|title=The Incredibly And Historically Unstable First Year Of Trump's Cabinet|last=Jones-Rooy|first=Andrea|date=November 29, 2017|work=FiveThirtyEight|access-date=March 16, 2018}} Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price was forced to resign in September 2017 due to excessive use of private charter jets and military aircraft. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt resigned in 2018 and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in January 2019 amid multiple investigations into their conduct.{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/07/05/594078923/scott-pruitt-out-at-epa|title=Scott Pruitt Out at EPA|work=NPR|date=July 5, 2018|access-date=July 5, 2018|first1=Rebecca|last1=Hersher|first2=Brett|last2=Neely}}{{cite news|last1=Eilperin|first1=Juliet|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|author-link2=Josh Dawsey|last3=Fears|first3=Darryl|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/interior-secretary-zinke-resigns-amid-investigations/2018/12/15/481f9104-0077-11e9-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html|title=Interior Secretary Zinke resigns amid investigations|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 15, 2018|access-date=August 7, 2024}} Trump was slow to appoint second-tier officials in the executive branch, saying many of the positions are unnecessary. In October 2017, there were hundreds of sub-cabinet positions without a nominee.{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/10/12/557122200/trump-leaves-top-administration-positions-unfilled-says-hollow-government-by-des|title=Trump Leaves Top Administration Positions Unfilled, Says Hollow Government By Design|last=Keith|first=Tamara|date=October 12, 2017|work=NPR|access-date=March 16, 2018}} By January 8, 2019, of 706 key positions, 433 had been filled and he had no nominee for 264.{{cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 8, 2019|access-date=October 6, 2021|title=Tracking how many key positions Trump has filled so far|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-administration-appointee-tracker/database/}}

= Judiciary =

{{Further|List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump|Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies}}

File:President Trump Nominates Judge Amy Coney Barrett for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (50397882607).jpg|alt=Donald Trump and Amy Coney Barrett walk side by side along the West Wing Colonnade; American flags hang between the columns to their right]]

Trump appointed 226 Article III judges, including 54 to the courts of appeals and three to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.{{cite news|last=Gramlich|first=John|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/13/how-trump-compares-with-other-recent-presidents-in-appointing-federal-judges/|title=How Trump compares with other recent presidents in appointing federal judges|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=May 30, 2021}} His Supreme Court nominees were noted as having politically shifted the Court to the right.{{cite news|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/26/trump-legacy-supreme-court-422058|title=Trump's legacy is now the Supreme Court|first=Anita|last=Kumar|date=September 26, 2020}}{{cite news|work=Voice of America|title=Trump's Lasting Legacy: Conservative Supermajority on Supreme Court|first=Masood|last=Farivar|date=December 24, 2020|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_trumps-lasting-legacy-conservative-supermajority-supreme-court/6199935.html|access-date=December 21, 2023}}{{cite news|title=Nine Black Robes: Inside the Supreme Court's Drive to the Right and Its Historic Consequences|first=Joan|last=Biskupic|author-link=Joan Biskupic|url=https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/06/02/nine-black-robes-supreme-court|date=June 2, 2023|work=WBUR-FM|access-date=December 21, 2023}} In the 2016 campaign, he pledged that Roe v. Wade would be overturned "automatically" if he were elected and provided the opportunity to appoint two or three anti-abortion justices. He later took credit when Roe was overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization; all three of his Supreme Court nominees voted with the majority.{{cite news|magazine=The Week|title=Trump takes credit for Dobbs decision but worries it 'won't help him in the future'|first=Grayson|last=Quay|date=June 25, 2022 |url=https://theweek.com/donald-trump/1014657/trump-takes-credit-for-dobbs-decision-but-worries-it-wont-help-him-in-the |access-date=October 2, 2023}}{{cite news|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-was-able-kill-roe-v-wade-rcna84897|first=Sahil|last=Kapur|title=Trump: 'I was able to kill Roe v. Wade'|date=May 17, 2023|access-date=December 21, 2023}} Trump disparaged courts and judges he disagreed with, often in personal terms, and questioned the judiciary's constitutional authority. His attacks on the courts drew rebukes from observers, including sitting federal judges, concerned about the effect of his statements on the judicial independence and public confidence in the judiciary.{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 8, 2017|access-date=October 6, 2021}}{{cite news|first=Katie|last=Shepherd|title=Trump 'violates all recognized democratic norms,' federal judge says in biting speech on judicial independence|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/08/judge-says-trump-violates-democratic-norms-judiciary-speech/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 8, 2019|access-date=October 6, 2021}}

= COVID-19 pandemic =

{{Further|U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic|Communication of the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic}}

{{See also|Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}

== Initial response ==

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was reported on January 20, 2020.{{sfn|Holshue|DeBolt|Lindquist|Lofy|2020}} The outbreak was officially declared a public health emergency by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar on January 31, 2020.{{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|work=Fox News}}

Trump initially ignored public health warnings and calls for action from health officials within his administration and Azar,{{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|access-date=November 27, 2024|first1=David S.|last1=Cloud|first2=Paul|last2=Pringle|author-link2=Paul Pringle|first3=Eli|last3=Stokols|author-link3=Eli Stokols}} focusing on economic and political considerations of the outbreak.{{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://cnn.com/2020/03/20/politics/us-intelligence-reports-trump-coronavirus/|access-date=April 21, 2020}} In February 2020 he publicly asserted that the outbreak in the U.S. was less deadly than influenza, was "very much under control", and would soon be over.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/timeline-president-donald-trump-changing-statements-on-coronavirus/|title=A timeline of what Trump has said on coronavirus|last=Watson|first=Kathryn|date=April 3, 2020|work=CBS News|access-date=January 27, 2021}} On March 19, he privately told Bob Woodward that he was deliberately "playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic".{{cite news|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|author-link1=Jamie Gangel|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|last3=Stuart|first3=Elizabeth|date=September 9, 2020|title='Play it down': Trump admits to concealing the true threat of coronavirus in new Woodward book|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/bob-woodward-rage-book-trump-coronavirus|access-date=September 14, 2022|work=CNN}}

On March 6, Trump signed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies.{{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|access-date=October 6, 2021}} On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a pandemic,{{cite news|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|work=World Health Organization|access-date=March 11, 2020}} and Trump announced partial travel restrictions for most of Europe.{{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|access-date=October 6, 2021}} 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.{{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|author-link1=Annie Karni|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|date=March 12, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 18, 2020}} On March 13, he declared a national emergency.{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2020/03/13/politics/donald-trump-emergency/|title=Trump declares national emergency – and denies responsibility for coronavirus testing failures|last=Liptak|first=Kevin|date=March 13, 2020|work=CNN|access-date=March 18, 2020}} He claimed that "anybody that wants a test can get a test", despite test availability being severely limited.{{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|access-date=March 18, 2020}} On March 27, he signed the CARES Act—a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill—into law, the largest stimulus in U.S. history.{{cite news |last1=Hulse |first1=Carl |last2=Cochrane |first2=Emily |title=As Coronavirus Spread, Largest Stimulus in History United a Polarized Senate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/us/coronavirus-senate-stimulus-package.html |website=The New York Times |date=March 26, 2020 |access-date=November 27, 2024 }}{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Andrew |last2=Fram |first2=Alan |last3=Kellman |first3=Laurie |last4=Superville |first4=Darlene |title=Trump signs $2.2T stimulus after swift congressional votes |url=https://apnews.com/2099a53bb8adf2def7ee7329ea322f9d |work=AP News |date=March 28, 2020 |access-date=November 27, 2024 }} On April 22, Trump signed an executive order restricting some forms of immigration.{{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|access-date=October 6, 2021}} In late spring and early summer, with infections and deaths continuing to rise, he adopted a strategy of blaming the states rather than accepting that his initial assessments were overly optimistic or his failure to provide leadership.{{cite news|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|first2=Noah|last2=Weiland|first3=Eric|last3=Lipton|author-link3=Eric Lipton|first4=Maggie|last4=Haberman|author-link4=Maggie Haberman|first5=David E.|last5=Sanger|author-link5=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|access-date=July 19, 2020|work=The New York Times|date=July 18, 2020}}

== White House Coronavirus Task Force ==

File:White House Press Briefing (49666120807).jpg on March 15, 2020.|alt=Trump speaks in the West Wing briefing room with various officials standing behind him, all in formal attire and without face masks]]

Trump established the White House Coronavirus Task Force on January 29.{{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}} Beginning in mid-March, he held a daily task force press conference, joined by medical experts and other administration officials,{{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|author-link=Annie Karni|date=March 23, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 8, 2020}} sometimes disagreeing with them by promoting unproven treatments.{{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|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|first2=Katie|last2=Rogers|first3=David|last3=Enrich|author-link3=David Enrich|first4=Maggie|last4=Haberman|author-link4=Maggie Haberman|date=April 6, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 8, 2020}} 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.{{cite news|last=Dale|first=Daniel|author-link=Daniel Dale|title=Fact check: Trump tries to erase the memory of him downplaying the coronavirus|url=https://cnn.com/2020/03/17/politics/fact-check-trump-always-knew-pandemic-coronavirus/|access-date=March 19, 2020|work=CNN|date=March 17, 2020}} His repeated use of "Chinese virus"/"China virus" to describe COVID-19 drew criticism from health experts.{{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|access-date=March 19, 2020|last=Georgiou|first=Aristos|work=Newsweek}}{{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|work=The Hill|date=March 19, 2020|access-date=March 19, 2020}}

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.{{cite news|last=Lemire|first=Jonathan|title=As pandemic deepens, Trump cycles through targets to blame|url=https://apnews.com/article/58f1b869354970689d55ccae37c540f3|access-date=May 5, 2020|work=AP News|date=April 9, 2020}} The daily coronavirus task force briefings ended in late April, after a briefing at which he suggested the dangerous idea of injecting a disinfectant to treat COVID-19;{{cite news|title=Coronavirus: Outcry after Trump suggests injecting disinfectant as treatment|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52407177|access-date=August 11, 2020|work=BBC News|date=April 24, 2020}} the comment was widely condemned by medical professionals.{{cite news|last=Aratani|first=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|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=The Guardian|date=May 5, 2020}}{{cite news|title=Coronavirus: Trump says virus task force to focus on reopening economy|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52563577|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=BBC News|date=May 6, 2020}} In early May, Trump proposed the phase-out of the task force and its replacement with another group centered on reopening the economy. Amid a backlash, he said the task force would "indefinitely" continue.{{cite news|last=Liptak|first=Kevin|title=In reversal, Trump says task force will continue 'indefinitely' – eyes vaccine czar|url=https://cnn.com/2020/05/06/politics/trump-task-force-vaccine/|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=CNN|date=May 6, 2020}}

== World Health Organization ==

Prior to the pandemic, Trump criticized the WHO and other international bodies, which he asserted were taking advantage of U.S. aid.{{cite news|last=Ollstein|first=Alice Miranda|title=Trump halts funding to World Health Organization|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/14/trump-world-health-organization-funding-186786|access-date=September 7, 2020|work=Politico|date=April 14, 2020}} His administration's proposed 2021 federal budget, released in February, proposed reducing WHO funding by more than half. In May and April, he accused the WHO of "severely mismanaging" COVID-19, alleged without evidence that the organization was under Chinese control and had enabled the Chinese government's concealment of the pandemic's origins,{{cite news|last1=Cohen|first1=Zachary|last2=Hansler|first2=Jennifer|last3=Atwood|first3=Kylie|last4=Salama|first4=Vivian|last5=Murray|first5=Sara|author-link5=Sara Murray (journalist)|title=Trump administration begins formal withdrawal from World Health Organization|url=https://cnn.com/2020/07/07/politics/us-withdrawing-world-health-organization/|access-date=July 19, 2020|work=CNN|date=July 7, 2020}}{{cite news|title=Coronavirus: Trump moves to pull US out of World Health Organization|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53327906|access-date=August 11, 2020|work=BBC News|date=July 7, 2020}} and announced that he was withdrawing funding for the organization. These were seen as attempts to distract from his mishandling of the pandemic.{{cite news|last=Wood|first=Graeme|author-link=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/|access-date=September 7, 2020|work=The Atlantic|date=April 15, 2020}}{{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/|access-date=September 8, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 8, 2020}} In July 2020, he announced the formal withdrawal of the U.S. from the WHO, effective July 2021. The decision was widely condemned by health and government officials as "short-sighted", "senseless", and "dangerous".

== Pressure to abandon pandemic mitigation measures ==

In April 2020, Republican-connected groups organized anti-lockdown protests against the measures state governments were taking to combat the pandemic;{{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}}{{cite news|last=Andone|first=Dakin|url=https://cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/protests-coronavirus-stay-home-orders/|title=Protests Are Popping Up Across the US over Stay-at-Home Restrictions|date=April 16, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2021|work=CNN}} Trump encouraged the protests on Twitter,{{cite news|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|last2=Mervosh|first2=Sarah|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-governors.html|title=Trump Encourages Protest Against Governors Who Have Imposed Virus Restrictions|date=April 17, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 19, 2020}} although the targeted states did not meet his administration's guidelines for reopening.{{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|access-date=July 10, 2020}} In April 2020, he first supported, then later criticized, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's plan to reopen some nonessential businesses.{{cite news|title=Trump approved of Georgia's plan to reopen before bashing it|url=https://apnews.com/article/a031d395d414ffa655fdc65e6760d6a0|work=AP News|access-date=April 28, 2020|date=April 24, 2020|first1=Jonathan|last1=Lemire|first2=Ben|last2=Nadler}} He increasingly pushed for ending restrictions to reverse the damage to the country's economy.{{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|access-date=July 10, 2020}} He often refused to mask at public events, contrary to his administration's April 2020 guidance to wear masks in public{{cite news|last=Danner|first=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|access-date=July 12, 2020|work=New York|date=July 11, 2020}} and despite nearly unanimous medical consensus that masks are important to preventing spread of the virus.{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 10, 2020}} His contradiction of medical recommendations weakened national mitigation efforts.

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".{{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|access-date=August 26, 2020}}{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 26, 2020}} The CDC guideline at the time was that anyone exposed to the virus should be tested even if they have no symptoms, because asymptomatic people can spread the virus.{{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|access-date=August 26, 2020}}{{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|access-date=August 26, 2020}} In August 2020 the CDC quietly lowered its recommendation for testing, advising that people who have been exposed but are not showing symptoms "do not necessarily need a test". The change was made by HHS political appointees under Trump administration pressure, against the wishes of CDC scientists.{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2020/08/26/politics/cdc-coronavirus-testing-guidance/|title=CDC was pressured 'from the top down' to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says|date=August 26, 2020|work=CNN|first1=Nick|last1=Valencia|first2=Sara|last2=Murray|author-link2=Sara Murray (journalist)|first3=Kristen|last3=Holmes|access-date=August 26, 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/18/health/covid-19-testing-guidance-cdc-hhs/|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|author-link2=Sanjay Gupta|first3=Nick|last3=Valencia|access-date=September 18, 2020}} The day after this political interference was reported, the change was reversed. Despite record numbers of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. from mid-June onward and an increasing percentage of positive test results, Trump largely continued to downplay the pandemic, including his false claim in July 2020 that 99 percent of COVID-19 cases are "totally harmless".{{cite news|last=Blake|first=Aaron|title=President Trump, coronavirus truther|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/07/06/trump-throws-caution-wind-coronavirus/|access-date=July 11, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 6, 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-factcheck.html|title=Trump Falsely Claims '99 Percent' of Virus Cases Are 'Totally Harmless'|work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2021|first1=Roni Caryn|last1=Rabin|first2=Chris|last2=Cameron}} He began insisting that all states should resume in-person education in the fall despite a July spike in reported cases.{{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|access-date=July 10, 2020}}

== Political pressure on health agencies ==

{{Main|Political interference with science agencies by the first Trump administration}}

Trump repeatedly pressured federal health agencies to take actions he favored, such as approving unproven treatments{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/15/hydroxychloroquine-authorization-revoked-coronavirus/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 15, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2021|title=FDA pulls emergency approval for antimalarial drugs touted by Trump as covid-19 treatment|first1=Laurie|last1=McGinley|first2=Carolyn Y.|last2=Johnson}}{{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|author-link1=Sharon LaFraniere|first2=Noah|last2=Weiland|first3=Michael D.|last3=Shear|author-link3=Michael D. Shear|access-date=September 13, 2020}} or speeding up vaccine approvals. Trump administration political appointees at HHS sought to control CDC communications to the public that undermined his claims that the pandemic was under control. CDC resisted many of the changes, but increasingly allowed HHS personnel to review articles and suggest changes before publication.{{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|access-date=September 14, 2020}}{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 14, 2020}} 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.{{cite news|first1=Laurie|last1=McGinley|first2=Carolyn Y.|last2=Johnson|first3=Josh|last3=Dawsey|author-link3=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|access-date=October 7, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

== Outbreak at the White House ==

File:President Trump Boards Marine One (50436803733).jpg for COVID-19 treatment on October 2, 2020.|alt=Donald Trump, wearing a black face mask, boards Marine One, a large green helicopter, from the White House lawn]]

On October 2, 2020, Trump tweeted that he had tested positive for COVID-19, part of a White House outbreak.{{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://cnn.com/2020/10/02/politics/timeline-trump-coronavirus/|access-date=October 3, 2020|work=CNN}} Later that day he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, reportedly due to fever and labored breathing. He was treated with antiviral and experimental antibody drugs and a steroid. He returned to the White House on October 5, still infectious and unwell.{{cite news|last1=Olorunnipa|first1=Toluse|author-link1=Toluse Olorunnipa|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|author-link2=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|access-date=October 5, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 5, 2020}}{{cite news|last1=Weiland|first1=Noah|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|last3=Mazzetti|first3=Mark|author-link3=Mark Mazzetti|last4=Karni|first4=Annie|author-link4=Annie Karni|date=February 11, 2021|title=Trump Was Sicker Than Acknowledged With Covid-19|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/us/politics/trump-coronavirus.html |access-date=February 16, 2021}} During and after his treatment he continued to downplay the virus. In 2021, it was revealed that his condition had been far more serious; he had dangerously low blood oxygen levels, a high fever, and lung infiltrates, indicating a severe case. In January 2021, he received a COVID-19 vaccination.{{cite news|last1=Acosta|first1=J.|last2=Kelly|first2=C.|title= Donald and Melania Trump received Covid vaccine at the White House in January|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/01/politics/trump-melania-vaccinated-white-house/index.html|work=CNN|date=March 1, 2021|access-date=November 8, 2024}}

== Effects on the 2020 presidential campaign ==

By July 2020, Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic had become a major issue in the presidential election.{{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|first=Adam|last=Edelman|access-date=September 14, 2020}} Biden sought to make the pandemic the central issue.{{cite news|last=Strauss|first=Daniel|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/14/joe-biden-donald-trump-coronavirus-covid-19|title=Biden aims to make election about Covid-19 as Trump steers focus elsewhere|date=September 7, 2020|work=The Guardian|access-date=November 4, 2021}} Polls suggested voters blamed Trump for his pandemic response and disbelieved his rhetoric concerning the virus, with an Ipsos/ABC News poll indicating 65 percent of respondents disapproved of his pandemic response.{{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|first=Kendall|last=Karson|access-date=September 14, 2020}} In the final months of the campaign, he repeatedly said that the U.S. was "rounding the turn" in managing the pandemic, despite increasing cases and deaths.{{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|first=Matthew|last=Impelli|access-date=October 31, 2020}} A few days before the November 3 election, the U.S. reported more than 100,000 cases in a single day for the first time.{{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|first=Anurag|last=Maan|access-date=October 31, 2020}}

= Investigations =

After he assumed office, Trump was the subject of increasing Justice Department and congressional scrutiny, with investigations covering his election campaign, transition, and inauguration, actions taken during his presidency, his private businesses, personal taxes, and charitable foundation.{{cite news|last1=Woodward|first1=Calvin|last2=Pace|first2=Julie|title=Scope of investigations into Trump has shaped his presidency|url=https://apnews.com/article/6d6361fdf19846cb9eb020d9c6fbfa5a|access-date=December 19, 2018|work=AP News|date=December 16, 2018}} There were ten federal criminal investigations, eight state and local investigations, and twelve congressional investigations.{{cite news|last1=Buchanan|first1=Larry|last2=Yourish|first2=Karen|title=Tracking 30 Investigations Related to Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/13/us/politics/trump-investigations.html|access-date=October 4, 2020|work=The New York Times|date=September 25, 2019}}

== Financial ==

In April 2019, the House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas seeking financial details from Trump's banks, Deutsche Bank and Capital One, and his accounting firm, Mazars USA. He sued the banks, Mazars, and committee chair Elijah Cummings to prevent the disclosures.{{cite news|date=April 22, 2019|last1=Fahrenthold|first1=David A.|author-link1=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|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 1, 2019}} In May, DC District Court judge Amit Mehta ruled that Mazars must comply with the subpoena,{{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|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|date=May 20, 2019|access-date=September 30, 2021|work=The New York Times}} and judge Edgardo Ramos of the Southern District Court of New York ruled that the banks must also comply.{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 22, 2019|access-date=September 30, 2021|first1=Renae|last1=Merle|first2=Michael|last2=Kranish|author-link2=Michael Kranish|first3=Felicia|last3=Sonmez|author-link3=Felicia Sonmez}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/business/deutsche-bank-trump-subpoena.html|title=Trump's Financial Secrets Move Closer to Disclosure|first1=Emily|last1=Flitter|first2=Jesse|last2=McKinley|first3=David|last3=Enrich|author-link3=David Enrich|first4=Nicholas|last4=Fandos|author-link4=Nicholas Fandos|date=May 22, 2019|access-date=September 30, 2021|work=The New York Times}} Trump's attorneys appealed.{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-subpoena-appeal-merrick-garland-court-1431543|title=Donald Trump's Subpoena Appeals Now Head to Merrick Garland's Court|date=May 21, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2021|work=Newsweek|first=Alexandra|last=Hutzler}} In September 2022, the committee and Trump agreed to a settlement about Mazars, and the accounting firm began turning over documents.{{cite news|last=Broadwater|first=Luke|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/17/us/politics/mazars-accounting-trump-documents.html|title=Trump's Former Accounting Firm Begins Turning Over Documents to Congress|work=The New York Times|date=September 17, 2022 |access-date=January 28, 2023}}

== Russian election interference ==

{{Main|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Timelines related to Donald Trump and Russian interference in United States elections}}

{{See also|Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election|Steele dossier}}

In January 2017, American intelligence agencies—the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA, represented by the Director of National Intelligence—jointly stated with "high confidence" that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump.{{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|author-link=Matthew Rosenberg|date=July 6, 2017|access-date=October 7, 2021|work=The New York Times}}{{cite news|last=Sanger|first=David E.|author-link=David E. Sanger|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/us/politics/russia-hack-report.html|title=Putin Ordered 'Influence Campaign' Aimed at U.S. Election, Report Says|work=The New York Times|date=January 6, 2017 |access-date=October 4, 2021}} In March 2017, FBI Director James Comey told Congress, "[T]he 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."{{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|access-date=June 7, 2017}}

Many suspicious{{cite news|last=Harding|first=Luke|title=How Trump walked into Putin's web|work=The Guardian|date=November 15, 2017|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/15/how-trump-walked-into-putins-web-luke|access-date=May 22, 2019}} links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies were discovered and the relationships between Russians and "team Trump", including Manafort, Flynn, and Stone, were widely reported by the press.{{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|access-date=March 11, 2017}}{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 11, 2017}}{{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 2, 2016|magazine=Time|access-date=February 28, 2017}}{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 14, 2017}} Members of Trump's campaign and his White House staff, particularly Flynn, were in contact with Russian officials both before and after the election.{{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|access-date=October 7, 2021|first=David A.|last=Graham}}{{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|access-date=May 19, 2017|work=Reuters}} On December 29, 2016, Flynn talked with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about sanctions that were imposed that same day; Flynn later resigned in the midst of controversy over whether he misled Pence.{{cite news|url=https://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|author-link1=Sara Murray (journalist)|last2=Borger|first2=Gloria|author-link2=Gloria Borger|last3=Diamond|first3=Jeremy|author-link3=Jeremy Diamond (journalist)|date=February 14, 2017|access-date=March 2, 2017|work=CNN}} Trump told Kislyak and Sergei Lavrov in May 2017 he was unconcerned about Russian interference in U.S. elections.{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 27, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021|first1=Shane|last1=Harris|author-link1=Shane Harris|first2=Josh|last2=Dawsey|author-link2=Josh Dawsey|first3=Ellen|last3=Nakashima|author-link3=Ellen Nakashima}} Trump and his allies promoted a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, rather than Russia, interfered in the 2016 election—which was also promoted by Russia to frame Ukraine.{{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|author-link2=Matthew Rosenberg|date=November 22, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021|work=The New York Times}}

== FBI Crossfire Hurricane and 2017 counterintelligence investigations ==

In July 2016, the FBI launched an investigation, codenamed Crossfire Hurricane, into possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign.{{Cite news |last1=Apuzzo |first1=Matt |author-link=Matt Apuzzo |last2=Goldman |first2=Adam |author-link2=Adam Goldman |last3=Fandos |first3=Nicholas |author-link3=Nicholas Fandos |date=May 16, 2018 |title=Code Name Crossfire Hurricane: The Secret Origins of the Trump Investigation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/us/politics/crossfire-hurricane-trump-russia-fbi-mueller-investigation.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 21, 2023 |work=The New York Times}} After Trump fired FBI director James Comey in May 2017, the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into Trump's personal and business dealings with Russia.{{cite news|work=NBC News|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fbi-agent-who-helped-launch-russia-investigation-says-trump-was-n1239442|title=FBI agent who helped launch Russia investigation says Trump was 'compromised'|access-date=December 21, 2023|first=Ken|last=Dilanian|date=September 7, 2020}} Crossfire Hurricane was transferred to the Mueller investigation,{{cite news|url=https://www.9news.com.au/world/crossfire-hurricane-trump-russia-investigation-started-with-alexander-downer-interview/16121e23-bdfc-4f32-9822-e4a7f841e3e4|work=Nine News|title=Crossfire Hurricane: Trump Russia investigation started with Alexander Downer interview|first=Nick|last=Pearson|date=May 17, 2018|access-date=December 21, 2023}} but Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ended the investigation into Trump's direct ties to Russia while giving the bureau the false impression that the Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation would pursue the matter.{{Cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Michael S. |author-link=Michael S. Schmidt |date=August 30, 2020 |title=Justice Dept. Never Fully Examined Trump's Ties to Russia, Ex-Officials Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/us/politics/trump-russia-justice-department.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 8, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-rosenstein-idUSKBN23330H|title=Rosenstein to testify in Senate on Trump-Russia probe|work=Reuters|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=October 19, 2021}}

== Mueller investigation ==

{{Main|Mueller special counsel investigation|Mueller report|Criminal charges brought in the Mueller special counsel investigation}}

In May 2017, Rosenstein appointed former FBI director Mueller special counsel for the Department of Justice (DOJ), ordering him to "examine 'any links and/or coordination between the Russian government' and the Trump campaign". He privately told Mueller to restrict the investigation to criminal matters "in connection with Russia's 2016 election interference". The special counsel also investigated whether Trump's dismissal of James Comey as FBI director constituted obstruction of justice{{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?|newspaper=The Washington Post|last=Vitkovskaya|first=Julie|date=June 16, 2017|access-date=June 16, 2017}} and the Trump campaign's possible ties to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Israel, and China.{{cite news|first=Joshua|last=Keating|author-link=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|date=March 8, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2021}} Trump sought to fire Mueller and shut down the investigation multiple times, but backed down after his staff objected or after changing his mind.{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|author-link1=Maggie Haberman|last2=Schmidt|first2=Michael S.|author-link2=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|access-date=October 8, 2021}}

In March 2019, Mueller gave his final report to Attorney General William Barr,{{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|work=CNBC|access-date=March 22, 2019}} which Barr purported to summarize in a letter to Congress. A federal court, and Mueller himself, said Barr mischaracterized the investigation's conclusions and, in so doing, confused the public.{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 30, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/mueller-report-attorney-general-william-barr/2020/03/05/3fa7afce-5f2c-11ea-b29b-9db42f7803a7_story.html|title=Judge cites Barr's 'misleading' statements in ordering review of Mueller report redactions|newspaper=The Washington Post|first1=Spencer S.|last1=Hsu|first2=Devlin|last2=Barrett|date=March 5, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/us/politics/mueller-report-barr-judge-walton.html|title=Judge Calls Barr's Handling of Mueller Report 'Distorted' and 'Misleading'|first=Charlie|last=Savage|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|work=The New York Times|date=March 5, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021}} Trump repeatedly claimed that the investigation exonerated him; the Mueller report expressly stated that it did not.{{cite news|first1=Hope|last1=Yen|first2=Calvin|last2=Woodward|title=AP FACT CHECK: Trump falsely claims Mueller exonerated him|url=https://apnews.com/article/130932b573664ea5a4d186f752bb8d50|date=July 24, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021|work=AP News}} A redacted version of the report, publicly released in April 2019, found that Russia interfered in 2016 to favor Trump.{{cite news|title=Main points of Mueller report|date=January 16, 2012 |url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1|work=Agence France-Presse|access-date=April 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420143436/https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1|archive-date=April 20, 2019}} Despite "numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign", the report found that the prevailing evidence "did not establish" that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russian interference.{{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/|work=The Boston Globe|date=April 18, 2019|access-date=April 22, 2019}}{{cite news|last=Law|first=Tara|title=Here Are the Biggest Takeaways From the Mueller Report|date=April 18, 2019|url=https://time.com/5567077/mueller-report-release/|magazine=Time|access-date=April 22, 2019}} The report revealed sweeping Russian interference and detailed how Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged it, believing it would benefit them electorally.{{cite news|last1=Lynch|first1=Sarah N.|last2=Sullivan|first2=Andy|date=April 18, 2018|title=In unflattering detail, Mueller report reveals Trump actions to impede inquiry|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKCN1RU0DN |access-date=July 10, 2022}}{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=July 24, 2019|first=Mark|last=Mazzetti|author-link=Mark Mazzetti|title=Mueller Warns of Russian Sabotage and Rejects Trump's 'Witch Hunt' Claims|access-date=March 4, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/us/politics/trump-mueller-testimony.html}}{{cite news|newspaper=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/|access-date=March 5, 2020|title=Trump briefly acknowledges that Russia aided his election – and falsely says he didn't help the effort}}{{cite news|last1=Polantz|first1=Katelyn|last2=Kaufman|first2=Ellie|last3=Murray|first3=Sara|url=https://cnn.com/2020/06/19/politics/mueller-report-rerelease-fewer-redactions/|title=Mueller raised possibility Trump lied to him, newly unsealed report reveals|work=CNN|date=June 19, 2020|access-date=October 30, 2022}}

The report also detailed multiple acts of potential obstruction of justice by Trump, but "did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President's conduct".{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 17, 2019|access-date=April 20, 2019}}{{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 18, 2019|work=FactCheck.org|access-date=April 22, 2019}} 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,{{cite news|last=Mascaro|first=Lisa|title=Mueller drops obstruction dilemma on Congress|url=https://apnews.com/article/35829a2b010248f193d1efd00c4de7e5|work=AP News|date=April 18, 2019|access-date=April 20, 2019}} and investigators would not accuse him of a crime when he cannot clear his name in court.{{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|access-date=June 2, 2019}} The report concluded that Congress, having the authority to take action against a president for wrongdoing, "may apply the obstruction laws". The House of Representatives subsequently launched an impeachment inquiry following the Trump–Ukraine scandal, but did not pursue an article of impeachment related to the Mueller investigation.{{cite news|title=Why Democrats sidelined Mueller in impeachment articles|first1=Kyle|last1=Cheney|author-link1=Kyle Cheney (journalist)|first2=Heather|last2=Caygle|first3=John|last3=Bresnahan|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/10/democrats-sidelined-mueller-trump-impeachment-080910|work=Politico|date=December 10, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/10/democrats-ditch-bribery-mueller-trump-impeachment-articles-is-that-smart-play/|title=Democrats ditch 'bribery' and Mueller in Trump impeachment articles. But is that the smart play?|first=Aaron|last=Blake|date=December 10, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post}} Several Trump associates pleaded guilty or were convicted in connection with Mueller's investigation and related cases, including Manafort{{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 8 counts; mistrial declared on 10 others|last1=Zapotosky|first1=Matt|last2=Bui|first2=Lynh|last3=Jackman|first3=Tom|last4=Barrett|first4=Devlin|date=August 21, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 21, 2018}} and Flynn.{{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|work=CNBC|date=July 30, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2021}}{{cite news|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 News|date=December 5, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2021}} 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 a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen said he had made the false statements on behalf of Trump.{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|first1=Devlin|last1=Barrett|first2=Matt|last2=Zapotosky|first3=Rosalind S.|last3=Helderman|author-link3=Rosalind S. Helderman|access-date=December 12, 2018}} In February 2020, Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison for lying to Congress and witness tampering. The sentencing judge said Stone "was prosecuted for covering up for the president".{{cite news|first1=Rachel|last1=Weiner|first2=Matt|last2=Zapotosky|first3=Tom|last3=Jackman|first4=Devlin|last4=Barrett|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|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 20, 2020|access-date=March 3, 2020}}

= First impeachment =

File:House of Representatives Votes to Adopt the Articles of Impeachment Against Donald Trump.jpg ({{USBill|116|H. Res.|755}}), December 18, 2019.|alt=Nancy Pelosi presides over a crowded House of Representatives chamber floor during the impeachment vote]]

In August 2019, a whistleblower filed a complaint with the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community about a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Trump had pressured Zelenskyy to investigate CrowdStrike and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter.{{cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|title=Trump wanted Russia's main geopolitical adversary to help undermine the Russian interference story|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/25/trump-wanted-russias-main-geopolitical-adversary-help-him-undermine-russian-interference-story/|access-date=October 1, 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 25, 2019}} The whistleblower said that the White House had attempted to cover up the incident and that the call was part of a wider campaign by the Trump administration and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani that may have included withholding financial aid from Ukraine in July 2019 and canceling Pence's May 2019 Ukraine trip.{{cite news|last1=Cohen|first1=Marshall|last2=Polantz|first2=Katelyn|last3=Shortell|first3=David|last4=Kupperman|first4=Tammy|last5=Callahan|first5=Michael|url=https://cnn.com/2019/09/26/politics/whistleblower-complaint-released/|title=Whistleblower says White House tried to cover up Trump's abuse of power|work=CNN|date=September 26, 2019|access-date=October 4, 2022}}

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated an impeachment inquiry in September.{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=September 24, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021|first=Nicholas|last=Fandos|author-link=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}} Trump confirmed that he withheld military aid from Ukraine, offering contradictory reasons for the decision.{{cite news|last=Forgey|first=Quint|title=Trump changes story on withholding Ukraine aid|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/24/donald-trump-ukraine-military-aid-1509070|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=Politico|date=September 24, 2019}}{{cite news|first=David A.|last=Graham|access-date=July 7, 2021|title=Trump's Incriminating Conversation With the Ukrainian President|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/what-the-transcript-of-trumps-insane-call-with-the-ukrainian-president-showed/598780/|date=September 25, 2019|work=The Atlantic}} On September 25, his administration released a memorandum of the phone call which confirmed that, after Zelenskyy mentioned purchasing American anti-tank missiles, Trump asked him to discuss investigating Biden and his son with Giuliani and Barr.{{cite news|last1=Santucci|first1=John|last2=Mallin|first2=Alexander|last3=Thomas|first3=Pierre|author-link3=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|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=ABC News|date=September 25, 2019}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2019/09/24/whistleblower-complaint/assets/amp.html|title=Document: Read the Whistle-Blower Complaint|date=September 24, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 2, 2019}} In October, William B. Taylor Jr., the chargé d'affaires for Ukraine, testified before congressional committees that soon after arriving in Ukraine in June 2019, he found that Zelenskyy was being subjected to pressure directed by Trump and led by Giuliani. According to Taylor and others, the goal was to coerce Zelenskyy 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.{{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.|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|last2=Fandos|first2=Nicholas|author-link2=Nicholas Fandos|date=October 22, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 22, 2019}} He said it was made clear that until Zelenskyy made such an announcement, the administration would not release scheduled military aid for Ukraine and not invite Zelenskyy to the White House.{{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|author-link=Sharon LaFraniere|date=October 22, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 23, 2019}}

File:President Trump Delivers Remarks (49498772251).jpg

On December 13, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to pass two articles of impeachment: one for abuse of power and one for obstruction of Congress.{{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|last3=Pecorin|first3=Allison|title=House Judiciary Committee passes articles of impeachment against President Trump|date=December 13, 2019|work=ABC News|access-date=December 13, 2019}} The House of Representatives impeached Trump on both articles on December 18.{{cite news|last=Gregorian|first=Dareh|title=Trump impeached by the House for abuse of power, obstruction of Congress|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/trump-impeached-house-abuse-power-n1104196|access-date=December 18, 2019|work=NBC News|date=December 18, 2019}} During the trial in January 2020, the House impeachment managers asserted that Trump's actions were exactly what the founding fathers had in mind when they created the impeachment process.{{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, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 27, 2020|first1=Seung Min|last1=Kim|author-link1=Seung Min Kim|first2=John|last2=Wagner|first3=Karoun|last3=Demirjian|author-link3=Karoun Demirjian}} Trump's lawyers did not deny the facts as presented in the charges,{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=January 18, 2020|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|first2=Nicholas|last2=Fandos|author-link2=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}} but argued that the impeachment was "constitutionally and legally invalid" because he was not charged with a crime and that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense. The Senate voted against allowing subpoenas for witnesses or documents.{{cite news|last1=Herb|first1=Jeremy|last2=Mattingly|first2=Phil|last3=Raju|first3=Manu|author-link3=Manu Raju|last4=Fox|first4=Lauren|title=Senate impeachment trial: Wednesday acquittal vote scheduled after effort to have witnesses fails|url=https://cnn.com/2020/01/31/politics/senate-impeachment-trial-last-day/|access-date=February 2, 2020|work=CNN|date=January 31, 2020}} The impeachment trial was the first in U.S. history without witness testimony.{{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.|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 9, 2020|access-date=February 8, 2020}} Trump was acquitted of both charges by the Republican majority. Senator Mitt Romney was the only Republican who voted to convict him on one charge, the abuse of power.{{cite news|work=CNBC|date=February 5, 2020|title=Trump acquitted of both charges in Senate impeachment trial|last1=Wilkie|first1=Christina|last2=Breuninger|first2=Kevin|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/05/trump-acquitted-in-impeachment-trial.html|access-date=February 2, 2021}} Following his acquittal, he fired impeachment witnesses and other political appointees and career officials he deemed insufficiently loyal.{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=February 22, 2020|first=Peter|last=Baker|author-link=Peter Baker (journalist)|title=Trump's Efforts to Remove the Disloyal Heightens Unease Across His Administration|access-date=February 22, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/22/us/politics/trump-disloyalty-turnover.html}}

= Second impeachment =

{{Main|Second impeachment of Donald Trump|Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump}}

File:Pelosi Signing Second Trump Impeachment.png signing the second impeachment of Trump]]

On January 11, 2021, an article of impeachment charging Trump with incitement of insurrection against the U.S. government was introduced to the House.{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-effort-live-updates/2021/01/11/955631105/impeachment-resolution-cites-trumps-incitement-of-capitol-insurrection|title=Impeachment Resolution Cites Trump's 'Incitement' of Capitol Insurrection|first=Brian|last=Naylor|work=NPR|date=January 11, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2021}} The House voted 232–197 to impeach him on January 13, making him the first U.S. president to be impeached twice.{{cite news|last=Fandos|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Fandos|title=Trump Impeached for Inciting Insurrection|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/us/politics/trump-impeached.html|access-date=January 14, 2021|date=January 13, 2021}} Ten Republicans voted for the impeachment—the most members of a party ever to vote to impeach a president of their own party.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/13/trumps-second-impeachment-is-most-bipartisan-one-history/|title=Trump's second impeachment is the most bipartisan one in history|last=Blake|first=Aaron|date=January 13, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 19, 2021}}

On February 13, following a five-day Senate trial, Trump was acquitted when the Senate vote fell ten votes short of the two-thirds majority required to convict; seven Republicans joined every Democrat in voting to convict, the most bipartisan support in any Senate impeachment trial of a president or former president.{{cite news|last1=Levine|first1=Sam|last2=Gambino|first2=Lauren|date=February 13, 2021|title=Donald Trump acquitted in impeachment trial|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/13/donald-trump-acquitted-impeachment-trial|work=The Guardian|access-date=February 13, 2021}}{{cite news|last=Fandos|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Fandos|date=February 13, 2021|title=Trump Acquitted of Inciting Insurrection, Even as Bipartisan Majority Votes 'Guilty'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/us/politics/trump-impeachment.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 14, 2021}} Most Republicans voted to acquit him, although some held him responsible but felt the Senate did not have jurisdiction over former presidents (he had left office on January 20; the Senate voted 56–44 that the trial was constitutional).{{cite news|last1=Watson|first1=Kathryn|last2=Quinn|first2=Melissa|last3=Segers|first3=Grace|last4=Becket|first4=Stefan|date=February 10, 2021|title=Senate finds Trump impeachment trial constitutional on first day of proceedings|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-impeachment-trial-senate-constitutional-day-1/|work=CBS News|access-date=February 18, 2021}}

2020 presidential election

= Loss to Biden =

Breaking with precedent, Trump filed to run for a second term within a few hours of assuming the presidency.{{cite news |last=Morehouse |first=Lee |date=January 31, 2017 |title=Trump breaks precedent, files as candidate for re-election on first day |url=https://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202210255/https://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |access-date=February 19, 2017 |work=KTVK}} He held his first reelection rally less than a month after taking office{{cite news |last=Graham |first=David A. |date=February 15, 2017 |title=Trump Kicks Off His 2020 Reelection Campaign on Saturday |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-kicks-off-his-2020-reelection-campaign-on-saturday/516909/ |access-date=February 19, 2017 |work=The Atlantic}} and officially became the Republican nominee in August 2020.{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Jonathan |author-link1=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |last2=Burns |first2=Alexander |author-link2=Alex Burns (journalist) |last3=Karni |first3=Annie |author-link3=Annie Karni |date=August 24, 2020 |title=Nominating Trump, Republicans Rewrite His Record |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/us/politics/republican-convention-recap.html |access-date=August 25, 2020 |work=The New York Times}} Trump campaign advertisements focused on crime, claiming that cities would descend into lawlessness if Joe Biden won.{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |last2=Corasaniti |first2=Nick |last3=Karni |first3=Annie |author-link3=Annie Karni |date=July 21, 2020 |title=As Trump Pushes into Portland, His Campaign Ads Turn Darker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/us/politics/trump-portland-federal-agents.html |access-date=July 25, 2020 |work=The New York Times}} He repeatedly misrepresented Biden's positions{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=August 28, 2020 |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/ |access-date=October 9, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |author-link1=Daniel Dale |last2=Subramaniam |first2=Tara |last3=Lybrand |first3=Holmes |date=August 31, 2020 |title=Fact check: Trump makes more false claims about Biden and protests |url=https://cnn.com/2020/08/31/politics/trump-kenosha-briefing-fact-check/ |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=CNN}} and shifted to appeals to racism.{{cite news |last=Hopkins |first=Dan |date=August 27, 2020 |title=Why Trump's Racist Appeals Might Be Less Effective In 2020 Than They Were In 2016 |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-trumps-racist-appeals-might-be-less-effective-in-2020-than-they-were-in-2016 |access-date=May 28, 2021 |work=FiveThirtyEight}}

Starting in the spring of 2020, Trump began to sow doubts about the election, claiming without evidence that the election would be rigged and that the expected widespread use of mail balloting would produce massive election fraud.{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Anita |date=August 8, 2020 |title=Trump aides exploring executive actions to curb voting by mail |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/08/trump-wants-to-cut-mail-in-voting-the-republican-machine-is-helping-him-392428 |access-date=August 15, 2020 |work=Politico}}{{cite news |last1=Saul |first1=Stephanie |author-link1=Stephanie Saul |last2=Epstein |first2=Reid J. |date=August 31, 2020 |title=Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/mail-in-voting-explained.html |access-date=October 8, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} When, in August, the House of Representatives voted for a $25 billion grant to the U.S. Postal Service for the expected surge in mail voting, he blocked funding, saying he wanted to prevent any increase in voting by mail, creating a crisis in the Postal Service.{{cite news |last=Bogage |first=Jacob |date=August 12, 2020 |title=Trump says Postal Service needs money for mail-in voting, but he'll keep blocking funding |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/ |access-date=August 14, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results if he lost and commit to a peaceful transition of power.{{cite news |last=Sonmez |first=Felicia |author-link=Felicia Sonmez |date=July 19, 2020 |title=Trump declines to say whether he will accept November election results |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-declines-to-say-whether-he-will-accept-november-election-results/2020/07/19/40009804-c9c7-11ea-91f1-28aca4d833a0_story.html |access-date=October 8, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last1=Browne |first1=Ryan |last2=Starr |first2=Barbara |author-link2=Barbara Starr |date=September 25, 2020 |title=As Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transition, Pentagon stresses it will play no role in the election |url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/pentagon-election-insurrection-act/ |access-date=October 8, 2021 |work=CNN}} Biden won the election on November 3, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.8 percent){{cite news |date=December 11, 2020 |title=Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-president.html |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite news |date=December 10, 2020 |title=2020 US Presidential Election Results: Live Map |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2020-us-presidential-election-results-live-map |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=ABC News}} and 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232.{{cite news |last1=Holder |first1=Josh |last2=Gabriel |first2=Trip |author-link2=Trip Gabriel |last3=Paz |first3=Isabella Grullón |date=December 14, 2020 |title=Biden's 306 Electoral College Votes Make His Victory Official |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/14/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}

== Rejection of results ==

{{Further|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|2020–21 United States election protests|Election denial movement in the United States}}

At 2 a.m. the morning after the election, with the results still unclear, Trump declared victory.{{cite news |date=November 4, 2020 |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 |access-date=November 10, 2020 |work=Reuters}} After Biden was projected the winner days later, Trump baselessly alleged election fraud.{{cite news |last=King |first=Ledyard |date=November 7, 2020 |title=Trump revives baseless claims of election fraud after Biden wins presidential race |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-victory-president-trump-claims-election-far-over/6202892002/ |access-date=November 7, 2020 |work=USA Today}} He and his allies filed many legal challenges to the results, which were rejected by at least 86 judges in both the state and federal courts, including by federal judges appointed by Trump himself, finding no factual or legal basis.{{cite news |last1=Helderman |first1=Rosalind S. |author-link1=Rosalind S. Helderman |last2=Viebeck |first2=Elise |date=December 12, 2020 |title='The last wall': How dozens of judges across the political spectrum rejected Trump's efforts to overturn the election |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html |access-date=October 9, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=December 14, 2020 |title=The most remarkable rebukes of Trump's legal case: From the judges he hand-picked |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/14/most-remarkable-rebukes-trumps-legal-case-judges-he-hand-picked/ |access-date=October 9, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} His allegations were also refuted by state election officials.{{cite news |last=Woodward |first=Calvin |date=November 16, 2020 |title=AP Fact Check: Trump conclusively lost, denies the evidence |url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-trump-conclusively-lost-bbb9d8c808021ed65d91aee003a7bc64 |access-date=November 17, 2020 |work=AP News}} On December 11, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case from the Texas attorney general that asked the court to overturn the election results in four states won by Biden.{{cite news |last=Liptak |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Liptak |date=December 11, 2020 |title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}

Trump withdrew from public activities in the weeks following the election.{{cite news |last=Smith |first=David |date=November 21, 2020 |title=Trump's monumental sulk: president retreats from public eye as Covid ravages US |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/21/trump-monumental-sulk-president-retreats-from-public-eye-covid-ravages-us |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=The Guardian}} He initially blocked government officials from cooperating in Biden's presidential transition.{{cite news |last1=Lamire |first1=Jonathan |last2=Miller |first2=Zeke |author-link2=Zeke Miller |date=November 9, 2020 |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 |access-date=November 10, 2020 |work=AP News}}{{cite news |last1=Timm |first1=Jane C. |last2=Smith |first2=Allan |date=November 14, 2020 |title=Trump is stonewalling Biden's transition. Here's why it matters. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-stonewalling-biden-s-transition-here-s-why-it-matters-n1247768 |access-date=November 26, 2020 |work=NBC News}} After three weeks, the administrator of the General Services Administration declared Biden the "apparent winner" of the election, allowing the disbursement of transition resources to his team.{{cite news |last=Rein |first=Lisa |date=November 23, 2020 |title=Under pressure, Trump appointee Emily Murphy approves transition in unusually personal letter to Biden |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-emily-murphy-transition-biden/2020/11/23/c0f43e84-2de0-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html |access-date=November 24, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Trump still did not formally concede while claiming he recommended the GSA begin transition protocols.{{cite news |last1=Naylor |first1=Brian |last2=Wise |first2=Alana |date=November 23, 2020 |title=President-Elect Biden To Begin Formal Transition Process After Agency OK |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/23/937956178/trump-administration-to-begin-biden-transition-protocols |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=NPR}}{{cite news |last1=Ordoñez |first1=Franco |last2=Rampton |first2=Roberta |date=November 26, 2020 |title=Trump Is In No Mood To Concede, But Says Will Leave White House |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/26/939386434/trump-is-in-no-mood-to-concede-but-says-will-leave-white-house |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=NPR}}

The Electoral College formalized Biden's victory on December 14. From November to January, Trump repeatedly sought help to overturn the results, personally pressuring Republican local and state office-holders,{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Amy |date=January 3, 2021 |title='I just want to find 11,780 votes': In extraordinary hour-long call, Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate the vote in his favor |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html |access-date=January 20, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Republican state and federal legislators,{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Anita |last2=Orr |first2=Gabby |last3=McGraw |first3=Meridith |date=December 21, 2020 |title=Inside Trump's pressure campaign to overturn the election |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/21/trump-pressure-campaign-overturn-election-449486 |access-date=December 22, 2020 |work=Politico}} the Justice Department,{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Marshall |date=November 5, 2021 |title=Timeline of the coup: How Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to overturn the 2020 election |url=https://cnn.com/2021/11/05/politics/january-6-timeline-trump-coup/ |access-date=November 6, 2021 |work=CNN}} and Vice President Pence,{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |last2=Karni |first2=Annie |author-link2=Annie Karni |date=January 5, 2021 |title=Pence Said to Have Told Trump He Lacks Power to Change Election Result |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/05/us/politics/pence-trump-election-results.html |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} urging various actions such as replacing presidential electors, or a request for Georgia officials to "find" votes and announce a "recalculated" result. On February 10, 2021, Georgia prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to subvert the election in Georgia.{{cite news |last1=Fausset |first1=Richard |last2=Hakim |first2=Danny |date=February 10, 2021 |title=Georgia Prosecutors Open Criminal Inquiry Into Trump's Efforts to Subvert Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/us/politics/trump-georgia-investigation.html |access-date=February 11, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}

Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration.{{cite news |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |author-link=Maggie Haberman |date=January 20, 2021 |title=Trump Departs Vowing, 'We Will Be Back in Some Form' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/trump-presidency.html |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}

= January 6 Capitol attack =

{{For timeline|Timeline of the January 6 United States Capitol attack}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| direction = vertical

| width = 200

| image1 = 2021 United States Capitol VOA 1 (cropped).jpg

| caption1 = Trump speaking at the "Stop the Steal" rally on January 6

| image2 = Capitol riot- Videos shows men beat, drag officer into savage mob.webm

| caption2 = Footage of law enforcement attacked by pro-Trump rioters during the January 6 attack

}}

In December 2020, Newsweek reported the Pentagon was on red alert, and ranking officers had discussed what to do if Trump declared martial law. The Pentagon responded with quotes from defense leaders that the military has no role in the outcome of elections.{{cite news |last=Arkin |first=William M. |date=December 24, 2020 |title=Exclusive: Donald Trump's martial-law talk has military on red alert |url=https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-donald-trumps-martial-law-talk-has-military-red-alert-1557056 |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=Newsweek}} When Trump moved supporters into positions of power at the Pentagon after the November 2020 election, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and CIA director Gina Haspel became concerned about a possible coup attempt or military action against China or Iran.{{cite news |last1=Gangel |first1=Jamie |author-link1=Jamie Gangel |last2=Herb |first2=Jeremy |last3=Cohen |first3=Marshall |last4=Stuart |first4=Elizabeth |last5=Starr |first5=Barbara |author-link5=Barbara Starr |date=July 14, 2021 |title='They're not going to f**king succeed': Top generals feared Trump would attempt a coup after election, according to new book |url=https://cnn.com/2021/07/14/politics/donald-trump-election-coup-new-book-excerpt/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite news |last=Breuninger |first=Kevin |date=July 15, 2021 |title=Top U.S. Gen. Mark Milley feared Trump would attempt a coup after his loss to Biden, new book says |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/15/mark-milley-feared-coup-after-trump-lost-to-biden-book.html |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=CNBC}} Milley insisted that he should be consulted about any military orders from Trump, including the use of nuclear weapons.{{cite news |last1=Gangel |first1=Jamie |author-link1=Jamie Gangel |last2=Herb |first2=Jeremy |last3=Stuart |first3=Elizabeth |date=September 14, 2021 |title=Woodward/Costa book: Worried Trump could 'go rogue,' Milley took top-secret action to protect nuclear weapons |url=https://cnn.com/2021/09/14/politics/woodward-book-trump-nuclear/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Michael S. |author-link=Michael S. Schmidt |date=September 14, 2021 |title=Fears That Trump Might Launch a Strike Prompted General to Reassure China, Book Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/14/us/politics/peril-woodward-book-trump.html |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}

On January 6, 2021, while congressional certification of the presidential election results was taking place in the U.S. Capitol, Trump held a noon rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., where he called for the election result to be overturned and urged his supporters to "fight like hell" and "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol.{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |author-link=Charlie Savage (author) |date=January 10, 2021 |title=Incitement to Riot? What Trump Told Supporters Before Mob Stormed Capitol |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/us/trump-speech-riot.html |access-date=January 11, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite news |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Donald Trump Speech 'Save America' Rally Transcript January 6 |url=https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-speech-save-america-rally-transcript-january-6 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=Rev}} Many supporters did, joining a crowd already there. The mob broke into the building, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress.{{cite news |last1=Tan |first1=Shelley |last2=Shin |first2=Youjin |last3=Rindler |first3=Danielle |date=January 9, 2021 |title=How one of America's ugliest days unraveled inside and outside the Capitol |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/capitol-insurrection-visual-timeline/ |access-date=May 2, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} The event is described as an attempted self-coup.{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources:{{sfn|Pion-Berlin|Bruneau|Goetze|2022}}{{sfn|Harvey|2022|p=3|loc="Unlike Hitler's coup attempt, Trump already held the top of the office, so he was attempting to hold onto power, not seize it (the precise term for Trump's intended action is a 'self-coup' or 'autogolpe'). Thus, Trump was able to plan for the event well in advance and with much greater control, including developing the legal arguments that could be used to justify rejecting the election's results"}}{{sfn|Castañeda|Jenks|2023|p=246|loc="What the United States went through on January 6th was an attempt at a self-coup, where Trump would use force to stay as head of state even if abandoning democratic practices in the U.S. Some advised Trump to declare martial law to create a state of emergency and use that as an excuse to stay in power"}}}} During the violence, Trump posted messages on Twitter without asking the rioters to disperse. At 6 p.m., he tweeted that the rioters should "go home with love & in peace", calling them "great patriots" and repeating that the election was stolen.{{cite web |last1=Panetta |first1=Grace |last2=Lahut |first2=Jake |last3=Zavarise |first3=Isabella |last4=Frias |first4=Lauren |date=December 21, 2022 |title=A timeline of what Trump was doing as his MAGA mob attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-what-trump-was-doing-as-his-mob-attacked-the-capitol-on-jan-6-2022-7 |access-date=June 1, 2023 |work=Business Insider}} After the mob was removed, Congress reconvened and confirmed Biden's win in the early hours of the following morning.{{cite web |last1=Gregorian |first1=Dareh |last2=Gibson |first2=Ginger |last3=Kapur |first3=Sahil |last4=Helsel |first4=Phil |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Congress confirms Biden's win after pro-Trump mob's assault on Capitol |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/congress-begin-electoral-vote-count-amid-protests-inside-outside-capitol-n1253013 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |work=NBC News}} According to the Department of Justice, more than 140 police officers were injured, and five people died.{{cite web |last1=Rubin |first1=Olivia |last2=Mallin |first2=Alexander |last3=Steakin |first3=Will |date=January 4, 2022 |title=By the numbers: How the Jan. 6 investigation is shaping up 1 year later |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/numbers-jan-investigation-shaping-year/story?id=82057743 |access-date=June 4, 2023 |work=ABC News}}{{cite web |last=Cameron |first=Chris |date=January 5, 2022 |title=These Are the People Who Died in Connection With the Capitol Riot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-deaths.html |access-date=January 29, 2022 |work=The New York Times}} In March 2023, Trump collaborated with incarcerated rioters on a song to benefit the prisoners. In June, he said that, if reelected, he would pardon many of them.{{cite news |last=Terkel |first=Amanda |date=May 11, 2023 |title=Trump says he would pardon a 'large portion' of Jan. 6 rioters |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-pardon-large-portion-jan-6-rioters-rcna83873 |access-date=June 3, 2023 |work=NBC}}

Subsequent activities (2021–2025)

{{See also|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump|Legal affairs of Donald Trump as president}}

Trump lives at his Mar-a-Lago club, having established an office there as provided for by the Former Presidents Act.{{cite web|last=Wolfe|first=Jan|title=Explainer: Why Trump's post-presidency perks, like a pension and office, are safe for the rest of his life|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment-benefits-explai-idUSKBN29W238|work=Reuters|date=January 27, 2021 |access-date=February 2, 2021}}{{cite web|last=Quinn|first=Melissa|title=Trump opens 'Office of the Former President' in Florida|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-office-former-president-florida/|work=CBS News|date=January 27, 2021 |access-date=February 2, 2021}} He is entitled to live there legally as a club employee.{{cite web|last=Spencer|first=Terry|title=Palm Beach considers options as Trump remains at Mar-a-Lago|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-fort-lauderdale-florida-mar-a-lago-melania-trump-fd4fd80c6a2d7ef23a274c0597700730|work=AP News|date=January 28, 2021 |access-date=February 2, 2021}}{{cite news|last=Durkee|first=Allison|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/05/07/trump-can-legally-live-at-mar-a-lago-palm-beach-says/|title=Trump Can Legally Live At Mar-A-Lago, Palm Beach Says|work=Forbes|date=May 7, 2021|access-date=March 7, 2024}}

Trump's false claims concerning the 2020 election were commonly referred to as the "big lie" in the press and by his critics. In May 2021, he and his supporters attempted to co-opt the term, using it to refer to the election itself.{{cite web|last=Solender|first=Andrew|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/05/03/trump-says-hell-appropriate-the-big-lie-to-refer-to-his-election-loss/|title=Trump Says He'll Appropriate 'The Big Lie' To Refer To His Election Loss|work=Forbes|date=May 3, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2021}}{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Zachary B.|url=https://cnn.com/2021/05/19/politics/donald-trump-big-lie-explainer/|title=The 5 key elements of Trump's Big Lie and how it came to be|work=CNN|date=May 19, 2021 |access-date=October 10, 2021}} The Republican Party used his false election narrative to justify the imposition of new voting restrictions in its favor.{{cite news|last=Balz|first=Dan|author-link=Dan Balz|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-big-lie-elections-impact/2021/05/29/d7992fa2-c07d-11eb-b26e-53663e6be6ff_story.html|title=The GOP push to revisit 2020 has worrisome implications for future elections|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 29, 2021 |access-date=June 18, 2021}} As late as July 2022, he was still pressuring state legislators to overturn the 2020 election.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/us/politics/trump-wisconsin-election-call.html|title=Trump Recently Urged a Powerful Legislator to Overturn His 2020 Defeat in Wisconsin|last1=Bender|first1=Michael C.|author-link1=Michael C. Bender|last2=Epstein|first2=Reid J.|date=July 20, 2022|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 13, 2022}}

Unlike other former presidents, Trump continued to dominate his party; he has been described as a modern party boss. He continued fundraising, raising more than twice as much as the Republican Party itself, and profited from fundraisers many Republican candidates held at Mar-a-Lago. Much of his focus was on how elections are run and on ousting election officials who had resisted his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. In the 2022 midterm elections, he endorsed over 200 candidates for various offices, most of whom supported his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.{{cite web|last=Goldmacher|first=Shane|title=Mar-a-Lago Machine: Trump as a Modern-Day Party Boss|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/17/us/politics/trump-mar-a-lago.html|access-date=July 31, 2022|work=The New York Times|date=April 17, 2022}}{{cite web|last=Paybarah|first=Azi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/us/politics/trump-endorsements-midterm-primary-election.html|title=Where Trump's Endorsement Record Stands Halfway through Primary Season|work=The New York Times|date=August 2, 2022|access-date=August 3, 2022}}{{cite web|last1=Castleman|first1=Terry|last2=Mason|first2=Melanie|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-05-03/trump-endorsements-2022-election|title=Tracking Trump's endorsement record in the 2022 primary elections|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 5, 2022|access-date=August 6, 2022}}

In January 2025, Trump and his incoming administration helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas alongside the Biden administration, enacted a day prior to Trump's inauguration.{{cite news|last1=Sanger|first1=David E.|last2=Shear|first2=Michael E.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/us/politics/gaza-ceasefire-trump-biden.html|title=How the Cease-Fire Push Brought Together Biden and Trump's Teams|work=The New York Times|date=January 15, 2025|access-date=January 20, 2025}}{{cite news|last1=Liptak|first1=Kevin|last2=Williams|first2=Michael|last3=Carvajal|first3=Nikki|last4=Tree|first4=Alayna|last5=Saenz|first5=Arlette|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/15/politics/biden-trump-gaza-ceasefire-deal/index.html|title=How the Biden and Trump teams worked together to get the Gaza ceasefire and hostages deal done|work=CNN|date=January 15, 2025|access-date=January 20, 2025}}{{cite news|last=Schwartz|first=Felicia|url=https://www.ft.com/content/4c401fea-c2f3-4c41-b959-9e0d9aaf93dd|title=How Donald Trump swung the Gaza ceasefire deal|work=Financial Times|date=January 16, 2025|access-date=January 20, 2025|url-access=subscription}}

= Business activities =

In February 2021, Trump registered a new company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), for providing "social networking services" to U.S. customers.{{cite web|last=Lyons |first=Kim|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/6/22820389/sec-trump-spac-deal-investigation-truth-social-media-platform-public|title=SEC investigating Trump SPAC deal to take his social media platform public |work=The Verge |date=December 6, 2021 |access-date=December 30, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/1934403D:US|title=Trump Media & Technology Group Corp |work=Bloomberg News |access-date=December 30, 2021}} In March 2024, TMTG merged with special-purpose acquisition company Digital World Acquisition and became a public company.{{cite news|last=Harwell |first=Drew|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/25/truth-social-trump-media-stock-market-billions/|title=Trump Media soars in first day of public tradings|newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 26, 2024 |access-date=March 28, 2024}} In February 2022, TMTG launched Truth Social, a social media platform.{{cite web|last=Bhuyian|first=Johana|date=February 21, 2022|title=Donald Trump's social media app launches on Apple store|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/21/donald-trumps-social-media-app-truth-social-launches-on-apple-store|access-date=May 7, 2023|work=The Guardian}} {{as of|2023|3|lc=n}}, Trump Media, which had taken $8 million from Russia-connected entities, was being investigated by federal prosecutors for possible money laundering.{{cite web|last=Lowell|first=Hugo|date=March 15, 2023|title=Federal investigators examined Trump Media for possible money laundering, sources say|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/15/trump-media-investigated-possible-money-laundering|access-date=April 5, 2023}}{{cite web|last=Durkee |first=Alison |title=Trump's Media Company Reportedly Under Federal Investigation For Money Laundering Linked To Russia |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/03/15/trumps-media-company-reportedly-under-federal-investigation-for-money-laundering-linked-to-russia/ |date=March 15, 2023 |access-date=March 15, 2023 |website=Forbes}}

= Investigations, criminal indictments and convictions, civil lawsuits =

Trump is the only U.S. president or former president to be convicted of a crime.{{cite news|last=Roebuck|first=Jeremy|url=https://www.inquirer.com/news/nation-world/donald-trump-guilty-verdict-what-next-prison-election-20240530.html|title=Donald Trump conviction: Will he go to prison? Can he still run for president? What happens now?|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=June 1, 2024}}

== FBI investigations ==

{{Main|FBI investigation into Donald Trump's handling of government documents|FBI search of Mar-a-Lago|Smith special counsel investigation}}

File:Classified intelligence material found during search of Mar-a-Lago.jpg

When Trump left the White House in January 2021, he took government materials to Mar-a-Lago. By May 2021, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) realized that important documents had not been turned over to them and asked his office to locate them. In January 2022, they retrieved 15 boxes of White House records from Mar-a-Lago, some of which were classified material.{{cite web|last1=Lybrand|first1=Holmes|last2=Cohen|first2=Marshall|last3=Rabinowitz|first3=Hannah|url=https://cnn.com/2022/08/09/politics/doj-investigation-trump-documents-timeline/|title=Timeline: The Justice Department criminal inquiry into Trump taking classified documents to Mar-a-Lago|work=CNN|date=August 12, 2022|access-date=August 14, 2022}} The Justice Department began an investigation{{cite web|last1=Montague|first1=Zach|last2=McCarthy|first2=Lauren|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/politics/trump-classified-records-timeline.html|title=The Timeline Related to the F.B.I.'s Search of Mar-a-Lago|date=August 9, 2022|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 14, 2022}} and sent Trump a subpoena for additional material. Justice Department officials visited Mar-a-Lago and received some classified documents from his lawyers, one of whom signed a statement affirming that all material marked as classified had been returned.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/13/us/politics/trump-classified-material-fbi.html|title=Trump Lawyer Told Justice Dept. That Classified Material Had Been Returned|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|author-link1=Maggie Haberman|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|author-link2=Glenn Thrush|date=August 13, 2022|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 14, 2022}}

On August 8, 2022, FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago to recover government documents and material Trump had taken with him when he left office in violation of the Presidential Records Act, reportedly including some related to nuclear weapons.{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|author-link2=Josh Dawsey|last3=Stein|first3=Perry|last4=Harris|first4=Shane|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/08/11/garland-trump-mar-a-lago/|title=FBI searched Trump's home to look for nuclear documents and other items, sources say|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 12, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} The search warrant indicates an investigation of potential violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice laws.{{cite web|last1=Swan|first1=Betsy|author-link1=Betsy Woodruff Swan|last2=Cheney|first2=Kyle|author-link2=Kyle Cheney (journalist)|last3=Wu|first3=Nicholas|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/12/search-warrant-shows-trump-under-investigation-for-potential-obstruction-of-justice-espionage-act-violations-00051507|title=FBI search warrant shows Trump under investigation for potential obstruction of justice, Espionage Act violations|work=Politico|date=August 12, 2022|access-date=August 12, 2022}} The items taken in the search included 11 sets of classified documents, four of them tagged as "top secret" and one as "top secret/SCI", the highest level of classification.{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|author-link2=Josh Dawsey|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/08/12/trump-warrant-release/|title=Agents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago seized 11 sets of classified documents, court filing shows|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 12, 2022|access-date=August 12, 2022}}{{cite web|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|author-link1=Maggie Haberman|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|author-link2=Glenn Thrush|last3=Savage|first3=Charlie|author-link3=Charlie Savage (author)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/trump-espionage-act-laws-fbi.html|title=Files Seized From Trump Are Part of Espionage Act Inquiry|date=August 12, 2022|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 13, 2022}}

On November 18, 2022, U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland appointed federal prosecutor Jack Smith as a special counsel to oversee the federal criminal investigations into Trump retaining government property at Mar-a-Lago and examining Trump's role in the events leading up to the Capitol attack.{{cite web|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|author-link1=Glenn Thrush|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|author-link2=Charlie Savage (author)|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|author-link3=Maggie Haberman|last4=Feuer|first4=Alan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/18/us/politics/trump-special-counsel-garland.html|title=Garland Names Special Counsel for Trump Inquiries|date=November 18, 2022|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 19, 2022}}{{cite web|last1=Tucker|first1=Eric|last2=Balsamo|first2=Michael|url=https://apnews.com/article/politics-donald-trump-merrick-garland-government-and-550c01de053c08db4d53ca57f315feb6|title=Garland names special counsel to lead Trump-related probes|date=November 18, 2022|work=AP News|access-date=November 19, 2022}}

== Criminal referral by the House January 6 Committee ==

{{Main|United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack}}

On December 19, 2022, the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack recommended criminal charges against Trump for obstructing an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and inciting or assisting an insurrection.{{cite web|first=Alan|last=Feuer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/us/politics/jan-6-trump-justice-dept.html|title=It's Unclear Whether the Justice Dept. Will Take Up the Jan. 6 Panel's Charges|work=The New York Times|date=December 19, 2022|access-date=March 25, 2023}}

== State criminal indictments ==

In December 2022, following a jury trial, the Trump Organization was convicted on 17 counts of criminal tax fraud, conspiracy, and falsifying business records. In January 2023, the organization was fined the maximum $1.6 million, and its chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg was jailed. Trump was not personally charged.{{cite news|last1=Scannell|first1=Kara|last2=del Valle|first2=Lauren|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/06/politics/trump-organization-fraud-trial-verdict/index.html|work=CNN|title=Trump Organization found guilty on all counts of criminal tax fraud|date=December 6, 2022|access-date=September 3, 2024}}{{cite news|last=Sisek|first=Michael R.|title=Trump Organization fined $1.6 million for tax fraud|url=https://apnews.com/article/politics-legal-proceedings-new-york-city-donald-trump-manhattan-e2f1d01525dafb64be8738c8b4f32085|work=AP News|date=January 13, 2023|access-date=September 3, 2024}}

Later in August, a Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury indicted Trump on 13 charges, including racketeering, for his efforts to subvert the election outcome in Georgia.{{cite news|last1=Lowell|first1=Hugo|last2=Wicker|first2=Jewel|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/14/donald-trump-georgia-indictment-2020-election|title=Donald Trump and allies indicted in Georgia over bid to reverse 2020 election loss|work=The Guardian|date=August 15, 2023|access-date=December 22, 2023}}{{cite news|last=Drenon|first=Brandon|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66503668|title=What are the charges in Trump's Georgia indictment?|work=BBC News|date=August 25, 2023|access-date=December 22, 2023}} He surrendered, was processed at Fulton County Jail, and was released on bail.{{cite web|last1=Pereira|first1=Ivan|last2=Barr|first2=Luke|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-mug-shot-released-georgia-sheriffs-office/story?id=102544727|title=Trump mug shot released by Fulton County Sheriff's Office|work=ABC News|date=August 25, 2023|access-date=August 25, 2023}} He pleaded not guilty.{{cite web|last=Rabinowitz|first=Hannah|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/31/politics/trump-not-guilty-plea-fulton-county/index.html|title=Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case|work=CNN|date=August 31, 2023|access-date=August 31, 2023}} In March 2024, the judge dismissed three of the 13 charges.{{cite news|last=Bailey|first=Holly|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/13/trump-georgia-election-case-charges-dropped/|title=Georgia judge dismisses six charges in Trump election interference case|date=March 13, 2024|access-date=March 14, 2024|newspaper=The Washington Post}}

== Federal criminal indictments ==

{{Main|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (classified documents case)|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (election obstruction case)}}

In June 2023, following a special counsel investigation, a federal grand jury in Miami indicted Trump on 31 counts of "willfully retaining national defense information" under the Espionage Act and one count each of making false statements, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding government documents, corruptly concealing records, concealing a document in a federal investigation and scheming to conceal their efforts.{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|author-link2=Josh Dawsey|last3=Stein|first3=Perry|last4=Alemany|first4=Jacqueline|author-link4=Jacqueline Alemany|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/09/trump-tape-classified-documents/|title=Trump Put National Secrets at Risk, Prosecutors Say in Historic Indictment|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 9, 2023|access-date=June 10, 2023}} He pleaded not guilty.{{cite web|last1=Greve|first1=Joan E.|last2=Lowell|first2=Hugo|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/13/trump-arraignment-not-guilty-charges-mar-a-lago-documents-court|title=Trump pleads not guilty to 37 federal criminal counts in Mar-a-Lago case|work=The Guardian|date=June 14, 2023|access-date=June 14, 2023}} A superseding indictment the following month added three charges.{{cite news|title=5 revelations from new Trump charges |first=Zach |last=Schonfeld |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4124168-revelations-from-new-trump-charges/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |work=The Hill|date=July 28, 2023 }} The judge assigned to the case, Aileen Cannon, was appointed to the bench by Trump and had previously issued rulings favorable to him in a past civil case, some of which were overturned by an appellate court.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/09/us/politics/trump-documents-judge-aileen-cannon.html|title=A Trump-Appointed Judge Who Showed Him Favor Gets the Documents Case|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 9, 2023 |first=Charlie |last=Savage |author-link=Charlie Savage (author)}} She moved slowly on the case, indefinitely postponed the trial in May 2024, and dismissed it on July 15, ruling that the special counsel's appointment was unconstitutional.{{cite news|last=Tucker|first=Eric|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-classified-documents-smith-c66d5ffb7ba86c1b991f95e89bdeba0c|title=Federal judge dismisses Trump classified documents case over concerns with prosecutor's appointment|work=AP News|date=July 15, 2024|access-date=July 15, 2024}} On August 26, Special Counsel Smith appealed the dismissal.{{cite news|last=Mallin|first=Alexander|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/26/us/politics/trump-documents-appeal-jack-smith.html|title=Prosecutors Appeal Dismissal of Trump Documents Case|work=The New York Times|date=August 26, 2024|access-date=August 27, 2024}}

In August 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He was charged with conspiring to defraud the U.S., obstruct the certification of the Electoral College vote, and deprive voters of the right to have their votes counted, and obstructing an official proceeding.{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Hsu|first2=Spencer S.|last3=Stein|first3=Perry|last4=Dawsey|first4=Josh|author-link4=Josh Dawsey|last5=Alemany|first5=Jacqueline|author-link5=Jacqueline Alemany|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/08/01/trump-indictment-jan-6-2020-election/|title=Trump charged in probe of Jan. 6, efforts to overturn 2020 election|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 2, 2023|access-date=August 2, 2023}} He pleaded not guilty.{{cite web|last1=Sneed|first1=Tierney|last2=Rabinowitz|first2=Hannah|last3=Polantz|first3=Katelyn|last4=Lybrand|first4=Holmes|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/03/politics/arraignment-trump-election-interference-indictment/index.html|title=Donald Trump pleads not guilty to January 6-related charges|work=CNN|date=August 3, 2023|access-date=August 3, 2023}} On November 25, the judge dismissed the case without prejudice after the prosecution filed a motion to dismiss citing Department of Justice policy.{{cite news|last1=Stein|first1=Perry|last2=Hsu|first2=Spencer S.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/11/25/trump-cases-motion-to-dismiss-jack-smith/|title=With D.C. case dismissed, Trump is no longer under federal indictment|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 25, 2024|access-date=November 26, 2024}} The next day, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit dropped Trump from the appeal on the classified documents case.{{cite news|last=Halpert|first=Madeline|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gvd7kxxj5o|title=Special counsel's last criminal case against Trump dismissed|date=November 26, 2024|work=BBC News|access-date=November 30, 2024}} In January 2025, the Justice Department released the special counsel's report, which found that Trump engaged in an "unprecedented criminal effort" to overturn the 2020 election.{{cite news |last1=Goudsward |first1=Andrew |last2=Lynch |first2=Sarah N. |date=January 14, 2025 |title=Special counsel report found Trump engaged in 'criminal effort' to overturn 2020 election |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-dept-releases-report-trump-attempt-overturn-2020-election-2025-01-14/ |access-date=January 14, 2025 |work=Reuters}}

== Criminal conviction in the 2016 campaign fraud case ==

{{Main|Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York|Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal}}

{{See also|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump#Payments related to alleged affairs|Karen McDougal#Alleged affair with Donald Trump}}

During the 2016 presidential election campaign, American Media, Inc. (AMI), publisher of the National Enquirer,{{cite news|last1=Ellison|first1=Sarah|author-link1=Sarah Ellison|last2=Farhi|first2=Paul|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/publisher-of-the-national-enquirer-admits-to-hush-money-payments-made-on-trumps-behalf/2018/12/12/ebf24b76-fe49-11e8-83c0-b06139e540e5_story.html|title=Publisher of the National Enquirer admits to hush-money payments made on Trump's behalf|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 12, 2018|access-date=January 17, 2021}} and a company set up by Cohen paid Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film actress Stormy Daniels for keeping silent about their alleged affairs with Trump between 2006 and 2007.{{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|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Philip|last=Bump|date=August 21, 2018|access-date=July 25, 2019}} Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to breaking campaign finance laws, saying he had arranged both payments at Trump's direction to influence the presidential election.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/74aaf72511d64fceb1d64529207bde64|title=Cohen pleads guilty, implicates Trump in hush-money scheme|last1=Neumeister|first1=Larry|last2=Hays|first2=Tom|date=August 22, 2018|access-date=October 7, 2021|work=AP News}} Trump denied the affairs and said he was not aware of Cohen's payment to Daniels, but he reimbursed him in 2017.{{cite web|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|access-date=March 16, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-insists-he-learned-of-michael-cohen-payments-later-on-in-fox-friends-exclusive|title=Trump insists he learned of Michael Cohen payments 'later on', in 'Fox & Friends' exclusive|last=Singman|first=Brooke|access-date=August 23, 2018|work=Fox News|date=August 22, 2018}} The FBI believed he was directly involved in the payment to Daniels, based on calls he had with Cohen in October 2016.{{cite web|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}}{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/2d4138abfd0b4e71a63c94d3203e435a|title=Records detail frenetic effort to bury stories about Trump|last=Mustian|first=Jim|work=AP News|date=July 19, 2019|access-date=July 22, 2019}} Federal prosecutors closed the investigation in 2019,{{cite web|work=AP News|date=July 19, 2019|access-date=October 7, 2021|first=Jim|last=Mustian|title=Why no hush-money charges against Trump? Feds are silent|url=https://apnews.com/article/0543a381b39a42d09c27567274477983}} but in 2021, the New York State Attorney General's Office and Manhattan District Attorney's Office opened criminal investigations into his business activities.{{cite web|last1=Harding|first1=Luke|last2=Holpuch|first2=Amanda|date=May 19, 2021|title=New York attorney general opens criminal investigation into Trump Organization|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/19/new-york-investigation-into-trump-organization-now-criminal-says-attorney-general|work=The Guardian |access-date=May 19, 2021}} In March 2023, a New York grand jury indicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to book the hush money payments to Daniels as business expenses, in an attempt to influence the 2016 election.{{cite news|last=Barrett|first=Devlin|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/29/jurors-must-be-unanimous-convict-trump-can-disagree-underlying-crimes/|title=Jurors must be unanimous to convict Trump, can disagree on underlying crimes|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 29, 2024|access-date=June 15, 2024}}{{cite web|last1=Scannell|first1=Kara|last2=Miller|first2=John|last3=Herb|first3=Jeremy|last4=Cole|first4=Devan|url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/30/politics/donald-trump-indictment/index.html|title=Donald Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury on 34 counts related to fraud|work=CNN|date=March 31, 2023|access-date=April 1, 2023}}{{cite news|last=Marimow|first=Ann E.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/04/trump-charges-34-counts-felony/|title=Here are the 34 charges against Trump and what they mean|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 4, 2023|access-date=April 5, 2023}} In May, he was convicted on all 34 counts.{{Cite news|last1=Reiss|first1=Adam|last2=Grumbach|first2=Gary|last3=Gregorian|first3=Dareh|last4=Winter|first4=Tom|last5=Frankel|first5=Jillian|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/donald-trump-verdict-hush-money-trial-rcna152492|title=Donald Trump found guilty in historic New York hush money case |work=NBC News|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=May 31, 2024}} On January 10, 2025, Trump was sentenced to unconditional discharge which, under New York law, upheld the felony conviction without imposing further punishment.{{cite news|last=Bustillo|first=Ximena|url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/10/nx-s1-5253927/trump-sentencing-new-york|title=Trump is sentenced in hush money case — but gets no penalty or fine|work=NPR|date=January 10, 2025|access-date=January 10, 2025}}{{cite news|last1=Hawkins|first1=Derek|last2=Jacobs|first2=Shayna|last3=Berman|first3=Mark|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/10/trump-criminal-sentence-unconditional-discharge-no-penalty/|title=What Trump's unconditional discharge sentence means in the hush money case|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 10, 2025|access-date=January 11, 2025}}

== Civil lawsuits and judgments ==

{{Main|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump|New York business fraud lawsuit against the Trump Organization|E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump}}

In September 2022, the attorney general of New York filed a civil fraud case against Trump, his three oldest children, and the Trump Organization.{{cite web|last1=Scannell|first1=Kara|title=New York attorney general files civil fraud lawsuit against Trump, some of his children and his business|url=https://cnn.com/2022/09/21/politics/trump-new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-fraud-lawsuit/index.html|access-date=September 21, 2022|work=CNN|date=September 21, 2022}} During the investigation leading up to the lawsuit, Trump was fined $110,000 for failing to turn over records subpoenaed by the attorney general.{{cite news|work=ABC News|last=Katersky|first=Aaron|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/court-upholds-fine-imposed-trump-failure-comply-subpoena/story?id=97195194|title=Court upholds fine imposed on Trump over his failure to comply with subpoena|date=February 14, 2023|access-date=April 8, 2024}} In an August 2022 deposition, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 400 times.{{cite web|last1=Bromwich|first1=Jonah E.|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|last3=Rashbaum|first3=William K.|date=August 10, 2022|title=Trump Invokes Fifth Amendment, Attacking Legal System as Troubles Mount|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/nyregion/trump-james-deposition-fifth-amendment.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 11, 2011}} The presiding judge ruled in September 2023 that Trump, his adult sons, and the Trump Organization repeatedly committed fraud and ordered their New York business certificates canceled and their business entities sent into receivership for dissolution.{{cite news|last1=Kates |first1=Graham |title=Donald Trump and his company "repeatedly" violated fraud law, New York judge rules |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-company-violated-fraud-law-new-york-judge-rules/ |work=CBS News |date=September 26, 2023}} In February 2024, the court found him liable, ordered him to pay a penalty of more than $350 million plus interest, for a total exceeding $450 million, and barred him from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or legal entity for three years. He said he would appeal. The judge also ordered the company to be overseen by the monitor appointed by the court in 2023 and an independent director of compliance, and that any "restructuring and potential dissolution" would be the decision of the monitor.{{cite web|last1=Bromwich|first1=Jonah E.|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/nyregion/trump-civil-fraud-trial-ruling.html|title=Trump Fraud Trial Penalty Will Exceed $450 Million|work=The New York Times|date=February 17, 2024|access-date=February 17, 2024}}

In May 2023, a New York jury in a federal lawsuit brought by journalist E. Jean Carroll in 2022 ("Carroll II") found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and ordered him to pay her $5 million.{{cite web|last1=Sullivan|first1=Becky|last2=Bernstein|first2=Andrea|last3=Marritz|first3=Ilya|last4=Lawrence|first4=Quil|title=A jury finds Trump liable for battery and defamation in E. Jean Carroll trial|url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/09/1174975870/trump-carroll-verdict|work=NPR|date=May 9, 2023|access-date=May 10, 2023}} He asked for a new trial or a reduction of the award, arguing that the jury had not found him liable for rape. He also separately countersued Carroll for defamation. The judge for the two lawsuits ruled against him,{{cite web|last=Orden|first=Erica|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/19/trump-loses-bid-new-trial-carroll-00107025|title=Trump loses bid for new trial in E. Jean Carroll case|work=Politico|date=July 19, 2023|access-date=August 13, 2023}}{{Cite web |last=Scannell |first=Kara |date=August 7, 2023 |title=Judge dismisses Trump's defamation lawsuit against Carroll for statements she made on CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/07/politics/e-jean-carroll-trump-defamation-lawsuit-dismissed/index.html |access-date=August 7, 2023 |work=CNN}} writing that Carroll's accusation of "rape" is "substantially true".{{cite web|last1=Reiss|first1=Adam|last2=Gregorian|first2=Dareh|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/judge-tosses-trumps-counterclaim-e-jean-carroll-finding-rape-claim-sub-rcna98577|title=Judge tosses Trump's counterclaim against E. Jean Carroll, finding rape claim is 'substantially true'|work=NBC News|date=August 7, 2023|access-date=August 13, 2023}} He appealed both decisions.{{cite web|last=Stempel|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-appeals-dismissal-defamation-claim-against-e-jean-carroll-2023-08-10/|title=Trump appeals dismissal of defamation claim against E. Jean Carroll|work=Reuters|date=August 10, 2023|access-date=August 17, 2023}} In January 2024, the jury in the defamation case brought by Carroll in 2019 ("Carroll I") ordered him to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages. In December, the appeals court in "Carroll II" upheld the jury's finding and the $5 million award.{{cite news|last1=Neumeister|first1=Larry|last2=Sisak|first2=Michael R.|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-carroll-lawsuit-defamation-trial-78e4196024539653a6de492312770ff2|title=An appeals court upholds a $5 million award in a sexual abuse verdict against President-elect Trump|work=AP News|date=December 30, 2024|access-date=December 31, 2024}}

As of December 2024, Trump faced multiple civil lawsuits at the trial level, including a defamation case from the Central Park Five, eight lawsuits over his actions on January 6, and two cases related to his clearing of racial justice protesters from Lafayette Square in 2020.{{cite news|last=Polantz|first=Katelyn|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/19/politics/trump-civil-cases-presidency/index.html|title=Trump's many civil cases won't stop just because he's president. Here's what to know|work=CNN|date=December 13, 2024|access-date=January 10, 2025}}

2024 presidential election

{{Further|2024 Republican Party presidential primaries|2024 United States presidential election|Second presidential transition of Donald Trump}}

File:Donald Trump (53951823882).jpg

On November 15, 2022, Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and set up a fundraising account.{{cite news |last1=Arnsdorf |first1=Isaac |last2=Scherer |first2=Michael |author-link2=Michael Scherer |date=November 15, 2022 |title=Trump, who as president fomented an insurrection, says he is running again |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/15/trump-2024-announcement-running-president/ |access-date=December 5, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite web |last=Schouten |first=Fredreka |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Questions about Donald Trump's campaign money, answered |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/politics/donald-trump-war-chest-presidential-campaign/index.html |access-date=December 5, 2022 |work=CNN}} In March 2023, the campaign began diverting 10 percent of the donations to his leadership PAC. His campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills by March 2024.{{cite web |last1=Goldmacher |first1=Shane |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |date=June 25, 2023 |title=As Legal Fees Mount, Trump Steers Donations Into PAC That Has Covered Them |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/us/politics/trump-donations-legal-fees.html |access-date=June 25, 2023 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite web |last1=Escobar |first1=Molly Cook |last2=Sun |first2=Albert |last3=Goldmacher |first3=Shane |date=March 27, 2024 |title=How Trump Moved Money to Pay $100 Million in Legal Bills |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/27/us/politics/trump-cases-legal-fund.html |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=The New York Times}} In December 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled Trump disqualified for the Colorado Republican primary for his role in inciting the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress. In March 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court restored his name to the ballot in a unanimous decision, ruling that Colorado lacks the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars insurrectionists from holding federal office.{{cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=March 4, 2024 |title=Trump was wrongly removed from Colorado ballot, US supreme court rules |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/04/trump-scotus-colorado-ruling |access-date=June 23, 2024 |work=The Guardian}}

File:20240524 Trump groundwork for election denial.svg}}]]

During the campaign, Trump made increasingly violent and authoritarian statements.{{cite news |last1=Bender |first1=Michael C. |author-link1=Michael C. Bender |last2=Gold |first2=Michael |date=November 20, 2023 |title=Trump's Dire Words Raise New Fears About His Authoritarian Bent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/20/us/politics/trump-rhetoric-fascism.html |work=The New York Times}}{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Peter |date=November 22, 2023 |title='Openly authoritarian campaign': Trump's threats of revenge fuel alarm |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/22/trump-revenge-game-plan-alarm |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |last1=Colvin |first1=Jill |last2=Barrow |first2=Bill |date=December 7, 2023 |title=Trump's vow to only be a dictator on 'day one' follows growing worry over his authoritarian rhetoric |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-hannity-dictator-authoritarian-presidential-election-f27e7e9d7c13fabbe3ae7dd7f1235c72 |work=AP News}}{{Cite news |last=LeVine |first=Marianne |date=November 12, 2023 |title=Trump calls political enemies 'vermin', echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/12/trump-rally-vermin-political-opponents |newspaper=The Washington Post}} He also said that he would weaponize the FBI and the Justice Department against his political opponents{{Cite news |last=Levine |first=Sam |date=November 10, 2023 |title=Trump suggests he would use FBI to go after political rivals if elected in 2024 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/10/trump-fbi-rivals-2024-election |work=The Guardian}}{{Cite news |last=Vazquez |first=Maegan |date=November 10, 2023 |title=Trump says on Univision he could weaponize FBI, DOJ against his enemies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/09/trump-interview-univision/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}} and use the military to go after Democratic politicians and those that do not support his candidacy.{{cite news |last=Stracqualursi |first=Veronica |date=October 14, 2024 |title=Trump suggests using military against 'enemy from within' on Election Day |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/13/politics/trump-military-enemy-from-within-election-day/index.html |work=CNN}}{{cite news |last1=Lerer |first1=Lisa |last2=Gold |first2=Michael |date=October 15, 2024 |title=Trump Escalates Threats to Political Opponents He Deems the 'Enemy' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/15/us/politics/trump-opponents-enemy-within.html |work=The New York Times}} He used harsher, more dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric than during his presidency.{{Cite news |last1=Gold |first1=Michael |last2=Huynh |first2=Anjali |date=April 2, 2024 |title=Trump Again Invokes 'Blood Bath' and Dehumanizes Migrants in Border Remarks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/us/politics/trump-border-blood-bath.html |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Charlie |author-link1=Charlie Savage (author) |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |last3=Swan |first3=Jonathan |author-link3=Jonathan Swan |date=November 11, 2023 |title=Sweeping Raids, Giant Camps and Mass Deportations: Inside Trump's 2025 Immigration Plans |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/us/politics/trump-2025-immigration-agenda.html |work=The New York Times}}{{Cite news |last1=Layne |first1=Nathan |last2=Slattery |first2=Gram |last3=Reid |first3=Tim |date=April 3, 2024 |title=Trump calls migrants 'animals', intensifying focus on illegal immigration |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-expected-highlight-murder-michigan-woman-immigration-speech-2024-04-02/ |access-date=April 3, 2024 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite news |last1=Philbrick |first1=Ian Prasad |last2=Bentahar |first2=Lyna |date=December 5, 2023 |title=Donald Trump's 2024 Campaign, in His Own Menacing Words |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/us/politics/trump-2024-president-campaign.html |access-date=May 10, 2024 |work=The New York Times}} His harsher rhetoric against his political enemies has been described by some historians and scholars as authoritarian, fascist,{{Efn|name=Fascist|Attributed to multiple sources:{{cite news|title=Trump campaign defends "vermin" speech amid fascist comparisons|url=https://www.axios.com/2023/11/13/trump-vermin-fascist-language-speech|work=Axios (website)|date=November 13, 2023|last=Basu|first=Zachary|access-date=December 8, 2023}}{{cite news|last=Browning|first=Christopher R.|date=July 25, 2023|title=A New Kind of Fascism|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/07/trump-second-term-isolationist-fascism/674791/|work=The Atlantic|access-date=December 8, 2023}}{{cite news|title=Trump compares political opponents to 'vermin' who he will 'root out', alarming historians|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-compares-political-opponents-vermin-root-alarming-historians/story?id=104847748|work=ABC News|date=November 13, 2023|last1=Kim|first1=Soo Rin|last2=Ibssa|first2=Lalee|access-date=December 8, 2023}}{{Cite news|last=Ward|first=Myah|date=October 12, 2024|title=We watched 20 Trump rallies. His racist, anti-immigrant messaging is getting darker.|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/12/trump-racist-rhetoric-immigrants-00183537|access-date=October 12, 2024}}}} and unlike anything a political candidate has ever said in American history.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/magazine/trump-rallies-rhetoric.html|title=Donald Trump Has Never Sounded Like This|work=The New York Times Magazine|date=April 27, 2024|access-date=April 27, 2024|last1=Homans|first1=Charles}}{{Cite news|last=Applebaum|first=Anne|date=October 18, 2024|title=Trump Is Speaking Like Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini|work=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-authoritarian-rhetoric-hitler-mussolini/680296/|access-date=October 18, 2024}} Age and health concerns also arose during the campaign, with several medical experts highlighting an increase in rambling, tangential speech and behavioral disinhibition.{{Cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |last2=Freedman |first2=Dylan |date=October 6, 2024 |title=Trump's Speeches, Increasingly Angry and Rambling, Reignite the Question of Age |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/politics/trump-speeches-age-cognitive-decline.html |access-date=November 6, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}

Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" earlier and more frequently than in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns and refused to commit to accepting the 2024 election results.{{cite news |last1=Lane |first1=Nathan |last2=Ulmer |first2=Alexandra |date=May 16, 2024 |title=Trump, allies are laying the groundwork to contest potential election loss |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-allies-are-laying-groundwork-contest-potential-election-loss-2024-05-16/ |access-date=September 12, 2024 |work=Reuters}} Analysts for The New York Times described this as an intensification of his "heads I win; tails you cheated" rhetorical strategy; the paper said the claim of a rigged election had become the backbone of the campaign.

On July 13, 2024, Trump's ear was grazed by a bullet{{Cite news |last1=Browne |first1=Malachy |last2=Lum |first2=Devon |last3=Cardia |first3=Alexander |date=July 26, 2024 |title=Speculation Swirls About What Hit Trump. An Analysis Suggests It was a Bullet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/us/politics/trump-shooter-bullet-trajectory-ear.html |access-date=July 29, 2024 |work=The New York Times}} in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler Township, Pennsylvania.{{cite news |last1=Hutchinson |first1=Bill |last2=Cohen |first2=Miles |date=July 16, 2024 |title=Gunman opened fire at Trump rally as witnesses say they tried to alert police |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/witnesses-trump-assassination-attempt-gunman-roof-shooting/story?id=111947616 |access-date=July 17, 2024 |work=ABC News}}{{cite news |date=July 14, 2024 |title=AP PHOTOS: Shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-photo-gallery-561478b3f90c950c741eeaa24c6dc159 |access-date=July 23, 2024 |work=AP News}} Two days later, the 2024 Republican National Convention nominated him as their presidential candidate, with Senator JD Vance as his running mate.{{Cite news |last=Astor |first=Maggie |date=July 15, 2024 |title=What to Know About J.D. Vance, Trump's Running Mate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/us/politics/who-is-jd-vance-trump-vp.html |access-date=July 15, 2024 |work=The New York Times}} On September 15, 2024, he was targeted in another assassination attempt in Florida.{{Cite news |last1=Debusmann |first1=Bernd Jr |last2=Yousif |first2=Nadine |date=September 23, 2024 |title=Suspect described Trump 'assassination attempt' in pre-written note |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c89ly20vvgvo |access-date=November 21, 2024 |work=BBC News}}

Trump won the election in November 2024 with 312 electoral votes to incumbent vice president Kamala Harris's 226,{{Cite news|title=2024 Presidential Election Results|url=https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/|date=November 25, 2024|access-date=November 25, 2024 |work=AP News}} making him the second president in U.S. history after Grover Cleveland in 1892 to be elected to a nonconsecutive second term.{{cite news|last=Treisman|first=Rachel|date=November 4, 2024|title=Trump is hoping to win non-consecutive terms. Only one president has done it|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/11/04/g-s1-32048/grover-cleveland-trump-non-consecutive-terms|access-date=November 9, 2024|work=NPR}} He also won the popular vote with 49.8% to Harris's 48.3%{{Cite web |url=https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2024presgeresults.pdf |title=2024 Presidential Election Results |publisher=Federal Election Commission |date=January 16, 2025 |access-date=January 16, 2025}} with the smallest popular vote margin since 2000, and becoming the first Republican to win the popular vote since George W. Bush in the 2004 election.{{cite news|last=Levitt|first=Zach|title=Did Republicans Take Washington in a Landslide? Not So Much|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/16/us/politics/2024-election-washington-gop.html|date=January 15, 2025|access-date=January 20, 2025|work=The New York Times}} Relative to the 2020 election, Trump improved his vote share among working class voters, particularly among young men, those without college degrees, and Hispanic voters.{{cite web |last1=Lange|first1=Jason |last2=Erickson|first2=Bo|last3=Heath|first3=Brad|date=November 6, 2024|title=Trump's return to power fueled by Hispanic, working-class voter support |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-return-power-fueled-by-hispanic-working-class-voter-support-2024-11-06/ |website=Reuters |access-date=November 11, 2024}} The Associated Press and BBC News described his reelection as an extraordinary comeback.{{cite news|last1=Sheerin|first1=Jude|last2=Murphy|first2=Matt|date=November 6, 2024|title=Trump pulls off historic White House comeback |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62l5zdv7zko|access-date=November 9, 2024|work=BBC}}{{cite news|last1=Miller|first1=Zeke|author-link1=Zeke Miller |last2=Price|first2=Michelle L.|last3=Weissert|first3=Will|last4=Colvin|first4=Jill|date=November 6, 2024|title=Trump wins the White House in political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2|access-date=November 9, 2024|work=AP News}} Trump's victory in 2024 was part of a global backlash against incumbent parties,{{Cite news |last=Burn-Murdoch |first=John |date=November 7, 2024 |title=Democrats join 2024's graveyard of incumbents |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e8ac09ea-c300-4249-af7d-109003afb893 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |work=Financial Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/383208/donald-trump-victory-kamala-harris-global-trend-incumbents|title=The global trend that pushed Donald Trump to victory|website=Vox|first1=Zack|last1=Beauchamp|date=November 6, 2024|quote=Incumbents everywhere are doing poorly. America just proved it's not exceptional.}} in part due to the 2021–2023 inflation surge.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/world/global-politics-conservative-right-shift-ea0e8d05|title=The Progressive Moment in Global Politics is Over|date=December 27, 2024|access-date=December 27, 2024|first1=Bertrand|last1=Benoit|first2=David|last2=Luhnow|first3=Vipal|last3=Monga|website=The Wall Street Journal|quote=Weak economic growth and record immigration are driving gains by the right, especially populists.}}{{Cite news |last=Burn-Murdoch |first=John |date=December 29, 2024 |title=What the 'year of democracy' taught us, in 6 charts|url=https://www.ft.com/content/350ba985-bb07-4aa3-aa5e-38eda7c525dd |access-date=December 30, 2024 |work=Financial Times|quote=The billions who voted in 2024 sent an angry message to incumbents, and warmed to populists on left and right}}

Second presidency (2025–present)

File:President Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term.jpg administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in the the Capitol rotunda, January 20, 2025.]]

Trump began his second term when he was inaugurated on January 20, 2025.{{Cite news |last=Morgan |first=David |last2=Borter |first2=Gabriella |last3=Mason |first3=Jeff |last4=Ax |first4=Joseph |date=January 20, 2025 |title=Trump sworn in a second time, says he was 'saved by God' to rescue America |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/triumphant-trump-returns-white-house-launching-new-era-upheaval-2025-01-20/ |access-date=January 20, 2025 |agency=Reuters}} He is the oldest individual to assume the presidency,{{Cite news|last=Hussein|first=Mohamed H.|date=January 20, 2025|title=How does Trump's age at inauguration compare with other presidents?|publisher=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/20/how-does-trumps-age-at-inauguration-compare-to-other-presidents|access-date=January 20, 2025}} and the first president with a felony conviction.{{Cite news |last1=Ogwude|first1=Haadiza|last2=Page|first2=Susan|date=January 20, 2025|title=Is Donald Trump the oldest president sworn into office? A look at his historic feats|work=USA Today|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/01/20/who-is-the-oldest-president-to-be-sworn-in-donald-trump/77776042007/|access-date=January 20, 2025}}

=Initial executive orders=

Upon taking office, Trump signed a series of executive orders that withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization and Paris Agreement,{{Cite web |date=2025-01-20 |title=Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again |url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change-788907bb89fe307a964be757313cdfb0 |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=AP News |language=en}} rolled back recognition of any genders outside male and female,{{cite news |title=Trump rolls back trans and gender-identity rights and takes aim at DEI |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/20/trump-executive-order-gender-sex |access-date=21 January 2025 |work=The Guardian}} froze new regulations, froze hiring for federal workers, founded the Department of Government Efficiency, barred federal government involvement in criminal investigations of political adversaries, prevented government censorship of free speech, reversed the withdrawal of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terror, reversed sanctions on Israeli settlers, reversed an order on artificial intelligence, reversed the Family Reunification Task Force,"The Trump administration revoked a Biden executive order that created a task force to reunify families separated at the southern border. In the time the task force was in place, it reunified nearly 800 children with their parents, according to a report it released last year." [https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/20/us/trump-executive-orders "Live Updates"] The New York Times, January 20, 2025. issued a mass pardon of approximately 1,500 January 6 rioters,{{cite web |title=Trump commutes sentences of Jan. 6 extremist group leaders; Tarrio gets pardon |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5097034-trump-commutes-jan-6-sentences/ |website=thehill.com |publisher=The Hill |access-date=21 January 2025}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-21 |title=Trump pardons roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna187735 |access-date=2025-01-21 |work=NBC News |language=en}} designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, attempted to end birthright citizenship for new children of undocumented immigrants, granted TikTok a 75-day pause before it would be banned, and declared a national emergency on the southern border that would trigger the deployment of armed forces.{{cite web |title=Trump signs slew of executive actions after being sworn in |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-inauguration-01-2025/index.html?t=1737420903107 |work=CNN |access-date=21 January 2025}}{{cite web |title=Trump signs the first executive orders of his new administration |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-prepares-slew-day-1-orders-immigration-gender-rcna187164 |work=NBC News |access-date=21 January 2025}}

=Economic policy=

On January 21, Trump threatened that 25% tariffs would be imposed on imports from Canada and Mexico on February 1, 2025. It is unclear whether these will be implemented, and how Canada and Mexico might respond by either retaliating or attempting to persuade Trump not to enact the tariffs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/20/economy/tariffs-trump-executive-order/index.html|title=Trump threatens 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Feb. 1, punting Day 1 pledge|first1=Kayla|last1=Tausche|first2=Kevin|last2=Liptak|first3=David|last3=Goldman|first4=Elisabeth|last4=Buchwald|website=CNN|date=January 20, 2025|access-date=January 20, 2025}}

Political practice and rhetoric

{{Further|Trumpism|Political positions of Donald Trump|Rhetoric of Donald Trump}}

File:Donald Trump supporters (48555431171).jpg to signify their support.{{Cite news |last=Baio |first=Ariana |date=November 6, 2024 |title=Trump made MAGA hats a staple of his campaign. More than 2 million are now on the streets |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-campaign-maga-hats-cost-b2642233.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=December 25, 2024 }}]]

Beginning with his 2016 campaign, Trump's politics and rhetoric led to the creation of a political movement known as Trumpism.{{cite news|last=O'Brien|first=Timothy L.|author-link=Timothy L. O'Brien|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-11-01/trumpism-has-deep-roots-in-american-history-and-it-will-outlast-trump|title=The Peculiarly American Roots of Trumpism|work=Bloomberg News|date=November 1, 2024|access-date=November 26, 2024}} Trump's political positions are populist,{{sfn|Ross|2024|p=298|loc="In 2016, a populist won the presidential election in the United States."}}{{sfn|Urbinati|2019}} more specifically described as right-wing populist.{{sfn|Campani|Concepción|Soler|Savín|2022}}{{cite news|last=Chotiner|first=Isaac|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/redefining-populism|title=Redefining Populism|magazine=The New Yorker|date=July 29, 2021|access-date=October 14, 2021}} He helped bring far-right fringe ideas and organizations into the mainstream.{{cite news|last=Bierman|first=Noah|date=August 22, 2016|title=Donald Trump helps bring far-right media's edgier elements into the mainstream|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-media-20160820-snap-story.html|access-date=October 7, 2021}} Many of Trump's actions and rhetoric have been described as authoritarian and contributing to democratic backsliding.{{sfn|Parker|Towler|2019|p=505; 513|loc="The rise of Donald Trump, however, forces scholars to apprehend why the country is trending toward authoritarianism, complete with a renegade executive and party loyalists willing to permit him to govern as he sees fit. Again, this is not the first time the United States has confronted authoritarianism. ... We must also say something about the much-discussed topic of authoritarianism and the election of Donald Trump. By now, several books, including How Democracies Die, have identified Trump as an authoritarian."}}{{sfn|Kaufman|Haggard|2019}} His political base has been compared to a cult of personality.{{efn|name=Cult|Attributed to multiple sources:{{sfn|Sundahl|2022|loc="[In] a model for distinguishing between popularity and personality cults based on three parameters covering a representational and social practice dimension... Trump and Putin belong in the domain of personality cults"}}{{sfn|Franks|Hesami|2021|loc="Results of the current study... may lend credence to accusations that some Trump supporters have a cult-like loyalty to the 45th president"}}{{sfn|Adams|2021|p=256}}{{sfn|Reyes|2020|p=869}}{{sfn|Diamond|2023|p=96|loc="The cult of Trumpism fosters and exploits paranoia and allegiance to an all-powerful, charismatic figure, contributing to a social milieu at risk for the erosion of democratic principles and the rise of fascism"}}{{sfn|Hassan|2019|p=xviii|loc="...Trump employs many of the same techniques as prominent cult leaders"}}{{Cite news|last=Ben-Ghiat|first=Ruth|author-link=Ruth Ben-Ghiat|date=December 19, 2020|title=Op-Ed: Trump's formula for building a lasting personality cult|url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-12-09/donald-trump-strongman-personality-cult|access-date=October 4, 2023|work=Los Angeles Times}}}}

Trump's rhetoric and actions inflame anger and exacerbate distrust through an "us" versus "them" narrative.{{sfn|Ross|2024|p=299|loc="Through his rhetoric and action, Trump inflamed anger and exacerbated distrust in a way that deepened the divide between the "us" and the "them""}} Trump explicitly and routinely disparages racial, religious, and ethnic minorities,{{sfn|Stephens-Dougan|2021|p=302|loc="Trump, however, managed to achieve electoral success in 2016 despite routinely using racial appeals that openly and categorically disparaged racial, religious, and ethnic minorities, or what the racial priming literature refers to as explicit racial appeals. ... Throughout his campaign and subsequent presidency, Trump continued to traffic in similar explicit racial appeals"}} and scholars consistently find that racial animus regarding blacks, immigrants, and Muslims are the best predictors of support for Trump.{{sfn|Berman|2021|p=76|loc="In the United, States scholars consistently find that "racial animus," or attitudes regarding "blacks, immigrants, Muslims" are the best predictors of support for President Trump"}} Trump's rhetoric has been described as using fearmongering and demagogy.{{Cite news |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |date=September 11, 2024 |title='The End of Our Country': Trump Paints Dark Picture at Debate |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/11/us/politics/trump-debate-dark-picture.html |access-date=September 25, 2024 |archive-date=September 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923105051/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/11/us/politics/trump-debate-dark-picture.html |url-status=live |quote=Fear-mongering, and demagoguing on the issue of immigrants, has been Mr. Trump's preferred speed since he announced his first candidacy for the presidency in June 2015, and he has often found a receptive audience for it.}}{{Cite book |last=Mercieca |first=Jennifer R. |author-link=Jennifer Mercieca |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mwy2ywEACAAJ |title=Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump |date=2020 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |isbn=978-1-62349-906-8}} The alt-right movement coalesced around and supported his candidacy, due in part to its opposition to multiculturalism and immigration.{{cite news|last=Weigel|first=David|author-link=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|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 20, 2016|access-date=June 23, 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://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|access-date=August 25, 2016|date=August 25, 2016|work=CNN}}{{cite news|last=Pierce|first=Matt|title=Q&A: What is President Trump's relationship with far-right and white supremacist groups?|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-09-30/la-na-pol-2020-trump-white-supremacy|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 20, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2021}} He has a strong appeal to evangelical Christian voters. He appeals to Christian nationalists,{{sfn|Perry|Whitehead|Grubbs|2021|p=229}} and his rallies take on the symbols, rhetoric and agenda of Christian nationalism.{{Cite news|last=Peter|first=Smith|date=May 18, 2024|title=Jesus is their savior, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president's backers say he shares faith, values|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-christian-evangelicals-conservatives-2024-election-43f25118c133170c77786daf316821c3|access-date=November 23, 2024|work=AP News}}

= Racial and gender views =

Many of Trump's comments and actions have been described as racist.Multiple sources:

{{cite web |last=Lopez |first=German |date=February 14, 2019 |title=Donald Trump's long history of racism, from the 1970s to 2019 |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270880/donald-trump-racist-racism-history |access-date=June 15, 2019 |work=Vox}}
{{cite news |last=Desjardins |first=Lisa |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Every moment in Trump's charged relationship with race |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/every-moment-donald-trumps-long-complicated-history-race |access-date=January 13, 2018 |work=PBS NewsHour}}
{{cite news |last=Dawsey |first=Josh |author-link=Josh Dawsey |date=January 11, 2018 |title=Trump's history of making offensive comments about nonwhite immigrants |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html |access-date=January 11, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}
{{cite news |last=Weaver |first=Aubree Eliza |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Trump's 'shithole' comment denounced across the globe |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/12/trump-shithole-comment-reaction-337926 |access-date=January 13, 2018 |work=Politico |ref={{harvid|Weaver|2018b}}}}
{{cite news |last1=Stoddard |first1=Ed |last2=Mfula |first2=Chris |date=January 12, 2018 |title=Africa calls Trump racist after 'shithole' remark |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-reaction/africa-calls-trump-racist-after-shithole-remark-idUSKBN1F11VC |access-date=October 1, 2019 |work=Reuters}} In national polling, about half of respondents said that he is racist; a greater proportion believed that he emboldened racists.{{cite web |date=July 3, 2018 |title=Harsh Words For U.S. Family Separation Policy, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Have Dim View Of Trump, Dems On Immigration |url=https://poll.qu.edu/Poll-Release-Legacy?releaseid=2554 |access-date=July 5, 2018 |work=Quinnipiac University Polling Institute}} Several studies and surveys found that racist attitudes fueled his political ascent and were more important than economic factors in determining the allegiance of Trump voters.{{cite web |last=Lopez |first=German |date=December 15, 2017 |title=The past year of research has made it very clear: Trump won because of racial resentment |url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/12/15/16781222/trump-racism-economic-anxiety-study |access-date=January 14, 2018 |work=Vox}} Racist and Islamophobic attitudes are a powerful indicator of support for Trump.{{sfn|Lajevardi|Oskooii|2018}} He has also been accused of racism for insisting a group of five black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 Central Park jogger case, even after they were exonerated in 2002 when the actual rapist confessed and his DNA matched the evidence. In 2024, the men sued Trump for defamation after he said in a televised debate that they had committed the crime and killed the woman.{{cite news|last=Diaz|first=Jaclyn|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/09/11/nx-s1-5108632/central-park-five-trump-debate|title=The Central Park 5 are suing Trump over Philly debate comments|work=NPR|date=October 21, 2024|access-date=November 27, 2024}}

File:President Trump Gives a Statement on the Infrastructure Discussion.webm

In 2011, when he was reportedly considering a presidential run, Trump became the leading proponent of the racist "birther" conspiracy theory, alleging that Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, was not born in the U.S.{{cite web |last=John |first=Arit |date=June 23, 2020 |title=From birtherism to 'treason': Trump's false allegations against Obama |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-06-23/trump-obamagate-birtherism-false-allegations |access-date=February 17, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times}} In April, he claimed credit for pressuring the White House to publish the "long-form" birth certificate, which he considered fraudulent, and later said this made him "very popular".{{cite web |last=Keneally |first=Meghan |date=September 18, 2015 |title=Donald Trump's History of Raising Birther Questions About President Obama |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-history-raising-birther-questions-president-obama/story?id=33861832 |access-date=August 27, 2016 |work=ABC News}} In September 2016, amid pressure, he acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S.{{cite web |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |last2=Rappeport |first2=Alan |author-link2=Alan Rappeport |date=September 16, 2016 |title=Trump Drops False 'Birther' Theory, but Floats a New One: Clinton Started It |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html |access-date=October 12, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} In 2017, he reportedly expressed birther views privately.{{cite web |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |author-link1=Maggie Haberman |last2=Martin |first2=Jonathan |author-link2=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |date=November 28, 2017 |title=Trump Once Said the 'Access Hollywood' Tape Was Real. Now He's Not Sure. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/us/politics/trump-access-hollywood-tape.html |access-date=June 11, 2020 |work=The New York Times}} During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump made false attacks against the racial identity of his opponent, Kamala Harris, that were described as reminiscent of the birther conspiracy theory.{{cite news|last1=Doherty|first1=Erin|last2=Cai|first2=Sophia|title=Trump doubles down after false attack on Kamala Harris|url=https://www.axios.com/2024/08/01/trump-kamala-harris-interview-nabj|newspaper=Axios|date=July 31, 2024|access-date=July 31, 2024}}

Trump has a history of belittling women when speaking to the media and on social media.{{sfn|Rothe|Collins|2019}}{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |author-link1=Michael D. Shear |last2=Sullivan |first2=Eileen |author-link2=Eileen Sullivan |date=October 16, 2018 |title='Horseface,' 'Lowlife,' 'Fat, Ugly': How the President Demeans Women |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/us/politics/trump-women-insults.html |access-date=August 5, 2020 |newspaper=The New York Times}} He made lewd comments, disparaged women's physical appearances, and referred to them using derogatory epithets. At least 25 women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct, including rape, kissing without consent, groping, looking under women's skirts, and walking in on naked teenage pageant contestants. He has denied the allegations.{{cite news |last=Osborne |first=Lucy |date=September 17, 2020 |title='It felt like tentacles': the women who accuse Trump of sexual misconduct |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/17/amy-dorris-donald-trump-women-who-accuse-sexual-misconduct |access-date=June 6, 2024 |newspaper=The Guardian}} In October 2016, a 2005 "hot mic" recording surfaced in which Trump bragged about kissing and groping women without their consent, saying that, "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the pussy."{{cite web|last=Timm|first=Jane C.|title=Trump caught on hot mic making lewd comments about women in 2005|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-hot-mic-when-you-re-star-you-can-do-n662116|work=NBC News|date=October 7, 2016|access-date=June 10, 2018}} Trump characterized the comments as "locker-room talk",{{cite web |last1=Penington |first1=Bill |title=What Exactly Is 'Locker-Room Talk'? Let an Expert Explain |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/sports/what-exactly-is-locker-room-talk-let-an-expert-explain.html |website=The New York Times|date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=December 14, 2024}}{{cite news |last=Fahrenthold |first=David |author-link=David Fahrenthold |title=Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=December 14, 2024}} and the incident's widespread media exposure led to Trump's first public apology during his 2016 presidential campaign.{{cite web|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|access-date=October 8, 2016|last1=Burns|first1=Alexander|author-link1=Alex Burns (journalist)|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|last3=Martin|first3=Jonathan|author-link3=Jonathan Martin (journalist)}}

= Link to violence and hate crimes =

File:George Floyd protests in Columbus, 2020-07-18 (9466).jpg during a 2020 presidential debate{{cite news |last1=Olorunnipa |first1=Toluse |last2=Wootson |first2=Cleve R. Jr. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-debate-white-supremacist-question/2020/09/30/366df500-02c7-11eb-a2db-417cddf4816a_story.html |title=Trump refused to condemn white supremacists and militia members in presidential debate marked by disputes over race |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 30, 2020 |access-date=December 25, 2024 }} and his comment, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by", were attributed to increased recruitment for the pro-Trump group.{{cite news |last1=Cheney |first1=Kyle |title=Enrique Tarrio, Proud Boys leader on Jan. 6, sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/05/sentencing-enrique-tarrio-proud-boys-00114095 |access-date=December 25, 2024 |work=Politico |date=September 5, 2023 }}]]

Trump has been identified as a key figure in increasing political violence in America both for and against him.{{Cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |date=September 16, 2024 |title=Trump, Outrage and the Modern Era of Political Violence |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/us/politics/trump-violence-assassination-attempt.html |access-date=January 20, 2025 |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926210759/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/16/us/politics/trump-violence-assassination-attempt.html |url-status=live |issn=0362-4331 |quote=At the heart of today's eruption of political violence is Mr. Trump, a figure who seems to inspire people to make threats or take actions both for him and against him. He has long favored the language of violence in his political discourse, encouraging supporters to beat up hecklers, threatening to shoot looters and undocumented migrants, mocking a near-fatal attack on the husband of the Democratic House speaker and suggesting that a general he deemed disloyal be executed.}}{{sfn|Nacos|Shapiro|Bloch-Elkon|2020}}{{sfn|Piazza|Van Doren|2022}} He is described as embracing extremism, conspiracy theories such as Q-Anon, and far-right militia movements to a greater extent than any modern American president.{{Cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |date=December 1, 2022 |title=Trump Embraces Extremism as He Seeks to Reclaim Office |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/01/us/politics/trump-extremism-candidacy.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 20, 2025 |archive-date=April 16, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240416102953/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/01/us/politics/trump-extremism-candidacy.html |url-status=live |issn=0362-4331 |quote=Analysts and strategists see Mr. Trump's pivot toward the far right as a tactic to re-create political momentum ... Mr. Trump has long flirted with the fringes of American society as no other modern president has, openly appealing to prejudice based on race, religion, national origin and sexual orientation, among others ... Mr. Trump's expanding embrace of extremism has left Republicans once again struggling to figure out how to distance themselves from him.}}{{Cite news |last1=Swenson |first1=Ali |last2=Kunzelman |first2=Michael |date=November 18, 2023 |title=Fears of political violence are growing as the 2024 campaign heats up and conspiracy theories evolve |work=The Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/depape-paul-pelosi-qanon-conspiracy-theories-violence-390ad310fa34b0edb925d88540a7ddcd |access-date=January 20, 2025 |archive-date=May 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240511205554/https://apnews.com/article/depape-paul-pelosi-qanon-conspiracy-theories-violence-390ad310fa34b0edb925d88540a7ddcd |url-status=live |quote=Trump has amplified social media accounts that promote QAnon, which grew from the far-right fringes of the internet to become a fixture of mainstream Republican politics ... In his 2024 campaign, Trump has ramped up his combative rhetoric with talk of retribution against his enemies. He recently joked about the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi and suggested that retired Gen. Mark Milley, a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, should be executed for treason.}} He has been described as using stochastic terrorism.{{Cite news |last=Yousef |first=Odette |date=September 17, 2024 |title=The U.S. has had a long history of political violence, but experts see a new trend |work=NPR News |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/09/17/nx-s1-5113997/political-violence-trump |access-date=January 20, 2025 }}{{cite encyclopedia |last=Metych |first=Michele |date=April 9, 2024 |title=stochastic terrorism |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/stochastic-terrorism |access-date=January 20, 2025 |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |quote=Since the start of his U.S. presidential campaign in 2016, former president Donald Trump has frequently used language that encourages violence or threats of violence against a wide range of persons, groups, and communities ... One of the most cited examples of stochastic terrorism is then president Trump's news conferences, public speeches, and social-media communications in the weeks leading up to the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol.|language=en }}

Research suggests Trump's rhetoric is associated with an increased incidence of hate crimes,{{cite web |last1=Kunzelman |first1=Michael |last2=Galvan |first2=Astrid |date=August 7, 2019 |title=Trump words linked to more hate crime? Some experts think so |url=https://apnews.com/article/7d0949974b1648a2bb592cab1f85aa16 |access-date=October 7, 2021 |work=AP News}}{{cite news |last1=Feinberg |first1=Ayal |last2=Branton |first2=Regina |last3=Martinez-Ebers |first3=Valerie |date=March 22, 2019 |title=Analysis | Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/22/trumps-rhetoric-does-inspire-more-hate-crimes/ |access-date=October 7, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} and that he has an emboldening effect on expressing prejudicial attitudes due to his normalization of explicit racial rhetoric.{{sfn|Stephens-Dougan|2021|p=306|loc="The election of President Donald Trump, however, indicates that a candidate who utilizes explicit racial rhetoric is not necessarily penalized. In fact, some research suggests that Trump's 2016 presidential campaign may have had an emboldening effect, such that some voters felt more comfortable expressing prejudicial attitudes because of Trump's normalization of racist rhetoric"}} During his 2016 campaign, he urged or praised physical attacks against protesters or reporters.{{cite web |last=White |first=Daniel |date=February 1, 2016 |title=Donald Trump Tells Crowd To 'Knock the Crap Out Of' Hecklers |url=https://time.com/4203094/donald-trump-hecklers/ |access-date=August 9, 2019 |magazine=Time}}{{cite web |last=Koerner |first=Claudia |date=October 18, 2018 |title=Trump Thinks It's Totally Cool That A Congressman Assaulted A Journalist For Asking A Question |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/trump-gianforte-congressman-assault-journalist-montana |access-date=October 19, 2018 |work=BuzzFeed News}} Numerous defendants investigated or prosecuted for violent acts and hate crimes, including participants in the storming of the U.S. Capitol, cited his rhetoric in arguing that they were not culpable or should receive leniency.{{cite web |last=Tracy |first=Abigail |date=August 8, 2019 |title="The President of the United States Says It's Okay": The Rise of the Trump Defense |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/donald-trump-domestic-terrorism-el-paso |access-date=October 7, 2021 |work=Vanity Fair}}{{cite news |last1=Helderman |first1=Rosalind S. |author-link1=Rosalind S. Helderman |last2=Hsu |first2=Spencer S. |last3=Weiner |first3=Rachel |date=January 16, 2021 |title='Trump said to do so': Accounts of rioters who say the president spurred them to rush the Capitol could be pivotal testimony |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-rioters-testimony/2021/01/16/01b3d5c6-575b-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html |access-date=September 27, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} A nationwide review by ABC News in May 2020 identified at least 54 criminal cases from August 2015 to April 2020 in which he was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence mostly by white men and primarily against minorities.{{cite web |last=Levine |first=Mike |date=May 30, 2020 |title='No Blame?' ABC News finds 54 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults. |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889 |access-date=February 4, 2021 |work=ABC News}}

= Conspiracy theories =

Before and throughout his presidency, Trump promoted numerous conspiracy theories, including Obama birtherism, the Clinton body count conspiracy theory, the conspiracy theory movement QAnon, the Global warming hoax theory, Trump Tower wiretapping allegations, that Osama bin Laden was alive and Obama and Biden had members of Navy SEAL Team 6 killed, and alleged Ukrainian interference in U.S. elections.{{cite web |last1=Fichera |first1=Angelo |last2=Spencer |first2=Saranac Hale |date=October 20, 2020 |title=Trump's Long History With Conspiracy Theories |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trumps-long-history-with-conspiracy-theories/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |work=FactCheck.org}}{{cite web |last1=Subramaniam |first1=Tara |last2=Lybrand |first2=Holmes |date=October 15, 2020 |title=Fact-checking the dangerous bin Laden conspiracy theory that Trump touted |url=https://cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/donald-trump-osama-bin-laden-conspiracy-theory-fact-check/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=CNN}}{{cite web |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |author-link=Maggie Haberman |date=February 29, 2016 |title=Even as He Rises, Donald Trump Entertains Conspiracy Theories |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/politics/donald-trump-conspiracy-theories.html |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite news |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=November 26, 2019 |title=President Trump loves conspiracy theories. Has he ever been right? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/26/president-trump-loves-conspiracy-theories-has-he-ever-been-right/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite web |last=Reston |first=Maeve |date=July 2, 2020 |title=The Conspiracy-Theorist-in-Chief clears the way for fringe candidates to become mainstream |url=https://cnn.com/2020/07/02/politics/trump-conspiracy-theorists-qanon/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=CNN}} In at least two instances, Trump clarified to press that he believed the conspiracy theory in question. During and since the 2020 presidential election, Trump promoted various conspiracy theories for his defeat that were characterized as "the big lie".{{cite web |last=McEvoy |first=Jemima |date=December 17, 2020 |title=These Are The Voter Fraud Claims Trump Tried (And Failed) To Overturn The Election With |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2020/12/17/these-are-the-voter-fraud-claims-trump-tried-and-failed-to-overturn-the-election-with/ |access-date=September 13, 2021 |work=Forbes}}{{Cite news|last=Block|first=Melissa|date=January 16, 2021|title=Can The Forces Unleashed By Trump's Big Election Lie Be Undone?|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/16/957291939/can-the-forces-unleashed-by-trumps-big-election-lie-be-undone|access-date=December 25, 2024 }}

= Truthfulness =

File:2017- Donald Trump veracity - composite graph.png from The Washington Post,{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |author-link1=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last2=Kelly |first2=Meg |last3=Rizzo |first3=Salvador |last4=Lee |first4=Michelle Ye Hee |author-link4=Michelle Ye Hee Lee |date=January 20, 2021 |title=In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} the Toronto Star,{{cite web |last=Dale |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale |date=June 5, 2019 |title=Donald Trump has now said more than 5,000 false things as president |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2019/06/05/donald-trump-has-now-said-more-than-5000-false-claims-as-president.html |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=Toronto Star}} and CNN{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale |last2=Subramiam |first2=Tara |date=March 9, 2020 |title=Fact check: Donald Trump made 115 false claims in the last two weeks of February |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-february/index.html |access-date=November 1, 2023 |work=CNN}} compiled data on "false or misleading claims" (orange background), and "false claims" (violet foreground), respectively.|alt=Chart depicting false or misleading claims made by Trump]]

As a candidate and as president, Trump frequently made false statements in public remarks{{cite news |last=Finnegan |first=Michael |date=September 25, 2016 |title=Scope of Trump's falsehoods unprecedented for a modern presidential candidate |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-false-statements-20160925-snap-story.html |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=Los Angeles Times}} to an extent unprecedented in American politics.{{cite web |last=Glasser |first=Susan B. |author-link=Susan Glasser |date=August 3, 2018 |title=It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose |access-date=January 10, 2019 |magazine=The New Yorker}}{{cite web |last=Konnikova |first=Maria |author-link=Maria Konnikova |date=January 20, 2017 |title=Trump's Lies vs. Your Brain |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658 |access-date=March 31, 2018 |work=Politico}} His falsehoods are a distinctive part of his political identity and have been described as firehosing.{{cite book |last1=Kakutani |first1=Michiko |title=The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump |date=2018 |publisher=Crown/Archetype |isbn=9780525574842 |pages=94–104 |chapter=The Firehose of Falsehood: Propaganda and Fake News |author-link=Michiko Kakutani |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vlw_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT94}} His false and misleading statements were documented by fact-checkers, including at The Washington Post, which tallied 30,573 false or misleading statements made by him during his first presidency, increasing in frequency over time.{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn |author-link1=Glenn Kessler (journalist) |last2=Kelly |first2=Meg |last3=Rizzo |first3=Salvador |last4=Shapiro |first4=Leslie |last5=Dominguez |first5=Leo |date=January 23, 2021 |title=A term of untruths: The longer Trump was president, the more frequently he made false or misleading claims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/timeline-trump-claims-as-president/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

Some of Trump's falsehoods were inconsequential, such as his repeated claim of the "biggest inaugural crowd ever".{{cite web |last=Qiu |first=Linda |date=January 21, 2017 |title=Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don't show it |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/21/sean-spicer/trump-had-biggest-inaugural-crowd-ever-metrics-don/ |access-date=March 30, 2018 |work=PolitiFact}}{{cite news |last=Rein |first=Lisa |date=March 6, 2017 |title=Here are the photos that show Obama's inauguration crowd was bigger than Trump's |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/06/here-are-the-photos-that-show-obamas-inauguration-crowd-was-bigger-than-trumps/ |access-date=March 8, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Others had more far-reaching effects, such as his promotion of antimalarial drugs as an unproven treatment for COVID-19,{{cite web |last=Wong |first=Julia Carrie |author-link=Julia Carrie Wong |date=April 7, 2020 |title=Hydroxychloroquine: how an unproven drug became Trump's coronavirus 'miracle cure' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/hydroxychloroquine-trump-coronavirus-drug |access-date=June 25, 2021 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite web |last=Spring |first=Marianna |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Coronavirus: The human cost of virus misinformation |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52731624 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |work=BBC News}} causing a U.S. shortage of these drugs and panic-buying in Africa and South Asia.{{cite news |last=Rowland |first=Christopher |date=March 23, 2020 |title=As Trump touts an unproven coronavirus treatment, supplies evaporate for patients who need those drugs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/20/hospitals-doctors-are-wiping-out-supplies-an-unproven-coronavirus-treatment/ |access-date=March 24, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite web |last1=Parkinson |first1=Joe |last2=Gauthier-Villars |first2=David |date=March 23, 2020 |title=Trump Claim That Malaria Drugs Treat Coronavirus Sparks Warnings, Shortages |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-claim-that-malaria-drugs-treat-coronavirus-sparks-warnings-shortages-11584981897 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 26, 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal}} Other misinformation, such as misattributing a rise in crime in England and Wales to the "spread of radical Islamic terror", served his domestic political purposes.{{cite web |last=Zurcher |first=Anthony |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Trump's anti-Muslim retweet fits a pattern |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42171550 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |work=BBC News}} His attacks on mail-in ballots and other election practices weakened public faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election,{{cite web |last=Siders |first=David |date=May 25, 2020 |title=Trump sees a 'rigged election' ahead. Democrats see a constitutional crisis in the making. |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/25/donald-trump-rigged-election-talk-fears-274477 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=Politico}}{{cite web |last=Riccardi |first=Nicholas |date=September 17, 2020 |title=AP Fact Check: Trump's big distortions on mail-in voting |url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-fact-check-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-8c5db90960815f91f39fe115579570b4 |access-date=October 7, 2020 |work=AP News}} while his disinformation about the pandemic delayed and weakened the national response to it.{{cite news|first1=Eric|last1=Lipton|author-link1=Eric Lipton|first2=David E.|last2=Sanger|author-link2=David E. Sanger|first3=Maggie|last3=Haberman|author-link3=Maggie Haberman|first4=Michael D.|last4=Shear|author-link4=Michael D. Shear|first5=Mark|last5=Mazzetti|author-link5=Mark Mazzetti|first6=Julian E.|last6=Barnes|title=He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump's Failure on the Virus|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/11/us/politics/coronavirus-trump-response.html|access-date=April 11, 2020|work=The New York Times|date=April 11, 2020}}{{cite web |last=Guynn |first=Jessica |date=October 5, 2020 |title=From COVID-19 to voting: Trump is nation's single largest spreader of disinformation, studies say |url=https://usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/05/trump-covid-19-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-twitter-election/3632194001/ |access-date=October 7, 2020 |work=USA Today}}{{cite web |last1=Bergengruen |first1=Vera |last2=Hennigan |first2=W.J. |date=October 6, 2020 |title='You're Gonna Beat It.' How Donald Trump's COVID-19 Battle Has Only Fueled Misinformation |url=https://time.com/5896709/trump-covid-campaign/ |access-date=October 7, 2020 |magazine=Time}} Trump habitually does not apologize for his falsehoods.{{cite web |last=Allen |first=Jonathan |date=December 31, 2018 |title=Does being President Trump still mean never having to say you're sorry? |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/does-being-president-trump-still-mean-never-having-say-you-n952841 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |work=NBC News}} Until 2018, the media rarely referred to Trump's falsehoods as lies, including when he repeated demonstrably false statements.{{cite web |last=Greenberg |first=David |author-link=David Greenberg (historian) |date=January 28, 2017 |title=The Perils of Calling Trump a Liar |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/the-perils-of-calling-trump-a-liar-214704 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |work=Politico}}{{cite web |last=Bauder |first=David |date=August 29, 2018 |title=News media hesitate to use 'lie' for Trump's misstatements |url=https://apnews.com/8d3c7387eff7496abcd0651124caf891 |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=AP News}}{{cite news |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=June 5, 2019 |title=Lies? The news media is starting to describe Trump's 'falsehoods' that way. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/lies-the-news-media-is-starting-to-describe-trumps-falsehoods-that-way/2019/06/05/413cc2a0-8626-11e9-a491-25df61c78dc4_story.html |access-date=April 11, 2024 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

= Social media =

Trump's social media presence attracted worldwide attention after he joined Twitter in 2009. He tweeted frequently during his 2016 campaign and as president until Twitter banned him after the January 6 attack.{{cite web |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |last2=Isaac |first2=Mike |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Inside Twitter's Decision to Cut Off Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/16/technology/twitter-donald-trump-jack-dorsey.html |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} He often used Twitter to communicate directly with the public and sideline the press.{{cite web |last1=Madhani |first1=Aamer |last2=Colvin |first2=Jill |date=January 9, 2021 |title=A farewell to @realDonaldTrump, gone after 57,000 tweets |url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-donald-trump-ban-cea450b1f12f4ceb8984972a120018d5 |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=AP News}} In June 2017, the White House press secretary said that his tweets were official presidential statements.{{cite web |last=Landers |first=Elizabeth |date=June 6, 2017 |title=White House: Trump's tweets are 'official statements' |url=https://cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/ |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=CNN}}

After years of criticism for allowing Trump to post misinformation and falsehoods, Twitter began to tag some of his tweets with fact-checks in May 2020.{{cite news |last=Dwoskin |first=Elizabeth |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Twitter labels Trump's tweets with a fact check for the first time |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/26/trump-twitter-label-fact-check/ |access-date=July 7, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} In response, he tweeted that social media platforms "totally silence" conservatives and that he would "strongly regulate, or close them down".{{cite news |last=Dwoskin |first=Elizabeth |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Trump lashes out at social media companies after Twitter labels tweets with fact checks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/27/trump-twitter-label/ |access-date=May 28, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} In the days after the storming of the Capitol, he was banned from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other platforms.{{cite web |last1=Fischer |first1=Sara |last2=Gold |first2=Ashley |date=January 11, 2021 |title=All the platforms that have banned or restricted Trump so far |url=https://www.axios.com/platforms-social-media-ban-restrict-trump-d9e44f3c-8366-4ba9-a8a1-7f3114f920f1.html |access-date=January 16, 2021 |work=Axios}} The loss of his social media presence diminished his ability to shape events{{cite news |last=Timberg |first=Craig |date=January 14, 2021 |title=Twitter ban reveals that tech companies held keys to Trump's power all along |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/14/trump-twitter-megaphone/ |access-date=February 17, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite web |last1=Alba |first1=Davey |last2=Koeze |first2=Ella |last3=Silver |first3=Jacob |date=June 7, 2021 |title=What Happened When Trump Was Banned on Social Media |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/06/07/technology/trump-social-media-ban.html |access-date=December 21, 2023 |work=The New York Times}} and prompted a dramatic decrease in the volume of misinformation shared on Twitter.{{cite news |last1=Dwoskin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Timberg |first2=Craig |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump and some allies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/ |access-date=February 17, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} In February 2022, he launched social media platform Truth Social where he only attracted a fraction of his Twitter following.{{cite news |last1=Harwell |first1=Drew |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |author-link2=Josh Dawsey |date=November 7, 2022 |title=Trump once reconsidered sticking with Truth Social. Now he's stuck. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/07/trump-once-reconsidered-sticking-with-truth-social-now-hes-stuck/ |access-date=May 7, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Elon Musk, after acquiring Twitter, reinstated his Twitter account in November 2022.{{cite web |last1=Mac |first1=Ryan |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Elon Musk Reinstates Trump's Twitter Account |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/technology/trump-twitter-musk.html |access-date=November 21, 2022 |work=The New York Times}}{{Cite news |last1=Dang |first1=Sheila |last2=Coster |first2=Helen |date=November 20, 2022 |title=Trump snubs Twitter after Musk announces reactivation of ex-president's account |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/musks-twitter-poll-showing-narrow-majority-want-trump-reinstated-2022-11-20/ |access-date=May 10, 2024 |work=Reuters}} Meta Platforms' two-year ban lapsed in January 2023, allowing him to return to Facebook and Instagram,{{cite news |last=Bond |first=Shannon |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Meta allows Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1146961818/trump-meta-facebook-instagram-ban-ends |work=NPR}} although in 2024, he continued to call the company an "enemy of the people".{{cite news |last=Egan |first=Matt |date=March 11, 2024 |title=Trump calls Facebook the enemy of the people. Meta's stock sinks |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/tech/trump-tiktok-facebook-meta/index.html |work=CNN}}

= Relationship with the press =

{{Further|First presidency of Donald Trump#Relationship with the news media|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump}}

File:President Trump's First 100 Days- 45 (33573172373).jpg

File:President Donald Trump signs executive orders.jpg

Trump sought media attention throughout his career, sustaining a "love-hate" relationship with the press.{{cite web|last=Parnes|first=Amie|date=April 28, 2018|title=Trump's love-hate relationship with the press|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/385245-trumps-love-hate-relationship-with-the-press|access-date=July 4, 2018|work=The Hill}} In the 2016 campaign, he benefited from a record amount of free media coverage. The New York Times writer Amy Chozick wrote in 2018 that his media dominance enthralled the public and created "must-see TV".{{cite news|last=Chozick|first=Amy|author-link=Amy Chozick|date=September 29, 2018 |title=Why Trump Will Win a Second Term|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/sunday-review/trump-2020-reality-tv.html|access-date=September 22, 2019|work=The New York Times}} As a candidate and as president, Trump frequently accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people".{{cite web|last1=Hetherington|first1=Marc|last2=Ladd|first2=Jonathan M.|date=May 1, 2020|title=Destroying trust in the media, science, and government has left America vulnerable to disaster|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/05/01/destroying-trust-in-the-media-science-and-government-has-left-america-vulnerable-to-disaster/|access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=Brookings Institution}} In 2018, journalist Lesley Stahl said that he had privately told her that he intentionally discredited the media "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you".{{cite web|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|date=May 22, 2018|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|access-date=May 23, 2018|work=The Hill}}

The Trump White House reduced formal press briefings from about a hundred in 2017 to about half that in 2018 and to two in 2019; they also revoked the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts.{{cite web|last=Grynbaum|first=Michael M.|date=December 30, 2019|title=After Another Year of Trump Attacks, 'Ominous Signs' for the American Press|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/business/media/trump-media-2019.html |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} Trump also deployed the legal system to intimidate the press.{{cite web|last1=Geltzer|first1=Joshua A.|last2=Katyal|first2=Neal K.|date=March 11, 2020|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|work=The Atlantic}} The Trump campaign sued The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about Russian election interference. All the suits were dismissed.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/03/donald-trump-lawsuit-new-york-times-mary-trump|title=US judge throws out Donald Trump's lawsuit against New York Times|date=May 3, 2023|access-date=November 25, 2024|work=The Guardian}} By 2024, he repeatedly voiced support for outlawing political dissent and criticism,{{Cite news|last=Kapur|first=Sahil|date=October 13, 2024|title='Totally illegal': Trump escalates rhetoric on outlawing political dissent and criticism|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/totally-illegal-trump-escalates-rhetoric-outlawing-political-dissent-c-rcna174280|access-date=November 23, 2024|work=NBC News}} and that media companies should be prosecuted for treason for displaying "bad stories" about him and possibly lose their broadcast licenses if they refuse to name confidential sources.{{Cite news |last=Folkenflik |first=David |date=October 21, 2024 |title=Could Trump's threats against news outlets carry weight if he wins the presidency? |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/10/21/nx-s1-5150039/could-trumps-threats-against-news-outlets-carry-weight-if-he-wins-the-presidency |access-date=November 23, 2024 |work=NPR}} In 2024, Trump sued ABC News for defamation after George Stephanopoulos said on-air that a jury had found him civilly liable for raping E. Jean Carroll. The case was settled in December with ABC's parent company, Walt Disney, agreeing to donate $15 million to Trump's future presidential library.{{cite news|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/business/media/disney-trump-abc-lawsuit.html|title=Inside Disney's Decision to Settle a Trump Defamation Suit|work=The New York Times|date=December 18, 2024|access-date=January 12, 2025}}

Personal life

= Family =

In 1977, Trump married Czech model Ivana Zelníčková.{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=300}} They had three children: Donald Jr. (b. 1977), Ivanka (b. 1981), and Eric (b. 1984). The couple divorced in 1990, following his affair with model and actress Marla Maples.{{cite news|last=Baron|first=James|date=December 12, 1990|title=Trumps Get Divorce; Next, Who Gets What?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/12/nyregion/trumps-get-divorce-next-who-gets-what.html|access-date=March 5, 2023|work=The New York Times}} He and Maples married in 1993 and divorced in 1999. They have one daughter, Tiffany (b. 1993), whom Maples raised in California.{{cite news|last=Hafner|first=Josh|date=July 19, 2016|title=Get to know Donald's other daughter: Tiffany Trump|url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/19/who-is-tiffany-trump/87321708/|access-date=July 10, 2022|work=USA Today}} In 2005, he married Slovenian model Melania Knauss.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=266}} They have one son, Barron (b. 2006).{{cite news|date=July 2, 2021|title=Donald Trump Fast Facts|url=https://cnn.com/2013/07/04/us/donald-trump-fast-facts/|access-date=September 29, 2021|work=CNN}}

= Health =

Trump says he has never drunk alcohol, smoked cigarettes, or used drugs.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/30/us/trump-biden-alcohol.html|title=In Trump and Biden, a Choice of Teetotalers for President|last=Nagourney|first=Adam|date=October 30, 2020|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=February 5, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kavanaugh-likes-beer--but-trump-is-a-teetotaler-he-doesnt-like-drinkers/2018/10/02/783f585c-c674-11e8-b1ed-1d2d65b86d0c_story.html|title=Kavanaugh likes beer — but Trump is a teetotaler: 'He doesn't like drinkers.'|last1=Parker|first1=Ashley|last2=Rucker|first2=Philip|date=October 2, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=February 5, 2021}} He sleeps about four or five hours a night.{{cite news|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3970379/donald-trump-sleep-hours-night/|title=Donald Trump sleeps 4–5 hours each night; he's not the only famous 'short sleeper'|last=Dangerfield|first=Katie|date=January 17, 2018|work=Global News|accessdate=February 5, 2021}}{{cite journal|first1=Douglas|last1=Almond|first2=Xinming|last2=Du|journal=Economics Letters|title=Later bedtimes predict President Trump's performance|volume=197|doi=10.1016/j.econlet.2020.109590|date=December 2020|pmid=33012904 |pmc=7518119 | issn=0165-1765}} Trump has called golfing his "primary form of exercise", but usually does not walk the course.{{cite news|url=https://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2018/07/14/donald-trump-exercise-golf-cart-turnberry-110166/|title=Donald Trump says he gets most of his exercise from golf, then uses cart at Turnberry|work=Golf News Net|date=July 14, 2018|access-date=July 4, 2019|first=Ryan|last=Ballengee}} He considers exercise a waste of energy because he believes the body is "like a battery, with a finite amount of energy", which is depleted by exercise.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-thinks-that-exercising-too-much-uses-up-the-bodys-finite-energy/2017/05/12/bb0b9bda-365d-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html|first=Rachael|last=Rettner|title=Trump thinks that exercising too much uses up the body's 'finite' energy|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 14, 2017|access-date=September 29, 2021}}{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=133}} In 2015, his campaign released a letter from his longtime personal physician, Harold Bornstein, stating that he would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".{{cite news|first1=Alex|last1=Marquardt|first2=Lawrence III|last2=Crook|title=Exclusive: Bornstein claims Trump dictated the glowing health letter|url=https://cnn.com/2018/05/01/politics/harold-bornstein-trump-letter/|agency=CNN|date=May 1, 2018|access-date=May 20, 2018}} In 2018, Bornstein said Trump had dictated the contents of the letter and that three of Trump's agents had seized his medical records in a February 2017 raid on Bornstein's office.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-doc-says-trump-bodyguard-lawyer-raided-his-office-took-n870351|title=Trump doctor Harold Bornstein says bodyguard, lawyer 'raided' his office, took medical files|last=Schecter|first=Anna|date=May 1, 2018|agency=NBC News|access-date=June 6, 2019}}

= Religion =

Trump declared that he was a Presbyterian and a Protestant in 2016,{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Colin |title=TRUMP: If I'm president, 'Christianity will have power' in the US |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-christianity-merry-christmas-2016-1 |work=Business Insider |access-date=January 20, 2025 |language=English |date=January 23, 2016|quote=And that's pretty sad, because we're Christians. I'm Protestant. I'm Presbyterian.}}{{cite web |last1=Engel |first1=Pamela |title=Trump on God: 'Hopefully I won't have to be asking for much forgiveness' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-on-god-jesus-2016-6 |work=Business Insider |access-date=January 20, 2025 |language=English |date=June 8, 2016 |quote=As you know, I am Presbyterian and Protestant. I've had great relationships and developed even greater relationships with ministers. We have tremendous support from the clergy.|url-access=subscription}} though in 2020, he began to identify as a nondenominational Christian. He attends church on Sundays. Trump has stated that he has great relationships with Christian ministers. In 2024, he began to sell special editions of the King James Version of the Bible that contained copies of the founding documents of the United States, known as the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible.{{cite web |last1=Treisman |first1=Rachel |title=Cash-strapped Trump is now selling $60 Bibles, U.S. Constitution included |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/03/27/1241186975/donald-trump-bible-god-bless-usa |publisher=NPR |access-date=January 20, 2025 |language=en |date=March 27, 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Kim |first1=Soo Rin |last2=Ibssa |first2=Lalee |title=Trump endorses line of Bibles |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-endorses-line-bibles-after-selling-shoes-nfts/story?id=108543985 |publisher=ABC News |language=en |date=March 28, 2024}} Trump himself has a personal collection of Bibles.{{cite web |last1=Moyer |first1=Justin Wm. |last2=Starrs |first2=Jenny |title=Trump says very curious things about God, church and the Bible |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/19/trump-says-very-curious-things-about-god-church-and-the-bible/ |work=The Washington Post |access-date=January 20, 2025 |language=en |date=January 19, 2016}}

Assessments

= Public image =

A Gallup poll in 134 countries comparing the approval ratings of U.S. leadership between 2016 and 2017 found that Trump led Obama in job approval in 29 countries, most of them non-democracies;{{cite web |last=Datta |first=Monti |date=September 16, 2019 |title=3 countries where Trump is popular |url=https://theconversation.com/3-countries-where-trump-is-popular-120317 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=The Conversation}} approval of U.S. leadership plummeted among allies and G7 countries.{{cite web |title=Rating World Leaders: 2018 The U.S. vs. Germany, China and Russia |url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000161-0647-da3c-a371-867f6acc0001 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=Gallup}} Page 9 By mid-2020, 16 percent of international respondents to a 13-nation Pew Research poll expressed confidence in him, lower than China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin.{{cite web |last1=Wike |first1=Richard |last2=Fetterolf |first2=Janell |last3=Mordecai |first3=Mara |date=September 15, 2020 |title=U.S. Image Plummets Internationally as Most Say Country Has Handled Coronavirus Badly |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/ |access-date=December 24, 2020 |publisher=Pew Research Center}}

During his first presidency, research from 2020 found that Trump had a stronger impact on popular assessments towards American political parties and partisan opinions than any president since the Truman administration.{{sfn|Jacobson|2020|p=763}} In 2021, Trump was identified as the only president never to reach a 50 percent approval rating in the Gallup poll, which dates to 1938, partially due to a record-high partisan gap in his approval ratings: 88 percent among Republicans and 7 percent among Democrats.{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=January 18, 2021 |title=Last Trump Job Approval 34%; Average Is Record-Low 41% |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/328637/last-trump-job-approval-average-record-low.aspx |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=Gallup}} His early ratings were unusually stable, ranging between 35 and 49 percent.{{cite web |last=Klein |first=Ezra |author-link=Ezra Klein |date=September 2, 2020 |title=Can anything change Americans' minds about Donald Trump? The eerie stability of Trump's approval rating, explained. |url=https://www.vox.com/2020/9/2/21409364/trump-approval-rating-2020-election-voters-coronavirus-convention-polls |access-date=October 10, 2021 |work=Vox}} He finished his term with a rating between 29 and 34 percent—the lowest of any president since modern polling began—and a record-low average of 41 percent throughout his presidency.{{cite web |last=Enten |first=Harry |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Trump finishes with worst first term approval rating ever |url=https://cnn.com/2021/01/16/politics/trump-approval-analysis/ |access-date=October 3, 2021 |work=CNN}}

In Gallup's annual poll asking Americans to name the man they admire the most, he placed second to Obama in 2017 and 2018, tied with Obama for first in 2019, and placed first in 2020.{{cite web |date=December 28, 2006 |title=Most Admired Man and Woman|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/1678/most-admired-man-woman.aspx|access-date=October 3, 2021|work=Gallup}}{{cite news|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=December 29, 2020 |title=Trump ends Obama's 12-year run as most admired man: Gallup |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/531906-trump-ends-obamas-12-year-run-as-most-admired-man-gallup |access-date=December 31, 2020 |work=The Hill}} Since Gallup started conducting the poll in 1946, he was the first elected president not to be named most admired in his first year in office.{{cite news|last=Bach|first=Natash|date=December 28, 2017|title=Trump Is the Only Elected U.S. President Not to Be Named America's Most Admired Man In His First Year|url=https://fortune.com/2017/12/28/gallup-most-admired-man-and-woman-obama-clinton/|access-date=November 19, 2024|work=Fortune (magazine)}}

= Scholarly rankings =

{{Further|Historical rankings of presidents of the United States}}

In the C-SPAN "Presidential Historians Survey 2021",{{cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2021/|title=Presidential Historians Survey 2021|work=C-SPAN |access-date=June 30, 2021}} historians ranked Trump as the fourth-worst president. He rated lowest in the leadership characteristics categories for moral authority and administrative skills.{{cite web|last=Sheehey|first=Maeve|date=June 30, 2021|title=Trump debuts at 41st in C-SPAN presidential rankings|work=Politico|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/30/trump-cspan-president-ranking-497184 |access-date=March 31, 2023}}{{cite news|last=Brockell|first=Gillian|title=Historians just ranked the presidents. Trump wasn't last.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/06/30/presidential-rankings-2021-cspan-historians/ |access-date=July 1, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=June 30, 2021}} The Siena College Research Institute's 2022 survey ranked him 43rd out of 45 presidents. He was ranked near the bottom in all categories except for luck, willingness to take risks, and party leadership, and he ranked last in several categories.{{cite web|url=https://scri.siena.edu/2022/06/22/american-presidents-greatest-and-worst/|title=American Presidents: Greatest and Worst|work=Siena College Research Institute|date=June 22, 2022|access-date=July 11, 2022}} In 2018 and 2024, surveys of members of the American Political Science Association ranked him the worst president.{{cite news |last1=Rottinghaus |first1=Brandon |last2=Vaughn |first2=Justin S. |date=February 19, 2018 |title=Opinion: How Does Trump Stack Up Against the Best—and Worst—Presidents? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/19/opinion/how-does-trump-stack-up-against-the-best-and-worst-presidents.html |access-date=July 13, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}{{Cite news |last=Chappell |first=Bill |date=February 19, 2024 |title=In historians' Presidents Day survey, Biden vs. Trump is not a close call |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/02/19/1232447088/historians-presidents-survey-trump-last-biden-14th |work=NPR}}

Notes

References

Works cited

= Books =

{{cite book|title=The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire|last=Blair|first=Gwenda|author-link=Gwenda Blair|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2015|orig-year=2001|isbn=978-1-5011-3936-9}}
{{cite book|last1=Buettner|first1=Russ|author1-link=Russ Buettner|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|author2-link=Susanne Craig|title=Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father's Fortune And Created The Illusion of Success|publisher=Penguin Press|date=2024|isbn=978-0-593-29864-0}}
{{cite book|title=Never enough : Donald Trump and the pursuit of success|last=D'Antonio|first=Michael|author-link=Michael D'Antonio|date=2015|publisher=Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-250-04238-5}}
{{cite book|title=Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|author-link=Maggie Haberman|date=2022|publisher=Penguin Press|isbn=978-0-593-29734-6}}
{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Michael |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003110361-1/introduction-michael-harvey |title=Donald Trump in Historical Perspective |date=2022 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-11036-1 |editor-last=Harvey |editor-first=Michael |chapter=Introduction: History's Rhymes |doi=10.4324/9781003110361-1 }}
{{cite book|last1=Hassan |first1=Steven |author-link=Steven Hassan |year=2019 |title=The Cult of Trump|publisher=Simon & Schuster |pages= |isbn=978-1-9821-2733-6 }}
{{cite book|last=Johnston|first=David Cay|author-link=David Cay Johnston|year=2016|title=The Making of Donald Trump|publisher=Melville House Publishing|isbn=978-1-61219-658-9}}
{{cite book|last=Johnston|first=David Cay|author-link=David Cay Johnston|date=2021|title=The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America And Enriched Himself And His Family|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-1-9821-7804-8}}
{{cite book|title=Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President|last1=Kranish|first1=Michael|author-link1=Michael Kranish|last2=Fisher|first2=Marc|author-link2=Marc Fisher|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2017|orig-year=2016|isbn=978-1-5011-5652-6|title-link=Trump Revealed}}
{{cite book|last=O'Brien|first=Timothy L.|author-link=Timothy L. O'Brien|publisher=Warner Books|date=2005|title=TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald|isbn=978-0-446-57854-7}}
{{cite book|first=Jon|last=Meacham|author-link=Jon Meacham|title=Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush|date=2016|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-8129-7947-3}}
{{cite book|title=Trumped!|last1=O'Donnell|first1=John R.|last2=Rutherford|first2=James|publisher=Crossroad Press Trade Edition|year=1991|isbn=978-1-946025-26-5|title-link=Trumped! (book)}}

{{refend}}{{cite whitelink|CITEREFLopez2019|CITEREFDesjardins2018|CITEREFDawsey2018|CITEREFStoddardMfula2018|CITEREFWeaver2018b}}

{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKranishFisher2017|CITEREFBlair2015|CITEREFO'DonnellRutherford1991}}

= Journals =

{{Cite journal |last1=Adams |first1=Kenneth Alan |date=Spring 2021 |title=The Trump Death Cult |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/c5d4601ebe8dcb232f9ab2965e900d70/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=35407 |journal=Journal of Psychohistory |volume=48 |issue=4 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |pages=256–276 |issn=0145-3378 }}
{{Cite journal |last=Berman |first=Sheri |date=May 2021 |title=The Causes of Populism in the West |journal=Annual Review of Political Science |volume=24 |issue= |pages=71–88 |issn=1094-2939 |doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-041719-102503 |doi-access=free }}
{{Cite journal |last1=Campani |first1=Giovanna |last2=Concepción |first2=Sunamis Fabelo |last3=Soler |first3=Angel Rodriguez | last4=Savín |first4=Claudia Sánchez |date=November 2, 2022 |title=The Rise of Donald Trump Right-Wing Populism in the United States: Middle American Radicalism and Anti-Immigration Discourse |journal=Societies |volume=12 |issue=6 |page=154 |doi=10.3390/soc12060154 |doi-access=free }}
{{cite journal |author1-last=Castañeda |author1-first=Ernesto |author2-last=Jenks |author2-first=Daniel |date=April 17, 2023 |title=January 6th and De-Democratization in the United States |editor-last1=Costa |editor-first1=Bruno Ferreira |editor-last2=Parton|editor-first2=Nigel|journal=Social Sciences |publisher=MDPI |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=238–253 |doi=10.3390/socsci12040238 |doi-access=free |issn=2076-0760}}
{{Cite journal |last1=Diamond |first1=Michael J. |date=February 22, 2023 |title=Perverted Containment: Trumpism, Cult Creation, and the Rise of Destructive American Populism |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |journal=Psychoanalytic Inquiry |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=96–109|doi=10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147}}
{{cite journal|year=2018|doi=10.1080/01463373.2018.1438485|title=Make America Great Again: Donald Trump and Redefining the U.S. Role in the World|journal=Communication Quarterly|volume=66|issue=2|page=176|first=Jason A.|last=Edwards}}
{{cite journal |last1=Franks |first1=Andrew S. |last2=Hesami|first2=Farhang|title=Seeking Evidence of The MAGA Cult and Trump Derangement Syndrome: An Examination of (A)symmetric Political Bias|journal=Societies |volume=11 |issue=3 |date=September 18, 2021 |pages=113 |doi=10.3390/soc11030113 |doi-access=free}}
{{cite journal|last1=Holshue|first1=Michelle L.|last2=DeBolt|first2=Chas|last3=Lindquist|first3=Scott|last4=Lofy|first4=Kathy H.|last5=Wiesman|first5=John|last6=Bruce|first6=Hollianne|last7=Spitters|first7=Christopher|last8=Ericson|first8=Keith|last9=Wilkerson|first9=Sara|last10=Tural|first10=Ahmet|last11=Diaz|first11=George|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}}
{{Cite journal |last1=Jacobson |first1=Gary C. |author-link=Gary Jacobson|date=October 24, 2020 |title=Donald Trump and the Parties: Impeachment, Pandemic, Protest, and Electoral Politics in 2020 |journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly |volume=50 |issue=4 |pages=762–795 |issn=0360-4918 |doi=10.1111/psq.12682}}
{{cite journal |last1=Kaufman |first1=Robert R. |last2=Haggard |first2=Stephan |title=Democratic Decline in the United States: What Can We Learn from Middle-Income Backsliding? |journal=Perspectives on Politics |date=2019 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=417–432 |doi=10.1017/S1537592718003377 |s2cid=149457724 |doi-access=free}}
{{cite journal|last=Johnson|first=Kevin R.|title=Immigration and civil rights in the Trump administration: Law and policy making by executive order|journal=Santa Clara Law Review|year=2017a|volume=57|issue=3|pages=611–665|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/saclr57&div=21&id=&page=}}
{{cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Kevin R.|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§ion=21|pages=575–616|volume=54|issue=2}}
{{cite journal|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|author-link=Brett McGurk|journal=Foreign Affairs|date=January 22, 2020}}
{{cite journal |last1=Lajevardi |first1=Nazita |last2=Oskooii |first2=Kassra A. R. |year=2018 |title=Old-Fashioned Racism, Contemporary Islamophobia, and the Isolation of Muslim Americans in the Age of Trump |journal=Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=112–152 |doi=10.1017/rep.2017.37}}
{{Cite journal |last1=Nacos |first1=Brigitte L. |last2=Shapiro |first2=Robert Y. |last3=Bloch-Elkon |first3=Yaeli |date=2020 |title=Donald Trump: Aggressive Rhetoric and Political Violence |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26940036 |journal=Perspectives on Terrorism |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=2–25 |issn=2334-3745 |jstor=26940036 |access-date=January 20, 2025 }}
{{Cite journal|last1=Parker|first1=Christopher Sebastian|last2=Towler|first2=Christopher C.|date=May 2019|title=Race and Authoritarianism in American Politics|journal=Annual Review of Political Science|volume=22 |issue= |pages=503–519|issn=1094-2939|doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-064519|doi-access=free}}
{{Cite journal|last1=Perry|first1=Samuel L.|last2=Whitehead|first2=Andrew L.|last3=Grubbs|first3=Joshua B.|date=April 21, 2021|title=The Devil That You Know: Christian Nationalism and Intent to Change One's Voting Behavior For or Against Trump in 2020|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S175504832100002X/type/journal_article|journal=Politics and Religion|volume=15|issue=2 |pages=229–246|doi=10.1017/S175504832100002X|hdl=11244/334967|hdl-access=free}}
{{Cite journal |last1=Piazza |first1=James |last2=Van Doren |first2=Natalia |date=October 8, 2022 |title=It's About Hate: Approval of Donald Trump, Racism, Xenophobia and Support for Political Violence |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1532673X221131561 |journal=American Politics Research |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=299–314 |access-date=January 20, 2025 |issn=1532-673X |doi=10.1177/1532673X221131561 }}
{{cite journal |last1=Pion-Berlin |first1=David |last2=Bruneau |first2=Thomas |last3=Goetze |first3=Richard B. Jr.|date=April 7, 2022 |title=The Trump self-coup attempt: comparisons and civil–military relations |journal=Government and Opposition |volume=FirstView |issue=4 |pages=789–806 |doi=10.1017/gov.2022.13 |s2cid=248033246 |doi-access=free }}
{{Cite journal |last1=Reyes |first1=Antonio |date=May 4, 2020 |title=I, Trump The cult of personality, anti-intellectualism and the Post-Truth era |url=https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |journal=Journal of Language and Politics |volume=19 |issue=6 |pages=869–892 |issn=1569-2159 |doi=10.1075/jlp.20002.rey}}
{{cite journal |last1=Rothe |first1=Dawn L. |last2=Collins |first2=Victoria E. |date=November 17, 2019 |title=Turning Back the Clock? Violence against Women and the Trump Administration |journal=Victims & Offenders |volume=14 |issue=8 |pages=965–978 |doi=10.1080/15564886.2019.1671284}}
{{Cite journal |last1=Ross |first1=Bertrall L. |date=October 2024 |title=Polarization, Populism, and the Crisis of American Democracy |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-041922-035113 |journal=Annual Review of Law and Social Science |volume=20 |access-date=December 20, 2024 |pages=293–308 |issn=1550-3631 |doi=10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-041922-035113 }}
{{Cite journal |last=Stephens-Dougan |first=LaFluer |date=May 2021 |title=The Persistence of Racial Cues and Appeals in American Elections |journal=Annual Review of Political Science |volume=24 |issue= |pages=301–320 |issn=1094-2939 |doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-082619-015522 |doi-access=free }}
{{cite journal |last1=Sundahl |first1=Anne-Mette Holmgård |title=Personality Cult or a Mere Matter of Popularity? |journal= International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society |volume=36 |issue=4 |date=May 4, 2022 |pages=431–458 |doi=10.1007/s10767-022-09423-0 |pmid=35528318 |pmc=9066393}}
{{Cite journal |last=Urbinati |first=Nadia |date=May 2019 |title=Political Theory of Populism |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-070753 |journal=Annual Review of Political Science |volume=22 |access-date=December 20, 2024 |pages=111–127 |issn=1094-2939 |doi=10.1146/annurev-polisci-050317-070753}}

External links

[https://www.thetrumparchive.com/ Archive of Donald Trump's tweets]
{{C-SPAN}}
{{IMDb name}}
[https://archive.org/details/trumparchive Donald Trump] on the Internet Archive
[https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/donald-j-trump/ Biography of Donald Trump] from The White House website (courtesy of the White House Historical Association)

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