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Donald Trump is 80: how the billionaire became one of the most talked—about politicians in the world
Donald Trump turns 80 years old. Over the decades, he has gone from the heir to the construction business to the president of the United States and one of the most discussed politicians of our time. Read more about his biography, life, and statements about Russia in the Izvestia article.
Who is Donald Trump and how did he become known?
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946 in New York City into the family of Fred Trump, a millionaire entrepreneur who was involved in construction and real estate management. The atmosphere of business activity and a practical approach to business has accompanied him since childhood and largely determined his future professional choice. He received his education first at the New York Military Academy, and then continued his studies at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor's degree in Economics.
Donald Trump with his father Fred Trump
After graduation, Trump began working for his father's company, where he gained his first experience in real estate management. Over time, he became actively involved in the development of projects, gradually moving from the role of a student to an independent player. Already in the 1970s, he began to implement his own initiatives, focusing on large facilities and projects that could attract the attention of the public and investors.
How Trump built a business empire and became a media personality
Real estate has become a key area of activity for Donald Trump. He was engaged in the construction and reconstruction of hotels, office buildings and residential complexes, expanding the geography of projects and strengthening his position in the market. Gradually, his business began to go beyond the classical development, covering the hotel industry, the entertainment industry and licensing his own brand.
In 1971, he acquired a controlling interest in his father's company and renamed it the Trump Organization. Among her most famous projects in New York are the 26-storey Grand Hyatt Hotel, the 58—storey Trump Tower, and the 72-storey Trump World Tower. The Trump Organization has designed and erected buildings in several other U.S. cities, as well as in Korea, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.
In the 1980s, Donald Trump acquired several casinos and merged them into one company. In addition, he owned prestigious golf clubs, resorts, and tourist sites both in the United States and abroad. He received a significant portion of his income through the registration of the Trump brand, which is used by various companies in various fields, from mortgages to the restaurant business and food production. In 1996-2015, Trump was a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, which was responsible for organizing the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants; in 2015, he bought out a partner's share and sold the rights to hold them to the IMG agency for about $25 million.
The business development was accompanied by active work with the media. Trump consciously shaped the public image of a successful entrepreneur, which eventually made him one of the most recognizable figures in the US business world. A significant role in this was played by his participation in television projects, primarily in the reality show The Apprentice, where he acted as a tough but effective leader.
Why did Donald Trump decide to enter politics
Trump's interest in politics was evident long before his official participation in the elections. He regularly spoke out on issues of domestic and foreign policy of the United States, commented on economic decisions and criticized the actions of the authorities. These statements gradually shaped his image of a man who was ready to offer an alternative view of the country's development.
In 2015, Trump announced his intention to run for president. His campaign was based on criticism of the political establishment and an emphasis on the need for changes in the economy, migration policy and international relations. He actively used direct communication with voters, relying on clear and resonant rhetoric. This allowed him to quickly attract the attention of a wide audience and take a prominent place in the political space.
Trump's first presidential term and the main events of that period
For the first time, Donald Trump announced his intention to participate in the presidential election in the early 1990s. In 1999, he was nominated from the Reform Party, and in 2012 from the Republican Party, but in both cases withdrew his candidacy at the early stages of the primaries.
President of the United States Donald J. Trump Trump leaves the White House in Washington, D.C., after speaking at the first meeting of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, July 19, 2017
When he launched his presidential campaign in 2016, he declared that he would become a "great president," and his main slogan was "Make America great again." Then Trump won the presidential election, beating Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. His inauguration took place on January 20, 2017.
During his first term, Trump tightened immigration policy and implemented tax reform. The foreign economic policy was aimed at revising trade agreements and reducing participation in international organizations. The United States withdrew from a number of international treaties and structures, including UNESCO, the Paris Climate Agreement and the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, and also stopped funding the World Health Organization (WHO).
President Donald Trump welcomes Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Committee for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on February 27, 2019
New trade agreements were concluded with Mexico, Canada and China, and individual steps to normalize relations with Cuba were reviewed. Washington recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and proposed a plan to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and with the mediation of the United States, Israel signed the "Abraham Agreements" with the UAE and Bahrain. Trump also tried to establish a dialogue with North Korea by establishing personal contact with Kim Jong-un. At the same time, relations between the United States and Russia continued to deteriorate: sanctions expanded, diplomatic conflicts arose, and disagreements over disarmament intensified.
In his first term as president, Trump faced intense pressure from opponents over suspected ties to Russia. Investigations were conducted against him and his team in Congress and the US Department of Justice, including the case of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller (2017-2019), but no evidence of collusion was found.
The lead leader of the impeachment process, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Jamie Raskin (Democrat from Maryland), speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol after the U.S. Senate voted 57 votes to 43 for the acquittal of former President Donald J. Trump. Trump on charges of inciting an attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 13, 2021
In September 2019 and January 2021, Democrats in the House of Representatives initiated impeachment. In the first case, Trump was accused of abuse of power because of attempts to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son. The second charge was sedition after the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The uniqueness of the situation was that one president was impeached twice, and the second time after the end of his term. In both cases, the Senate acquitted him.
Entering the 2020 presidential campaign, Trump passed the primaries without serious competition and was unanimously nominated as the party's candidate. In the November 3 elections, he received 74.2 million votes (11 million more than in 2016), but lost to Democrat Joe Biden, who was voted for by 81.3 million voters; in the electoral College, the score was 232 against 306.
President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Pro Star Aviation in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on August 28, 2020
On January 6, 2021, the day the election results were approved by Congress, a rally of Trump supporters at the Capitol escalated into an assault, which disrupted the meeting, led to the evacuation of lawmakers and the death of five people. The election results were approved the next day. Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration — the first such event since 1869 - and, without admitting defeat, tried to challenge the results in the courts, but to no avail.
After leaving office, he retained influence in the Republican Party, continued his political activities and criticized the media, the Biden administration and the Democrats, insisting on the illegitimacy of the elections. In November 2022, Trump announced his intention to run in the 2024 elections, won the primaries, and was confirmed as the party's candidate.
How Trump participated in the new presidential election
There were two assassination attempts on Trump during the 2024 campaign. On July 13, at a rally in Pennsylvania, he received an ear wound, and the shooter was eliminated by the Secret Service. On September 15, in Florida, near the place of his golf game, a Secret Service agent opened fire on an armed suspect, who was later detained; the FBI qualified the incident as an assassination attempt.
In the November 5, 2024 elections, Trump won with 77.3 million votes and 312 electoral votes. His rival Kamala Harris received more than 75 million votes and 226 electors.
The politician took office for the second time on January 20, 2025, becoming the second president of the United States to return to power after a break (previously it was Grover Cleveland).
In his second term, Trump began a large-scale review of domestic and foreign policy: he tightened migration measures, reduced government staff and spending, canceled a number of gender initiatives, curtailed green energy programs and increased import duties. In foreign policy, he revised the role of the United States in NATO, demanded that allies increase defense spending and stopped providing gratuitous aid to Ukraine, shifting it to partners.
The inauguration of US President Donald Trump, January 20, 2025
The United States also withdrew from a number of international organizations and agreements, and stopped financing some UN structures. Military operations were authorized against various groups abroad, as well as strikes against Iran and Venezuela. At the same time, high-level contacts with Russia resumed and negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine began.
Donald Trump's family, children, and personal life
Donald Trump's personal life was also in the public spotlight. He was married three times and is the father of five children. Some of Trump's children are actively involved in the management of his companies and perform in the public space.
In 1977-1992, Donald Trump was married to Czechoslovak athlete and model Ivana Zelnichkova. In this marriage, three children were born — Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. Ivana died in July 2022 at the age of 73. In 1993, Trump married actress Marla Maples, and they had a daughter, Tiffany. In 1999, the couple divorced.
First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump
In 2005, the politician married model Melania Knauss. They have a son, Barron (born 2006). Trump also has 11 grandchildren.
Trump's children actively participated in his 2016 campaign. Donald Jr. is an entrepreneur, he has five children. Ivanka is a businesswoman, mother of three children, worked as an assistant to the president. She is married to Jared Kushner. Eric is engaged in business and works for his father's company, he has two children. Tiffany received an education in sociology and law, in 2022 she married Michael Bulosa, a billionaire from Nigeria, and in 2025 they had a son. Barron attends Oxbridge Academy Private School in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Interesting facts about Donald Trump
Donald Trump's companies have repeatedly gone through bankruptcy proceedings: in 1991, the Taj Mahal entertainment complex filed an application, in 1992, two more casinos in Atlantic City, and then his enterprises faced bankruptcy in 2004 and 2008.
In the book "The Art of Return," Trump criticized the tradition of handshaking, calling it "the curse of society" and emphasizing his penchant for cleanliness, but for the sake of the presidency he was forced to abandon this position and regularly shake hands even during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump claimed that he had never consumed alcohol, including because of the fate of his older brother, who suffered from alcoholism. At the same time, he is known for his love of diet Coke, which he ordered using a special button in the Oval Office.
In 1990, Trump allowed the possibility of legalizing drugs, believing that this would deprive drug lords of income and allow tax revenues to be directed to addiction prevention.
Donald Trump's latest statements about Russia
Donald Trump comments mainly on the Ukrainian conflict, speaking about Russia. So, on June 4, he said that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky could be a great event. Putin and Trump are having telephone conversations, where they exchange opinions on the international situation.
Trump's quotes about Russia
"They defeated Hitler. They defeated Napoleon. This is a military machine," Trump said, commenting on the "confrontation" between the European allies of the United States in NATO and Russia on Fox News in February 2024.
"Doing business with China is good, but you need to have a fair share of doing business with Russia. They have so many minerals, the size of their territory is four times larger than that of the United States ... we can run a great business, and everyone will be happy," the American leader said at an election event on September 18, 2024.
"I love the Russian people, and I have always had very good relations with President Putin — and this is despite the fact that the radical left is talking about Russia," Donald Trump said about the possible imposition of sanctions against Russia on the Truth Social network in January 2025.
"He (Putin. — Ed.) wants to bring back the economy. Russia has a huge potential for trade if we use these resources," Trump said after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on July 14, 2025.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
