Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{Short description|President-elect and 45th President of the United States}}
{{Other uses}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Donald Trump official portrait.jpg<!-- DO NOT CHANGE the picture without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 1. -->
| alt = Official White House presidential portrait. Head shot of Trump smiling in front of the U.S. flag, wearing a dark blue suit jacket with American flag lapel pin, white shirt, and light blue necktie.
| caption = Official portrait, 2017
| office = [[President-elect of the United States]]
| vicepresident = [[JD Vance]] (elect)
| term_start = January 20, 2025
| succeeding = [[Joe Biden]]
| order2 = 45th<!--and 47th--><!-- DO NOT ADD A LINK. Please discuss any proposal on the talk page first. Most recent discussion at [[Talk:Donald Trump/Archive 65#Link-ifying "45th" in the Infobox?]] had a weak consensus to keep the status-quo (no link). -->
| office2 = President of the United States
| vicepresident2 = [[Mike Pence]]
| term_start2 = January 20, 2017
| term_end2 = January 20, 2021
| predecessor2 = [[Barack Obama]]
| successor2 = Joe Biden
| birth_name = Donald John Trump
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|6|14}}
| birth_place = [[Queens]], New York City, U.S.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE (or add to) this location without prior consensus; please see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 2. -->
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present)
| otherparty = {{plainlist}}
* [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform]] (1999–2001)
* [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (2001–2009)
* [[Independent politician|Independent]] (2011–2012)
{{endplainlist}}
| spouse = {{plainlist}}
* {{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}}
{{endplainlist}}
| children = {{flatlist|
* [[Donald Jr.]]
* [[Ivanka Trump|Ivanka]]
* [[Eric Trump|Eric]]
* [[Tiffany Trump|Tiffany]]
* [[Barron Trump|Barron]]
}}
| relatives = [[Trump family]]
| awards = [[List of awards and honors received by Donald Trump|Full list]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this college or diploma without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 63. -->
| net_worth = <!-- Keep empty, per [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 47. -->
| occupation = {{hlist|[[Political career of Donald Trump|Politician]]|[[Business career of Donald Trump|businessman]]|[[Media career of Donald Trump|media personality]]}}
| signature = Donald Trump (Presidential signature).svg
| signature_alt = Donald J. Trump stylized autograph, in ink
| website = {{unbulleted list|{{URL|https://www.donaldjtrump.com|Campaign website}}|{{URL|https://www.trumplibrary.gov/|Presidential library}}|{{URL|https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/|White House archives}}}}
| module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Donald Trump speaks on declaration of Covid-19 as a Global Pandemic by the World Health Organization.ogg|title=Donald Trump's voice|type=speech|description=Donald Trump speaks on the declaration of [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19 as a global pandemic]] by the [[World Health Organization]].<br />Recorded March 11, 2020}}
}}
{{Donald Trump series}}
<!-- NOTE: Changes to the lead are regularly discussed on the talk page. DO NOT EDIT WAR. If you make a change that is reverted, please open a discussion or contribute to an existing one, per [[WP:BRD]]. Consensus items marked "DO NOT CHANGE" require prior discussion. If you add or remove a sentence with a section link, please also add or remove the hidden reminder following the section heading. -->
'''Donald John Trump''' (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th [[president of the United States]] from 2017 to 2021. He is <!--Don't add -currently--> the [[president-elect of the United States|president-elect]] after winning the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]], scheduled to be [[Second inauguration of Donald Trump|inaugurated as]] the 47th president on January 20, 2025. Trump is a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]].
Born in New York City, Trump graduated with a [[bachelor's degree]] in economics from the [[University of Pennsylvania]] in 1968. After becoming president of the family real estate business in 1971, Trump renamed it [[the Trump Organization]] and reoriented the company toward building and renovating skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. After a series of business failures in the late 1990s, he launched side ventures, mostly licensing the Trump name. From 2004 to 2015, he produced and hosted the reality television series ''[[The Apprentice (American TV series)|The Apprentice]]''. He and his businesses have been plaintiffs or defendants in more than 4,000 legal actions, including six business bankruptcies. Trump won the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]] as the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] nominee against [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] while losing the popular vote.{{efn|name=electoral-college|Presidential elections in the U.S. are decided by the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]]. Each state names a number of electors equal to its representation in [[United States Congress|Congress]] and (in most states) all electors vote for the winner of their state's popular vote.}} The [[Mueller investigation]] determined that [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Russia interfered in the 2016 election]] to favor Trump. During the campaign, his political positions were described as populist, protectionist, and nationalist. His election and policies sparked numerous protests.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 20. --> He was the only U.S. president without prior military or government experience. His election led to the creation of a [[Trumpism|political movement]] and [[cult of personality]].{{efn|name=Cult}} Trump promoted conspiracy theories and made many false and misleading statements during his campaigns and presidency, to a degree unprecedented in American politics.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], items 49 and 53. --> Many of his comments and actions have been characterized as racially charged, racist, and misogynistic.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], items 30 and 51. -->
In his first term, Trump [[Executive Order 13769|ordered a travel ban]] on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, diverted military funding toward building [[Trump wall|a wall on the U.S.–Mexico border]], and implemented [[Trump administration family separation policy|a family separation policy]].<!-- This sentence must contain a summary of Trump's actions on immigration, including the Muslim travel ban, the wall, and the family separation policy; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 52. --> He rolled back more than 100 environmental policies and regulations and signed the [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act]] of 2017, which cut taxes and eliminated the [[Health insurance mandate|individual mandate]] penalty of the [[Affordable Care Act]]. He appointed [[Neil Gorsuch]], [[Brett Kavanaugh]], and [[Amy Coney Barrett]] to the U.S. Supreme Court. He reacted slowly to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]], ignored or contradicted recommendations from health officials, used political pressure to interfere with testing efforts, and spread unverified information about unproven treatments. Trump initiated [[China–United States trade war|a trade war with China]] and withdrew the U.S. from the proposed [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] trade agreement, the [[Paris Agreement]] on climate change, and the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|Iran nuclear deal]]. He met with North Korean leader [[Kim Jong Un]] three times, but made no progress on denuclearization.
Trump lost the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]] to [[Joe Biden]] but refused to concede, falsely claimed widespread electoral fraud, and [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|attempted to overturn the results]]. On January 6, 2021, he urged his supporters to march to the [[U.S. Capitol]], which [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|many of them then attacked]]. He is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice, [[First impeachment of Donald Trump|in 2019]] for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden, and [[Second impeachment of Donald Trump|in 2021]] for incitement of insurrection; the Senate acquitted him in both cases. Scholars and historians [[Historical rankings of presidents of the United States|rank Trump]] as one of the worst presidents in American history.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 54. --> In 2024, a New York jury [[Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York|found him guilty on 34 felony counts]] of falsifying business records related to a [[Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal|hush money payment to Stormy Daniels]], making him the only U.S. president convicted of a felony. Trump also received felony indictments related to his alleged [[FBI investigation into Donald Trump's handling of government documents|mishandling of classified documents]] and 2020 election interference, and was found liable in civil lawsuits [[E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump|for sexual abuse and defamation in 2023 and 2024]], and [[New York business fraud lawsuit against the Trump Organization|for financial fraud in 2024]].
After leaving office, Trump continued to dominate the Republican Party, became its nominee again in the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]] and defeated Democratic candidate [[Kamala Harris]], winning both the popular and electoral vote. Trump became the second president in U.S. history after [[Grover Cleveland]] to be elected to non-consecutive terms.
== Personal life ==
=== Early life ===
[[File:Donald Trump NYMA.jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|left|alt=A black-and-white photograph of Trump as a teenager, smiling, wearing a dark pseudo-military uniform with various badges and a light-colored stripe crossing his right shoulder|Trump at [[New York Military Academy]], 1964]] <!-- DO NOT MOVE this image to the right. Depending on user configuration, the infobox+navbox may push the photo down, making it adjacent to unrelated prose. -->
Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at [[Jamaica Hospital]] in [[Queens]], New York City,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-embraces-birther/story?id=13240431|title=Donald Trump Steps Up Calls for Obama to Release Birth Certificate|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=March 28, 2011|access-date=September 11, 2024}}</ref> the fourth child of [[Fred Trump]] and [[Mary Anne MacLeod Trump]]. He is of German and Scottish descent.<ref name="TrFa_1">{{cite web| author=Frost, N.| title=The Trump Family’s Immigrant Story| url=https://www.history.com/news/donald-trump-father-mother-ancestry| publisher=[[A&E Networks| A&E television networks]]| website=Sky History| date=14 September 2023| access-date=7 November 2024| quote=Trump is the son, and grandson, of immigrants: German on his father’s side, and Scottish on his mother’s}}</ref> He grew up with older siblings [[Maryanne Trump Barry|Maryanne]], [[Fred Trump Jr.|Fred Jr.]], and Elizabeth and younger brother [[Robert Trump|Robert]] in the [[Jamaica Estates]] neighborhood of Queens.<ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 22, 2015|access-date=November 7, 2018}}</ref> He attended the private [[Kew-Forest School]] through seventh grade{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA33 33]}}<ref name="bully">{{cite news|last1=Schwartzman|first1=Paul|last2=Miller|first2=Michael E.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/young-donald-trump-military-school/2016/06/22/f0b3b164-317c-11e6-8758-d58e76e11b12_story.html|title=Confident. Incorrigible. Bully: Little Donny was a lot like candidate Donald Trump|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 22, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2024}}</ref> and [[New York Military Academy]], a private boarding school, from eighth through twelfth grade.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA38 38]}}<ref name="bully"/> In 1964, he 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Matt|last=Viser|title=Even in college, Donald Trump was brash|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2015/08/28/donald-trump-was-bombastic-even-wharton-business-school/3FO0j1uS5X6S8156yH3YhL/story.html|date=August 28, 2015|access-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref> In 2015, Trump's lawyer threatened Trump's colleges, his high school, and the [[College Board]] with legal action if they released his academic records.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ashford|first=Grace|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]]|access-date=June 9, 2019|date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>
While in college, Trump obtained four student [[Conscription in the United States|draft]] deferments during the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-avoided-vietnam-with-deferments-records-show|title=Donald Trump avoided Vietnam with deferments, records show|date=April 29, 2011|work=[[CBS News]]|first=Brian|last=Montopoli|access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref> In 1966, he was deemed fit for military service based on a medical examination, and in July 1968, a local draft board classified him as eligible to serve.<ref name="defer">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/questions-linger-about-trumps-draft-deferments-during-vietnam-war/2015/07/21/257677bc-2fdd-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html|title=Questions linger about Trump's draft deferments during Vietnam War|last=Whitlock|first=Craig|author-link=Craig Whitlock|date=July 21, 2015|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.archives.gov/foia/donald-trump-selective-service-draft-card.html|title=Donald John Trump's Selective Service Draft Card and Selective Service Classification Ledger|date=March 14, 2019|work=[[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]]|access-date=September 23, 2019}} – via [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)]]</ref><ref name="feet">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html|title=Donald Trump's Draft Deferments: Four for College, One for Bad Feet|last1=Eder|first1=Steve|last2=Philipps|first2=Dave|author-link2=David Philipps|date=August 1, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 2, 2016}}</ref> In October 1968, he was classified {{nowrap|1-Y}}, a conditional medical deferment for [[bone spurs]],<ref name="defer"/> and in 1972, he was reclassified {{nowrap|4-F}}, unfit for military service, permanently disqualifying him.<ref name="feet"/>
=== Family ===
{{Main|Family of Donald Trump}}
In 1977, Trump married Czech model [[Ivana Zelníčková]].{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=300}} They had three children: [[Donald Jr.]] (born 1977), [[Ivanka Trump|Ivanka]] (1981), and [[Eric Trump|Eric]] (1984). The couple divorced in 1990, following Trump's affair with actress [[Marla Maples]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Baron|first=James|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/12/nyregion/trumps-get-divorce-next-who-gets-what.html|title=Trumps Get Divorce; Next, Who Gets What?|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 12, 1990|access-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref> Trump and Maples married in 1993 and divorced in 1999. They have one daughter, [[Tiffany Trump|Tiffany]] (born 1993), who was raised by Maples in California.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hafner|first=Josh|url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/19/who-is-tiffany-trump/87321708/|title=Get to know Donald's other daughter: Tiffany Trump|work=[[USA Today]]|date=July 19, 2016 |access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> In 2005, Trump married Slovenian model [[Melania Knauss]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40186-2005Jan26.html|title=Donald Trump, Settling Down|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first=Tina|last=Brown|author-link=Tina Brown|date=January 27, 2005|access-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref> They have one son, [[Barron Trump|Barron]] (born 2006).<ref>{{cite news|title=Donald Trump Fast Facts|url=https://cnn.com/2013/07/04/us/donald-trump-fast-facts/|date=July 2, 2021|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref>
=== Religion ===
In the 1970s, Trump's parents joined the [[Marble Collegiate Church]], part of the [[Reformed Church in America]].<ref name="BarronNYT"/><ref name="WaPo.March.18.17">{{cite news|last=Schwartzman|first=Paul|title=How Trump got religion – and why his legendary minister's son now rejects him|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/how-trump-got-religion--and-why-his-legendary-ministers-son-now-rejects-him/2016/01/21/37bae16e-bb02-11e5-829c-26ffb874a18d_story.html|access-date=March 18, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 21, 2016}}</ref> He went to Sunday school and was [[confirmed]] in 1959 at the [[First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica]], Queens.<ref name="BarronNYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/nyregion/donald-trump-marble-collegiate-church-norman-vincent-peale.html|title=Overlooked Influences on Donald Trump: A Famous Minister and His Church|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=James|last=Barron|author-link=James Barron (journalist)|date=September 5, 2016|access-date=October 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name=inactive>{{cite news|last=Scott|first=Eugene|author-link=Eugene Scott (journalist)|title=Church says Donald Trump is not an 'active member'|url=https://cnn.com/2015/08/28/politics/donald-trump-church-member/|access-date=September 14, 2022|work=[[CNN]]|date=August 28, 2015}}</ref> In 2015, he said he was a [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]] and attended Marble Collegiate Church; the church said he was not an active member.<ref name="inactive"/> In 2019, he appointed his personal pastor, televangelist [[Paula White]], to the White House [[Office of Public Liaison]].<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 31, 2019|first1=Jeremy W.|last1=Peters|author-link1=Jeremy W. Peters|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|title=Paula White, Trump's Personal Pastor, Joins the White House|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/paula-white-trump.html|access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref> In 2020, he said he identified as a [[non-denominational Christian]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Exclusive: Trump, confirmed a Presbyterian, now identifies as 'non-denominational Christian'|url=https://religionnews.com/2020/10/23/exclusive-trump-confirmed-a-presbyterian-now-identifies-as-non-denominational-christian/|work=[[Religion News Service]]|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=September 29, 2021|first1=Jack|last1=Jenkins|first2=Maina|last2=Mwaura}}</ref>
=== Health habits ===
Trump says he has never drunk alcohol, smoked cigarettes, or used drugs.<ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=February 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> He sleeps about four or five hours a night.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding two sentences without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 67. --> He has called golfing his "primary form of exercise" but usually does not walk the course.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=133}} In 2015, Trump's campaign released a letter from his longtime personal physician, [[Harold Bornstein]], stating that Trump would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".<ref name="dictation">{{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/|work=[[CNN]]|date=May 1, 2018|access-date=May 20, 2018}}</ref> 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 the doctor's office.<ref name="dictation"/><ref>{{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|work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=June 6, 2019}}</ref>
===Wealth===
{{Main|Wealth of Donald Trump}}
[[File:Ivana Trump shakes hands with Fahd of Saudi Arabia.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Trump (far right) and wife Ivana in the receiving line of a state dinner for King [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia]] in 1985, with U.S. president [[Ronald Reagan]] and First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]]|alt=Ivana Trump and King Fahd shake hands, with Ronald Reagan standing next to them smiling. All are in black formal attire.]]
In 1982, Trump made the initial ''[[Forbes]]'' list of wealthy people for holding a share of his family's estimated $200 million net worth (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|200|1982}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).{{Inflation/fn|US}} His losses in the 1980s dropped him from the list between 1990 and 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/business/yourmoney/whats-he-really-worth.html|title=What's He Really Worth?|first=Timothy L.|last=O'Brien|author-link=Timothy L. O'Brien|access-date=February 25, 2016|date=October 23, 2005|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> After filing the mandatory financial disclosure report with the [[Federal Election Commission|FEC]] in July 2015, he announced a net worth of about $10 billion. Records released by the FEC showed at least $1.4 billion in assets and $265 million in liabilities.<ref name="disclosure">{{cite news|last1=Diamond|first1=Jeremy|last2=Frates|first2=Chris|url=https://cnn.com/2015/07/22/politics/donald-trump-personal-financial-disclosure/|title=Donald Trump's 92-page financial disclosure released|work=[[CNN]]|date=July 22, 2015 |access-date=September 14, 2022}}</ref> ''Forbes'' estimated his net worth dropped by $1.4 billion between 2015 and 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-forbes-wealthiest-people-in-the-us-list-2018-10|title=Trump has fallen 138 spots on Forbes' wealthiest-Americans list, his net worth down over $1 billion, since he announced his presidential bid in 2015|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=October 3, 2018|first=John|last=Walsh|access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref> In their 2024 billionaires ranking, Trump's net worth was estimated to be $2.3 billion (1,438th in the world).<!-- Update preceding values annually per [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 5. Otherwise, DO NOT CHANGE without prior consensus. --><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/donald-trump/?list=billionaires|title=Profile Donald Trump|work=[[Forbes]]|year=2024|access-date=March 28, 2024}}</ref>
In 2018, journalist Jonathan Greenberg reported that Trump had called him in 1984 pretending to be a fictional Trump Organization official named "[[John Barron (pseudonym)|John Barron]]". Greenberg said that, to get a higher ranking on the [[Forbes 400|''Forbes'' 400]] list of wealthy Americans, Trump, speaking as "Barron", falsely asserted that Donald Trump owned more than 90 percent of his father's business. Greenberg also wrote that ''Forbes'' had vastly overestimated Trump's wealth and wrongly included him on the 1982, 1983, and 1984 rankings.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 20, 2018|access-date=September 29, 2021|first=Jonathan|last=Greenberg|title=Trump lied to me about his wealth to get onto the Forbes 400. Here are the tapes.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-lied-to-me-about-his-wealth-to-get-onto-the-forbes-400-here-are-the-tapes/2018/04/20/ac762b08-4287-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/26/donald-trump-my-dad-gave-me-a-small-loan-of-1-million-to-get-started.html|title=Donald Trump: My dad gave me 'a small loan' of $1 million to get started|work=[[CNBC]]|first=Scott|last=Stump|date=October 26, 2015|access-date=November 13, 2016}}</ref> He was a millionaire by age eight, borrowed at least $60 million from his father, largely failed to repay those loans, and received another $413 million (2018 dollars adjusted for inflation) from his father's company.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Barstow|first1=David|author-link1=David Barstow|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|author-link2=Susanne Craig|last3=Buettner|first3=Russ|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-wealth-fred-trump.html|title=11 Takeaways From The Times's Investigation into Trump's Wealth|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 2, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Tax_Schemes">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html|title=Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Barstow|first1=David|author-link1=David Barstow|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|author-link2=Susanne Craig|last3=Buettner|first3=Russ|date=October 2, 2018|access-date=October 2, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, he and his family were reported to have committed tax fraud, and the [[New York State Department of Taxation and Finance]] started an investigation.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/> His investments underperformed the stock and New York property markets.<ref>{{cite news|title=From the Tower to the White House|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=February 20, 2016|access-date=February 29, 2016|url=https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21693230-enigma-presidential-candidates-business-affairs-tower-white|quote=Mr Trump's performance has been mediocre compared with the stockmarket and property in New York.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Ana|last=Swanson|title=The myth and the reality of Donald Trump's business empire|date=February 29, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/29/the-myth-and-the-reality-of-donald-trumps-business-empire/}}</ref> ''Forbes'' estimated in October 2018 that his net worth declined from $4.5 billion in 2015 to $3.1 billion in 2017 and his product-licensing income from $23 million to $3 million.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Alexander|first1=Dan|last2=Peterson-Whithorn|first2=Chase|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2018/10/02/how-trump-is-tryingand-failingto-get-rich-off-his-presidency/|title=How Trump Is Trying—And Failing—To Get Rich Off His Presidency|work=[[Forbes]]|date=October 2, 2018 |access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref>
[[Trump's tax returns]] from 1985 to 1994 show net losses totaling $1.17 billion. The losses were higher than those of almost every other American taxpayer. The losses in 1990 and 1991, more than $250 million each year, were more than double those of the nearest taxpayers. In 1995, his reported losses were $915.7 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|.9157|1995|r=2}} billion in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref name=Buettner-190508>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/07/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html|title=Decade in the Red: Trump Tax Figures Show Over $1 Billion in Business Losses|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 7, 2019|access-date=May 8, 2019|first1=Russ|last1=Buettner|first2=Susanne|last2=Craig|author-link2=Susanne Craig}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/trump-taxes/588967/|title=The Secret That Was Hiding in Trump's Taxes|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=May 8, 2019|access-date=May 8, 2019|first=Conor|last=Friedersdorf|author-link=Conor Friedersdorf}}</ref>{{Inflation/fn|US}}
In 2020, ''The New York Times'' obtained Trump's tax information extending over two decades. Its reporters found that Trump reported losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. Since 2010 he had also failed to pay back $287 million in loans. During the 15 years prior to 2020, Trump, using [[tax credits]] for business losses, paid no income taxes in 10 of those years and $750 each in 2016 and 2017. He balanced his businesses' losses by selling and borrowing against assets, including a $100 million [[Trump Tower#2000s to present|mortgage on Trump Tower (refinanced in 2022)]] and the liquidation of over $200 million in stocks and bonds. He personally guaranteed $421 million in debt, most of which is due by 2024.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Buettner|first1=Russ|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|author-link2=Susanne Craig|last3=McIntire|first3=Mike|date=September 27, 2020|title=Long-concealed Records Show Trump's Chronic Losses And Years Of Tax Avoidance|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html|access-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref>
{{as of|2021|10|lc=n}}, Trump had over $1.3 billion in debts, much of which is secured by his assets.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Forbes]]|date=October 7, 2021|title=Trump's Debt Now Totals An Estimated $1.3 Billion|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2021/10/07/trumps-debt-now-totals-an-estimated-13-billion/?sh=67fa55564575|first=Dan|last=Alexander|access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref> In 2020, he owed $640 million to banks and trust organizations, including [[Bank of China]], [[Deutsche Bank]], and [[UBS]], and approximately $450 million to unknown creditors. The value of his assets exceeds his debt.<ref>{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Dan|title=Donald Trump Has at Least $1 Billion in Debt, More Than Twice The Amount He Suggested|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2020/10/16/donald-trump-has-at-least-1-billion-in-debt-more-than-twice-the-amount-he-suggested/|access-date=October 17, 2020|work=[[Forbes]]|date=October 16, 2020}}</ref>
== Business career ==
{{Main|Business career of Donald Trump}}
{{Further|Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|Tax returns of Donald Trump}}
===Real estate===
[[File:Donald Trump with model of Television City.jpg|thumb|upright|Trump in 1985 with a model of one of his aborted Manhattan development projects<ref>{{cite news|last=Handy|first=Bruce|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/trump-tower-real-estate-projects/583243/|title=Trump Once Proposed Building a Castle on Madison Avenue|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=April 1, 2019|access-date=July 28, 2024}}</ref>]]
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.<ref name=Mahler>{{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}}</ref><ref name="Rich NYMag">{{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 (magazine)|New York]]|date=April 30, 2018|access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref> 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]}} 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
====Manhattan and Chicago developments====
Trump attracted public attention in 1978 with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture, the renovation of the derelict [[Grand Hyatt New York|Commodore Hotel]], adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The financing was facilitated by a $400 million city property tax abatement arranged for Trump by his father who also, jointly with [[Hyatt]], guaranteed a $70 million bank construction loan.<ref name="Rich NYMag"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> The hotel reopened in 1980 as the [[Grand Hyatt New York|Grand Hyatt Hotel]],{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 84]}} and that same year, Trump obtained rights to develop [[Trump Tower]], a mixed-use skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.<ref>{{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]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html}}</ref> The building houses the headquarters of the Trump Corporation and Trump's [[Political action committee|PAC]] and was Trump's primary residence until 2019.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jacobs|first1=Shayna|last2=Fahrenthold|first2=David A.|last3=O'Connell|first3=Jonathan|last4=Dawsey|first4=Josh|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-tower-pac-rent-campaign-finance/2021/09/02/dfeae19e-0b2f-11ec-9781-07796ffb56fe_story.html|title=Trump Tower's key tenants have fallen behind on rent and moved out. But Trump has one reliable customer: His own PAC.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 3, 2021 |access-date=February 15, 2022}}</ref><ref name=moved>{{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}}</ref>
In 1988, Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of sixteen banks.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1995, Trump 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 Trump to avoid personal bankruptcy.<ref name="plaza">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The lead bank's attorney said of the banks' decision that they "all agreed that he'd be better alive than dead."<ref name="plaza"/>
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, Trump won the right to develop a {{convert|70|acre|ha|adj=on}} tract in the [[Lincoln Square, Manhattan|Lincoln Square]] neighborhood near the Hudson River. Struggling with debt from other ventures in 1994, Trump sold most of his interest in the project to Asian investors, who financed the project's completion, [[Riverside South, Manhattan|Riverside South]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump's last major construction project was the 92-story mixed-use [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)]] which opened in 2008. In 2024, the [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)#Tax deductions|New York Times and ProPublica reported]] that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating whether Trump had twice written off losses incurred through construction cost overruns and lagging sales of residential units in the building Trump had declared to be worthless on his 2008 tax return.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Buettner|first1=Russ|last2=Kiel|first2=Paul|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/11/us/trump-taxes-audit-chicago.html|title=Trump May Owe $100 Million From Double-Dip Tax Breaks, Audit Shows|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 11, 2024|access-date=August 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Atlantic City casinos ====
[[File:Trump Taj Mahal, 2007.jpg|thumb|alt=The entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal, a casino in Atlantic City. It has motifs evocative of the Taj Mahal in India.|Entrance of the [[Trump Taj Mahal]] 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]].<ref name="fall"/> It was unprofitable, and Trump 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, Trump bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it [[Trump Castle]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Both casinos filed for [[Chapter 11]] bankruptcy protection in 1992.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/08/business/trump-s-taj-open-at-last-with-a-scary-appetite.html|title=Trump's Taj – Open at Last, With a Scary Appetite|date=April 8, 1990|last=Glynn|first=Lenny|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 135]}} Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1991. Under the provisions of the restructuring agreement, Trump gave up half his initial stake and personally guaranteed future performance.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.<ref>{{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}}</ref> THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle in 1996 and went bankrupt in 2004 and 2009, leaving Trump with 10 percent ownership.<ref name="fall">{{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 (magazine)|Philadelphia]]|date=August 16, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2016|first=Dan|last=McQuade}}</ref> He remained chairman until 2009.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Fortune]]|access-date=May 6, 2018}}</ref>
==== Clubs ====
In 1985, Trump acquired the [[Mar-a-Lago]] estate in Palm Beach, Florida.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Town & Country]]|access-date=July 3, 2018}}</ref> Trump declared the club his primary residence in 2019.<ref name=moved /> The Trump Organization began [[Donald Trump and golf|building and buying golf courses]] in 1999.<ref name="CNN">{{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}}</ref> It owns fourteen and manages another three Trump-branded courses worldwide.<ref name="CNN"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== Licensing of the Trump brand ===
{{See also|List of things named after Donald Trump}}
The Trump name has been [[The Trump Organization#Related ventures and investments|licensed for]] consumer products and services, including foodstuffs, apparel, learning courses, and home furnishings.<ref name="neckties">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Martin|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/30/us/politics/donald-trump-institute-plagiarism.html|title=Trump Institute Offered Get-Rich Schemes With Plagiarized Lessons|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 29, 2016|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> According to ''[[The Washington Post]]'', there are more than 50 licensing or management deals involving Trump's name, and they have generated at least $59 million in revenue for his companies.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license his name.<ref name="neckties"/>
=== Side ventures ===
[[File:Donald Trump and Doug Flutie at a press conference in the Trump Tower.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Trump and New Jersey Generals quarterback [[Doug Flutie]] 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 September 1983, Trump purchased the [[New Jersey Generals]], a team in the [[United States Football League]]. After the 1985 season, the league folded, largely due to Trump's attempt to move to a fall schedule (when it would have competed with the [[NFL]] for audience) and trying to force a merger with the NFL by bringing an antitrust suit.<ref>{{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|work=[[ESPN]]|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13255737/five-things-know-donald-trump-usfl-experience}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://fortune.com/2017/09/24/donald-trump-nfl-usfl/|title=Donald Trump Fought the NFL Once Before. He Got Crushed|work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|date=September 24, 2017|access-date=June 22, 2018|last=Morris|first=David Z.}}</ref>
Trump and his Plaza Hotel hosted several boxing matches at the [[Atlantic City Convention Hall]].<ref name="fall"/>{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=137–143}} In 1989 and 1990, Trump 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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
From 1986 to 1988, Trump 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,<ref name=Buettner-190508 /> leading some observers to think he was engaged in [[greenmail]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' found that Trump 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".<ref name=Buettner-190508 />
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.<ref name="TA">{{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}}</ref> Trump defaulted on his loans in 1991, and ownership passed to the banks.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4343030/donald-trump-failures/|title=10 Donald Trump Business Failures|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=October 11, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2023}}</ref>
[[File:Donald Trump star Hollywood Walk of Fame.JPG|thumb|upright=0.7|Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame|alt=A red star with a bronze outline and "Donald Trump" and a TV icon written on it in bronze, embedded in a black terrazzo sidewalk]]
In 1992, Trump, his siblings [[Maryanne Trump Barry|Maryanne]], Elizabeth, and [[Robert Trump|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.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Blair|first=Gwenda|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/07/trump-new-york-times-tax-evasion-221082|title=Did the Trump Family Historian Drop a Dime to the New York Times?|work=[[Politico]]|date=October 7, 2018|access-date=August 14, 2020}}</ref> The increased costs were used to get state approval for increasing the rents of Trump's rent-stabilized units.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/>
From 1996 to 2015, Trump owned all or part of the [[Miss Universe]] pageants, including [[Miss USA]] and [[Miss Teen USA]].<ref name="pageantsaleWME">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/business/media/trump-sells-miss-universe-organization-to-wme-img-talent-agency.html|title=Trump Sells Miss Universe Organization to WME-IMG Talent Agency|date=September 14, 2015|first=John|last=Koblin|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=January 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-sells-miss-universe-img-2015-9|title=Donald Trump just sold off the entire Miss Universe Organization after buying it 3 days ago|date=September 14, 2015|first=Jethro|last=Nededog|work=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=May 6, 2016}}</ref> Due to disagreements with CBS about scheduling, he took both pageants to NBC in 2002.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2007, Trump received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for his work as producer of Miss Universe.<ref>{{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}}</ref> NBC and Univision dropped the pageants in June 2015.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Trump University ====
{{Main|Trump University}}
In 2004, Trump co-founded [[Trump University]], a company that sold real estate seminars for up to $35,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/01/trump-university-fraud-scandal|title=Big Hair on Campus: Did Donald Trump Defraud Thousands of Real Estate Students?|last=Cohan|first=William D.|author-link=William D. Cohan|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=December 3, 2013|access-date=March 6, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Barbaro|author-link=Michael Barbaro|title=New York Attorney General Is Investigating Trump's For-Profit School|date=May 19, 2011|access-date=September 30, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/nyregion/trumps-for-profit-school-said-to-be-under-investigation.html}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/02/27/donald-trumps-misleading-claim-that-hes-won-most-of-lawsuits-over-trump-university/|first=Michelle Ye Hee|last=Lee|title=Donald Trump's misleading claim that he's 'won most of' lawsuits over Trump University|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 27, 2016|access-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/08/26/trump-entrepreneur-initiative-case/2700811/|title=Trump faces two-front legal fight over 'university'|work=[[USA Today]]|first=Kevin|last=McCoy|date=August 26, 2013|access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/us/politics/donald-trump-university.html|title=Former Trump University Workers Call the School a 'Lie' and a 'Scheme' in Testimony|last1=Barbaro|first1=Michael|author-link1=Michael Barbaro|last2=Eder|first2=Steve|date=May 31, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/01/480279246/hard-sell-the-potential-political-consequences-of-the-trump-university-documents|title=Hard Sell: The Potential Political Consequences of the Trump University Documents|last=Montanaro|first=Domenico|date=June 1, 2016|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=June 2, 2016}}</ref> Shortly after he won the 2016 presidential election, Trump agreed to pay a total of $25 million to settle the three cases.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== Foundation ===
{{Main|Donald J. Trump Foundation}}
The Donald J. Trump Foundation was a [[Private foundation (United States)|private foundation]] established in 1988.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=David A.|last=Fahrenthold|author-link=David Fahrenthold|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/|title=Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 1, 2016|access-date=September 30, 2021}}</ref> 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,<ref name="retool">{{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}}</ref> which received millions from other donors, including $5 million from [[Vince McMahon]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> The foundation gave to health- and sports-related charities, conservative groups,<ref>{{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/}}</ref> and charities that held events at Trump properties.<ref name="retool"/>
In 2016, ''The Washington Post'' reported that the charity committed several potential legal and ethical violations, including alleged self-dealing and possible [[tax evasion]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump's team announced in December 2016 that the foundation would be dissolved.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref> In December 2018, the foundation ceased operation and disbursed its assets to other charities.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=November 7, 2019|access-date=November 7, 2019|first=Aaron|last=Katersky}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50338231|title=Judge orders Trump to pay $2m for misusing Trump Foundation funds|date=November 8, 2019|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref>
=== Legal affairs and bankruptcies ===
{{Main|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump}}
[[Roy Cohn]] was Trump's [[Fixer (person)|fixer]], lawyer, and mentor for 13 years in the 1970s and 1980s.<ref name="Mahler2016Cohn">{{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}}</ref> According to Trump, Cohn sometimes waived fees due to their friendship.<ref name="Mahler2016Cohn"/> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1975, an agreement was struck requiring Trump's properties to furnish the [[National Urban League|New York Urban League]] with a list of all apartment vacancies, every week for two years, among other things.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dunlap|first=David W.|author-link=David W. Dunlap|title=1973: Meet Donald Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2015/07/30/1973-meet-donald-trump/|access-date=May 26, 2020|date=July 30, 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Cohn introduced political consultant [[Roger Stone]] to Trump, who enlisted Stone's services to deal with the federal government.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=June 28, 2017}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417181428/https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/ |archive-date=April 17, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> While Trump 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.<ref name="TW">{{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}}</ref> They continued to operate while the banks restructured debt and reduced Trump's shares in the properties.<ref name="TW"/>
During the 1980s, more than 70 banks had lent Trump $4 billion.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After his corporate bankruptcies of the early 1990s, most major banks, with the exception of Deutsche Bank, declined to lend to him.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After the [[January 6 Capitol attack]], the bank decided not to do business with Trump or his company in the future.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Media career ==
{{Main|Media career of Donald Trump}}
=== Books ===
{{Main|Bibliography of Donald Trump}}
Using [[ghostwriters]], Trump has produced 19 books under his name.<ref>{{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|work=[[The Independent]]|first=Andrew|last=Buncombe|date=July 4, 2018|access-date=October 11, 2020}}</ref> His first book, ''[[The Art of the Deal]]'' (1987), was a [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller]]. While Trump was credited as co-author, the entire book was written by [[Tony Schwartz (author)|Tony Schwartz]]. According to ''[[The New Yorker]]'', the book made Trump famous as an "emblem of the successful tycoon".<ref name="JM">{{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}}</ref>
=== Film and television ===
{{Main|Media career of Donald Trump}}
Trump had cameos in many films and television shows from 1985 to 2001.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adrienne|last=LaFrance|title=Three Decades of Donald Trump Film and TV Cameos|date=December 21, 2015|work=[[The Atlantic]]|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/three-decades-of-donald-trump-film-and-tv-cameos/421257/}}</ref>
Starting in the 1990s, Trump was a guest about 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 called ''[[Trumped!]]'' from 2004 to 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/the-donald-to-get-new-wife-radio-show/|title=The Donald to Get New Wife, Radio Show|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=April 29, 2004 |access-date=November 19, 2013|first=Stephen M.|last=Silverman |author-link=Stephen M. Silverman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Tedeschi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/06/technology/now-for-sale-online-the-art-of-the-vacation.html|title=Now for Sale Online, the Art of the Vacation|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 6, 2006|access-date=October 21, 2018}}</ref> From 2011 until 2015, he was a guest commentator on ''[[Fox & Friends]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Montopoli|first=Brian|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-gets-regular-fox-news-spot/|title=Donald Trump gets regular Fox News spot|work=[[CBS News]]|date=April 1, 2011|access-date=July 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
From 2004 to 2015, Trump was co-producer and host of reality shows ''The Apprentice'' and ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]''. On the shows, Trump was a superrich and successful chief executive who eliminated contestants with the [[catchphrase]] "you're fired". ''The New York Times'' called his portrayal a "highly flattering, highly fictionalized version of Mr. Trump". The shows remade his image for millions of viewers nationwide.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> With the related licensing agreements, they earned him more than $400 million.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In February 2021, Trump, who had been a member of [[SAG-AFTRA]] since 1989, resigned to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Two days later, the union permanently barred him.<ref>{{cite news|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'|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=February 7, 2021 |access-date=February 8, 2021}}</ref>
== Political career ==
{{Further|Political career of Donald Trump}}
[[File:Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.jpg|thumb|right|Trump and President [[Bill Clinton]], 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;<ref name="reg">{{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}}</ref> a member of the [[Independence Party of New York|Independence Party]], the New York state affiliate of the [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]], in 1999;<ref>{{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}}</ref> a Democrat in 2001; a Republican in 2009; unaffiliated in 2011; and a Republican in 2012.<ref name="reg"/>
In 1987, Trump placed full-page advertisements in three major newspapers,<ref name="hint">{{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}}</ref> expressing his views on foreign policy and how to eliminate the federal budget deficit.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite book|first=Jon|last=Meacham|title=Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush|date=2016|page=326|publisher=[[Random House]]|isbn=978-0-8129-7947-3}}</ref>
=== Presidential campaigns (2000–2016) ===
Trump [[Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign|was a candidate]] in the [[2000 Reform Party presidential primaries]] for three months but withdrew from the race in February 2000.<ref>{{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/}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
[[File:Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 by Mark Taylor.jpg|thumb|right|Trump speaking at [[Conservative Political Action Conference|CPAC]] 2011|alt=Trump, leaning heavily onto a lectern, with his mouth open mid-speech and a woman clapping politely next to him]]
In 2011, Trump speculated about running against President Barack Obama in [[2012 United States presidential election|the 2012 election]], making his first speaking appearance at the [[Conservative Political Action Conference]] (CPAC) in February 2011 and giving speeches in early primary states.<ref name="McA">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In May 2011, he announced he would not run.<ref name="McA"/> Trump's presidential ambitions were generally not taken seriously at the time.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 2016 presidential campaign ====
{{Main|Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign}}
{{further|2016 Republican Party presidential primaries|2016 United States presidential election#General election campaign}}
Trump's fame and provocative statements earned him an unprecedented amount of [[earned media|free media coverage]], elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.<ref name=Cillizza-160614>{{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]]}}</ref> He adopted the phrase "truthful hyperbole", coined by his ghostwriter Tony Schwartz, to describe his public speaking style.<ref name="JM"/><ref>{{cite news|first1=Emily|last1=Flitter|first2=James|last2=Oliphant|title=Best president ever! How Trump's love of hyperbole could backfire|date=August 28, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-hyperbole-insight-idUSKCN0QX11X20150828}}</ref> His campaign statements were often opaque and suggestive,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and a record number were false.<ref name="whoppers">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump said he disdained [[political correctness]] and frequently made claims of [[media bias]].<ref name=Walsh-160724>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> His run for office led to the creation of a [[Trumpism|political movement]] and [[cult of personality]].{{efn|name=Cult|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref>{{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=4 May 2022 |pages=431–458 |doi=10.1007/s10767-022-09423-0 |pmid=35528318 |pmc=9066393 |quote=Trump, Putin and Ardern are used as examples of the model's ability to distinguish between cult and non-cult phenomena. The comparison shows that only Trump and Putin have a cult on both dimensions ... This paper introduced a model for distinguishing between popularity and personality cults based on three parameters covering a representational and social practice dimension. Putin, Trump and Ardern were used to illustrate the model's ability to categorise phenomena with different degrees of charisma. The analysis shows that while Trump and Putin belong in the domain of personality cults, Ardern's alleged cult does not have a social practice dimension, as the few cultlike tendencies are strictly representational.}}</ref><ref>{{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 |quote=Trump supporters consistently showed bias in favor of the interests and ostensible positions of Trump, whereas Trump's detractors did not show an opposing bias ... Results of the current study do not support the broad existence of so-called 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' on the left, but they may lend credence to accusations that some Trump supporters have a cult-like loyalty to the 45th president.}}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{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 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |pages=869–892 |issn=1569-2159 |doi=10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305071023/https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |archive-date=March 5, 2024 }}</ref><ref name=ThePers_1>{{cite journal | author1=Goldsmith, B.E| author2=Moen, L.J.|date=May 14, 2024 |title=The personality of a personality cult? Personality characteristics of Donald Trump's most loyal supporters |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pops.12991 |journal=[[Political Psychology]] |issue=Special Issue |access-date=7 November 2024 |pages=19|doi=10.1111/pops.12991 |issn=0162-895X| archive-url= |archive-date= |quote=We contend that, for his most committed followers, the attraction is personality-based — both in terms of Trump's self-presentation to citizens and in terms of the personality characteristics making some citizens attracted to such leadership. Trump's appeal appears to fit Sundahl's (2023) three characteristics of a personality cult. The phenomenon of a political personality cult may have arrived in full force in U.S. democracy — and could potentially be its undoing.}}</ref><ref>{{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 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |pages=96–109 |issn=0735-1690 |doi=10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106102947/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |archive-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |quote=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.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Hassan |first1=Steven |author-link=Steven Hassan |year=2019 |title=The Cult of Trump |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |pages= |isbn=9781982127336 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Butler |first1=Anthea |author-link=Anthea Butler |year=2020 |title=White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |isbn=9781469661179 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Haltiwanger |first1=John |title=Republicans have built a cult of personality around Trump that glosses over his disgraced presidency |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-have-built-a-cult-of-personalty-around-trump-2021-3 |date=4 March 2021 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=[[Business Insider]] |language=en-US |archive-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115171921/https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-have-built-a-cult-of-personalty-around-trump-2021-3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tharoor |first1=Ishaan |date=2022-08-21 |title=Analysis {{!}} Trump's personality cult and the erosion of U.S. democracy |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/19/trump-cult-of-personality-democracy-erosion-united-states/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=August 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831130419/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/19/trump-cult-of-personality-democracy-erosion-united-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ben-Ghiat |first1=Ruth |date=2020-12-09 |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=2023-10-04 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=October 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019092934/https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-12-09/donald-trump-strongman-personality-cult |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
[[File:Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore 5.jpg|thumb|alt=Trump speaking in front of an American flag behind a lectern, wearing a black suit and red hat. The lectern sports a blue "TRUMP" sign.|Trump campaigning in Arizona, March 2016]]
Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066|first=Adam B.|last=Lerner|title=The 10 best lines from Donald Trump's announcement speech|work=[[Politico]]|date=June 16, 2015|access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/trumps-self-funding-lie/482691/|title=The Lie of Trump's 'Self-Funding' Campaign|work=[[The Atlantic]]|first=David A.|last=Graham|date=May 13, 2016|access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|His campaign]] was initially not taken seriously by political analysts, but he quickly rose to the top of opinion polls.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/123228/how-donald-trump-evolved-joke-almost-serious-candidate|date=October 27, 2015|first=Elspeth|last=Reeve|title=How Donald Trump Evolved From a Joke to an Almost Serious Candidate|magazine=[[The New Republic]]|access-date=July 23, 2018}}</ref> He became the front-runner in March 2016<ref>{{cite news|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/|title=Why Donald Trump is poised to win the nomination and lose the general election, in one poll|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> and was declared the presumptive Republican nominee in May.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/reince-priebus-donald-trump-is-nominee-222767|title=RNC Chairman: Trump is our nominee|last=Nussbaum|first=Matthew|date=May 3, 2016|access-date=May 4, 2016|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref>
[[Hillary Clinton]] led Trump in [[Nationwide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2016|national polling averages]] throughout the campaign, but, in early July, her lead narrowed.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton|title=2016 General Election: Trump vs. Clinton|access-date=November 8, 2016|work=[[HuffPost]]|archive-date=October 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002184537/https://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton|url-status=dead}}</ref> In mid-July Trump selected Indiana governor [[Mike Pence]] as his running mate,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> and the two were officially nominated at the [[2016 Republican National Convention]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/19/republicans-start-process-to-nominate-trump-for-president.html|title=Trump closes the deal, becomes Republican nominee for president|date=July 19, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=[[Fox News]]}}</ref>
Trump and Clinton faced off in [[2016 United States presidential debates|three presidential debates]] in September and October 2016. Trump twice refused to say whether he would accept the result of the election.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
===== Campaign rhetoric and political positions =====
{{Main|Political positions of Donald Trump|Rhetoric of Donald Trump}}
Trump's political positions and rhetoric were described as [[right-wing populist]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/10/31/the-republican-party-has-lurched-towards-populism-and-illiberalism|title=The Republican Party has lurched towards populism and illiberalism|newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=October 31, 2020|access-date=October 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Borger|first=Julian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/26/republican-party-autocratic-hungary-turkey-study-trump|title=Republicans closely resemble autocratic parties in Hungary and Turkey – study|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 26, 2021|access-date=October 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> ''[[Politico]]'' described them as "eclectic, improvisational and often contradictory", quoting a health-care policy expert at the [[American Enterprise Institute]] as saying that his political positions were a "random assortment of whatever plays publicly".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/will-the-real-donald-trump-please-stand-up-120607|title=Will the real Donald Trump please stand up?|last=Noah|first=Timothy|author-link=Timothy Noah|date=July 26, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref> [[NBC News]] counted "141 distinct shifts on 23 major issues" during his campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/full-list-donald-trump-s-rapidly-changing-policy-positions-n547801|title=A Full List of Donald Trump's Rapidly Changing Policy Positions|last=Timm|first=Jane C.|date=March 30, 2016|access-date=July 12, 2016|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> Trump appeals to Christian nationalists, according to a 2021 study.<ref>{{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|issn=1755-0483|hdl=11244/334967|hdl-access=free}}</ref>
Trump described NATO as "obsolete"<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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|quote=On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 'obsolete'.|journal=[[Communication Quarterly]]|volume=66|issue=2<!--|pages=176–195 -->|page=176|first=Jason A.|last=Edwards}}</ref> and espoused views that were described as [[non-interventionist]] and protectionist.<ref>{{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/}}</ref> His campaign platform emphasized renegotiating [[China–United States relations|U.S.–China relations]] and free trade agreements such as [[NAFTA]], strongly enforcing immigration laws, and building [[Trump wall|a new wall]] along the [[U.S.–Mexico border]]. Other campaign positions included pursuing [[energy independence]] while opposing climate change regulations, modernizing [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs#Veterans Benefits Administration|services for veterans]], repealing and replacing the [[Affordable Care Act]], abolishing [[Common Core]] education standards, [[infrastructure-based development|investing in infrastructure]], simplifying the [[Internal Revenue Code|tax code]] while reducing taxes, and imposing [[tariff]]s on imports by companies that offshore jobs. He advocated increasing military spending and extreme vetting or banning of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Trump helped bring far-right fringe ideas and organizations into the mainstream.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In August 2016, Trump hired [[Steve Bannon]], the executive chairman of ''[[Breitbart News]]''—described by Bannon as "the platform for the alt-right"—as his campaign CEO.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clickbait scoops and an engaged alt-right: everything to know about Breitbart News|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/15/breitbart-news-alt-right-stephen-bannon-trump-administration|access-date=November 18, 2016|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=November 15, 2016|first=Jason|last=Wilson}}</ref> The [[alt-right]] movement coalesced around and supported Trump's candidacy, due in part to its [[opposition to multiculturalism]] and [[Opposition to immigration|immigration]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
===== Financial disclosures =====
{{Further|Tax returns of Donald Trump}}
Trump's FEC-required reports listed assets above $1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $315 million.<ref name="disclosure"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump did not release [[Donald Trump's tax returns|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> He said his tax returns were being [[Income tax audit|audited]], and that his lawyers had advised him against releasing them.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
In October 2016, portions of Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from ''The New York Times''. They show that Trump had declared a loss of $916 million that year, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
===== Election to the presidency =====
{{Main|2016 United States presidential election}}
On November 8, 2016, Trump received 306 pledged [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]] versus 232 for Clinton, though, after elector [[Faithless electors in the United States presidential election, 2016|defections on both sides]], the official count was ultimately 304 to 227.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump, the fifth person to be elected president [[List of United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote|while losing the popular vote]], received nearly 2.9 million fewer votes than Clinton.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He also was the only president who [[List of presidents of the United States by previous experience|neither served in the military nor held any government office]] prior to becoming president.<ref>{{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 (website)|Vox]]|access-date=January 3, 2017}}</ref>
Trump's victory was a [[political upset]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/election-results-2016-clinton-trump-231070|title=Trump pulls off biggest upset in U.S. history|work=[[Politico]]|date=November 9, 2016|first1=Shane|last1=Goldmacher|first2=Ben|last2=Schreckinger|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> Polls had consistently shown Clinton with a [[Nationwide opinion polling for the 2016 United States presidential election|nationwide]]—though diminishing—lead, as well as an advantage in most of the [[Statewide opinion polling for the 2016 United States presidential election|competitive states]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/upshot/why-trump-won-working-class-whites.html|title=Why Trump Won: Working-Class Whites|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 9, 2016|first=Nate|last=Cohn|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Women's March on Washington (32593123745).jpg|thumb|[[2017 Women's March|Women's March]] in Washington on January 21, 2017|alt=Pennsylvania Ave., completely packed with protesters, mostly women, many wearing pink and holding signs with progressive feminist slogans]]
Trump won 30 states, including [[Michigan]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Wisconsin]], states which had been considered a [[Blue wall (U.S. politics)|blue wall]] of Democratic strongholds since the 1990s. Clinton won 20 states and the [[District of Columbia]]. Trump's victory marked the return of an [[Divided government in the United States|undivided]] Republican government—a Republican White House combined with Republican control of both chambers of [[United States Congress|Congress]].<ref>{{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/}}</ref>
Trump's election victory sparked [[Protests against Donald Trump#After the election|protests]] in major U.S. cities.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Logan|first1=Brian|last2=Sanchez|first2=Chris|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-donald-trump-protest-united-states-2016-11|title=Protests against Donald Trump break out nationwide|date=November 10, 2016|work=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=September 16, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> On the day after Trump's inauguration, an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide, including an estimated half million in Washington, D.C., protested against Trump in the [[2017 Women's March|Women's Marches]].<ref>{{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|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref>
== First presidency (2017–2021) ==
{{Conservatism US}}
{{Main|First presidency of Donald Trump}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency}}
=== Early actions ===
{{See also|First presidential transition of Donald Trump|First 100 days of the first Donald Trump presidency}}
[[File:Donald Trump swearing in ceremony.jpg|thumb|left|Trump is [[First inauguration of Donald Trump|sworn in]] as president by Chief Justice [[John Roberts]]|alt=Trump, with his family watching, raises his right hand and places his left hand on the Bible as he takes the oath of office. Roberts stands opposite him administering the oath.]]
[[First inauguration of Donald Trump|Trump was inaugurated]] on January 20, 2017. During his first week in office, he signed [[List of executive actions by Donald Trump#Executive orders|six executive orders]], authorizing interim procedures in anticipation of repealing the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, reinstatement of the [[Mexico City policy]], advancement of the [[Keystone Pipeline|Keystone XL]] and [[Dakota Access Pipeline]] construction projects, reinforcement of border security, and a planning and design process to construct a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.<ref>{{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|work=[[Politico]]|date=January 25, 2017}}</ref>
Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law [[Jared Kushner]] became his [[Assistant to the President|assistant]] and [[Senior Advisor to the President of the United States|senior advisor]], respectively.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 21, 2017|access-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref>
=== Conflicts of interest ===
{{See also|First presidency of Donald Trump#Ethics}}
Before being inaugurated, Trump moved his businesses into a [[revocable trust]],<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="BBC041817">{{cite news|title=Donald Trump: A list of potential conflicts of interest|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38069298|work=[[BBC]]|date=April 18, 2017|access-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref> rather than a [[blind trust]] or equivalent arrangement "to cleanly sever himself from his business interests".<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump continued to profit from his businesses and to know how his administration's policies affected his businesses.<ref name="BBC041817"/><ref name="Venook">{{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}}</ref> Though he said he would eschew "new foreign deals", the Trump Organization pursued expansions of its operations in Dubai, Scotland, and the Dominican Republic.<ref name="BBC041817"/><ref name="Venook" />
Trump was sued for violating the [[Domestic Emoluments Clause|Domestic]] and [[Foreign Emoluments Clause]]s of the [[U.S. Constitution]], marking the first time that the clauses had been substantively litigated.<ref name=CRSRpt>{{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]]}}</ref> One case was dismissed in lower court.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Two were dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court as moot after the end of Trump's term.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
During Trump's term in office, he visited a Trump Organization property on 428 days, one visit for every 3.4 days of his presidency.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/20/trumps-presidency-ends-where-so-much-it-was-spent-trump-organization-property/|title=Trump's presidency ends where so much of it was spent: A Trump Organization property|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 27, 2022}}</ref>
=== Domestic policy ===
==== Economy ====
{{Main|Economic policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
Trump took office at the height of the longest [[economic expansion]] in American history,<ref name=VanDam>{{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}}</ref> which began in 2009 and continued until February 2020, when the [[COVID-19 recession]] began.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In December 2017, Trump signed the [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017]] passed by Congress without Democratic votes.{{relevance inline|date=April 2024}} It reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals, with business tax cuts to be permanent and individual tax cuts set to expire after 2025,{{importance inline|date=April 2024}} and set the penalty associated with the [[Affordable Care Act]]'s individual mandate to $0.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The Trump administration claimed that the act would not decrease government revenue, but 2018 revenues were 7.6 percent lower than projected.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Under Trump, the federal budget deficit increased by almost 50 percent, to nearly $1 trillion in 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By the end of his term, the [[U.S. national debt]] increased by 39 percent, reaching $27.75{{nbsp}}trillion, and the U.S. [[debt-to-GDP ratio]] hit a post-World War II high.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump also failed to deliver the $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan on which he had campaigned.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump is the only modern U.S. president to leave office with a smaller workforce than when he took office, by 3 million people.<ref name=VanDam/><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Climate change, environment, and energy ====
{{Main|Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
Trump rejects the [[scientific consensus on climate change]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> He reduced the budget for renewable energy research by 40 percent and reversed Obama-era policies directed at curbing climate change.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He [[withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement|withdrew from the Paris Agreement]], making the U.S. the only nation to not ratify it.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump aimed to boost the production and exports of [[fossil fuel]]s.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Natural gas expanded under Trump, but coal continued to decline.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref name=Subramaniam>{{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}}</ref> Trump 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 [[Arctic Refuge drilling controversy|drilling in the Arctic Refuge]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Deregulation ====
In 2017, Trump signed [[Executive Order 13771]], which directed that, for every new regulation, federal agencies "identify" two existing regulations for elimination, though it did not require elimination.<ref>{{cite news|last=Plumer|first=Brad|url=https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/30/14441430/trump-executive-order-regulations|title=Trump wants to kill two old regulations for every new one issued. Sort of.|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=January 30, 2017|access-date=March 11, 2023}}</ref> He dismantled many federal regulations on health,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="midnight">{{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}}</ref> labor,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="midnight"/> and the environment,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref name="midnight"/> among others, including a bill that made it easier for severely mentally ill persons to buy guns.<ref>{{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}}</ref> During his first six weeks in office, he delayed, suspended, or reversed ninety federal regulations,<ref>{{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}}</ref> often "after requests by the regulated industries".<ref>{{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}}</ref> The [[Institute for Policy Integrity]] found that 78 percent of Trump's proposals were blocked by courts or did not prevail over litigation.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Health care ====
During his campaign, Trump vowed to repeal and replace the [[Affordable Care Act]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> In office, he scaled back the Act's implementation through executive orders.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail"; his administration halved the [[Annual enrollment|enrollment period]] and drastically reduced funding for enrollment promotion.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In June 2018, the Trump administration [[California v. Texas|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.<ref name=StolbergACA>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Their pleading would have eliminated [[Health insurance coverage in the United States|health insurance coverage]] for up to 23 million Americans, but was unsuccessful.<ref name=StolbergACA /> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
In response to the [[opioid epidemic in the United States|opioid epidemic]], Trump signed legislation in 2018 to increase funding for drug treatments but was widely criticized for failing to make a concrete strategy. U.S. opioid overdose deaths declined slightly in 2018 but surged to a record 50,052 in 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Social issues ====
{{Main|Social policy of Donald Trump}}
Trump barred organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from receiving federal funds.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He said he supported "traditional marriage" but considered the [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|nationwide legality]] of [[same-sex marriage]] "settled".<ref>{{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}}</ref> His administration rolled back key components of the Obama administration's workplace protections against [[Discrimination against LGBT people|discrimination of LGBTQ people]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump's 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump has said he is [[Gun politics in the United States|opposed]] to [[gun control]], although his views have shifted over time.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After several [[mass shootings in the United States|mass shootings]] during his term, he said he would propose legislation related to guns, but he abandoned that effort in November 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-quietly-abandons-proposing-ideas-to-curb-gun-violence-after-saying-he-would-following-mass-shootings/2019/10/31/8bca030c-fa6e-11e9-9534-e0dbcc9f5683_story.html|title=Trump abandons proposing ideas to curb gun violence after saying he would following mass shootings|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first=Josh|last=Dawsey|author-link=Josh Dawsey|date=November 1, 2019|access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref> His administration took an [[Cannabis policy of the Donald Trump administration|anti-marijuana position]], revoking [[Cole Memorandum|Obama-era policies]] that provided protections for states that legalized marijuana.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump is a long-time advocate of capital punishment.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]|date=January 16, 2021|access-date=September 18, 2022}}</ref> Under his administration, the [[Capital punishment by the United States federal government|federal government executed]] 13 prisoners, more than in the previous 56 years combined, ending a 17-year moratorium.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2016, Trump said he supported the use of interrogation torture methods such as [[waterboarding]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=February 6, 2016|access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:President Trump Visits St. John's Episcopal Church (49964153176).jpg|thumb|Trump and group of officials and advisors on the way from the White House to St. John's Church]]
In June 2020, during the [[George Floyd protests]], federal law-enforcement officials controversially used [[less lethal]] weapons to remove a largely peaceful crowd of lawful protesters from [[Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.|Lafayette Square]], outside the [[White House]].<ref name="wb">{{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}}</ref><ref name="bumpline">{{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}}</ref> Trump then posed with a Bible for [[Donald Trump photo-op at St. John's Church|a photo-op]] at the nearby [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square|St. John's Episcopal Church]],<ref name="wb"/><ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=June 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> with religious leaders condemning both the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Many retired military leaders and defense officials condemned Trump's proposal to use the U.S. military against anti-police-brutality protesters.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== 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]].<ref>{{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|work=[[Pew Research Center]]|date=January 22, 2021|access-date=July 23, 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref name="road">{{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}}</ref><ref name="OloDaw">{{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}}</ref> In his last full day in office, Trump granted 73 pardons and commuted 70 sentences.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Several Trump allies were not eligible for pardons under Justice Department rules, and in other cases the department had opposed clemency.<ref name="road"/> The pardons of three military service members convicted of or charged with violent crimes were opposed by military leaders.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== Immigration ===
{{Main|Immigration policy of Donald Trump}}
Trump's proposed immigration policies were a topic of bitter debate during the 2016 campaign. He promised to build [[Trump wall|a wall]] on the [[Mexico–U.S. border]] to restrict illegal movement and vowed that Mexico would pay for it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37243269|title=Donald Trump's Mexico wall: Who is going to pay for it?|date=February 6, 2017|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=December 9, 2017}}</ref> He pledged to deport millions of [[Illegal immigrant population of the United States|illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.]],<ref>{{cite news|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|work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=September 29, 2015|date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> and criticized [[Birthright citizenship in the United States|birthright citizenship]] for incentivizing "[[anchor babies]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/08/donald-trump-has-some-thoughts-about-the-constitution|title=Donald Trump: The 14th Amendment is Unconstitutional|work=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]|date=August 19, 2015|access-date=November 22, 2015|first=Inae|last=Oh}}</ref> As president, he frequently described illegal immigration as an "invasion" and conflated immigrants with the criminal gang [[MS-13]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump drastically escalated immigration enforcement, including implementing harsher immigration enforcement policies against asylum seekers from Central America than any modern U.S. president.<ref>{{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=2017|volume=57|issue=3|pages=611–665|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/saclr57&div=21&id=&page=|access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{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|access-date=June 1, 2020|pages=575–616|volume=54|issue=2}}</ref>
From 2018 onward, Trump [[Operation Faithful Patriot|deployed nearly 6,000 troops to the U.S.–Mexico border]]<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=January 29, 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump reduced the number of [[United States Refugee Admissions Program|refugees admitted]] to record lows. When Trump took office, the annual limit was 110,000; Trump set a limit of 18,000 in the 2020 fiscal year and 15,000 in the 2021 fiscal year.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Additional restrictions implemented by the Trump administration caused significant bottlenecks in processing refugee applications, resulting in fewer refugees accepted than the allowed limits.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Travel ban ====
{{Main|Trump travel ban}}
{{Further|Executive Order 13769|Executive Order 13780}}
Following the [[2015 San Bernardino attack]], Trump proposed to ban [[Muslim]] foreigners from entering the U.S. until stronger vetting systems could be implemented.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pilkington|first=Ed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/07/donald-trump-ban-all-muslims-entering-us-san-bernardino-shooting|title=Donald Trump: ban all Muslims entering US|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 8, 2015|access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref> He later reframed the proposed ban to apply to countries with a "proven history of terrorism".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 25, 2016|access-date=October 3, 2021|first=Jenna|last=Johnson|title=Trump now proposes only Muslims from terrorism-heavy countries would be banned from U.S.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/25/trump-now-says-muslim-ban-only-applies-to-those-from-terrorism-heavy-countries/}}</ref>
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.<ref name="frontline">{{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}}</ref><ref name="airport">{{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}}</ref> [[Protests against Executive Order 13769|Protests began at airports]] the next day,<ref name="frontline"/><ref name="airport"/> and [[Legal challenges to the Trump travel ban|legal challenges]] resulted in [[National injunctions|nationwide preliminary injunctions]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> A March 6 [[Executive Order 13780|revised order]], which excluded Iraq and gave other exemptions, again was blocked by federal judges in three states.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In a [[Int'l Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump|decision in June 2017]], the [[Supreme Court of the United States|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".<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After lower courts partially blocked the new restrictions, the Supreme Court allowed the September version to go into full effect on December 4, 2017,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> and ultimately upheld the travel ban in a ruling in June 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Family separation at the border ====
{{Main|Trump administration family separation policy}}
{{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.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=February 5, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Spagat">{{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}}</ref> In April 2018, the Trump administration announced a "[[Trump administration family separation policy|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The policy was unprecedented in previous administrations and sparked public outrage.<ref name="Domonoske">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump falsely asserted that his administration was merely following the law, blaming Democrats, despite the separations being his administration's policy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/trump-immigration-separation-border.html|title=Separated at the Border From Their Parents: In Six Weeks, 1,995 Children|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018|last=Davis|first=Julie Hirschfeld|author-link=Julie Hirschfeld Davis}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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;<ref>{{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}}</ref> Sabraw ordered for the families to be reunited and family separations stopped except in limited circumstances.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After the order, the Trump administration separated more than a thousand migrant children from their families; the [[ACLU]] contended that the Trump administration had abused its discretion and asked Sabraw to more narrowly define the circumstances warranting separation.<ref name="Spagat"/>
==== Trump wall and government shutdown ====
{{Main|Trump wall|2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown}}
[[File:Donald Trump visits San Diego border wall prototypes.jpg|thumb|Trump examines border wall prototypes in [[Otay Mesa, California]].|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.<ref name="timm">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 2018, Trump refused to sign any [[appropriations bill]] from Congress unless it allocated $5.6 billion for the border wall,<ref>{{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}}</ref> resulting in the federal government partially shutting down for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, the [[List of United States federal funding gaps|longest U.S. government shutdown in history]].<ref name=Gambino>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Around 800,000 government employees were [[furlough]]ed or worked without pay.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump and Congress ended the shutdown by approving temporary funding that provided delayed payments to government workers but no funds for the wall.<ref name=Gambino /> The shutdown resulted in an estimated permanent loss of $3 billion to the economy, according to the [[Congressional Budget Office]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> About half of those polled blamed Trump for the shutdown, and Trump's approval ratings dropped.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref name=Wilkie>{{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}}</ref> Trump also declared a [[National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States|national emergency on the southern border]], intending to divert $6.1 billion of funds Congress had allocated to other purposes.<ref name=Wilkie /> Trump [[Veto power in the United States#In federal government|vetoed]] a [[joint resolution]] to overturn the declaration, and the Senate voted against a [[veto override]].<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=October 17, 2019}}</ref> Legal challenges to the diversion of $2.5 billion originally meant for the [[Department of Defense]]'s drug interdiction efforts<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{ussc|name=Trump v. Sierra Club|docket=19A60|volume=588|year=2019|el=no}}</ref> and $3.6 billion originally meant for military construction<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> were unsuccessful.
=== Foreign policy ===
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
{{See also|List of international presidential trips made by Donald Trump}}
[[File:-G7Biarritz (48616362963).jpg|thumb|Trump with the other [[Group of Seven|G7]] leaders at the [[45th G7 summit|45th summit]] in France, 2019|alt=Trump and other G7 leaders sit at a conference table]]
Trump described himself as a "nationalist"<ref>{{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}}</ref> and his foreign policy as "[[America First (policy)|America First]]".<ref name=Bennhold>{{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}}</ref> He praised and supported [[populist]], [[neo-nationalist]], and authoritarian governments.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Hallmarks of foreign relations during Trump's tenure included unpredictability, uncertainty, and inconsistency.<ref name=Bennhold /><ref>{{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|access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref> Tensions between the U.S. and its European allies were strained under Trump.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> He criticized [[Member states of NATO|NATO allies]] and privately suggested on multiple occasions that the U.S. should [[Withdrawal from NATO#United States|withdraw from NATO]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Trade ====
{{See also|Trump tariffs}}
Trump withdrew the U.S. from the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] (TPP) negotiations,<ref>{{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}}</ref> imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and launched a [[China–United States trade war|trade war with China]] by sharply increasing tariffs on 818 categories (worth $50 billion) of Chinese goods imported into the U.S.<ref>{{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}}</ref> While Trump said that import tariffs are paid by China into the [[U.S. Treasury]], they are paid by American companies that import goods from China.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Although he pledged during the campaign to significantly reduce the U.S.'s large [[trade deficits]], the trade deficit skyrocketed under Trump.<ref name="Palmer 2021">{{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}}</ref> Following a 2017–2018 renegotiation, the [[United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement]] (USMCA) became effective in July 2020 as the successor to NAFTA.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Russia ====
{{See also|Russia–United States relations#Trump administration (2017–2021)}}
[[File:President Trump at the G20 (48144047611).jpg|thumb|[[Vladimir Putin]] 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. against Russian entities after Russia's [[2014 annexation of Crimea]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump withdrew the U.S. from the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]], citing alleged Russian non-compliance,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and supported a potential return of Russia to the [[G7]].<ref name="G8">{{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}}</ref>
Trump repeatedly praised and rarely criticized Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]]<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> but opposed some actions of the Russian government.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> After he met Putin at the [[Helsinki Summit]] in 2018, Trump drew bipartisan criticism for accepting Putin's denial of [[Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election]], rather than accepting the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies.<ref>{{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]]|date=July 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump did not discuss alleged [[Russian bounties]] offered to [[Taliban]] fighters for attacking American soldiers in Afghanistan with Putin, saying both that he doubted the intelligence and that he was not briefed on it.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|author-link1=Charlie Savage (author)|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|author-link2=Eric P. Schmitt|last3=Schwirtz|first3=Michael|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/us/politics/russian-bounties-nsc.html|title=Russian Spy Team Left Traces That Bolstered C.I.A.'s Bounty Judgment|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=March 4, 2022}}</ref>
==== China ====
{{See also|China–United States relations#Trump administration (2017–2021)}}
[[File:Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meets at 2018 G20 Summit.jpg|thumb|Trump and Chinese leader [[Xi Jinping]] 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He [[China–United States trade war|launched a trade war against China]] that was widely characterized as a failure,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Disis|first=Jill|url=https://cnn.com/2020/10/24/economy/us-china-trade-war-intl-hnk/|title=Trump promised to win the trade war with China. He failed|work=[[CNN]]|date=October 25, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2022}}</ref> sanctioned [[Huawei]] for alleged ties to Iran,<ref>{{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}}</ref> significantly increased visa restrictions on Chinese students and scholars,<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref> and classified China as a [[currency manipulator]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump also juxtaposed verbal attacks on China with praise of [[Chinese Communist Party]] leader [[Xi Jinping]],<ref>{{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}}</ref> which was attributed to trade war negotiations.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After initially praising China for [[Chinese government response to COVID-19|its handling of COVID-19]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Ward|first=Myah|date=April 15, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=15 times Trump praised China as coronavirus was spreading across the globe|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/trump-china-coronavirus-188736}}</ref> he began a campaign of criticism starting in March 2020.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump said he resisted punishing China for [[Human rights in China|its human rights abuses]] against ethnic minorities in the [[Xinjiang]] region for fear of jeopardizing trade negotiations.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In July 2020, [[United States sanctions|the Trump administration imposed sanctions]] and visa restrictions against senior Chinese officials, in response to expanded mass [[Xinjiang re-education camps|detention camps]] holding more than a million of the country's [[Uyghurs|Uyghur]] minority.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== North Korea ====
{{See also|North Korea–United States relations#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|thumb|Trump and North Korean leader [[Kim Jong Un]] 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,<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning that North Korean aggression would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen".<ref name=Windrem>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2017, Trump declared that he wanted North Korea's "complete denuclearization", and engaged in [[name-calling]] with leader [[Kim Jong Un]].<ref name=Windrem /><ref>{{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}}</ref> After this period of tension, Trump and Kim exchanged at least 27 letters in which the two men described a warm personal friendship.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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|first1=Jamie|last1=Gangel|author-link1=Jamie Gangel|first2=Jeremy|last2=Herb|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/kim-jong-un-trump-letters-rage-book/}}</ref> In March 2019, Trump lifted some U.S. [[sanctions against North Korea]] against the advice of his Treasury Department.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump, the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader, met Kim three times: [[2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit|in Singapore]] in 2018, [[2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit|in Hanoi]] in 2019, and [[2019 Koreas–United States DMZ Summit|in the Korean Demilitarized Zone]] in 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref> However, no [[denuclearization]] agreement was reached,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and talks in October 2019 broke down after one day.<ref>{{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}}</ref> While conducting no nuclear tests since 2017, North Korea continued to build up its arsenal of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Afghanistan ====
[[File:Secretary Pompeo Meets With the Taliban Delegation (50333305012).jpg|thumb|U.S. Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] 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,<ref>{{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}}</ref> reversing Trump's pre-election position critical of further involvement in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gordon|first1=Michael R.|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|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|author-link1=Michael R. Gordon|author-link2=Eric P. Schmitt|author-link3=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> In February 2020, the Trump administration signed a [[United States–Taliban deal|peace agreement with the Taliban]], which called for the [[2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="5,000">{{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}}</ref> By the end of Trump's 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.<ref name="5,000"/>
==== Israel ====
Trump supported many of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Under Trump, the U.S. [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel]]<ref>{{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}}</ref> and [[United States recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel|Israeli sovereignty]] over the [[Golan Heights]],<ref>{{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}}</ref> leading to international condemnation including from the [[UN General Assembly]], [[European Union]], and [[Arab League]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2020, the White House hosted the signing of agreements, named [[Abraham Accords]], between Israel and the [[United Arab Emirates]] and [[Bahrain]] to normalize their foreign relations.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Saudi Arabia ====
[[File:Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Melania Trump, and Donald Trump, May 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump, King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]], 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]].<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-signs-110-billion-arms-deal-saudi-arabia/story?id=47531180|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, the U.S. provided limited intelligence and logistical support for the intervention.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Following the [[Abqaiq–Khurais attack|2019 attack on Saudi oil facilities]], which the U.S. and Saudi Arabia blamed on [[Iran]], Trump approved the deployment of 3,000 additional U.S. troops, including fighter squadrons, two [[MIM-104 Patriot|Patriot batteries]], and a [[Terminal High Altitude Area Defense]] system, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Syria ====
[[File:President Trump and President Erdoğan joint statement in the Roosevelt Room, May 16, 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump and Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] at the White House in May 2017]]
Trump ordered [[2017 Shayrat missile strike|missile strikes in April 2017]] and [[April 2018 missile strikes against Syria|April 2018]] against the Assad regime in Syria, in retaliation for the [[Khan Shaykhun chemical attack|Khan Shaykhun]] and [[Douma chemical attack]]s, respectively.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In December 2018, Trump declared "we have won against ISIS", contradicting Department of Defense assessments, and ordered the withdrawal of all troops from Syria.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The next day, Mattis resigned in protest, calling Trump's decision an abandonment of the U.S.'s [[Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria|Kurdish allies]] who played a key role in fighting ISIS.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In October 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], [[US intervention in the Syrian civil war|U.S. troops in northern Syria]] were withdrawn from the area and Turkey [[2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria|invaded northern Syria]], attacking and [[Forced displacement|displacing]] American-allied [[Kurds in Syria|Kurds]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Later that month, the U.S. House of Representatives, in a rare bipartisan vote of 354–60, condemned Trump's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, for "abandoning U.S. allies, undermining the struggle against ISIS, and spurring a humanitarian catastrophe".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Iran ====
In May 2018, Trump [[United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|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]].<ref name="AP180508">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> In August 2020, the Trump administration unsuccessfully attempted to use a section of the nuclear deal to have the UN reimpose sanctions against Iran.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Analysts determined that, after the U.S. withdrawal, Iran moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon.<ref name="close">{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|date=November 24, 2021 |access-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Donevan |first1=Connor |last2=Dorning |first2=Courtney |last3=Kelly |first3=Mary Louise |date=30 May 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=3 November 2024 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref>
On January 1, 2020, Trump ordered [[Assassination of Qasem Soleimani|a U.S. airstrike]] that killed Iranian general [[Qasem Soleimani]], who had planned nearly every significant Iranian and [[Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Iranian-backed]] operation over the preceding two decades.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> One week later, Iran retaliated with [[Operation Martyr Soleimani|ballistic 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 benefits accorded to their recipients.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="close"/>
=== Personnel ===
{{Main|Political appointments by Donald Trump|Cabinet of Donald Trump}}
The Trump administration had a high turnover of personnel, particularly among White House staff. By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.<ref>{{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}}</ref> {{As of|2018|7|pre=early}}, 61 percent of Trump's senior aides had left<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=July 2, 2018|access-date=July 3, 2018|last=Wise|first=Justin}}</ref> and 141 staffers had left in the previous year.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Both figures set a record for recent presidents—more change in the first 13 months than his four immediate predecessors saw in their first two years.<ref name="Keith">{{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}}</ref> Notable early departures included National Security Advisor [[Michael Flynn]] (after just 25 days), and Press Secretary [[Sean Spicer]].<ref name="Keith"/> Close personal aides to Trump including Bannon, [[Hope Hicks]], [[John McEntee (political aide)|John McEntee]], and [[Keith Schiller]] quit or were forced out.<ref name=Brookings>{{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}}</ref> Some later returned in different posts.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump publicly disparaged several of his former top officials, calling them incompetent, stupid, or crazy.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump had four [[White House chiefs of staff]], marginalizing or pushing out several.<ref name=Keither>{{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}}</ref> [[Reince Priebus]] was replaced after seven months by retired Marine general [[John F. Kelly]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Kelly resigned in December 2018 after a tumultuous tenure in which his influence waned, and Trump subsequently disparaged him.<ref>{{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/}}</ref> Kelly was succeeded by [[Mick Mulvaney]] as acting chief of staff; he was replaced in March 2020 by [[Mark Meadows]].<ref name=Keither />
On May 9, 2017, Trump [[Dismissal of James Comey|dismissed FBI director James Comey]]. While initially attributing this action to Comey's conduct in the investigation about [[Hillary Clinton email controversy#October 2016 – Additional investigation|Hillary Clinton's emails]], Trump said a few days later that he was concerned with Comey's role in the ongoing Trump-Russia investigations, and that he had intended to fire Comey earlier.<ref>{{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}}</ref> At a private conversation in February, Trump said he hoped Comey would drop the investigation into Flynn.<ref name="cloud">{{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}}</ref> In March and April, Trump asked Comey to "lift the cloud impairing his ability to act" by saying publicly that the FBI was not investigating him.<ref name="cloud"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump lost three of his 15 original cabinet members within his first year.<ref name="538 Cabinet">{{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}}</ref> Health and Human Services secretary [[Tom Price (American politician)|Tom Price]] was forced to resign in September 2017 due to excessive use of private charter jets and military aircraft.<ref name="538 Cabinet"/><ref name=Brookings /> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Eilperin|first1=Juliet|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|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}}</ref>
Trump was slow to appoint second-tier officials in the executive branch, saying many of the positions are unnecessary. In October 2017, there were still hundreds of sub-cabinet positions without a nominee.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By January 8, 2019, of 706 key positions, 433 had been filled (61 percent) and Trump had no nominee for 264 (37 percent).<ref>{{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/}}</ref>
=== 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|thumb|Trump and his third Supreme Court nominee, [[Amy Coney Barrett]]|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 [[United States federal judge|Article III judges]], including 54 to the [[United States courts of appeals|courts of appeals]] and [[Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates|three]] to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]: [[Neil Gorsuch]], [[Brett Kavanaugh]], and [[Amy Coney Barrett]].<ref>{{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|work=[[Pew Research Center]]|date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=May 30, 2021}}</ref> His Supreme Court nominees were noted as having politically shifted the Court to the right.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=In 6-to-3 Ruling, Supreme Court Ends Nearly 50 Years of Abortion Rights|first=Adam|last=Liptak|date=June 24, 2022|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/24/us/roe-wade-overturned-supreme-court.html|access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|title=In His Own Words: The President's Attacks on the Courts|url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/his-own-words-presidents-attacks-courts|work=[[Brennan Center for Justice]]|date=June 5, 2017|access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== COVID-19 pandemic ===
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}
{{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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Holshue|first=Michelle L.|display-authors=etal|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}}</ref> The outbreak was officially declared a public health emergency by [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary]] [[Alex Azar]] on January 31, 2020.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Trump initially ignored persistent public health warnings and calls for action from health officials within his administration and Secretary Azar.<ref>{{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=April 21, 2020|first1=David S.|last1=Cloud|first2=Paul|last2=Pringle|author-link2=Paul Pringle|first3=Eli|last3=Stokols|author-link3=Eli Stokols}}</ref><ref name="NYT 4 11 20">{{cite news|first1=Eric|last1=Lipton|author1link=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}}</ref> Throughout January and February he focused on economic and political considerations of the outbreak.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In February 2020 Trump publicly asserted that the outbreak in the U.S. was less deadly than [[influenza]], was "very much under control", and would soon be over.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 19, 2020, Trump privately told [[Bob Woodward]] that he was deliberately "playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic".<ref>{{cite news|date=September 10, 2020|title=Trump deliberately played down virus, Woodward book says|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54094559|access-date=September 18, 2020|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Jamie|last1=Gangel|first2=Jeremy|last2=Herb|first3=Elizabeth|last3=Stuart|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]]}}</ref>
By mid-March, most global financial markets had [[2020 stock market crash|severely contracted]] in response to the pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Partington|first1=Richard|last2=Wearden|first2=Graeme|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/09/global-stock-markets-post-biggest-falls-since-2008-financial-crisis|title=Global stock markets post biggest falls since 2008 financial crisis|date=March 9, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=March 15, 2020}}</ref> On March 6, Trump signed the [[Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act]], which provided $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 11, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a [[pandemic]],<ref name="WHOpandemic2">{{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}}</ref> and Trump announced partial travel restrictions for most of Europe, effective March 13.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 13, he declared a [[national emergency]], freeing up federal resources.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump claimed that "anybody that wants a test can get a test", despite test availability being severely limited.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
On April 22, Trump signed an executive order restricting some forms of immigration.<ref>{{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 English|Al Jazeera]]|date=April 23, 2020|access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref> 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 of the pandemic were overly optimistic or his failure to provide presidential leadership.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== White House Coronavirus Task Force ====
[[File:White House Press Briefing (49666120807).jpg|thumb|right|Trump conducts a COVID-19 press briefing with members of the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]] 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, 2020.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, Trump held a daily task force press conference, joined by medical experts and other administration officials,<ref name=Karni>{{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}}</ref> sometimes disagreeing with them by promoting unproven treatments.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump was the main speaker at the briefings, where he praised his own response to the pandemic, frequently criticized rival presidential candidate Joe Biden, and denounced the press.<ref name=Karni /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://time.com/5812588/donald-trump-coronavirus-briefings-message-campaign/|title='He's Walking the Tightrope.' How Donald Trump Is Getting Out His Message on Coronavirus|last=Berenson|first=Tessa|date=March 30, 2020|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=April 8, 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> His repeated use of "Chinese virus" and "China virus" to describe COVID-19 drew criticism from health experts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/3/18/21185478/coronavirus-usa-trump-chinese-virus|title=Trump's new fixation on using a racist name for the coronavirus is dangerous|last=Scott|first=Dylan|access-date=March 19, 2020|date=March 18, 2020|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=March 19, 2020|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref>
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, instead blaming the media, Democratic state governors, the previous administration, China, and the WHO.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The daily coronavirus task force briefings ended in late April, after a briefing at which Trump suggested the dangerous idea of injecting a disinfectant to treat COVID-19;<ref>{{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}}</ref> the comment was widely condemned by medical professionals.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
In early May, Trump proposed the phase-out of the coronavirus task force and its replacement with another group centered on reopening the economy. Amid a backlash, Trump said the task force would "indefinitely" continue.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By the end of May, the coronavirus task force's meetings were sharply reduced.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Acosta|first1=Jim|author-link1=Jim Acosta|last2=Liptak|first2=Kevin|last3=Westwood|first3=Sarah|title=As US deaths top 100,000, Trump's coronavirus task force is curtailed|url=https://cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-task-force/|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|date=May 29, 2020}}</ref>
==== 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.<ref name="Politico_WHO">{{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}}</ref> His administration's proposed 2021 federal budget, released in February, proposed reducing WHO funding by more than half.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/> In May and April, Trump 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,<ref name="Politico_WHO"/><ref name="CNN_WHO">{{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}}</ref><ref name="BBC_WHO">{{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}}</ref> and announced that he was withdrawing funding for the organization.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/> These were seen as attempts to distract from his own mishandling of the pandemic.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In July 2020, Trump announced the formal withdrawal of the U.S. from the WHO, effective July 2021.<ref name="CNN_WHO"/><ref name="BBC_WHO"/> The decision was widely condemned by health and government officials as "short-sighted", "senseless", and "dangerous".<ref name="CNN_WHO"/><ref name="BBC_WHO"/>
==== Pressure to abandon pandemic mitigation measures ====
{{Further|COVID-19 testing in the United States}}
In April 2020, Republican-connected groups organized [[Protests in the United States over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|anti-lockdown protests]] against the measures state governments were taking to combat the pandemic;<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump encouraged the protests on Twitter,<ref>{{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}}</ref> even though the targeted states did not meet the Trump administration's guidelines for reopening.<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref> In April 2020, he first supported, then later criticized, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] Governor [[Brian Kemp]]'s plan to reopen some nonessential businesses.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Throughout the spring he increasingly pushed for ending the restrictions to reverse the damage to the country's economy.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump often refused to [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|mask]] at public events, contrary to his administration's April 2020 guidance to wear masks in public<ref name=99days>{{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 (magazine)|New York]]|date=July 11, 2020}}</ref> and despite nearly unanimous medical consensus that masks are important to preventing spread of the virus.<ref name="WAPost_Mask">{{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}}</ref> By June, Trump had said masks were a "double-edged sword"; ridiculed Biden for wearing masks; continually emphasized that mask-wearing was optional; and suggested that wearing a mask was a political statement against him personally.<ref name="WAPost_Mask"/> Trump's contradiction of medical recommendations weakened national efforts to mitigate the pandemic.<ref name=99days /><ref name="WAPost_Mask"/>
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".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The CDC guideline at the time was that any person exposed to the virus should be "quickly identified and tested" even if they are not showing symptoms, because asymptomatic people can still spread the virus.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In August 2020 the CDC quietly lowered its recommendation for testing, advising that people who have been exposed to the virus, but are not showing symptoms, "do not necessarily need a test". The change in guidelines was made by HHS political appointees under Trump administration pressure, against the wishes of CDC scientists.<ref name="CNN-testing-pressure">{{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}}</ref><ref name=Gumbrecht>{{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}}</ref> The day after this [[Trump administration political interference with science agencies|political interference]] was reported, the testing guideline was changed back to its original recommendation.<ref name=Gumbrecht />
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 early July 2020 that 99 percent of COVID-19 cases are "totally harmless".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> He began insisting that all states should resume in-person education in the fall despite a July spike in reported cases.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Political pressure on health agencies ====
{{Main|Trump administration political interference with science agencies}}
Trump repeatedly pressured federal health agencies to take actions he favored,<ref name="CNN-testing-pressure"/> such as approving unproven treatments<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name=pressed>{{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}}</ref> or speeding up vaccine approvals.<ref name=pressed /> Trump administration political appointees at HHS sought to control CDC communications to the public that undermined Trump's 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Outbreak at the White House ====
{{Main|White House COVID-19 outbreak}}
[[File:President Trump Boards Marine One (50436803733).jpg|thumb|upright=1.05|Trump boards [[Marine One]] 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Later that day [[Donald Trump's COVID-19 infection|Trump 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.<ref name="downplay">{{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}}</ref><ref name="sicker">{{cite news|last1=Weiland|first1=Noah|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|last3=Mazzetti|first3=Mark|last4=Karni|first4=Annie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |author-link3=Mark Mazzetti |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}}</ref> During and after his treatment he continued to downplay the virus.<ref name="downplay"/> 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.<ref name="sicker"/>
==== 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.<ref name="Election_NBCNews">{{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}}</ref> Biden sought to make the pandemic the central issue.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Polls suggested voters blamed Trump for his pandemic response<ref name="Election_NBCNews"/> and disbelieved his rhetoric concerning the virus, with an [[Ipsos]]/[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] poll indicating 65 percent of respondents disapproved of his pandemic response.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|first=Kendall|last=Karson|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref> In the final months of the campaign, Trump repeatedly said that the U.S. was "rounding the turn" in managing the pandemic, despite increasing cases and deaths.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== 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 [[The Trump Organization|private businesses]], personal taxes, and [[Donald J. Trump Foundation|charitable foundation]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> There were ten federal criminal investigations, eight state and local investigations, and twelve congressional investigations.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In April 2019, the [[House Oversight Committee]] issued [[subpoena]]s seeking financial details from Trump's banks, Deutsche Bank and [[Capital One]], and his accounting firm, [[Mazars USA]]. Trump sued the banks, Mazars, and committee chair [[Elijah Cummings]] to prevent the disclosures.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In May, [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|DC District Court]] judge [[Amit Mehta]] ruled that Mazars must comply with the subpoena,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> and judge [[Edgardo Ramos]] of the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District Court of New York]] ruled that the banks must also comply.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump's attorneys appealed.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In September 2022, the committee and Trump agreed to a settlement about Mazars, and the accounting firm began turning over documents.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 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 "[[Analytic confidence#Levels of analytic confidence in national security reports|high confidence]]" that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Many suspicious<ref>{{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}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Members of Trump's campaign and his White House staff, particularly Flynn, were in contact with Russian officials both before and after the election.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump told Kislyak and [[Sergei Lavrov]] in May 2017 he was unconcerned about Russian interference in U.S. elections.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump and his allies promoted [[Conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal|a conspiracy theory]] that Ukraine, rather than Russia, interfered in the 2016 election—which was also promoted by Russia to [[Frameup|frame]] Ukraine.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== FBI Crossfire Hurricane and 2017 counterintelligence investigations ====
In July 2016, the FBI launched an investigation, codenamed [[Crossfire Hurricane (FBI investigation)|Crossfire Hurricane]], into possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> After Trump fired FBI director James Comey in May 2017, the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into Trump's personal and [[Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|business dealings with Russia]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Crossfire Hurricane was transferred to the Mueller investigation,<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="never">{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 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 [[United States Department of Justice|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".<ref name="never"/> The special counsel also investigated whether Trump's [[dismissal of James Comey]] as FBI director constituted obstruction of justice<ref>{{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}}</ref> and the Trump campaign's possible ties to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, [[Turkey]], [[Qatar]], Israel, and China.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Slate]]|date=March 8, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> Trump sought to fire Mueller and shut down the investigation multiple times but backed down after his staff objected or after changing his mind.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In March 2019, Mueller gave [[Mueller report|his final report]] to Attorney General [[William Barr]],<ref>{{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}}</ref> which Barr purported to summarize [[Barr letter|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump repeatedly claimed that the investigation exonerated him; the Mueller report expressly stated that it did not.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
A redacted version of the report, publicly released in April 2019, found that Russia interfered in 2016 to favor Trump.<ref>{{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|agency=[[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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="takeaways">{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref> The report revealed sweeping Russian interference<ref name="takeaways"/> and detailed how Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged it, believing it would benefit them electorally.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
The report also detailed multiple acts of potential obstruction of justice by Trump but "did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President's conduct".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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,<ref name="LM">{{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}}</ref> and investigators would not accuse him of a crime when he cannot clear his name in court.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The report concluded that Congress, having the authority to take action against a president for wrongdoing, "may apply the obstruction laws".<ref name="LM"/> The House of Representatives subsequently launched an [[Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump|impeachment inquiry]] following the [[Trump–Ukraine scandal]], but did not pursue an article of impeachment related to the Mueller investigation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Why Democrats sidelined Mueller in impeachment articles|first1=Kyle|last1=Cheney|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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Several Trump associates pleaded guilty or were convicted in connection with Mueller's investigation and related cases, including Manafort<ref>{{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}}</ref> and Flynn.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]|date=December 5, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> Trump's former attorney [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]] pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump's 2016 attempts to reach a deal with Russia to build [[Trump Tower Moscow|a Trump Tower in Moscow]]. Cohen said he had made the false statements on behalf of Trump.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== First impeachment ===
{{Main|First impeachment of Donald Trump|Trump–Ukraine scandal}}
[[File:House of Representatives Votes to Adopt the Articles of Impeachment Against Donald Trump.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Members of House of Representatives vote on two [[articles of impeachment]] {{nowrap|({{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 protection in the United States|whistleblower]] filed a complaint with the [[Inspector General of the Intelligence Community]] about a July 25 phone call between Trump and President of Ukraine [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]], during which Trump had pressured Zelenskyy to investigate CrowdStrike and Democratic presidential candidate Biden and his son [[Hunter Biden|Hunter]].<ref name="undermine">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="abuse">{{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}}</ref>
House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] initiated [[Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump|a formal impeachment inquiry]] on September 24.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump then confirmed that he withheld military aid from Ukraine, offering contradictory reasons for the decision.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> On September 25, the Trump 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.<ref name="undermine"/><ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=September 25, 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In October, [[William B. Taylor Jr.]], the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Ukraine|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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]].<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=December 13, 2019}}</ref> After debate, the House of Representatives [[Impeachment in the United States|impeached]] Trump on both articles on December 18.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Impeachment trial in the Senate ====
{{Main|First impeachment trial of Donald Trump}}
[[File:President Trump Delivers Remarks (49498772251).jpg|thumb|Trump displaying the headline "Trump acquitted"]]
During the trial in January 2020, the House impeachment managers cited evidence to support charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress and asserted that Trump's actions were exactly what the founding fathers had in mind when they created the impeachment process.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump's lawyers did not deny the facts as presented in the charges but said Trump had not broken any laws or obstructed Congress.<ref name="brazen">{{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}}</ref> They argued that the impeachment was "constitutionally and legally invalid" because Trump was not charged with a crime and that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.<ref name="brazen"/>
On January 31, the Senate voted against allowing subpoenas for witnesses or documents.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The impeachment trial was the first in U.S. history without witness testimony.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump was acquitted of both charges by the Republican majority. Senator [[Mitt Romney]] was the only Republican who voted to convict Trump on one charge, the abuse of power.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Following his acquittal, Trump fired impeachment witnesses and other political appointees and career officials he deemed insufficiently loyal.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== 2020 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign}}
{{See also|2020 United States presidential debates}}
Breaking with precedent, Trump filed to run for a second term within a few hours of assuming the presidency.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election|title=Trump breaks precedent, files as candidate for re-election on first day|work=[[KTVK]]|first=Lee|last=Morehouse|date=January 31, 2017|access-date=February 19, 2017|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}}</ref> He held his first reelection rally less than a month after taking office<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-kicks-off-his-2020-reelection-campaign-on-saturday/516909/|title=Trump Kicks Off His 2020 Reelection Campaign on Saturday|last=Graham|first=David A.|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=February 15, 2017|access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref> and officially became the [[2020 Republican Party presidential primaries|Republican nominee]] in August 2020.<ref>{{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|title=Nominating Trump, Republicans Rewrite His Record|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/us/politics/republican-convention-recap.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 24, 2020|access-date=August 25, 2020}}</ref>
In his first two years in office, Trump's reelection committee reported raising $67.5 million and began 2019 with $19.3 million in cash.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://publicintegrity.org/politics/donald-trump-money-campaign-2020/|work=[[Center for Public Integrity]]|date=February 1, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021|first1=Ashley|last1=Balcerzak|first2=Dave|last2=Levinthal|first3=Carrie|last3=Levine|first4=Sarah|last4=Kleiner|first5=Lateshia|last5=Beachum|title=Donald Trump's campaign cash machine: big, brawny and burning money}}</ref> By July 2020, the Trump campaign and the Republican Party had raised $1.1 billion and spent $800 million, losing their cash advantage over Biden.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/us/politics/trump-election-campaign-fundraising.html|title=How Trump's Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 7, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|first1=Shane|last1=Goldmacher|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|author-link2=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> The cash shortage forced the campaign to scale back advertising spending.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Misyrlena|last1=Egkolfopoulou|first2=Bill|last2=Allison|first3=Gregory|last3=Korte|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-14/trump-campaign-slashes-ad-spending-in-key-states-in-cash-crunch|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=September 14, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|title=Trump Campaign Slashes Ad Spending in Key States in Cash Crunch}}</ref>
Trump campaign advertisements focused on crime, claiming that cities would descend into lawlessness if Biden won.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/us/politics/trump-portland-federal-agents.html|title=As Trump Pushes into Portland, His Campaign Ads Turn Darker|date=July 21, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|author-link1=Maggie Haberman|first2=Nick|last2=Corasaniti|first3=Annie|last3=Karni|author-link3=Annie Karni|access-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref> Trump repeatedly misrepresented Biden's positions<ref>{{cite news|first=Philip|last=Bump|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/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 28, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Daniel|last1=Dale|author-link1=Daniel Dale|first2=Tara|last2=Subramaniam|first3=Holmes|last3=Lybrand|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/|work=[[CNN]]|date=August 31, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref> and shifted to appeals to racism.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hopkins|first=Dan|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-trumps-racist-appeals-might-be-less-effective-in-2020-than-they-were-in-2016|work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|title=Why Trump's Racist Appeals Might Be Less Effective In 2020 Than They Were In 2016|date=August 27, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref>
=== 2020 presidential election ===
{{Main|2020 United States presidential election}}
{{See also|2020 United States Postal Service crisis}}
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/08/trump-wants-to-cut-mail-in-voting-the-republican-machine-is-helping-him-392428|title=Trump aides exploring executive actions to curb voting by mail|last=Kumar|first=Anita|date=August 8, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=August 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/mail-in-voting-explained.html|title=Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts.|first1=Stephanie|last1=Saul|author-link1=Stephanie Saul|first2=Reid J.|last2=Epstein|date=August 31, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> 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, Trump blocked funding, saying he wanted to prevent any increase in voting by mail.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/|title=Trump says Postal Service needs money for mail-in voting, but he'll keep blocking funding|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|date=August 12, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 14, 2020}}</ref> He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results if he lost and commit to a [[peaceful transition of power]].<ref>{{cite news|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|title=Trump declines to say whether he will accept November election results|last=Sonmez|first=Felicia|author-link=Felicia Sonmez|date=July 19, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Ryan|last1=Browne|first2=Barbara|last2=Starr|author-link2=Barbara Starr|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/pentagon-election-insurrection-act/|title=As Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transition, Pentagon stresses it will play no role in the election|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 25, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref>
Biden won the election on November 3, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.8 percent)<ref name="vote1">{{cite news|title=Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-president.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 11, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref><ref name="vote2">{{cite news|title=2020 US Presidential Election Results: Live Map|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2020-us-presidential-election-results-live-map|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=December 10, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref> and 306 [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] votes to Trump's 232.<ref name="formalize">{{cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|first1=Josh|last1=Holder|first2=Trip|last2=Gabriel|author-link2=Trip Gabriel|first3=Isabella Grullón|last3=Paz|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}}</ref>
==== False claims of voting fraud, attempt to prevent presidential transition ====
{{Further|Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|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.<ref>{{cite news|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]]|date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> After Biden was projected the winner days later, Trump stated that "this election is far from over" and baselessly alleged election fraud.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-victory-president-trump-claims-election-far-over/6202892002/|title=Trump revives baseless claims of election fraud after Biden wins presidential race|last=King|first=Ledyard|date=November 7, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> Trump and his allies filed many [[Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election|legal challenges to the results]], which were rejected by at least 86 judges in both the [[State court (United States)|state]] and [[United States federal courts|federal courts]], including by federal judges appointed by Trump himself, finding no factual or legal basis.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html|date=December 12, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|title='The last wall': How dozens of judges across the political spectrum rejected Trump's efforts to overturn the election|first1=Rosalind S.|last1=Helderman|author-link1=Rosalind S. Helderman|first2=Elise|last2=Viebeck|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Aaron|last=Blake|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/14/most-remarkable-rebukes-trumps-legal-case-judges-he-hand-picked/|title=The most remarkable rebukes of Trump's legal case: From the judges he hand-picked|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Trump's allegations were also refuted by state election officials.<ref>{{cite news|last=Woodward|first=Calvin|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]]|date=November 16, 2020}}</ref> After [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] director [[Chris Krebs]] contradicted Trump's fraud allegations, Trump dismissed him on November 17.<ref name="BBC_election">{{cite news|date=November 18, 2020|title=Trump fires election security official who contradicted him|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54982360|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> On December 11, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear [[Texas v. Pennsylvania|a case from the Texas attorney general]] that asked the court to overturn the election results in four states won by Biden.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election|first=Adam|last=Liptak|author-link=Adam Liptak|date=December 11, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
Trump withdrew from public activities in the weeks following the election.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=November 21, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|first=David|last=Smith|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}}</ref> He initially blocked government officials from cooperating in [[presidential transition of Joe Biden|Biden's presidential transition]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lamire|first1=Jonathan|last2=Miller|first2=Zeke|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|work=[[AP News]]|access-date=November 10, 2020|date=November 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Timm|first1=Jane C.|last2=Smith|first2=Allan|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-stonewalling-biden-s-transition-here-s-why-it-matters-n1247768|title=Trump is stonewalling Biden's transition. Here's why it matters.|work=[[NBC News]]|date=November 14, 2020|access-date=November 26, 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rein|first=Lisa|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-emily-murphy-transition-biden/2020/11/23/c0f43e84-2de0-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html|title=Under pressure, Trump appointee Emily Murphy approves transition in unusually personal letter to Biden|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> Trump still did not formally concede while claiming he recommended the GSA begin transition protocols.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Naylor|first1=Brian|last2=Wise|first2=Alana|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/23/937956178/trump-administration-to-begin-biden-transition-protocols|title=President-Elect Biden To Begin Formal Transition Process After Agency OK|work=[[NPR]]|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Ordoñez|first1=Franco|last2=Rampton|first2=Roberta|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|title=Trump Is In No Mood To Concede, But Says Will Leave White House|work=[[NPR]]|date=November 26, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref>
The Electoral College formalized Biden's victory on December 14.<ref name="formalize"/> From November to January, Trump repeatedly sought help to [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|overturn the results]], personally pressuring Republican local and state office-holders,<ref>{{cite news|last=Gardner|first=Amy|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|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|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|date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> Republican state and federal legislators,<ref name="pressure">{{cite news|last1=Kumar|first1=Anita|last2=Orr|first2=Gabby|last3=McGraw|first3=Meridith|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]]|date=December 21, 2020}}</ref> the Justice Department,<ref>{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Marshall|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]]|date=November 5, 2021}}</ref> and Vice President Pence,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|authorlink1=Maggie Haberman|last2=Karni|first2=Annie|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|date=January 5, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> urging various actions such as [[Trump fake electors plot|replacing presidential electors]], or a request for Georgia officials to "find" votes and announce a "recalculated" result.<ref name="pressure"/> On February 10, 2021, Georgia prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to subvert the election in Georgia.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fausset|first1=Richard|last2=Hakim|first2=Danny|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|date=February 10, 2021 |access-date=February 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration.<ref>{{cite news|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|authorlink=Maggie Haberman|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/trump-presidency.html|title=Trump Departs Vowing, 'We Will Be Back in Some Form'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref>
==== Concern about a possible coup attempt or military action ====
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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Arkin|first=William M.|url=https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-donald-trumps-martial-law-talk-has-military-red-alert-1557056|title=Exclusive: Donald Trump's martial-law talk has military on red alert|date=December 24, 2020 |access-date=September 15, 2021|work=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref>
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 [[Self-coup|coup]] attempt or military action against China or Iran.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|last3=Cohen|first3=Marshall|last4=Stuart|first4=Elizabeth|last5=Starr|first5=Barbara|author-link5=Barbara Starr|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/|date=July 14, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2021|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Milley insisted that he should be consulted about any military orders from Trump, including the use of nuclear weapons.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|last3=Stuart|first3=Elizabeth|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/|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 14, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Schmidt|first=Michael S.|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|work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref>
==== January 6 Capitol attack ====
{{Main|January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of the January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
On January 6, 2021, while [[2021 United States Electoral College vote count|congressional certification of the presidential election results]] was taking place in the U.S. Capitol, Trump held a noon rally at [[the Ellipse]], Washington, D.C.. He called for the election result to be overturned and urged his supporters to "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol to "fight like hell".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/us/trump-speech-riot.html|title=Incitement to Riot? What Trump Told Supporters Before Mob Stormed Capitol|first=Charlie|last=Savage|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|date=January 10, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|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|date=January 6, 2021|access-date=January 8, 2021|website=[[Rev (company)|Rev]]}}</ref> Many supporters did, joining a crowd already there. The mob broke into the building, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tan|first1=Shelley|last2=Shin|first2=Youjin|last3=Rindler|first3=Danielle|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/capitol-insurrection-visual-timeline/|title=How one of America's ugliest days unraveled inside and outside the Capitol|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 9, 2021 |access-date=May 2, 2021}}</ref> During the violence, Trump posted messages on [[Twitter]] without asking the rioters to disperse. At 6{{Nbsp}}p.m., Trump tweeted that the rioters should "go home with love & in peace", calling them "great patriots" and repeating that the election was stolen.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Panetta|first1=Grace|last2=Lahut|first2=Jake|last3=Zavarise|first3=Isabella|last4=Frias|first4=Lauren|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-what-trump-was-doing-as-his-mob-attacked-the-capitol-on-jan-6-2022-7|title=A timeline of what Trump was doing as his MAGA mob attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=December 21, 2022|access-date=June 1, 2023}}</ref> After the mob was removed, Congress reconvened and confirmed Biden's win in the early hours of the following morning.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/congress-begin-electoral-vote-count-amid-protests-inside-outside-capitol-n1253013|title=Congress confirms Biden's win after pro-Trump mob's assault on Capitol|first1=Dareh|last1=Gregorian|first2=Ginger|last2=Gibson|first3=Sahil|last3=Kapur|first4=Phil|last4=Helsel|date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> According to the Department of Justice, more than 140 police officers were injured, and five people died.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rubin|first1=Olivia|last2=Mallin|first2=Alexander|last3=Steakin|first3=Will|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|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=June 4, 2023|date=January 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cameron|first=Chris|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-deaths.html|title=These Are the People Who Died in Connection With the Capitol Riot|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 5, 2022|access-date=January 29, 2022}}</ref>
In March 2023, Trump collaborated with incarcerated rioters on a [[Justice for All (song)|song to benefit the prisoners]], and, in June, he said that, if elected, he would pardon many of them.<ref>{{cite news|last=Terkel|first=Amanda|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-pardon-large-portion-jan-6-rioters-rcna83873|title=Trump says he would pardon a 'large portion' of Jan. 6 rioters|work=[[NBC]]|date=May 11, 2023|access-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref>
==== Second impeachment ====
{{Main|Second impeachment of Donald Trump|Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump}}
[[File:Pelosi Signing Second Trump Impeachment.png|thumb|upright=1.35|alt=Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi seated at a table and surrounded by public officials. She is signing the second impeachment of Trump.|Speaker of the House [[Nancy Pelosi]] 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The House voted 232–197 to impeach Trump on January 13, making him the first U.S. president to be impeached twice.<ref name=SecondImpeachment>{{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}}</ref> Ten Republicans voted for the impeachment—the most members of a party ever to vote to impeach a president of their own party.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
On February 13, following a [[Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Most Republicans voted to acquit Trump, although some held him responsible but felt the Senate did not have jurisdiction over former presidents (Trump had left office on January 20; the Senate voted 56–44 that the trial was constitutional).<ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Inter-presidency (2021–present) ==
{{See also|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump|Legal affairs of Donald Trump as president}}
[[File:United States Presidents Attends New York City 9 11 Ceremony.jpg|thumb|Trump, President [[Joe Biden]], Vice President [[Kamala Harris]] and former New York City Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] at a September 11th memorial event in New York City on September 11, 2024]]
At the end of his term, Trump went to live at his Mar-a-Lago club and established an office as provided for by the [[Former Presidents Act]].<ref name=moved/><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump is [[Mar-a-Lago#Use as a Trump residence|entitled to live]] there legally as a club employee.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
[[Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|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, Trump and his supporters attempted to co-opt the term, using it to refer to the election itself.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="key">{{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}}</ref> The Republican Party used Trump's false election narrative to justify the [[Republican efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election|imposition of new voting restrictions]] in its favor.<ref name="key"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Balz|first=Dan|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}}</ref> As late as July 2022, Trump was still pressuring state legislators to overturn the 2020 election.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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, [[2022 United States elections#Democracy|most of whom supported]] his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="lat">{{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}}</ref>
=== Business activities ===
In February 2021, Trump registered a new company, [[Trump Media & Technology Group]] (TMTG), for providing "social networking services" to U.S. customers.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In March 2024, TMTG merged with [[special-purpose acquisition company]] [[Digital World Acquisition Corp.|Digital World Acquisition]] and became a [[public company]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> In February 2022, TMTG launched [[Truth Social]], a social media platform.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> {{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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
=== Investigations, criminal indictments and convictions, civil lawsuits ===
Trump is [[List of United States presidential firsts|the only U.S. president or former president]] to be convicted of a crime and the first major-party candidate to run for president after a felony conviction.<ref>{{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=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=June 1, 2024}}</ref> He faces numerous criminal charges and civil cases.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sisak|first=Michael R.|url=https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/|title=Trump Investigations|work=[[AP News]]|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=June 1, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/trump-investigations-charges-indictments.html|title=Keeping Track of the Trump Criminal Cases|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=June 1, 2024}}</ref>
==== 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|thumb|Classified intelligence material found during search of Mar-a-Lago]]
When Trump left the White House in January 2021, he took government materials with him 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. NARA later informed the Department of Justice that some of the retrieved documents were classified material.<ref name="cnn-tl">{{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}}</ref> The Justice Department began an investigation<ref>{{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}}</ref> and sent Trump a subpoena for additional material.<ref name="cnn-tl"/> Justice Department officials visited Mar-a-Lago and received some classified documents from Trump's lawyers,<ref name="cnn-tl"/> one of whom signed a statement affirming that all material marked as classified had been returned.<ref>{{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|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|date=August 13, 2022|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 14, 2022}}</ref>
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]],<ref name="bddj0812"/><ref name="NYT-20220812"/> reportedly including some related to nuclear weapons.<ref name="nuclear">{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|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}}</ref> The search warrant indicates an investigation of potential violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice laws.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Swan|first1=Betsy|last2=Cheney|first2=Kyle|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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="bddj0812">{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|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}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20220812">{{cite web|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|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}}</ref>
On November 18, 2022, U.S. attorney general [[Merrick Garland]] appointed federal prosecutor [[Jack Smith (lawyer)|Jack Smith]] as a [[special counsel]] to oversee the federal criminal investigations into Trump retaining government property at Mar-a-Lago and [[United States Justice Department investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election|examining Trump's role in the events leading up to the Capitol attack]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|author-link2=Charlie Savage (author)|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Federal and state criminal indictments ====
{{Main|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (classified documents case)|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (election obstruction case)|Georgia election racketeering prosecution}}
In December 2022, following a jury trial, the Trump Organization was [[New York investigations of the Trump Organization#Criminal investigation|convicted on 17 counts]] of criminal tax fraud, conspiracy, and falsifying business records in connection with a tax-fraud scheme stretching over 15 years. In January 2023, the organization was fined the maximum $1.6 million, and its chief financial officer [[Allen Weisselberg]] was sentenced to jail and probation after a plea deal. Trump was not personally charged in the case.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
In June 2023, following a [[Smith special counsel investigation|special counsel investigation]], a [[federal grand jury]] in Miami indicted Trump on 31 counts of "willfully retaining national defense information" under the [[Espionage Act]], one count of [[making false statements]], and one count each of conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding government documents, corruptly concealing records, concealing a document in a federal investigation and scheming to conceal their efforts.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He pleaded not guilty.<ref>{{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}}</ref> A superseding indictment the following month added three charges.<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=July 28, 2023 }}</ref> 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 [[Trump v. United States (2022)|past civil case]], some of which were overturned by an appellate court.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On August 26, Special Counsel Smith appealed the dismissal.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
On August 1, 2023, a Washington, D.C., federal grand jury indicted Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He was charged with conspiring to [[Conspiracy against the United States|defraud the U.S.]], obstruct the certification of the Electoral College vote, and [[conspiracy against rights|deprive voters of the civil right]] to have their votes counted, and [[obstructing an official proceeding]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Hsu|first2=Spencer S.|last3=Stein|first3=Perry|last4=Dawsey|first4=Josh|last5=Alemany|first5=Jacqueline|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}}</ref> Trump pleaded not guilty.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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; multiple Trump campaign officials were also indicted.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump surrendered, [[Mug shot of Donald Trump|was processed]] at Fulton County Jail, and was released on bail pending trial.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=August 25, 2023|access-date=August 25, 2023}}</ref> He pleaded not guilty.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 13, 2024, the judge dismissed three of the 13 charges against Trump.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== 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]]'',<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump denied the affairs and said he was not aware of Cohen's payment to Daniels, but he reimbursed him in 2017.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/22/trump-insists-learned-michael-cohen-payments-later-on-in-fox-friends-exclusive.html|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}}</ref> Federal prosecutors asserted that Trump had been involved in discussions regarding non-disclosure payments as early as 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/federal-prosecutors-recommend-substantial-prison-term-for-former-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen/2018/12/07/e144f248-f7f3-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html|title=Court filings directly implicate Trump in efforts to buy women's silence, reveal new contact between inner circle and Russian|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Zapotosky|first2=Matt|date=December 7, 2018|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> Court documents showed that the FBI believed Trump was directly involved in the payment to Daniels, based on calls he had with Cohen in October 2016.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Federal prosecutors closed the investigation in 2019,<ref>{{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}}</ref> but in 2021, the [[Attorney General of New York|New York State Attorney General's Office]] and [[Manhattan District Attorney's Office]] opened a criminal investigations into Trump's business activities.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The Manhattan DA's Office subpoenaed the Trump Organization and AMI for records related to the payments<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/nyregion/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-vance.html|title=Manhattan D.A. Subpoenas Trump Organization Over Stormy Daniels Hush Money|first1=Ben|last1=Protess|first2=William K.|last2=Rashbaum|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 1, 2019|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> and Trump and the Trump Organization for eight years of tax returns.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 16, 2019|first1=William K.|last1=Rashbaum|first2=Ben|last2=Protess|title=8 Years of Trump Tax Returns Are Subpoenaed by Manhattan D.A.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/nyregion/trump-tax-returns-cy-vance.html|access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The trial began in April 2024, and in May a jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Sentencing is set for November 26, 2024.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Reiss|first1=Adam|last2=Jarrett|first2=Laura|last3=Gregorian|first3=Dareh|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/judge-delays-trump-sentencing-hush-money-case-november-rcna167282|title=Judge delays Trump sentencing in hush money case until after November election|work=[[NBC News]]|date=September 7, 2024|access-date=September 7, 2024}}</ref>
==== Civil judgments against Trump ====
{{Main|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> During the investigation leading up to the lawsuit, Trump was fined $110,000 for failing to turn over records subpoenaed by the attorney general.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[ABC News (United States)|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}}</ref> In an August 2022 [[Deposition (law)|deposition]], Trump invoked his [[Self-incrimination clause|Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination]] more than 400 times.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In February 2024, the court found Trump 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. Trump said he would appeal the verdict. 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump 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 Trump,<ref name="bid">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> writing that Carroll's accusation of "rape" is "substantially true".<ref name="Reiss_Gregorian_8/7/2023">{{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}}</ref> Trump appealed both decisions.<ref name="bid"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> In January 2024, the jury in the defamation case brought by Carroll in 2019 ("Carroll I") ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages. In March, Trump posted a $91.6 million bond and appealed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kates|first=Graham|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-posts-bond-e-jean-carroll-case-91-million/|title=Trump posts $91 million bond to appeal E. Jean Carroll defamation verdict|work=[[CBS News]]|date=March 8, 2024|access-date=April 8, 2024}}</ref>
=== 2024 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign}}
{{See also|Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania}}
[[File:Donald Trump (53951823882).jpg|thumb|left|220px|Trump rally in Arizona, 2024]]
On November 15, 2022, Trump announced his candidacy for the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]] and set up a fundraising account.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Arnsdorf|first1=Isaac|last2=Scherer|first2=Michael|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/15/trump-2024-announcement-running-president/|title=Trump, who as president fomented an insurrection, says he is running again|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 15, 2022|access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Schouten|first=Fredreka|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/politics/donald-trump-war-chest-presidential-campaign/index.html|title=Questions about Donald Trump's campaign money, answered|work=[[CNN]]|date=November 16, 2022|access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref> In March 2023, the campaign began diverting 10 percent of the donations to Trump's [[leadership PAC]]. Trump's campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills by March 2024.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Goldmacher|first1=Shane|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/us/politics/trump-donations-legal-fees.html|title=As Legal Fees Mount, Trump Steers Donations Into PAC That Has Covered Them|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 25, 2023|access-date=June 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Escobar|first1=Molly Cook|last2=Sun|first2=Albert|last3=Goldmacher|first3=Shane|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/27/us/politics/trump-cases-legal-fund.html|title=How Trump Moved Money to Pay $100 Million in Legal Bills|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 27, 2024|access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref>
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 [[Trump v. Anderson|restored his name to the ballot]] in a unanimous decision, ruling that Colorado lacks the authority to enforce [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution#Section 3: Disqualification from office for insurrection or rebellion|Section 3 of the 14th Amendment]], which bars insurrectionists from holding federal office.<ref>{{cite news|last=Levine|first=Sam|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/04/trump-scotus-colorado-ruling|title=Trump was wrongly removed from Colorado ballot, US supreme court rules|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=March 4, 2024|access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref>
[[File:20240524 Trump groundwork for election denial.svg|thumb|Trump's escalation of election rigging claims before the 2024 election<ref name="NYTDoubts"/>]]
During the campaign, Trump made increasingly violent and authoritarian statements.<ref name="NYT Authoritarian Bent">{{cite news|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]]|date=November 20, 2023|last1=Bender|first1=Michael C.|last2=Gold|first2=Michael}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Peter|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]]|date=November 22, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |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]]|date=December 7, 2023|last1=Colvin|first1=Jill|last2=Barrow|first2=Bill}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=LeVine|first=Marianne|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/12/trump-rally-vermin-political-opponents|title=Trump calls political enemies 'vermin,' echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 12, 2023}}</ref> He also said that he would weaponize the FBI and the Justice Department against his political opponents<ref>{{Cite news|title=Trump suggests he would use FBI to go after political rivals if elected in 2024|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/10/trump-fbi-rivals-2024-election|date=November 10, 2023|author=Sam Levine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Vazquez|first=Maegan|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]]|date=November 10, 2023}}</ref> and use the military to go after Democratic politicians and those that do not support his candidacy.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stracqualursi|first=Veronica|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]]|date=October 14, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Lerer 10152024"/> Trump used harsher, more dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric than during his presidency.<ref>{{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 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/us/politics/trump-border-blood-bath.html |access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |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]] |date=November 11, 2023|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|last3=Swan|first3=Jonathan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-expected-highlight-murder-michigan-woman-immigration-speech-2024-04-02/|title=Trump calls migrants 'animals', intensifying focus on illegal immigration|last1=Layne|first1=Nathan|last2=Slattery|first2=Gram|last3=Reid|first3=Tim|date=April 3, 2024|access-date=April 3, 2024|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> His embrace of far-right extremism<ref>{{Cite news|last=Baker|first=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|access-date=July 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{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=[[AP News]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/depape-paul-pelosi-qanon-conspiracy-theories-violence-390ad310fa34b0edb925d88540a7ddcd|access-date=July 13, 2024}}</ref> and harsher rhetoric against his political enemies have been described by historians and scholars as populist, authoritarian, [[Donald Trump and fascism|fascist]],{{Efn|name=Fascist|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="NYMag Never Sounded Like This">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/magazine/trump-rallies-rhetoric.html|title=Donald Trump Has Never Sounded Like This|work=[[New York (magazine)]]|date=April 27, 2024|access-date=April 27, 2024|last1=Homans|first1=Charles}}</ref><ref name="Vox Fascist">{{cite news|title=When Trump tells you he's an authoritarian, believe him|url=https://www.vox.com/2023/11/14/23958866/trump-vermin-authoritarian-democracy|work=Vox|date=November 14, 2023|author1=Michael C. Bender|author2=Michael Gold|access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Axios Fascist">{{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}}</ref><ref name="New Yorker Fascist">{{cite magazine|last=Cassidy|first=John|date=November 14, 2023|title=Trump's Fascistic Rhetoric Only Emphasizes the Stakes in 2024|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trumps-fascistic-rhetoric-only-emphasizes-the-stakes-in-2024|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]}}</ref><ref name="Vanity Fair Fascist">{{cite news|last=Lutz|first=Eric|date=November 10, 2023|title=Donald Trump Isn't Even Trying to Hide His Authoritarian Second-Term Plans|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/11/donald-trump-authoritarian-second-term|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref><ref name="The Atlantic Fascist">{{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}}</ref><ref name="ABC News Vermin">{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=November 13, 2023|last1=Kim|first1=Soo Rin|last2=Ibssa|first2=Lalee|access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="Applebaum18">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Rubin|first=April|date=October 11, 2024|title=Trump's top general calls former president "fascist" and "dangerous" threat|work=[[Axios (website)]]|url=https://www.axios.com/2024/10/11/mark-milley-trump-fascist-bob-woodward-book|access-date=October 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Cramer|first=Ruby|title=Trump is 'fascist to the core,' Milley says in Woodward book|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/10/12/mark-milley-donald-trump-fascist/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=October 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Tim|title=Mattis Told Woodward He Agreed Trump Was a Uniquely Dangerous Threat|url=https://www.thebulwark.com/p/mattis-told-woodward-he-agreed-trump|work=[[The Bulwark (website)]]|date=October 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bradner |first1=Eric |title=Trump's former chief of staff says he fits 'fascist' definition and prefers 'dictator approach'|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/22/politics/trump-fascist-john-kelly/index.html|work=[[CNN]]|date=October 22, 2024}}</ref>}} and unlike anything a political candidate has ever said in American history.<ref name="NYMag Never Sounded Like This" /><ref name="Lerer 10152024">{{cite news|last1=Lerer |first1=Lisa|last2=Gold|first2=Michael|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]]|date=October 15, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Applebaum18"/> [[Age and health concerns about Donald Trump]] also arose during the campaign, with several medical experts cited by ''The New York Times'' highlighting an increase in rambling, [[tangential speech]] and [[Disinhibition|behavioral disinhibition]].<ref>{{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 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/politics/trump-speeches-age-cognitive-decline.html |access-date=November 6, 2024 |archive-date=October 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008051103/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/politics/trump-speeches-age-cognitive-decline.html |url-status=live |issn=0362-4331 }}</ref>
He 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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lane|first1=Nathan|last2=Ulmer|first2=Alexandra|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-allies-are-laying-groundwork-contest-potential-election-loss-2024-05-16/|title=Trump, allies are laying the groundwork to contest potential election loss|work=[[Reuters]]|date=May 16, 2024|access-date=September 12, 2024}}</ref><ref name="NYTDoubts">{{cite news|last1=Yourish|first1=Karen|last2=Smart|first2=Charlie|title=Trump's Pattern of Sowing Election Doubt Intensifies in 2024|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/24/us/politics/trump-election-results-doubt.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 24, 2024|access-date=August 30, 2024}}</ref> Analysts for ''The New York Times'' described this as an intensification of Trump's "heads I win; tails you cheated" rhetorical strategy; the paper said the claim of a rigged election had become the backbone of the campaign.<ref name="NYTDoubts" />
On July 13, 2024, Trump's ear was grazed by a bullet<ref name="Browne-2024">{{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]]}}</ref> [[Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania|in an assassination attempt]] at a campaign rally in [[Butler Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania|Butler Township, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hutchinson|first1=Bill|last2=Cohen|first2=Miles|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/witnesses-trump-assassination-attempt-gunman-roof-shooting/story?id=111947616|title=Gunman opened fire at Trump rally as witnesses say they tried to alert police|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=July 16, 2024|access-date=July 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-photo-gallery-561478b3f90c950c741eeaa24c6dc159|title=AP PHOTOS: Shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania|work=[[AP News]]|date=July 14, 2024|access-date=July 23, 2024}}</ref> The campaign declined to disclose medical records.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Jill|last1=Colvin|first2=Bernard|last2=Condon|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-ronny-jackson-shooting-medical-report-e95a2888cd5eeb64820d6fa789b03463|title=Trump campaign releases letter on his injury, treatment after last week's assassination attempt|work=[[AP News]]|date=July 21, 2024|access-date=August 20, 2024}}</ref> Two days later, the [[2024 Republican National Convention]] nominated Trump as their presidential candidate, with Senator [[JD Vance]] as his running mate.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Election and presidential transition ====
{{Main|2024 United States presidential election|Second presidential transition of Donald Trump}}
Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States in November 2024, defeating the incumbent vice president Kamala Harris.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gillespie |first=Tom |date=November 6, 2024 |title=Donald Trump wins US election in monumental political comeback |url=https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-wins-us-election-in-monumental-political-comeback-13249208 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=[[Sky News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Election 2024: Latest News, Results and Analysis |url=https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press}}</ref> He became the second president in U.S. history elected to serve non-consecutive terms after former president [[Grover Cleveland]], who won re-election in [[1892 United States presidential election|1892]].<ref>{{Cite web |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 |publisher=NPR}}</ref> The [[Associated Press]] and [[BBC News]] described it as an extraordinary comeback for a former president.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 5, 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 6, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jubilation in the room as Trump declared victory |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxreenxvw5o |access-date=November 6, 2024|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Aged 78 at the time of the 2024 election, Trump is the oldest person to be elected U.S. president, and the first convicted felon to become U.S. president. He was also projected to become the first Republican in two decades to secure the popular vote in the U.S. presidential elections.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Donald Trump Becomes First Republican To Win Popular Vote In 20 Years |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/2024-us-elections-donald-trump-set-to-become-first-republican-to-win-popular-vote-in-20-years-6955598 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=[[NDTV]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Trump pulls off historic White House comeback |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62l5zdv7zko |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Trump received congratulatory messages from politicians all over the world.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Trump's U.S. election win: how world leaders reacted |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/global-reaction-us-presidential-election-2024-11-06/ |work=Reuters}}</ref>
== Public image ==
{{Main|Public image of Donald Trump}}
=== Scholarly assessment and public approval surveys ===
{{Further|Opinion polling on the first Donald Trump administration|Historical rankings of presidents of the United States#2021 C-SPAN}}
In the [[C-SPAN]] "Presidential Historians Survey 2021",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2021/|title=Presidential Historians Survey 2021|work=[[C-SPAN]] |access-date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> historians ranked Trump as the fourth-worst president. He rated lowest in the leadership characteristics categories for moral authority and administrative skills.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The [[Siena College Research Institute]]'s 2022 survey [[Historical rankings of presidents of the United States#2022 Siena College|ranked Trump]] 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.<ref name="scri_22">{{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}}</ref> In 2018 and 2024, surveys of members of the [[American Political Science Association]] ranked Trump the worst president in American history.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Trump was the only president never to reach a 50 percent approval rating in the Gallup poll, which dates to 1938. His approval ratings showed a record-high partisan gap: 88 percent among Republicans and 7 percent among Democrats.<ref name="Jones">{{cite web|first=Jeffrey M.|last=Jones|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|work=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|date=January 18, 2021|access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref> Until September 2020, the ratings were unusually stable, reaching a high of 49 percent and a low of 35 percent.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ezra|last=Klein|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/9/2/21409364/trump-approval-rating-2020-election-voters-coronavirus-convention-polls|title=Can anything change Americans' minds about Donald Trump? The eerie stability of Trump's approval rating, explained.|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=September 2, 2020|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> Trump finished his term with an approval 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.<ref name="Jones"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Harry|last=Enten|url=https://cnn.com/2021/01/16/politics/trump-approval-analysis/|title=Trump finishes with worst first term approval rating ever|work=[[CNN]]|date=January 16, 2021|access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref>
In [[Gallup's most admired man and woman poll|Gallup's annual poll]] asking Americans to name the man they admire the most, Trump placed second to Obama in 2017 and 2018, tied with Obama for first in 2019, and placed first in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/1678/most-admired-man-woman.aspx|title=Most Admired Man and Woman|work=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|date=December 28, 2006 |access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/531906-trump-ends-obamas-12-year-run-as-most-admired-man-gallup|title=Trump ends Obama's 12-year run as most admired man: Gallup|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=December 29, 2020|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=December 31, 2020}}</ref> Since [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] started conducting the poll in 1948, Trump is the first elected president not to be named most admired in his first year in office.<ref>{{cite web|last=Panetta|first=Grace|work=[[Business Insider]]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-barack-obama-tie-2019-most-admired-man-gallup-2019-12|title=Donald Trump and Barack Obama are tied for 2019's most admired man in the US|date=December 30, 2019|access-date=July 24, 2020}}</ref>
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 only 29 countries, most of them non-democracies;<ref>{{cite web|last=Datta|first=Monti|title=3 countries where Trump is popular|url=https://theconversation.com/3-countries-where-trump-is-popular-120317|date=September 16, 2019|access-date=October 3, 2021|work=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]}}</ref> approval of U.S. leadership plummeted among allies and G7 countries. Overall ratings were similar to those in the last two years of the [[George W. Bush presidency]].<ref>{{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|work=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|access-date=October 3, 2021}} Page 9</ref> By mid-2020, only 16 percent of international respondents to a 13-nation [[Pew Research]] poll expressed confidence in Trump, lower than China's [[Xi Jinping]] and Russia's [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wike|first1=Richard|last2=Fetterolf|first2=Janell|last3=Mordecai|first3=Mara|access-date=December 24, 2020|title=U.S. Image Plummets Internationally as Most Say Country Has Handled Coronavirus Badly|work=[[Pew Research Center]]|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/|date=September 15, 2020}}</ref>
=== False or misleading statements ===
{{Main|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump}}
[[File:2017- Donald Trump veracity - composite graph.png|thumb|upright=1.5|[[Fact-checkers]] from ''The Washington Post'',<ref name="database">{{cite news|title=In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims|first1=Glenn|last1=Kessler|first2=Meg|last2=Kelly|first3=Salvador|last3=Rizzo|first4=Michelle Ye Hee|last4=Lee|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> the ''Toronto Star'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Dale|first=Daniel|author-link=Daniel Dale|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|work=[[Toronto Star]]|date=June 5, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> and CNN<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dale|first1=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale|last2=Subramiam|first2=Tara|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-february/index.html|title=Fact check: Donald Trump made 115 false claims in the last two weeks of February|work=[[CNN]]|date=March 9, 2020|access-date=November 1, 2023}}</ref> 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<ref name="finnegan">{{cite news|last=Finnegan|first=Michael|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|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 25, 2016|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref><ref name="whoppers"/> to an extent unprecedented in [[American politics]].<ref name="finnegan" /><ref name="glasser">{{cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose|title=It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=August 3, 2018|access-date=January 10, 2019|first=Susan B.|last=Glasser|author-link=Susan Glasser}}</ref><ref name=Konnikova>{{cite web|last=Konnikova|first=Maria|author-link=Maria Konnikova|title=Trump's Lies vs. Your Brain|work=[[Politico]]|date=January 20, 2017|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> His falsehoods became a distinctive part of his political identity.<ref name="glasser"/>
Trump's false and misleading statements were documented by [[fact-checker]]s, including at ''The Washington Post'', which tallied 30,573 false or misleading statements made by Trump over his four-year term.<ref name="database"/> Trump's falsehoods increased in frequency over time, rising from about six false or misleading claims per day in his first year as president to 39 per day in his final year.<ref name=TermUntruth>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/timeline-trump-claims-as-president/|title=A term of untruths: The longer Trump was president, the more frequently he made false or misleading claims|date=January 23, 2021|access-date=October 11, 2021|first1=Glenn|last1=Kessler|first2=Meg|last2=Kelly|first3=Salvador|last3=Rizzo|first4=Leslie|last4=Shapiro|first5=Leo|last5=Dominguez|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
Some of Trump's falsehoods were inconsequential, such as his repeated claim of the "[[First inauguration of Donald Trump|biggest inaugural crowd ever]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don't show it|work=[[PolitiFact]]|date=January 21, 2017|first=Linda|last=Qiu|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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rein|first=Lisa|title=Here are the photos that show Obama's inauguration crowd was bigger than Trump's|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 6, 2017|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}}</ref> Others had more far-reaching effects, such as his promotion of antimalarial drugs as an unproven treatment for COVID-19,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|author-link=Julia Carrie Wong|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/hydroxychloroquine-trump-coronavirus-drug|title=Hydroxychloroquine: how an unproven drug became Trump's coronavirus 'miracle cure'|date=April 7, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Spring|first=Marianna|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52731624|title=Coronavirus: The human cost of virus misinformation|date=May 27, 2020|work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> causing a U.S. shortage of these drugs and [[panic-buying]] in Africa and South Asia.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rowland|first=Christopher|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/20/hospitals-doctors-are-wiping-out-supplies-an-unproven-coronavirus-treatment/|title=As Trump touts an unproven coronavirus treatment, supplies evaporate for patients who need those drugs|date=March 23, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Parkinson|first1=Joe|last2=Gauthier-Villars|first2=David|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-claim-that-malaria-drugs-treat-coronavirus-sparks-warnings-shortages-11584981897|title=Trump Claim That Malaria Drugs Treat Coronavirus Sparks Warnings, Shortages|date=March 23, 2020|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=March 26, 2020|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Other misinformation, such as misattributing a rise in crime in [[England and Wales]] to the "spread of radical Islamic terror", served Trump's domestic political purposes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zurcher|first=Anthony|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42171550|title=Trump's anti-Muslim retweet fits a pattern|date=November 29, 2017|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> Trump habitually does not apologize for his falsehoods.<ref>{{cite web|last=Allen|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/does-being-president-trump-still-mean-never-having-say-you-n952841|title=Does being President Trump still mean never having to say you're sorry?|date=December 31, 2018|work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>
Until 2018, the media rarely referred to Trump's falsehoods as lies, including when he repeated demonstrably false statements.<ref>{{cite web|last=Greenberg|first=David|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/the-perils-of-calling-trump-a-liar-214704|title=The Perils of Calling Trump a Liar|date=January 28, 2017|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name="DBauder">{{cite web|last=Bauder|first=David|url=https://apnews.com/8d3c7387eff7496abcd0651124caf891|title=News media hesitate to use 'lie' for Trump's misstatements|date=August 29, 2018|work=[[AP News]]|access-date=September 27, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Farhi|first=Paul|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|title=Lies? The news media is starting to describe Trump's 'falsehoods' that way.|date=June 5, 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 11, 2024}}</ref>
In 2020, Trump was a significant source of disinformation on mail-in voting and the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="USAT-Disinfo">{{cite web|last=Guynn|first=Jessica|url=https://usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/05/trump-covid-19-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-twitter-election/3632194001/|title=From COVID-19 to voting: Trump is nation's single largest spreader of disinformation, studies say|date=October 5, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Bergengruen|first1=Vera|last2=Hennigan|first2=W.J.|url=https://time.com/5896709/trump-covid-campaign/|title='You're Gonna Beat It.' How Donald Trump's COVID-19 Battle Has Only Fueled Misinformation|date=October 6, 2020|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref> His attacks on mail-in ballots and other election practices weakened public faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/25/donald-trump-rigged-election-talk-fears-274477|title=Trump sees a 'rigged election' ahead. Democrats see a constitutional crisis in the making.|last=Siders|first=David|date=May 25, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Riccardi|first=Nicholas|url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-fact-check-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-8c5db90960815f91f39fe115579570b4|title=AP Fact Check: Trump's big distortions on mail-in voting|date=September 17, 2020|work=[[AP News]]|access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref> while his disinformation about the pandemic delayed and weakened the national response to it.<ref name="NYT 4 11 20"/><ref name="USAT-Disinfo"/>
=== Promotion of conspiracy theories ===
{{Main|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump}}
Before and throughout his presidency, Trump promoted numerous conspiracy theories, including [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories#Donald Trump|Obama birtherism]], the [[Clinton body count conspiracy theory]], the conspiracy theory movement [[QAnon]], the [[Global warming conspiracy theory|Global warming hoax]] theory, [[Trump Tower wiretapping allegations]], a [[John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory]] involving [[Rafael Cruz]], alleged foul-play in the death of Justice [[Antonin Scalia]], [[Conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal|alleged Ukrainian interference in U.S. elections]], that [[Osama bin Laden death conspiracy theories|Osama bin Laden was alive]] and Obama and Biden had members of [[Navy SEAL Team 6]] killed,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fichera|first1=Angelo|last2=Spencer|first2=Saranac Hale|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trumps-long-history-with-conspiracy-theories/|title=Trump's Long History With Conspiracy Theories|work=[[FactCheck.org]]|date=October 20, 2020 |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/donald-trump-osama-bin-laden-conspiracy-theory-fact-check/|title=Fact-checking the dangerous bin Laden conspiracy theory that Trump touted|first1=Tara|last1=Subramaniam|first2=Holmes|last2=Lybrand|work=[[CNN]]|date=October 15, 2020 |access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Haberman2016">{{cite web|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|author-link=Maggie Haberman|date=February 29, 2016|access-date=October 11, 2021|title=Even as He Rises, Donald Trump Entertains Conspiracy Theories|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/politics/donald-trump-conspiracy-theories.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=November 26, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2021|title=President Trump loves conspiracy theories. Has he ever been right?|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/26/president-trump-loves-conspiracy-theories-has-he-ever-been-right/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2020/07/02/politics/trump-conspiracy-theorists-qanon/|title=The Conspiracy-Theorist-in-Chief clears the way for fringe candidates to become mainstream|first=Maeve|last=Reston|work=[[CNN]]|date=July 2, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> and linking talk show host [[Joe Scarborough]] to the death of a staffer.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|last2=Astor|first2=Maggie|date=May 26, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|title=Trump Pushes a Conspiracy Theory That Falsely Accuses a TV Host of Murder|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/us/politics/klausutis-letter-jack-dorsey.html}}</ref> In at least two instances, Trump clarified to press that he believed the conspiracy theory in question.<ref name="Haberman2016"/>
During and since the 2020 presidential election, Trump promoted various conspiracy theories for his defeat including dead people voting,<ref>{{cite web|title=The dead voter conspiracy theory peddled by Trump voters, debunked|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/18/dead-voter-conspiracy-theory-debunked|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Tom|last=Perkins|date=November 18, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> voting machines changing or deleting Trump votes, fraudulent mail-in voting, throwing out Trump votes, and "finding" suitcases full of Biden votes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Li|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/presidential-election-2020-conspiracy-theories-debunked/|title=6 conspiracy theories about the 2020 election – debunked|work=[[CBS News]]|date=January 15, 2021 |access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McEvoy|first=Jemima|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/|title=These Are The Voter Fraud Claims Trump Tried (And Failed) To Overturn The Election With|work=[[Forbes]]|date=December 17, 2020|access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref>
=== Incitement of violence ===
{{main|Rhetoric of Donald Trump#Violence and dehumanization}}
Research suggests Trump's rhetoric caused an increased incidence of hate crimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/7d0949974b1648a2bb592cab1f85aa16|title=Trump words linked to more hate crime? Some experts think so|last1=Kunzelman|first1=Michael|last2=Galvan|first2=Astrid|date=August 7, 2019|access-date=October 7, 2021|work=[[AP News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/22/trumps-rhetoric-does-inspire-more-hate-crimes/|title=Analysis | Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=October 7, 2021|first1=Ayal|last1=Feinberg|first2=Regina|last2=Branton|first3=Valerie|last3=Martinez-Ebers}}</ref> During his 2016 campaign, he urged or praised physical attacks against protesters or reporters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://time.com/4203094/donald-trump-hecklers/|title=Donald Trump Tells Crowd To 'Knock the Crap Out Of' Hecklers|last=White|first=Daniel|date=February 1, 2016|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/trump-gianforte-congressman-assault-journalist-montana|title=Trump Thinks It's Totally Cool That A Congressman Assaulted A Journalist For Asking A Question|last=Koerner|first=Claudia|date=October 18, 2018|work=[[BuzzFeed News]]|access-date=October 19, 2018}}</ref> Numerous defendants investigated or prosecuted for violent acts and hate crimes, including participants of the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, cited Trump's rhetoric in arguing that they were not culpable or should receive leniency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/donald-trump-domestic-terrorism-el-paso|title="The President of the United States Says It's Okay": The Rise of the Trump Defense|last=Tracy|first=Abigail|date=August 8, 2019|access-date=October 7, 2021|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Rosalind S.|last1=Helderman|first2=Spencer S.|last2=Hsu|first3=Rachel|last3=Weiner|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-rioters-testimony/2021/01/16/01b3d5c6-575b-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html|title='Trump said to do so': Accounts of rioters who say the president spurred them to rush the Capitol could be pivotal testimony|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=September 27, 2021}}</ref> A nationwide review by ABC News in May 2020 identified at least 54 criminal cases from August 2015 to April 2020 in which Trump was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence mostly by white men and primarily against minorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889|title='No Blame?' ABC News finds 54 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults.|date=May 30, 2020|first=Mike|last=Levine|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref>
=== Social media ===
{{Main|Social media use by Donald Trump}}
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, in the final days of his term.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Kate|last1=Conger|first2=Mike|last2=Isaac|title=Inside Twitter's Decision to Cut Off Trump|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 16, 2021|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/16/technology/twitter-donald-trump-jack-dorsey.html|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> Trump often used Twitter to communicate directly with the public and sideline the press.<ref name="gone">{{cite web|first1=Aamer|last1=Madhani|first2=Jill|last2=Colvin|title=A farewell to @realDonaldTrump, gone after 57,000 tweets|work=[[AP News]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-donald-trump-ban-cea450b1f12f4ceb8984972a120018d5|date=January 9, 2021|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> In June 2017, the White House press secretary said that Trump's tweets were official presidential statements.<ref>{{cite web|last=Landers|first=Elizabeth|date=June 6, 2017|title=White House: Trump's tweets are 'official statements'|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dwoskin|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/26/trump-twitter-label-fact-check/|title=Twitter labels Trump's tweets with a fact check for the first time|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=July 7, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> In response, Trump tweeted that social media platforms "totally silence" conservatives and that he would "strongly regulate, or close them down".<ref>{{cite news|last=Dwoskin|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/27/trump-twitter-label/|title=Trump lashes out at social media companies after Twitter labels tweets with fact checks|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> In the days after the storming of the Capitol, Trump was banned from [[Facebook]], [[Instagram]], Twitter and other platforms.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 11, 2021|title=All the platforms that have banned or restricted Trump so far|last1=Fischer|first1=Sara|last2=Gold|first2=Ashley|url=https://www.axios.com/platforms-social-media-ban-restrict-trump-d9e44f3c-8366-4ba9-a8a1-7f3114f920f1.html |access-date=January 16, 2021|work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]}}</ref> The loss of his social media presence diminished his ability to shape events<ref>{{cite news|last=Timberg|first=Craig|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/14/trump-twitter-megaphone/|title=Twitter ban reveals that tech companies held keys to Trump's power all along|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/06/07/technology/trump-social-media-ban.html |access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref> and prompted a dramatic decrease in the volume of misinformation shared on Twitter.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dwoskin|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Timberg|first2=Craig|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/|title=Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump and some allies|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Trump's early attempts to re-establish a social media presence were unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/06/02/trump-blog-dead/|title=Trump ends blog after 29 days, infuriated by measly readership|last1=Harwell|first1=Drew|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|date=June 2, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=December 29, 2021}}</ref> In February 2022, he launched social media platform [[Truth Social]] where he only attracted a fraction of his Twitter following.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harwell|first1=Drew|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|date=November 7, 2022|title=Trump once reconsidered sticking with Truth Social. Now he's stuck.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/07/trump-once-reconsidered-sticking-with-truth-social-now-hes-stuck/ |access-date=May 7, 2023}}</ref> [[Elon Musk]], after [[Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk|acquiring Twitter]], reinstated Trump's Twitter account in November 2022.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mac|first1=Ryan|last2=Browning|first2=Kellen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/technology/trump-twitter-musk.html|title=Elon Musk Reinstates Trump's Twitter Account|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 19, 2022|access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> [[Meta Platforms]]' two-year ban lapsed in January 2023, allowing Trump to return to Facebook and Instagram,<ref>{{cite news|first=Shannon |last=Bond |title=Meta allows Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram|work=[[NPR]]|url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1146961818/trump-meta-facebook-instagram-ban-ends |date=January 23, 2023}}</ref> although in 2024, Trump continued to call the company an "[[enemy of the people]]".<ref>{{cite news|first= Matt |last=Egan|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/tech/trump-tiktok-facebook-meta/index.html|title= Trump calls Facebook the enemy of the people. Meta's stock sinks|work=[[CNN]]|date=March 11, 2024}}</ref>
=== Relationship with the press ===
{{Further|First presidency of Donald Trump#Relationship with the news media}}
[[File:President Trump's First 100 Days- 45 (33573172373).jpg|thumb|Trump talking to the press, March 2017|alt=Trump, seated at the Resolute Desk in the White House, speaking to a crowd of reporters with boom microphones in front of him and public officials behind him]]
Trump sought media attention throughout his career, sustaining a "love-hate" relationship with the press.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/385245-trumps-love-hate-relationship-with-the-press|title=Trump's love-hate relationship with the press|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=April 28, 2018|access-date=July 4, 2018|last=Parnes|first=Amie}}</ref> In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.<ref name=Cillizza-160614 /> ''The New York Times'' writer [[Amy Chozick]] wrote in 2018 that Trump's media dominance enthralled the public and created "must-see TV".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/sunday-review/trump-2020-reality-tv.html|title=Why Trump Will Win a Second Term|last=Chozick|first=Amy|author-link=Amy Chozick|date=September 29, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref>
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]]".<ref>{{cite web|first1=Marc|last1=Hetherington|author-link1=Marc Hetherington|first2=Jonathan M.|last2=Ladd|title=Destroying trust in the media, science, and government has left America vulnerable to disaster|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/05/01/destroying-trust-in-the-media-science-and-government-has-left-america-vulnerable-to-disaster/|work=[[Brookings Institution]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rosen|first=Jacob|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-reversal-tiktok-ban-says-facebook-enemy-of-people/|title=Trump, in reversal, opposes TikTok ban, calls Facebook "enemy of the people"|work=[[CBS News]]|date=March 11, 2024|access-date=July 31, 2024}}</ref> In 2018, journalist [[Lesley Stahl]] said that Trump had privately told her that he intentionally discredited the media "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you".<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|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|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=May 22, 2018|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
As president, Trump mused about revoking the press credentials of journalists he viewed as critical.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2018/05/09/media/president-trump-press-credentials/|title=Trump's latest shot at the press corps: 'Take away credentials?'|first1=Brian|last1=Stelter|author-link1=Brian Stelter|first2=Kaitlan|last2=Collins|author-link2=Kaitlan Collins|work=[[CNN Money]]|date=May 9, 2018|access-date=May 9, 2018|archive-date=October 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008122415/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/09/media/president-trump-press-credentials/|url-status=dead}}</ref> His administration moved to revoke the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts.<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/business/media/trump-media-2019.html|title=After Another Year of Trump Attacks, 'Ominous Signs' for the American Press|first=Michael M.|last=Grynbaum|date=December 30, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> The Trump White House held about a hundred formal press briefings in 2017, declining by half during 2018 and to two in 2019.<ref name="The New York Times"/>
Trump also deployed the legal system to intimidate the press.<ref name="Atlantic_Press">{{cite web|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=March 11, 2020|first1=Joshua A.|last1=Geltzer|first2=Neal K.|last2=Katyal|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}}</ref> In early 2020, the Trump campaign sued ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about Russian election interference.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[NPR]]|date=March 3, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|first=David|last=Folkenflik|author-link=David Folkenflik|title=Trump 2020 Sues 'Washington Post,' Days After 'N.Y. Times' Defamation Suit|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/03/811735554/trump-2020-sues-washington-post-days-after-ny-times-defamation-suit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=[[Fox News]]|date=March 6, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|first1=Brian|last1=Flood|first2=Brooke|last2=Singman|title=Trump campaign sues CNN over 'false and defamatory' statements, seeks millions in damages|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-campaign-sues-cnn-false-defamatory-statements-millions-damages.amp}}</ref> All the suits were dismissed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Darcy|first=Oliver|url=https://cnn.com/2020/11/12/media/trump-campaign-cnn-lawsuit-dismissed/|title=Judge dismisses Trump campaign's lawsuit against CNN|work=[[CNN]]|date=November 12, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Adam|last=Klasfeld|url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/new-york-times-beats-the-trump-campaigns-defamation-suit-over-russia-editorial/|title=Judge Throws Out Trump Campaign's Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times Over Russia 'Quid Pro Quo' Op-Ed|date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=October 11, 2021|work=[[Law and Crime]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Zoe|last=Tillman|title=Trump 2020 Campaign Suit Against Washington Post Dismissed (1)|work=Bloomberg News|date=February 3, 2023|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trump-2020-campaign-suit-against-washington-post-is-dismissed}}</ref>
=== Racial views ===
{{Main|Racial views of Donald Trump}}
Many of Trump's comments and actions are considered racist.<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite web|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|last=Lopez|first=German|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|date=February 14, 2019}}
* {{cite news|first=Lisa|last=Desjardins|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/every-moment-donald-trumps-long-complicated-history-race|title=Every moment in Trump's charged relationship with race|date=January 12, 2018|work=[[PBS NewsHour]]|access-date=January 13, 2018}}
* {{cite news|last=Dawsey|first=Josh|author-link=Josh Dawsey|title=Trump's history of making offensive comments about nonwhite immigrants|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 11, 2018|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}}
* {{cite news|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]]|date=January 12, 2018|first=Aubree Eliza|last=Weaver|ref={{harvid|Weaver|2018b}}}}
* {{cite news|last1=Stoddard|first1=Ed|last2=Mfula|first2=Chris|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]]|date=January 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2019/jul/30/trump-claims-least-racist-person-in-the-world|title=Trump: 'I am the least racist person there is anywhere in the world' – video|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=July 30, 2019 |access-date=November 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 28, 2023 |title=Donald Trump was accused of racism long before his presidency, despite what online posts claim |url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-racism-election-obama-018824651613 |access-date=May 10, 2024 |website=[[AP News]] |first=Philip |last=Marcelo}}</ref> In national polling, about half of respondents said that Trump is racist; a greater proportion believed that he emboldened racists.<ref>{{cite news|first=William|last=Cummins|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/31/donald-trump-racist-majority-say-quinnipiac-university-poll/1877168001/|title=A majority of voters say President Donald Trump is a racist, Quinnipiac University poll finds|work=[[USA Today]]|date=July 31, 2019|access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://poll.qu.edu/Poll-Release-Legacy?releaseid=2554|title=Harsh Words For U.S. Family Separation Policy, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Have Dim View Of Trump, Dems On Immigration|work=[[Quinnipiac University Polling Institute]]|date=July 3, 2018|access-date=July 5, 2018}}</ref> Several studies and surveys found that racist attitudes fueled Trump's political ascent and were more important than economic factors in determining the allegiance of Trump voters.<ref>{{cite news|title=Economic Anxiety Didn't Make People Vote Trump, Racism Did|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/economic-anxiety-didnt-make-people-vote-trump-racism-did/|access-date=January 13, 2018|work=[[The Nation]]|date=May 8, 2017|first1=Sean|last1=McElwee|first2=Jason|last2=McDaniel}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|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 (website)|Vox]]|date=December 15, 2017|first=German|last=Lopez}}</ref> Racist and [[Islamophobic]] attitudes are a powerful indicator of support for Trump.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 1975, he settled a 1973 Department of Justice lawsuit that alleged [[housing discrimination]] against black renters.<ref name=Mahler /> He has also been accused of racism for insisting a group of black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 [[Central Park jogger case]], even after they were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2002. As of 2019, he maintained this position.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bohlen|first=Celestine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/nyregion/central-park-five-trump.html|title=The Park Attack, Weeks Later: An Anger That Will Not Let Go|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 12, 1989|access-date=March 5, 2024}}</ref>
In 2011, when he was reportedly considering a presidential run, he became the leading proponent of the racist [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|"birther" conspiracy theory]], alleging that Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, was not born in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|last=John|first=Arit|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-06-23/trump-obamagate-birtherism-false-allegations|title=From birtherism to 'treason': Trump's false allegations against Obama|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 23, 2020|access-date=February 17, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Farley|first=Robert|url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/feb/14/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-people-who-went-school-obama-nev/|title=Donald Trump says people who went to school with Obama never saw him|work=[[PolitiFact]]|date=February 14, 2011|access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-takes-credit-for-obama-birth-certificate-release-but-wonders-is-it-real/|title=Trump takes credit for Obama birth certificate release, but wonders 'is it real?'|last=Madison|first=Lucy|date=April 27, 2011|access-date=May 9, 2011|work=[[CBS News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-history-raising-birther-questions-president-obama/story?id=33861832|title=Donald Trump's History of Raising Birther Questions About President Obama|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|last=Keneally|first=Meghan|date=September 18, 2015|access-date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> In September 2016, amid pressure, he acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Trump Drops False 'Birther' Theory, but Floats a New One: Clinton Started It|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|author-link1=Maggie Haberman|first2=Alan|last2=Rappeport|author-link2=Alan Rappeport|date=September 16, 2016|access-date=October 12, 2021|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html}}</ref> In 2017, he reportedly expressed birther views privately.<ref>{{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.|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/us/politics/trump-access-hollywood-tape.html|access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref>
According to an analysis in ''[[Political Science Quarterly]]'', Trump made "explicitly racist appeals to whites" during his 2016 presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schaffner|first1=Brian F.|author-link1=Brian Schaffner|last2=Macwilliams|first2=Matthew|last3=Nteta|first3=Tatishe|title=Understanding White Polarization in the 2016 Vote for President: The Sobering Role of Racism and Sexism|journal=[[Political Science Quarterly]]|date=March 2018|volume=133|issue=1|pages=9–34|doi=10.1002/polq.12737|doi-access=free}}</ref> In particular, his campaign launch speech drew widespread criticism for claiming Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists".<ref>{{cite web|first=Katie|last=Reilly|title=Here Are All the Times Donald Trump Insulted Mexico|url=https://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/|access-date=January 13, 2018|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=August 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Z. Byron|url=https://cnn.com/2018/04/06/politics/trump-mexico-rapists/|title=Trump basically called Mexicans rapists again|work=[[CNN]]|date=April 6, 2018|access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref> His later comments about a Mexican-American judge presiding over a civil suit regarding [[Trump University]] were also criticized as racist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/us/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-gonzalo-curiel.html|title=Paul Ryan Calls Donald Trump's Attack on Judge 'Racist', but Still Backs Him|date=June 7, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|first1=Jennifer|last1=Steinhauer|author-link1=Jennifer Steinhauer|first2=Jonathan|last2=Martin|author-link2=Jonathan Martin (journalist)|first3=David M.|last3=Herszenhorn|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:President Trump Gives a Statement on the Infrastructure Discussion.webm|thumb|start=13:11|Answering questions about the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville]]
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 widely criticized as implying a [[moral equivalence]] between the [[white supremacist]] demonstrators and the counter-protesters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2017/08/15/politics/trump-charlottesville-delay/|title=Trump: 'Both sides' to blame for Charlottesville|last=Merica|first=Dan|date=August 26, 2017|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Jenna|last2=Wagner|first2=John|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-condemns-charlottesville-violence-but-doesnt-single-out-white-nationalists/2017/08/12/933a86d6-7fa3-11e7-9d08-b79f191668ed_story.html|title=Trump condemns Charlottesville violence but doesn't single out white nationalists|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 12, 2017|access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kessler|first=Glenn|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/08/very-fine-people-charlottesville-who-were-they-2/|title=The 'very fine people' at Charlottesville: Who were they?|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 8, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name=KruzelCharlottesville>{{cite web|first=Angie Dobric|last=Holan|title=In Context: Donald Trump's 'very fine people on both sides' remarks (transcript)|url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/apr/26/context-trumps-very-fine-people-both-sides-remarks/|date=April 26, 2019|work=[[PolitiFact]]|access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref>
In a January 2018 discussion of immigration legislation, Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/1/11/16880804/trump-shithole-countries-racism|title=Trump's "shithole countries" comment exposes the core of Trumpism|last=Beauchamp|first=Zack|date=January 11, 2018|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> His remarks were condemned as racist.<ref name="Weaver-2018">{{cite web|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]]|date=January 12, 2018|first=Aubree Eliza|last=Weaver}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/unkind-divisive-elitist-international-outcry-over-trumps-shithole-countries-remark|title='There's no other word but racist': Trump's global rebuke for 'shithole' remark|date=January 13, 2018|work=[[The Guardian]]|first1=Patrick|last1=Wintour|author-link1=Patrick Wintour|first2=Jason|last2=Burke|author-link2=Jason Burke|first3=Anna|last3=Livsey|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>
In July 2019, Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen—all from minorities, three of whom are native-born Americans—should "[[Go back where you came from|go back]]" to the countries they "came from".<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 14, 2019|access-date=September 30, 2021|first1=Katie|last1=Rogers|first2=Nicholas|last2=Fandos|author-link2=Nicholas Fandos|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}}</ref> Two days later the House of Representatives voted 240–187, mostly along party lines, to condemn his "racist comments".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742236610/condemnation-of-president-delayed-by-debate-can-lawmakers-call-trump-tweets-raci|title=House Votes To Condemn Trump's 'Racist Comments'|last=Mak|first=Tim|date=July 16, 2019|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref> [[White nationalist]] publications and social media praised his remarks, which continued over the following days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/white-supremacists-cheer-trump-racist-tweets-soh/|title=Trump said 'many people agree' with his racist tweets. These white supremacists certainly do.|last1=Simon|first1=Mallory|last2=Sidner|first2=Sara|author-link2=Sara Sidner|date=July 16, 2019|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref> Trump continued to make similar remarks during his 2020 campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/22/trump-attacks-ilhan-omar-420267|work=[[Politico]]|title='She's telling us how to run our country': Trump again goes after Ilhan Omar's Somali roots|date=September 22, 2020|access-date=October 12, 2021|first=Matthew|last=Choi}}</ref>
=== Misogyny and allegations of sexual misconduct ===
{{Main|Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations|Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape}}
Trump has a history of insulting and belittling women when speaking to the media and on social media.<ref name="clock">{{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}}</ref><ref name="demeans">{{cite web|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|first2=Eileen|last2=Sullivan|author-link2=Eileen Sullivan|title='Horseface,' 'Lowlife,' 'Fat, Ugly': How the President Demeans Women|date=October 16, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/us/politics/trump-women-insults.html|access-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref> He made lewd comments, disparaged women's physical appearances, and referred to them using derogatory epithets.<ref name="demeans" /><ref name="mysTC">{{cite news|last=Mahdawi|first=Arwa|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/10/the-more-women-accuse-him-the-better-he-does-the-meaning-and-misogyny-of-the-trump-carroll-case|title='The more women accuse him, the better he does': the meaning and misogyny of the Trump-Carroll case|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=May 10, 2023|access-date=July 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Ritu|last=Prasad|title=How Trump talks about women – and does it matter?|date=November 29, 2019|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50563106|access-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Fieldstadt|first=Elisha|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-consistently-made-lewd-comments-howard-stern-show-n662581|title=Donald Trump Consistently Made Lewd Comments on 'The Howard Stern Show'|work=[[NBC News]]|date=October 9, 2016|access-date=November 27, 2020}}</ref> At least 26 women publicly accused Trump of rape, kissing, and groping without consent; looking under women's skirts; and walking in on naked teenage pageant contestants.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nelson|first1=Libby|last2=McGann|first2=Laura|title=E. Jean Carroll joins at least 21 other women in publicly accusing Trump of sexual assault or misconduct|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/21/18701098/trump-accusers-sexual-assault-rape-e-jean-carroll|access-date=June 25, 2019|date=June 21, 2019|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rupar|first=Aaron|title=Trump faces a new allegation of sexually assaulting a woman at Mar-a-Lago|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/9/20906567/trump-karen-johnson-sexual-assault-mar-a-lago-barry-levine-monique-el-faizy-book|access-date=April 27, 2020|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=October 9, 2019}}</ref><ref name="no26">{{cite web|last=Osborne|first=Lucy|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|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=September 17, 2020|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref> Trump has denied the allegations.<ref name="no26" />
In October 2016, two days before the [[2016 United States presidential debates#Second presidential debate (Washington University in St. Louis)|second presidential debate]], a 2005 "[[hot mic]]" recording surfaced in which [[Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape|Trump bragged]] about kissing and groping women without their consent, saying that,
<blockquote>when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the [[Pussy#Female genitalia|pussy]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> </blockquote>
The incident's widespread media exposure led to Trump's first public apology during the campaign<ref>{{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)}}</ref> and caused outrage across the political spectrum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/299895-kaine-on-lewd-trump-tapes-makes-me-sick-to-my-stomach|title=Kaine on lewd Trump tapes: 'Makes me sick to my stomach'|last=Hagen|first=Lisa|date=October 7, 2016|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref>
=== Popular culture ===
{{Main|Donald Trump in popular culture|Donald Trump in music}}
Trump has been the subject of comedy and caricature on television, in films, and in comics. He was named in hundreds of [[hip hop]] songs from 1989 until 2015; most of these cast Trump in a positive light, but they turned largely negative after he began running for office.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCann|first=Allison|url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/clinton-trump-hip-hop-lyrics|title=Hip-Hop Is Turning On Donald Trump|work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>
== Notes ==
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css"/><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"><references group="lower-alpha"/></div>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
=== Works cited ===
<!-- This section is ONLY for books that are cited in footnotes of this Wikipedia article. -->
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uJifCgAAQBAJ|title=The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire|last=Blair|first=Gwenda|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2015|orig-year=2001|isbn=978-1-5011-3936-9}}
* {{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|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}}<!-- Resolve 5 harv no-citation script warnings in the cite bundle in #Racial_views -->{{cite whitelink|CITEREFLopez2019|CITEREFDesjardins2018|CITEREFDawsey2018|CITEREFStoddardMfula2018|CITEREFWeaver2018b}}
{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKranishFisher2017|CITEREFBlair2015|CITEREFO'DonnellRutherford1991}}
== External links ==
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* [https://www.thetrumparchive.com/ Archive of Donald Trump's tweets]<!-- DO NOT CHANGE without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 9. -->
* {{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/ Donald Trump's page on whitehouse.gov]
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[[Category:United States Football League executives]]
[[Category:Wharton School alumni]]
[[Category:WWE Hall of Fame inductees]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{Short description|President-elect and 45th President of the United States}}
{{Other uses}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Donald Trump official portrait.jpg<!-- DO NOT CHANGE the picture without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 1. -->
| alt = Official White House presidential portrait. Head shot of Trump smiling in front of the U.S. flag, wearing a dark blue suit jacket with American flag lapel pin, white shirt, and light blue necktie.
| caption = Official portrait, 2017
| office = [[President-elect of the United States]]
| vicepresident = [[JD Vance]] (elect)
| term_start = January 20, 2025
| succeeding = [[Joe Biden]]
| order2 = 45th<!--and 47th--><!-- DO NOT ADD A LINK. Please discuss any proposal on the talk page first. Most recent discussion at [[Talk:Donald Trump/Archive 65#Link-ifying "45th" in the Infobox?]] had a weak consensus to keep the status-quo (no link). -->
| office2 = President of the United States
| vicepresident2 = [[Mike Pence]]
| term_start2 = January 20, 2017
| term_end2 = January 20, 2021
| predecessor2 = [[Barack Obama]]
| successor2 = Joe Biden
| birth_name = Donald John Trump
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|6|14}}
| birth_place = [[Queens]], New York City, U.S.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE (or add to) this location without prior consensus; please see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 2. -->
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present)
| otherparty = {{plainlist}}
* [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform]] (1999–2001)
* [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (2001–2009)
* [[Independent politician|Independent]] (2011–2012)
{{endplainlist}}
| spouse = {{plainlist}}
* {{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}}
{{endplainlist}}
| children = {{flatlist|
* [[Donald Jr.]]
* [[Ivanka Trump|Ivanka]]
* [[Eric Trump|Eric]]
* [[Tiffany Trump|Tiffany]]
* [[Barron Trump|Barron]]
}}
| relatives = [[Trump family]]
| awards = [[List of awards and honors received by Donald Trump|Full list]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Pennsylvania]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<!-- DO NOT CHANGE this college or diploma without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 63. -->
| net_worth = <!-- Keep empty, per [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 47. -->
| occupation = {{hlist|[[Political career of Donald Trump|Politician]]|[[Business career of Donald Trump|businessman]]|[[Media career of Donald Trump|media personality]]}}
| signature = Donald Trump (Presidential signature).svg
| signature_alt = Donald J. Trump stylized autograph, in ink
| website = {{unbulleted list|{{URL|https://www.donaldjtrump.com|Campaign website}}|{{URL|https://www.trumplibrary.gov/|Presidential library}}|{{URL|https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/|White House archives}}}}
| module = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Donald Trump speaks on declaration of Covid-19 as a Global Pandemic by the World Health Organization.ogg|title=Donald Trump's voice|type=speech|description=Donald Trump speaks on the declaration of [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19 as a global pandemic]] by the [[World Health Organization]].<br />Recorded March 11, 2020}}
}}
{{Donald Trump series}}
<!-- NOTE: Changes to the lead are regularly discussed on the talk page. DO NOT EDIT WAR. If you make a change that is reverted, please open a discussion or contribute to an existing one, per [[WP:BRD]]. Consensus items marked "DO NOT CHANGE" require prior discussion. If you add or remove a sentence with a section link, please also add or remove the hidden reminder following the section heading. -->
'''Donald John Trump''' (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]<nowiki/>served as the 45th [[president of the United States]] from 2017 to 2021. He is <!--Don't add -currently--> the [[president-elect of the United States|president-elect]] after winning the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]], scheduled to be [[Second inauguration of Donald Trump|inaugurated as]] the 47th president on January 20, 2025.
Born in New York City, Trump graduated with a [[bachelor's degree]] in economics from the [[University of Pennsylvania]] in 1968. After becoming president of the family real estate business in 1971, Trump renamed it [[the Trump Organization]] and reoriented the company toward building and renovating skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, and golf courses. After a series of business failures in the late 1990s, he launched side ventures, mostly licensing the Trump name. From 2004 to 2015, he produced and hosted the reality television series ''[[The Apprentice (American TV series)|The Apprentice]]''. He and his businesses have been plaintiffs or defendants in more than 4,000 legal actions, including six business bankruptcies. Trump won the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]] as the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] nominee against [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] candidate [[Hillary Clinton]] while losing the popular vote.{{efn|name=electoral-college|Presidential elections in the U.S. are decided by the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]]. Each state names a number of electors equal to its representation in [[United States Congress|Congress]] and (in most states) all electors vote for the winner of their state's popular vote.}} The [[Mueller investigation]] determined that [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Russia interfered in the 2016 election]] to favor Trump. During the campaign, his political positions were described as populist, protectionist, and nationalist. His election and policies sparked numerous protests.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 20. --> He was the only U.S. president without prior military or government experience. His election led to the creation of a [[Trumpism|political movement]] and [[cult of personality]].{{efn|name=Cult}} Trump promoted conspiracy theories and made many false and misleading statements during his campaigns and presidency, to a degree unprecedented in American politics.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], items 49 and 53. --> Many of his comments and actions have been characterized as racially charged, racist, and misogynistic.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus, see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], items 30 and 51. -->
In his first term, Trump [[Executive Order 13769|ordered a travel ban]] on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, diverted military funding toward building [[Trump wall|a wall on the U.S.–Mexico border]], and implemented [[Trump administration family separation policy|a family separation policy]].<!-- This sentence must contain a summary of Trump's actions on immigration, including the Muslim travel ban, the wall, and the family separation policy; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 52. --> He rolled back more than 100 environmental policies and regulations and signed the [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act]] of 2017, which cut taxes and eliminated the [[Health insurance mandate|individual mandate]] penalty of the [[Affordable Care Act]]. He appointed [[Neil Gorsuch]], [[Brett Kavanaugh]], and [[Amy Coney Barrett]] to the U.S. Supreme Court. He reacted slowly to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]], ignored or contradicted recommendations from health officials, used political pressure to interfere with testing efforts, and spread unverified information about unproven treatments. Trump initiated [[China–United States trade war|a trade war with China]] and withdrew the U.S. from the proposed [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] trade agreement, the [[Paris Agreement]] on climate change, and the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|Iran nuclear deal]]. He met with North Korean leader [[Kim Jong Un]] three times, but made no progress on denuclearization.
Trump lost the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]] to [[Joe Biden]] but refused to concede, falsely claimed widespread electoral fraud, and [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|attempted to overturn the results]]. On January 6, 2021, he urged his supporters to march to the [[U.S. Capitol]], which [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|many of them then attacked]]. He is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice, [[First impeachment of Donald Trump|in 2019]] for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after he pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden, and [[Second impeachment of Donald Trump|in 2021]] for incitement of insurrection; the Senate acquitted him in both cases. Scholars and historians [[Historical rankings of presidents of the United States|rank Trump]] as one of the worst presidents in American history.<!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding sentence without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 54. --> In 2024, a New York jury [[Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York|found him guilty on 34 felony counts]] of falsifying business records related to a [[Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal|hush money payment to Stormy Daniels]], making him the only U.S. president convicted of a felony. Trump also received felony indictments related to his alleged [[FBI investigation into Donald Trump's handling of government documents|mishandling of classified documents]] and 2020 election interference, and was found liable in civil lawsuits [[E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump|for sexual abuse and defamation in 2023 and 2024]], and [[New York business fraud lawsuit against the Trump Organization|for financial fraud in 2024]].
After leaving office, Trump continued to dominate the Republican Party, became its nominee again in the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]] and defeated Democratic candidate [[Kamala Harris]], winning both the popular and electoral vote. Trump became the second president in U.S. history after [[Grover Cleveland]] to be elected to non-consecutive terms.
== Personal life ==
=== Early life ===
[[File:Donald Trump NYMA.jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|left|alt=A black-and-white photograph of Trump as a teenager, smiling, wearing a dark pseudo-military uniform with various badges and a light-colored stripe crossing his right shoulder|Trump at [[New York Military Academy]], 1964]] <!-- DO NOT MOVE this image to the right. Depending on user configuration, the infobox+navbox may push the photo down, making it adjacent to unrelated prose. -->
Trump was born on June 14, 1946, at [[Jamaica Hospital]] in [[Queens]], New York City,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-embraces-birther/story?id=13240431|title=Donald Trump Steps Up Calls for Obama to Release Birth Certificate|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=March 28, 2011|access-date=September 11, 2024}}</ref> the fourth child of [[Fred Trump]] and [[Mary Anne MacLeod Trump]]. He is of German and Scottish descent.<ref name="TrFa_1">{{cite web| author=Frost, N.| title=The Trump Family’s Immigrant Story| url=https://www.history.com/news/donald-trump-father-mother-ancestry| publisher=[[A&E Networks| A&E television networks]]| website=Sky History| date=14 September 2023| access-date=7 November 2024| quote=Trump is the son, and grandson, of immigrants: German on his father’s side, and Scottish on his mother’s}}</ref> He grew up with older siblings [[Maryanne Trump Barry|Maryanne]], [[Fred Trump Jr.|Fred Jr.]], and Elizabeth and younger brother [[Robert Trump|Robert]] in the [[Jamaica Estates]] neighborhood of Queens.<ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 22, 2015|access-date=November 7, 2018}}</ref> He attended the private [[Kew-Forest School]] through seventh grade{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA33 33]}}<ref name="bully">{{cite news|last1=Schwartzman|first1=Paul|last2=Miller|first2=Michael E.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/young-donald-trump-military-school/2016/06/22/f0b3b164-317c-11e6-8758-d58e76e11b12_story.html|title=Confident. Incorrigible. Bully: Little Donny was a lot like candidate Donald Trump|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 22, 2016|access-date=June 2, 2024}}</ref> and [[New York Military Academy]], a private boarding school, from eighth through twelfth grade.{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA38 38]}}<ref name="bully"/> In 1964, he 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Matt|last=Viser|title=Even in college, Donald Trump was brash|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2015/08/28/donald-trump-was-bombastic-even-wharton-business-school/3FO0j1uS5X6S8156yH3YhL/story.html|date=August 28, 2015|access-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref> In 2015, Trump's lawyer threatened Trump's colleges, his high school, and the [[College Board]] with legal action if they released his academic records.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ashford|first=Grace|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]]|access-date=June 9, 2019|date=February 27, 2019}}</ref>
While in college, Trump obtained four student [[Conscription in the United States|draft]] deferments during the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-avoided-vietnam-with-deferments-records-show|title=Donald Trump avoided Vietnam with deferments, records show|date=April 29, 2011|work=[[CBS News]]|first=Brian|last=Montopoli|access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref> In 1966, he was deemed fit for military service based on a medical examination, and in July 1968, a local draft board classified him as eligible to serve.<ref name="defer">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/questions-linger-about-trumps-draft-deferments-during-vietnam-war/2015/07/21/257677bc-2fdd-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html|title=Questions linger about Trump's draft deferments during Vietnam War|last=Whitlock|first=Craig|author-link=Craig Whitlock|date=July 21, 2015|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.archives.gov/foia/donald-trump-selective-service-draft-card.html|title=Donald John Trump's Selective Service Draft Card and Selective Service Classification Ledger|date=March 14, 2019|work=[[National Archives and Records Administration|National Archives]]|access-date=September 23, 2019}} – via [[Freedom of Information Act (United States)|Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)]]</ref><ref name="feet">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html|title=Donald Trump's Draft Deferments: Four for College, One for Bad Feet|last1=Eder|first1=Steve|last2=Philipps|first2=Dave|author-link2=David Philipps|date=August 1, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 2, 2016}}</ref> In October 1968, he was classified {{nowrap|1-Y}}, a conditional medical deferment for [[bone spurs]],<ref name="defer"/> and in 1972, he was reclassified {{nowrap|4-F}}, unfit for military service, permanently disqualifying him.<ref name="feet"/>
=== Family ===
{{Main|Family of Donald Trump}}
In 1977, Trump married Czech model [[Ivana Zelníčková]].{{sfn|Blair|2015|p=300}} They had three children: [[Donald Jr.]] (born 1977), [[Ivanka Trump|Ivanka]] (1981), and [[Eric Trump|Eric]] (1984). The couple divorced in 1990, following Trump's affair with actress [[Marla Maples]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Baron|first=James|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/12/nyregion/trumps-get-divorce-next-who-gets-what.html|title=Trumps Get Divorce; Next, Who Gets What?|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 12, 1990|access-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref> Trump and Maples married in 1993 and divorced in 1999. They have one daughter, [[Tiffany Trump|Tiffany]] (born 1993), who was raised by Maples in California.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hafner|first=Josh|url=https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/19/who-is-tiffany-trump/87321708/|title=Get to know Donald's other daughter: Tiffany Trump|work=[[USA Today]]|date=July 19, 2016 |access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> In 2005, Trump married Slovenian model [[Melania Knauss]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40186-2005Jan26.html|title=Donald Trump, Settling Down|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first=Tina|last=Brown|author-link=Tina Brown|date=January 27, 2005|access-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref> They have one son, [[Barron Trump|Barron]] (born 2006).<ref>{{cite news|title=Donald Trump Fast Facts|url=https://cnn.com/2013/07/04/us/donald-trump-fast-facts/|date=July 2, 2021|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref>
=== Religion ===
In the 1970s, Trump's parents joined the [[Marble Collegiate Church]], part of the [[Reformed Church in America]].<ref name="BarronNYT"/><ref name="WaPo.March.18.17">{{cite news|last=Schwartzman|first=Paul|title=How Trump got religion – and why his legendary minister's son now rejects him|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/how-trump-got-religion--and-why-his-legendary-ministers-son-now-rejects-him/2016/01/21/37bae16e-bb02-11e5-829c-26ffb874a18d_story.html|access-date=March 18, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 21, 2016}}</ref> He went to Sunday school and was [[confirmed]] in 1959 at the [[First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica]], Queens.<ref name="BarronNYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/nyregion/donald-trump-marble-collegiate-church-norman-vincent-peale.html|title=Overlooked Influences on Donald Trump: A Famous Minister and His Church|work=[[The New York Times]]|first=James|last=Barron|author-link=James Barron (journalist)|date=September 5, 2016|access-date=October 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name=inactive>{{cite news|last=Scott|first=Eugene|author-link=Eugene Scott (journalist)|title=Church says Donald Trump is not an 'active member'|url=https://cnn.com/2015/08/28/politics/donald-trump-church-member/|access-date=September 14, 2022|work=[[CNN]]|date=August 28, 2015}}</ref> In 2015, he said he was a [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]] and attended Marble Collegiate Church; the church said he was not an active member.<ref name="inactive"/> In 2019, he appointed his personal pastor, televangelist [[Paula White]], to the White House [[Office of Public Liaison]].<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 31, 2019|first1=Jeremy W.|last1=Peters|author-link1=Jeremy W. Peters|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|title=Paula White, Trump's Personal Pastor, Joins the White House|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/paula-white-trump.html|access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref> In 2020, he said he identified as a [[non-denominational Christian]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Exclusive: Trump, confirmed a Presbyterian, now identifies as 'non-denominational Christian'|url=https://religionnews.com/2020/10/23/exclusive-trump-confirmed-a-presbyterian-now-identifies-as-non-denominational-christian/|work=[[Religion News Service]]|date=October 23, 2020|access-date=September 29, 2021|first1=Jack|last1=Jenkins|first2=Maina|last2=Mwaura}}</ref>
=== Health habits ===
Trump says he has never drunk alcohol, smoked cigarettes, or used drugs.<ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=February 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> He sleeps about four or five hours a night.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><!-- DO NOT CHANGE preceding two sentences without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 67. --> He has called golfing his "primary form of exercise" but usually does not walk the course.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=133}} In 2015, Trump's campaign released a letter from his longtime personal physician, [[Harold Bornstein]], stating that Trump would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".<ref name="dictation">{{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/|work=[[CNN]]|date=May 1, 2018|access-date=May 20, 2018}}</ref> 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 the doctor's office.<ref name="dictation"/><ref>{{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|work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=June 6, 2019}}</ref>
===Wealth===
{{Main|Wealth of Donald Trump}}
[[File:Ivana Trump shakes hands with Fahd of Saudi Arabia.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Trump (far right) and wife Ivana in the receiving line of a state dinner for King [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia]] in 1985, with U.S. president [[Ronald Reagan]] and First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]]|alt=Ivana Trump and King Fahd shake hands, with Ronald Reagan standing next to them smiling. All are in black formal attire.]]
In 1982, Trump made the initial ''[[Forbes]]'' list of wealthy people for holding a share of his family's estimated $200 million net worth (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|200|1982}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).{{Inflation/fn|US}} His losses in the 1980s dropped him from the list between 1990 and 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/business/yourmoney/whats-he-really-worth.html|title=What's He Really Worth?|first=Timothy L.|last=O'Brien|author-link=Timothy L. O'Brien|access-date=February 25, 2016|date=October 23, 2005|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> After filing the mandatory financial disclosure report with the [[Federal Election Commission|FEC]] in July 2015, he announced a net worth of about $10 billion. Records released by the FEC showed at least $1.4 billion in assets and $265 million in liabilities.<ref name="disclosure">{{cite news|last1=Diamond|first1=Jeremy|last2=Frates|first2=Chris|url=https://cnn.com/2015/07/22/politics/donald-trump-personal-financial-disclosure/|title=Donald Trump's 92-page financial disclosure released|work=[[CNN]]|date=July 22, 2015 |access-date=September 14, 2022}}</ref> ''Forbes'' estimated his net worth dropped by $1.4 billion between 2015 and 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-forbes-wealthiest-people-in-the-us-list-2018-10|title=Trump has fallen 138 spots on Forbes' wealthiest-Americans list, his net worth down over $1 billion, since he announced his presidential bid in 2015|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=October 3, 2018|first=John|last=Walsh|access-date=October 12, 2021}}</ref> In their 2024 billionaires ranking, Trump's net worth was estimated to be $2.3 billion (1,438th in the world).<!-- Update preceding values annually per [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 5. Otherwise, DO NOT CHANGE without prior consensus. --><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/donald-trump/?list=billionaires|title=Profile Donald Trump|work=[[Forbes]]|year=2024|access-date=March 28, 2024}}</ref>
In 2018, journalist Jonathan Greenberg reported that Trump had called him in 1984 pretending to be a fictional Trump Organization official named "[[John Barron (pseudonym)|John Barron]]". Greenberg said that, to get a higher ranking on the [[Forbes 400|''Forbes'' 400]] list of wealthy Americans, Trump, speaking as "Barron", falsely asserted that Donald Trump owned more than 90 percent of his father's business. Greenberg also wrote that ''Forbes'' had vastly overestimated Trump's wealth and wrongly included him on the 1982, 1983, and 1984 rankings.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=April 20, 2018|access-date=September 29, 2021|first=Jonathan|last=Greenberg|title=Trump lied to me about his wealth to get onto the Forbes 400. Here are the tapes.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/trump-lied-to-me-about-his-wealth-to-get-onto-the-forbes-400-here-are-the-tapes/2018/04/20/ac762b08-4287-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/26/donald-trump-my-dad-gave-me-a-small-loan-of-1-million-to-get-started.html|title=Donald Trump: My dad gave me 'a small loan' of $1 million to get started|work=[[CNBC]]|first=Scott|last=Stump|date=October 26, 2015|access-date=November 13, 2016}}</ref> He was a millionaire by age eight, borrowed at least $60 million from his father, largely failed to repay those loans, and received another $413 million (2018 dollars adjusted for inflation) from his father's company.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Barstow|first1=David|author-link1=David Barstow|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|author-link2=Susanne Craig|last3=Buettner|first3=Russ|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-wealth-fred-trump.html|title=11 Takeaways From The Times's Investigation into Trump's Wealth|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 2, 2018|access-date=October 3, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Tax_Schemes">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html|title=Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father|work=[[The New York Times]]|last1=Barstow|first1=David|author-link1=David Barstow|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|author-link2=Susanne Craig|last3=Buettner|first3=Russ|date=October 2, 2018|access-date=October 2, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, he and his family were reported to have committed tax fraud, and the [[New York State Department of Taxation and Finance]] started an investigation.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/> His investments underperformed the stock and New York property markets.<ref>{{cite news|title=From the Tower to the White House|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=February 20, 2016|access-date=February 29, 2016|url=https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21693230-enigma-presidential-candidates-business-affairs-tower-white|quote=Mr Trump's performance has been mediocre compared with the stockmarket and property in New York.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Ana|last=Swanson|title=The myth and the reality of Donald Trump's business empire|date=February 29, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/29/the-myth-and-the-reality-of-donald-trumps-business-empire/}}</ref> ''Forbes'' estimated in October 2018 that his net worth declined from $4.5 billion in 2015 to $3.1 billion in 2017 and his product-licensing income from $23 million to $3 million.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Alexander|first1=Dan|last2=Peterson-Whithorn|first2=Chase|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2018/10/02/how-trump-is-tryingand-failingto-get-rich-off-his-presidency/|title=How Trump Is Trying—And Failing—To Get Rich Off His Presidency|work=[[Forbes]]|date=October 2, 2018 |access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref>
[[Trump's tax returns]] from 1985 to 1994 show net losses totaling $1.17 billion. The losses were higher than those of almost every other American taxpayer. The losses in 1990 and 1991, more than $250 million each year, were more than double those of the nearest taxpayers. In 1995, his reported losses were $915.7 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|.9157|1995|r=2}} billion in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref name=Buettner-190508>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/07/us/politics/donald-trump-taxes.html|title=Decade in the Red: Trump Tax Figures Show Over $1 Billion in Business Losses|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 7, 2019|access-date=May 8, 2019|first1=Russ|last1=Buettner|first2=Susanne|last2=Craig|author-link2=Susanne Craig}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/trump-taxes/588967/|title=The Secret That Was Hiding in Trump's Taxes|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=May 8, 2019|access-date=May 8, 2019|first=Conor|last=Friedersdorf|author-link=Conor Friedersdorf}}</ref>{{Inflation/fn|US}}
In 2020, ''The New York Times'' obtained Trump's tax information extending over two decades. Its reporters found that Trump reported losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. Since 2010 he had also failed to pay back $287 million in loans. During the 15 years prior to 2020, Trump, using [[tax credits]] for business losses, paid no income taxes in 10 of those years and $750 each in 2016 and 2017. He balanced his businesses' losses by selling and borrowing against assets, including a $100 million [[Trump Tower#2000s to present|mortgage on Trump Tower (refinanced in 2022)]] and the liquidation of over $200 million in stocks and bonds. He personally guaranteed $421 million in debt, most of which is due by 2024.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Buettner|first1=Russ|last2=Craig|first2=Susanne|author-link2=Susanne Craig|last3=McIntire|first3=Mike|date=September 27, 2020|title=Long-concealed Records Show Trump's Chronic Losses And Years Of Tax Avoidance|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html|access-date=September 28, 2020}}</ref>
{{as of|2021|10|lc=n}}, Trump had over $1.3 billion in debts, much of which is secured by his assets.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Forbes]]|date=October 7, 2021|title=Trump's Debt Now Totals An Estimated $1.3 Billion|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2021/10/07/trumps-debt-now-totals-an-estimated-13-billion/?sh=67fa55564575|first=Dan|last=Alexander|access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref> In 2020, he owed $640 million to banks and trust organizations, including [[Bank of China]], [[Deutsche Bank]], and [[UBS]], and approximately $450 million to unknown creditors. The value of his assets exceeds his debt.<ref>{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Dan|title=Donald Trump Has at Least $1 Billion in Debt, More Than Twice The Amount He Suggested|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2020/10/16/donald-trump-has-at-least-1-billion-in-debt-more-than-twice-the-amount-he-suggested/|access-date=October 17, 2020|work=[[Forbes]]|date=October 16, 2020}}</ref>
== Business career ==
{{Main|Business career of Donald Trump}}
{{Further|Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|Tax returns of Donald Trump}}
===Real estate===
[[File:Donald Trump with model of Television City.jpg|thumb|upright|Trump in 1985 with a model of one of his aborted Manhattan development projects<ref>{{cite news|last=Handy|first=Bruce|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/trump-tower-real-estate-projects/583243/|title=Trump Once Proposed Building a Castle on Madison Avenue|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=April 1, 2019|access-date=July 28, 2024}}</ref>]]
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.<ref name=Mahler>{{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}}</ref><ref name="Rich NYMag">{{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 (magazine)|New York]]|date=April 30, 2018|access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref> 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]}} 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
====Manhattan and Chicago developments====
Trump attracted public attention in 1978 with the launch of his family's first Manhattan venture, the renovation of the derelict [[Grand Hyatt New York|Commodore Hotel]], adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The financing was facilitated by a $400 million city property tax abatement arranged for Trump by his father who also, jointly with [[Hyatt]], guaranteed a $70 million bank construction loan.<ref name="Rich NYMag"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> The hotel reopened in 1980 as the [[Grand Hyatt New York|Grand Hyatt Hotel]],{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 84]}} and that same year, Trump obtained rights to develop [[Trump Tower]], a mixed-use skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan.<ref>{{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]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html}}</ref> The building houses the headquarters of the Trump Corporation and Trump's [[Political action committee|PAC]] and was Trump's primary residence until 2019.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jacobs|first1=Shayna|last2=Fahrenthold|first2=David A.|last3=O'Connell|first3=Jonathan|last4=Dawsey|first4=Josh|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-tower-pac-rent-campaign-finance/2021/09/02/dfeae19e-0b2f-11ec-9781-07796ffb56fe_story.html|title=Trump Tower's key tenants have fallen behind on rent and moved out. But Trump has one reliable customer: His own PAC.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 3, 2021 |access-date=February 15, 2022}}</ref><ref name=moved>{{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}}</ref>
In 1988, Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of sixteen banks.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1995, Trump 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 Trump to avoid personal bankruptcy.<ref name="plaza">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The lead bank's attorney said of the banks' decision that they "all agreed that he'd be better alive than dead."<ref name="plaza"/>
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, Trump won the right to develop a {{convert|70|acre|ha|adj=on}} tract in the [[Lincoln Square, Manhattan|Lincoln Square]] neighborhood near the Hudson River. Struggling with debt from other ventures in 1994, Trump sold most of his interest in the project to Asian investors, who financed the project's completion, [[Riverside South, Manhattan|Riverside South]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump's last major construction project was the 92-story mixed-use [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)]] which opened in 2008. In 2024, the [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)#Tax deductions|New York Times and ProPublica reported]] that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating whether Trump had twice written off losses incurred through construction cost overruns and lagging sales of residential units in the building Trump had declared to be worthless on his 2008 tax return.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Buettner|first1=Russ|last2=Kiel|first2=Paul|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/11/us/trump-taxes-audit-chicago.html|title=Trump May Owe $100 Million From Double-Dip Tax Breaks, Audit Shows|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 11, 2024|access-date=August 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Atlantic City casinos ====
[[File:Trump Taj Mahal, 2007.jpg|thumb|alt=The entrance of the Trump Taj Mahal, a casino in Atlantic City. It has motifs evocative of the Taj Mahal in India.|Entrance of the [[Trump Taj Mahal]] 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]].<ref name="fall"/> It was unprofitable, and Trump 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, Trump bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it [[Trump Castle]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Both casinos filed for [[Chapter 11]] bankruptcy protection in 1992.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/08/business/trump-s-taj-open-at-last-with-a-scary-appetite.html|title=Trump's Taj – Open at Last, With a Scary Appetite|date=April 8, 1990|last=Glynn|first=Lenny|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 14, 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Kranish|Fisher|2017|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=x2jUDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 135]}} Trump filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1991. Under the provisions of the restructuring agreement, Trump gave up half his initial stake and personally guaranteed future performance.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 1995, Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.<ref>{{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}}</ref> THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle in 1996 and went bankrupt in 2004 and 2009, leaving Trump with 10 percent ownership.<ref name="fall">{{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 (magazine)|Philadelphia]]|date=August 16, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2016|first=Dan|last=McQuade}}</ref> He remained chairman until 2009.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Fortune]]|access-date=May 6, 2018}}</ref>
==== Clubs ====
In 1985, Trump acquired the [[Mar-a-Lago]] estate in Palm Beach, Florida.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Town & Country]]|access-date=July 3, 2018}}</ref> Trump declared the club his primary residence in 2019.<ref name=moved /> The Trump Organization began [[Donald Trump and golf|building and buying golf courses]] in 1999.<ref name="CNN">{{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}}</ref> It owns fourteen and manages another three Trump-branded courses worldwide.<ref name="CNN"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== Licensing of the Trump brand ===
{{See also|List of things named after Donald Trump}}
The Trump name has been [[The Trump Organization#Related ventures and investments|licensed for]] consumer products and services, including foodstuffs, apparel, learning courses, and home furnishings.<ref name="neckties">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Martin|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/30/us/politics/donald-trump-institute-plagiarism.html|title=Trump Institute Offered Get-Rich Schemes With Plagiarized Lessons|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 29, 2016|access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> According to ''[[The Washington Post]]'', there are more than 50 licensing or management deals involving Trump's name, and they have generated at least $59 million in revenue for his companies.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license his name.<ref name="neckties"/>
=== Side ventures ===
[[File:Donald Trump and Doug Flutie at a press conference in the Trump Tower.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Trump and New Jersey Generals quarterback [[Doug Flutie]] 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 September 1983, Trump purchased the [[New Jersey Generals]], a team in the [[United States Football League]]. After the 1985 season, the league folded, largely due to Trump's attempt to move to a fall schedule (when it would have competed with the [[NFL]] for audience) and trying to force a merger with the NFL by bringing an antitrust suit.<ref>{{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|work=[[ESPN]]|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13255737/five-things-know-donald-trump-usfl-experience}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://fortune.com/2017/09/24/donald-trump-nfl-usfl/|title=Donald Trump Fought the NFL Once Before. He Got Crushed|work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|date=September 24, 2017|access-date=June 22, 2018|last=Morris|first=David Z.}}</ref>
Trump and his Plaza Hotel hosted several boxing matches at the [[Atlantic City Convention Hall]].<ref name="fall"/>{{sfn|O'Donnell|Rutherford|1991|p=137–143}} In 1989 and 1990, Trump 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]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
From 1986 to 1988, Trump 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,<ref name=Buettner-190508 /> leading some observers to think he was engaged in [[greenmail]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' found that Trump 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".<ref name=Buettner-190508 />
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.<ref name="TA">{{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}}</ref> Trump defaulted on his loans in 1991, and ownership passed to the banks.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4343030/donald-trump-failures/|title=10 Donald Trump Business Failures|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=October 11, 2016|access-date=May 17, 2023}}</ref>
[[File:Donald Trump star Hollywood Walk of Fame.JPG|thumb|upright=0.7|Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame|alt=A red star with a bronze outline and "Donald Trump" and a TV icon written on it in bronze, embedded in a black terrazzo sidewalk]]
In 1992, Trump, his siblings [[Maryanne Trump Barry|Maryanne]], Elizabeth, and [[Robert Trump|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.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Blair|first=Gwenda|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/10/07/trump-new-york-times-tax-evasion-221082|title=Did the Trump Family Historian Drop a Dime to the New York Times?|work=[[Politico]]|date=October 7, 2018|access-date=August 14, 2020}}</ref> The increased costs were used to get state approval for increasing the rents of Trump's rent-stabilized units.<ref name="Tax_Schemes"/>
From 1996 to 2015, Trump owned all or part of the [[Miss Universe]] pageants, including [[Miss USA]] and [[Miss Teen USA]].<ref name="pageantsaleWME">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/business/media/trump-sells-miss-universe-organization-to-wme-img-talent-agency.html|title=Trump Sells Miss Universe Organization to WME-IMG Talent Agency|date=September 14, 2015|first=John|last=Koblin|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=January 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-sells-miss-universe-img-2015-9|title=Donald Trump just sold off the entire Miss Universe Organization after buying it 3 days ago|date=September 14, 2015|first=Jethro|last=Nededog|work=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=May 6, 2016}}</ref> Due to disagreements with CBS about scheduling, he took both pageants to NBC in 2002.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2007, Trump received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for his work as producer of Miss Universe.<ref>{{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}}</ref> NBC and Univision dropped the pageants in June 2015.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Trump University ====
{{Main|Trump University}}
In 2004, Trump co-founded [[Trump University]], a company that sold real estate seminars for up to $35,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/01/trump-university-fraud-scandal|title=Big Hair on Campus: Did Donald Trump Defraud Thousands of Real Estate Students?|last=Cohan|first=William D.|author-link=William D. Cohan|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=December 3, 2013|access-date=March 6, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Barbaro|author-link=Michael Barbaro|title=New York Attorney General Is Investigating Trump's For-Profit School|date=May 19, 2011|access-date=September 30, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/nyregion/trumps-for-profit-school-said-to-be-under-investigation.html}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/02/27/donald-trumps-misleading-claim-that-hes-won-most-of-lawsuits-over-trump-university/|first=Michelle Ye Hee|last=Lee|title=Donald Trump's misleading claim that he's 'won most of' lawsuits over Trump University|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 27, 2016|access-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/08/26/trump-entrepreneur-initiative-case/2700811/|title=Trump faces two-front legal fight over 'university'|work=[[USA Today]]|first=Kevin|last=McCoy|date=August 26, 2013|access-date=September 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/us/politics/donald-trump-university.html|title=Former Trump University Workers Call the School a 'Lie' and a 'Scheme' in Testimony|last1=Barbaro|first1=Michael|author-link1=Michael Barbaro|last2=Eder|first2=Steve|date=May 31, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/06/01/480279246/hard-sell-the-potential-political-consequences-of-the-trump-university-documents|title=Hard Sell: The Potential Political Consequences of the Trump University Documents|last=Montanaro|first=Domenico|date=June 1, 2016|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=June 2, 2016}}</ref> Shortly after he won the 2016 presidential election, Trump agreed to pay a total of $25 million to settle the three cases.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== Foundation ===
{{Main|Donald J. Trump Foundation}}
The Donald J. Trump Foundation was a [[Private foundation (United States)|private foundation]] established in 1988.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=David A.|last=Fahrenthold|author-link=David Fahrenthold|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/09/01/trump-pays-irs-a-penalty-for-his-foundation-violating-rules-with-gift-to-florida-attorney-general/|title=Trump pays IRS a penalty for his foundation violating rules with gift to aid Florida attorney general|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 1, 2016|access-date=September 30, 2021}}</ref> 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,<ref name="retool">{{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}}</ref> which received millions from other donors, including $5 million from [[Vince McMahon]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> The foundation gave to health- and sports-related charities, conservative groups,<ref>{{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/}}</ref> and charities that held events at Trump properties.<ref name="retool"/>
In 2016, ''The Washington Post'' reported that the charity committed several potential legal and ethical violations, including alleged self-dealing and possible [[tax evasion]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump's team announced in December 2016 that the foundation would be dissolved.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref> In December 2018, the foundation ceased operation and disbursed its assets to other charities.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=November 7, 2019|access-date=November 7, 2019|first=Aaron|last=Katersky}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50338231|title=Judge orders Trump to pay $2m for misusing Trump Foundation funds|date=November 8, 2019|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref>
=== Legal affairs and bankruptcies ===
{{Main|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump}}
[[Roy Cohn]] was Trump's [[Fixer (person)|fixer]], lawyer, and mentor for 13 years in the 1970s and 1980s.<ref name="Mahler2016Cohn">{{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}}</ref> According to Trump, Cohn sometimes waived fees due to their friendship.<ref name="Mahler2016Cohn"/> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 1975, an agreement was struck requiring Trump's properties to furnish the [[National Urban League|New York Urban League]] with a list of all apartment vacancies, every week for two years, among other things.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dunlap|first=David W.|author-link=David W. Dunlap|title=1973: Meet Donald Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2015/07/30/1973-meet-donald-trump/|access-date=May 26, 2020|date=July 30, 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Cohn introduced political consultant [[Roger Stone]] to Trump, who enlisted Stone's services to deal with the federal government.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=June 28, 2017}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417181428/https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/trump-lawsuits/ |archive-date=April 17, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> While Trump 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.<ref name="TW">{{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}}</ref> They continued to operate while the banks restructured debt and reduced Trump's shares in the properties.<ref name="TW"/>
During the 1980s, more than 70 banks had lent Trump $4 billion.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After his corporate bankruptcies of the early 1990s, most major banks, with the exception of Deutsche Bank, declined to lend to him.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After the [[January 6 Capitol attack]], the bank decided not to do business with Trump or his company in the future.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Media career ==
{{Main|Media career of Donald Trump}}
=== Books ===
{{Main|Bibliography of Donald Trump}}
Using [[ghostwriters]], Trump has produced 19 books under his name.<ref>{{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|work=[[The Independent]]|first=Andrew|last=Buncombe|date=July 4, 2018|access-date=October 11, 2020}}</ref> His first book, ''[[The Art of the Deal]]'' (1987), was a [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller]]. While Trump was credited as co-author, the entire book was written by [[Tony Schwartz (author)|Tony Schwartz]]. According to ''[[The New Yorker]]'', the book made Trump famous as an "emblem of the successful tycoon".<ref name="JM">{{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}}</ref>
=== Film and television ===
{{Main|Media career of Donald Trump}}
Trump had cameos in many films and television shows from 1985 to 2001.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adrienne|last=LaFrance|title=Three Decades of Donald Trump Film and TV Cameos|date=December 21, 2015|work=[[The Atlantic]]|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/three-decades-of-donald-trump-film-and-tv-cameos/421257/}}</ref>
Starting in the 1990s, Trump was a guest about 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 called ''[[Trumped!]]'' from 2004 to 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/the-donald-to-get-new-wife-radio-show/|title=The Donald to Get New Wife, Radio Show|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=April 29, 2004 |access-date=November 19, 2013|first=Stephen M.|last=Silverman |author-link=Stephen M. Silverman}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Tedeschi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/06/technology/now-for-sale-online-the-art-of-the-vacation.html|title=Now for Sale Online, the Art of the Vacation|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 6, 2006|access-date=October 21, 2018}}</ref> From 2011 until 2015, he was a guest commentator on ''[[Fox & Friends]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Montopoli|first=Brian|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-gets-regular-fox-news-spot/|title=Donald Trump gets regular Fox News spot|work=[[CBS News]]|date=April 1, 2011|access-date=July 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
From 2004 to 2015, Trump was co-producer and host of reality shows ''The Apprentice'' and ''[[The Celebrity Apprentice]]''. On the shows, Trump was a superrich and successful chief executive who eliminated contestants with the [[catchphrase]] "you're fired". ''The New York Times'' called his portrayal a "highly flattering, highly fictionalized version of Mr. Trump". The shows remade his image for millions of viewers nationwide.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> With the related licensing agreements, they earned him more than $400 million.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In February 2021, Trump, who had been a member of [[SAG-AFTRA]] since 1989, resigned to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Two days later, the union permanently barred him.<ref>{{cite news|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'|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=February 7, 2021 |access-date=February 8, 2021}}</ref>
== Political career ==
{{Further|Political career of Donald Trump}}
[[File:Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.jpg|thumb|right|Trump and President [[Bill Clinton]], 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;<ref name="reg">{{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}}</ref> a member of the [[Independence Party of New York|Independence Party]], the New York state affiliate of the [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]], in 1999;<ref>{{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}}</ref> a Democrat in 2001; a Republican in 2009; unaffiliated in 2011; and a Republican in 2012.<ref name="reg"/>
In 1987, Trump placed full-page advertisements in three major newspapers,<ref name="hint">{{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}}</ref> expressing his views on foreign policy and how to eliminate the federal budget deficit.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite book|first=Jon|last=Meacham|title=Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush|date=2016|page=326|publisher=[[Random House]]|isbn=978-0-8129-7947-3}}</ref>
=== Presidential campaigns (2000–2016) ===
Trump [[Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign|was a candidate]] in the [[2000 Reform Party presidential primaries]] for three months but withdrew from the race in February 2000.<ref>{{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/}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
[[File:Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 by Mark Taylor.jpg|thumb|right|Trump speaking at [[Conservative Political Action Conference|CPAC]] 2011|alt=Trump, leaning heavily onto a lectern, with his mouth open mid-speech and a woman clapping politely next to him]]
In 2011, Trump speculated about running against President Barack Obama in [[2012 United States presidential election|the 2012 election]], making his first speaking appearance at the [[Conservative Political Action Conference]] (CPAC) in February 2011 and giving speeches in early primary states.<ref name="McA">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In May 2011, he announced he would not run.<ref name="McA"/> Trump's presidential ambitions were generally not taken seriously at the time.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 2016 presidential campaign ====
{{Main|Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign}}
{{further|2016 Republican Party presidential primaries|2016 United States presidential election#General election campaign}}
Trump's fame and provocative statements earned him an unprecedented amount of [[earned media|free media coverage]], elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.<ref name=Cillizza-160614>{{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]]}}</ref> He adopted the phrase "truthful hyperbole", coined by his ghostwriter Tony Schwartz, to describe his public speaking style.<ref name="JM"/><ref>{{cite news|first1=Emily|last1=Flitter|first2=James|last2=Oliphant|title=Best president ever! How Trump's love of hyperbole could backfire|date=August 28, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=[[Reuters]]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-hyperbole-insight-idUSKCN0QX11X20150828}}</ref> His campaign statements were often opaque and suggestive,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and a record number were false.<ref name="whoppers">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump said he disdained [[political correctness]] and frequently made claims of [[media bias]].<ref name=Walsh-160724>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> His run for office led to the creation of a [[Trumpism|political movement]] and [[cult of personality]].{{efn|name=Cult|Attributed to multiple sources:<ref>{{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=4 May 2022 |pages=431–458 |doi=10.1007/s10767-022-09423-0 |pmid=35528318 |pmc=9066393 |quote=Trump, Putin and Ardern are used as examples of the model's ability to distinguish between cult and non-cult phenomena. The comparison shows that only Trump and Putin have a cult on both dimensions ... This paper introduced a model for distinguishing between popularity and personality cults based on three parameters covering a representational and social practice dimension. Putin, Trump and Ardern were used to illustrate the model's ability to categorise phenomena with different degrees of charisma. The analysis shows that while Trump and Putin belong in the domain of personality cults, Ardern's alleged cult does not have a social practice dimension, as the few cultlike tendencies are strictly representational.}}</ref><ref>{{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 |quote=Trump supporters consistently showed bias in favor of the interests and ostensible positions of Trump, whereas Trump's detractors did not show an opposing bias ... Results of the current study do not support the broad existence of so-called 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' on the left, but they may lend credence to accusations that some Trump supporters have a cult-like loyalty to the 45th president.}}</ref><ref>{{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 }}</ref><ref>{{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 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |pages=869–892 |issn=1569-2159 |doi=10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305071023/https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.20002.rey |archive-date=March 5, 2024 }}</ref><ref name=ThePers_1>{{cite journal | author1=Goldsmith, B.E| author2=Moen, L.J.|date=May 14, 2024 |title=The personality of a personality cult? Personality characteristics of Donald Trump's most loyal supporters |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pops.12991 |journal=[[Political Psychology]] |issue=Special Issue |access-date=7 November 2024 |pages=19|doi=10.1111/pops.12991 |issn=0162-895X| archive-url= |archive-date= |quote=We contend that, for his most committed followers, the attraction is personality-based — both in terms of Trump's self-presentation to citizens and in terms of the personality characteristics making some citizens attracted to such leadership. Trump's appeal appears to fit Sundahl's (2023) three characteristics of a personality cult. The phenomenon of a political personality cult may have arrived in full force in U.S. democracy — and could potentially be its undoing.}}</ref><ref>{{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 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |pages=96–109 |issn=0735-1690 |doi=10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106102947/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07351690.2023.2163147 |archive-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |quote=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.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Hassan |first1=Steven |author-link=Steven Hassan |year=2019 |title=The Cult of Trump |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |pages= |isbn=9781982127336 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Butler |first1=Anthea |author-link=Anthea Butler |year=2020 |title=White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |isbn=9781469661179 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Haltiwanger |first1=John |title=Republicans have built a cult of personality around Trump that glosses over his disgraced presidency |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-have-built-a-cult-of-personalty-around-trump-2021-3 |date=4 March 2021 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=[[Business Insider]] |language=en-US |archive-date=January 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115171921/https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-have-built-a-cult-of-personalty-around-trump-2021-3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Tharoor |first1=Ishaan |date=2022-08-21 |title=Analysis {{!}} Trump's personality cult and the erosion of U.S. democracy |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/19/trump-cult-of-personality-democracy-erosion-united-states/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=August 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831130419/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/19/trump-cult-of-personality-democracy-erosion-united-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ben-Ghiat |first1=Ruth |date=2020-12-09 |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=2023-10-04 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=October 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019092934/https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-12-09/donald-trump-strongman-personality-cult |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
[[File:Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore 5.jpg|thumb|alt=Trump speaking in front of an American flag behind a lectern, wearing a black suit and red hat. The lectern sports a blue "TRUMP" sign.|Trump campaigning in Arizona, March 2016]]
Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066|first=Adam B.|last=Lerner|title=The 10 best lines from Donald Trump's announcement speech|work=[[Politico]]|date=June 16, 2015|access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/trumps-self-funding-lie/482691/|title=The Lie of Trump's 'Self-Funding' Campaign|work=[[The Atlantic]]|first=David A.|last=Graham|date=May 13, 2016|access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|His campaign]] was initially not taken seriously by political analysts, but he quickly rose to the top of opinion polls.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/123228/how-donald-trump-evolved-joke-almost-serious-candidate|date=October 27, 2015|first=Elspeth|last=Reeve|title=How Donald Trump Evolved From a Joke to an Almost Serious Candidate|magazine=[[The New Republic]]|access-date=July 23, 2018}}</ref> He became the front-runner in March 2016<ref>{{cite news|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/|title=Why Donald Trump is poised to win the nomination and lose the general election, in one poll|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=March 23, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> and was declared the presumptive Republican nominee in May.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/05/reince-priebus-donald-trump-is-nominee-222767|title=RNC Chairman: Trump is our nominee|last=Nussbaum|first=Matthew|date=May 3, 2016|access-date=May 4, 2016|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref>
[[Hillary Clinton]] led Trump in [[Nationwide opinion polling for the United States presidential election, 2016|national polling averages]] throughout the campaign, but, in early July, her lead narrowed.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton|title=2016 General Election: Trump vs. Clinton|access-date=November 8, 2016|work=[[HuffPost]]|archive-date=October 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002184537/https://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton|url-status=dead}}</ref> In mid-July Trump selected Indiana governor [[Mike Pence]] as his running mate,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> and the two were officially nominated at the [[2016 Republican National Convention]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/19/republicans-start-process-to-nominate-trump-for-president.html|title=Trump closes the deal, becomes Republican nominee for president|date=July 19, 2016|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=[[Fox News]]}}</ref>
Trump and Clinton faced off in [[2016 United States presidential debates|three presidential debates]] in September and October 2016. Trump twice refused to say whether he would accept the result of the election.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
===== Campaign rhetoric and political positions =====
{{Main|Political positions of Donald Trump|Rhetoric of Donald Trump}}
Trump's political positions and rhetoric were described as [[right-wing populist]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/10/31/the-republican-party-has-lurched-towards-populism-and-illiberalism|title=The Republican Party has lurched towards populism and illiberalism|newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=October 31, 2020|access-date=October 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Borger|first=Julian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/26/republican-party-autocratic-hungary-turkey-study-trump|title=Republicans closely resemble autocratic parties in Hungary and Turkey – study|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 26, 2021|access-date=October 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> ''[[Politico]]'' described them as "eclectic, improvisational and often contradictory", quoting a health-care policy expert at the [[American Enterprise Institute]] as saying that his political positions were a "random assortment of whatever plays publicly".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/will-the-real-donald-trump-please-stand-up-120607|title=Will the real Donald Trump please stand up?|last=Noah|first=Timothy|author-link=Timothy Noah|date=July 26, 2015|access-date=October 1, 2021|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref> [[NBC News]] counted "141 distinct shifts on 23 major issues" during his campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/full-list-donald-trump-s-rapidly-changing-policy-positions-n547801|title=A Full List of Donald Trump's Rapidly Changing Policy Positions|last=Timm|first=Jane C.|date=March 30, 2016|access-date=July 12, 2016|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> Trump appeals to Christian nationalists, according to a 2021 study.<ref>{{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|issn=1755-0483|hdl=11244/334967|hdl-access=free}}</ref>
Trump described NATO as "obsolete"<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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|quote=On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 'obsolete'.|journal=[[Communication Quarterly]]|volume=66|issue=2<!--|pages=176–195 -->|page=176|first=Jason A.|last=Edwards}}</ref> and espoused views that were described as [[non-interventionist]] and protectionist.<ref>{{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/}}</ref> His campaign platform emphasized renegotiating [[China–United States relations|U.S.–China relations]] and free trade agreements such as [[NAFTA]], strongly enforcing immigration laws, and building [[Trump wall|a new wall]] along the [[U.S.–Mexico border]]. Other campaign positions included pursuing [[energy independence]] while opposing climate change regulations, modernizing [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs#Veterans Benefits Administration|services for veterans]], repealing and replacing the [[Affordable Care Act]], abolishing [[Common Core]] education standards, [[infrastructure-based development|investing in infrastructure]], simplifying the [[Internal Revenue Code|tax code]] while reducing taxes, and imposing [[tariff]]s on imports by companies that offshore jobs. He advocated increasing military spending and extreme vetting or banning of immigrants from Muslim-majority countries.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Trump helped bring far-right fringe ideas and organizations into the mainstream.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In August 2016, Trump hired [[Steve Bannon]], the executive chairman of ''[[Breitbart News]]''—described by Bannon as "the platform for the alt-right"—as his campaign CEO.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clickbait scoops and an engaged alt-right: everything to know about Breitbart News|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/nov/15/breitbart-news-alt-right-stephen-bannon-trump-administration|access-date=November 18, 2016|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=November 15, 2016|first=Jason|last=Wilson}}</ref> The [[alt-right]] movement coalesced around and supported Trump's candidacy, due in part to its [[opposition to multiculturalism]] and [[Opposition to immigration|immigration]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
===== Financial disclosures =====
{{Further|Tax returns of Donald Trump}}
Trump's FEC-required reports listed assets above $1.4 billion and outstanding debts of at least $315 million.<ref name="disclosure"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump did not release [[Donald Trump's tax returns|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> He said his tax returns were being [[Income tax audit|audited]], and that his lawyers had advised him against releasing them.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
In October 2016, portions of Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from ''The New York Times''. They show that Trump had declared a loss of $916 million that year, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
===== Election to the presidency =====
{{Main|2016 United States presidential election}}
On November 8, 2016, Trump received 306 pledged [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]] versus 232 for Clinton, though, after elector [[Faithless electors in the United States presidential election, 2016|defections on both sides]], the official count was ultimately 304 to 227.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump, the fifth person to be elected president [[List of United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote|while losing the popular vote]], received nearly 2.9 million fewer votes than Clinton.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He also was the only president who [[List of presidents of the United States by previous experience|neither served in the military nor held any government office]] prior to becoming president.<ref>{{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 (website)|Vox]]|access-date=January 3, 2017}}</ref>
Trump's victory was a [[political upset]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/election-results-2016-clinton-trump-231070|title=Trump pulls off biggest upset in U.S. history|work=[[Politico]]|date=November 9, 2016|first1=Shane|last1=Goldmacher|first2=Ben|last2=Schreckinger|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref> Polls had consistently shown Clinton with a [[Nationwide opinion polling for the 2016 United States presidential election|nationwide]]—though diminishing—lead, as well as an advantage in most of the [[Statewide opinion polling for the 2016 United States presidential election|competitive states]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/upshot/why-trump-won-working-class-whites.html|title=Why Trump Won: Working-Class Whites|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 9, 2016|first=Nate|last=Cohn|access-date=November 9, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Women's March on Washington (32593123745).jpg|thumb|[[2017 Women's March|Women's March]] in Washington on January 21, 2017|alt=Pennsylvania Ave., completely packed with protesters, mostly women, many wearing pink and holding signs with progressive feminist slogans]]
Trump won 30 states, including [[Michigan]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Wisconsin]], states which had been considered a [[Blue wall (U.S. politics)|blue wall]] of Democratic strongholds since the 1990s. Clinton won 20 states and the [[District of Columbia]]. Trump's victory marked the return of an [[Divided government in the United States|undivided]] Republican government—a Republican White House combined with Republican control of both chambers of [[United States Congress|Congress]].<ref>{{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/}}</ref>
Trump's election victory sparked [[Protests against Donald Trump#After the election|protests]] in major U.S. cities.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Logan|first1=Brian|last2=Sanchez|first2=Chris|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-donald-trump-protest-united-states-2016-11|title=Protests against Donald Trump break out nationwide|date=November 10, 2016|work=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=September 16, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> On the day after Trump's inauguration, an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide, including an estimated half million in Washington, D.C., protested against Trump in the [[2017 Women's March|Women's Marches]].<ref>{{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|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref>
== First presidency (2017–2021) ==
{{Conservatism US}}
{{Main|First presidency of Donald Trump}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of the Donald Trump presidency}}
=== Early actions ===
{{See also|First presidential transition of Donald Trump|First 100 days of the first Donald Trump presidency}}
[[File:Donald Trump swearing in ceremony.jpg|thumb|left|Trump is [[First inauguration of Donald Trump|sworn in]] as president by Chief Justice [[John Roberts]]|alt=Trump, with his family watching, raises his right hand and places his left hand on the Bible as he takes the oath of office. Roberts stands opposite him administering the oath.]]
[[First inauguration of Donald Trump|Trump was inaugurated]] on January 20, 2017. During his first week in office, he signed [[List of executive actions by Donald Trump#Executive orders|six executive orders]], authorizing interim procedures in anticipation of repealing the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, reinstatement of the [[Mexico City policy]], advancement of the [[Keystone Pipeline|Keystone XL]] and [[Dakota Access Pipeline]] construction projects, reinforcement of border security, and a planning and design process to construct a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.<ref>{{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|work=[[Politico]]|date=January 25, 2017}}</ref>
Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law [[Jared Kushner]] became his [[Assistant to the President|assistant]] and [[Senior Advisor to the President of the United States|senior advisor]], respectively.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 21, 2017|access-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref>
=== Conflicts of interest ===
{{See also|First presidency of Donald Trump#Ethics}}
Before being inaugurated, Trump moved his businesses into a [[revocable trust]],<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="BBC041817">{{cite news|title=Donald Trump: A list of potential conflicts of interest|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38069298|work=[[BBC]]|date=April 18, 2017|access-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref> rather than a [[blind trust]] or equivalent arrangement "to cleanly sever himself from his business interests".<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump continued to profit from his businesses and to know how his administration's policies affected his businesses.<ref name="BBC041817"/><ref name="Venook">{{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}}</ref> Though he said he would eschew "new foreign deals", the Trump Organization pursued expansions of its operations in Dubai, Scotland, and the Dominican Republic.<ref name="BBC041817"/><ref name="Venook" />
Trump was sued for violating the [[Domestic Emoluments Clause|Domestic]] and [[Foreign Emoluments Clause]]s of the [[U.S. Constitution]], marking the first time that the clauses had been substantively litigated.<ref name=CRSRpt>{{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]]}}</ref> One case was dismissed in lower court.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Two were dismissed by the U.S. Supreme Court as moot after the end of Trump's term.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
During Trump's term in office, he visited a Trump Organization property on 428 days, one visit for every 3.4 days of his presidency.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/20/trumps-presidency-ends-where-so-much-it-was-spent-trump-organization-property/|title=Trump's presidency ends where so much of it was spent: A Trump Organization property|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 27, 2022}}</ref>
=== Domestic policy ===
==== Economy ====
{{Main|Economic policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
Trump took office at the height of the longest [[economic expansion]] in American history,<ref name=VanDam>{{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}}</ref> which began in 2009 and continued until February 2020, when the [[COVID-19 recession]] began.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In December 2017, Trump signed the [[Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017]] passed by Congress without Democratic votes.{{relevance inline|date=April 2024}} It reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals, with business tax cuts to be permanent and individual tax cuts set to expire after 2025,{{importance inline|date=April 2024}} and set the penalty associated with the [[Affordable Care Act]]'s individual mandate to $0.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The Trump administration claimed that the act would not decrease government revenue, but 2018 revenues were 7.6 percent lower than projected.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Under Trump, the federal budget deficit increased by almost 50 percent, to nearly $1 trillion in 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By the end of his term, the [[U.S. national debt]] increased by 39 percent, reaching $27.75{{nbsp}}trillion, and the U.S. [[debt-to-GDP ratio]] hit a post-World War II high.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump also failed to deliver the $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan on which he had campaigned.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump is the only modern U.S. president to leave office with a smaller workforce than when he took office, by 3 million people.<ref name=VanDam/><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Climate change, environment, and energy ====
{{Main|Environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
Trump rejects the [[scientific consensus on climate change]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> He reduced the budget for renewable energy research by 40 percent and reversed Obama-era policies directed at curbing climate change.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He [[withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement|withdrew from the Paris Agreement]], making the U.S. the only nation to not ratify it.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump aimed to boost the production and exports of [[fossil fuel]]s.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Natural gas expanded under Trump, but coal continued to decline.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref name=Subramaniam>{{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}}</ref> Trump 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 [[Arctic Refuge drilling controversy|drilling in the Arctic Refuge]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Deregulation ====
In 2017, Trump signed [[Executive Order 13771]], which directed that, for every new regulation, federal agencies "identify" two existing regulations for elimination, though it did not require elimination.<ref>{{cite news|last=Plumer|first=Brad|url=https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/30/14441430/trump-executive-order-regulations|title=Trump wants to kill two old regulations for every new one issued. Sort of.|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=January 30, 2017|access-date=March 11, 2023}}</ref> He dismantled many federal regulations on health,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="midnight">{{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}}</ref> labor,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="midnight"/> and the environment,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref name="midnight"/> among others, including a bill that made it easier for severely mentally ill persons to buy guns.<ref>{{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}}</ref> During his first six weeks in office, he delayed, suspended, or reversed ninety federal regulations,<ref>{{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}}</ref> often "after requests by the regulated industries".<ref>{{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}}</ref> The [[Institute for Policy Integrity]] found that 78 percent of Trump's proposals were blocked by courts or did not prevail over litigation.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Health care ====
During his campaign, Trump vowed to repeal and replace the [[Affordable Care Act]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> In office, he scaled back the Act's implementation through executive orders.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail"; his administration halved the [[Annual enrollment|enrollment period]] and drastically reduced funding for enrollment promotion.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In June 2018, the Trump administration [[California v. Texas|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.<ref name=StolbergACA>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Their pleading would have eliminated [[Health insurance coverage in the United States|health insurance coverage]] for up to 23 million Americans, but was unsuccessful.<ref name=StolbergACA /> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
In response to the [[opioid epidemic in the United States|opioid epidemic]], Trump signed legislation in 2018 to increase funding for drug treatments but was widely criticized for failing to make a concrete strategy. U.S. opioid overdose deaths declined slightly in 2018 but surged to a record 50,052 in 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Social issues ====
{{Main|Social policy of Donald Trump}}
Trump barred organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from receiving federal funds.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He said he supported "traditional marriage" but considered the [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|nationwide legality]] of [[same-sex marriage]] "settled".<ref>{{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}}</ref> His administration rolled back key components of the Obama administration's workplace protections against [[Discrimination against LGBT people|discrimination of LGBTQ people]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump's 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump has said he is [[Gun politics in the United States|opposed]] to [[gun control]], although his views have shifted over time.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After several [[mass shootings in the United States|mass shootings]] during his term, he said he would propose legislation related to guns, but he abandoned that effort in November 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-quietly-abandons-proposing-ideas-to-curb-gun-violence-after-saying-he-would-following-mass-shootings/2019/10/31/8bca030c-fa6e-11e9-9534-e0dbcc9f5683_story.html|title=Trump abandons proposing ideas to curb gun violence after saying he would following mass shootings|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first=Josh|last=Dawsey|author-link=Josh Dawsey|date=November 1, 2019|access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref> His administration took an [[Cannabis policy of the Donald Trump administration|anti-marijuana position]], revoking [[Cole Memorandum|Obama-era policies]] that provided protections for states that legalized marijuana.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump is a long-time advocate of capital punishment.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]|date=January 16, 2021|access-date=September 18, 2022}}</ref> Under his administration, the [[Capital punishment by the United States federal government|federal government executed]] 13 prisoners, more than in the previous 56 years combined, ending a 17-year moratorium.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2016, Trump said he supported the use of interrogation torture methods such as [[waterboarding]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=February 6, 2016|access-date=February 9, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:President Trump Visits St. John's Episcopal Church (49964153176).jpg|thumb|Trump and group of officials and advisors on the way from the White House to St. John's Church]]
In June 2020, during the [[George Floyd protests]], federal law-enforcement officials controversially used [[less lethal]] weapons to remove a largely peaceful crowd of lawful protesters from [[Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.|Lafayette Square]], outside the [[White House]].<ref name="wb">{{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}}</ref><ref name="bumpline">{{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}}</ref> Trump then posed with a Bible for [[Donald Trump photo-op at St. John's Church|a photo-op]] at the nearby [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square|St. John's Episcopal Church]],<ref name="wb"/><ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=June 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> with religious leaders condemning both the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Many retired military leaders and defense officials condemned Trump's proposal to use the U.S. military against anti-police-brutality protesters.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== 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]].<ref>{{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|work=[[Pew Research Center]]|date=January 22, 2021|access-date=July 23, 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref name="road">{{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}}</ref><ref name="OloDaw">{{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}}</ref> In his last full day in office, Trump granted 73 pardons and commuted 70 sentences.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Several Trump allies were not eligible for pardons under Justice Department rules, and in other cases the department had opposed clemency.<ref name="road"/> The pardons of three military service members convicted of or charged with violent crimes were opposed by military leaders.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== Immigration ===
{{Main|Immigration policy of Donald Trump}}
Trump's proposed immigration policies were a topic of bitter debate during the 2016 campaign. He promised to build [[Trump wall|a wall]] on the [[Mexico–U.S. border]] to restrict illegal movement and vowed that Mexico would pay for it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37243269|title=Donald Trump's Mexico wall: Who is going to pay for it?|date=February 6, 2017|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=December 9, 2017}}</ref> He pledged to deport millions of [[Illegal immigrant population of the United States|illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.]],<ref>{{cite news|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|work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=September 29, 2015|date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> and criticized [[Birthright citizenship in the United States|birthright citizenship]] for incentivizing "[[anchor babies]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/08/donald-trump-has-some-thoughts-about-the-constitution|title=Donald Trump: The 14th Amendment is Unconstitutional|work=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]|date=August 19, 2015|access-date=November 22, 2015|first=Inae|last=Oh}}</ref> As president, he frequently described illegal immigration as an "invasion" and conflated immigrants with the criminal gang [[MS-13]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump drastically escalated immigration enforcement, including implementing harsher immigration enforcement policies against asylum seekers from Central America than any modern U.S. president.<ref>{{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=2017|volume=57|issue=3|pages=611–665|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/saclr57&div=21&id=&page=|access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{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|access-date=June 1, 2020|pages=575–616|volume=54|issue=2}}</ref>
From 2018 onward, Trump [[Operation Faithful Patriot|deployed nearly 6,000 troops to the U.S.–Mexico border]]<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=January 29, 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump reduced the number of [[United States Refugee Admissions Program|refugees admitted]] to record lows. When Trump took office, the annual limit was 110,000; Trump set a limit of 18,000 in the 2020 fiscal year and 15,000 in the 2021 fiscal year.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Additional restrictions implemented by the Trump administration caused significant bottlenecks in processing refugee applications, resulting in fewer refugees accepted than the allowed limits.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Travel ban ====
{{Main|Trump travel ban}}
{{Further|Executive Order 13769|Executive Order 13780}}
Following the [[2015 San Bernardino attack]], Trump proposed to ban [[Muslim]] foreigners from entering the U.S. until stronger vetting systems could be implemented.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pilkington|first=Ed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/07/donald-trump-ban-all-muslims-entering-us-san-bernardino-shooting|title=Donald Trump: ban all Muslims entering US|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 8, 2015|access-date=October 10, 2020}}</ref> He later reframed the proposed ban to apply to countries with a "proven history of terrorism".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 25, 2016|access-date=October 3, 2021|first=Jenna|last=Johnson|title=Trump now proposes only Muslims from terrorism-heavy countries would be banned from U.S.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/25/trump-now-says-muslim-ban-only-applies-to-those-from-terrorism-heavy-countries/}}</ref>
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.<ref name="frontline">{{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}}</ref><ref name="airport">{{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}}</ref> [[Protests against Executive Order 13769|Protests began at airports]] the next day,<ref name="frontline"/><ref name="airport"/> and [[Legal challenges to the Trump travel ban|legal challenges]] resulted in [[National injunctions|nationwide preliminary injunctions]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> A March 6 [[Executive Order 13780|revised order]], which excluded Iraq and gave other exemptions, again was blocked by federal judges in three states.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In a [[Int'l Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump|decision in June 2017]], the [[Supreme Court of the United States|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".<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After lower courts partially blocked the new restrictions, the Supreme Court allowed the September version to go into full effect on December 4, 2017,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> and ultimately upheld the travel ban in a ruling in June 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Family separation at the border ====
{{Main|Trump administration family separation policy}}
{{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.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=February 5, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Spagat">{{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}}</ref> In April 2018, the Trump administration announced a "[[Trump administration family separation policy|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The policy was unprecedented in previous administrations and sparked public outrage.<ref name="Domonoske">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump falsely asserted that his administration was merely following the law, blaming Democrats, despite the separations being his administration's policy.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/trump-immigration-separation-border.html|title=Separated at the Border From Their Parents: In Six Weeks, 1,995 Children|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=June 18, 2018|last=Davis|first=Julie Hirschfeld|author-link=Julie Hirschfeld Davis}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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;<ref>{{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}}</ref> Sabraw ordered for the families to be reunited and family separations stopped except in limited circumstances.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After the order, the Trump administration separated more than a thousand migrant children from their families; the [[ACLU]] contended that the Trump administration had abused its discretion and asked Sabraw to more narrowly define the circumstances warranting separation.<ref name="Spagat"/>
==== Trump wall and government shutdown ====
{{Main|Trump wall|2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown}}
[[File:Donald Trump visits San Diego border wall prototypes.jpg|thumb|Trump examines border wall prototypes in [[Otay Mesa, California]].|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.<ref name="timm">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 2018, Trump refused to sign any [[appropriations bill]] from Congress unless it allocated $5.6 billion for the border wall,<ref>{{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}}</ref> resulting in the federal government partially shutting down for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, the [[List of United States federal funding gaps|longest U.S. government shutdown in history]].<ref name=Gambino>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Around 800,000 government employees were [[furlough]]ed or worked without pay.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump and Congress ended the shutdown by approving temporary funding that provided delayed payments to government workers but no funds for the wall.<ref name=Gambino /> The shutdown resulted in an estimated permanent loss of $3 billion to the economy, according to the [[Congressional Budget Office]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> About half of those polled blamed Trump for the shutdown, and Trump's approval ratings dropped.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref name=Wilkie>{{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}}</ref> Trump also declared a [[National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of the United States|national emergency on the southern border]], intending to divert $6.1 billion of funds Congress had allocated to other purposes.<ref name=Wilkie /> Trump [[Veto power in the United States#In federal government|vetoed]] a [[joint resolution]] to overturn the declaration, and the Senate voted against a [[veto override]].<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=October 17, 2019}}</ref> Legal challenges to the diversion of $2.5 billion originally meant for the [[Department of Defense]]'s drug interdiction efforts<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{ussc|name=Trump v. Sierra Club|docket=19A60|volume=588|year=2019|el=no}}</ref> and $3.6 billion originally meant for military construction<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> were unsuccessful.
=== Foreign policy ===
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
{{See also|List of international presidential trips made by Donald Trump}}
[[File:-G7Biarritz (48616362963).jpg|thumb|Trump with the other [[Group of Seven|G7]] leaders at the [[45th G7 summit|45th summit]] in France, 2019|alt=Trump and other G7 leaders sit at a conference table]]
Trump described himself as a "nationalist"<ref>{{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}}</ref> and his foreign policy as "[[America First (policy)|America First]]".<ref name=Bennhold>{{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}}</ref> He praised and supported [[populist]], [[neo-nationalist]], and authoritarian governments.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Hallmarks of foreign relations during Trump's tenure included unpredictability, uncertainty, and inconsistency.<ref name=Bennhold /><ref>{{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|access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref> Tensions between the U.S. and its European allies were strained under Trump.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> He criticized [[Member states of NATO|NATO allies]] and privately suggested on multiple occasions that the U.S. should [[Withdrawal from NATO#United States|withdraw from NATO]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Trade ====
{{See also|Trump tariffs}}
Trump withdrew the U.S. from the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]] (TPP) negotiations,<ref>{{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}}</ref> imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and launched a [[China–United States trade war|trade war with China]] by sharply increasing tariffs on 818 categories (worth $50 billion) of Chinese goods imported into the U.S.<ref>{{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}}</ref> While Trump said that import tariffs are paid by China into the [[U.S. Treasury]], they are paid by American companies that import goods from China.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Although he pledged during the campaign to significantly reduce the U.S.'s large [[trade deficits]], the trade deficit skyrocketed under Trump.<ref name="Palmer 2021">{{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}}</ref> Following a 2017–2018 renegotiation, the [[United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement]] (USMCA) became effective in July 2020 as the successor to NAFTA.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Russia ====
{{See also|Russia–United States relations#Trump administration (2017–2021)}}
[[File:President Trump at the G20 (48144047611).jpg|thumb|[[Vladimir Putin]] 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. against Russian entities after Russia's [[2014 annexation of Crimea]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump withdrew the U.S. from the [[Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]], citing alleged Russian non-compliance,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and supported a potential return of Russia to the [[G7]].<ref name="G8">{{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}}</ref>
Trump repeatedly praised and rarely criticized Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]]<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> but opposed some actions of the Russian government.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> After he met Putin at the [[Helsinki Summit]] in 2018, Trump drew bipartisan criticism for accepting Putin's denial of [[Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election]], rather than accepting the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies.<ref>{{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]]|date=July 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump did not discuss alleged [[Russian bounties]] offered to [[Taliban]] fighters for attacking American soldiers in Afghanistan with Putin, saying both that he doubted the intelligence and that he was not briefed on it.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|author-link1=Charlie Savage (author)|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|author-link2=Eric P. Schmitt|last3=Schwirtz|first3=Michael|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/us/politics/russian-bounties-nsc.html|title=Russian Spy Team Left Traces That Bolstered C.I.A.'s Bounty Judgment|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 17, 2021 |access-date=March 4, 2022}}</ref>
==== China ====
{{See also|China–United States relations#Trump administration (2017–2021)}}
[[File:Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meets at 2018 G20 Summit.jpg|thumb|Trump and Chinese leader [[Xi Jinping]] 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He [[China–United States trade war|launched a trade war against China]] that was widely characterized as a failure,<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Disis|first=Jill|url=https://cnn.com/2020/10/24/economy/us-china-trade-war-intl-hnk/|title=Trump promised to win the trade war with China. He failed|work=[[CNN]]|date=October 25, 2020|access-date=October 3, 2022}}</ref> sanctioned [[Huawei]] for alleged ties to Iran,<ref>{{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}}</ref> significantly increased visa restrictions on Chinese students and scholars,<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 3, 2019|access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref> and classified China as a [[currency manipulator]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump also juxtaposed verbal attacks on China with praise of [[Chinese Communist Party]] leader [[Xi Jinping]],<ref>{{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}}</ref> which was attributed to trade war negotiations.<ref>{{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}}</ref> After initially praising China for [[Chinese government response to COVID-19|its handling of COVID-19]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Ward|first=Myah|date=April 15, 2020|access-date=October 5, 2021|title=15 times Trump praised China as coronavirus was spreading across the globe|work=[[Politico]]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/trump-china-coronavirus-188736}}</ref> he began a campaign of criticism starting in March 2020.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump said he resisted punishing China for [[Human rights in China|its human rights abuses]] against ethnic minorities in the [[Xinjiang]] region for fear of jeopardizing trade negotiations.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In July 2020, [[United States sanctions|the Trump administration imposed sanctions]] and visa restrictions against senior Chinese officials, in response to expanded mass [[Xinjiang re-education camps|detention camps]] holding more than a million of the country's [[Uyghurs|Uyghur]] minority.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== North Korea ====
{{See also|North Korea–United States relations#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|thumb|Trump and North Korean leader [[Kim Jong Un]] 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,<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning that North Korean aggression would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen".<ref name=Windrem>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2017, Trump declared that he wanted North Korea's "complete denuclearization", and engaged in [[name-calling]] with leader [[Kim Jong Un]].<ref name=Windrem /><ref>{{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}}</ref> After this period of tension, Trump and Kim exchanged at least 27 letters in which the two men described a warm personal friendship.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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|first1=Jamie|last1=Gangel|author-link1=Jamie Gangel|first2=Jeremy|last2=Herb|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/kim-jong-un-trump-letters-rage-book/}}</ref> In March 2019, Trump lifted some U.S. [[sanctions against North Korea]] against the advice of his Treasury Department.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump, the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader, met Kim three times: [[2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit|in Singapore]] in 2018, [[2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit|in Hanoi]] in 2019, and [[2019 Koreas–United States DMZ Summit|in the Korean Demilitarized Zone]] in 2019.<ref>{{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}}</ref> However, no [[denuclearization]] agreement was reached,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and talks in October 2019 broke down after one day.<ref>{{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}}</ref> While conducting no nuclear tests since 2017, North Korea continued to build up its arsenal of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Afghanistan ====
[[File:Secretary Pompeo Meets With the Taliban Delegation (50333305012).jpg|thumb|U.S. Secretary of State [[Mike Pompeo]] 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,<ref>{{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}}</ref> reversing Trump's pre-election position critical of further involvement in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gordon|first1=Michael R.|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|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|author-link1=Michael R. Gordon|author-link2=Eric P. Schmitt|author-link3=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> In February 2020, the Trump administration signed a [[United States–Taliban deal|peace agreement with the Taliban]], which called for the [[2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="5,000">{{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}}</ref> By the end of Trump's 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.<ref name="5,000"/>
==== Israel ====
Trump supported many of the policies of Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Under Trump, the U.S. [[United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel|recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel]]<ref>{{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}}</ref> and [[United States recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel|Israeli sovereignty]] over the [[Golan Heights]],<ref>{{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}}</ref> leading to international condemnation including from the [[UN General Assembly]], [[European Union]], and [[Arab League]].<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In 2020, the White House hosted the signing of agreements, named [[Abraham Accords]], between Israel and the [[United Arab Emirates]] and [[Bahrain]] to normalize their foreign relations.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Saudi Arabia ====
[[File:Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Melania Trump, and Donald Trump, May 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump, King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]], 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]].<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-signs-110-billion-arms-deal-saudi-arabia/story?id=47531180|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref> In 2018, the U.S. provided limited intelligence and logistical support for the intervention.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Following the [[Abqaiq–Khurais attack|2019 attack on Saudi oil facilities]], which the U.S. and Saudi Arabia blamed on [[Iran]], Trump approved the deployment of 3,000 additional U.S. troops, including fighter squadrons, two [[MIM-104 Patriot|Patriot batteries]], and a [[Terminal High Altitude Area Defense]] system, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Syria ====
[[File:President Trump and President Erdoğan joint statement in the Roosevelt Room, May 16, 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump and Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] at the White House in May 2017]]
Trump ordered [[2017 Shayrat missile strike|missile strikes in April 2017]] and [[April 2018 missile strikes against Syria|April 2018]] against the Assad regime in Syria, in retaliation for the [[Khan Shaykhun chemical attack|Khan Shaykhun]] and [[Douma chemical attack]]s, respectively.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In December 2018, Trump declared "we have won against ISIS", contradicting Department of Defense assessments, and ordered the withdrawal of all troops from Syria.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The next day, Mattis resigned in protest, calling Trump's decision an abandonment of the U.S.'s [[Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria|Kurdish allies]] who played a key role in fighting ISIS.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In October 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], [[US intervention in the Syrian civil war|U.S. troops in northern Syria]] were withdrawn from the area and Turkey [[2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria|invaded northern Syria]], attacking and [[Forced displacement|displacing]] American-allied [[Kurds in Syria|Kurds]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Later that month, the U.S. House of Representatives, in a rare bipartisan vote of 354–60, condemned Trump's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, for "abandoning U.S. allies, undermining the struggle against ISIS, and spurring a humanitarian catastrophe".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Iran ====
In May 2018, Trump [[United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|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]].<ref name="AP180508">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> In August 2020, the Trump administration unsuccessfully attempted to use a section of the nuclear deal to have the UN reimpose sanctions against Iran.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Analysts determined that, after the U.S. withdrawal, Iran moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon.<ref name="close">{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|date=November 24, 2021 |access-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Donevan |first1=Connor |last2=Dorning |first2=Courtney |last3=Kelly |first3=Mary Louise |date=30 May 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=3 November 2024 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref>
On January 1, 2020, Trump ordered [[Assassination of Qasem Soleimani|a U.S. airstrike]] that killed Iranian general [[Qasem Soleimani]], who had planned nearly every significant Iranian and [[Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Iranian-backed]] operation over the preceding two decades.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> One week later, Iran retaliated with [[Operation Martyr Soleimani|ballistic 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 benefits accorded to their recipients.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="close"/>
=== Personnel ===
{{Main|Political appointments by Donald Trump|Cabinet of Donald Trump}}
The Trump administration had a high turnover of personnel, particularly among White House staff. By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.<ref>{{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}}</ref> {{As of|2018|7|pre=early}}, 61 percent of Trump's senior aides had left<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=July 2, 2018|access-date=July 3, 2018|last=Wise|first=Justin}}</ref> and 141 staffers had left in the previous year.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Both figures set a record for recent presidents—more change in the first 13 months than his four immediate predecessors saw in their first two years.<ref name="Keith">{{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}}</ref> Notable early departures included National Security Advisor [[Michael Flynn]] (after just 25 days), and Press Secretary [[Sean Spicer]].<ref name="Keith"/> Close personal aides to Trump including Bannon, [[Hope Hicks]], [[John McEntee (political aide)|John McEntee]], and [[Keith Schiller]] quit or were forced out.<ref name=Brookings>{{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}}</ref> Some later returned in different posts.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump publicly disparaged several of his former top officials, calling them incompetent, stupid, or crazy.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump had four [[White House chiefs of staff]], marginalizing or pushing out several.<ref name=Keither>{{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}}</ref> [[Reince Priebus]] was replaced after seven months by retired Marine general [[John F. Kelly]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Kelly resigned in December 2018 after a tumultuous tenure in which his influence waned, and Trump subsequently disparaged him.<ref>{{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/}}</ref> Kelly was succeeded by [[Mick Mulvaney]] as acting chief of staff; he was replaced in March 2020 by [[Mark Meadows]].<ref name=Keither />
On May 9, 2017, Trump [[Dismissal of James Comey|dismissed FBI director James Comey]]. While initially attributing this action to Comey's conduct in the investigation about [[Hillary Clinton email controversy#October 2016 – Additional investigation|Hillary Clinton's emails]], Trump said a few days later that he was concerned with Comey's role in the ongoing Trump-Russia investigations, and that he had intended to fire Comey earlier.<ref>{{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}}</ref> At a private conversation in February, Trump said he hoped Comey would drop the investigation into Flynn.<ref name="cloud">{{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}}</ref> In March and April, Trump asked Comey to "lift the cloud impairing his ability to act" by saying publicly that the FBI was not investigating him.<ref name="cloud"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump lost three of his 15 original cabinet members within his first year.<ref name="538 Cabinet">{{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}}</ref> Health and Human Services secretary [[Tom Price (American politician)|Tom Price]] was forced to resign in September 2017 due to excessive use of private charter jets and military aircraft.<ref name="538 Cabinet"/><ref name=Brookings /> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Eilperin|first1=Juliet|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|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}}</ref>
Trump was slow to appoint second-tier officials in the executive branch, saying many of the positions are unnecessary. In October 2017, there were still hundreds of sub-cabinet positions without a nominee.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By January 8, 2019, of 706 key positions, 433 had been filled (61 percent) and Trump had no nominee for 264 (37 percent).<ref>{{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/}}</ref>
=== 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|thumb|Trump and his third Supreme Court nominee, [[Amy Coney Barrett]]|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 [[United States federal judge|Article III judges]], including 54 to the [[United States courts of appeals|courts of appeals]] and [[Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates|three]] to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]: [[Neil Gorsuch]], [[Brett Kavanaugh]], and [[Amy Coney Barrett]].<ref>{{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|work=[[Pew Research Center]]|date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=May 30, 2021}}</ref> His Supreme Court nominees were noted as having politically shifted the Court to the right.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=In 6-to-3 Ruling, Supreme Court Ends Nearly 50 Years of Abortion Rights|first=Adam|last=Liptak|date=June 24, 2022|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/24/us/roe-wade-overturned-supreme-court.html|access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|title=In His Own Words: The President's Attacks on the Courts|url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/his-own-words-presidents-attacks-courts|work=[[Brennan Center for Justice]]|date=June 5, 2017|access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== COVID-19 pandemic ===
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}
{{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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Holshue|first=Michelle L.|display-authors=etal|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}}</ref> The outbreak was officially declared a public health emergency by [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary]] [[Alex Azar]] on January 31, 2020.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Trump initially ignored persistent public health warnings and calls for action from health officials within his administration and Secretary Azar.<ref>{{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=April 21, 2020|first1=David S.|last1=Cloud|first2=Paul|last2=Pringle|author-link2=Paul Pringle|first3=Eli|last3=Stokols|author-link3=Eli Stokols}}</ref><ref name="NYT 4 11 20">{{cite news|first1=Eric|last1=Lipton|author1link=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}}</ref> Throughout January and February he focused on economic and political considerations of the outbreak.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In February 2020 Trump publicly asserted that the outbreak in the U.S. was less deadly than [[influenza]], was "very much under control", and would soon be over.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 19, 2020, Trump privately told [[Bob Woodward]] that he was deliberately "playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic".<ref>{{cite news|date=September 10, 2020|title=Trump deliberately played down virus, Woodward book says|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54094559|access-date=September 18, 2020|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Jamie|last1=Gangel|first2=Jeremy|last2=Herb|first3=Elizabeth|last3=Stuart|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]]}}</ref>
By mid-March, most global financial markets had [[2020 stock market crash|severely contracted]] in response to the pandemic.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Partington|first1=Richard|last2=Wearden|first2=Graeme|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/09/global-stock-markets-post-biggest-falls-since-2008-financial-crisis|title=Global stock markets post biggest falls since 2008 financial crisis|date=March 9, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=March 15, 2020}}</ref> On March 6, Trump signed the [[Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act]], which provided $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 11, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a [[pandemic]],<ref name="WHOpandemic2">{{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}}</ref> and Trump announced partial travel restrictions for most of Europe, effective March 13.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 13, he declared a [[national emergency]], freeing up federal resources.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump claimed that "anybody that wants a test can get a test", despite test availability being severely limited.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
On April 22, Trump signed an executive order restricting some forms of immigration.<ref>{{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 English|Al Jazeera]]|date=April 23, 2020|access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref> 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 of the pandemic were overly optimistic or his failure to provide presidential leadership.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== White House Coronavirus Task Force ====
[[File:White House Press Briefing (49666120807).jpg|thumb|right|Trump conducts a COVID-19 press briefing with members of the [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]] 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, 2020.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Beginning in mid-March, Trump held a daily task force press conference, joined by medical experts and other administration officials,<ref name=Karni>{{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}}</ref> sometimes disagreeing with them by promoting unproven treatments.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump was the main speaker at the briefings, where he praised his own response to the pandemic, frequently criticized rival presidential candidate Joe Biden, and denounced the press.<ref name=Karni /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://time.com/5812588/donald-trump-coronavirus-briefings-message-campaign/|title='He's Walking the Tightrope.' How Donald Trump Is Getting Out His Message on Coronavirus|last=Berenson|first=Tessa|date=March 30, 2020|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=April 8, 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> His repeated use of "Chinese virus" and "China virus" to describe COVID-19 drew criticism from health experts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/3/18/21185478/coronavirus-usa-trump-chinese-virus|title=Trump's new fixation on using a racist name for the coronavirus is dangerous|last=Scott|first=Dylan|access-date=March 19, 2020|date=March 18, 2020|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=March 19, 2020|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref>
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, instead blaming the media, Democratic state governors, the previous administration, China, and the WHO.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The daily coronavirus task force briefings ended in late April, after a briefing at which Trump suggested the dangerous idea of injecting a disinfectant to treat COVID-19;<ref>{{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}}</ref> the comment was widely condemned by medical professionals.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
In early May, Trump proposed the phase-out of the coronavirus task force and its replacement with another group centered on reopening the economy. Amid a backlash, Trump said the task force would "indefinitely" continue.<ref>{{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}}</ref> By the end of May, the coronavirus task force's meetings were sharply reduced.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Acosta|first1=Jim|author-link1=Jim Acosta|last2=Liptak|first2=Kevin|last3=Westwood|first3=Sarah|title=As US deaths top 100,000, Trump's coronavirus task force is curtailed|url=https://cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-task-force/|access-date=June 8, 2020|work=[[CNN]]|date=May 29, 2020}}</ref>
==== 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.<ref name="Politico_WHO">{{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}}</ref> His administration's proposed 2021 federal budget, released in February, proposed reducing WHO funding by more than half.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/> In May and April, Trump 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,<ref name="Politico_WHO"/><ref name="CNN_WHO">{{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}}</ref><ref name="BBC_WHO">{{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}}</ref> and announced that he was withdrawing funding for the organization.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/> These were seen as attempts to distract from his own mishandling of the pandemic.<ref name="Politico_WHO"/><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In July 2020, Trump announced the formal withdrawal of the U.S. from the WHO, effective July 2021.<ref name="CNN_WHO"/><ref name="BBC_WHO"/> The decision was widely condemned by health and government officials as "short-sighted", "senseless", and "dangerous".<ref name="CNN_WHO"/><ref name="BBC_WHO"/>
==== Pressure to abandon pandemic mitigation measures ====
{{Further|COVID-19 testing in the United States}}
In April 2020, Republican-connected groups organized [[Protests in the United States over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic|anti-lockdown protests]] against the measures state governments were taking to combat the pandemic;<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump encouraged the protests on Twitter,<ref>{{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}}</ref> even though the targeted states did not meet the Trump administration's guidelines for reopening.<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=July 10, 2020}}</ref> In April 2020, he first supported, then later criticized, [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] Governor [[Brian Kemp]]'s plan to reopen some nonessential businesses.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Throughout the spring he increasingly pushed for ending the restrictions to reverse the damage to the country's economy.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump often refused to [[Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|mask]] at public events, contrary to his administration's April 2020 guidance to wear masks in public<ref name=99days>{{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 (magazine)|New York]]|date=July 11, 2020}}</ref> and despite nearly unanimous medical consensus that masks are important to preventing spread of the virus.<ref name="WAPost_Mask">{{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}}</ref> By June, Trump had said masks were a "double-edged sword"; ridiculed Biden for wearing masks; continually emphasized that mask-wearing was optional; and suggested that wearing a mask was a political statement against him personally.<ref name="WAPost_Mask"/> Trump's contradiction of medical recommendations weakened national efforts to mitigate the pandemic.<ref name=99days /><ref name="WAPost_Mask"/>
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".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The CDC guideline at the time was that any person exposed to the virus should be "quickly identified and tested" even if they are not showing symptoms, because asymptomatic people can still spread the virus.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In August 2020 the CDC quietly lowered its recommendation for testing, advising that people who have been exposed to the virus, but are not showing symptoms, "do not necessarily need a test". The change in guidelines was made by HHS political appointees under Trump administration pressure, against the wishes of CDC scientists.<ref name="CNN-testing-pressure">{{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}}</ref><ref name=Gumbrecht>{{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}}</ref> The day after this [[Trump administration political interference with science agencies|political interference]] was reported, the testing guideline was changed back to its original recommendation.<ref name=Gumbrecht />
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 early July 2020 that 99 percent of COVID-19 cases are "totally harmless".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> He began insisting that all states should resume in-person education in the fall despite a July spike in reported cases.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Political pressure on health agencies ====
{{Main|Trump administration political interference with science agencies}}
Trump repeatedly pressured federal health agencies to take actions he favored,<ref name="CNN-testing-pressure"/> such as approving unproven treatments<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name=pressed>{{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}}</ref> or speeding up vaccine approvals.<ref name=pressed /> Trump administration political appointees at HHS sought to control CDC communications to the public that undermined Trump's 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Outbreak at the White House ====
{{Main|White House COVID-19 outbreak}}
[[File:President Trump Boards Marine One (50436803733).jpg|thumb|upright=1.05|Trump boards [[Marine One]] 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Later that day [[Donald Trump's COVID-19 infection|Trump 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.<ref name="downplay">{{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}}</ref><ref name="sicker">{{cite news|last1=Weiland|first1=Noah|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|last3=Mazzetti|first3=Mark|last4=Karni|first4=Annie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |author-link3=Mark Mazzetti |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}}</ref> During and after his treatment he continued to downplay the virus.<ref name="downplay"/> 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.<ref name="sicker"/>
==== 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.<ref name="Election_NBCNews">{{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}}</ref> Biden sought to make the pandemic the central issue.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Polls suggested voters blamed Trump for his pandemic response<ref name="Election_NBCNews"/> and disbelieved his rhetoric concerning the virus, with an [[Ipsos]]/[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] poll indicating 65 percent of respondents disapproved of his pandemic response.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|first=Kendall|last=Karson|access-date=September 14, 2020}}</ref> In the final months of the campaign, Trump repeatedly said that the U.S. was "rounding the turn" in managing the pandemic, despite increasing cases and deaths.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== 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 [[The Trump Organization|private businesses]], personal taxes, and [[Donald J. Trump Foundation|charitable foundation]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> There were ten federal criminal investigations, eight state and local investigations, and twelve congressional investigations.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In April 2019, the [[House Oversight Committee]] issued [[subpoena]]s seeking financial details from Trump's banks, Deutsche Bank and [[Capital One]], and his accounting firm, [[Mazars USA]]. Trump sued the banks, Mazars, and committee chair [[Elijah Cummings]] to prevent the disclosures.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In May, [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|DC District Court]] judge [[Amit Mehta]] ruled that Mazars must comply with the subpoena,<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> and judge [[Edgardo Ramos]] of the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District Court of New York]] ruled that the banks must also comply.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump's attorneys appealed.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In September 2022, the committee and Trump agreed to a settlement about Mazars, and the accounting firm began turning over documents.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 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 "[[Analytic confidence#Levels of analytic confidence in national security reports|high confidence]]" that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Many suspicious<ref>{{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}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Members of Trump's campaign and his White House staff, particularly Flynn, were in contact with Russian officials both before and after the election.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump told Kislyak and [[Sergei Lavrov]] in May 2017 he was unconcerned about Russian interference in U.S. elections.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump and his allies promoted [[Conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal|a conspiracy theory]] that Ukraine, rather than Russia, interfered in the 2016 election—which was also promoted by Russia to [[Frameup|frame]] Ukraine.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== FBI Crossfire Hurricane and 2017 counterintelligence investigations ====
In July 2016, the FBI launched an investigation, codenamed [[Crossfire Hurricane (FBI investigation)|Crossfire Hurricane]], into possible links between Russia and the Trump campaign.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> After Trump fired FBI director James Comey in May 2017, the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into Trump's personal and [[Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|business dealings with Russia]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> Crossfire Hurricane was transferred to the Mueller investigation,<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="never">{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 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 [[United States Department of Justice|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".<ref name="never"/> The special counsel also investigated whether Trump's [[dismissal of James Comey]] as FBI director constituted obstruction of justice<ref>{{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}}</ref> and the Trump campaign's possible ties to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, [[Turkey]], [[Qatar]], Israel, and China.<ref>{{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 (magazine)|Slate]]|date=March 8, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> Trump sought to fire Mueller and shut down the investigation multiple times but backed down after his staff objected or after changing his mind.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In March 2019, Mueller gave [[Mueller report|his final report]] to Attorney General [[William Barr]],<ref>{{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}}</ref> which Barr purported to summarize [[Barr letter|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump repeatedly claimed that the investigation exonerated him; the Mueller report expressly stated that it did not.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
A redacted version of the report, publicly released in April 2019, found that Russia interfered in 2016 to favor Trump.<ref>{{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|agency=[[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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="takeaways">{{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 (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref> The report revealed sweeping Russian interference<ref name="takeaways"/> and detailed how Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged it, believing it would benefit them electorally.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
The report also detailed multiple acts of potential obstruction of justice by Trump but "did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President's conduct".<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> 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,<ref name="LM">{{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}}</ref> and investigators would not accuse him of a crime when he cannot clear his name in court.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The report concluded that Congress, having the authority to take action against a president for wrongdoing, "may apply the obstruction laws".<ref name="LM"/> The House of Representatives subsequently launched an [[Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump|impeachment inquiry]] following the [[Trump–Ukraine scandal]], but did not pursue an article of impeachment related to the Mueller investigation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Why Democrats sidelined Mueller in impeachment articles|first1=Kyle|last1=Cheney|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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Several Trump associates pleaded guilty or were convicted in connection with Mueller's investigation and related cases, including Manafort<ref>{{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}}</ref> and Flynn.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]|date=December 5, 2018|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> Trump's former attorney [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]] pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump's 2016 attempts to reach a deal with Russia to build [[Trump Tower Moscow|a Trump Tower in Moscow]]. Cohen said he had made the false statements on behalf of Trump.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== First impeachment ===
{{Main|First impeachment of Donald Trump|Trump–Ukraine scandal}}
[[File:House of Representatives Votes to Adopt the Articles of Impeachment Against Donald Trump.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Members of House of Representatives vote on two [[articles of impeachment]] {{nowrap|({{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 protection in the United States|whistleblower]] filed a complaint with the [[Inspector General of the Intelligence Community]] about a July 25 phone call between Trump and President of Ukraine [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]], during which Trump had pressured Zelenskyy to investigate CrowdStrike and Democratic presidential candidate Biden and his son [[Hunter Biden|Hunter]].<ref name="undermine">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="abuse">{{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}}</ref>
House Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] initiated [[Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump|a formal impeachment inquiry]] on September 24.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump then confirmed that he withheld military aid from Ukraine, offering contradictory reasons for the decision.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> On September 25, the Trump 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.<ref name="undermine"/><ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=September 25, 2019}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In October, [[William B. Taylor Jr.]], the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Ukraine|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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]].<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=December 13, 2019}}</ref> After debate, the House of Representatives [[Impeachment in the United States|impeached]] Trump on both articles on December 18.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Impeachment trial in the Senate ====
{{Main|First impeachment trial of Donald Trump}}
[[File:President Trump Delivers Remarks (49498772251).jpg|thumb|Trump displaying the headline "Trump acquitted"]]
During the trial in January 2020, the House impeachment managers cited evidence to support charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress and asserted that Trump's actions were exactly what the founding fathers had in mind when they created the impeachment process.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump's lawyers did not deny the facts as presented in the charges but said Trump had not broken any laws or obstructed Congress.<ref name="brazen">{{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}}</ref> They argued that the impeachment was "constitutionally and legally invalid" because Trump was not charged with a crime and that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.<ref name="brazen"/>
On January 31, the Senate voted against allowing subpoenas for witnesses or documents.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The impeachment trial was the first in U.S. history without witness testimony.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
Trump was acquitted of both charges by the Republican majority. Senator [[Mitt Romney]] was the only Republican who voted to convict Trump on one charge, the abuse of power.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Following his acquittal, Trump fired impeachment witnesses and other political appointees and career officials he deemed insufficiently loyal.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
=== 2020 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign}}
{{See also|2020 United States presidential debates}}
Breaking with precedent, Trump filed to run for a second term within a few hours of assuming the presidency.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.azfamily.com/story/34380443/trump-breaks-precedent-files-on-first-day-as-candidate-for-re-election|title=Trump breaks precedent, files as candidate for re-election on first day|work=[[KTVK]]|first=Lee|last=Morehouse|date=January 31, 2017|access-date=February 19, 2017|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}}</ref> He held his first reelection rally less than a month after taking office<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-kicks-off-his-2020-reelection-campaign-on-saturday/516909/|title=Trump Kicks Off His 2020 Reelection Campaign on Saturday|last=Graham|first=David A.|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=February 15, 2017|access-date=February 19, 2017}}</ref> and officially became the [[2020 Republican Party presidential primaries|Republican nominee]] in August 2020.<ref>{{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|title=Nominating Trump, Republicans Rewrite His Record|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/us/politics/republican-convention-recap.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 24, 2020|access-date=August 25, 2020}}</ref>
In his first two years in office, Trump's reelection committee reported raising $67.5 million and began 2019 with $19.3 million in cash.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://publicintegrity.org/politics/donald-trump-money-campaign-2020/|work=[[Center for Public Integrity]]|date=February 1, 2019|access-date=October 8, 2021|first1=Ashley|last1=Balcerzak|first2=Dave|last2=Levinthal|first3=Carrie|last3=Levine|first4=Sarah|last4=Kleiner|first5=Lateshia|last5=Beachum|title=Donald Trump's campaign cash machine: big, brawny and burning money}}</ref> By July 2020, the Trump campaign and the Republican Party had raised $1.1 billion and spent $800 million, losing their cash advantage over Biden.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/us/politics/trump-election-campaign-fundraising.html|title=How Trump's Billion-Dollar Campaign Lost Its Cash Advantage|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 7, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|first1=Shane|last1=Goldmacher|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|author-link2=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> The cash shortage forced the campaign to scale back advertising spending.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Misyrlena|last1=Egkolfopoulou|first2=Bill|last2=Allison|first3=Gregory|last3=Korte|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-14/trump-campaign-slashes-ad-spending-in-key-states-in-cash-crunch|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=September 14, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|title=Trump Campaign Slashes Ad Spending in Key States in Cash Crunch}}</ref>
Trump campaign advertisements focused on crime, claiming that cities would descend into lawlessness if Biden won.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/21/us/politics/trump-portland-federal-agents.html|title=As Trump Pushes into Portland, His Campaign Ads Turn Darker|date=July 21, 2020|work=[[The New York Times]]|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|author-link1=Maggie Haberman|first2=Nick|last2=Corasaniti|first3=Annie|last3=Karni|author-link3=Annie Karni|access-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref> Trump repeatedly misrepresented Biden's positions<ref>{{cite news|first=Philip|last=Bump|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/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 28, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Daniel|last1=Dale|author-link1=Daniel Dale|first2=Tara|last2=Subramaniam|first3=Holmes|last3=Lybrand|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/|work=[[CNN]]|date=August 31, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref> and shifted to appeals to racism.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hopkins|first=Dan|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-trumps-racist-appeals-might-be-less-effective-in-2020-than-they-were-in-2016|work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|title=Why Trump's Racist Appeals Might Be Less Effective In 2020 Than They Were In 2016|date=August 27, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref>
=== 2020 presidential election ===
{{Main|2020 United States presidential election}}
{{See also|2020 United States Postal Service crisis}}
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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/08/trump-wants-to-cut-mail-in-voting-the-republican-machine-is-helping-him-392428|title=Trump aides exploring executive actions to curb voting by mail|last=Kumar|first=Anita|date=August 8, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=August 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/mail-in-voting-explained.html|title=Trump Is Pushing a False Argument on Vote-by-Mail Fraud. Here Are the Facts.|first1=Stephanie|last1=Saul|author-link1=Stephanie Saul|first2=Reid J.|last2=Epstein|date=August 31, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> 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, Trump blocked funding, saying he wanted to prevent any increase in voting by mail.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/08/12/postal-service-ballots-dejoy/|title=Trump says Postal Service needs money for mail-in voting, but he'll keep blocking funding|last=Bogage|first=Jacob|date=August 12, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=August 14, 2020}}</ref> He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results if he lost and commit to a [[peaceful transition of power]].<ref>{{cite news|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|title=Trump declines to say whether he will accept November election results|last=Sonmez|first=Felicia|author-link=Felicia Sonmez|date=July 19, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Ryan|last1=Browne|first2=Barbara|last2=Starr|author-link2=Barbara Starr|url=https://cnn.com/2020/09/25/politics/pentagon-election-insurrection-act/|title=As Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transition, Pentagon stresses it will play no role in the election|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 25, 2020|access-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref>
Biden won the election on November 3, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.8 percent)<ref name="vote1">{{cite news|title=Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-president.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 11, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref><ref name="vote2">{{cite news|title=2020 US Presidential Election Results: Live Map|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2020-us-presidential-election-results-live-map|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=December 10, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref> and 306 [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] votes to Trump's 232.<ref name="formalize">{{cite news|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|first1=Josh|last1=Holder|first2=Trip|last2=Gabriel|author-link2=Trip Gabriel|first3=Isabella Grullón|last3=Paz|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}}</ref>
==== False claims of voting fraud, attempt to prevent presidential transition ====
{{Further|Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|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.<ref>{{cite news|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]]|date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> After Biden was projected the winner days later, Trump stated that "this election is far from over" and baselessly alleged election fraud.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/joe-biden-victory-president-trump-claims-election-far-over/6202892002/|title=Trump revives baseless claims of election fraud after Biden wins presidential race|last=King|first=Ledyard|date=November 7, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> Trump and his allies filed many [[Post-election lawsuits related to the 2020 United States presidential election|legal challenges to the results]], which were rejected by at least 86 judges in both the [[State court (United States)|state]] and [[United States federal courts|federal courts]], including by federal judges appointed by Trump himself, finding no factual or legal basis.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judges-trump-election-lawsuits/2020/12/12/e3a57224-3a72-11eb-98c4-25dc9f4987e8_story.html|date=December 12, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|title='The last wall': How dozens of judges across the political spectrum rejected Trump's efforts to overturn the election|first1=Rosalind S.|last1=Helderman|author-link1=Rosalind S. Helderman|first2=Elise|last2=Viebeck|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Aaron|last=Blake|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/14/most-remarkable-rebukes-trumps-legal-case-judges-he-hand-picked/|title=The most remarkable rebukes of Trump's legal case: From the judges he hand-picked|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Trump's allegations were also refuted by state election officials.<ref>{{cite news|last=Woodward|first=Calvin|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]]|date=November 16, 2020}}</ref> After [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] director [[Chris Krebs]] contradicted Trump's fraud allegations, Trump dismissed him on November 17.<ref name="BBC_election">{{cite news|date=November 18, 2020|title=Trump fires election security official who contradicted him|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54982360|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref> On December 11, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear [[Texas v. Pennsylvania|a case from the Texas attorney general]] that asked the court to overturn the election results in four states won by Biden.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election|first=Adam|last=Liptak|author-link=Adam Liptak|date=December 11, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
Trump withdrew from public activities in the weeks following the election.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=November 21, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2021|first=David|last=Smith|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}}</ref> He initially blocked government officials from cooperating in [[presidential transition of Joe Biden|Biden's presidential transition]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lamire|first1=Jonathan|last2=Miller|first2=Zeke|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|work=[[AP News]]|access-date=November 10, 2020|date=November 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Timm|first1=Jane C.|last2=Smith|first2=Allan|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-stonewalling-biden-s-transition-here-s-why-it-matters-n1247768|title=Trump is stonewalling Biden's transition. Here's why it matters.|work=[[NBC News]]|date=November 14, 2020|access-date=November 26, 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rein|first=Lisa|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-emily-murphy-transition-biden/2020/11/23/c0f43e84-2de0-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html|title=Under pressure, Trump appointee Emily Murphy approves transition in unusually personal letter to Biden|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> Trump still did not formally concede while claiming he recommended the GSA begin transition protocols.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Naylor|first1=Brian|last2=Wise|first2=Alana|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/biden-transition-updates/2020/11/23/937956178/trump-administration-to-begin-biden-transition-protocols|title=President-Elect Biden To Begin Formal Transition Process After Agency OK|work=[[NPR]]|date=November 23, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Ordoñez|first1=Franco|last2=Rampton|first2=Roberta|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|title=Trump Is In No Mood To Concede, But Says Will Leave White House|work=[[NPR]]|date=November 26, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref>
The Electoral College formalized Biden's victory on December 14.<ref name="formalize"/> From November to January, Trump repeatedly sought help to [[Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|overturn the results]], personally pressuring Republican local and state office-holders,<ref>{{cite news|last=Gardner|first=Amy|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|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|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|date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> Republican state and federal legislators,<ref name="pressure">{{cite news|last1=Kumar|first1=Anita|last2=Orr|first2=Gabby|last3=McGraw|first3=Meridith|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]]|date=December 21, 2020}}</ref> the Justice Department,<ref>{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Marshall|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]]|date=November 5, 2021}}</ref> and Vice President Pence,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|authorlink1=Maggie Haberman|last2=Karni|first2=Annie|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|date=January 5, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> urging various actions such as [[Trump fake electors plot|replacing presidential electors]], or a request for Georgia officials to "find" votes and announce a "recalculated" result.<ref name="pressure"/> On February 10, 2021, Georgia prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to subvert the election in Georgia.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fausset|first1=Richard|last2=Hakim|first2=Danny|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|date=February 10, 2021 |access-date=February 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration.<ref>{{cite news|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|authorlink=Maggie Haberman|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/trump-presidency.html|title=Trump Departs Vowing, 'We Will Be Back in Some Form'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 25, 2021}}</ref>
==== Concern about a possible coup attempt or military action ====
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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Arkin|first=William M.|url=https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-donald-trumps-martial-law-talk-has-military-red-alert-1557056|title=Exclusive: Donald Trump's martial-law talk has military on red alert|date=December 24, 2020 |access-date=September 15, 2021|work=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref>
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 [[Self-coup|coup]] attempt or military action against China or Iran.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|last3=Cohen|first3=Marshall|last4=Stuart|first4=Elizabeth|last5=Starr|first5=Barbara|author-link5=Barbara Starr|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/|date=July 14, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2021|work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Milley insisted that he should be consulted about any military orders from Trump, including the use of nuclear weapons.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gangel|first1=Jamie|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|last3=Stuart|first3=Elizabeth|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/|work=[[CNN]]|date=September 14, 2021 |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Schmidt|first=Michael S.|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|work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref>
==== January 6 Capitol attack ====
{{Main|January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of the January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
On January 6, 2021, while [[2021 United States Electoral College vote count|congressional certification of the presidential election results]] was taking place in the U.S. Capitol, Trump held a noon rally at [[the Ellipse]], Washington, D.C.. He called for the election result to be overturned and urged his supporters to "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol to "fight like hell".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/10/us/trump-speech-riot.html|title=Incitement to Riot? What Trump Told Supporters Before Mob Stormed Capitol|first=Charlie|last=Savage|author-link=Charlie Savage (author)|date=January 10, 2021|access-date=January 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|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|date=January 6, 2021|access-date=January 8, 2021|website=[[Rev (company)|Rev]]}}</ref> Many supporters did, joining a crowd already there. The mob broke into the building, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tan|first1=Shelley|last2=Shin|first2=Youjin|last3=Rindler|first3=Danielle|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/capitol-insurrection-visual-timeline/|title=How one of America's ugliest days unraveled inside and outside the Capitol|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 9, 2021 |access-date=May 2, 2021}}</ref> During the violence, Trump posted messages on [[Twitter]] without asking the rioters to disperse. At 6{{Nbsp}}p.m., Trump tweeted that the rioters should "go home with love & in peace", calling them "great patriots" and repeating that the election was stolen.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Panetta|first1=Grace|last2=Lahut|first2=Jake|last3=Zavarise|first3=Isabella|last4=Frias|first4=Lauren|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-what-trump-was-doing-as-his-mob-attacked-the-capitol-on-jan-6-2022-7|title=A timeline of what Trump was doing as his MAGA mob attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=December 21, 2022|access-date=June 1, 2023}}</ref> After the mob was removed, Congress reconvened and confirmed Biden's win in the early hours of the following morning.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/congress-begin-electoral-vote-count-amid-protests-inside-outside-capitol-n1253013|title=Congress confirms Biden's win after pro-Trump mob's assault on Capitol|first1=Dareh|last1=Gregorian|first2=Ginger|last2=Gibson|first3=Sahil|last3=Kapur|first4=Phil|last4=Helsel|date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> According to the Department of Justice, more than 140 police officers were injured, and five people died.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rubin|first1=Olivia|last2=Mallin|first2=Alexander|last3=Steakin|first3=Will|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|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=June 4, 2023|date=January 4, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cameron|first=Chris|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-deaths.html|title=These Are the People Who Died in Connection With the Capitol Riot|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 5, 2022|access-date=January 29, 2022}}</ref>
In March 2023, Trump collaborated with incarcerated rioters on a [[Justice for All (song)|song to benefit the prisoners]], and, in June, he said that, if elected, he would pardon many of them.<ref>{{cite news|last=Terkel|first=Amanda|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-pardon-large-portion-jan-6-rioters-rcna83873|title=Trump says he would pardon a 'large portion' of Jan. 6 rioters|work=[[NBC]]|date=May 11, 2023|access-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref>
==== Second impeachment ====
{{Main|Second impeachment of Donald Trump|Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump}}
[[File:Pelosi Signing Second Trump Impeachment.png|thumb|upright=1.35|alt=Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi seated at a table and surrounded by public officials. She is signing the second impeachment of Trump.|Speaker of the House [[Nancy Pelosi]] 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The House voted 232–197 to impeach Trump on January 13, making him the first U.S. president to be impeached twice.<ref name=SecondImpeachment>{{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}}</ref> Ten Republicans voted for the impeachment—the most members of a party ever to vote to impeach a president of their own party.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
On February 13, following a [[Second impeachment trial of Donald Trump|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Most Republicans voted to acquit Trump, although some held him responsible but felt the Senate did not have jurisdiction over former presidents (Trump had left office on January 20; the Senate voted 56–44 that the trial was constitutional).<ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Inter-presidency (2021–present) ==
{{See also|Personal and business legal affairs of Donald Trump|Legal affairs of Donald Trump as president}}
[[File:United States Presidents Attends New York City 9 11 Ceremony.jpg|thumb|Trump, President [[Joe Biden]], Vice President [[Kamala Harris]] and former New York City Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] at a September 11th memorial event in New York City on September 11, 2024]]
At the end of his term, Trump went to live at his Mar-a-Lago club and established an office as provided for by the [[Former Presidents Act]].<ref name=moved/><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump is [[Mar-a-Lago#Use as a Trump residence|entitled to live]] there legally as a club employee.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
[[Big lie#Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election|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, Trump and his supporters attempted to co-opt the term, using it to refer to the election itself.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="key">{{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}}</ref> The Republican Party used Trump's false election narrative to justify the [[Republican efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election|imposition of new voting restrictions]] in its favor.<ref name="key"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Balz|first=Dan|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}}</ref> As late as July 2022, Trump was still pressuring state legislators to overturn the 2020 election.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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, [[2022 United States elections#Democracy|most of whom supported]] his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="lat">{{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}}</ref>
=== Business activities ===
In February 2021, Trump registered a new company, [[Trump Media & Technology Group]] (TMTG), for providing "social networking services" to U.S. customers.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> In March 2024, TMTG merged with [[special-purpose acquisition company]] [[Digital World Acquisition Corp.|Digital World Acquisition]] and became a [[public company]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> In February 2022, TMTG launched [[Truth Social]], a social media platform.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> {{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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
=== Investigations, criminal indictments and convictions, civil lawsuits ===
Trump is [[List of United States presidential firsts|the only U.S. president or former president]] to be convicted of a crime and the first major-party candidate to run for president after a felony conviction.<ref>{{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=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=June 1, 2024}}</ref> He faces numerous criminal charges and civil cases.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sisak|first=Michael R.|url=https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/|title=Trump Investigations|work=[[AP News]]|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=June 1, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/us/trump-investigations-charges-indictments.html|title=Keeping Track of the Trump Criminal Cases|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 30, 2024|access-date=June 1, 2024}}</ref>
==== 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|thumb|Classified intelligence material found during search of Mar-a-Lago]]
When Trump left the White House in January 2021, he took government materials with him 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. NARA later informed the Department of Justice that some of the retrieved documents were classified material.<ref name="cnn-tl">{{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}}</ref> The Justice Department began an investigation<ref>{{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}}</ref> and sent Trump a subpoena for additional material.<ref name="cnn-tl"/> Justice Department officials visited Mar-a-Lago and received some classified documents from Trump's lawyers,<ref name="cnn-tl"/> one of whom signed a statement affirming that all material marked as classified had been returned.<ref>{{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|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|date=August 13, 2022|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 14, 2022}}</ref>
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]],<ref name="bddj0812"/><ref name="NYT-20220812"/> reportedly including some related to nuclear weapons.<ref name="nuclear">{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|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}}</ref> The search warrant indicates an investigation of potential violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of justice laws.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Swan|first1=Betsy|last2=Cheney|first2=Kyle|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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="bddj0812">{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|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}}</ref><ref name="NYT-20220812">{{cite web|last1=Haberman|first1=Maggie|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|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}}</ref>
On November 18, 2022, U.S. attorney general [[Merrick Garland]] appointed federal prosecutor [[Jack Smith (lawyer)|Jack Smith]] as a [[special counsel]] to oversee the federal criminal investigations into Trump retaining government property at Mar-a-Lago and [[United States Justice Department investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election|examining Trump's role in the events leading up to the Capitol attack]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|author-link2=Charlie Savage (author)|last3=Haberman|first3=Maggie|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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==== Federal and state criminal indictments ====
{{Main|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (classified documents case)|Federal prosecution of Donald Trump (election obstruction case)|Georgia election racketeering prosecution}}
In December 2022, following a jury trial, the Trump Organization was [[New York investigations of the Trump Organization#Criminal investigation|convicted on 17 counts]] of criminal tax fraud, conspiracy, and falsifying business records in connection with a tax-fraud scheme stretching over 15 years. In January 2023, the organization was fined the maximum $1.6 million, and its chief financial officer [[Allen Weisselberg]] was sentenced to jail and probation after a plea deal. Trump was not personally charged in the case.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
In June 2023, following a [[Smith special counsel investigation|special counsel investigation]], a [[federal grand jury]] in Miami indicted Trump on 31 counts of "willfully retaining national defense information" under the [[Espionage Act]], one count of [[making false statements]], and one count each of conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding government documents, corruptly concealing records, concealing a document in a federal investigation and scheming to conceal their efforts.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He pleaded not guilty.<ref>{{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}}</ref> A superseding indictment the following month added three charges.<ref>{{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 (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=July 28, 2023 }}</ref> 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 [[Trump v. United States (2022)|past civil case]], some of which were overturned by an appellate court.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On August 26, Special Counsel Smith appealed the dismissal.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
On August 1, 2023, a Washington, D.C., federal grand jury indicted Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He was charged with conspiring to [[Conspiracy against the United States|defraud the U.S.]], obstruct the certification of the Electoral College vote, and [[conspiracy against rights|deprive voters of the civil right]] to have their votes counted, and [[obstructing an official proceeding]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Hsu|first2=Spencer S.|last3=Stein|first3=Perry|last4=Dawsey|first4=Josh|last5=Alemany|first5=Jacqueline|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}}</ref> Trump pleaded not guilty.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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; multiple Trump campaign officials were also indicted.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump surrendered, [[Mug shot of Donald Trump|was processed]] at Fulton County Jail, and was released on bail pending trial.<ref>{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=August 25, 2023|access-date=August 25, 2023}}</ref> He pleaded not guilty.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On March 13, 2024, the judge dismissed three of the 13 charges against Trump.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== 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]]'',<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref> Trump denied the affairs and said he was not aware of Cohen's payment to Daniels, but he reimbursed him in 2017.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/22/trump-insists-learned-michael-cohen-payments-later-on-in-fox-friends-exclusive.html|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}}</ref> Federal prosecutors asserted that Trump had been involved in discussions regarding non-disclosure payments as early as 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/federal-prosecutors-recommend-substantial-prison-term-for-former-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen/2018/12/07/e144f248-f7f3-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html|title=Court filings directly implicate Trump in efforts to buy women's silence, reveal new contact between inner circle and Russian|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Zapotosky|first2=Matt|date=December 7, 2018|access-date=December 7, 2018}}</ref> Court documents showed that the FBI believed Trump was directly involved in the payment to Daniels, based on calls he had with Cohen in October 2016.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Federal prosecutors closed the investigation in 2019,<ref>{{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}}</ref> but in 2021, the [[Attorney General of New York|New York State Attorney General's Office]] and [[Manhattan District Attorney's Office]] opened a criminal investigations into Trump's business activities.<ref>{{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}}</ref> The Manhattan DA's Office subpoenaed the Trump Organization and AMI for records related to the payments<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/nyregion/trump-cohen-stormy-daniels-vance.html|title=Manhattan D.A. Subpoenas Trump Organization Over Stormy Daniels Hush Money|first1=Ben|last1=Protess|first2=William K.|last2=Rashbaum|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 1, 2019|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> and Trump and the Trump Organization for eight years of tax returns.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 16, 2019|first1=William K.|last1=Rashbaum|first2=Ben|last2=Protess|title=8 Years of Trump Tax Returns Are Subpoenaed by Manhattan D.A.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/nyregion/trump-tax-returns-cy-vance.html|access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The trial began in April 2024, and in May a jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Sentencing is set for November 26, 2024.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Reiss|first1=Adam|last2=Jarrett|first2=Laura|last3=Gregorian|first3=Dareh|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/judge-delays-trump-sentencing-hush-money-case-november-rcna167282|title=Judge delays Trump sentencing in hush money case until after November election|work=[[NBC News]]|date=September 7, 2024|access-date=September 7, 2024}}</ref>
==== Civil judgments against Trump ====
{{Main|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> During the investigation leading up to the lawsuit, Trump was fined $110,000 for failing to turn over records subpoenaed by the attorney general.<ref>{{cite news|work=[[ABC News (United States)|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}}</ref> In an August 2022 [[Deposition (law)|deposition]], Trump invoked his [[Self-incrimination clause|Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination]] more than 400 times.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> In February 2024, the court found Trump 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. Trump said he would appeal the verdict. 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> Trump 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 Trump,<ref name="bid">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> writing that Carroll's accusation of "rape" is "substantially true".<ref name="Reiss_Gregorian_8/7/2023">{{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}}</ref> Trump appealed both decisions.<ref name="bid"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> In January 2024, the jury in the defamation case brought by Carroll in 2019 ("Carroll I") ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages. In March, Trump posted a $91.6 million bond and appealed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kates|first=Graham|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-posts-bond-e-jean-carroll-case-91-million/|title=Trump posts $91 million bond to appeal E. Jean Carroll defamation verdict|work=[[CBS News]]|date=March 8, 2024|access-date=April 8, 2024}}</ref>
=== 2024 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign}}
{{See also|Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania}}
[[File:Donald Trump (53951823882).jpg|thumb|left|220px|Trump rally in Arizona, 2024]]
On November 15, 2022, Trump announced his candidacy for the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]] and set up a fundraising account.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Arnsdorf|first1=Isaac|last2=Scherer|first2=Michael|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/15/trump-2024-announcement-running-president/|title=Trump, who as president fomented an insurrection, says he is running again|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 15, 2022|access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Schouten|first=Fredreka|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/16/politics/donald-trump-war-chest-presidential-campaign/index.html|title=Questions about Donald Trump's campaign money, answered|work=[[CNN]]|date=November 16, 2022|access-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref> In March 2023, the campaign began diverting 10 percent of the donations to Trump's [[leadership PAC]]. Trump's campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills by March 2024.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Goldmacher|first1=Shane|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/us/politics/trump-donations-legal-fees.html|title=As Legal Fees Mount, Trump Steers Donations Into PAC That Has Covered Them|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 25, 2023|access-date=June 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Escobar|first1=Molly Cook|last2=Sun|first2=Albert|last3=Goldmacher|first3=Shane|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/27/us/politics/trump-cases-legal-fund.html|title=How Trump Moved Money to Pay $100 Million in Legal Bills|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 27, 2024|access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref>
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 [[Trump v. Anderson|restored his name to the ballot]] in a unanimous decision, ruling that Colorado lacks the authority to enforce [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution#Section 3: Disqualification from office for insurrection or rebellion|Section 3 of the 14th Amendment]], which bars insurrectionists from holding federal office.<ref>{{cite news|last=Levine|first=Sam|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/04/trump-scotus-colorado-ruling|title=Trump was wrongly removed from Colorado ballot, US supreme court rules|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=March 4, 2024|access-date=June 23, 2024}}</ref>
[[File:20240524 Trump groundwork for election denial.svg|thumb|Trump's escalation of election rigging claims before the 2024 election<ref name="NYTDoubts"/>]]
During the campaign, Trump made increasingly violent and authoritarian statements.<ref name="NYT Authoritarian Bent">{{cite news|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]]|date=November 20, 2023|last1=Bender|first1=Michael C.|last2=Gold|first2=Michael}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Peter|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]]|date=November 22, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |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]]|date=December 7, 2023|last1=Colvin|first1=Jill|last2=Barrow|first2=Bill}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=LeVine|first=Marianne|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/12/trump-rally-vermin-political-opponents|title=Trump calls political enemies 'vermin,' echoing dictators Hitler, Mussolini|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=November 12, 2023}}</ref> He also said that he would weaponize the FBI and the Justice Department against his political opponents<ref>{{Cite news|title=Trump suggests he would use FBI to go after political rivals if elected in 2024|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/10/trump-fbi-rivals-2024-election|date=November 10, 2023|author=Sam Levine}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Vazquez|first=Maegan|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]]|date=November 10, 2023}}</ref> and use the military to go after Democratic politicians and those that do not support his candidacy.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stracqualursi|first=Veronica|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]]|date=October 14, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Lerer 10152024"/> Trump used harsher, more dehumanizing anti-immigrant rhetoric than during his presidency.<ref>{{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 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/us/politics/trump-border-blood-bath.html |access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |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]] |date=November 11, 2023|last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|last3=Swan|first3=Jonathan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-expected-highlight-murder-michigan-woman-immigration-speech-2024-04-02/|title=Trump calls migrants 'animals', intensifying focus on illegal immigration|last1=Layne|first1=Nathan|last2=Slattery|first2=Gram|last3=Reid|first3=Tim|date=April 3, 2024|access-date=April 3, 2024|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> His embrace of far-right extremism<ref>{{Cite news|last=Baker|first=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|access-date=July 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{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=[[AP News]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/depape-paul-pelosi-qanon-conspiracy-theories-violence-390ad310fa34b0edb925d88540a7ddcd|access-date=July 13, 2024}}</ref> and harsher rhetoric against his political enemies have been described by historians and scholars as populist, authoritarian, [[Donald Trump and fascism|fascist]],{{Efn|name=Fascist|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="NYMag Never Sounded Like This">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/27/magazine/trump-rallies-rhetoric.html|title=Donald Trump Has Never Sounded Like This|work=[[New York (magazine)]]|date=April 27, 2024|access-date=April 27, 2024|last1=Homans|first1=Charles}}</ref><ref name="Vox Fascist">{{cite news|title=When Trump tells you he's an authoritarian, believe him|url=https://www.vox.com/2023/11/14/23958866/trump-vermin-authoritarian-democracy|work=Vox|date=November 14, 2023|author1=Michael C. Bender|author2=Michael Gold|access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Axios Fascist">{{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}}</ref><ref name="New Yorker Fascist">{{cite magazine|last=Cassidy|first=John|date=November 14, 2023|title=Trump's Fascistic Rhetoric Only Emphasizes the Stakes in 2024|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trumps-fascistic-rhetoric-only-emphasizes-the-stakes-in-2024|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]}}</ref><ref name="Vanity Fair Fascist">{{cite news|last=Lutz|first=Eric|date=November 10, 2023|title=Donald Trump Isn't Even Trying to Hide His Authoritarian Second-Term Plans|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/11/donald-trump-authoritarian-second-term|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref><ref name="The Atlantic Fascist">{{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}}</ref><ref name="ABC News Vermin">{{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 (United States)|ABC News]]|date=November 13, 2023|last1=Kim|first1=Soo Rin|last2=Ibssa|first2=Lalee|access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref><ref name="Applebaum18">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Rubin|first=April|date=October 11, 2024|title=Trump's top general calls former president "fascist" and "dangerous" threat|work=[[Axios (website)]]|url=https://www.axios.com/2024/10/11/mark-milley-trump-fascist-bob-woodward-book|access-date=October 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Cramer|first=Ruby|title=Trump is 'fascist to the core,' Milley says in Woodward book|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/10/12/mark-milley-donald-trump-fascist/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=October 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Tim|title=Mattis Told Woodward He Agreed Trump Was a Uniquely Dangerous Threat|url=https://www.thebulwark.com/p/mattis-told-woodward-he-agreed-trump|work=[[The Bulwark (website)]]|date=October 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bradner |first1=Eric |title=Trump's former chief of staff says he fits 'fascist' definition and prefers 'dictator approach'|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/22/politics/trump-fascist-john-kelly/index.html|work=[[CNN]]|date=October 22, 2024}}</ref>}} and unlike anything a political candidate has ever said in American history.<ref name="NYMag Never Sounded Like This" /><ref name="Lerer 10152024">{{cite news|last1=Lerer |first1=Lisa|last2=Gold|first2=Michael|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]]|date=October 15, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Applebaum18"/> [[Age and health concerns about Donald Trump]] also arose during the campaign, with several medical experts cited by ''The New York Times'' highlighting an increase in rambling, [[tangential speech]] and [[Disinhibition|behavioral disinhibition]].<ref>{{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 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/politics/trump-speeches-age-cognitive-decline.html |access-date=November 6, 2024 |archive-date=October 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008051103/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/us/politics/trump-speeches-age-cognitive-decline.html |url-status=live |issn=0362-4331 }}</ref>
He 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.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lane|first1=Nathan|last2=Ulmer|first2=Alexandra|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-allies-are-laying-groundwork-contest-potential-election-loss-2024-05-16/|title=Trump, allies are laying the groundwork to contest potential election loss|work=[[Reuters]]|date=May 16, 2024|access-date=September 12, 2024}}</ref><ref name="NYTDoubts">{{cite news|last1=Yourish|first1=Karen|last2=Smart|first2=Charlie|title=Trump's Pattern of Sowing Election Doubt Intensifies in 2024|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/24/us/politics/trump-election-results-doubt.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 24, 2024|access-date=August 30, 2024}}</ref> Analysts for ''The New York Times'' described this as an intensification of Trump's "heads I win; tails you cheated" rhetorical strategy; the paper said the claim of a rigged election had become the backbone of the campaign.<ref name="NYTDoubts" />
On July 13, 2024, Trump's ear was grazed by a bullet<ref name="Browne-2024">{{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]]}}</ref> [[Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania|in an assassination attempt]] at a campaign rally in [[Butler Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania|Butler Township, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hutchinson|first1=Bill|last2=Cohen|first2=Miles|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/witnesses-trump-assassination-attempt-gunman-roof-shooting/story?id=111947616|title=Gunman opened fire at Trump rally as witnesses say they tried to alert police|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=July 16, 2024|access-date=July 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-rally-shooting-photo-gallery-561478b3f90c950c741eeaa24c6dc159|title=AP PHOTOS: Shooting at Trump rally in Pennsylvania|work=[[AP News]]|date=July 14, 2024|access-date=July 23, 2024}}</ref> The campaign declined to disclose medical records.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Jill|last1=Colvin|first2=Bernard|last2=Condon|url=https://apnews.com/article/trump-ronny-jackson-shooting-medical-report-e95a2888cd5eeb64820d6fa789b03463|title=Trump campaign releases letter on his injury, treatment after last week's assassination attempt|work=[[AP News]]|date=July 21, 2024|access-date=August 20, 2024}}</ref> Two days later, the [[2024 Republican National Convention]] nominated Trump as their presidential candidate, with Senator [[JD Vance]] as his running mate.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
==== Election and presidential transition ====
{{Main|2024 United States presidential election|Second presidential transition of Donald Trump}}
Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States in November 2024, defeating the incumbent vice president Kamala Harris.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gillespie |first=Tom |date=November 6, 2024 |title=Donald Trump wins US election in monumental political comeback |url=https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-wins-us-election-in-monumental-political-comeback-13249208 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=[[Sky News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Election 2024: Latest News, Results and Analysis |url=https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press}}</ref> He became the second president in U.S. history elected to serve non-consecutive terms after former president [[Grover Cleveland]], who won re-election in [[1892 United States presidential election|1892]].<ref>{{Cite web |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 |publisher=NPR}}</ref> The [[Associated Press]] and [[BBC News]] described it as an extraordinary comeback for a former president.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 5, 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 6, 2024 |publisher=Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jubilation in the room as Trump declared victory |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxreenxvw5o |access-date=November 6, 2024|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Aged 78 at the time of the 2024 election, Trump is the oldest person to be elected U.S. president, and the first convicted felon to become U.S. president. He was also projected to become the first Republican in two decades to secure the popular vote in the U.S. presidential elections.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Donald Trump Becomes First Republican To Win Popular Vote In 20 Years |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/2024-us-elections-donald-trump-set-to-become-first-republican-to-win-popular-vote-in-20-years-6955598 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=[[NDTV]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Trump pulls off historic White House comeback |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62l5zdv7zko |access-date=November 6, 2024 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Trump received congratulatory messages from politicians all over the world.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Trump's U.S. election win: how world leaders reacted |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/global-reaction-us-presidential-election-2024-11-06/ |work=Reuters}}</ref>
== Public image ==
{{Main|Public image of Donald Trump}}
=== Scholarly assessment and public approval surveys ===
{{Further|Opinion polling on the first Donald Trump administration|Historical rankings of presidents of the United States#2021 C-SPAN}}
In the [[C-SPAN]] "Presidential Historians Survey 2021",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/presidentsurvey2021/|title=Presidential Historians Survey 2021|work=[[C-SPAN]] |access-date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> historians ranked Trump as the fourth-worst president. He rated lowest in the leadership characteristics categories for moral authority and administrative skills.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> The [[Siena College Research Institute]]'s 2022 survey [[Historical rankings of presidents of the United States#2022 Siena College|ranked Trump]] 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.<ref name="scri_22">{{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}}</ref> In 2018 and 2024, surveys of members of the [[American Political Science Association]] ranked Trump the worst president in American history.<ref>{{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]]}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref>
Trump was the only president never to reach a 50 percent approval rating in the Gallup poll, which dates to 1938. His approval ratings showed a record-high partisan gap: 88 percent among Republicans and 7 percent among Democrats.<ref name="Jones">{{cite web|first=Jeffrey M.|last=Jones|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|work=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|date=January 18, 2021|access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref> Until September 2020, the ratings were unusually stable, reaching a high of 49 percent and a low of 35 percent.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ezra|last=Klein|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/9/2/21409364/trump-approval-rating-2020-election-voters-coronavirus-convention-polls|title=Can anything change Americans' minds about Donald Trump? The eerie stability of Trump's approval rating, explained.|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=September 2, 2020|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> Trump finished his term with an approval 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.<ref name="Jones"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Harry|last=Enten|url=https://cnn.com/2021/01/16/politics/trump-approval-analysis/|title=Trump finishes with worst first term approval rating ever|work=[[CNN]]|date=January 16, 2021|access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref>
In [[Gallup's most admired man and woman poll|Gallup's annual poll]] asking Americans to name the man they admire the most, Trump placed second to Obama in 2017 and 2018, tied with Obama for first in 2019, and placed first in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/1678/most-admired-man-woman.aspx|title=Most Admired Man and Woman|work=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|date=December 28, 2006 |access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/531906-trump-ends-obamas-12-year-run-as-most-admired-man-gallup|title=Trump ends Obama's 12-year run as most admired man: Gallup|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=December 29, 2020|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=December 31, 2020}}</ref> Since [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] started conducting the poll in 1948, Trump is the first elected president not to be named most admired in his first year in office.<ref>{{cite web|last=Panetta|first=Grace|work=[[Business Insider]]|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-barack-obama-tie-2019-most-admired-man-gallup-2019-12|title=Donald Trump and Barack Obama are tied for 2019's most admired man in the US|date=December 30, 2019|access-date=July 24, 2020}}</ref>
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 only 29 countries, most of them non-democracies;<ref>{{cite web|last=Datta|first=Monti|title=3 countries where Trump is popular|url=https://theconversation.com/3-countries-where-trump-is-popular-120317|date=September 16, 2019|access-date=October 3, 2021|work=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]}}</ref> approval of U.S. leadership plummeted among allies and G7 countries. Overall ratings were similar to those in the last two years of the [[George W. Bush presidency]].<ref>{{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|work=[[Gallup (company)|Gallup]]|access-date=October 3, 2021}} Page 9</ref> By mid-2020, only 16 percent of international respondents to a 13-nation [[Pew Research]] poll expressed confidence in Trump, lower than China's [[Xi Jinping]] and Russia's [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wike|first1=Richard|last2=Fetterolf|first2=Janell|last3=Mordecai|first3=Mara|access-date=December 24, 2020|title=U.S. Image Plummets Internationally as Most Say Country Has Handled Coronavirus Badly|work=[[Pew Research Center]]|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/|date=September 15, 2020}}</ref>
=== False or misleading statements ===
{{Main|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump}}
[[File:2017- Donald Trump veracity - composite graph.png|thumb|upright=1.5|[[Fact-checkers]] from ''The Washington Post'',<ref name="database">{{cite news|title=In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims|first1=Glenn|last1=Kessler|first2=Meg|last2=Kelly|first3=Salvador|last3=Rizzo|first4=Michelle Ye Hee|last4=Lee|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 20, 2021|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> the ''Toronto Star'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Dale|first=Daniel|author-link=Daniel Dale|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|work=[[Toronto Star]]|date=June 5, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> and CNN<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dale|first1=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Dale|last2=Subramiam|first2=Tara|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-february/index.html|title=Fact check: Donald Trump made 115 false claims in the last two weeks of February|work=[[CNN]]|date=March 9, 2020|access-date=November 1, 2023}}</ref> 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<ref name="finnegan">{{cite news|last=Finnegan|first=Michael|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|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 25, 2016|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref><ref name="whoppers"/> to an extent unprecedented in [[American politics]].<ref name="finnegan" /><ref name="glasser">{{cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose|title=It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=August 3, 2018|access-date=January 10, 2019|first=Susan B.|last=Glasser|author-link=Susan Glasser}}</ref><ref name=Konnikova>{{cite web|last=Konnikova|first=Maria|author-link=Maria Konnikova|title=Trump's Lies vs. Your Brain|work=[[Politico]]|date=January 20, 2017|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658|access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref> His falsehoods became a distinctive part of his political identity.<ref name="glasser"/>
Trump's false and misleading statements were documented by [[fact-checker]]s, including at ''The Washington Post'', which tallied 30,573 false or misleading statements made by Trump over his four-year term.<ref name="database"/> Trump's falsehoods increased in frequency over time, rising from about six false or misleading claims per day in his first year as president to 39 per day in his final year.<ref name=TermUntruth>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/timeline-trump-claims-as-president/|title=A term of untruths: The longer Trump was president, the more frequently he made false or misleading claims|date=January 23, 2021|access-date=October 11, 2021|first1=Glenn|last1=Kessler|first2=Meg|last2=Kelly|first3=Salvador|last3=Rizzo|first4=Leslie|last4=Shapiro|first5=Leo|last5=Dominguez|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>
Some of Trump's falsehoods were inconsequential, such as his repeated claim of the "[[First inauguration of Donald Trump|biggest inaugural crowd ever]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump had biggest inaugural crowd ever? Metrics don't show it|work=[[PolitiFact]]|date=January 21, 2017|first=Linda|last=Qiu|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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rein|first=Lisa|title=Here are the photos that show Obama's inauguration crowd was bigger than Trump's|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 6, 2017|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}}</ref> Others had more far-reaching effects, such as his promotion of antimalarial drugs as an unproven treatment for COVID-19,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wong|first=Julia Carrie|author-link=Julia Carrie Wong|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/hydroxychloroquine-trump-coronavirus-drug|title=Hydroxychloroquine: how an unproven drug became Trump's coronavirus 'miracle cure'|date=April 7, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Spring|first=Marianna|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52731624|title=Coronavirus: The human cost of virus misinformation|date=May 27, 2020|work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> causing a U.S. shortage of these drugs and [[panic-buying]] in Africa and South Asia.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rowland|first=Christopher|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/20/hospitals-doctors-are-wiping-out-supplies-an-unproven-coronavirus-treatment/|title=As Trump touts an unproven coronavirus treatment, supplies evaporate for patients who need those drugs|date=March 23, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Parkinson|first1=Joe|last2=Gauthier-Villars|first2=David|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-claim-that-malaria-drugs-treat-coronavirus-sparks-warnings-shortages-11584981897|title=Trump Claim That Malaria Drugs Treat Coronavirus Sparks Warnings, Shortages|date=March 23, 2020|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=March 26, 2020|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Other misinformation, such as misattributing a rise in crime in [[England and Wales]] to the "spread of radical Islamic terror", served Trump's domestic political purposes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Zurcher|first=Anthony|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42171550|title=Trump's anti-Muslim retweet fits a pattern|date=November 29, 2017|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> Trump habitually does not apologize for his falsehoods.<ref>{{cite web|last=Allen|first=Jonathan|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/does-being-president-trump-still-mean-never-having-say-you-n952841|title=Does being President Trump still mean never having to say you're sorry?|date=December 31, 2018|work=[[NBC News]]|access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>
Until 2018, the media rarely referred to Trump's falsehoods as lies, including when he repeated demonstrably false statements.<ref>{{cite web|last=Greenberg|first=David|url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/the-perils-of-calling-trump-a-liar-214704|title=The Perils of Calling Trump a Liar|date=January 28, 2017|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref><ref name="DBauder">{{cite web|last=Bauder|first=David|url=https://apnews.com/8d3c7387eff7496abcd0651124caf891|title=News media hesitate to use 'lie' for Trump's misstatements|date=August 29, 2018|work=[[AP News]]|access-date=September 27, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Farhi|first=Paul|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|title=Lies? The news media is starting to describe Trump's 'falsehoods' that way.|date=June 5, 2019|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 11, 2024}}</ref>
In 2020, Trump was a significant source of disinformation on mail-in voting and the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="USAT-Disinfo">{{cite web|last=Guynn|first=Jessica|url=https://usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/10/05/trump-covid-19-coronavirus-disinformation-facebook-twitter-election/3632194001/|title=From COVID-19 to voting: Trump is nation's single largest spreader of disinformation, studies say|date=October 5, 2020|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Bergengruen|first1=Vera|last2=Hennigan|first2=W.J.|url=https://time.com/5896709/trump-covid-campaign/|title='You're Gonna Beat It.' How Donald Trump's COVID-19 Battle Has Only Fueled Misinformation|date=October 6, 2020|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref> His attacks on mail-in ballots and other election practices weakened public faith in the integrity of the 2020 presidential election,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/25/donald-trump-rigged-election-talk-fears-274477|title=Trump sees a 'rigged election' ahead. Democrats see a constitutional crisis in the making.|last=Siders|first=David|date=May 25, 2020|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=October 9, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Riccardi|first=Nicholas|url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-election-2020-ap-fact-check-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-8c5db90960815f91f39fe115579570b4|title=AP Fact Check: Trump's big distortions on mail-in voting|date=September 17, 2020|work=[[AP News]]|access-date=October 7, 2020}}</ref> while his disinformation about the pandemic delayed and weakened the national response to it.<ref name="NYT 4 11 20"/><ref name="USAT-Disinfo"/>
=== Promotion of conspiracy theories ===
{{Main|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump}}
Before and throughout his presidency, Trump promoted numerous conspiracy theories, including [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories#Donald Trump|Obama birtherism]], the [[Clinton body count conspiracy theory]], the conspiracy theory movement [[QAnon]], the [[Global warming conspiracy theory|Global warming hoax]] theory, [[Trump Tower wiretapping allegations]], a [[John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory]] involving [[Rafael Cruz]], alleged foul-play in the death of Justice [[Antonin Scalia]], [[Conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal|alleged Ukrainian interference in U.S. elections]], that [[Osama bin Laden death conspiracy theories|Osama bin Laden was alive]] and Obama and Biden had members of [[Navy SEAL Team 6]] killed,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fichera|first1=Angelo|last2=Spencer|first2=Saranac Hale|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trumps-long-history-with-conspiracy-theories/|title=Trump's Long History With Conspiracy Theories|work=[[FactCheck.org]]|date=October 20, 2020 |access-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/donald-trump-osama-bin-laden-conspiracy-theory-fact-check/|title=Fact-checking the dangerous bin Laden conspiracy theory that Trump touted|first1=Tara|last1=Subramaniam|first2=Holmes|last2=Lybrand|work=[[CNN]]|date=October 15, 2020 |access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Haberman2016">{{cite web|last=Haberman|first=Maggie|author-link=Maggie Haberman|date=February 29, 2016|access-date=October 11, 2021|title=Even as He Rises, Donald Trump Entertains Conspiracy Theories|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/us/politics/donald-trump-conspiracy-theories.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|date=November 26, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2021|title=President Trump loves conspiracy theories. Has he ever been right?|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/26/president-trump-loves-conspiracy-theories-has-he-ever-been-right/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2020/07/02/politics/trump-conspiracy-theorists-qanon/|title=The Conspiracy-Theorist-in-Chief clears the way for fringe candidates to become mainstream|first=Maeve|last=Reston|work=[[CNN]]|date=July 2, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> and linking talk show host [[Joe Scarborough]] to the death of a staffer.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist)|last2=Astor|first2=Maggie|date=May 26, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|title=Trump Pushes a Conspiracy Theory That Falsely Accuses a TV Host of Murder|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/us/politics/klausutis-letter-jack-dorsey.html}}</ref> In at least two instances, Trump clarified to press that he believed the conspiracy theory in question.<ref name="Haberman2016"/>
During and since the 2020 presidential election, Trump promoted various conspiracy theories for his defeat including dead people voting,<ref>{{cite web|title=The dead voter conspiracy theory peddled by Trump voters, debunked|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/18/dead-voter-conspiracy-theory-debunked|work=[[The Guardian]]|first=Tom|last=Perkins|date=November 18, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> voting machines changing or deleting Trump votes, fraudulent mail-in voting, throwing out Trump votes, and "finding" suitcases full of Biden votes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen|first=Li|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/presidential-election-2020-conspiracy-theories-debunked/|title=6 conspiracy theories about the 2020 election – debunked|work=[[CBS News]]|date=January 15, 2021 |access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McEvoy|first=Jemima|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/|title=These Are The Voter Fraud Claims Trump Tried (And Failed) To Overturn The Election With|work=[[Forbes]]|date=December 17, 2020|access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref>
=== Incitement of violence ===
{{main|Rhetoric of Donald Trump#Violence and dehumanization}}
Research suggests Trump's rhetoric caused an increased incidence of hate crimes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/7d0949974b1648a2bb592cab1f85aa16|title=Trump words linked to more hate crime? Some experts think so|last1=Kunzelman|first1=Michael|last2=Galvan|first2=Astrid|date=August 7, 2019|access-date=October 7, 2021|work=[[AP News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/22/trumps-rhetoric-does-inspire-more-hate-crimes/|title=Analysis | Counties that hosted a 2016 Trump rally saw a 226 percent increase in hate crimes|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 22, 2019|access-date=October 7, 2021|first1=Ayal|last1=Feinberg|first2=Regina|last2=Branton|first3=Valerie|last3=Martinez-Ebers}}</ref> During his 2016 campaign, he urged or praised physical attacks against protesters or reporters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://time.com/4203094/donald-trump-hecklers/|title=Donald Trump Tells Crowd To 'Knock the Crap Out Of' Hecklers|last=White|first=Daniel|date=February 1, 2016|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=August 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/claudiakoerner/trump-gianforte-congressman-assault-journalist-montana|title=Trump Thinks It's Totally Cool That A Congressman Assaulted A Journalist For Asking A Question|last=Koerner|first=Claudia|date=October 18, 2018|work=[[BuzzFeed News]]|access-date=October 19, 2018}}</ref> Numerous defendants investigated or prosecuted for violent acts and hate crimes, including participants of the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, cited Trump's rhetoric in arguing that they were not culpable or should receive leniency.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/donald-trump-domestic-terrorism-el-paso|title="The President of the United States Says It's Okay": The Rise of the Trump Defense|last=Tracy|first=Abigail|date=August 8, 2019|access-date=October 7, 2021|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Rosalind S.|last1=Helderman|first2=Spencer S.|last2=Hsu|first3=Rachel|last3=Weiner|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-rioters-testimony/2021/01/16/01b3d5c6-575b-11eb-a931-5b162d0d033d_story.html|title='Trump said to do so': Accounts of rioters who say the president spurred them to rush the Capitol could be pivotal testimony|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=September 27, 2021}}</ref> A nationwide review by ABC News in May 2020 identified at least 54 criminal cases from August 2015 to April 2020 in which Trump was invoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence mostly by white men and primarily against minorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/blame-abc-news-finds-17-cases-invoking-trump/story?id=58912889|title='No Blame?' ABC News finds 54 cases invoking 'Trump' in connection with violence, threats, alleged assaults.|date=May 30, 2020|first=Mike|last=Levine|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref>
=== Social media ===
{{Main|Social media use by Donald Trump}}
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, in the final days of his term.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Kate|last1=Conger|first2=Mike|last2=Isaac|title=Inside Twitter's Decision to Cut Off Trump|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 16, 2021|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/16/technology/twitter-donald-trump-jack-dorsey.html|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> Trump often used Twitter to communicate directly with the public and sideline the press.<ref name="gone">{{cite web|first1=Aamer|last1=Madhani|first2=Jill|last2=Colvin|title=A farewell to @realDonaldTrump, gone after 57,000 tweets|work=[[AP News]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-donald-trump-ban-cea450b1f12f4ceb8984972a120018d5|date=January 9, 2021|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> In June 2017, the White House press secretary said that Trump's tweets were official presidential statements.<ref>{{cite web|last=Landers|first=Elizabeth|date=June 6, 2017|title=White House: Trump's tweets are 'official statements'|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/|access-date=October 10, 2021}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dwoskin|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/26/trump-twitter-label-fact-check/|title=Twitter labels Trump's tweets with a fact check for the first time|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=July 7, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> In response, Trump tweeted that social media platforms "totally silence" conservatives and that he would "strongly regulate, or close them down".<ref>{{cite news|last=Dwoskin|first=Elizabeth|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/27/trump-twitter-label/|title=Trump lashes out at social media companies after Twitter labels tweets with fact checks|date=May 27, 2020|access-date=May 28, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> In the days after the storming of the Capitol, Trump was banned from [[Facebook]], [[Instagram]], Twitter and other platforms.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 11, 2021|title=All the platforms that have banned or restricted Trump so far|last1=Fischer|first1=Sara|last2=Gold|first2=Ashley|url=https://www.axios.com/platforms-social-media-ban-restrict-trump-d9e44f3c-8366-4ba9-a8a1-7f3114f920f1.html |access-date=January 16, 2021|work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]}}</ref> The loss of his social media presence diminished his ability to shape events<ref>{{cite news|last=Timberg|first=Craig|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/14/trump-twitter-megaphone/|title=Twitter ban reveals that tech companies held keys to Trump's power all along|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{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|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/06/07/technology/trump-social-media-ban.html |access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref> and prompted a dramatic decrease in the volume of misinformation shared on Twitter.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dwoskin|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Timberg|first2=Craig|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/|title=Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump and some allies|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Trump's early attempts to re-establish a social media presence were unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/06/02/trump-blog-dead/|title=Trump ends blog after 29 days, infuriated by measly readership|last1=Harwell|first1=Drew|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|date=June 2, 2021|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=December 29, 2021}}</ref> In February 2022, he launched social media platform [[Truth Social]] where he only attracted a fraction of his Twitter following.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harwell|first1=Drew|last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|date=November 7, 2022|title=Trump once reconsidered sticking with Truth Social. Now he's stuck.|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/07/trump-once-reconsidered-sticking-with-truth-social-now-hes-stuck/ |access-date=May 7, 2023}}</ref> [[Elon Musk]], after [[Acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk|acquiring Twitter]], reinstated Trump's Twitter account in November 2022.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mac|first1=Ryan|last2=Browning|first2=Kellen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/technology/trump-twitter-musk.html|title=Elon Musk Reinstates Trump's Twitter Account|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 19, 2022|access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{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]]}}</ref> [[Meta Platforms]]' two-year ban lapsed in January 2023, allowing Trump to return to Facebook and Instagram,<ref>{{cite news|first=Shannon |last=Bond |title=Meta allows Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram|work=[[NPR]]|url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1146961818/trump-meta-facebook-instagram-ban-ends |date=January 23, 2023}}</ref> although in 2024, Trump continued to call the company an "[[enemy of the people]]".<ref>{{cite news|first= Matt |last=Egan|url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/tech/trump-tiktok-facebook-meta/index.html|title= Trump calls Facebook the enemy of the people. Meta's stock sinks|work=[[CNN]]|date=March 11, 2024}}</ref>
=== Relationship with the press ===
{{Further|First presidency of Donald Trump#Relationship with the news media}}
[[File:President Trump's First 100 Days- 45 (33573172373).jpg|thumb|Trump talking to the press, March 2017|alt=Trump, seated at the Resolute Desk in the White House, speaking to a crowd of reporters with boom microphones in front of him and public officials behind him]]
Trump sought media attention throughout his career, sustaining a "love-hate" relationship with the press.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/385245-trumps-love-hate-relationship-with-the-press|title=Trump's love-hate relationship with the press|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=April 28, 2018|access-date=July 4, 2018|last=Parnes|first=Amie}}</ref> In the 2016 campaign, Trump benefited from a record amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in the Republican primaries.<ref name=Cillizza-160614 /> ''The New York Times'' writer [[Amy Chozick]] wrote in 2018 that Trump's media dominance enthralled the public and created "must-see TV".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/sunday-review/trump-2020-reality-tv.html|title=Why Trump Will Win a Second Term|last=Chozick|first=Amy|author-link=Amy Chozick|date=September 29, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref>
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]]".<ref>{{cite web|first1=Marc|last1=Hetherington|author-link1=Marc Hetherington|first2=Jonathan M.|last2=Ladd|title=Destroying trust in the media, science, and government has left America vulnerable to disaster|date=May 1, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2020/05/01/destroying-trust-in-the-media-science-and-government-has-left-america-vulnerable-to-disaster/|work=[[Brookings Institution]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rosen|first=Jacob|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-reversal-tiktok-ban-says-facebook-enemy-of-people/|title=Trump, in reversal, opposes TikTok ban, calls Facebook "enemy of the people"|work=[[CBS News]]|date=March 11, 2024|access-date=July 31, 2024}}</ref> In 2018, journalist [[Lesley Stahl]] said that Trump had privately told her that he intentionally discredited the media "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you".<ref>{{cite web|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|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|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=May 22, 2018|access-date=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
As president, Trump mused about revoking the press credentials of journalists he viewed as critical.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2018/05/09/media/president-trump-press-credentials/|title=Trump's latest shot at the press corps: 'Take away credentials?'|first1=Brian|last1=Stelter|author-link1=Brian Stelter|first2=Kaitlan|last2=Collins|author-link2=Kaitlan Collins|work=[[CNN Money]]|date=May 9, 2018|access-date=May 9, 2018|archive-date=October 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008122415/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/09/media/president-trump-press-credentials/|url-status=dead}}</ref> His administration moved to revoke the press passes of two White House reporters, which were restored by the courts.<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/30/business/media/trump-media-2019.html|title=After Another Year of Trump Attacks, 'Ominous Signs' for the American Press|first=Michael M.|last=Grynbaum|date=December 30, 2019|access-date=October 11, 2021|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> The Trump White House held about a hundred formal press briefings in 2017, declining by half during 2018 and to two in 2019.<ref name="The New York Times"/>
Trump also deployed the legal system to intimidate the press.<ref name="Atlantic_Press">{{cite web|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=March 11, 2020|first1=Joshua A.|last1=Geltzer|first2=Neal K.|last2=Katyal|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}}</ref> In early 2020, the Trump campaign sued ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about Russian election interference.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[NPR]]|date=March 3, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|first=David|last=Folkenflik|author-link=David Folkenflik|title=Trump 2020 Sues 'Washington Post,' Days After 'N.Y. Times' Defamation Suit|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/03/811735554/trump-2020-sues-washington-post-days-after-ny-times-defamation-suit}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=[[Fox News]]|date=March 6, 2020|access-date=October 11, 2021|first1=Brian|last1=Flood|first2=Brooke|last2=Singman|title=Trump campaign sues CNN over 'false and defamatory' statements, seeks millions in damages|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-campaign-sues-cnn-false-defamatory-statements-millions-damages.amp}}</ref> All the suits were dismissed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Darcy|first=Oliver|url=https://cnn.com/2020/11/12/media/trump-campaign-cnn-lawsuit-dismissed/|title=Judge dismisses Trump campaign's lawsuit against CNN|work=[[CNN]]|date=November 12, 2020 |access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Adam|last=Klasfeld|url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/new-york-times-beats-the-trump-campaigns-defamation-suit-over-russia-editorial/|title=Judge Throws Out Trump Campaign's Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times Over Russia 'Quid Pro Quo' Op-Ed|date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=October 11, 2021|work=[[Law and Crime]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Zoe|last=Tillman|title=Trump 2020 Campaign Suit Against Washington Post Dismissed (1)|work=Bloomberg News|date=February 3, 2023|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trump-2020-campaign-suit-against-washington-post-is-dismissed}}</ref>
=== Racial views ===
{{Main|Racial views of Donald Trump}}
Many of Trump's comments and actions are considered racist.<ref>Multiple sources:
* {{cite web|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|last=Lopez|first=German|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|date=February 14, 2019}}
* {{cite news|first=Lisa|last=Desjardins|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/every-moment-donald-trumps-long-complicated-history-race|title=Every moment in Trump's charged relationship with race|date=January 12, 2018|work=[[PBS NewsHour]]|access-date=January 13, 2018}}
* {{cite news|last=Dawsey|first=Josh|author-link=Josh Dawsey|title=Trump's history of making offensive comments about nonwhite immigrants|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 11, 2018|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}}
* {{cite news|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]]|date=January 12, 2018|first=Aubree Eliza|last=Weaver|ref={{harvid|Weaver|2018b}}}}
* {{cite news|last1=Stoddard|first1=Ed|last2=Mfula|first2=Chris|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]]|date=January 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2019/jul/30/trump-claims-least-racist-person-in-the-world|title=Trump: 'I am the least racist person there is anywhere in the world' – video|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=July 30, 2019 |access-date=November 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 28, 2023 |title=Donald Trump was accused of racism long before his presidency, despite what online posts claim |url=https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-trump-racism-election-obama-018824651613 |access-date=May 10, 2024 |website=[[AP News]] |first=Philip |last=Marcelo}}</ref> In national polling, about half of respondents said that Trump is racist; a greater proportion believed that he emboldened racists.<ref>{{cite news|first=William|last=Cummins|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/31/donald-trump-racist-majority-say-quinnipiac-university-poll/1877168001/|title=A majority of voters say President Donald Trump is a racist, Quinnipiac University poll finds|work=[[USA Today]]|date=July 31, 2019|access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://poll.qu.edu/Poll-Release-Legacy?releaseid=2554|title=Harsh Words For U.S. Family Separation Policy, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Voters Have Dim View Of Trump, Dems On Immigration|work=[[Quinnipiac University Polling Institute]]|date=July 3, 2018|access-date=July 5, 2018}}</ref> Several studies and surveys found that racist attitudes fueled Trump's political ascent and were more important than economic factors in determining the allegiance of Trump voters.<ref>{{cite news|title=Economic Anxiety Didn't Make People Vote Trump, Racism Did|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/economic-anxiety-didnt-make-people-vote-trump-racism-did/|access-date=January 13, 2018|work=[[The Nation]]|date=May 8, 2017|first1=Sean|last1=McElwee|first2=Jason|last2=McDaniel}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|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 (website)|Vox]]|date=December 15, 2017|first=German|last=Lopez}}</ref> Racist and [[Islamophobic]] attitudes are a powerful indicator of support for Trump.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
In 1975, he settled a 1973 Department of Justice lawsuit that alleged [[housing discrimination]] against black renters.<ref name=Mahler /> He has also been accused of racism for insisting a group of black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 [[Central Park jogger case]], even after they were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2002. As of 2019, he maintained this position.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bohlen|first=Celestine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/nyregion/central-park-five-trump.html|title=The Park Attack, Weeks Later: An Anger That Will Not Let Go|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 12, 1989|access-date=March 5, 2024}}</ref>
In 2011, when he was reportedly considering a presidential run, he became the leading proponent of the racist [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|"birther" conspiracy theory]], alleging that Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, was not born in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|last=John|first=Arit|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-06-23/trump-obamagate-birtherism-false-allegations|title=From birtherism to 'treason': Trump's false allegations against Obama|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 23, 2020|access-date=February 17, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Farley|first=Robert|url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/feb/14/donald-trump/donald-trump-says-people-who-went-school-obama-nev/|title=Donald Trump says people who went to school with Obama never saw him|work=[[PolitiFact]]|date=February 14, 2011|access-date=January 31, 2020}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-takes-credit-for-obama-birth-certificate-release-but-wonders-is-it-real/|title=Trump takes credit for Obama birth certificate release, but wonders 'is it real?'|last=Madison|first=Lucy|date=April 27, 2011|access-date=May 9, 2011|work=[[CBS News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trumps-history-raising-birther-questions-president-obama/story?id=33861832|title=Donald Trump's History of Raising Birther Questions About President Obama|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|last=Keneally|first=Meghan|date=September 18, 2015|access-date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> In September 2016, amid pressure, he acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Trump Drops False 'Birther' Theory, but Floats a New One: Clinton Started It|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|author-link1=Maggie Haberman|first2=Alan|last2=Rappeport|author-link2=Alan Rappeport|date=September 16, 2016|access-date=October 12, 2021|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/politics/donald-trump-birther-obama.html}}</ref> In 2017, he reportedly expressed birther views privately.<ref>{{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.|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/us/politics/trump-access-hollywood-tape.html|access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref>
According to an analysis in ''[[Political Science Quarterly]]'', Trump made "explicitly racist appeals to whites" during his 2016 presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schaffner|first1=Brian F.|author-link1=Brian Schaffner|last2=Macwilliams|first2=Matthew|last3=Nteta|first3=Tatishe|title=Understanding White Polarization in the 2016 Vote for President: The Sobering Role of Racism and Sexism|journal=[[Political Science Quarterly]]|date=March 2018|volume=133|issue=1|pages=9–34|doi=10.1002/polq.12737|doi-access=free}}</ref> In particular, his campaign launch speech drew widespread criticism for claiming Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists".<ref>{{cite web|first=Katie|last=Reilly|title=Here Are All the Times Donald Trump Insulted Mexico|url=https://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/|access-date=January 13, 2018|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=August 31, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Z. Byron|url=https://cnn.com/2018/04/06/politics/trump-mexico-rapists/|title=Trump basically called Mexicans rapists again|work=[[CNN]]|date=April 6, 2018|access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref> His later comments about a Mexican-American judge presiding over a civil suit regarding [[Trump University]] were also criticized as racist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/us/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-gonzalo-curiel.html|title=Paul Ryan Calls Donald Trump's Attack on Judge 'Racist', but Still Backs Him|date=June 7, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|first1=Jennifer|last1=Steinhauer|author-link1=Jennifer Steinhauer|first2=Jonathan|last2=Martin|author-link2=Jonathan Martin (journalist)|first3=David M.|last3=Herszenhorn|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>
[[File:President Trump Gives a Statement on the Infrastructure Discussion.webm|thumb|start=13:11|Answering questions about the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville]]
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 widely criticized as implying a [[moral equivalence]] between the [[white supremacist]] demonstrators and the counter-protesters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2017/08/15/politics/trump-charlottesville-delay/|title=Trump: 'Both sides' to blame for Charlottesville|last=Merica|first=Dan|date=August 26, 2017|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Jenna|last2=Wagner|first2=John|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-condemns-charlottesville-violence-but-doesnt-single-out-white-nationalists/2017/08/12/933a86d6-7fa3-11e7-9d08-b79f191668ed_story.html|title=Trump condemns Charlottesville violence but doesn't single out white nationalists|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 12, 2017|access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kessler|first=Glenn|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/08/very-fine-people-charlottesville-who-were-they-2/|title=The 'very fine people' at Charlottesville: Who were they?|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 8, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name=KruzelCharlottesville>{{cite web|first=Angie Dobric|last=Holan|title=In Context: Donald Trump's 'very fine people on both sides' remarks (transcript)|url=https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/apr/26/context-trumps-very-fine-people-both-sides-remarks/|date=April 26, 2019|work=[[PolitiFact]]|access-date=October 22, 2021}}</ref>
In a January 2018 discussion of immigration legislation, Trump reportedly referred to El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shithole countries".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/1/11/16880804/trump-shithole-countries-racism|title=Trump's "shithole countries" comment exposes the core of Trumpism|last=Beauchamp|first=Zack|date=January 11, 2018|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> His remarks were condemned as racist.<ref name="Weaver-2018">{{cite web|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]]|date=January 12, 2018|first=Aubree Eliza|last=Weaver}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/unkind-divisive-elitist-international-outcry-over-trumps-shithole-countries-remark|title='There's no other word but racist': Trump's global rebuke for 'shithole' remark|date=January 13, 2018|work=[[The Guardian]]|first1=Patrick|last1=Wintour|author-link1=Patrick Wintour|first2=Jason|last2=Burke|author-link2=Jason Burke|first3=Anna|last3=Livsey|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref>
In July 2019, Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen—all from minorities, three of whom are native-born Americans—should "[[Go back where you came from|go back]]" to the countries they "came from".<ref>{{cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 14, 2019|access-date=September 30, 2021|first1=Katie|last1=Rogers|first2=Nicholas|last2=Fandos|author-link2=Nicholas Fandos|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}}</ref> Two days later the House of Representatives voted 240–187, mostly along party lines, to condemn his "racist comments".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742236610/condemnation-of-president-delayed-by-debate-can-lawmakers-call-trump-tweets-raci|title=House Votes To Condemn Trump's 'Racist Comments'|last=Mak|first=Tim|date=July 16, 2019|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=July 17, 2019}}</ref> [[White nationalist]] publications and social media praised his remarks, which continued over the following days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/white-supremacists-cheer-trump-racist-tweets-soh/|title=Trump said 'many people agree' with his racist tweets. These white supremacists certainly do.|last1=Simon|first1=Mallory|last2=Sidner|first2=Sara|author-link2=Sara Sidner|date=July 16, 2019|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref> Trump continued to make similar remarks during his 2020 campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/22/trump-attacks-ilhan-omar-420267|work=[[Politico]]|title='She's telling us how to run our country': Trump again goes after Ilhan Omar's Somali roots|date=September 22, 2020|access-date=October 12, 2021|first=Matthew|last=Choi}}</ref>
=== Misogyny and allegations of sexual misconduct ===
{{Main|Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations|Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape}}
Trump has a history of insulting and belittling women when speaking to the media and on social media.<ref name="clock">{{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}}</ref><ref name="demeans">{{cite web|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|first2=Eileen|last2=Sullivan|author-link2=Eileen Sullivan|title='Horseface,' 'Lowlife,' 'Fat, Ugly': How the President Demeans Women|date=October 16, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/us/politics/trump-women-insults.html|access-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref> He made lewd comments, disparaged women's physical appearances, and referred to them using derogatory epithets.<ref name="demeans" /><ref name="mysTC">{{cite news|last=Mahdawi|first=Arwa|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/10/the-more-women-accuse-him-the-better-he-does-the-meaning-and-misogyny-of-the-trump-carroll-case|title='The more women accuse him, the better he does': the meaning and misogyny of the Trump-Carroll case|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=May 10, 2023|access-date=July 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Ritu|last=Prasad|title=How Trump talks about women – and does it matter?|date=November 29, 2019|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50563106|access-date=August 5, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Fieldstadt|first=Elisha|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-consistently-made-lewd-comments-howard-stern-show-n662581|title=Donald Trump Consistently Made Lewd Comments on 'The Howard Stern Show'|work=[[NBC News]]|date=October 9, 2016|access-date=November 27, 2020}}</ref> At least 26 women publicly accused Trump of rape, kissing, and groping without consent; looking under women's skirts; and walking in on naked teenage pageant contestants.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nelson|first1=Libby|last2=McGann|first2=Laura|title=E. Jean Carroll joins at least 21 other women in publicly accusing Trump of sexual assault or misconduct|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/21/18701098/trump-accusers-sexual-assault-rape-e-jean-carroll|access-date=June 25, 2019|date=June 21, 2019|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rupar|first=Aaron|title=Trump faces a new allegation of sexually assaulting a woman at Mar-a-Lago|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/10/9/20906567/trump-karen-johnson-sexual-assault-mar-a-lago-barry-levine-monique-el-faizy-book|access-date=April 27, 2020|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=October 9, 2019}}</ref><ref name="no26">{{cite web|last=Osborne|first=Lucy|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|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=September 17, 2020|access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref> Trump has denied the allegations.<ref name="no26" />
In October 2016, two days before the [[2016 United States presidential debates#Second presidential debate (Washington University in St. Louis)|second presidential debate]], a 2005 "[[hot mic]]" recording surfaced in which [[Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape|Trump bragged]] about kissing and groping women without their consent, saying that,
<blockquote>when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the [[Pussy#Female genitalia|pussy]].<ref>{{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}}</ref> </blockquote>
The incident's widespread media exposure led to Trump's first public apology during the campaign<ref>{{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)}}</ref> and caused outrage across the political spectrum.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/299895-kaine-on-lewd-trump-tapes-makes-me-sick-to-my-stomach|title=Kaine on lewd Trump tapes: 'Makes me sick to my stomach'|last=Hagen|first=Lisa|date=October 7, 2016|work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=October 8, 2016}}</ref>
=== Popular culture ===
{{Main|Donald Trump in popular culture|Donald Trump in music}}
Trump has been the subject of comedy and caricature on television, in films, and in comics. He was named in hundreds of [[hip hop]] songs from 1989 until 2015; most of these cast Trump in a positive light, but they turned largely negative after he began running for office.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCann|first=Allison|url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/clinton-trump-hip-hop-lyrics|title=Hip-Hop Is Turning On Donald Trump|work=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|date=July 14, 2016|access-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>
== Notes ==
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css"/><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"><references group="lower-alpha"/></div>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
=== Works cited ===
<!-- This section is ONLY for books that are cited in footnotes of this Wikipedia article. -->
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uJifCgAAQBAJ|title=The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire|last=Blair|first=Gwenda|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2015|orig-year=2001|isbn=978-1-5011-3936-9}}
* {{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|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}}<!-- Resolve 5 harv no-citation script warnings in the cite bundle in #Racial_views -->{{cite whitelink|CITEREFLopez2019|CITEREFDesjardins2018|CITEREFDawsey2018|CITEREFStoddardMfula2018|CITEREFWeaver2018b}}
{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFKranishFisher2017|CITEREFBlair2015|CITEREFO'DonnellRutherford1991}}
== External links ==
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* [https://www.thetrumparchive.com/ Archive of Donald Trump's tweets]<!-- DO NOT CHANGE without prior consensus; see [[Talk:Donald Trump#Current consensus]], item 9. -->
* {{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/ Donald Trump's page on whitehouse.gov]
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[[Category:The Trump Organization employees]]
[[Category:Trump–Ukraine scandal]]
[[Category:United States Football League executives]]
[[Category:Wharton School alumni]]
[[Category:WWE Hall of Fame inductees]]' |
