Donald Trump: The business and political journey of America's 45th and 47th presidents
Donald Trump is a German-American Republican politician and entrepreneur. This article aims to objectively interpret the 45th and 47th U.S. President’s early experience, business achievements, iconic policies, and his profound impact on the political arena. To assess their political leanings, you may wish to refer to the 8Values Political Values Tendency Test.
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946 in New York, USA, and is of German-American descent. He graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is an entrepreneur, real estate businessman, and television personality. Trump's political career has been full of ups and downs. He served as the 45th President of the United States and won the 2024 presidential election. He will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. He is the second president in American history to be re-elected after losing his re-election bid. Trump has a distinctive governing style. He brings business war thinking and behavioral characteristics into American politics. He is proficient in negotiation, and is especially good at "maximum pressure" and "issue packaging."
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Donald Trump's Early Years and Business Empire
Trump’s family background is quite deep. His grandfather, Friedrich Trump, was from Germany and amassed some wealth through the gold rush. His father, Fred Trump, used the funds to found a real estate company and expanded the company by building apartments and houses for civilians under the influence of Roosevelt's New Deal.
Trump is the fourth in the family. In his early years, he was unable to concentrate on studying, so his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy at the age of 13. During this period, he excelled academically and served as a student cadre in his senior year. He then attended Fordham University in New York for two years, and then transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to major in real estate, earning a bachelor's degree in economics in 1968.
After graduating from college in 1968, Trump worked for the real estate company founded by his father and took over the company in 1971, renaming it "The Trump Organization" and focusing on real estate development. His investment areas have gradually expanded to include casinos, shipping, sports and entertainment and other industries. Important milestones in his business career include: building the successful Hyatt Hotel in 1975, obtaining tax breaks and low-cost loans; spending $200 million to build Trump Tower, the headquarters of the Trump Organization, in Manhattan, New York, in 1984; and acquiring Mar-A-Lago in 1985.
However, Trump's business journey has not been smooth sailing. In early 1990, affected by the U.S. economic recession, his personal assets fell from US$1.7 billion to US$500 million, and he was saddled with nearly US$4 billion in debt. The Trump Taj Mahal casino he owned was also declared bankrupt. Under the supervision and bailout of the banking syndicate, Trump dealt with debt while executing investment plans. In 1994, he paid off debts of up to US$900 million and successfully "made a comeback" by selling Trump Airlines and other measures.
Trump is fond of putting his name on nearly every cause. As of 2016, he has opened more than 500 companies in at least 25 countries around the world, with business spread across Asia, South America and Europe. His personal brand and intellectual property (including "Trump Canned Water", "Trump Vodka", etc.) are estimated to be worth up to $3.3 billion. In March 2024, "Trump Media Technology Group" was listed on Nasdaq, and its net worth soared by nearly US$5 billion, making it among the top 400 of Bloomberg's global rich list for the first time.
In addition to business, Trump is also involved in the entertainment industry and has appeared as a super-rich man in many movies and TV series. The reality show "The Apprentice" he produced and starred in was twice nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Competitive Reality Show, and he himself was named on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
From business to politics: The political career of Donald Trump
Trump’s political party affiliation has changed many times. He first joined the Republican Party in 1987, but subsequently switched between the Democratic Party, the Reform Party and independents many times until he joined the Republican Party for the third time in 2012 and has maintained his membership to this day.
2016 Presidential Election and the 45th Term
Trump officially announced his candidacy for the 2016 US presidential election as a Republican in June 2015. He attracted public attention with his controversial remarks early in the campaign. In November 2016, he finally won the presidential election, winning 306 electoral votes, defeating Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
On January 20, 2017, Trump was sworn in and became the 45th President of the United States. During his first term, he pursued an "America First" policy, implemented a number of major reforms in the fields of economy, trade, and diplomacy, and withdrew from multiple international organizations.
During his first term, Trump was impeached by the U.S. Congress twice, first in 2019 for being accused of pressuring Ukraine to investigate political opponents, and in 2021 for being accused of "inciting insurrection" that led to the Capitol riots. He is the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice. Both impeachments ultimately failed in the Senate.
Failure to re-elect in 2020 and aftermath
Trump informally announced his bid for re-election during his term in office. In August 2020, he was officially nominated as the presidential candidate by the Republican National Convention to compete with Democrat Joseph Biden. Although multiple media outlets declared Biden the winner in November 2020, Trump refused to admit defeat and filed a lawsuit challenging the election results. On January 6, 2021, a Capitol riot in support of Trump broke out in Washington.
2024 Presidential Election and 47th Term
In November 2022, Trump announced his participation in the 2024 US presidential election. Although his qualification for candidacy once caused controversy, the U.S. Supreme Court finally retained his primary qualification on March 4, 2024. In July 2024, Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination and chose Ohio Senator James David Vance as his running mate.
On November 6, 2024, Trump declared victory in the presidential election and will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025.
“America First” policy and its political measures
The "America First" policy pursued by Trump is the core of his governing philosophy. This philosophy affects its decision-making in various aspects such as economic, environmental, social and military aspects.
Economics and Trade
The Trump administration has taken a series of major economic measures:
- Comprehensive tax cuts : Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) during his first term, which significantly reduced the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. He promised to continue pushing for another round of tax cuts in his second term.
- Relaxing financial regulations : In 2018, he signed the Economic Growth, Deregulation, and Consumer Protection Act, which made the first major changes to the Dodd-Frank Act and relaxed regulatory requirements for smaller banks.
- Trade protectionism : Trump advocates trade protectionism. He has adopted tough trade policies, including imposing tariffs on imported steel and aluminum products, and pushing to renegotiate or withdraw from regional trade agreements, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
- Reciprocal tariffs : During the second term in 2025, the Trump administration announced the implementation of "reciprocal tariffs", aiming to establish a 10% "minimum baseline tariff" on trading partners and may impose higher tariffs. This policy has triggered dissatisfaction and legal proceedings from many countries and domestic companies in the United States.
- Energy independence : Trump launched the "America First Energy Plan" to vigorously support traditional fossil energy (oil, natural gas, coal), aiming to achieve energy self-sufficiency, and lifted the ban on new coal mines on federal lands.
environmental and social policy
- Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement : The Trump administration announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement aimed at combating climate change in 2017, and it officially came into effect in 2020. The United States became the only withdrawal party at the time.
- Immigration reform : Trump is committed to reforming immigration policy, advocating reducing the number of immigrants, raising immigration thresholds, and ordering the deportation and repatriation of undocumented immigrants. He also signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency on the U.S. southern border and pursuing a commitment to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2025, the Trump administration signed an executive order announcing that children born in the United States to illegal immigrants or those on temporary visas would no longer automatically receive U.S. citizenship.
- Education and equal rights : The Trump administration has promoted “school choice policies” and increased support for STEM education. In 2025, he proposed ending all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies within the federal government and planned to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.
- Health care policy : During his first term, Trump signed an executive order in an attempt to repeal Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act), but the relevant bill was blocked in Congress.
Military and Security
- Establishing the Space Force : The Trump administration began to establish the Space Force in 2018, and formally established the U.S. Space Command and the Space Force in 2019, becoming the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces.
- Overseas troop withdrawal : Trump has pushed for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and signed an agreement with the Afghan Taliban, pledging to withdraw the remaining U.S. troops within 14 months.
- Fight against terrorist organizations : The Trump administration announced that it has eliminated the areas controlled by the extremist organization "Islamic State" in Syria and Iraq, and ordered the assassination of Iranian "Quds Force" commander Qasem Soleimani.
Foreign Policy and International Relations of the Trump Administration (Donald Trump)
Trump's diplomatic strategy is based on "America First" and focuses on transactions and bilateral negotiations, which has led to the loosening and competitiveness of the US-EU alliance.
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Regional relations and conflicts
- U.S.-Russia relations : Although Trump has personally met with Russian President Vladimir Putin many times, the Trump administration still positions Russia as a strategic rival and imposes sanctions. In 2025, Trump actively promoted the peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and even proposed a tripartite meeting.
- North Korean nuclear issue : The Trump administration implemented a “maximum pressure” policy against North Korea, but also facilitated the first meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Singapore, 2018).
- Middle East issues : The Trump administration focuses on "containing Iraq, supporting Israel, and supporting the sands." He recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In 2025, he actively participated in the mediation of the conflict between Israel and Iran and visited Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar with the aim of strengthening relations.
- Indo-Pacific strategy : The Trump administration promotes the concept of a "free and open Indo-Pacific", emphasizing military security and seeking "fair and reciprocal" bilateral trade agreements.
International organizations and “withdrawal”
The Trump administration has adopted significant unilateralism on the international stage, and has successively announced its withdrawal from or ceased participation in multiple international organizations and agreements:
| time | content |
|---|---|
| January 2017 | Announcement of withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) |
| June 2017 | Announcement of withdrawal from the Paris Agreement |
| May 2018 | Announcement of withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Agreement |
| May 2020 | Announcement of termination of relationship with World Health Organization (WHO) |
| January 2025 | Announcement that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization on climate change |
| July 2025 | Decision to withdraw the United States from UNESCO |
Law and Controversy: The Personalities Faced by Donald Trump
Trump's political career has been marked by legal challenges and controversial incidents.
Impeachment, Trial and Legal Decisions
- Hush money case : In May 2024, Trump was convicted of all 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in the "hush money" case. He became the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime. Trump himself denies all accusations and says the lawsuit is politically motivated. On January 10, 2025, the presiding judge sentenced Trump to "unconditional release," which means that he will have a conviction record but will not be subject to imprisonment or fines.
- ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE : Trump faces criminal charges for allegedly trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In July 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump enjoys immunity from prosecution for "official acts", but not for "private acts."
- Classified documents case : Trump has faced federal charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents. The case was dismissed by a federal judge in July 2024.
- Defamation and sexual assault case : A New York jury once found Trump guilty of sexual assault and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll, and ordered him to pay millions of dollars in damages and fines.
- Shooting attack : On July 13, 2024, Trump was attacked by a gunman while holding a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and his right ear was injured. In September of the same year, he encountered a suspected assassination attempt again near his golf club in Florida.
Governing controversies and anecdotes
- Twitter governs the country : During his first term, Trump frequently used Twitter (now known as X) to announce policies and express opinions, and was commented by the media as "Twitter governs the country." His account was permanently banned due to the Capitol Hill riots and was later unblocked in 2022.
- Establishing a “Government Efficiency Commission” : In September 2024, Trump announced that he would establish a “Government Efficiency Commission” based on the recommendations of Elon Musk to conduct a comprehensive financial and performance audit of the federal government and make reform recommendations.
- Controversial remarks : Trump has repeatedly had "wars of words" with the media, and even established a "fake news award." He has repeatedly claimed that if he returns to power, he can "end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours," but in an exclusive interview in April 2025, he also called this statement "ironic."
Conclusion: Assessing Donald Trump’s political values
As a figure spanning the business and political circles, Donald Trump's political ideas and behavior have triggered huge discussions and reflections in the United States and even around the world. He was evaluated by Russian President Vladimir Putin as an "extraordinary person" who did not come from the American political establishment; while "Global People" commented that he was a "difficult political outlier" who represented a surging populist trend and a profound division in American society.
His "America First" policy, whether it is promoting trade protectionism, reducing international obligations, or emphasizing domestic employment and energy independence, reflects a strong nationalist tendency. These policy choices and tendencies are key elements in analyzing their political ideology.
If you want a more systematic understanding of the political leanings of Trump and what he represents, and where those tendencies fit within the broader political spectrum, you can try taking the 8Values Political Values Orientation Test . By substituting Trump's policies (such as economic tax cuts and trade protection, conservative stance on social issues) into the test framework for analysis, it can help to understand how his stance is reflected on the political axis, such as whether he prefers "nationalism" or "globalism" on the diplomatic axis, or "conservatism" or "progressivism" on the social axis.
