Love him, hate him – there is zero doubt that Donald J. Trump is one of the most divisive yet undeniably important figures in American and global politics to have risen to power in the past decade.
Having come to prominence as a casino and hotel owner and real estate mogul before becoming a recognisable face on prime time TV, Trump’s confident, candid conjecture helped him find his way to the White House on two separate occasions – becoming US President in 2016 and again in 2024.
Trump’s brand of politics and take on “fake news” has earned him legions of fans and detractors alike – and with his most recent victory at the US polls proving particularly eyebrow-raising, now is the time to dip into some interesting facts about the two-time President so you can get to know him a little better.
Here are some interesting facts about Donald Trump that are worth remembering no matter what side of the political spectrum you stand on.
1. He is a proud New Yorker.
Donald Trump was born on June 14th, 1946, in Queens, New York City, United States. He’s famously built up real estate across NYC itself.
However, political rival Kamala Harris, who ran for the US Presidency against Trump in 2024, took both NY state and Queens itself. Despite this, Trump won both the electoral college and the popular vote nationwide.
2. He’s a businessman first and foremost.
Before entering politics, Trump was primarily known as a real estate developer and businessman. He gained fame in the 2010s, too, as the host of the reality TV show “The Apprentice” – where he “fired” and “hired” candidates for his businesses.
Trump’s emergence into politics was seen as controversial in the first instance because he had become such a notable entertainment star, in addition to having built up a business portfolio. Many saw his decision to throw his hat into the ring to be a clear example of entertainment and politics merging together.
And yet, this was nothing new! Ronald Reagan, who served as US President for the majority of the 1980s, ran as a US senator first after having carved out a successful career as an actor. And, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the Governor of California for several years, after semi-retiring from Hollywood.
3. He went and won the top job – twice!
Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States as a Republican in June 2015. He then won the Republican nomination, and went on to become the 45th President of the United States, serving from January 20th, 2017, to January 20th, 2021.
Trump then went and did the unthinkable and became President once again after polls closed in November 2024. His second term as President arose despite him technically being a convicted felon – more on that below.
Trump is also only the second President in history to have won two completely separate, non-consecutive terms. Grover Cleveland got there first, serving as the 22nd and 24th President. Trump holds the number 45 and 47.
4. Trump ran on a populist platform in 2016.
For his first election, Donald Trump’s often controversial political agenda focused on several key projects. These included immigration reform, tax cuts, deregulation, and trade policies aimed at protecting American industries. One of the key facets of his Presidency was the promise that there’d be a border wall built between the US and Mexico, and that the latter “would pay for it.”
For his second term in office, Trump proposed further divisive points. For example, he has vocally emphasised reframing diversity and even rolling back some equity and inclusion programs. He’s also emphasised asking Congress to recognise two genders at birth by law.
5. Trump’s initial executive orders raised eyebrows.
What many people focus on from Trump’s first Presidency is his series of executive orders. These included a travel ban targeting several predominantly Muslim countries, and a policy of separating families at the US-Mexico border.
At the time of writing, Trump’s second Presidency is yet to get started – meaning we will have to wait and see what happens next.
6. 2016 through 2020 was a dividing time.
It wasn’t just the Mexico border wall that stood to separate people. Donald Trump’s Presidency was marked by a turbulent and polarising political climate. His leadership style, outspokenness, and use of social media often generated intense debate and controversy. He famously used Twitter, for example, to espouse his political opinions – whereas Presidents traditionally stuck to mass media and PR campaigns.
7. Trump’s tax reforms made big changes.
Donald Trump’s administration implemented tax reform, known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in 2017. It significantly lowered corporate tax rates and made changes to individual income tax brackets.
8. Trump brought about the age of MAGA.
Trump is known for his MAGA (Make America Great Again) approach to his politics. He initially pursued an “America First” policy, emphasising US national interests in international relations, renegotiating trade agreements such as NAFTA (or, the North American Free Trade Agreement), and withdrawing from the Paris Agreement (surrounding climate change) and the deal made with Iran over nuclear weapons.
MAGA has since become a rallying cry for Trump supporters, with many people choosing to wear red baseball caps bearing the slogan, as popularised by Trump and his team during many of his political rallies.
9. He was the first President to be impeached twice!
Donald Trump faced impeachment proceedings twice during his Presidency. The first impeachment, in 2019, was on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine. The second impeachment, in 2021, was on charges of incitement of insurrection following the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters. He is the only President in US history to be impeached twice.
10. He’s authored some well-known bestsellers in the US.
Donald Trump is probably best-known in terms of authordom for publishing “Trump: The Art of The Deal,” a business book that’s gained just as much popularity as much as it has notoriety.
Beyond this, however, other Trump works such as “The America We Deserve” and “Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again” have taken the politician to the bookshelves.
11. He’s made a number of cameos on TV and movies.
Trump is always keen to make an appearance on TV shows and networks he personally gets behind. For years, he’s been a staple presence on Fox News – though his relationship with the network has grown shaky in recent times.
That said, you’ll also see DJT popping up in a number of different fictional shows and films. For example, he’s appeared in Zoolander, The Drew Carey Show, The Nanny, Home Alone 2, and The Little Rascals.
12. He considered getting into politics as far back as the 1980s.
Yes, believe it or not, a Trump Presidential run isn’t a particularly new concept. While Trump eventually ran on a Republican ticket in 2015 and gained enough support to run for President in 2016, the mogul had previously considered running many years before. However, his critics have variously claimed these motions were purely for publicity.
Interestingly, his book “The America We Deserve” serves up a vision of Trump’s America back in 2000 – where, while he leaned toward conservatism in terms of economics, he appeared fairly liberal when it came to societal issues.
13. Mar-a-Lago is Trump’s personal resort.
If you follow Trump’s adventures in the news, you’ll probably know that he has something of a private golf retreat, a club known as Mar-a-Lago, based in Florida’s Palm Beach. He actually bought the mansion that stands on the grounds as far back as the 1980s, though he chose to develop it into a club for private members by the mid-90s.
Critics of Trump during his first tenure as US President claimed he seemed to spend more time golfing at Mar-a-Lago than he did overseeing policy in the White House! There are 118 rooms at the mansion that stands there.
14. Trump is a teetotaller.
According to the man himself, Donald Trump abstains from drinking alcohol. He claims this is because his older brother, Freddy, fell into alcoholism and eventually died from related health problems at the age of 43.
That said, Trump is perhaps best known for enjoying a different type of beverage – a Diet Coke! In fact, that leads us to our next fact…
15. President Trump had a button installed to order Diet Coke to his desk.
Yes, weirdly enough, Trump’s desire for an occasional glass of fizz was so strong that he had a button installed in the White House to order a Diet Coke provided to him on a silver platter.
It’s thought Trump also used the button to order lunch from the kitchen, and sometimes to prank people visiting the White House for the first time.
President Joe Biden then had the Diet Coke button removed from the Presidential desk when he took the top job in 2021. Perhaps it’ll make a comeback…?
16. The Trump empire was hit hard in the 1990 recession.
In 1990, the US entered an infamous recession which, for many citizens, meant some major cutbacks. Believe it or not, even Trump, who was thought to be worth more than $1.7 billion at the time, entered minus figures while the economy fluctuated.
Trump’s financial fortunes during this time staggered so much that he reportedly sold his self-named airline and even his luxury yacht. Reports also claim that he even remortgaged multiple properties several times over just to break even.
17. Trump wasn’t always a Republican.
Let’s get this out of the way fast – the image that circulated a few years ago where Trump allegedly told an interview that he’d run for a Republican Presidency because Red voters were the “dumbest group” in the country is fake. Fake news, as Trump himself would say!
However, the President hasn’t always been registered as a Republican politician, or indeed interested in that side of politics. In fact, he changed to the Reform Party in 1999 and even considered running for the Presidency under their ticket in 2000. This never came to pass, he switched back to the Republicans, and the rest, as they say, is history.
18. Trump’s record for telling the truth… isn’t perfect.
Now – many will claim that politicians famously lie for a living – yet Trump seems to have earned special infamy for doing so via his preferred social media platforms over the years. Twitter, now known as X, was once his major soapbox online, before he started his own social network, TRUTH Social.
Trump’s claims online are checked out constantly by people keen for genuine truth to be known – and you can check out some of his latest claims (and whether or not they’re true) over at Politifact.
One of Trump’s most infamous claims was that the 2020 election, where he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, was “stolen” – which led to inspire an uprising and insurrection at the US Capitol Building in January 2021.
19. Trump is said to be the wealthiest President in history.
Trump’s net worth has fluctuated over the years – and at the time of writing, he’s said to be worth around $5.5 billion, with a $400k salary awaiting him as the 47th President of the USA. That’s an impressive set of zeroes – even more so considering he’s still regarded as the wealthiest US President in the country’s history.
20. One of his best-known ventures is Trump Tower.
The world-famous Trump Tower easily helped to put DJT on the map long before he starred on “The Apprentice” or ran for US President. This building, standing at around 664 feet high, is replete with offices, shops, you name it! You’ll find it on Fifth Avenue in NYC, fittingly, an area close to Trump’s heart.
21. Trump is a convicted felon, but still won the US Presidency again in 2024.
Donald Trump has proven to not only be a divisive figure politically, but also in terms of his activities outside of the office. For example, he was officially convicted of falsifying records related to his business with regard to hush money payments – on no fewer than 34 counts.
However, despite this conviction, Trump was allowed to go ahead and run for President as the Republican Party’s choice heading into 2024, and as of the time of writing, he’s set to return to the Oval Office.
22. Trump had a varied education, some of it military.
Donald Trump reportedly “misbehaved” when he was younger, which convinced his father, Fred Trump, to send him to New York’s Military Academy at the age of 13.
After attending school, Trump would go on to attend Fordham University and Wharton School, before eventually graduating in the class of 1968. He claimed a BS in Economics.
23. Trump’s brand has applied to pretty much everything.
While rising up the ranks as a budding real estate developer and businessman, Trump would gradually apply his personal brand to various products, lines, and services. For example, there have even been Trump fashion and cologne lines released over the years, as well as bottled spirits.
Trump’s name – whether you support him or not – is one of the most recognisable on the planet, even more so now given his political history!
24. Donald Trump has a large family.
Trump has been married three times and has five adult children – Donald Jr., Eric, Ivana, Tiffany, and Barron. He also has ten grandchildren at the time of writing. He’s been married to Melania, his current wife, since 2005. He was also famously married to Ivanka Trump from 1977 to 1990, and Marla Markles from 1993 to 1999.
25. “MAGA” actually wasn’t an original slogan.
Although the slogan “Make America Great Again” is certainly associated with Donald Trump and his cohort of Republicans and supporters, it was actually used originally by Ronald Reagan when he ran for President against Jimmy Carter. At least it was the same side using the same slogan!
FAQs About Donald Trump
What is Donald Trump’s net worth?
Donald Trump’s net worth hasn’t officially been settled or revealed, however, it’s thought he is worth somewhere in the region of $5.5 billion at the time of writing. This still makes him the richest US President in history.
What is Truth Social?
TRUTH Social is Donald Trump’s branded social network that’s operated by the TMTG, or the Trump Media and technology Group. It was set up in 2022 as a competitor to Twitter, now known as X, where Trump had famously shared opinions and news online. It also competes with the likes of Mastodon and Parler.
How old is Donald Trump?
At the time of writing, Donald Trump is 78 years old, born on June 14th, 1946. He is the oldest person ever to be elected US President. By the end of his second term in office, Trump will be 82 years old.
Further reading
https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/people/donald-j-trump/
https://www.cnn.com/politics/president-donald-trump-45
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/donald-j-trump/
Do you know any fun facts about Donald Trump? Share them in the comments below!