Who is Donald Trump?
Donald Trump is the 47th President of the United States. He took office in January 2025 after winning the 2024 election against Kamala Harris, having previously served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021 and lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. Before entering politics he ran The Trump Organization, a real estate company, and hosted the television program The Apprentice. His America First platform centers on tariffs, lower immigration, tax cuts and skepticism of international agreements. In October 2026 he has been holding rallies for Republican candidates ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.
Previously: President of the United States (2017-2021) · Republican presidential nominee (2016, 2020, 2024) · Chairman and president of The Trump Organization (1971-2017)
Documented positions
- Imposed broad tariffs under emergency powers in 2025; after the Supreme Court ruled in February 2026 that the emergency law did not authorize them, he set a temporary 150-day global duty under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, replaced in July 2026 by Section 301 tariffs on 60 trading partners.Source: taxnews.ey.com
- Signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, extending tax cuts, adding deductions for tips and overtime, tightening Medicaid rules and funding border enforcement.Source: whitehouse.gov
- Signed an executive order on his first day back in office to deny birthright citizenship to some children of non-citizen parents, which the Supreme Court blocked in a 6-3 ruling in June 2026.Source: semafor.com
- Ordered US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement on his first day back in office in January 2025.Source: whitehouse.gov
- Pardoned people convicted of offenses related to the 6 January 2021 events at the Capitol and commuted the sentences of 14 others.Source: whitehouse.gov
- Released an AI Action Plan in July 2025 focused on removing regulatory barriers, building data centers and promoting American AI exports.Source: akingump.com
- Launched military strikes on Iran together with Israel in February 2026 and said in May 2026 that seeking congressional authorization under the War Powers Resolution was unnecessary.Source: nbcnewyork.com
Record
Trump's first term included the 2017 tax cuts, three Supreme Court appointments and the USMCA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. The House impeached him in 2019 and again in 2021, and the Senate acquitted him both times; the second impeachment followed the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack and his claims that the 2020 election was stolen, which courts rejected. In May 2024 a New York jury convicted him on 34 counts of falsifying business records, and in January 2025 he received an unconditional discharge with no jail time or fine; he has appealed the conviction.
In his second term, supporters cite tax cuts, lower border crossings and trade deals negotiated under tariff pressure. Critics cite court rulings against his tariffs and birthright citizenship order, the 6 January pardons, cuts to federal agencies and the war with Iran begun in February 2026 without a vote in Congress. The House passed war powers resolutions on Iran in June and July 2026; the Senate has not passed a binding one.
