10 Key Facts Marking Former President Donald Trump’s Journey to the White House
Fascinating Facts About Donald Trump's Journey to the White House
Few politicians in recent American history have generated as much curiosity, controversy, and media interest as Donald J. Trump. The Trump phenomenon has had a lasting impact on the political landscape of the United States, from his turbulent tenure as the 45th President of the United States to his pre-political career as a corporate mogul and television personality. Here are 10 fascinating facts about Donald Trump ranging from his childhood, TV career, economic empire, and his ultimate leadership.
1. Donald Trump was a famous TV personality
Before going into politics, Donald Trump had a prosperous television career. As the host of the 2004 launch of the reality series The Apprentice, he became well-known. Trump's image as a straight-talking business tycoon and his catchphrase, "You're fired," struck a chord with the audience. His reputation as a harsh, determined leader was solidified and he became well-known due to the success of the show. Trump's TV career demonstrated his aptitude for branding and business, laying the groundwork for his eventual entry into politics. Even though his tenure in politics would be contentious, a big portion of his public legacy still comes from his work on television.
2. He favored Democrats over the Republicans
Republicans have received 97 percent of all of Trump's political contributions between 2010 and 2015. But before that, Democrats had benefited the most from Trump's donations up to that point, receiving more than half of them between 1989 and 2009. "Well, if I ever ran for office, I'd do better as a Democrat than as a Republican," Trump even told Playboy in 1990, per NPR. "And that's not because I'd be more liberal, because I'm conservative. But the working guy would elect me. He likes me."
3. Never held office or joined the military
Two days after election day, President Obama and Donald Trump met for transition talks in the Oval Office, giving Trump's supporters a chance to meet him in person while the shockwave of his shocking victory continued to spread across the US. Before he was inaugurated as America's 45th president on January 20, 2017, he had already made history as the first and only US president to have never held political office or served in the armed forces, the BBC reported.
4. He gained popularity by starting the "birther" movement
Trump rose to prominence as one of the most vocal proponents of the "birther" movement after 2008, which cast doubt on Barack Obama's US birth certificate. The assertions have been completely refuted; there's no doubt that Obama is a native of Hawaii. Eventually, Trump acknowledged that the allegations were false, but he made no apologies as usual. Campaigning under the slogan "Make America Great Again," Trump waged a contentious campaign based on pledges to fortify the US economy, erect a wall along the US-Mexico border, and ban Muslim immigration "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".
5. Donald Trump is one of only 2 presidents with a Walk of Fame star
The two most significant US presidents, Trump and Ronald Reagan, share a passionate but contentious fan base. However, the two American presidents also share plaques on the renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame, a pathway in California that pays tribute to over 2,500 noteworthy figures in the entertainment business. For his efforts on the reality television program The Apprentice, Trump received an award in 2007. Before going into politics, Reagan had a successful acting career and was awarded a star in 1960, according to the US Embassy.
6. Donald Trump worked on overcoming germaphobia
Trump has undoubtedly put a lot of effort into improving himself. Developing a brand for the "you're fired" and "MAGA" movements were all challenging marketing strategies. However, Trump said decades ago that he is a "clean hands freak" and didn't even enjoy shaking hands. But it wasn't difficult to get past that dislike while running for office to come across as approachable. “I’m a politician,” he said during the campaign. “Can you imagine if I said I won’t shake anybody’s hand?” He will probably shake 65,000 hands a year as president.
7. Donald Trump was a millionaire at 8
A New York Times report in 2018 on President Donald Trump's riches revealed that, at the age of three, he was receiving $200,000 a year in today's money from his father's business. This means he was a millionaire by the age of 8. These specifics were a part of a much wider investigation of the president's wealth accumulation. The investigation's findings contradict Trump's long-standing personal narrative—that he is a self-made billionaire who created his enterprise, Business Insider reported.
8. Donald Trump feels personally connected to Citizen Kane
The 1941 film Citizen Kane, which narrates the tale of a legendary newspaper mogul, is one of Trump's favorites. “I think you learn in Citizen Kane that maybe wealth isn’t everything. Because he had the wealth, but he didn’t have the happiness,” Trump said in a 2002 video interview. It's quite telling since maybe he meant for the interview to emulate that his personal life is not exactly what he probably wants it to be.
9. He had one of the most controversial election campaigns
The discovery of a 2005 tape featuring Trump making crude statements about women and accusations that he was unfit for government, even from members of his party, disrupted his presidential campaign in 2016. However, he would not listen to the opinion surveys that showed him lagging behind Hillary Clinton; instead, he would constantly assure his horde of fans that his administration would deal a blow to the political establishment and "drain the swamp" in Washington. Drawing inspiration from the victorious effort to remove Britain from the European Union, he declared he would implement "Brexit times 10".
10. He is a teetotaller
Trump became the front-runner to replace his father after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and his older brother Fred deciding to pursue a career as a pilot. Trump's brother claims that after Fred Trump's 43-year-old alcoholism-related death, he has never touched a cigarette or alcohol again. Trump took over the business in 1971 and called it the Trump Organization. He then went on to oversee his father's vast portfolio of residential housing developments in the boroughs of New York City.
