Presidential candidate profile: Donald Trump

Official portrait of Donald Trump. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Donald Trump is the former president of the U.S. and Republican Party nominee for the upcoming 2024 election. He was the 45th president and his administration lasted from 2016 to 2020. He is once again seeking a second term. 

Trump’s campaign slogan is “Make America Great Again” and 2024 is the third consecutive election year that he has been a presidential Republican nominee.

Trump chose Republican Ohio senator JD Vance as his running-mate on July 15. 

The top five core promises listed on Trump’s 2024 GOP platform include closing the U.S. border, initiating the “largest deportation operation in American history,” ending inflation, becoming a dominant energy producer and turning America into a “manufacturing superpower.”

Trump enrolled into the New York Military Academy at age 13. He began college in 1964 and graduated from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

For approximately 40 years, Trump was President of The Trump Organization.

Trump has made multiple cameo appearances in a variety of films. He also created a reality show called “The Apprentice, which he hosted for 14 seasons. 

Trump was born in 1946 and is now 78 years old. He was raised in New York City.

Controversies surrounding Trump include a guilty verdict of 34 counts of falsifying business records on May 30. Specifically, this was in regard to “hush money” payments made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. 

Trump is also facing three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction after the events that took place on Jan. 6, 2021.

Miss USA pageant contestants have reported sexual misconduct allegations against Trump. Trump owned the Miss USA pageant from 1996 to 2015.

Trump became the first former U.S president to be convicted of felonies, according to AP News.