Since 2025, Donald Trump has been the 47th and current president of the United States, having won the 2024 presidential election. He previously served a separate, non-consecutive term from 2017 to 2021 as the 45th president.
Trump has officially run as a candidate for president four times, in 2000, 2016, 2020, and 2024; he also unofficially campaigned in 2012 and mulled a run in 2004. He won the 2016 general election through the Electoral College while losing the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million votes, the largest margin ever to still win the presidency. He was thereby elected the 45th president of the United States on November 8, 2016, and inaugurated on January 20, 2017. He is the only American president to have no political or military service prior to his presidency. He unsuccessfully sought reelection in the 2020 presidential election, losing to Democratic nominee Joe Biden. After his first term, he was ranked by scholarly surveys as among the country's worst presidents. Among the American public, Trump's average 41 percent approval rating was the lowest of any president since Gallup began polling, and he left office with a 34 percent approval rating and 62 percent disapproval rating in his final polls.
Trump's involvement in politics began in the late 1970s and early '80s when he donated to the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and later a PAC affiliated with Walter Mondale. Between 1982 and 1985, he would be involved in fundraising and financing for the Vietnam Veterans Plaza as co-chair of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission and hosting of the 1984 National Awards Banquet as a special advisor to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport.
Trump's overt political activity started with his publicly suggesting a run for president in the late 1980s. Ever since, Trump maintained a steady interest in politics, though he was not always considered a serious candidate. Trump has spoken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) multiple times, with his first appearance in 2012; Trump gained increasing political notoriety with the public for his promotion of the birtherism conspiracy theory during this period, which has been described as having had "essentially launched his current political career." From 2013 to 2015, Trump continued to make political headlines but was still polling low and not taken seriously by analysts. Trump became the 2016 Republican nominee for president of the United States after beating sixteen other candidates during a controversial campaign. U.S. Intelligence officials later determined that the Government of the Russian Federation had illegally intervened in the election to aid Trump's victory. There was a large amount of cabinet and staff turnover in Trump's presidency, compared to other modern American presidents. Numerous allegations of misconduct by Trump resulted in investigations by Congress and Special Council, as well as two impeachments. He was president at the time of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On June 18, 2019, Trump announced that he would seek re-election in the 2020 presidential election. The election on November 3 was not called for either candidate for several days; on November 7, the Associated Press—along with major TV networks including CNN, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and Fox News—called the race for Joe Biden. Trump did not concede, despite the final election results not being close, and the administration did not begin cooperating with president-elect Biden's transition team until November 23. With one week remaining in his presidency, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for incitement of insurrection for his actions during the January 6 coup and attack on the United States Capitol, but was acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate because the 57–43 vote in favor of convicting him fell short of the 2/3 supermajority (67 out of 100 senators) required for conviction. Trump continues to push the false idea that he won the 2020 election, which has led to ongoing controversy within the Republican party.
There are four major ongoing criminal investigations into Trump's criminal activity while in office. The chairman of Trump's presidential campaign, Paul Manafort; his chief political strategist, Steve Bannon; and his campaign counsel, Michael Cohen, have all been since sentenced to prison for various criminal acts connected to Trump's campaign and presidency. At least 8 other members of Trump's campaign have been charged with the commission of federal crimes.
Political party changes Trump's political party affiliation has changed numerous times. He registered as a Republican in Queens in 1969 and in Manhattan in 1987; a member of the Independence Party, the New York state affiliate of the Reform Party, in 1999; a Democrat in 2001; a Republican in 2009; unaffiliated in 2011; and a Republican in 2012.
Early political involvement
Early campaign contributions
Donald Trump's earliest involvement in politics was reported in 1979, where he donated to Jimmy Carter’s and Ronald Reagan's presidential campaigns. Upon meeting Roger Stone through their mutual acquaintance with Roy Cohn, Donald Trump and his father, Fred Trump, would join the financial committee for Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign. However, one month after Ronald Reagan announced his candidacy, the Trump family donated to Jimmy Carter’s presidential election campaign. In October 1981, Trump made an early campaign contribution to the political action committee of Walter Mondale’s 1984 presidential campaign.
New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission Trump's first official role in public affairs was as co-chairman of the New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission, which he was appointed to alongside Scott Higgins by then-New York City mayor Ed Koch on November 2, 1982. Koch officially established the commission earlier in the year to finance the construction of the Vietnam Veterans Plaza,For release: Friday, November 5, 1982. Office of the Mayor. November 5, 1982. folder: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (2). Ronald Reagan Library with half of the $1 million to be raised prospectively. The remaining funds were planned for a jobs program dedicated to veterans of the Vietnam War from New York City.
Trump's tenure on the commission was controversial among its membership, reportedly due to his lack of involvement in its regular work. His active participation was primarily limited to personally donating to and networking with potential financiers for contributions to the project.
During one of its earliest meetings in April 1984, which Trump was late to attend, its priority was determining how to fundraise even a tiny portion of the $1.4 million required for its efforts. This was mainly due to a public lack of interest in the commission’s work. During the meeting, Trump explained that he was on the commission because those who were drafted to fight in the Vietnam War received a “bad deal,” which was “about the worst thing that can happen to anyone.” He then presented a list of potential donors he was acquainted with to contribute to the project, which included Herschel Walker. He added that a fundraising event for the memorial would be held at Trump Tower, with then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan attending. Thus, the commission could raise the event’s ticket prices from $500 to $1,000.
The commission claimed that 500 individuals planned to attend, and the Trump Organization extended an official invite to Ronald and Nancy Reagan.Letter. From New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial Commission to Ronald Reagan. August 23, 1983. ID #537766. IV084. WHORM: Subject File, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library However, both declined to participate, citing scheduling conflicts.Letter. From Frederick J. Ryan to Alfonse D'Amato. March 14, 1984. ID #212129. MA034. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
In November 1984, Trump was criticized by fellow commissioners for his involvement, explaining that he only attended two or three of the twenty meetings held. One official on the commission said Trump only attended its inaugural meeting, and the above in April when a Washington Post reporter, Lois Romano, shadowed him. In response to the criticism, he said, “That's interesting. I'll resign then. They're very small thinkers. They're stockbrokers in Vietnam, and they don't have it.” He further explained that he was never asked to be a working commission member, only agreeing to lend his name to its work.
In February of the following year, the fundraising campaign for the commission's work was renewed on the 10th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. On February 26, Trump pledged to donate $1 million if other commissioners could do the same by May 7. Pete Dawkins, a former brigadier general in the United States Army, a veteran of the Vietnam War, and at this point, a partner at Lehman Brothers, oversaw the fundraising campaign. Before this point, $800,000 had already been raised, with the plaza costing $500,000 of what had been raised. The remainder of what could be funded by the commission would be allocated to a job program for veterans.
However, Trump's tenure on the committee was defended by his co-chair, Scott Higgins, saying, “He's been a real friend of New York Vietnam Veterans. He donated his time, money, and even the Trump Tower to our major fundraising event, and we're counting on him to do even more in the future." The Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Plaza also praised his involvement, explaining that "It was Donald Trump's challenge to the City of New York, and his contribution of one million dollars, that was instrumental in the completion of this project," with the organization claiming that it succeeded in raising more than $3 million, though NYC Parks claims it was $2.5 million. Thomas Lipscomb wrote on USA Today that Eugene Gitelson could utilize what was financially contributed and raised by Donald Trump through the commission to establish the New York Vietnam Veterans’ Leadership Program, among the largest veterans support programs in the country, providing job training and networking opportunities. Another New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial member, Vincent McGowan, defended Trump’s support for veterans, pointing to his financial and venue support for them in the following years.
Federal advisory committees
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports