Donald Trump: A Polarizing Figure in USA Politics

Donald John Trump, 45th President of the United States, is perhaps one of the most polarizing figures collaterally and influential in the current epoch of American history. A businessman, a television personality, and a political outsider, Trump’s ascendancy to the presidency in 2016 represented a negation of conventional political pathways and reformulated the very concept of American politics.

Throughout Trump’s rather contentious presidency, with bold policies implemented, has led to a constant battleground for highly debated issues and divisions among people nationwide.

According to early accounts on Trump’s life, he was born on June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York, as the fourth of five children of the Trump family. Fred Trump, his father, was a successful real estate developer, and Donald joined the family business after graduating from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Soon after, Trump became famous on his own in the competitive market for New York City real estate.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Trump developed some famous properties like Trump Tower in New York City and renovated the Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt. With boldness in character and brassy self-promotion, he became a symbol of wealth and success in America. Besides real estate, Trump expanded his branding into entertainment as he wrote books like The Art of the Deal and starred in the reality TV show The Apprentice, which strengthened his image as a savvy businessman.

The 2016 presidential campaign presents an unusual case in the process leading to the entry of Trump into politics. Announcing for the Republican presidential nomination in June 2015, he was running on economic nationalism, immigration control, and “Make America Great Again.” Although dismissed by political analysts and establishment pundits from the very start, his populist message resonated with a substantial portion of the American electorate.

With his controversial statements, incendiary rallies, and a style of communicating directly with the electorate that bypassed traditional media, amounting to a prolific use of Twitter, the Trump campaign was unconventional. Trump consolidated his candidacy among a crowded field of Republican candidates and delivered one of the biggest upsets in presidential election history.

Presidency: Policies and Controversies The presidency of Trump was characterized by bold political initiatives and controversies. Domestically, he not only approved gigantic tax cuts through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 but rolled back a slew of environmental regulations and transformed the Supreme Court for the coming decades with the appointment of three conservative justices. In foreign policy, Trump only pushed “America First” by renegotiating trade deals like NAFTA (for the USMCA) and initiating high-stakes diplomacy with North Korea.

His administration cordially brokered a landmark diplomatic deal known as the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states. Controversies were unstintingly rife as well during Trump’s presidency. His administration bore the brunt of several investigations such as the Mueller probe, among others.