Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American
businessman, politician, television personality, author, and candidate for the Republican nomination for President
of the United States in the 2016 election. Trump is the Chairman
and President of The Trump
Organization, and the founder of the gaming and hotel enterprise, Trump Entertainment Resorts, now owned
by Carl Icahn.
Trump
is from Queens in New
York City, and is a son of real estate developer, Fred Trump. While attending college,
Trump worked for his father's firm, Elizabeth Trump & Son. Upon graduating
from college in 1968, Trump joined the company, and in 1971 was given control,
renaming the company "The Trump Organization". Since then, Trump has
built casinos, golf courses, hotels, and other properties, many of which bear his name.
Trump
and his businesses, as well as his three marriages, have received prominent
media exposure. He hosted The
Apprentice, a popular NBC reality show, from 2004 to 2015.
Trump
first campaigned for the U.S. presidency in 2000,
winning two Reform Party primaries. On June 16, 2015, Trump
again announced his candidacy for president, this time as a Republican. Trump became known for his
opposition to illegal immigration andfree trade agreements, as well as
his frequently non-interventionist views on foreign policy,[4][5] and quickly emerged as the Republican
nomination front-runner.[6] As of March 23, 2016, Trump has won 21
contests in the 2016 Republican
presidential primaries.
Early life
Donald John Trump was born on June
14, 1946, in Queens, one of New York City's five boroughs.[7][8][9][10] He is the fourth of five children to Mary Anne (née MacLeod; 1912–2000),
a homemaker and philanthropist,[11] and Fred Trump (1905–1999), who worked as a real
estate developer. His mother was born at Tong on the Scottish island of Lewis and Harris.[12] In 1930, aged 18, she visited the
United States and met Fred Trump. They were married in 1936 and settled in Jamaica Estates, Queens, as Fred Trump
eventually became one of the city's biggest real estate developers.[11][13] Trump has one living brother, Robert
(born 1948), and two living sisters: Maryanne (born 1937) and Elizabeth (born
1942). Maryanne is a United States federal judge on senior status for theUnited States Court of Appeals for
the Third Circuit.[14] Another brother, Fred Jr. (1938–1981), died of complications from
alcoholism.[15]
Trump's father was born in Woodhaven, Queens, to Elizabeth (née Christ) and Frederick Trump, immigrants who moved to the United States from Kallstadt, Germany in 1885.[16] Frederick worked as a successful Klondike Gold Rush restaurateur and brothel keeper.[17][18][19] In a 1976 New York Times biographical profile,[20] and again in his 1987 book, The Art of the Deal, Trump incorrectly
stated that Frederick Trump was of Swedish origin,[21][22] an assertion that Fred Trump made for
many years ostensibly because "he had a lot of Jewish tenants and it
wasn't a good thing to be German", according to a nephew identified as a
family historian by The New York Times.[23] Donald Trump later acknowledged his
German ancestry and served as grand marshal of the 1999 German-American Steuben Parade in New York City.[13]
The family had a two-story mock Tudor Revival home on Wareham Place in Jamaica Estates,[24] where Trump lived while attendingThe Kew-Forest School. At Kew-Forest, Fred Trump served as
a member of the Board of Trustees. Due to behavior problems, Trump left the
school at age 13 and was enrolled in the New York Military Academy (NYMA).[25] In 1983, Fred told an interviewer
that Donald "was a pretty rough fellow when he was small." Trump
finished eighth grade and high school at NYMA.[26] During his senior year, Trump
participated in marching drills and wore a uniform, attaining the rank of captain.[27] In 2015, he told a biographer that
NYMA gave him "more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go
into the military."[28]
Trump attended Fordham University in the Bronx for two years. He entered the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, as Wharton then offered one of the
few real estate studies departments in U.S. academia.[29] While there, he worked at his
father's company, Elizabeth Trump & Son.[30] Trump graduated from Wharton in 1968
with a bachelor's degree in economics.[31][32]
Trump was eligible for the draft lottery during the Vietnam War.[33] He was not drafted due to four student deferments (2-S) while attending
college, as well as a medical deferment (1-Y, later converted to 4-F)
obtained in 1968 after his college graduation, prior to the lottery being
initiated.[34] Trump was deemed fit for service after a military medical examination in
1966 and was briefly classified as 1-A by a local draft board shortly before
his 1968 medical disqualification.[35] Trump attributed his medical deferment to "heel spurs" in both feet, according to a 2015 biographer,[28] but told an Iowa campaign audience he
suffered from a spur in one foot, although he could not remember which one.[35] "I actually got lucky because I
had a very high draft number", he told WNYW in 2011.[36] Selective Service records retrieved by The Smoking Gun website from theNational Archives show that, Trump did eventually receive a high selective service lottery number in 1969.
Business career
Trump has said that when he graduated
from college in 1968, he was worth about US$200,000 (equivalent to $1,021,000
in 2016).[37] At age 23 he made an unsuccessful foray into show business, investing
$70,000 to become co-producer of the 1970 Broadway comedy "Paris Is
Out!", which flopped.[38] Trump began his real estate career at his father's company,[39] Elizabeth Trump and Son,[40] which focused on middle-class rental
housing in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. During his undergraduate study, one of Trump's first projects had been
the revitalization of the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, which his father
had purchased for $5.7 million in 1962.[41] Fred and Donald Trump became involved
in the project and, with a $500,000 investment, turned the 1,200-unit complex's
occupancy rate from 34% to 100%. Trump oversaw the company's 14,000 apartments
across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.[42] In 1972, The Trump Organization sold
Swifton Village for $6.75 million.[43][44]
In 1971, Trump moved to Manhattan, where he became
involved in larger construction projects, and used attractive architectural design to win public recognition.[45] Trump initially came to public attention in 1973 when he was accused by
the Justice Department of violations of the Fair Housing Act in the operation of 39 buildings,
including false "no vacancy" statements, and sham leases presenting
higher rents to minority applicants, to facilitate the denial of housing to
racial minorities.[46] Trump in turn accused the Justice Department of targeting his company
because it was a large one, and in order to force it to rent to welfare recipients. After an
unsuccessful countersuit filed by attorney Roy Cohn,[46] Trump settled the charges in 1975 without admitting guilt, saying he was
satisfied that the agreement did not "compel the Trump organization to
accept persons on welfare as tenants unless as qualified as any other
tenant."[47] The Trump Organization was again in court several years later for
violating terms of the settlement.[46]
The Trump Organizationowns, operates, develops, and invests
in real estate around the world such as Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower, seen at center,
in Panama City,Panama.
Trump had an option to buy and made plans to develop the Penn Central Transportation Company property, which was
in bankruptcy. This included the 60th Street rail yard on the Hudson River—later developed as Riverside South—as well as the land around Grand Central Terminal, for which he paid
$60 million with no money down.[48] Later, with the help of a 40-year tax abatement from the New York City government, he turned the
bankrupt Commodore Hotel next to Grand Central into the Grand Hyatt[49] and created The Trump Organization.[50]
Trump promoted Penn Central's rail
yard on 30th Street as a site for New York City's planned Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Trump estimated
his company could have completed the project for $110 million,[51] but, while the city chose his site,
it rejected his offer and Trump received a broker's fee on the sale of the
property instead. Repairs on the Wollman Rink in Central Park, built in 1955, were started in 1980 with an expected 2 1⁄2-year construction schedule, but were not completed by 1986. Trump took
over the management of the project without the city needing to pay anything,
and completed it in three months for $1.95 million, which was $750,000
less than the initial budget.[52]
In 1988, Trump acquired the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in a transaction with Merv Griffin and Resorts International,[53] which led to mounting debt,[54] and by 1989, Trump was unable to meet
loan payments. Although he secured additional loans and postponed interest
payments, increasing debt brought the Taj Mahal to bankruptcy by 1991.[54] Banks and bondholders, facing potential
losses of hundreds of millions of dollars, opted to restructure the debt. The Taj Mahal emerged from bankruptcy on October 5, 1991, with
Trump ceding 50 percent ownership in the casino to the bondholders in
exchange for lowered interest rates and more time to pay off the debt.[55] He also sold his financially
challenged Trump Shuttle airline and his 282-foot megayacht, the Trump Princess.[56] The late 1990s saw a resurgence in
Trump's financial situation. The will of Trump's father, who died in 1999,
divided an estate estimated at $250–300 million[23] equally among his four surviving
children.
In 2001, Trump completed Trump World Tower, a 72-story
residential tower across from the United Nations Headquarters.[57] Also, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building
development along the Hudson River. Trump owns commercial space in Trump International Hotel and Tower, a 44-story mixed-use (hotel and condominium) tower on Columbus Circle. Trump owns
several million square feet of prime Manhattan real estate.[58]
By 2014, Trump retained 10% ownership
of Trump Entertainment
Resorts, which owns the Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, both in Atlantic City. In that
year, Trump Entertainment Resorts entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed Trump Plaza indefinitely. Billionaire Carl Icahn purchased the company in 2016,
acquiring Trump Taj Mahal and kept Trump's name on the building even though
Trump no longer maintains any ownership.[59]
According to a July 2015 press
release from his campaign manager, Trump's "income" was $362 million
("which does not include dividends, interest, capital gains, rents and
royalties").[60] According to Fortune magazine, the $362 million figure as
stated on his FEC filings is not "income" but gross revenue before
salaries, interest payments on outstanding debt, and other business-related
expenses; Trump's true income was "most likely" about one-third of
what Trump has publicly claimed.[61][62] According to public records, Trump received a $302 New York tax rebate
in 2013 (and in two other recent years) given to couples earning less than
$500,000 per year, who submit as proof their federal tax returns.[62] Trump's campaign manager has
suggested that Trump's tax rebate was an error,[62] but Trump has not publicly released
his federal tax returns, citing ongoing IRS audits.[63]
Trump has licensed his name and image for the development of many real estate projects. Trump-branded
properties, which are not owned by Trump, including two Trump-branded real
estate projects in Florida have gone into foreclosure.[64] The Turkish owner of Trump Towers Istanbul, who pays Trump
for the use of his name, was reported in December 2015 to be exploring legal
means to dissociate the property after the candidate's call to ban Muslims from
entering the U.S.[65]
Trump has also licensed his name to
son-in-law Jared Kushner's fifty story Trump Bay Street, a Jersey City luxury development that has raised $50 million of its $200 million
capitalization largely from wealthy Chinese nationals who, after making an initial
downpayment of $500,000 in concert with the government's expedited EB-5 visa program, can usually be expected to obtain U.S. permanent residency for
themselves and their families after two years.[66] The EB-5 program, which does not
require visa recipients to demonstrate marketable skills, has aroused concerns
from the Homeland Security Department regarding
inadequate background checks, with money laundering concerns and cases of
identity fraud also noted by the General Accounting Office.[66] A spokesperson clarified that Trump
is a partner with Kushner Properties only in name licensing and not in the
building's financing.[66]
An analysis of Trump's business
career by The Economist in 2016, concludes that his
"...performance [from 1985 to 2016] has been mediocre compared with the
stockmarket and property in New York," noting both his success and
bankruptcies. Any such analysis is difficult because, as the newspaper
observed, "Information about Mr Trump’s business is sketchy. He doesn’t
run a publicly listed firm..." Trump's early successes were partly
commingled with those of his father so they omit them claiming, "The best
long-term starting point is 1985, when Mr Trump first appeared in the rankings
without his father."[67]
Business ventures and investments
See also: The Trump Organization
Trump Tower
Main article: Trump Tower (New York City)
Trump Tower, at 725 Fifth Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan
Trump Tower, a 58-story,
mixed-use skyscraper at 725 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, was developed by Trump and the Equitable Life Assurance Company, and was designed
by architect Der Scutt of Swanke Hayden Connell.[68] Trump Tower today is solely owned by
Trump and houses both his primary penthouse condominium residence and the headquarters of The Trump Organization.[69] Trump Tower is also the name of buildings that The Trump Organization
has built in Baku, Azerbaijan; Istanbul, Turkey, and several other places.
Trump Tower occupies the former site
of the architecturally significant Bonwit Teller flagship store, demolished in 1980.[70][71] There was controversy when valuable Art Deco bas-relief sculptures on its facade,
which were supposed to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, were destroyed during the
demolition process.[70][71] In addition, the demolition of the Bonwit Teller store was criticized
for a contractor's use of some 200 undocumented Polish immigrant workers, who, during
the rushed demolition process, were reportedly paid 4–5 dollars per hour for
work in 12-hour shifts.[72][73] Trump testified in 1990 he rarely visited the site and was unaware of
the illegal workers, some of whom lived at the site and who were known as the
"Polish Brigade." A judge ruled in 1991 that the builders engaged in
"a conspiracy to deprive the funds of their rightful contribution",
referring to the pension and welfare funds of the labor unions.[74] However, the record became sealed
when long-running labor lawsuit was settled in 1999, after 16 years in court.[72][73]
Trump Taj Mahal
Main article: Trump Taj Mahal
Trump Taj Mahal, at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey
The Trump Taj Mahal is a casino on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. The casino was
opened by then-owner Donald Trump in April 1990, and was built at a total cost
of nearly one billion dollars. Financed with $675 million in junk bonds[75] at a 14% interest rate, the project
entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy the following year,[76] with Trump ceding 50% equity
ownership to bondholders.[75][77] The property was repurchased in 1996 and consolidated into Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, which filed for
bankruptcy in 2004 with $1.8 billion in debt, filing again for bankruptcy five
years later with $50 million in assets and $500 million in debt. The
restructuring ultimately left Trump with 10% ownership in the Trump Taj Mahal
and other Trump casino properties.[77] Trump served as chairman of the organization, which was renamed Trump
Entertainment Resorts, from mid-1995 until early 2009, and served as CEO from
mid-2000 to mid-2005.[78]
Its sister property, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, closed in
September 2014. In November 2014, the Trump Taj Mahal threatened to close and
cease casino and hotel operations by the end of the year if the union would not
drop its appeal of the casino's bankruptcy ruling, rebuffing their demand for
continued health insurance and pension coverage. On December 18, 2014 the Trump
Taj Mahal reached an agreement with its union and kept the casino open, but did
not restore the contested benefits.
In February 2016, the Trump Taj Mahal
and Trump Entertainment Resorts were purchased by billionaire Carl Icahn and exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[59]
Golf courses
The Trump Organization operates many
golf courses and resorts in the U.S. and around the world.[79] On February 11, 2014, it was
announced that Trump had purchasedDoonbeg Golf Club in the Republic of Ireland. It was confirmed that the club would be renamed
Trump International Golf Links, Ireland.[80]
A view of the Turnberry Hotel, located in Ayrshire, Scotland
In 2006, Trump bought the Menie
Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, creating a highly controversial[81] golf resort, against the wishes of
local residents, on an area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[82][83] You've Been Trumped was an independent
documentary by British filmmaker Anthony Baxter in 2011 that chronicled the
golf resort's construction and the subsequent struggles between the locals and
Donald Trump.[84] Despite Trump's promises of 6,000 jobs, by his own admission, a decade
later, the Scotland golf course has created only 200 jobs.[85]
In April 2014, Trump purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire, Scotland, which is a regular fixture in the Open Championship rota.[86][87] In June 2015, Trump's appeal objecting to an offshore windfarm (Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm) within sight of the golf links was
denied.[88]
In December 2015, Trump's attempt to
prevent the windfarm being built within sight of his golf course was dismissed
by five justices at theUK Supreme Court in the case of Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers. Commenting on the
decision, former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond branded Trump "three times a
loser." A spokesman for The Trump Organization responded to Salmond's
comment by saying: "Does anyone care what this man thinks? He's a has-been
and totally irrelevant. The fact that he doesn't even know what's going on in
his own constituency says it all ... He should go back to doing what he does
best: unveiling pompous portraits of himself that pander to his already
over-inflated ego."[89]
Branding and licensing
See also: List of things named after Donald Trump
Trump has marketed his name on a
large number of building projects as well as commercial products and services,
achieving mixed success doing so for himself, his partners, and investors in
the projects.[90][91] His external entrepreneurial and investment ventures include Trump Financial (a mortgage firm), Trump Sales and Leasing (residential sales), Trump
International Realty (a residential and commercial real estate brokerage firm), The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative (a for profit business education company, formerly called the Trump University),[3] Trump Restaurants (located in Trump
Tower and consisting of Trump Buffet, Trump Catering, Trump Ice Cream Parlor,
and Trump Bar), GoTrump[4](an online travel
search engine[92][93][94]), Select By Trump
(a line of coffee drinks),[95] Trump Drinks (an energy drink for the Israeli and Palestinian markets)[96][97][98][99] Donald J. Trump
Signature Collection (a line of menswear, men's accessories, and watches),
Donald Trump The Fragrance (2004), SUCCESS by Donald Trump (a second fragrance
launched by The Trump Organization and the Five Star Fragrance Company released
in March 2012), Trump Ice bottled water, the former Trump Magazine,[100] Trump Golf, Trump Chocolate, Trump Home (home furnishings),[101] Trump Productions (a television production company),
Trump Institute, Trump: The Game (1989 board game with a 2005 re-release
version tied to The Apprentice),[93] Donald Trump's Real Estate Tycoon (a business simulation game), Trump Books, Trump Model Management, Trump Shuttle,Trump Mortgage, Trump Network (a
multi-level vitamin, cosmetic, and urinalysis marketing company),[102][103] Trump Vodka,[101][104][105] Trump Steakhouse[92][106] and Trump Steaks.[93] In addition, Trump reportedly received $1.5 million for each one-hour
presentation he did for The Learning Annex.[107] Trump also endorsed ACN Inc., a multi-level marketing telecommunications company. He has spoken at ACN International
Training Events at which he praised the company's founders, business model and
video phone.[108]He earned a total
$1.35 million for three speeches given for the company, amounting to $450,000
per speech.[96][109][110][111][112][113][114]
In 2011, Forbes' financial experts estimated the value
of the Trump brand at $200 million. Trump disputes
this valuation, saying that his brand is worth about $3 billion.[115] Many developers pay Trump to market
their properties and to be the public face for their projects.[116] For that reason, Trump does not own
many of the buildings that display his name.[116] According to Forbes, this portion of Trump's empire, actually run by his children, is by
far his most valuable, having a $562 million valuation. According to Forbes, there are 33 licensing projects under development including seven
"condo hotels" (the seven Trump International Hotel and Tower
developments). In June 2015, Forbes pegged the Trump brand at USD$125 million[117] as retailers like Macy's Inc. and Serta Mattresses began dropping Trump branded
products, with Macy's saying they are "disappointed and distressed by
recent remarks about immigrants from Mexico."[118][119]
Net worth
Unlike past Presidential
candidates, Trump has never publicly verified his income claims by releasing his
tax returns;[120] "I try to pay as little tax as possible ... It's a little
tax," Trump told an interviewer in January 2016, while saying he was
preparing the documents for release in the near future and claiming to have
filed "big returns."[121] Former GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is among those who have questioned
Trump's purported wealth and his unwillingness to release his tax returns,
suggesting Trump might be wary of revealing a potential electoral
"bombshell".[122][123][124][125] In the wake of Romney's accusation, Trump said during a February 25,
2016 debate that he was currently subject to an IRS audit going back "two
or three years,"[126] later saying the audit affected "four or five" years,[63] and that he had been audited every
year for the past 12 years.[127] Trump later told CNN he suspected the government's scrutiny was due to
religion, because he was a "strong Christian."[128] As he was "in the midst of
negotiating and talking with the IRS" over tax obligations going back
several years, he would neither reveal recent returns nor records for audited
years he had "passed" because such records "mesh" and
"interrelate" with current disputed IRS filings.[128] Tax experts observed that the normal
statute of limitations for IRS audits is three years, and an inquiry involving
four or five years of returns might indicate substantial under-reporting or
evidence of fraud, in which case normal statutes of limitations do not apply.[63]
Trump was listed on the initial
Forbes List of wealthy individuals in 1982 as having an estimated $200 million
fortune, including a share of his father's estimated $200 million net worth.[129] After several years on the list,
Trump's financial indiscipline in the 1980s caused him to be dropped from 1990
to 1995, and reportedly obliged him to borrow from his siblings' trusts in
1993;[129] in 2005, The New York Times referred to Trump's "verbal billions" in a skeptical article
about Trump's self-reported wealth.[129] At the time, three individuals with direct knowledge of Trump's finances
told reporter Timothy L. O'Brien that Trump's actual net worth was
between $150 and $250 million, though Trump then publicly claimed a net worth
of $5 to $6 billion.[129] Claiming libel, Trump sued the reporter (and his book publisher) for $5
billion, lost the case, and then lost again on appeal; Trump refused to turn
over his unredacted tax returns despite his assertion they supported his case.[130] In a sworn deposition, Trump
testified that he once borrowed $9.6 million from his father, calling it
"a very small amount of money," but could not recall when he did so;[131] Trump has since told campaign
audiences he began his career with "a small loan of one million
dollars" from his father,[131] which he paid back with interest: "it has not been easy for
me," Trump told one New Hampshire crowd.[132]
In April 2011, amidst speculation
whether Trump would run as a candidate in the U.S. presidential election of
2012, Politico quoted unnamed sources close to him stating that, if Trump should decide
to run for president, he would file "financial disclosure statements that
[would] show his net worth [was] in excess of $7 billion with more than $250
million of cash, and very little debt."[133] (Presidential candidates are expected
to disclose their finances after announcing their intentions to run.) Although
Trump did not run as a candidate in the 2012 elections, his
"professionally prepared" 2012 financial disclosure was published in
his book which claimed a $7 billion net worth.[134]
Estimates of Trump's net worth have fluctuated along with real estate valuations: in 2015, Forbes pegged it as $4 billion,[135] while the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (which scrutinized Trump's FEC filings) estimated
a net worth of $2.9 billion.[136] On June 16, 2015, just prior to announcing his candidacy for president
of the United States, Trump released to the media a one-page prepared financial
disclosure statement "from a big accounting firm—one of the most
respected"[137] stating a net worth of $8,737,540,000.[138] "I'm really rich," Trump
said.[137] Forbes called the nearly $9 billion figure a
"100%" exaggeration.[139] In June 2015, Business Insider published Trump's June 2014 financial
statement, noting that $3.3 billion of that total is represented by "Real
Estate Licensing Deals, Brand and Branded Developments," described by Business Insider as "basically [implying] that
Trump values his character at $3.3 billion."[140] In July 2015, Federal election
regulators released new details of Trump's self-reported wealth and financial
holdings when he became a Republican presidential candidate, reporting that his
assets are worth above $1.4 billion, which includes at least $70 million in
stocks, and a debt of at least $265 million.[141][142] Mortgages on Trump's major
properties—including Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street, and the Trump National Doral golf course—each fall into the
"above $50 million" range, the highest reportable category on FEC
filings, with Trump paying interest rates ranging from 4% to 7.125%.[143] (Mortgages on those three properties
were separately reported as $100 million, $160 million, and $125 million in
2013.[144]) Other outstanding
Trump mortgages and debts are pegged to current market interest rates.[143] A 2012 report from Trump's accounting
firm estimated $451.7 million in debt and other collateral obligations.[144] Filings in 2015 revealed debt of $504
million, according to Fortunemagazine.[61]
A July 2015 campaign press release,
issued one month after Trump announced his presidential run, said that the FEC
filing "was not designed for a man of Mr. Trump's massive wealth"[143] and that his "net worth is in
excess of TEN BILLION DOLLARS" (emphasis in original document).[142][145] However, Trump has testified that
"my net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with markets and with
attitudes and with feelings—even my own feelings."[146] On the same day, Trump's own stated
estimates of his net worth have varied by as much as $3.3 billion.[129] Trump has also acknowledged that past
exaggerated estimates of his wealth have been "good for financing."[147] Forbes has said that although Trump "shares a lot of information with us
that helps us get to the figures we publish," he "consistently pushes
for a higher net worth—especially when it comes to the value of his personal
brand."[139] Forbes reduced its estimate of Trump's net
worth by $125 million following Trump's controversial 2015 remarks about
Mexican illegal immigrants, which ended Trump's business contracts with NBCUniversal, Univision, Macy's, Serta, PVH Corporation, and Perfumania.[148] An internal Young & Rubicam study of Trump's brand favorability among high-income consumers showed
"plummeting" ratings at the end of 2015, suggesting Trump's various
businesses could face market and financing challenges in the future.[149]
Investments
According to a July 2015 press
release by Trump's campaign, a portion of Trump's fortune is held in assets
outside his holdings in The Trump Organization, most of which are concentrated
in the financial market. In 2011, Trump made a rare foray into the stock market
after being disappointed with the depressed American real estate market and
facing poor returns on bank deposits. He stated that he was not a stock market person, but he also stated
that prime real estate at good prices is hard to get. Among the stocks Trump
purchased, he stated he bought stock in Bank of America, Citigroup, Caterpillar Inc., Intel, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.[150] In December 2012, Trump revealed that
he also added shares of Facebook to his stock portfolio.[151] Trump also has US$9 million invested
in hedge funds.[152] He earned US$6.7 million from selling shares in Bank of America and an
additional US$3.9 million from selling Facebook in 2014.[117]
Sports
In 1983, Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals for the inaugural season of the United States Football League (USFL). The
Generals hired former New York Jets head coach Walt Michaels. Prior to the
inaugural season, Trump sold the franchise to Oklahoma oil magnate J. Walter Duncan. Prior
to the 1984 season, Duncan sold the team back to Trump.[153]
The USFL planned to play its 1986
schedule in the fall, directly opposite the National Football League (NFL), thanks
mostly to Trump's strong advocacy of direct competition with the older,
established league. Two years earlier, Trump sold most of his fellow owners on
a move to the fall by arguing that it would eventually force a merger with the
NFL—in which the owners of any USFL teams included in a merger would see their
investment more than double.[154]
The Generals merged with the Houston Gamblers during the extended offseason, adding such stars as quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver Ricky Sanders. Michaels was fired, replaced with former Gamblers coach Jack Pardee, who planned to
bring the Gamblers' high-powered run and shoot offense with him. However,
the USFL's "Dream Team" never took the field. The 1986 season was
cancelled after the USFL won a minimal verdict in anantitrust lawsuit against the NFL; the league folded soon afterward.
Trump at one time acted as a
financial advisor for Mike Tyson,[155] hosting Tyson's fight against Michael Spinks in Atlantic City.[156]
Beauty pageants
Further information: Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA
From 1996 until 2015, when he sold
his interests to WME/IMG,[157] Trump owned part or all of the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. Among the most
recognized beauty pageants in the world, the Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 by the
California clothing company Pacific Mills.[citation needed]
In 2015, NBC and Univision both ended
their business relationships with the Miss Universe Organization after Trump's
presidential campaign kickoff speech on June 16, in which he stated:
The U.S. has become
a dumping ground for everybody else's problems. [Applause] Thank you. It's
true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people,
they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending
you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing
those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're
rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."[158]
Trump subsequently filed a $500
million lawsuit against Univision, alleging a breach of contract and
defamation. Cable network Reelz then acquired the rights to
exclusively telecast the Miss USA pageant.[159][160][better source needed] Trump told People magazine in July 2015 that the
lawsuit against Univision was "part of the [presidential] campaign."[161]On September 11, 2015, Trump announced that he purchased NBC's stake in
the Miss Universe Organization, making him the sole owner, and had
"settled" his lawsuits against the network,[161] though it was not immediately clear
whether Trump had filed lawsuits against NBC or merely threatened to do so.[162] He sold his own interests in the
pageant shortly afterwards.[157]
Bankruptcy
Trump's hotel and casino businesses
have been declared bankrupt four times between 1991 and 2009 to
re-negotiate debt with banks and owners of stock and bonds.[163][164] Because the businesses used Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they were allowed
to operate while negotiations proceeded. Trump was quoted by Newsweek in 2011 saying, "I do play with
the bankruptcy laws — they’re very good for me" as a tool for trimming
debt.[165][166]
According to a report by Forbes in 2011, the four bankruptcies were the result of over-leveraged hotel
and casino businesses in Atlantic City: Trump's Taj Mahal (1991), Trump Plaza
Hotel (1992), Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (2004), and Trump Entertainment Resorts(2009).[167][168] Trump said "I've used the laws
of this country to pare debt. … We'll have the company. We'll throw it into a
chapter. We'll negotiate with the banks. We'll make a fantastic deal. You know,
it's like on The Apprentice. It's not
personal. It's just business."[76] He indicated that other "great entrepreneurs" do the same.[167]
1991
In 1991, Trump Taj Mahal was unable to service its debt and filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[76] Forbes indicated that this first bankruptcy was the only one where Trump's
personal financial resources were involved. Time, however, maintains that $72 million of his personal money was also
involved in a later 2004 bankruptcy.[169]
1992
On November 2, 1992, the Trump Plaza Hotel filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Trump lost his 49 percent
stake in the luxury hotel to Citibank and five other lenders.[170] In return Trump received more
favorable terms on the remaining $550+ million owed to the lenders, and retain
his position as chief executive, though he would not be paid and would not have
a role in day-to-day operations.[171]
Recovery
By 1994, Trump had eliminated a large
portion of his $900 million personal debt through sales of his Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plazaassets,[172] and significantly reduced his nearly $3.5 billion in business debt.
Although he lost the Trump Princess yacht and the Trump Shuttle (which he had bought in 1989), he did retain Trump Tower in New York
City and control of three casinos in Atlantic City, includingTrump's Castle. Trump sold his ownership of West Side Yards (now Riverside South, Manhattan) to Chinese developers including Hong Kong's New World Development, receiving a
premium price in exchange for the use and display of the name "Trump"
on the buildings.[173]
2004
Donald Trump's third corporate
bankruptcy was on October 21, 2004, involving Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, the publicly-traded holding company
for his three Atlantic City casinos and some others.[174] Trump lost over half of his 56%
ownership and gave bondholders stock in exchange for surrendering part of the
debt. No longer CEO, Trump retained a role as chairman of the board. In May
2005[175] the company emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.[176] In his 2007 book, Think BIG and Kick Ass in Business and Life, Trump wrote:
"I figured it was the bank's problem, not mine. What the hell did I care?
I actually told one bank, 'I told you you shouldn't have loaned me that money.
I told you the goddamn deal was no good.'"[177]
2009
Trump's fourth corporate bankruptcy
occurred in 2009, when Trump and his daughter Ivanka resigned from the board of
Trump Entertainment Resorts; four days later the company, which owed investors
$1.74 billion against its $2.06 billion of assets, filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy. At that time, Trump Entertainment Resorts had three properties in Atlantic City: Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino (closed in 2014), and Trump Marina (formerly Trump's Castle, sold in
2011). Trump and some investors bought the company back that same year for $225
million. As part of the agreement, Trump withdrew a $100 million lawsuit he had
filed against the casino's owners alleging damage to the Trump brand. Trump
re-negotiated the debt, reducing by over $1 billion the repayments required to
bondholders.[178][179]
Trump Entertainment Resorts filed
again for bankruptcy in 2014[180] and was purchased by billionaire philanthropist Carl Icahn in 2016, who acquired Trump Taj Mahal in the deal.[59]
In 2014, Trump sued his former
company to remove his name from the buildings since he no longer ran the
company, having no more than a 10% stake; he lost the suit.[181]
Entertainment media
In the media, Trump is a two-time Emmy Award-nominated
personality and has made appearances as a caricatured version of himself in
television series and films (e.g., Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Days of Our Lives, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps[182]), and as a character (The Little Rascals). He has been the
subject of comedians, Flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists.
Trump also had his own daily talk radio program called Trumped!.[183][184][185][186][187] He also had a cameo
in an episode of the television series Sex and the City.[188] Trump is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and receives an annual pension of
more than $110,000 every year.[189][190]
The Apprentice
Main article: The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show The Apprentice, in which a group
of competitors battled for a high-level management job in one of Trump's
commercial enterprises. Contestants were successively "fired" and
eliminated from the game. In 2004, Trump filed a trademark application for the catchphrase "You're fired."[5][6][7]
For the first year of the show, Trump
earned $50,000 per episode (roughly $700,000 for the first season), but
following the show's initial success, he was paid a reported $3 million
per episode, making him one of the highest paid TV personalities.[citation needed] In a July 2015
press release, Trump's campaign manager claimed that NBCUniversal had paid him
$213,606,575 for his 14 seasons hosting the show, although the network did not
verify the claim.[191] In 2007, Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his
contribution to television (The Apprentice).[91]
Along with British TV producer Mark Burnett, Trump was hired
as host of The Celebrity Apprentice, in which well-known stars compete
to win money for their charities. While Trump and Burnett co-produced the show,
Trump stayed in the forefront, deciding winners and "firing" losers.
On February 16, 2015, NBC announced
that they would be renewing The Apprentice for a 15th season.[192] Eleven days later, Trump stated that he was "not ready" to
sign on for another season because of the possibility of a presidential run.[193] Despite this, on March 18, NBC announced
they were going ahead with production.[194] On June 29, after widespread negative reaction stemming from Trump's
campaign announcement speech, NBC released a statement saying, "Due to the
recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal
is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump," apparently ending
Trump's role in The Apprentice.[195] According to a campaign press
release, during the 14 seasons of The Apprentice, Trump was paid $213,606,575.[60]
World Wrestling Entertainment
Trump has been publicly shown to be a World Wrestling Entertainment fan and is a friend of WWE owner Vince McMahon. He has hosted two WrestleMania events in the Trump Plaza and has been an active participant in several of the shows.[196] Trump's Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic
City was host to the 1991 WBF Championship (which was owned by
WWE, known at the time as the "World Wrestling Federation"). He was
also appeared in WrestleMania VII. Trump was interviewed by Jesse Ventura ringside at WrestleMania XX.[197]
He also appeared at WrestleMania 23 in a match called "The Battle of the Billionaires."[196] Trump was in the corner of Bobby Lashley, while Vince
McMahon was in the corner of Lashley's opponent Umaga with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the special
guest referee.[196] The stipulation of the match was hair versus hair, which meant that
either Trump or McMahon would have their head shaved if their competitor lost.[196] Lashley won the match, and he and
Trump shaved McMahon bald.[196]
On June 15, 2009, as part of a storyline, McMahon announced
on Monday Night Raw that he had "sold" the show to Trump.[196] Appearing on screen, Trump declared
he would be at the following commercial-free episode in person and would give a
full refund to the people who purchased tickets to the arena for that night's
show.[196] McMahon "bought back" Raw the following week for twice the price.[196]
Trump was inducted into the celebrity
wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, at Madison Square Garden for his contributions to the promotion. He made his fifth WrestleMania
appearance the next night.[198]
Trump Model Management
In 1999, Donald Trump founded a
modeling company, Trump Model Management, which operates in the SoHo
neighborhood of New York City.[199] Together with another Trump company, Trump Management Group LLC, Trump
Model Management has brought nearly 250 foreign fashion models to the US to
work in the fashion industry since 2000.[200]The company has a
reputation for premier models. In 2014, president of Trump Model Management
Corrine Nicolas, other managers, and the company were sued by one of the
agencies former models, Alexia Palmer, alleging racketeering, breach of
contract, mail fraud, and violating immigrant wage laws.[201]
Politics
Trump has described his political
leanings and positions in various, sometimes contradictory ways over time.[202][203][204][205] Politico has described his positions as
"eclectic, improvisational and often contradictory."[205] He has listed his party affiliation
as Republican, Independence Party, Democrat, and "decline
to state."[205][206] He has also run as a Reform Party candidate.[206] Specifically, he has changed his
positions on taxing the wealthy, abortion rights and health care.[205]
Political affiliations
A 2011 report by the Center for Responsive Politics showed that over the previous two decades of U.S. elections, Donald
Trump made contributions to campaigns of both Republican Party and Democratic
Party candidates, with the top 10 recipients of his political contributions
being six Democrats and four Republicans.[207] After 2011, his campaign contributions were more favorable to
Republicans than to Democrats.[208]
Trump was an early supporter of
Republican Ronald Reagan for U.S. president,[209] and in February 2012 endorsed
Republican Mitt Romney for president.[210] When asked in 2015 which recent
president was best, Trump picked Democrat Bill Clinton over Republicans George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.[211][212] The Clintons' foundation has received between $100,000 and
$250,000 from Trump,[213] and they attended Trump's 2005 wedding reception.[214] Trump wrote in 2008 that Hillary
Clinton would be a "great president or vice-president."[215]
Trump's party affiliation has changed
over the years. Until 1987, he was a Democrat;[3] then he was a Republican from 1987 to
1999.[2] He then switched to the Reform Partyfrom 1999 to 2001.[2] After a presidential exploratory campaign with the Reform Party, he
wrote an OpEd in the New York Times stating that he was leaving the Reform
Party because of the involvement of "David Duke, Pat Buchanan and Lenora Fulani. That is not company I wish to keep."[216] From 2001 to 2009 he was a Democrat
again;[2] he switched to the Republican Party again from 2009 to 2011.[2] An independent from 2011 to 2012, he
returned to the Republican Party in 2012, where he has remained.[2]
Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Donald Trump
Trump's politics have been described
as populist,[217] nativist,[220] protectionist,[223] and authoritarian.[226] Others have described him as a moderate Republican.[227]
On social issues, Trump describes
himself as pro-life[228] and would ban late-term abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or
health.[228] During a televised town hall event, Trump said "there has to be
some sort of punishment" for the woman having an abortion, a statement he
later retracted in response to outcry from his rivals and anti-abortion groups. [229] He is in favor of cutting federal funding for Planned Parenthood.[230] Trump supports the Second Amendment, is opposed to gun control in general,[228][231] and has a New York concealed carry permit.[232] He supports fixing the federal background check system so that criminal and mental health records are always put into the
system.[231]Trump opposes legalizing recreational marijuana but supports legalizing medical marijuana,[233] while being supportive of states' rights.[233] Trump has stated that he supports
traditional marriage.[234] Of the June 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex
marriage nationwide, he said: "I would have preferred states, you know,
making the decision and I let that be known. But they made the decision. [...]
So, at a certain point you have to be realistic about it."[228][235]
Trump has demonstrated his support of capital punishment both through his campaign speeches,[236] and through full-page ads he
purchased in 1989 in New York City.[240]
Regarding healthcare and education,
Trump favors replacing the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as
"Obamacare") with a free-market plan and competition to lower costs,
although he has also stated support for a single-payer system in the past.[241] Trump favors getting rid of backlogs
and waitlists which are the focus of the Veterans Health Administration scandal. In a statement, he said he believes
that Veterans Affairs facilities need to be upgraded with recent technology,
hire more veterans to treat other veterans, increase support of female
veterans, and create satellite clinics within hospitals in rural areas.[242] Trump has stated his support for school choice and local control for primary and secondary schools.[243] He opposes the Common Core State Standards
Initiative for primary and secondary schools,[228][244] and has called Common Core "a
disaster" that must be ended.[245]
Trump's views on immigration, free
trade, and military interventionism, as well as his support for social
security, has often put him in conflict with Republican Party establishment
consensus.[4] He identifies as a "free trader", but says
that trade must be "reasonably fair".[246] His campaign's tax plan calls for
reducing the corporate tax rate to 15% concurrent with the
elimination of various loopholes and deductions.[247] Trump believes the minimum wage should not be raised because increasing it would hurt America's economic
competitiveness.[248]
On the issue of immigration, Trump
has emphasized U.S. border security. During his first town hall campaign
meeting in Derry, New Hampshire Trump said that if he won the
election, "Day 1 of my presidency, illegal immigrants are getting out and getting out
fast."[249] Trump opposes birthright citizenship, arguing that it is not or should
not be protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.[250][251] On people already illegally in the
United States, Trump has variously said they should all be deported, that all
should be deported but some could return, that only some should be deported, or
that the decision should be made after the border has been strengthened.[202]
Regarding the environment, Trump has
said that "the EPA is an impediment to both growth and
jobs." Trump supports increased fracking and has criticized sustainable wind power alternatives, stating that "windmills are destroying every country
they touch" while producing "unreliable and terrible" energy.[252] He has called global warming "a total hoax."[234]
On foreign policy, Trump has been described as non-interventionalist[4][253] and nationalist.[254] He supports increasing U.S. military defense spending,[254] but favours decreasing U.S. spending
on NATO.[255] Trump has at various times said he
favored sending U.S. troops as well as opposed sending U.S. troops to defeat
the ISIS.[202] In a 2002 interview, Trump said he
favored invading Iraq. On February 18, 2016, he said that by the time the
invasion occurred, he had become an opponent.[256] In 2008, Trump said that George W. Bush should have been impeached for the war.[257] Trump has been critical of Pakistan, comparing it to
North Korea, describing it as "probably the most dangerous country"
in the world, and saying that Pakistan's nuclear weapons posed a
"serious problem." He has advocated improving relations with India as a "check" to Pakistan.[258]
Presidential leanings, 1988–2012
See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2000
Trump floated the idea of running for
president in 1988, 2004, and 2012, and for Governor of New York in 2006 and 2014, but did not enter
those races.[261][262] He was considered as a potential running mate for George H. W. Bush on
the Republican Party's 1988 presidential ticket but lost out to future Vice
President Dan Quayle. There is dispute over whether Trump or the Bush camp made the initial
pitch.[263] In 1999, Trump filed an exploratory committee to seek the
presidential nomination of the Reform Party in 2000.[264][265] A July 1999 poll matching him against
likely Republican nominee George W. Bush and likely Democratic nominee Al Gore showed Trump with seven percent support.[266] Though he dropped out of the race due
to party infighting, Trump still won the party's California and Michigan
primaries.[267][268][269][270]
Trump later said that his national
profile changed: "What happened was I did The Apprentice and it became a tremendous success. Who would have thought this was
going to happen?" he told interviewer Larry King in 2005. "There's sort of
nothing like having the big hot show on television," Trump said.[271]
As Trump publicly speculated about
seeking the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Trump
leading among potential contenders, one point ahead of former Massachusetts
Governor Mitt Romney.[272] ANewsweek poll conducted in February 2011
showed Trump within a few points of Barack Obama, with many voters undecided in
the November 2012 general election for president of the United States.[273] A poll released in April 2011 by
Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine-point lead in a potential
contest for the Republican nomination for president while he was still actively
considering a run.[274][275] His moves were interpreted by some media as possible promotional tools
for his reality show The Apprentice.[276][277][278] On May 16, 2011,
Trump announced he would not run for president.[276] Public Policy Polling described the
events of May 2011 as "one of the quickest rises and falls in the history
of presidential politics."[279]
Between presidential announcements,
2011–15
In April 2011, Trump questioned
President Barack Obama's proof of citizenship,[280] alleging that "his grandmother in Kenya said he was born in Kenya,
and she was there and witnessed the birth."[281] (Trump's claim derived from a
discredited transcript of a telephone interview with Obama's grandmother,
produced by a Pennsylvania pastor opposed to Obama's election.)[282] Trump also questioned whether Obama had
good enough grades to warrant entry to Harvard Law School.[283] Trump is said to have sent a team of
private investigators to Hawaii, Obama's documented birthplace,[282] and told The Today Show "they cannot believe what
they're finding."[284] On April 25, 2011, Trump called for Obama to end the citizenship issue
by releasing the long form of his birth certificate.[285][286] Two days later, Obama made a formal
statement in efforts by the White House to put the matter to rest with the
release of the long form.[287] Trump expressed pride at his role in the certificate's release in a
press conference follow-up, saying he hoped it "checks out" and
"we have to see, is it real?"[288] When asked in July 2015 whether Obama was born in the U.S., Trump said:
"I really don't know. I mean, I don't know why he wouldn't release his
records."[289][290]
In December 2008, Trump emerged as an
early supporter of the 2009 government-backed rescue plan for the U.S. auto
industry, which by 2012 was supported by 56% of Americans (63% support in
Michigan), according to a Pew Research Center poll.[291][292] Statements of Trump's hinting that
vaccination would cause autism were subject to criticism in various media by
the scientific community.[293][294] He has also been criticized for climate change-denying statements,
because they are discordant with the opinion of the scientific community.[295]
In 2013, Trump was a featured speaker
at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).[296] The speech was not well attended.[297] He spent over $1 million to research a possible run for president of the
United States.[298] In October 2013, New York Republicans had circulated a memo suggesting
Trump should run for governor of the state in 2014, against Andrew Cuomo. Trump said that
while New York had problems and taxes were too high, running for governor was
not of great interest to him.[299] In February 2015, Trump opted not to renew his television contract for The Apprentice, generating speculation that he might run for president in 2016.[300]
Presidential campaign, 2016
Main article: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
On June 16, 2015, Trump announced his
candidacy for President of the United States at Trump Tower in New York City. Trump drew attention to domestic issues such as illegal immigration, offshoring of American jobs, the U.S. national debt, and Islamic terrorism, in a campaign
strongly emphasized by the slogan "Make America Great
Again."[301]
Trump runs as a self-described far-right conservative, particularly as
it relates to fiscal and religious matters. As it extends to social issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, political analysts infer Trump to be a "moderate." He campaigns on a platform that puts great emphasis on American patriotism, with a
significant disdain for political correctness.[309] He is running counter to theRepublican establishment, which widely opposes his candidacy,
doubting his chances of winning the general election and fearing he could cause
significant change to the image of the Republican Party.[310] However, Trump's candidacy has largely succeeded, partly because of
widespread media coverage, his ability to self-finance his campaign and not be
reliant on super PACs, frequentendorsements, and the idea that
he and his supporters call "telling it like it is."[322]
Although many of Trump's proposed policies largely appeal to working-class voters, political pundits deem some of
them highly controversial and unrealistic, including the deportation of around
11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., the erection of a substantial wall
on the Mexico–United States border, expanded use of aggressive
interrogation techniques, and a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United
States.[330] Trump's persona has also come under fire, with political contenders
describing him as "divisive," "unserious," and a
"bully," denouncing the frequent personal attacks he makes on
journalists, politicians, and competing candidates.[342]
Trump has also employed strong
rhetoric on religion, and has strongly supported Christian groups in the U.S.,
claiming that he will reverse unfavourable tax treatments preventing them from
expressing themselves in the political arena and promising to revive a more
widespread use of the phrase "Merry Christmas" instead of
"Happy Holidays" in
department stores. Other issues he highlights include taking care of military veterans, making the
military "strong," aggressive bombing of the Mideast terrorist group ISIS, surveillance of
certain mosques in the U.S., and getting trade agreements more favorable to American workers.[347]
Trump at an early
campaign event inNew Hampshire on August 19, 2015
By early 2016, the race had mostly
centered on Trump and Ted Cruz.[348] On Super Tuesday, Trump won the majority of the delegates and continued to remain the
front-runner throughout the presidential primaries. By March 2016, Trump reached over
50% in national support and became poised to win the Republican nomination.[351]
Proposed ban on Muslims entering the
U.S.
In response to recent radical Islamic terrorist attacks, Trump proposed
"a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until
our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on."
The proposal drew wide criticism from sources both within the U.S. and abroad–including
unusual sources such as foreign leaders, and leaders of Trump's own party.[352][353] Critics included British Prime Minister David Cameron,[352] French Prime Minister Manuel Valls,[354] Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal[355]Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau[356] and Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion,[357] as well as the chairman of the Republican PartyReince Priebus, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.[353][358] Figures in the Republican Party argued that a proposal banning members
of a major world religion violated the party's conservative values, the Constitution's First Amendment (which grants freedom of religion), and the country's immigrant
heritage. Critics pointed out that the proposal would result in the exclusion
of many of the most important allies in the country's war on terror, from
interpreters helping the CIA to Jordan's King Abdullah, and that it would bolster ISIL by furthering its narrative that the
U.S. is pitted against the Muslim faith. The U.S. Pentagon issued a statement that
"anything that bolsters ISIL's narrative and pits the United States
against the Muslim faith is certainly not only contrary to our values but
contrary to our national security."[359] The Washington Post reported that, "Donald Trump [was] featured in new jihadist
recruitment video."[360]
In January 2013, Trump was a popular
figure in Israel,[361][362] and has, himself, owned land in Israel (the Elite Tower site).[363] Trump released a video endorsing
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 2013 Israeli elections.[364][365] However, after Trump's December 2015
call to temporarily exclude Muslims from travel to the United States, numerous
leaders, including Netanyahu,[366] criticized Trump's proposal - Netanyahu released a statement
saying: "The State of Israel respects all religions and strictly
guarantees the rights of all its citizens." Several dozen Israeli Knesset members, many of whom are Muslim themselves, signed a petition urging
Netanyahu not to meet with Trump later that month;[367] a day later, Trump postponed his
visit to Israel until "a later date after I become President of the
U.S.,"[368] stating that he did not want to put Netanyahu "under
pressure."[366] After Trump was invited to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in March 2016 and received what the Washington Postdescribed as
"wild applause" for comments denouncing President Obama, the
organization issued an unprecedented apology.[369]
During a Fox News debate, when asked
about the feasibility of his plan to bar Muslims from entering the United States (approximately 100,000 Muslim immigrants are admitted to the U.S. each
year),[370] Trump said that Belgium and France had been blighted by the failure of
Muslims in these countries to integrate. Trump said that living in Brussels was like living in a "hellhole" because of its dire state in
Muslim assimilation.[371][372]
Following Trump's controversial
comments on Muslim immigration, the UK House of Commons held a debate on whether to ban Trump
from entering the United Kingdom (UK), after a petition was filed on
Parliament's e-petition website and signed by over 500,000.[373][374] The debate concluded without a vote
on the matter.[375]
Personal life
Family
Trump has had three marriages, which
have been well documented in the tabloid media.[376] His personal life has gained extensive media coverage.[377]
Trump married Czech model Ivana Zelníčková on April 7, 1977, at the Marble Collegiate Church in New York.[378] They have three children: sons Donald, Jr. (born December 31, 1977) and Eric (born January 6, 1984), and daughter Ivanka (born October 30, 1981). Ivana became a naturalized U.S. citizen in
1988, with Trump at her side.[379] Trump is popularly known as "The Donald," a nickname
perpetuated by the media after Ivana referred to him as such in a 1989 Spy Magazine cover story.[380][381] By early 1990, Trump's troubled marriage to Ivana and long-running
affair with actress Marla Maples had become widely documented in the
tabloid press.[22][382] The couple divorced in 1991.[383] In 1992, Donald Trump sued Ivana for $25 million, alleging that she was
not honoring a gag clause in their divorce agreement by disclosing facts about
him.[384][385][386][387][388]
Maples gave birth to their daughter
Tiffany on October 13, 1993. They married two months later on December 20,
1993.[389] The couple formally separated in May 1997,[390] with their divorce finalized in June
1999.[391][392]
In 1998, Trump began a relationship
with Slovenian-born fashion model Melania Knauss.[393][394] They became engaged in April 2004[395] and were married on January 22, 2005 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal
Church, on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-a-Lagoestate.[396][397][398] In 2006, Melania
became a naturalized U.S. citizen.[394] In March 2006, she gave birth to their son named Barron William Trump.[399][400] (Trump had previously used the
pseudonym "John Baron" in some business deals and when communicating
with journalists.[20][72][401]) Having spoken the
language since his childhood, Barron is fluent in Slovenian.[402] In a February 2009 interview on ABC's news programNightline, Trump commented on his ex-wives: "I just know it's very hard for
them [Ivana and Marla] to compete because I do love what I do. I really love
it."[403]
Trump has eight grandchildren: five
from his son Donald Jr. (Kai Madison, Donald John III, Tristan Milos, Spencer
Frederick, and Chloe Sophia)[404][405][406] and three from his daughter Ivanka (Arabella Rose, Joseph Frederick, and
Theodore James).[407][408][409]
Other relationships
Trump has said of his early dating
life that he felt "like a great and very brave soldier" and
"lucky" to have avoided the contraction of AIDS and other
sexually-transmitted diseases, calling it his own "personal Vietnam".[410] "If I told the real stories of
my experiences with women, often seemingly very happily married and important
women, this book would be a guaranteed best-seller", Trump wrote in his
1997 book The Art of the
Comeback.[411] He reportedly dated models such as Carla Bruni[412][413] and Kara Young in the mid to late 1990s,[414] and was known to have
"bombarded" Princess Diana with expensive floral arrangements
after her 1996 divorce from Prince Charles.[415] "I only have one regret in the women department – that I never
had the opportunity to court Lady Diana Spencer," Trump wrote in 1997.
"I met her on a number of occasions … She was a genuine princess – a
dream lady."[416] According to his former construction executive Barbara Res, Trump, using
a pseudonym, leaked to the media a rumor that Diana was seeking to buy an
apartment in Trump Tower, knowing Buckingham Palace would issue only a "no
comment" statement. "He was brilliant at stuff like that," Res
said.[401] In 1994,The New York Times reported that Diana
and Prince Charles, who had recently separated, had independently paid $50,000
to become members of Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club, with Trump quoted saying he had "handled the
applications myself".[417] After Buckingham Palace called the report "complete and utter
rubbish", Trump stated that he had made Charles and Diana honorary members
but they had not responded to his offer.[417][418] Speaking on The Howard Stern Show three years after
Diana's death, Trump said he would have slept with her "without
hesitation" and that "she had the height, she had the beauty, she had
the skin," while adding that "she was crazy, but these are minor
details."[419]
Religious views
Trump says that he is of Presbyterian faith.[420] In an April 2011 interview on the 700 Club, he commented: "I'm a Protestant, I'm a Presbyterian. And you know I've had a good relationship with the
church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my
religion is a wonderful religion."[421][422] Trump told a 2015 South Carolina campaign audience he attends Marble Collegiate Church, where he married
his first wife Ivana in 1977. The church has said he is "not an active
member."[423] Trump has said that although he participates in Holy Communion, he has not asked
God for forgiveness for his sins. He stated, "I think if I do something
wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that
picture."[424]
In 1983, the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, described in a New York Times profile as Trump's "pastor"
and "family minister", said that Trump was "kindly and courteous
in certain business negotiations and has a profound streak of honest
humility."[26] Trump calls his own book The Art of the Deal (1987) "my
second favorite book of all time," and has told campaign audiences:
"Do you know what my first is? The Bible! Nothing beats the Bible."[425][426] Declining to name his favorite Bible verse, Trump said "I don't
like giving that out to people that you hardly know."[423]
Trump maintains relationships with
several prominent national evangelical and Christian leaders, including Tony Perkins and Ralph Reed.[427] During his 2016 presidential campaign, he received a blessing from Greek Orthodox priest Emmanuel Lemelson.[428]
In February 2016, the mainsteam media
issued reports of Pope Francis suggesting that Donald Trump was "not
Christian" because of his advocacy for a border wall to keep out
undocumented immigrants.[429] "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may
be, and not about building bridges, is not a true Christian. This is not in the
Gospel," the Pope replied to a reporter's questions about Trump, adding
"we must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit
of the doubt."[430] Trump called the Pope's criticism "disgraceful" in a Facebook post, suggesting that the Mexican government was "using the Pope as
a pawn" for political purposes[431] "because they want to continue to rip off the United States."[432] Trump said that "if and
when" the Islamic State (ISIL) attacks the Vatican, the Pope would
have "wished and prayed" Trump were President because under Trump's
leadership, such an attack would not happen.[432] Shortly thereafter, a spokesman (Federico Lombardi) for Pope Francis, insisted that the pontiff was
"in no way" launching an attack on Donald Trump nor was he trying to
sway voters by declaring someone who advocates building walls isn't Christian.[433] The spokesman clarified that
"the Pope has made it clear that would not enter into the [presidential]
election campaign in the United States." After the clarification by
Lombardi, Trump retracted his criticism of the Pope: "I don't think this
is a fight," said Trump. "I think he said something much softer than
was originally reported by the media."[434]
Trump also has ties to the Jewish-American community.[435] At an Algemeiner Journal awards ceremony
honoring him with the Algemeiner Liberty Award, he was asked about having Jewish grandchildren. Trump said: "Not only do I have Jewish
grandchildren, I have a Jewish daughter [Ivanka, who converted to Judaism before her marriage to Jared Kushner] and I am very
honored by that ... it wasn't in the plan but I am very glad it happened."[436]
In popular culture
Trump has appeared in the Doonesbury comic strip by Garry Trudeau since 1987.[437][438] The depictions prompted a caustic
response from Trump.[439][440]
Trump and members of his family have
been parodied on Saturday Night Live since 1988, and he
has hosted the show twice, in April 2004 and November 2015.[441] The 2015 episode had the highest
ratings of a Saturday Night Live episode since December 21, 2013.[442]
In 1991, Libby Handros made a
documentary entitled Trump: What's the
Deal?, about Trump in the 1980s and 1990s.[443]
In March 2000, the plot of The Simpsons episode "Bart to the Future" included
Lisa succeeding Trump as President of the United States of America.[444]
In March 2011, Trump was the subject
of a Comedy Central
Roast. The special was hosted by Seth MacFarlane, and roasters included Larry King, Snoop Dogg, and Anthony Jeselnik among regular roast participants. Trump's daughter Ivanka was seen in
the audience.[445]
In April 2011, Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner, featuring
comedian Seth Meyers. President Barack Obama used the occasion to present several
prepared jokes mocking Trump.[446]
You've Been Trumped, a 2011 documentary film by Anthony Baxter, follows the
development of a Scottish golf resort.[101][447][448][449][450][451] When it was announced that the documentary was to be given its UK
television première on BBC Two on October 21, 2012,[452] Trump's lawyers contacted the BBC to demand that the
film should not be shown, claiming it was defamatory and misleading. The
screening went ahead, with the BBC defending the decision and stating that
Trump had refused the opportunity to take part in the film.[453]
Trump sued comedian Bill Maher for $5 million in 2013. Maher had appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and had offered to pay $5 million to a charity if Trump produced his birth certificate to prove that Trump's mother had not mated with an orangutan. This was said by
Maher in response to Trump having previously challenged Obama to produce his
birth certificate, and offering $5 million payable to a charity of Obama's
choice, if Obama produced his college applications, transcripts, and passport records.[454][455]Trump produced his
birth certificate and filed a lawsuit after Maher was not forthcoming, claiming
that Maher's $5 million offer was legally binding. "I don't think he was
joking," Trump said. "He said it with venom."[454] Trump withdrew his lawsuit against
the comedian after eight weeks.[456]
Legal affairs
Over the course of his career, Trump
has been involved in a number of lawsuits, including over 150 lawsuits in US
federal courts and over 150 lawsuits in Broward County Court (in Florida) since
1983.[457][458][459] Of Trump's involvement in many lawsuits, his lawyer Alan Garten said in
2015 that this was "a natural part of doing business in [the United
States]."[460][461]
1970–99
Housing discrimination
In 1973, the Justice Department sued
the Trump Management Corporation for alleged racial discrimination, which Trump's company disputed. The
corporation was charged with quoting different rental terms and conditions to
blacks and making false "no vacancy" statements to blacks for
apartments they managed in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.[462] In response, Trump sued the
government for $100 million, asserting that the charges were irresponsible and
baseless.[463] The ensuing countersuit was thrown out of court.[464] The corporation settled out of court
in 1975, promising not to discriminate against minorities. In addition, the
corporation was required to send a bi-weekly list of vacancies to the New York Urban League, a civil rights
group and give them priority for certain locations.[465]
In 1978, the Justice Department sued
Trump Management in Brooklyn for not satisfying the requirements of the 1975
settlement following allegations of discriminatory housing practices.[466]
Tenant mistreatment in New York City
In 1985, New York City brought a
lawsuit against Donald Trump for allegedly using tactics to force out tenants
of 100 Central Park South,[467] which he intended to demolish together with the building next door.
After ten years in court, the two sides negotiated a deal allowing the building
to stand as condominiums.[468]
Antitrust
In 1988, the Justice Department sued
Donald Trump for violating procedures related to public notifications when
buying voting stock in a company related to his attempted takeovers of Holiday
Corporation and Bally Manufacturing Corporation in 1986. On April 5, 1988,
Trump agreed to pay $750,000 to settle the civil penalties of the antitrust
lawsuit.[469]
Defamation
In late 1990, Donald Trump was sued
$2 million by a business analyst for defamation, and Trump settled out of court.[470] Briefly before Trump's Taj Mahal opened in April 1990, the analyst had
said that the project would fail by the end of that year. Trump threatened to
sue the analyst's firm unless the analyst recanted or was fired. The analyst
refused to retract the statements, and his firm fired him for ostensibly
unrelated reasons.[471] Trump Taj Mahal declared bankruptcy in November 1990, the first of
several such bankruptcies.[472] After, the NYSE ordered the firm to compensate the
analyst $750,000; the analyst did not release the details of his settlement
with Donald Trump.[473]
Wrongful death
In 1991, Donald Trump sued the
manufacturers of a helicopter that crashed in 1989, killing three executives of
his New Jersey hotel casino business.[474] The helicopter fell 2,800 feet after the main four-blade rotor and tail
rotor broke off the craft, killing Jonathan Benanav, an executive of Trump
Plaza, and two others: Mark Grossinger Etess, president of Trump Taj Mahal, and
Stephen F. Hyde, chief executive of the Atlantic City casinos.[475][476][477] Since one of the
defendants was allegedly owned by the Italian government, the case moved to the
3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, which dismissed the case in 1992.[478]
Discrimination and Robert LiButti
Trump Plaza was fined $200,000 in
1991 by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission for moving African-American
and female employees from craps tables in order to accommodate high roller
Robert LiButti, a mob figure and alleged John Gotti associate, who was said to fly into
fits of racist rage when he was on losing streaks.[479]
Casino finance
In 1991, one of Trump's casinos in
Atlantic City, NJ, was found guilty of circumventing state regulations about
casino financing when Donald Trump's father bought $3.5 million in chips that
he had no plans to gamble. Trump Castle was forced to pay a $30,000 fine under
the settlement, according to New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Director
Jack Sweeney. Trump was not disciplined for the illegal advance on his
inheritance, which was not confiscated.[480]
Vs. partner Jay Pritzker
In 1993, Donald Trump sued Jay Pritzker, a Chicago
financier and Trump's business partner since 1979 on the Grand Hyatt hotel.
Trump alleged that Pritzker overstated earnings in order to collect excessive
management fees.[481] In 1994, Pritzker sued Trump for violating their agreement by, among
other ways, failing to remain solvent.[482] The two parties ended the feud in 1995 in a sealed settlement, in which
Trump retained some control of the hotel and Pritzker would receive reduced
management fees and pay Trump's legal expenses.[483]
Vs. Vera Coking
Vera Coking sued Trump and his demolition contractor for damage to her home during
construction of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino. In 1997, she dropped the suit
against Trump and settled with his contractor for $90,000.[484] Coking had refused to sell her home
to Trump and ultimately won a 1998 Supreme Court decision which prevented
Atlantic City from using eminent domain to condemn her property.[485][486]
Vs. Steve Wynn
In the late 1990s, Donald Trump and
rival Atlantic City casino owner Stephen Wynn engaged in an extended legal conflict
during the planning phase of new casinos Wynn had proposed to build. Both
owners filed lawsuits against one another and other parties, including the
State of New Jersey, beginning with Wynn's antitrust accusation against Trump.[487][488] After two years in court, Wynn's
Mirage casino sued Trump in 1999 alleging that his company had engaged in a
conspiracy to harm Mirage and steal proprietary information, primarily lists of
wealthy Korean gamblers. In response, Trump's attorneys claimed that Trump's
private investigator dishonored his contract by working as a "double agent"
for Stephen Wynn's Mirage casino by secretly taping conversations with Trump.
All the cases were settled at the same time on the planned day of an
evidentiary hearing in court in February 2000, which was never held.[489]
2000–09
Lobbying
In 2000, Donald Trump paid $250,000
to settle fines related to charges brought by New York State Lobbying
Commission director David Grandeau. Trump was charged with circumventing state
law to spend $150,000 lobbying against government approval of plans to
construct an Indian-run casino in the Catskills, which would have diminished
casino traffic to Trump's casinos in Atlantic City.[490][491]
SEC pro forma earnings
In 2001, the Securities and Exchange Commission brought a financial-reporting case against Trump Hotels & Casino
Resorts Inc., alleging that the company had committed several "misleading
statements in the company's third-quarter 1999 earnings release." Trump
Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. did not deny the charge, and consented to the
Commission's cease-and-desist order.[492][493][494]
Vs. Leona Helmsley
Trump sued Leona Helmsley,[495] and Helmsley counter-sued Trump[496] due to contentions regarding
ownership and operation of the Empire State Building. In 2002, Trump announced
that he and his Japanese business partners, were selling the Empire State Building to partners of his rival Leona Helmsley.[497][498]
Vs. partner Richard T. Fields
In 2004, Donald Trump sued Richard T.
Fields in Broward County Circuit Court (in Florida); Fields was once Trump's
business partner in the casino business, but had recently become a successful
casino developer in Florida apart from Trump. Fields counter-sued Trump in
Florida court. Trump alleged that Fields misled other parties into believing he
still consulted for Trump, and Fields alleged improprieties in Trump's
business.[499] The two businessmen agreed in 2008 to drop the lawsuits when Fields
agreed to buy Trump Marina in Atlantic City, N.J. for $316
million,[500] but the deal was unsettled again in 2009 because Trump resigned his
leadership of Trump Entertainment after Fields lowered his bid.[501] Fields never bought the company,
which went into bankruptcy about the same time and was sold for $38 million.[502][503] Trump's lawsuit was dismissed after a
hearing in 2010.[504]
Palm Beach, Florida, town ordinances
In 2006, the town of Palm Beach began
fining Trump $250 per day for ordinance violations related to his erection of
an 80-foot-tall (24 m) flagpole flying a 15 by 25 feet (4.6 by 7.6 m) American flag on his property. Trump sued the town for $25 million, saying that they
abridged his free speech, also disputing an ordinance that local businesses be
"town-serving". The two parties settled as part of a court-ordered
mediation, in which Trump was required to donate $100,000 to veterans'
charities. At the same time, the town ordinance was modified allowing Trump to
enroll out-of-town members in his Mar-a-Lago social club.[505]
Vs. Rancho Palos Verdes, California
In 2008, Trump filed a $100 million
lawsuit for alleged fraud and civil rights violations[506] against the California city of Rancho Palos Verdes, over thwarted
luxury home development and expansion plans upon part of a landslide-prone golf
course in the area, which was purchased by Trump in 2002 for $27 million.[506] Trump had previously sued a local
school district over land leased from them in the re-branded Trump National Golf Club, and had further
angered some local residents by renaming a thoroughfare after himself.[506] The $100 million suit was ultimately
withdrawn in 2012 with Trump and the city agreeing to modified geological
surveys and permit extensions for some 20 proposed luxury homes (in addition to
36 homes previously approved).[507][508] Trump ultimately opted for a permanent conservation easement instead of
expanded housing development on the course's driving range.[509]
Vs. law firm Morrison Cohen
In 2009, Donald Trump sued a law firm
he had used, Morrison Cohen, for $5 million for mentioning his name and
providing links to related news articles on its website. This lawsuit followed
a lawsuit by Trump alleging overcharging by the law firm, and a countersuit by
Morrison Cohen seeking unpaid legal fees.[166] The suit was dismissed in a 15-page ruling by Manhattan Supreme Court
Justice Eileen Bransten, who ruled that the links to news articles concerned
"matters of public interest."[510]
Vs. Baja California-development investors
In 2009, Trump was sued by investors
who had made deposits for condos in the canceled Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico.[511] The investors said that Trump
misrepresented his role in the project, stating after its failure that he had
been little more than a spokesperson for the entire venture, disavowing any
financial responsibility for the debacle.[512]Investors were
informed that their investments would not be returned due to the cancellation
of construction.[511] In 2013, Trump settled the lawsuit with more than one hundred
prospective condo owners for an undisclosed amount.[513]
2010–present
Trump licensee Bayrock / Felix Sater vs. investors
In 2004, the Trump Organization
partnered with Bayrock Group LLC on a $200 million hotel and condo project in
Fort Lauderdale Beach, to be called Trump International Hotel & Tower.
After proceeding five years, real estate market devaluation stymied the project
in 2009 and Trump dissolved his licensing deal, demanding that his name be
removed from the building. Soon after this, the project defaulted on a $139
million loan in 2010.[514] Investors later sued the developers for fraud. Trump petitioned to have
his name removed from the suit, saying he had only lent his name to the
project. However his request was refused since he had participated in
advertising for it.[90] The insolvent building project spawned over 10 lawsuits, some of which
were still not settled in early 2016.[515]
2008 housing crisis - vs. lender
After the 2008 housing-market
collapse, Deutsche Bank attempted to collect $40 million that
Donald Trump personally guaranteed against their $640 million loan for Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. Rather than paying the debt, Trump sued Deutsche Bank for $3
billion for undermining the project and damage to his reputation.[516]Deutsche Bank then filed suit to obtain the $40 million. The two parties
settled in 2010 with Deutsche Bank extending the loan term by five years.[517]
Defamation
In 2011, an appellate court upheld a New Jersey Superior Court judge's decision dismissing Trump's $5 billion defamation lawsuit
against author Timothy L. O'Brien, who had reported in his book, TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald (2005), that Trump's true net worth was really between $150 and $250
million. Trump had reportedly told O'Brien he was worth billions and, in 2005,
had publicly stated such.[518] Trump said that the author's alleged underestimation of his net worth
was motivated by malice and had cost him business deals and damage to his
reputation.[519] The appellate court, however, ruled against Trump, citing the
consistency of O'Brien's three confidential sources.[520]
Trump University
In 2013, in a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Trump was accused
of defrauding more than 5,000 people of $40 million for the opportunity to
learn Trump's real estate investment techniques in a for-profit training
program, Trump University, which operated from 2005 to 2011.[521][522][523] Schneiderman
contended that Trump's seminars constituted an "unlicensed, illegal
educational institution" which used false advertising, bait-and-switch tactics, intentional misrepresentation and other fraudulent practices.[460] In January 2014, a New York Superior
Court upheld part of the Attorney General's case against Trump,[524] and in October 2014, found Trump
liable for not obtaining a license to operate the for-profit investment school,
Trump Entrepreneur Initiative, formerly known as Trump University.
Trump ultimately stopped using the
term "University" following a 2010 order from New York regulators,
who called Trump's use of the word "misleading and even illegal"; the
state had previously warned Trump in 2005 to drop the term or not offer
seminars within New York.[525][526][527] Although Trump has claimed a 98% approval rating on course evaluations,
former students recounted high-pressure tactics from instructors seeking the
highest possible ratings, including threats of withholding graduation
certificates.[528]More than 2,000
students sought and received course refunds before the end of their paid
seminars.[528]
In a separate class action civil suit
against Trump University in mid-February 2014, a San Diego federal judge
allowed claimants in California, Florida, and New York to proceed.[529] A Trump counterclaim, alleging that
the state Attorney General's investigation was accompanied by a campaign
donation shakedown, was investigated by a New York ethics board and dismissed
in August 2015.[530]
In response to a class-action suit,
Trump filed a $1 million defamation suit against former Trump University
student Tarla Makaeff, who had spent about $37,000 on seminars, after she
joined the class action lawsuit and publicized her classroom experiences on
social media.[512] Trump University was later ordered by a U.S. District Judge in April
2015 to pay Makaeff and her lawyers $798,774.24 in legal fees and costs.[512][531] Trump has contested both the anti-SLAPP judgment[532] and Makaeff's February 2016 petition
to be removed from the case as lead plaintiff, in which she cited fears of
further retaliation.[533]
Vs. Scotland
In 2011, Donald Trump sued Scotland
for building a wind farm after assuring him it would not be built. He had
recently built a golf course there and planned to build an adjacent hotel. The
suit was dismissed in favor of Scotland by the Scottish Supreme Court.[534][535]
Miss USA rigging
In 2014, the former Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin ultimately settled a $5 million arbitration judgment against her, having
been sued by Trump after alleging that the Miss USA 2012 pageant results were rigged. Monnin
wrote on her Facebook page that another contestant told her
during a rehearsal that she had seen a list of the top five finalists, and when
those names were called in their precise order, Monnin realized the pageant
election process was suspect, compelling Monnin to resign her Miss Pennsylvania
title. The Trump Organization's lawyer said that Monnin's allegations had cost
the pageant a lucrative British Petroleum sponsorship deal and threatened to
discourage women from entering Miss USA contests in the future.[536] According to Monnin, testimony from
the Miss Universe Organization and Ernst & Young revealed that the top 15 finalists
were selected by pageant directors regardless of preliminary judges' scores.[537] As part of the settlement, Monnin was
not required to retract her original statements.[536][538]
Vs. Alexia Palmer - H-1B visa
In 2014, the model Alexia Palmer
filed a civil suit against Trump Model Management for promising a $75,000
annual salary but paying only $3,380.75 for three years' work. Palmer, who came
to the US at age 17 from Jamaica under the H-1B visa program in 2011,[539] claimed to be owed more than
$200,000. Palmer contended that Trump Model Management charged, in addition to
a management fee, "obscure expenses" from postage to limousine rides
that consumed the remainder of her compensation. Trump attorney Alan Garten claims
the lawsuit is "bogus and completely frivolous."[540][541] Palmer has now filed a class-action lawsuit
against the modeling agency with similar allegations.[542] If approved, the class could include
up to 250 other foreign fashion models whom Trump Model Management and another
Trump company, Trump Management Group LLC, has attempted to bring to the US
since 2000,[543] or up to 1,100 foreign workers for whom Trump's companies filed visa
paperwork since 2000 to be employed temporarily as waitresses, cooks, vineyard
workers, laborers, managers, superintendents, and fashion models, including at
least 850 H-2B visa applications for workers from Mexico.[544]
Vs. Univision
In 2015, Trump sued Univision for breach of contract and defamation when they dropped their planned
broadcast of the Miss USA pageant. The decision was made
because of Trump's "insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants",
according to the network's announcement.[545] Trump settled the $500 million lawsuit with Univision CEO Randy Falco out of court.[546]
Air traffic
In 2015, Trump initiated a $100
million lawsuit against Palm Beach County claiming that officials, in a
"deliberate and malicious" act, pressured the FAA to direct air
traffic to thePalm Beach International Airport over his Mar-a-Lago estate, because he said the airplanes
damaged the building and disrupted its ambiance.[547] Trump had previously sued twice over
airport noise.[547]
Vs. Chef José Andrés
In July 2015, Trump filed a $10
million lawsuit against chef José Andrés claiming that he backed out of a deal
to open the flagship restaurant at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.[548] Andrés replied that Trump's lawsuit
was "both unsurprising and without merit."[549]
Vs. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian
Also in July 2015, Chef Geoffrey Zakarian also withdrew from the Washington, D.C., project with José Andrés in
the wake of Trump's comments on Mexican illegal immigrants, and is expected to
lose his own $500,000 restaurant lease deposit as a result.[549] Trump denounced and then sued
Zakarian in August 2015 for a sum "in excess of $10 million" for lost
rent and other damages.[550] Trump's lawsuit called Zakarian's offense at his remarks "curious
in light of the fact that Mr. Trump's publicly shared views on immigration have
remained consistent for many years, and Mr. Trump's willingness to frankly
share his opinions is widely known."[550][551]
Vs. Ossining, New York
Trump is suing the town of Ossining, New York over the property tax valuation on his 147-acre Trump National Golf
Course, located in Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, which Trump purchased for around $8 million at a
foreclosure sale in the 1990s and to which he claimed, at the club's opening,
to have added $45 million in facility improvements.[552] Although Trump stated in his 2015 FEC
filing that the property was worth at least $50 million, his lawsuit seeks a
$1.4 million valuation on the property, which includes a 75,000 square foot
clubhouse, five overnight suites, and permission to build 71 condominium units,[552] in an effort to shave $424,176 from
his annual local property tax obligations.[553] Trump filed the action after
separately being sued by Briarcliff Manor for "intentional and illegal
modifications" to a drainage system which caused more than $238,000 in
damage to the town's library, public pool, and park facilities during a 2011
storm.[553]
Vs. protesters
In September 2015, five men who had
demonstrated outside of a Trump presidential campaign event at Trump Tower in
New York City sued Donald Trump, alleging that Trump's security staff punched
one of them. They also allege that Trump's security guards had been advised by
city police that they were permitted to protest there. Several people
videotaped the incident.[554][555]
Restaurant workers' tips
In 2015, restaurant workers at Trump SoHo filed a lawsuit that from 2009 to at least the time of the filing,
gratuities added to customers' checks were illegally withheld from employees.
The Trump Organization has responded that the dispute is between the employees
and their employer, a third-party contractor. Donald Trump has been scheduled
to testify in court on September 1, 2016.[556]
Allegations of business links to
organized crime
Nicodemo Scarfo
Journalists David Cay Johnston and Wayne Barrett, the latter of whom wrote an unauthorized 1992 Trump biography, have
claimed that Trump and his companies did business with New York and
Philadelphia families linked to the Italian-American Mafia.[557][558] A reporter for the Washington Post writes, "he was never accused of illegality, and observers of the
time say that working with the mob-related figures and politicos came with the
territory."[559] One of these figures, Kenny Shapiro, was a prominent financier for the Scarfo family,[560] but was defended by Trump at public
hearings in 1992 when he was applying for casino licenses in New Jersey.[561]
Johnston and Barrett say that Trump
purchased the future site of Atlantic City's Trump Plaza for twice its market
value from the Philadelphia crime family member Salvatore Testa, and according to
the State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation's 1986 report on organized
crime, constructed the casino using two firms controlled by Nicodemo Scarfo.[558] Johnston and other investigative
reporters also reported that Trump Tower, Trump Plaza, and other New York City
properties were constructed with concrete purchased from S&A Concrete Co.,
a firm owned by Anthony Salerno, head of the Genovese crime family, and Paul Castellano, head of the Gambino crime family.[557][559]
Robert LiButti
According to an investigative report
by Yahoo News which obtained documents through the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, Robert LiButti
was recorded in a September 1990 FBI wiretap telling a Trump casino executive
of his close relationships to both Trump and Gotti, invoking the latter's name
in connection to members of the Gambino crime family and pressuring Trump for
business accommodations.[479] Trump Plaza paid an additional $450,000 fine leveled by the Casino
Gaming Commission for giving LiButti $1.6 million in rare automobiles.[479]
Felix Sater
Starting in 2003, the Trump
Organization worked with Felix Sater, who was then an executive at Bayrock Group LLC, on at least four
projects including Trump SoHo; Trump International Hotel and Residence Phoenix,
which failed;[562] Trump International Hotel and Residence Ft. Lauderdale, which collapsed
amid allegations of fraud;[563] and an unrealized skyscraper project in Denver. Promoting the Denver
project, Sater and Trump[564] travelled to the city[565] and gave an interview on The Rocky Mountain
News in 2005.[566] In 2007, information became public
regarding Sater's 1998 racketeering conviction for a $40 million
Mafia-linked stock fraud scheme. After his conviction, Sater had worked for the
authorities as an informant against the mafia. At that point, Trump began to
cut ties with Sater, eventually stripping his name from a Ft. Lauderdale-area
Sater project in 2009.[90][566][567][568][569] In 2010, Sater was given a business development role at Trump
Organization with an office at Trump Tower on the same floor as Trump's office.[567][570]
According to British investigative
journalist John Sweeney, Trump walked out of a 2013 interview with Sweeney for the BBC's Panorama series when he asked Trump a question about his relationship with Sater.[568] "Felix Sater, boy, I have to
even think about it", Trump told the AP in December 2015. "I'm not that familiar with him." Trump's
attorney said that Sater has "got a lot of contacts" and worked with
Trump scouting real estate opportunities, but was never formally employed, and
did not close any deals for Trump over the course of a six-month non-contractual
working relationship in 2010.[567]
Tevfik Arif
In 2005, Trump joined Tevfik Arif and Tamir Sapir, executives of Bayrock LLC, as a full equity partner in a building
project in New York City, the 46-story Trump SoHo.[571] The building was finished in 2010.[572] In 2010, Tevfik Arif and nine others were detained by Turkish
authorities while aboard an historic yacht with women allegedly acting as
prostitutes. Nine women from Russia and the Ukraine were also detained in a
bust culminating a seven-month investigation.[573] It was not the first time he had used
the yacht for this purpose, and the others who were detained included Russian,
Kyrgyz, and Kazakh businessmen and top government officials.[574] In April 2011, Arif was acquitted of
the charges that he was operating a prostitution ring, in a judgment that also
recorded that all the women aboard the 'Savarona' were age 18 or older.[575]
Campaign contributions
According to a New York state report,
Trump circumvented corporate and personal campaign donation limits in the 1980s
by donating money to candidates from 18 different business subsidiaries, rather
than giving primarily in his own name.[559][576] Trump told investigators he did so on the advice of his lawyers. He also
said the contributions were not to curry favor with business-friendly
candidates, but simply to satisfy requests from friends.[559][577]
Awards and honors
·
Gaming Hall of Fame (class of 1995)[578]
·
NY Ride of Fame (class of 2010)[579]
·
Trump was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration (Hon.
D.B.A.), in 2010 by Robert Gordon University.[580] However, this degree was revoked on
December 9, 2015 because Trump had made "a number of statements that are
wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university."[581]
·
In February 2016 Trump was nominated by 'an anonymous U.S. politician'
for the Nobel Peace Prize, for his 'vigorous peace through strength ideology'.[582][583][584]
·
Honorary Doctor of Business (Hon. D.B.), 2012, Liberty University[585][586]
·
WWE Hall of Fame (class of 2013) [587]
·
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame [8]
·
Statesman of the Year, The Republican Party of Sarasota, 2012, 2015[588][589]
·
Liberty Award, in 2015 at the Algemeiner Jewish 100 Gala in honor of his
positive contributions to Israel–United States relations.[590]
·
Key to the City of Doral, Florida, 2015[591][592]
·
Commandant of the Marine Corps Leadership Award, 2015, Marine
Corps–Law Enforcement Foundation[593]
·
New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame (inducted November 12, 2015)[594]