Donald Trump returns to the White House for a historic second term, with a life marked by family ties, business success, and political controversy.
Former President Donald Trump secured a historic political comeback on Wednesday, winning a second term in the White House after defeating his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, in a fiercely contested election. At 78 years old, the Republican candidate surpassed the 270 electoral votes required to claim victory, with a key win in the battleground state of Wisconsin, making him the oldest person in US history to be elected president. According to the Associated Press, Trump had garnered 277 electoral votes, while Harris had received 224.
After losing the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, Donald Trump continued to dominate the American news cycle, refusing to accept the results and inciting the January 6 Capitol riots, which disrupted Congress's certification of the election. His third run for the presidency in 2024 was marked by a series of criminal cases, including a conviction for falsifying business records, making him the first former US president to be found guilty of a crime. Despite these legal challenges, Trump remained defiant, calling the verdict a result of a “rigged” political system, while his supporters continued to rally behind him.
Trump’s unwavering support was evident at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, where he formally accepted the GOP nomination for president despite a recent assassination attempt. He appeared with a bandaged ear after surviving a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally, where a gunman fired multiple shots at him. This event only seemed to strengthen the resolve of his base, ensuring his continued influence in American politics.
As he prepares for a return to the White House, much attention is focused not only on his political career but also on his personal life, which has been shaped by three marriages, five children, and a large, well-known family.
Here's a look at the 47th US President's personal life and family tree:
Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, to Mary, a Scottish immigrant, and Fred Trump, a successful real estate developer. He grew up as the fourth of five children in a business-oriented family alongside his siblings: Fred Jr. (who has since passed away), Robert, Marianne, and Elizabeth. In 1968, Trump earned a degree in finance from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania. His family background and education laid the groundwork for his own real estate ventures, while his siblings went on to make their own marks in various fields.
In 1971, after taking over his father’s company, Donald Trump renamed it the Trump Organization and expanded its focus to include hotels, resorts, residential and commercial buildings, casinos, and golf courses. In 2004, he ventured into reality television with The Apprentice, a show that quickly made him a household name across America.
Trump’s personal life has been equally high-profile, with his three marriages and five children being a focal point of media attention. His first marriage to Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech athlete and model, took place in 1977, but he divorced her in 1990. The couple had three children: Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump.
In 1993, Trump married actress Marla Maples. They had one daughter, Tiffany Trump, before parting ways in 1999.
Finally, in 2005, Trump married Slovenian model Melania Knauss who remains his wife today. Together, they have one son, Barron Trump, who is currently 13 years old.
Aside from his marriages and children, Trump’s rise to political prominence and wealth also comes from his business acumen. The Trump family fortune, largely inherited from his father’s real estate empire, enabled Donald to make a name for himself in the luxury real estate market.
Trump’s political career took off in 2015 when he announced his candidacy for president under the Republican Party. In 2016, he won a stunning victory against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Despite losing his re-election bid in 2020, Trump has now secured a path to a second term, further solidifying his place in US history.
The 2024 election unfolded amid concerns over the economy, illegal immigration, and conflicts in West Asia and Europe, with Trump’s supporters viewing him as uniquely capable of addressing these pressing issues.
“I will end the illegal immigration crisis by closing our border and finishing the wall, most of which I've already built,” Trump told cheering supporters at his party’s national convention, referring to the country’s southern border. He also vowed that if he returned to the White House, “inflation will vanish completely".
After Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reached out to congratulate him on his Republican presidential nomination, Trump pledged to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. “I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families. Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,” Trump had said.
The next four years of Trump’s second presidency will shape how the US addresses critical domestic challenges and could redefine its global standing. The world is watching closely.
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