Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Donald Trump

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Donald Trump made an impact.

Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman. As a member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th U.S. President from 2017 to 2021. He is also the 47th president of the United States.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1930: Tariffs at Highest Level Since Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act

Donald Trump started a global trade war, imposing tariffs at the highest level since the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act at the onset of the Great Depression.

1965: Rescinding Executive Order 11246

In 2025, Trump rescinded Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 Executive Order 11246, which mandated that federal contractors take affirmative action to end racial discrimination.

1968: Employed at Trump Management

Starting in 1968, Donald Trump was employed at Trump Management, his father's real estate company.

1970: Investment in Broadway Comedy

In 1970, Donald Trump invested $70,000 of his father's wealth to receive billing as coproducer of a Broadway comedy, ultimately losing the money.

1971: Became president of family's real estate business

In 1971, Donald Trump became the president of his family's real estate business, which he later renamed the Trump Organization.

1971: Moved to Manhattan and became president of Trump Organization

In 1971, Donald Trump moved to Manhattan to expand the family business and became president of the Trump Organization.

1976: Practice of Candidates Releasing Tax Returns

In 1976, Donald Trump did not release his tax returns, contrary to the practice of every major candidate since then.

1978: Launched the renovation of the Commodore Hotel

In 1978, Donald Trump launched his family's first Manhattan venture: the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel, which was adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.

1979: Roger Stone enlisted.

In 1979, Roy Cohn introduced political consultant Roger Stone to Donald Trump, who enlisted Stone's services to deal with the federal government.

1980: Grand Hyatt Hotel and Trump Tower development

In 1980, the Commodore Hotel reopened as the Grand Hyatt Hotel, and Donald Trump obtained rights to develop Trump Tower.

1983: Purchase of the New Jersey Generals

In 1983, Donald Trump purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the United States Football League, for approximately $6 million.

1984: Harrah's at Trump Plaza opened

In 1984, Donald Trump opened Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a hotel and casino, with financing and management help from the Holiday Corporation.

1985: Cameos in Films and TV Shows

From 1985, Donald Trump had cameos in many films and television shows.

1985: Acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate

In 1985, Donald Trump acquired the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

1985: Bought the Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it Trump's Castle

In 1985, Donald Trump bought the unopened Atlantic City Hilton Hotel and renamed it Trump's Castle.

1985: USFL Folded After 1985 Season

The United States Football League folded after the 1985 season, due to Donald Trump's attempt to move to a fall schedule and force a merger with the NFL by bringing an antitrust suit.

May 1986: Took Sole Control of Harrah's at Trump Plaza

In May 1986, Donald Trump took sole control of Harrah's at Trump Plaza, paying Holiday Corporation $70 million.

1986: Stock Purchases and Takeover Suggestions

From 1986, Donald Trump purchased significant blocks of shares in various public companies while suggesting that he intended to take over the company.

1987: Donations to the Donald J. Trump Foundation Begin

From 1987, Donald Trump started giving money to his foundation.

1987: Advertisements on Foreign Policy

In 1987, Donald Trump placed full-page advertisements in major newspapers expressing his views on foreign policy and how to eliminate the federal budget deficit.

1987: Publication of "The Art of the Deal"

In 1987, Donald Trump's first book, "The Art of the Deal", was published and became a New York Times Best Seller.

Trump: The Art of the Deal

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1988: Acquired the Plaza Hotel

In 1988, Donald Trump acquired the Plaza Hotel with a loan from a consortium of 16 banks.

1988: Asked to be Considered as Running Mate

In 1988, Donald Trump approached Lee Atwater, asking to be put into consideration to be Republican nominee George H. W. Bush's running mate.

1988: Bought a third Atlantic City venue, the Trump Taj Mahal

In 1988, Donald Trump bought a third Atlantic City venue, the Trump Taj Mahal.

1988: Purchase of Eastern Air Lines Shuttle

In 1988, Donald Trump purchased the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle, financing the purchase with $380 million in loans.

1988: Stock Sales for Profit

In 1988, Donald Trump sold his shares for a profit after suggesting that he intended to take over the company, leading some observers to think he was engaged in greenmail.

1988: Establishment of the Donald J. Trump Foundation

In 1988, the Donald J. Trump Foundation was established as a private foundation.

1989: WWE Appearances

From the late 1980s including 1989, Donald Trump sporadically appeared for the professional wrestling company WWE.

1989: Hosted Boxing Matches and Lent Name to Cycling Race

In 1989, Donald Trump and his Plaza Hotel hosted several boxing matches at the Atlantic City Convention Hall, and he also lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race.

April 1990: Trump Taj Mahal Opened

In April 1990, Donald Trump's Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City opened, financed with $675 million in junk bonds.

1990: Lent Name to Cycling Race

In 1990, Donald Trump lent his name to the Tour de Trump cycling stage race.

1991: Default on Trump Shuttle Loans

In 1991, Donald Trump defaulted on his loans for the Trump Shuttle, and ownership passed to the banks.

1991: First Corporate Bankruptcy Filing

In 1991, Donald Trump's over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

1992: Trump Shuttle Operation Ends

Donald Trump operated the Trump Shuttle until 1992.

1995: Converted Mar-a-Lago into a private club

In 1995, Donald Trump converted the Mar-a-Lago estate into a private club with an initiation fee and annual dues.

1995: Declared Loss

In 1995, Donald Trump declared a loss of $916 million, which could have let him avoid taxes for up to 18 years.

1995: Founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR)

In 1995, Donald Trump founded Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR), which assumed ownership of the Trump Plaza.

1996: Acquired and renovated 40 Wall Street

In 1996, Donald Trump acquired and renovated the mostly vacant 71-story skyscraper at 40 Wall Street, later rebranded as the Trump Building.

1996: Purchase of Miss Universe Pageants

In 1996, Donald Trump purchased the Miss Universe pageants, including Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.

1996: THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle

In 1996, THCR purchased the Taj Mahal and the Trump Castle.

1999: Started building and buying golf courses

In 1999, Donald Trump began building and buying golf courses.

February 2000: Withdrawal from Reform Party Primaries

In February 2000, Donald Trump withdrew from the 2000 Reform Party presidential primaries.

2001: End of Cameo Appearances

In 2001, Donald Trump stopped appearing in films and television shows.

2002: Move of Pageants to NBC

In 2002, Donald Trump took the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants to NBC due to disagreements with CBS about scheduling.

2004: Start of "Trumped!" Radio Program

From 2004, Donald Trump had his own short-form talk radio program, Trumped!.

2004: Hosting of The Apprentice

From 2004, Donald Trump hosted The Apprentice, which was created by Mark Burnett.

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2005: Cofounding of Trump University

In 2005, Donald Trump cofounded Trump University, a company that sold real estate seminars.

2006: Trump Foundation Funds Depleted

By the end of 2006, the $5.4 million Donald Trump gave his foundation was spent.

2007: WrestleMania 23 Appearance

In 2007, Donald Trump appeared for the professional wrestling company WWE including WrestleMania 23.

2007: Donation To The Donald J. Trump Foundation

In 2007, Donald Trump donated to his foundation.

2008: Donation To The Donald J. Trump Foundation

In 2008, Donald Trump donated to his foundation.

2008: End of "Trumped!" Radio Program

In 2008, Donald Trump ended his short-form talk radio program, Trumped!.

2008: Trump International Hotel and Tower opened

In 2008, Donald Trump's last major construction project, the 92-story mixed-use Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, opened.

2009: Trump joins Twitter

In 2009, Donald Trump joined Twitter, marking the beginning of his extensive social media presence.

2009: Sixth Corporate Bankruptcy Filing

In 2009, Donald Trump's over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City and New York filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the sixth time.

2010: Trump University Renamed

In 2010, Trump University's name was changed to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative after New York State authorities notified the company that its use of "university" violated state law.

May 2011: Announcement Not to Run in 2012

In May 2011, Donald Trump announced that he would not run in the 2012 election.

2011: Guest Commentator on Fox & Friends

From 2011, Donald Trump was a guest commentator on Fox & Friends.

2012: Consideration to Challenge Barack Obama

In 2012, Donald Trump considered challenging President Barack Obama in the election.

2014: Promises To Do So

In 2014, Donald Trump promised to release tax returns if he ran for office.

June 2015: Announcement of Candidacy for 2016 Election

In June 2015, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the 2016 election, campaigning as a rich, successful businessman and an outsider without political experience.

2015: The Apprentice ended

In 2015, Donald Trump ended his run as the host of the reality television show "The Apprentice".

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2015: Promises To Do So

In 2015, Donald Trump promised to release tax returns if he ran for office.

2015: End of Fox & Friends Appearances

In 2015, Donald Trump stopped being a guest commentator on Fox & Friends.

2015: End of The Apprentice Hosting

In 2015, Donald Trump stopped hosting The Apprentice.

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2015: Release of health letter

In 2015, Donald Trump's campaign released a letter from his longtime personal physician, Harold Bornstein, stating that he would "be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency".

March 2016: Republican Front-Runner

In March 2016, Donald Trump became the Republican front-runner.

July 2016: FBI Launched Crossfire Hurricane

In July 2016, the FBI launched Crossfire Hurricane, an investigation into possible links between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.

October 2016: Access Hollywood tape surfaces

In October 2016, a 2005 "hot mic" recording surfaced, featuring Donald Trump bragging about kissing and groping women without their consent. He said, "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the pussy." The incident led to widespread media exposure and his first public apology during his 2016 presidential campaign.

October 2016: Leak of Trump's State Filings for 1995

In October 2016, portions of Donald Trump's state filings for 1995 were leaked to a reporter from The New York Times.

2016: Owned 17 golf courses

By 2016, Donald Trump owned 17 golf courses.

2016: Twitter during the campaign

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump posted frequently on Twitter.

2016: Campaign rhetoric and physical attacks

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump urged or praised physical attacks against protesters or reporters.

2016: Free media coverage during the campaign

During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump benefited from an estimated $2 billion in free media coverage. He also accused the press of bias, calling it the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people".

2016: Trump Pledged Overturning Roe v. Wade

During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump pledged that Roe v. Wade would be overturned "automatically" if he were elected and given the opportunity to appoint two or three anti-abortion justices.

2016: Trump Promises to Protect Medicare

During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump promised to protect funding for Medicare and other social safety-net programs.

2016: Trump Uses "Rigged Election" Rhetoric

In 2016, Donald Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" during his campaign.

2016: Won the 2016 presidential election

In 2016, Donald Trump won the presidential election against Hillary Clinton.

2016: Campaign Platform

In 2016, Donald Trump's campaign platform emphasized renegotiating U.S.–China relations and free trade agreements such as NAFTA and strongly enforcing immigration laws.

January 2017: U.S. Intelligence Agencies Stated Russia Favored Trump in 2016 Election

In January 2017, three U.S. intelligence agencies jointly stated with "high confidence" that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to favor Donald Trump.

January 20, 2017: Inauguration

On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States.

May 2017: FBI Opened Second Investigation into Trump's Dealings with Russia

In May 2017, after Donald Trump fired Comey, the FBI opened a second investigation into Trump's personal and business dealings with Russia.

December 2017: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Signed

In December 2017, Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals and eliminated the penalty associated with the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate.

2017: Trump Filed for Reelection and Held First Rally

Donald Trump filed to run for reelection only a few hours after becoming president in 2017. He held his first reelection rally less than a month after taking office.

2017: Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States.

In 2017, Donald Trump started his term as the 45th president of the United States.

2017: Tweets as presidential statements

In 2017, Donald Trump's press secretary stated that his tweets constituted official presidential statements.

2017: Reduction in press briefings

In 2017, the first Trump presidency reduced formal press briefings from about one hundred.

2017: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

In July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the tax cuts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.

June 2018: First Meeting with Kim Jong Un

In June 2018, Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, in Singapore.

2018: Only two consumer goods companies continued to license his name

By 2018, only two consumer goods companies continued to license Donald Trump's name.

2018: Legislation Signed to Increase Funding for Drug Treatments

In 2018, Donald Trump signed legislation to increase funding for drug treatments in response to the opioid epidemic, but was widely criticized for failing to create a concrete strategy.

2018: Decline in press briefings

In 2018, the first Trump presidency reduced formal press briefings to about half the number from 2017.

2018: Media coverage of falsehoods

Until 2018, the media rarely referred to Donald Trump's falsehoods as lies, even when he repeated demonstrably false statements.

February 2019: Second Meeting with Kim Jong Un

In February 2019, Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the second time in Hanoi.

March 2019: Mueller Submitted Final Report

In March 2019, Robert Mueller submitted his final report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The report found that Russia did interfere to favor Donald Trump and that Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouraged the effort, but that the evidence "did not establish" that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with Russia.

June 2019: Third Meeting with Kim Jong Un

In June 2019, Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the third time in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

2019: Declared Mar-a-Lago his primary residence

In 2019, Donald Trump declared the Mar-a-Lago club his primary residence.

2019: Further reduction in press briefings

In 2019, the first Trump presidency further reduced formal press briefings to two.

2019: Trump Tower was Trump's primary residence until 2019

Trump Tower housed the headquarters of the Trump Corporation and Trump's PAC and was his primary residence until 2019.

May 2020: Twitter fact-checks Trump's tweets

In May 2020, Twitter began to tag some of Donald Trump's tweets with fact-checks, leading him to say social media platforms "totally silence" conservatives.

July 2020: Trump Donates Presidential Salary

In July 2020, Donald Trump ceased publicizing his donations of his presidential salary to federal agencies, although he had pledged to donate his salary and profits from foreign patronage to the U.S. government during his campaign.

August 2020: Trump Officially Became Republican Nominee

In August 2020, Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee for the presidential election. His campaign focused on crime and appealed to racism.

2020: Promotion of conspiracy theories after election

After the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump promoted conspiracy theories regarding his defeat, which were characterized as "the big lie."

2020: Abraham Accords Signed

In 2020, Donald Trump hosted the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to normalize their foreign relations.

2020: Trump Uses "Rigged Election" Rhetoric

In 2020, Donald Trump mentioned "rigged election" and "election interference" during his campaign.

2020: Lawsuits against media outlets

In 2020, Donald Trump's presidential campaign sued The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for defamation in opinion pieces about his stance on Russian election interference. All suits were dismissed.

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February 2021: Trump Registered Trump Media & Technology Group

In February 2021, Donald Trump registered a new company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), for providing "social networking services" to U.S. customers.

February 2021: Release of Tax Records Allowed

In February 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump's tax records to be released to the Manhattan district attorney for a criminal investigation.

July 2021: Federal Agencies Report No Gifts Received

In July 2021, The Washington Post surveyed federal agencies, which reported that they had not received any gifts from Donald Trump after July 2020, despite his earlier publicized donations of his presidential salary.

2021: Resignation from SAG-AFTRA

In 2021, Donald Trump resigned from SAG-AFTRA to avoid a disciplinary hearing regarding the January 6 attack. Two days later, the union permanently barred him.

2021: Donald Trump's presidency ends

In 2021, Donald Trump's term as the 45th president of the United States came to an end.

2021: Lowest approval rating

In a 2021 Gallup poll, Donald Trump was the only president never to reach a 50 percent approval rating and was the first not to be named most admired in his first year in office.

February 2022: Launch of Truth Social

In February 2022, Donald Trump launched his own social media platform, Truth Social.

November 2022: Trump Announced Candidacy for 2024 Presidential Election

In November 2022, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and created a fundraising account.

November 2022: Trump's Twitter account reinstated

In November 2022, Elon Musk reinstated Donald Trump's Twitter account after acquiring Twitter.

2022: Roe v. Wade Overturned

In 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Trump later took credit, noting that all three of his Supreme Court nominees voted with the majority.

January 2023: Return to Facebook and Instagram

In January 2023, Donald Trump's two-year ban at Meta Platforms lapsed, allowing him to return to Facebook and Instagram.

March 2023: Campaign Began Diverting Donations to Leadership PAC

In March 2023, Donald Trump's campaign began diverting ten percent of the donations to his leadership PAC.

March 2024: Campaign Paid $100 Million Towards Legal Bills

By March 2024, Donald Trump's campaign had paid $100 million towards his legal bills.

March 2024: TMTG Became Public Company

In March 2024, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) merged with Digital World Acquisition and became a public company.

November 2024: Trump Wins the 2024 Election

In November 2024, Donald Trump won the election with 312 electoral votes and 49.8% of the popular vote against Kamala Harris. His victory was attributed to a global backlash against incumbent parties due to the 2021-2023 inflation surge.

2024: Support for outlawing political dissent

By 2024, Donald Trump repeatedly voiced support for outlawing political dissent and criticism, suggesting that reporters should be prosecuted and media companies should possibly lose their broadcast licenses.

2024: Intensified Rhetoric During Campaign

Donald Trump's rhetoric intensified during his 2024 presidential campaign, using fearmongering and demagogy.

2024: Use of AI-generated content

During his 2024 campaign and second presidency, Donald Trump frequently posted AI-generated content of himself as pop-culture icons or mocking immigrants.

2024: Promise to release Epstein files

During the 2024 campaign, Donald Trump promised to release files relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

2024: Attacks Against Kamala Harris' Racial Identity

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump made false attacks against the racial identity of his opponent, Kamala Harris, that were described as reminiscent of the birther conspiracy theory. His 2024 campaign made extensive use of dehumanizing language and racial stereotypes.

2024: Trump Refuses to Commit to Accepting Election Results

In 2024, Donald Trump refused to commit to accepting the election results and analysts noted the intensification of his "heads I win; tails you cheated" rhetorical strategy, with claims of a rigged election becoming the backbone of the campaign.

January 20, 2025: Trump's Second Term Begins

On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump began his second term as president, becoming the oldest individual to assume the presidency, the first president with a felony conviction, and the second person to serve two nonconsecutive terms.

February 2025: Contentious Meeting with Ukrainian President

In February 2025, Donald Trump and Vice President Vance berated Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a highly contentious televised meeting, described by media outlets as an unprecedented public confrontation between an American president and a foreign head of state.

February 2025: Elon Musk as Special Government Employee

In February 2025, the White House stated that Elon Musk was a special government employee, and Donald Trump gave Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to many federal government agencies.

July 2025: One Big Beautiful Bill Act Signed into Law

In July 2025, Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, making the tax cuts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, increasing funding for national defense, deportations, the border wall, and a missile shield, and removing tax credits for clean energy projects. It also cut funding for Medicaid and SNAP with additional work requirements.

August 2025: Dismissals and Multiple Jobs

By August 2025, Donald Trump had dismissed or fired several of his own nominees and gave existing personnel multiple jobs.

August 2025: Trump's Financial Disclosure

In August 2025, Donald Trump's mandatory disclosure of investment showed that, since taking office, he had made 690 purchases of municipal bonds and corporate stock totaling around at least $104 million, including stock in companies affected by his changes to federal policies.

October 9, 2025: Israel and Hamas Sign Ceasefire Agreement

On October 9, 2025, Israel and Hamas signed an agreement to cease fire and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners as part of Donald Trump's initiative to end the Gaza war.

2025: White South African Refugee Program

In 2025, Donald Trump promoted false claims of white genocide in South Africa and created the White South African refugee program.

2025: Controversy over Epstein files

In 2025, media attention and public pressure mounted when Donald Trump's administration did not release files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, despite his promise to do so during the 2024 campaign.

2025: Trump's Executive Orders and Legal Challenges

In 2025, upon taking office, Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders, many of which tested his legal authority and drew immediate legal action. Analysis showed that nearly two-thirds of his executive actions mirrored proposals from Project 2025, and several actions ignored or violated federal laws, regulations, and the Constitution.

2026: Medicaid and SNAP Changes Effective After Election

The cuts and additional requirements to Medicaid and SNAP, as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will take effect after the 2026 general election.