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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 62 (from laksa017)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa062.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack","crawl_time":1776248469,"first_indexed_time":1673563038,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,britannica!www,\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack s443","src_root_hash":"5455945239613777662","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack | Background, Events, Criminal Charges, & Facts | Britannica","meta_descriptions":["The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was carried out in 2021 by a mob of supporters of President Donald J. Trump. After hearing Trump speak at a rally, they stormed the Capitol, disrupting a joint session of Congress convened to certify Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the presidential election of 2020."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Top Questions\nIn which case did the Supreme Court decide that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977?\nWhy did President Donald Trump order the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean?\nWhat criminal charges did Venezuelan president\nNicolás Maduro\nface following his capture by the U.S. military?\nCan President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War?\nWhat is historically unusual about Donald Trump’s presidency?\nHow did Donald Trump’s business career begin?\nWhere and when was Donald Trump shot?\nWhat was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade?\nPrior to 2025, when was the last major military parade in the U.S.?\nHow much does a military parade cost?\nWhat is a border czar?\nNews\n•\nDonald Trump\n(born June 14, 1946,\nNew York\n, New York, U.S.) is a former real estate mogul and\nreality TV star\nwho has served as the 45th and 47th\npresident\nof the\nUnited States\n. The scion of renowned New York real estate developer Fred Trump, Donald rose to eclipse his father in fame and fortune, moving through New York’s elite social circles in the 1980s to American TV fame in the 2000s and finally leveraging his name and wealth to become one of the most consequential leaders of the early 21st century.\nThroughout Trump’s long career in business and politics, one constant has been his\nbrazen\n,\npugnacious\n, and unrepentant style, which has led to unparalleled achievements while often sowing conflict and\nchaos\n. As a businessman, Trump flashed his name worldwide across buildings, casinos, airlines, universities, and even steaks, often while mired in lawsuits and weathering multiple bankruptcies. As a politician, Trump started the fiercely tribal Make America Great Again (\nMAGA\n) movement that came to dominate American politics in the second half of the 2010s and 2020s. His uncanny\nresilience\nto scandals led him to become one of two U.S. presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, even after leading a rally that resulted in a mob storming\nCongress\n(the\nJanuary 6 attack\n), two\nimpeachments\n, and being the only former U.S. president convicted in a criminal case. His willingness to push boundaries, test legal precedent, and discard conventional norms has reshaped much of American life and been embraced by many\ndisenfranchised\nvoters, but it has also eroded protections for millions, stoked\nxenophobia\n, and amplified political divisions to new heights. \nAfter being elected in 2024 for his second term, Trump swiftly moved to consolidate power under the\nexecutive\nbranch, upended\ninternational trade\n, and shook up America’s global footprint by discarding centuries-old alliances and igniting bombast with Canada, Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran. \nEarly life and business career\nDonald Trump\nDonald Trump speaking in front of Trump Tower, New York City, August 2008.\nTrump was the fourth of five children of\nFrederick (Fred) Christ Trump\n, a successful real estate developer, and Mary MacLeod. Donald’s eldest sister,\nMaryanne Trump Barry, eventually served as a U.S.\ndistrict court\njudge (1983–99) and later as a judge on the\nU.S. Court of Appeals\nfor the Third\nCircuit\nuntil her retirement in 2011. His elder brother, Frederick, Jr. (Freddy), worked briefly for their father’s business before becoming an airline pilot in the 1960s. Freddy’s\nalcoholism\nled to his early death in 1981, at the age of 43.\nBeginning in the late 1920s, Fred Trump built hundreds of single-family houses and row houses in the\nQueens\nand\nBrooklyn\nboroughs of\nNew York City\n, and from the late 1940s he built thousands of apartment units, mostly in Brooklyn, using federal loan guarantees designed to stimulate the construction of\naffordable housing\n. During\nWorld War II\nhe also built federally backed housing for naval personnel and shipyard workers in\nVirginia\nand\nPennsylvania\n. In 1954 Fred was investigated by the Senate Banking Committee for allegedly abusing the loan-guarantee program by deliberately overestimating the costs of his construction projects to secure larger loans from\ncommercial banks\n, enabling him to keep the difference between the loan amounts and his actual construction costs. In\ntestimony\nbefore the Senate committee in 1954, Fred admitted that he had built the Beach Haven apartment complex in Brooklyn for $3.7 million less than the amount of his government-insured loan. Although he was not charged with any crime, he was thereafter unable to obtain federal loan guarantees. A decade later a New York state investigation found that Fred had used his profit on a state-insured construction loan to build a shopping center that was entirely his own property. He eventually returned $1.2 million to the state but was thereafter unable to obtain state loan guarantees for residential projects in the\nConey Island\narea of Brooklyn.\nBritannica Quiz\nU.S. Presidents and Their Years in Office Quiz\nDonald Trump attended New York Military Academy (1959–64), a private boarding school;\nFordham University\nin the\nBronx\n(1964–66); and the\nUniversity of Pennsylvania\n’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (1966–68), where he graduated with a\nbachelor’s degree\nin\neconomics\n. In 1968, during the\nVietnam War\n, he secured a\ndiagnosis\nof bone spurs, which qualified him for a medical exemption from the\nmilitary draft\n(he had earlier received four draft deferments for education). Upon his graduation Trump began working full-time for his father’s business, helping to manage its holdings of rental housing, then estimated at between 10,000 and 22,000 units. In 1974 he became president of a conglomeration of Trump-owned corporations and partnerships, which he later named the\nTrump Organization.\nDuring the 1960s and early 1970s, Trump-owned housing developments in New York City,\nCincinnati\n,\nOhio\n, and\nNorfolk\n,\nVirginia\n, were the target of several complaints of racial\ndiscrimination\nagainst\nAfrican Americans\nand other minority groups. In 1973 Fred and Donald Trump, along with their company, were sued by the\nU.S. Justice Department\nfor allegedly violating the\nFair Housing Act\n(1968) in the operation of 39 apartment buildings in New York City. The Trumps initially countersued the\nJustice\nDepartment for $100 million, alleging harm to their reputations. The suit was settled two years later under an agreement that did not require the Trumps to admit guilt.\nGo beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners.\nSUBSCRIBE\nFather and son\nDonald Trump posing with his father, Fred Trump, at Trump Tower in 1987.\nIn the late 1970s and the 1980s, Donald Trump greatly expanded his father’s business by investing in luxury hotels and residential properties and by shifting its geographic focus to\nManhattan\nand later to\nAtlantic City\n,\nNew Jersey\n. In doing so, he relied heavily on loans, gifts, and other financial assistance from his father, as well as on his father’s political connections in New York City. In 1976 he purchased the decrepit Commodore Hotel near\nGrand Central Station\nunder a complex profit-sharing agreement with the city that included a 40-year\nproperty tax\nabatement, the first such tax break granted to a commercial property in New York City. Relying on a construction loan guaranteed by his father and the Hyatt Corporation, which became a partner in the project, Trump refurbished the building and reopened it in 1980 as the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt Hotel. In 1983 he opened\nTrump Tower\n, an office, retail, and residential complex constructed in partnership with the Equitable Life\nAssurance\nCompany. The 58-story building on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue eventually contained Trump’s Manhattan residence and the headquarters of the Trump Organization. Other Manhattan properties developed by Trump during the 1980s include the Trump Plaza residential cooperative (1984), the Trump Parc luxury\ncondominium\ncomplex (1986), and the 19-story Plaza Hotel (1988), a historic landmark for which Trump paid more than $400 million.\nIn the 1980s Trump invested heavily in the\ncasino\nbusiness in Atlantic City, where his properties eventually included Harrah’s at Trump Plaza (1984, later renamed Trump Plaza), Trump’s Castle Casino Resort (1985), and the Trump Taj Mahal (1990), then the largest casino in the world. During that period Trump also purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived U.S. Football League;\nMar-a-Lago\n, a 118-room mansion in\nPalm Beach\n, Florida, built in the 1920s by the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post; a 282-foot\nyacht\n, then the world’s second largest, which he named the\nTrump Princess\n; and an East Coast air-shuttle service, which he called Trump Shuttle.\nIn 1977 Trump married\nIvana Zelníčková Winklmayr, a Czech model, with whom he had three children—\nDonald, Jr.\n,\nIvanka\n, and\nEric—before the couple divorced in 1992. Their married life, as well as Trump’s business affairs, were a\nstaple\nof the\ntabloid\npress in New York City during the 1980s. Trump married the American actress\nMarla Maples after she gave birth to Trump’s fourth child,\nTiffany, in 1993. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1999. In 2005 Trump married the Slovene model Melania Knauss, and their son, Barron, was born the following year.\nMelania Trump\nbecame the second foreign-born\nfirst lady\nof the United States upon Trump’s inauguration as president in 2017.\nWhen the U.S. economy fell into\nrecession\nin 1990, many of Trump’s businesses suffered, and he soon had trouble making payments on his approximately $5 billion debt, some $900 million of which he had personally guaranteed. Under a restructuring agreement with several banks, Trump was forced to\nsurrender\nhis airline, which was taken over by\nUS Airways\nin 1992; to sell the\nTrump Princess\n; to take out second or third mortgages on nearly all of his properties and to reduce his ownership stakes in them; and to commit himself to living on a personal budget of $450,000 a year. Despite those measures, the Trump Taj Mahal declared\nbankruptcy\nin 1991, and two other casinos owned by Trump, as well as his Plaza Hotel in New York City, went bankrupt in 1992. Following those setbacks, most major banks refused to do any further business with him. Estimates of Trump’s net\nworth\nduring this period ranged from $1.7 billion to minus $900 million.\nTrump’s fortunes rebounded with the stronger economy of the later 1990s and with the decision of the\nFrankfurt\n-based\nDeutsche Bank AG\nto establish a presence in the U.S. commercial real estate market. Deutsche Bank extended hundreds of millions of dollars in credit to Trump in the late 1990s and the 2000s for projects including Trump World Tower (2001) in New York and\nTrump International Hotel and Tower\n(2009) in\nChicago\n. In the early 1990s Trump had floated a plan to his creditors to convert his Mar-a-Lago estate into a luxury housing development consisting of several smaller mansions, but local opposition led him instead to turn it into a private club, which was opened in 1995. In 1996 Trump partnered with the\nNBC\ntelevision network to purchase the Miss Universe Organization, which produced the\nMiss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. Trump’s casino businesses continued to struggle, however: in 2004 his company Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy after several of its properties accumulated unmanageable debt, and the same company, renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts, went bankrupt again in 2009.\nBeginning in the mid-2000s, Trump enjoyed an enormous financial windfall from the success of\nThe Apprentice\n, a\nreality television\nseries in which he starred that directly earned him nearly $200 million over a 16-year period. The\nEmmy\n-nominated show, in each episode of which Trump “fired” one or more contestants competing for a lucrative one-year contract as a Trump employee, further\nenhanced\nhis reputation as a shrewd businessman and self-made billionaire. In 2008 the show was revamped as\nThe Celebrity Apprentice\n, which featured news makers and entertainers as contestants.\nTrump marketed his name as a brand in numerous other business ventures, including Trump Financial, a\nmortgage\ncompany, and the Trump\nEntrepreneur\nInitiative\n(formerly\nTrump University), an online education company focusing on real estate investment and entrepreneurialism. The latter firm, which ceased operating in 2011, was the target of\nclass-action\nlawsuits by former students and a separate action by the\nattorney general\nof New York state, alleging\nfraud\n. After initially denying the allegations, Trump settled the lawsuits for $25 million in November 2016. In 2019, more than two years into his presidency, Trump agreed to pay $2 million in damages and to admit guilt to settle another lawsuit by the attorney general of New York that had accused him of illegally using\nassets\nfrom his charity, the Trump Foundation, to fund his 2016 presidential campaign. As part of the settlement, the Trump Foundation was dissolved.\nIn 2018\nThe New York Times\npublished a lengthy investigative report that documented how Fred Trump had regularly transferred vast sums of money, ultimately amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, to his children by means of strategies that involved tax, securities, and real estate fraud, as well as by legal means. According to the report, Donald Trump was the main beneficiary of the transfers, having received the equivalent (in 2018 dollars) of $413 million by the early 2000s. According to a later report by the\nTimes\n, based on\ndata\nfrom tax returns filed by Trump during an 18-year period starting in 2000, Trump paid no federal taxes in 11 years and only $750 in each of two years, 2016 and 2017. Trump was able to reduce his tax obligations to levels significantly below the average for the wealthiest Americans by claiming massive losses on many of his businesses; by deducting as business expenses costs associated with his residences and his personal aircraft; and by receiving, on the basis of business losses, a tentative refund from the\nInternal Revenue Service\n(IRS) of nearly $73 million, which more than covered the federal taxes Trump had paid on income he received from\nThe Apprentice\nin 2005–08. The refund became the subject of an IRS audit and a legally\nmandated\nreview by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.\nQuick Facts\nIn full:\nDonald John Trump\nNotable Family Members:\nspouse\nMelania Trump\nfather\nFred Trump\ndaughter\nIvanka Trump\nson\nDonald Trump, Jr.\nson of Frederick Christ Trump\nson of Mary MacLeod\nhusband of Melania Trump (January 22, 2005–present)\nhusband of Marla Maples (December 20, 1993–June 8, 1999)\nhusband of Ivana Trump (April 9, 1977–March 22, 1992)\nfather of Donald Trump, Jr. (b. 1977)\nfather of Ivanka Trump (b. 1981)\nfather of Eric Trump (b. 1984)\nfather of Tiffany Trump (b. 1993)\nfather of Barron Trump (b. 2006)\nbrother of Maryanne Trump Barry\nbrother of Frederick Trump, Jr.\nbrother of Elizabeth Trump Grau\nbrother of Robert Trump\nPublished Works:\n\"Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life\" (2004; with Meredith McIver)\n\"Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life\" (2007; with Bill Zanker)\n\"Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies\" (2006)\n\"The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received\" (2005)\n\"Trump: The Art of the Comeback\" (1997; with Kate Bohner)\n\"Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again\" (2015)\n\"Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—And Why Most Don't\" (2011; with Robert T. Kiyosaki)\n\"Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life\" (2009; with Meredith McIver)\n\"Trump: The Art of the Deal\" (1987; with Tony Schwartz)\n\"Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again\" (2011)\n\"Trump: Surviving at the Top\" (1990; with Charles Leerhsen)\n\"The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received\" (2004)\n\"The America We Deserve\" (2000; with Dave Shiflett)\n\"Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message\" (2006; with Robert T. Kiyosaki)\n\"Trump: How to Get Rich\" (2004; with Meredith McIver)\n\"Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success\" (2008; with Meredith McIver)\n\"Trump 101: The Way to Success\" (2007; with Meredith McIver)\nMovies\/Tv Shows (Acted In):\n\"The Little Rascals\" (1994)\n\"Horrorween\" (2011)\n\"Eddie\" (1996)\n\"Marmalade\" (2004)\n\"Two Weeks Notice\" (2002)\n\"Across the Sea of Time\" (1995)\n\"54\" (1998)\n\"Zoolander\" (2001)\n\"Spin City\" (1998)\n\"The Drew Carey Show\" (1997)\n\"NightMan\" (1997)\n\"The Nanny\" (1996)\n\"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York\" (1992)\n\"Celebrity\" (1998)\n\"Suddenly Susan\" (1997)\n\"Ghosts Can't Do It\" (1989)\nTrump was credited as coauthor of a number of books on entrepreneurship and his business career, including\nTrump: The Art of the Deal\n(1987),\nTrump: The Art of the Comeback\n(1997),\nWhy We Want You to Be Rich\n(2006),\nTrump 101: The Way to Success\n(2006), and\nTrump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success\n(2008).\nAt a glance: the Trump presidency","attrs_markdown":"[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav-mobile&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\nLogin\n\nhttps:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm\\_source=premium\\&utm\\_medium=nav-login-box\\&utm\\_campaign=evergreen\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=blue)\n\n[Ask the Chatbot](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/chatbot)\n\n[Games & Quizzes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/browse) [History & Society](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/History-Society) [Science & Tech](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Science-Tech) [Biographies](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Biographies) [Animals & Nature](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Animals-Nature) [Geography & Travel](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Geography-Travel) [Arts & Culture](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Arts-Culture) [ProCon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/procon) [Money](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money) [Videos](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/videos)\n\n[January 6 U.S. Capitol attack](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)\n\n- [Introduction & Top Questions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)\n- [Background](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack#ref348113)\n- [The attack and its aftermath](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack#ref348114)\n\n[References & Edit History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack\/additional-info)  [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)\n\n[Images & Videos](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack\/images-videos)\n\n[![January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/07\/221007-004-A2D11D65\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/07\/221007-050-0B9861FF\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)\n\n[![Protestors with Trump signs and American flags outside the U.S. Capitol.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/238294-138-CE3717FC\/January-6-US-Capitol-attack.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/January-6-US-Capitol-attack\/-285106)\n\n[![January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/06\/221006-004-BB99B527\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/06\/221006-050-8BA0B2C7\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)  [![Gadsden flag at the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/01\/233001-004-B6C22859\/Gadsden-flag-Dont-Tread-On-Me-US-Capitol-January-6-2021.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/01\/233001-050-825CB901\/Gadsden-flag-Dont-Tread-On-Me-US-Capitol-January-6-2021.jpg)  [![Hawley's iconic moment](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/243717-004-2B13F258\/Senator-Josh-Hawley-image-shown-at-Select-Committee-to-Investigate-January-6th-attack-Capitol.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/243717-050-2092946B\/Senator-Josh-Hawley-image-shown-at-Select-Committee-to-Investigate-January-6th-attack-Capitol.jpg)\n\nAt a Glance\n\n[![January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/07\/221007-050-0B9861FF\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)\n\n[January 6 U.S. Capitol attack summary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)\n\nRelated Questions\n\n- [What happened on January 6, 2021?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-happened-on-January-6-2021)\n- [Why actions did the crowd take that day?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Why-actions-did-the-crowd-take-that-day)\n- [How did government officials and police respond to the riot?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/How-did-government-officials-and-police-respond-to-the-riot)\n- [What were the consequences for those involved in the attack?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-were-the-consequences-for-those-involved-in-the-attack)\n- [How did the January 6 attack impact U.S. government and society?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/How-did-the-January-6-attack-impact-U-S-government-and-society)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)\n\nContents\n\nAsk Anything\n\n[Politics, Law & Government](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Politics-Law-Government)    [Law, Crime & Punishment](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Law-Crime-Punishment)\n\nCITE\n\nShare\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\n# January 6 U.S. Capitol attack\nriot, Washington, D.C., United States \\[2021\\]\n\nHomework Help\n\nWritten by\n\n[Brian Duignan Brian Duignan is a senior editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. His subject areas include philosophy, law, social science, politics, political theory, and religion.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/brian-duignan\/6469)\n\nBrian Duignan\n\nFact-checked by\n\n[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\n\nBritannica Editors\n\nLast updated\n\nApr. 1, 2026\n\n•[History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack\/additional-info#history)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nAsk Anything\n\n[![January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/07\/221007-050-0B9861FF\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg?w=1000)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/07\/221007-050-0B9861FF\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)\n\n[January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/07\/221007-050-0B9861FF\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)Supporters of Donald Trump during an attack on the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021.\n\n(more)\n\nTop Questions\n\n### What happened on January 6, 2021?\nOn January 6, 2021, the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a mob of supporters of Republican Pres. [Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump), disrupting a joint session of Congress convened to certify the results of the [2020 presidential election](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020), which Trump lost to his Democratic opponent, [Joe Biden.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Joe-Biden) At a rally held near the White House, Trump repeated false claims about the election and encouraged the crowd to march to the Capitol.\n\nThe ensuing attack, during which rioters vandalized and looted the interior, resulted in property damage of approximately \\$1.5 million. The Capitol was cleared of rioters about four hours after they first entered the building, and Congress resumed its tabulation of electoral votes, certifying Biden as the winner.\n\n### Why actions did the crowd take that day?\nOn January 6, 2021, a large crowd of [Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump)’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to disrupt the certification of the [2020 presidential election](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020) results. The mob pushed through fences at the Capitol grounds’ perimeter, overwhelming police officers. Some rioters beat officers with weapons, sprayed them with chemical irritants, or crushed them in the surging crowd. The rioters shattered windows to enter the Capitol, vandalized and looted the interior, ransacked offices, and searched for lawmakers and then-Vice President [Mike Pence](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Mike-Pence). The Capitol was cleared at approximately 6 p.m., about four hours after the rioters entered the building.\n\n### How did government officials and police respond to the riot?\nOn January 6, 2021, a mob of [Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump)’s supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol Building while Congress was in session to certify the results of the [2020 presidential election](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020). The Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department were overwhelmed as rioters breached barriers, vandalized the building, and assaulted officers. Reinforcements were summoned, and the governors of Virginia and Maryland dispatched National Guard units and state troopers to help secure the Capitol. However, due to bureaucratic delays, the District of Columbia National Guard wasn’t mobilized until three hours after the attack began. The Capitol was secured around 6 p.m., four hours after the initial breach..\n\n### What were the consequences for those involved in the attack?\nThe January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack had significant consequences for those involved.\n\nProtester Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by police officers as she tried to breach the House chamber. Three other protesters also died, two of natural causes and one in a stampede. Five police officers involved in the protection of the Capitol on January 6 died in the aftermath of the attacks.\n\nParticipants faced a range of criminal charges, from trespassing to seditious conspiracy, leading to numerous arrests and prosecutions.\n\nMembers of extremist groups including the [Proud Boys](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Proud-Boys) and [Oath Keepers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Oath-Keepers) received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in planning and carrying out the attack. For example, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes received 18 years.\n\nIn January 2025, shortly after returning to office, Pres. [Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump) issued full pardons to individuals convicted of offenses related to the attack, commuted the sentences of others, and ordered the dismissal of remaining indictments.\n\n### How did the January 6 attack impact U.S. government and society?\nThe January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol disrupted the certification of the [2020 presidential election](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020), which [Joe Biden](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Joe-Biden) won. A mob of supporters of Pres. [Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump) stormed the Capitol, aiming to prevent the legitimate president-elect from assuming office. This event was widely regarded as an insurrection and an act of domestic terrorism.\n\nThe attack led to the second impeachment of Donald Trump for inciting violence against the government. He was acquitted by the Senate. It also resulted in approximately \\$1.5 million in damage to the Capitol building. In the aftermath, many individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes. With his January 2025 inauguration to a second term, Trump issued pardons and commutations to many of those found guilty of participating in the attack.\n\n### How many people died on January 6th?\nEight people died during or in the aftermath of the January 6th attack, including five police officers involved in the protection of the [Capitol](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-Capitol). Protester Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by police officers as she tried to breach the [House](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/House-of-Representatives-United-States-government) chamber, and three other protesters also died, two of natural causes and one in a stampede.\n\n### How many people connected to January 6th were charged with insurrection?\nNone of the people connected to January 6th were formally charged with [insurrection](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/insurrection-politics). Instead, they were charged with specific crimes related to the January 6th attack. The alleged crimes included assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground with a dangerous or deadly weapon; and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building.\n\n### Did Trump pardon people who participated in the January 6th attack?\nYes, Trump [pardoned](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/pardon) or granted [commutations](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/commutation-law) or to all people convicted of or charged with crimes committed during the January 6th attack. He also dismissed pending [indictments](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/indictment) of all people subject to related criminal charges.\n\n## News •\n[Trump isn't immune from civil claims his Jan. 6 rally speech incited riot, judge says](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/2185465\/13ce62c37c69a82e5748ce6ba4fc8ebb)  • Apr. 1, 2026, 1:02 PM ET (AP)\n\nShow less\n\n**January 6 U.S. Capitol attack**, storming of the [United States Capitol](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-Capitol) on January 6, 2021, by a mob of supporters of [Republican](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Republican-Party) Pres. [Donald J. Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump). The attack disrupted a joint session of [Congress](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Congress-of-the-United-States) [convened](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/convened) to certify the results of the [presidential election of 2020](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020), which Trump had lost to his [Democratic](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Democratic-Party) opponent, [Joe Biden](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Joe-Biden). Because its object was to prevent a [legitimate](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/legitimate) president-elect from assuming office, the attack was widely regarded as an [insurrection](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/insurrection-politics) or attempted [coup d’état](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/coup-detat). The [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Federal-Bureau-of-Investigation) (FBI) and other law-enforcement agencies also considered it an act of [domestic](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/domestic-terrorism) [terrorism](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/terrorism). For having given a speech in which he rallied supporters to storm the Capitol in a violent attack that threatened the certification of Biden’s victory, Trump was [impeached](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/impeachment) by the Democratic-led [House of Representatives](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/House-of-Representatives-United-States-government) for “incitement of insurrection” (he was subsequently acquitted by the [Senate](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Senate-United-States-government)).\n\n## Background\nThe conduct of the 2020 presidential [election](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/election-political-science) was significantly affected by the deadly [COVID-19](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/coronavirus-virus-group) [pandemic](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/pandemic) in the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States), the early stages of which coincided with the first presidential [primary elections](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/primary-election) in February and March. Because of the evident risk to [public health](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/public-health), governors and election officials in several states postponed primary elections or [implemented](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/implemented) changes to election procedures to enable voters to cast their ballots safely. Among such measures were extending early-voting periods and loosening or eliminating requirements for obtaining or casting absentee (mail-in) ballots, which millions of voters were expected to use as a safer [alternative](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/alternative) to in-person voting. Correctly anticipating that Democratic voters would be more likely than Republican voters to use absentee ballots (in part because Trump had repeatedly downplayed the extent of the pandemic and the seriousness of the illness), the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee (RNC), and Republican leaders in several states filed scores of lawsuits alleging that the changes undermined the [constitutional](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/constitutional) authority of state legislatures to make election law or that they invited individual voter fraud. Nearly all of the suits were dismissed or withdrawn. Amid those failed challenges, Trump continued to falsely claim that Democrats were plotting to “rig” the election through voter fraud and by systematically forging, altering, or discarding absentee ballots, among other illegal means. His accusations were of a piece with his frequent assertions during the 2016 presidential campaign that the [election of that year](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2016), which he won, would be rigged by Democrats.\n\nIn a press encounter in the early morning of November 4, the day after the election, Trump maintained his false narrative of Democratic cheating by declaring himself the winner and denouncing the ongoing counting of absentee ballots as a “fraud on the American people.” During the next several weeks he continually accused Biden and the Democrats of having stolen the presidential election and repeated [conspiracy theories](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/conspiracy-theory) involving ballot stuffing, dead voters, and [malicious](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/malicious) voting-machine software that deleted or changed millions of votes for Trump. His false accusations were indirectly [endorsed](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/endorsed) by several Republican members of Congress who expressed uncertainty about the election’s outcome or who simply refused to publicly acknowledge Biden’s victory. Their calculated reticence helped to spread false doubts about the [integrity](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/integrity) of the election among rank-and-file Republicans. (Such manufactured doubts were later cited by Republican governors and election officials in several states to justify new “election integrity” laws that made it harder for some Democrats to vote and easier for partisan state legislatures to improperly influence or overturn statewide elections—*see* [voter suppression](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/voter-suppression).)\n\nAs vote counting continued, various groups of radicalized Trump supporters quickly coalesced around the idea that forceful protests and even violent direct action were necessary to stop the counting of fraudulent ballots and thereby to prevent Biden from taking office. A short-lived [Facebook](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Facebook) group calling itself “Stop the Steal” was created on November 4 and grew to some 320,000 members in less than 24 hours before the social media company shut it down because of posts containing disinformation and calls for [violence](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/violence) (*see also* [collective violence](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/collective-violence)). Stop the Steal enthusiasts soon migrated to other social media [venues](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/venues), where they repeated and elaborated [conspiracy](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/conspiracy) theories about the election and organized on-the-ground demonstrations in several cities, including at polling stations where supposedly fraudulent vote counting was underway.\n\nAfter the electors from each state cast their votes for president and vice president on December 14, giving Biden a victory of 306 electoral votes to 232, Trump and his allies, as well as leaders of Stop the Steal and other pro-Trump groups across the country, turned their attention to the last, formal step in the election of a U.S. president, the ceremonial opening and counting of the electoral votes of each state in a joint session of [Congress](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/Congress), presided over by the vice president and commencing on January 6, a date fixed in federal law. Some allies reportedly advised Trump—incorrectly—that the vice president’s role in the electoral-vote counting would give Trump’s vice president, [Mike Pence](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Mike-Pence), the constitutional authority to replace Democratic slates of electors with Republican ones and thereby to block Congress’s confirmation of Biden’s victory.\n\nMeanwhile, in several tweets beginning in mid-December, Trump encouraged his supporters to attend a rally and march on January 6 to protest the vote-counting ceremony. In one of the tweets, Trump stated, “Be there, will be wild!”\n\n(Trump’s news conferences, public speeches, and social-media communications in the weeks leading up to the January 6 attack have frequently been characterized as “[stochastic terrorism](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/stochastic-terrorism),” understood as the repeated use of vilifying [rhetoric](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/rhetoric) by a public figure that inspires acts of violence against a targeted person, group, or community.)\n\nExplore Britannica Premium\\!\n\nTrusted knowledge for those who want to know more.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=shorter-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\n## The attack and its aftermath\n[![Protestors with Trump signs and American flags outside the U.S. Capitol.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/94\/238294-138-CE3717FC\/January-6-US-Capitol-attack.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/January-6-US-Capitol-attack\/-285106)\n\nWhat Caused the January 6, 2021, Capitol Attack?On the afternoon of January 6, 2021, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol building.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack\/images-videos)\n\nAt Trump’s rally, held at a public park near the [White House](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/White-House-Washington-DC), a crowd of thousands, which included members of paramilitary organizations and other right-wing extremists, listened to speeches by Trump’s personal attorney [Rudy Giuliani](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Rudy-Giuliani) and Trump’s sons [Donald, Jr.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump-Jr), and [Eric](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Eric-Trump), among others. In his own address, which began at about noon, Trump repeated well-worn falsehoods and conspiracy theories about the stolen election; called on Pence to block Congress’s confirmation of the electoral college vote—declaring that, if Pence failed to act, the rally crowd would not let the confirmation take place (“We’re just not going to let that happen”); encouraged the crowd to “walk down Pennsylvania Avenue” to the Capitol building; and urged his audience to “fight like hell” or “you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Although Trump did not explicitly direct those in attendance to commit illegal acts, his generally [incendiary](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/incendiary) language plainly suggested to many in the crowd that they would be justified in violently attacking the Capitol and members of Congress to prevent Biden from becoming president.\n\nEven before Trump finished his address shortly after 1:00 pm, and just as the joint session of Congress was being convened, a mob of his supporters—including members of right-wing extremist organizations, such as the [Proud Boys](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Proud-Boys), the Oath Keepers, and the Three Percenters, as well as self-identified adherents of the [QAnon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/QAnon) conspiracy theory—pushed through fences at the western perimeter of the Capitol grounds, forcing Capitol Police officers to retreat to additional barricades closer to the building (*see* [United States: The 2020 U.S. election](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States\/The-indictment-of-Paul-Manafort-the-guilty-pleas-of-Michael-Flynn-and-George-Papadopoulos-and-indictments-of-Russian-intelligence-officers#ref346098) and [United States presidential election of 2020: Aftermath: Trump’s refusal to concede and the insurrection at the Capitol](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020#ref347103)). The [mob](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/mob) grew larger as ever more people arrived from the rally at which Trump had spoken. Capitol Police officers, along with reinforcements from the Metropolitan Police Department of the [District of Columbia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Washington-DC), were overwhelmed. Many officers were brutally beaten with deadly weapons (bats, pipes, and flag poles), sprayed with chemical irritants, or crushed and trampled by the surging crowd. As the rioting continued outside, the joint session was temporarily adjourned to allow the House and Senate to separately debate a Republican challenge to the Democratic slate of electors from [Arizona](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Arizona-state). By about 2:00 pm the rioters had [breached](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/breached) the last barrier on the west side of the building and were running up the Capitol steps and scaling the walls of the West Terrace. Another mob also had broken through barriers on the east side of the Capitol.\n\n[![January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/06\/221006-050-8BA0B2C7\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg?w=1000)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/06\/221006-050-8BA0B2C7\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)\n\n[January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/06\/221006-050-8BA0B2C7\/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)Supporters of Donald Trump attacking the Capitol in Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021.\n\n(more)\n\nShortly after 2:00 pm the rioters shattered windows to break into the west side of the building, and for the next few hours they vandalized and looted the interior and ransacked offices as they searched for their perceived enemies in Congress. They also looked for Pence, whom they now [denounced](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/denounced) as a traitor for having refused to interfere in Congress’s tabulation of electoral votes. (Shortly before the start of the joint session, Pence had released a letter in which he stated that “it is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.”) At about 2:20 pm Trump condemned Pence in a tweet to his followers, claiming that “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.” Only minutes after the break-in, members of the House and Senate were notified that protesters had entered the building. Realizing that their lives were in danger, many lawmakers fled or were evacuated from the building or hid behind desks or in barricaded offices and even closets. Pence was evacuated to a secure location within the complex.\n\nThe governors of Virginia and Maryland eventually dispatched National Guard units and state troopers to assist in securing the building; because of [bureaucratic](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/bureaucratic) delays, the District of Columbia National Guard was not mobilized until about three hours after the start of the attack. The Capitol was finally cleared of rioters at about 6 pm, some four hours after they first entered the building. The vast majority of the attackers were not arrested on-site and simply walked away. Congress then resumed its tabulation of electoral votes (after dismissing Republican challenges to the slates of electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania), and Biden was certified as the winner of the 2020 presidential election in the early morning hours of January 7.\n\nThe attack on the Capitol was broadcast live on major news networks. Trump himself watched some of the assault and reportedly was pleased and excited by what he saw. After initially resisting pressure from White House aides and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy to condemn the attack, Trump reluctantly tweeted (at about 2:40 pm) a call to his followers to support the Capitol Police and to “stay peaceful.” A similar tweet was issued about half an hour later. At about 4:20 pm Trump tweeted a brief video in which he once again asserted that the election had been stolen. Expressing his “love” for the rioters, he urged them to “go home,” stating that “we have to have peace.” Later that day he tweeted:\n\n> These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever\\!\n\nOn January 8 Trump was banned from [Twitter](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Twitter) for having posted tweets before, during, and after the assault that violated the company’s policy against glorification of violence. The ban was [rescinded](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/rescinded) after [Elon Musk](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Elon-Musk) took over the [social media](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/social-media) company.\n\nAccording to a [Justice](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Justice) Department report released in July 2021, approximately 140 Capitol and Metropolitan police officers were criminally assaulted by the rioters in the January 6 attack. Five police officers involved in the protection of the Capitol on January 6 died in the aftermath of the attacks. Protester Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by police officers as she tried to [breach](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/breach) the House chamber. Three other protesters also died, two of natural causes and one in a stampede. The rioters caused an estimated \\$1.5 million in damage to the Capitol building.\n\nOn January 13, 2021, the House of Representatives, by a vote of 232 to 197, adopted a single article of impeachment against Trump for incitement of insurrection. At his Senate trial in February, which began three weeks after he left office on January 20, Trump was acquitted after only 57 senators, 10 short of the required two-thirds majority, voted to find him guilty.\n\nDuring the first year after the attack, the FBI and the Justice Department arrested more than 725 of the rioters, charging them with a variety of federal crimes, including injuring law-enforcement officers, destruction and theft of government property, seditious conspiracy, and obstruction of an official proceeding. (In June 2024, the [U.S. Supreme Court](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States) invalidated the [conviction](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/conviction) of a January 6 rioter on the charge of obstructing an official proceeding, holding that the relevant law applied only to reducing the “availability or integrity” of official documents, records, or objects.) By January 6, 2025, nearly 1,600 persons had been charged with crimes related to the attack. Two weeks later, shortly after his second inauguration as president of the United States, Trump issued a “full, complete and unconditional pardon to all…individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” Trump also [commuted](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/commuted) the sentences of 14 other rioters and ordered the dismissal of all pending indictments connected to the attack.\n\nIn May 2021 Senate Republicans blocked passage of a House-passed bill that would have created a national commission to investigate the January 6 attack, claiming that it would unnecessarily duplicate ongoing investigations by two Senate committees and the Justice Department (the Senate investigation, however, was focused on intelligence and communication failures by law-enforcement agencies prior to the attack). In response, the House voted along near-party lines to create its own committee, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. After Speaker of the House [Nancy Pelosi](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Nancy-Pelosi) refused to seat two of the Republican representatives chosen by minority leader [Kevin McCarthy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Kevin-McCarthy-politician) to serve on the committee investigating the January 6th attack ([Jim Jordan](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jim-Jordan-politician) and Jim Banks), McCarthy withdrew his other nominees and sought to block Republican involvement in the committee, which he branded a “sham process.” When Representatives [Adam Kinzinger](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Adam-Kinzinger) and [Liz Cheney](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Liz-Cheney) ignored that directive, the [Republican National Committee](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Republican-National-Committee) [censured](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/censured) them, and McCarthy saw that Cheney was stripped of her leadership role within the party. The committee began holding hearings in July and by early January 2022 the committee had interviewed more than 300 people and collected thousands of pages of records related to the attack. It had also subpoenaed testimony and records from high-level members of the Trump administration and other Trump associates and supporters, some of whom refused to cooperate with the investigation.\n\nIn October 2021 Trump filed suit against the committee in federal district court, seeking to block the release of several hundred pages of records relating to his activities and communications before and during the attack, which the committee had originally requested in August. In December, after the district court rejected Trump’s request and an appellate court [upheld](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/upheld) that decision, Trump filed an emergency petition with the [Supreme Court](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States), asking that it review the district court’s ruling and that it block release of the documents pending its final decision in the case. The Supreme Court denied Trump’s request in January 2022, allowing the committee to begin receiving the documents from the National Archives.\n\nQuick Facts\n\nDate:\n\nJanuary 6, 2021\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nLocation:\n\n[United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States)\n\n[Washington, D.C.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Washington-DC)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nParticipants:\n\n[Proud Boys](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Proud-Boys)\n\n[Oath Keepers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Oath-Keepers)\n\n[Three Percenters](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Three-Percenters)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nContext:\n\n[United States presidential election of 2020](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nKey People:\n\n[Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump)\n\n[Steve Bannon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Steve-Bannon)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\n[See all related content](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)\n\n*See also* [Donald J. Trump: Presidential election of 2020](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump).\n\n[Brian Duignan](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/brian-duignan\/6469)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI\n\n*chevron\\_right*\n\nJanuary 6 U.S. Capitol Attack\n\n*close*\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\n[Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump)\n\n- [Introduction & Top Questions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump)\n- [Early life and business career](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump#ref332843)\n- [At a glance: the Trump presidency](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump#ref384379)\n- [Presidential election of 2016](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Presidential-election-of-2016)\n- [Trump’s first presidential term](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Presidential-election-of-2016#ref397483)\n  - [Immigration](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Presidential-election-of-2016#ref337765)\n  \n  - [Emoluments clause](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Presidential-election-of-2016#ref337766)\n  \n  - [Supreme Court](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Supreme-Court)\n  \n  - [Cabinet appointments](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Supreme-Court#ref337768)\n  \n  - [Russia investigation](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Russia-investigation)\n  \n  - [Other investigations](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Russia-investigation#ref344664)\n  \n  - [Health care](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Health-care)\n  \n  - [Environmental policy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Health-care#ref337771)\n  \n  - [Foreign relations](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations)\n  \n  - [Ukraine scandal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref344665)\n  \n  - [COVID-19 pandemic](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref347168)\n- [Presidential election of 2020](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref397484)\n  - [Campaigns and litigation](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref397485)\n  \n  - [Aftermath](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref397486)\n- [Later indictments, civil suits, and trials](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref356152)\n- [Presidential election of 2024](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref397487)\n- [Trump’s second presidential term](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref405239)\n  - [Executive orders](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466049)\n  \n  - [DOGE](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466050)\n  \n  - [ICE raids and deportations](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466051)\n  \n  - [Trump’s direction of traditionally independent departments and agencies](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466052)\n  \n  - [Partisan redistricting](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466053)\n  \n  - [Trump’s elimination of climate change regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref470717)\n  \n  - [Trump’s emergency petitions to the Supreme Court](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466054)\n  \n  - [Epstein files](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466055)\n  \n  - [Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466056)\n  \n  - [Return of the emoluments clause controversy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref466057)\n- [Style and rhetoric](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/Foreign-relations#ref356153)\n\n[References & Edit History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/additional-info)  [Quick Facts & Related Topics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/Donald-Trump)\n\n[Images, Videos & Interactives](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/images-videos)\n\n[![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/18\/273318-004-6D8A21E3\/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/18\/273318-050-9DE2F788\/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg)  [![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/193845-004-8CF3BFB5\/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/193845-050-A7905463\/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg)  [![Father and son](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/283327-004-0E6B0F6A\/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/283327-050-780509F8\/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg)  [![Presidency of Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/42\/254742-049-EF77F565\/Donald-Trump-45th-president-of-the-United-States-US-2017-21-Republican-Party-Infogram-interactive.jpg)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)  [![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/41\/189141-004-B3B6F5A9\/Donald-Trump-campaign-rally-Fountain-Hills-Arizona-March-2016.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/41\/189141-050-591D6D00\/Donald-Trump-campaign-rally-Fountain-Hills-Arizona-March-2016.jpg)  [![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/88\/190788-004-9B9F64AD\/Donald-Trump-2016.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/88\/190788-050-4F6F73F2\/Donald-Trump-2016.jpg)  [![Donald Trump speaks at a podium, surrounded by supporters holding \"Make America Great Again\" and \"Trump Pence\" signs.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/80\/193280-004-7EAA8B97\/Donald-Trump-rally-Akron-Ohio-August-2016.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/80\/193280-050-F3B75073\/Donald-Trump-rally-Akron-Ohio-August-2016.jpg)  [![Barack Obama and Donald Trump shake hands while seated in the Oval Office at the White House, with microphones visible in the foreground.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/65\/193465-004-F36CFE5D\/Pres-Donald-Trump-Barack-Obama-Oval-Office-November-10-2016.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/65\/193465-050-FBEFAC51\/Pres-Donald-Trump-Barack-Obama-Oval-Office-November-10-2016.jpg)  [![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/21\/197021-004-743A1CB5\/portrait-Donald-Trump.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/21\/197021-050-D0AC3E38\/portrait-Donald-Trump.jpg)  [![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/68\/216668-004-779A3247\/United-States-President-Donald-Trump-2017.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/68\/216668-050-DD3A9D0A\/United-States-President-Donald-Trump-2017.jpg)\n\nAt a Glance\n\n[![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/31\/149831-050-83A0E45B\/Donald-J-Trump-2010.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Donald-Trump)\n\n[Donald Trump summary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Donald-Trump)\n\nQuizzes\n\n[![Richard M. Nixon. Richard Nixon during a 1968 campaign stop. President Nixon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/44\/164744-131-7A6008A3\/Richard-M-Nixon-campaign-stop-crowd-gesture-1968.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidents-and-their-years-in-office-quiz)\n\n[U.S. Presidents and Their Years in Office Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidents-and-their-years-in-office-quiz)\n\n[![Washington Monument. Washington Monument and fireworks, Washington DC. The Monument was built as an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/09\/153009-131-58881A36\/Washington-Monument-George-fireworks-obelisk-end-DC.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/all-american-history-quiz)\n\n[All-American History Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/all-american-history-quiz)\n\n[![South portico of the White House, Washington, D.C.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/39\/126139-131-A64CBAE4\/portico-side-White-House.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidents-facts)\n\n[U.S. Presidents Facts](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidents-facts)\n\n[![Richard M. Nixon. Richard Nixon during a 1968 campaign stop. President Nixon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/44\/164744-131-7A6008A3\/Richard-M-Nixon-campaign-stop-crowd-gesture-1968.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidential-nicknames)\n\n[U.S. Presidential Nicknames](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidential-nicknames)\n\n[![President Theodore Roosevelt delivering a speech, September 2, 1902. Teddy Roosevelt.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/33\/181733-131-CAA9FEAA\/Theodore-Roosevelt-speech-September-2-1902.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidential-firsts)\n\n[U.S. Presidential Firsts](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidential-firsts)\n\nRelated Questions\n\n- [Can President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Can-President-Donald-Trump-change-the-name-of-the-Department-of-Defense-to-the-Department-of-War)\n- [What was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-was-the-significance-of-Donald-Trumps-military-parade)\n- [What is a border czar?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-a-border-czar)\n- [What is Tim Walz’s background before entering politics?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-is-Tim-Walzs-background-before-entering-politics)\n- [Why challenged did Tim Walz face in 2026?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Why-challenged-did-Tim-Walz-face-in-2026)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)\n\nContents\n\nAsk Anything\n\n[Politics, Law & Government](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Politics-Law-Government)    [World Leaders](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/World-Leaders)    [Presidents & Heads of States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/browse\/Presidents)\n\nCITE\n\nShare\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\n[![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/18\/273318-050-9DE2F788\/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/18\/273318-050-9DE2F788\/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg)\n\n[Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/18\/273318-050-9DE2F788\/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg) U.S. Pres. Donald Trump's official portrait, 2025.\n\n(more)\n\n# Donald Trump\n45th and 47th president of the United States\n\nHomework Help\n\nAlso known as: Donald John Trump\n\nWritten by\n\n[Brian Duignan Brian Duignan is a senior editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. His subject areas include philosophy, law, social science, politics, political theory, and religion.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/brian-duignan\/6469)\n\nBrian Duignan\n\nFact-checked by\n\n[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\n\nBritannica Editors\n\nLast updated\n\nMar. 27, 2026\n\n•[History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump\/additional-info#history)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nAsk Anything\n\nTop Questions\n\n### In which case did the Supreme Court decide that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977?\nThe case in which the [Supreme Court](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States) decided that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the [International Emergency Economic Powers Act](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/International-Emergency-Economic-Powers-Act) (IEEPA) of 1977 is [*Learning Resources* v. *Trump*](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Major-Supreme-Court-Cases-from-the-2025-26-Term#ref448652) (2026).\n\n### Why did President Donald Trump order the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean?\nPresident Donald Trump ordered the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific because he believed that the targeted boats were smuggling illegal drugs into the United States.\n\n### What criminal charges did Venezuelan president [Nicolás Maduro](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Nicolas-Maduro) face following his capture by the U.S. military?\nVenezuelan president [Nicolás Maduro](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Nicolas-Maduro) faced criminal charges related to drug trafficking.\n\n### Can President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War?\nIn 1947 the U.S. Congress passed the [National Security Act](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/National-Security-Act), which reorganized and renamed the Department of War, established in 1789, as the National Military Establishment. An amendment to the Act in 1949 changed the name of the National Military Establishment to the [Department of Defense](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/US-Department-of-Defense). Because the Constitution gives Congress the power to create executive departments and agencies, and because the Department of Defense was so named under Congressional legislation, President Donald Trump cannot legally reinstate the department’s official name under an [executive order](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/executive-order). In apparent recognition of that fact, the order eventually signed by Trump presents the new name as a “secondary title” of the department, though it also requires other federal departments and agencies to use the new name in official correspondence and nonstatutory documents.\n\n### What is historically unusual about Donald Trump’s presidency?\nDonald Trump is the only [U.S. president](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Presidents-of-the-United-States-1846696) to be impeached twice and the first convicted felon to be elected president. He is also one of only two presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, the other being [Grover Cleveland](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Grover-Cleveland) (1885–89; 1893–97).\n\n### How did Donald Trump’s business career begin?\nTrump began working for his father’s real estate business after graduating from the [University of Pennsylvania](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/University-of-Pennsylvania)’s Wharton School in 1968. He expanded the business by investing in luxury properties and casinos.\n\n### Where and when was Donald Trump shot?\nDonald Trump was shot during a campaign rally in Butler, [Pennsylvania](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Pennsylvania-state) on July 13, 2024.\n\n### What was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade?\nThe official purpose of Donald Trump’s military parade on June 14, 2025, in [Washington, D.C.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Washington-DC), was to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the [U.S. Army](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/The-United-States-Army). The parade, which took place on [Flag Day](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Flag-Day) (June 14) and Trump’s 79th birthday, was also intended to showcase American military strength.\n\n### Prior to 2025, when was the last major military parade in the U.S.?\nThe last major military parade in the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States), which commemorated the end of the [Persian Gulf War](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Persian-Gulf-War), took place in [Washington, D.C.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Washington-DC), on June 18, 1991.\n\n### How much does a military parade cost?\nThe cost of a military parade varies based on its scale, location, logistics, and security needs and includes post-parade work, such as clean-up and repair of roads. The parade celebrating the end of the [Persian Gulf War](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Persian-Gulf-War) cost \\$12 million, and [Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump)’s military parade cost \\$30 million.\n\n### What is a border czar?\nThe border czar is an informal title used to describe a U.S. government official who oversees or coordinates policies related to immigration and border security, including deportation. The individual is appointed by the president and implements his policies. The post does not require [Senate](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Senate-United-States-government) approval, which has raised questions about its authority, accountability, and constitutionality. Supporters argue that such appointments allow the president to act quickly and to coordinate policy across multiple agencies.\n\nIn 2021 Pres. [Joe Biden](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Joe-Biden) tapped Vice Pres. [Kamala Harris](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Kamala-Harris) to look into the root causes of immigration from Latin American countries. The media and critics dubbed her “border czar,” though the Biden administration never used that title. In 2025, during his second term, Pres. [Donald Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump) selected Tom Homan to serve as border czar. He notably sent Homan to Minnesota in early 2026 amid unrest after [ICE](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-Immigration-and-Customs-Enforcement) agents fatally shot several people.\n\n## News •\n[The Latest: US blockade of Iranian ports 'fully implemented' as Trump says war is near end](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/607230\/2595edb52849560135f352ca5746ed85)\n\n• Apr. 15, 2026, 5:36 AM ET (AP)\n\n...(Show more)\n\n[European shares are little changed after Asia finishes higher amid hopes for US-Iran talks](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/607230\/7659569791b1f5e108489360d18e50f1)  • Apr. 15, 2026, 5:06 AM ET (AP)\n\n[Hopes rise for renewed talks as US military says Iran blockade is in force](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/607230\/f1b02d16f81d6fdcf68c0ed16d7a719d)  • Apr. 15, 2026, 1:39 AM ET (AP)\n\n[Trump urges extending foreign surveillance program as some lawmakers push for US privacy protections](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/607230\/fc13cfaa521e3380539611065a45f112)  • Apr. 15, 2026, 12:30 AM ET (AP)\n\n[As Vance rallies with Turning Point, some supporters bristle at Trump's war, memes and feuds](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/607230\/2488d70793a21909b1026ccad0ac42a7)  • Apr. 15, 2026, 12:03 AM ET (AP)\n\nShow less\n\n**Donald Trump** (born June 14, 1946, [New York](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-York-state), New York, U.S.) is a former real estate mogul and [reality TV star](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/reality-TV) who has served as the 45th and 47th [president](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/president-government-official) of the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States). The scion of renowned New York real estate developer Fred Trump, Donald rose to eclipse his father in fame and fortune, moving through New York’s elite social circles in the 1980s to American TV fame in the 2000s and finally leveraging his name and wealth to become one of the most consequential leaders of the early 21st century.\n\nThroughout Trump’s long career in business and politics, one constant has been his [brazen](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/brazen), [pugnacious](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/pugnacious), and unrepentant style, which has led to unparalleled achievements while often sowing conflict and [chaos](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/chaos). As a businessman, Trump flashed his name worldwide across buildings, casinos, airlines, universities, and even steaks, often while mired in lawsuits and weathering multiple bankruptcies. As a politician, Trump started the fiercely tribal Make America Great Again ([MAGA](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/MAGA-movement)) movement that came to dominate American politics in the second half of the 2010s and 2020s. His uncanny [resilience](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/resilience) to scandals led him to become one of two U.S. presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, even after leading a rally that resulted in a mob storming [Congress](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Congress-of-the-United-States) (the [January 6 attack](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)), two [impeachments](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/impeachment), and being the only former U.S. president convicted in a criminal case. His willingness to push boundaries, test legal precedent, and discard conventional norms has reshaped much of American life and been embraced by many [disenfranchised](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/disenfranchised) voters, but it has also eroded protections for millions, stoked [xenophobia](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/xenophobia), and amplified political divisions to new heights.\n\nAfter being elected in 2024 for his second term, Trump swiftly moved to consolidate power under the [executive](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/executive-government) branch, upended [international trade](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/international-trade), and shook up America’s global footprint by discarding centuries-old alliances and igniting bombast with Canada, Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran.\n\n## Early life and business career\n[![Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/193845-050-A7905463\/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/193845-050-A7905463\/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg)\n\n[Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/193845-050-A7905463\/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg)Donald Trump speaking in front of Trump Tower, New York City, August 2008.\n\n(more)\n\nTrump was the fourth of five children of [Frederick (Fred) Christ Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Fred-Trump), a successful real estate developer, and Mary MacLeod. Donald’s eldest sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, eventually served as a U.S. [district court](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-District-Court) judge (1983–99) and later as a judge on the [U.S. Court of Appeals](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-Court-of-Appeals) for the Third [Circuit](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/Circuit) until her retirement in 2011. His elder brother, Frederick, Jr. (Freddy), worked briefly for their father’s business before becoming an airline pilot in the 1960s. Freddy’s [alcoholism](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/alcoholism) led to his early death in 1981, at the age of 43.\n\nBeginning in the late 1920s, Fred Trump built hundreds of single-family houses and row houses in the [Queens](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Queens-New-York) and [Brooklyn](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Brooklyn-borough-New-York-City) boroughs of [New York City](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-York-City), and from the late 1940s he built thousands of apartment units, mostly in Brooklyn, using federal loan guarantees designed to stimulate the construction of [affordable housing](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/affordable-housing). During [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II) he also built federally backed housing for naval personnel and shipyard workers in [Virginia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Virginia-state) and [Pennsylvania](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Pennsylvania-state). In 1954 Fred was investigated by the Senate Banking Committee for allegedly abusing the loan-guarantee program by deliberately overestimating the costs of his construction projects to secure larger loans from [commercial banks](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/commercial-bank), enabling him to keep the difference between the loan amounts and his actual construction costs. In [testimony](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/testimony) before the Senate committee in 1954, Fred admitted that he had built the Beach Haven apartment complex in Brooklyn for \\$3.7 million less than the amount of his government-insured loan. Although he was not charged with any crime, he was thereafter unable to obtain federal loan guarantees. A decade later a New York state investigation found that Fred had used his profit on a state-insured construction loan to build a shopping center that was entirely his own property. He eventually returned \\$1.2 million to the state but was thereafter unable to obtain state loan guarantees for residential projects in the [Coney Island](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Coney-Island-amusement-area) area of Brooklyn.\n\n[![Richard M. Nixon. Richard Nixon during a 1968 campaign stop. President Nixon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/44\/164744-131-7A6008A3\/Richard-M-Nixon-campaign-stop-crowd-gesture-1968.jpg) Britannica Quiz U.S. Presidents and Their Years in Office Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidents-and-their-years-in-office-quiz)\n\nDonald Trump attended New York Military Academy (1959–64), a private boarding school; [Fordham University](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Fordham-University) in the [Bronx](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Bronx-borough-New-York-City) (1964–66); and the [University of Pennsylvania](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/University-of-Pennsylvania)’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (1966–68), where he graduated with a [bachelor’s degree](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/bachelors-degree) in [economics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/economics). In 1968, during the [Vietnam War](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Vietnam-War), he secured a [diagnosis](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/diagnosis) of bone spurs, which qualified him for a medical exemption from the [military draft](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/conscription) (he had earlier received four draft deferments for education). Upon his graduation Trump began working full-time for his father’s business, helping to manage its holdings of rental housing, then estimated at between 10,000 and 22,000 units. In 1974 he became president of a conglomeration of Trump-owned corporations and partnerships, which he later named the Trump Organization.\n\nDuring the 1960s and early 1970s, Trump-owned housing developments in New York City, [Cincinnati](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Cincinnati), [Ohio](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ohio-state), and [Norfolk](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Norfolk-Virginia), [Virginia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Virginia-state), were the target of several complaints of racial [discrimination](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/discrimination-society) against [African Americans](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/African-Americans) and other minority groups. In 1973 Fred and Donald Trump, along with their company, were sued by the [U.S. Justice Department](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/US-Department-of-Justice) for allegedly violating the [Fair Housing Act](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Fair-Housing-Act) (1968) in the operation of 39 apartment buildings in New York City. The Trumps initially countersued the [Justice](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Justice) Department for \\$100 million, alleging harm to their reputations. The suit was settled two years later under an agreement that did not require the Trumps to admit guilt.\n\nExplore Britannica Premium\\!\n\nGo beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\n[![Father and son](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/283327-050-780509F8\/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/283327-050-780509F8\/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg)\n\n[Father and son](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/283327-050-780509F8\/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg)Donald Trump posing with his father, Fred Trump, at Trump Tower in 1987.\n\n(more)\n\nIn the late 1970s and the 1980s, Donald Trump greatly expanded his father’s business by investing in luxury hotels and residential properties and by shifting its geographic focus to [Manhattan](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Manhattan-New-York-City) and later to [Atlantic City](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Atlantic-City-New-Jersey), [New Jersey](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-Jersey). In doing so, he relied heavily on loans, gifts, and other financial assistance from his father, as well as on his father’s political connections in New York City. In 1976 he purchased the decrepit Commodore Hotel near [Grand Central Station](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Grand-Central-Station) under a complex profit-sharing agreement with the city that included a 40-year [property tax](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/property-tax) abatement, the first such tax break granted to a commercial property in New York City. Relying on a construction loan guaranteed by his father and the Hyatt Corporation, which became a partner in the project, Trump refurbished the building and reopened it in 1980 as the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt Hotel. In 1983 he opened [Trump Tower](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Trump-Tower), an office, retail, and residential complex constructed in partnership with the Equitable Life [Assurance](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Assurance) Company. The 58-story building on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue eventually contained Trump’s Manhattan residence and the headquarters of the Trump Organization. Other Manhattan properties developed by Trump during the 1980s include the Trump Plaza residential cooperative (1984), the Trump Parc luxury [condominium](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/condominium-building) complex (1986), and the 19-story Plaza Hotel (1988), a historic landmark for which Trump paid more than \\$400 million.\n\nIn the 1980s Trump invested heavily in the [casino](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/casino-gambling-house) business in Atlantic City, where his properties eventually included Harrah’s at Trump Plaza (1984, later renamed Trump Plaza), Trump’s Castle Casino Resort (1985), and the Trump Taj Mahal (1990), then the largest casino in the world. During that period Trump also purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived U.S. Football League; [Mar-a-Lago](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Mar-a-Lago), a 118-room mansion in [Palm Beach](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Palm-Beach-Florida), Florida, built in the 1920s by the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post; a 282-foot [yacht](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/yacht), then the world’s second largest, which he named the *Trump Princess*; and an East Coast air-shuttle service, which he called Trump Shuttle.\n\nIn 1977 Trump married Ivana Zelníčková Winklmayr, a Czech model, with whom he had three children—[Donald, Jr.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump-Jr), [Ivanka](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Ivanka-Trump), and Eric—before the couple divorced in 1992. Their married life, as well as Trump’s business affairs, were a [staple](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/staple) of the [tabloid](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/tabloid-journalism) press in New York City during the 1980s. Trump married the American actress Marla Maples after she gave birth to Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, in 1993. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1999. In 2005 Trump married the Slovene model Melania Knauss, and their son, Barron, was born the following year. [Melania Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Melania-Trump) became the second foreign-born [first lady](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/first-lady-United-States-title) of the United States upon Trump’s inauguration as president in 2017.\n\nWhen the U.S. economy fell into [recession](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/recession) in 1990, many of Trump’s businesses suffered, and he soon had trouble making payments on his approximately \\$5 billion debt, some \\$900 million of which he had personally guaranteed. Under a restructuring agreement with several banks, Trump was forced to [surrender](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/surrender) his airline, which was taken over by [US Airways](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/US-Airways) in 1992; to sell the *Trump Princess*; to take out second or third mortgages on nearly all of his properties and to reduce his ownership stakes in them; and to commit himself to living on a personal budget of \\$450,000 a year. Despite those measures, the Trump Taj Mahal declared [bankruptcy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/bankruptcy) in 1991, and two other casinos owned by Trump, as well as his Plaza Hotel in New York City, went bankrupt in 1992. Following those setbacks, most major banks refused to do any further business with him. Estimates of Trump’s net [worth](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/worth) during this period ranged from \\$1.7 billion to minus \\$900 million.\n\nTrump’s fortunes rebounded with the stronger economy of the later 1990s and with the decision of the [Frankfurt](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Frankfurt-am-Main)\\-based [Deutsche Bank AG](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Deutsche-Bank-AG) to establish a presence in the U.S. commercial real estate market. Deutsche Bank extended hundreds of millions of dollars in credit to Trump in the late 1990s and the 2000s for projects including Trump World Tower (2001) in New York and [Trump International Hotel and Tower](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Trump-International-Hotel-and-Tower-Chicago) (2009) in [Chicago](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Chicago). In the early 1990s Trump had floated a plan to his creditors to convert his Mar-a-Lago estate into a luxury housing development consisting of several smaller mansions, but local opposition led him instead to turn it into a private club, which was opened in 1995. In 1996 Trump partnered with the [NBC](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/National-Broadcasting-Co-Inc) television network to purchase the Miss Universe Organization, which produced the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. Trump’s casino businesses continued to struggle, however: in 2004 his company Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy after several of its properties accumulated unmanageable debt, and the same company, renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts, went bankrupt again in 2009.\n\nBeginning in the mid-2000s, Trump enjoyed an enormous financial windfall from the success of *[The Apprentice](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/The-Apprentice)*, a [reality television](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/television-in-the-United-States\/Reality-TV#ref283656) series in which he starred that directly earned him nearly \\$200 million over a 16-year period. The [Emmy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/Emmy-Award)\\-nominated show, in each episode of which Trump “fired” one or more contestants competing for a lucrative one-year contract as a Trump employee, further [enhanced](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/enhanced) his reputation as a shrewd businessman and self-made billionaire. In 2008 the show was revamped as *[The Celebrity Apprentice](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/The-Celebrity-Apprentice)*, which featured news makers and entertainers as contestants.\n\nTrump marketed his name as a brand in numerous other business ventures, including Trump Financial, a [mortgage](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/mortgage) company, and the Trump [Entrepreneur](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Entrepreneur) [Initiative](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Initiative) (formerly Trump University), an online education company focusing on real estate investment and entrepreneurialism. The latter firm, which ceased operating in 2011, was the target of [class-action](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/class-action) lawsuits by former students and a separate action by the [attorney general](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/attorney-general) of New York state, alleging [fraud](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/fraud). After initially denying the allegations, Trump settled the lawsuits for \\$25 million in November 2016. In 2019, more than two years into his presidency, Trump agreed to pay \\$2 million in damages and to admit guilt to settle another lawsuit by the attorney general of New York that had accused him of illegally using [assets](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/assets) from his charity, the Trump Foundation, to fund his 2016 presidential campaign. As part of the settlement, the Trump Foundation was dissolved.\n\nIn 2018 *The New York Times* published a lengthy investigative report that documented how Fred Trump had regularly transferred vast sums of money, ultimately amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, to his children by means of strategies that involved tax, securities, and real estate fraud, as well as by legal means. According to the report, Donald Trump was the main beneficiary of the transfers, having received the equivalent (in 2018 dollars) of \\$413 million by the early 2000s. According to a later report by the *Times*, based on [data](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/data) from tax returns filed by Trump during an 18-year period starting in 2000, Trump paid no federal taxes in 11 years and only \\$750 in each of two years, 2016 and 2017. Trump was able to reduce his tax obligations to levels significantly below the average for the wealthiest Americans by claiming massive losses on many of his businesses; by deducting as business expenses costs associated with his residences and his personal aircraft; and by receiving, on the basis of business losses, a tentative refund from the [Internal Revenue Service](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Internal-Revenue-Service) (IRS) of nearly \\$73 million, which more than covered the federal taxes Trump had paid on income he received from *The Apprentice* in 2005–08. The refund became the subject of an IRS audit and a legally [mandated](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/mandated) review by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.\n\nQuick Facts\n\nIn full:\n\nDonald John Trump\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nBorn:\n\nJune 14, 1946, [New York](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-York-City), [New York](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-York-state), [U.S.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States) (age 79)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nTitle \/ Office:\n\n[presidency of the United States of America (2025-)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/presidency-of-the-United-States-of-America), [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States)\n\n[presidency of the United States of America (2017-2021)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/presidency-of-the-United-States-of-America), [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nFounder:\n\n[Truth Social](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Truth-Social)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nPolitical Affiliation:\n\n[Republican Party](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Republican-Party)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nNotable Works:\n\n[“Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again”](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Crippled-America-How-to-Make-America-Great-Again)\n\n[“The America We Deserve”](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/The-America-We-Deserve)\n\n[“Trump: The Art of the Deal”](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Trump-The-Art-of-the-Deal)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nNotable Family Members:\n\nspouse [Melania Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Melania-Trump)\n\nfather [Fred Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Fred-Trump)\n\ndaughter [Ivanka Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Ivanka-Trump)\n\nson [Donald Trump, Jr.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump-Jr)\n\nson of Frederick Christ Trump\n\nson of Mary MacLeod\n\nhusband of Melania Trump (January 22, 2005–present)\n\nhusband of Marla Maples (December 20, 1993–June 8, 1999)\n\nhusband of Ivana Trump (April 9, 1977–March 22, 1992)\n\nfather of Donald Trump, Jr. (b. 1977)\n\nfather of Ivanka Trump (b. 1981)\n\nfather of Eric Trump (b. 1984)\n\nfather of Tiffany Trump (b. 1993)\n\nfather of Barron Trump (b. 2006)\n\nbrother of Maryanne Trump Barry\n\nbrother of Frederick Trump, Jr.\n\nbrother of Elizabeth Trump Grau\n\nbrother of Robert Trump\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nRole In:\n\n[12-Day War](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/12-Day-War)\n\n[2025–26 Minnesota ICE Deployment](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/2025-26-Minnesota-ICE-Deployment)\n\n[2026 Iran war](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/2026-Iran-war)\n\n[January 6 U.S. Capitol attack](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)\n\n[Ukraine scandal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Ukraine-scandal)\n\n[United States presidential election of 2020](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020)\n\n[United States presidential election of 2024](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2024)\n\n[United States Presidential Election of 2016](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-presidential-election-of-2016)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nEducation:\n\n[Fordham University (1964–1966)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Fordham-University)\n\n[University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School (B.S., 1968)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/University-of-Pennsylvania)\n\nNew York Military Academy (Cornwall, New York)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nPublished Works:\n\n\"Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life\" (2004; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life\" (2007; with Bill Zanker)\n\n\"Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies\" (2006)\n\n\"The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received\" (2005)\n\n\"Trump: The Art of the Comeback\" (1997; with Kate Bohner)\n\n\"Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again\" (2015)\n\n\"Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—And Why Most Don't\" (2011; with Robert T. Kiyosaki)\n\n\"Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life\" (2009; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Trump: The Art of the Deal\" (1987; with Tony Schwartz)\n\n\"Time to Get Tough: Making America \\#1 Again\" (2011)\n\n\"Trump: Surviving at the Top\" (1990; with Charles Leerhsen)\n\n\"The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received\" (2004)\n\n\"The America We Deserve\" (2000; with Dave Shiflett)\n\n\"Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message\" (2006; with Robert T. Kiyosaki)\n\n\"Trump: How to Get Rich\" (2004; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success\" (2008; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Trump 101: The Way to Success\" (2007; with Meredith McIver)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nMovies\/Tv Shows (Acted In):\n\n\"The Little Rascals\" (1994)\n\n\"Horrorween\" (2011)\n\n\"Eddie\" (1996)\n\n\"Marmalade\" (2004)\n\n\"Two Weeks Notice\" (2002)\n\n\"Across the Sea of Time\" (1995)\n\n\"54\" (1998)\n\n[\"Zoolander\" (2001)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Zoolander)\n\n\"Spin City\" (1998)\n\n\"The Drew Carey Show\" (1997)\n\n\"NightMan\" (1997)\n\n\"The Nanny\" (1996)\n\n\"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York\" (1992)\n\n\"Celebrity\" (1998)\n\n\"Suddenly Susan\" (1997)\n\n\"Ghosts Can't Do It\" (1989)\n\n*(Show more)*\n\n[See all related content](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/Donald-Trump)\n\nShow More\n\nTrump was credited as coauthor of a number of books on entrepreneurship and his business career, including *Trump: The Art of the Deal* (1987), *Trump: The Art of the Comeback* (1997), *Why We Want You to Be Rich* (2006), *Trump 101: The Way to Success* (2006), and *Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success* (2008).\n## At a glance: the Trump presidency\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI\n\n*chevron\\_right*\n\nDonald Trump\n\n*close*\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\nLoad Next Page\n\nFeedback\n\nThank you for your feedback\n\nOur editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.\n\n*print* Print\n\nPlease select which sections you would like to print:\n\n*verified*Cite\n\nWhile every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nDuignan, Brian. \"January 6 U.S. Capitol attack\". *Encyclopedia Britannica*, 1 Apr. 2026, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack. Accessed 15 April 2026.\n\nCopy Citation\n\nShare\n\nShare to social media\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BRITANNICA\/) [X](https:\/\/x.com\/britannica)\n\nURL\n\n<https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack>\n\nExternal Websites\n\n- [BBC - Capitol riots timeline: What happened on 6 January 2021?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-56004916)\n- [CNN Politics - The January 6 insurrection: Minute-by-minute](https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2022\/07\/10\/politics\/jan-6-us-capitol-riot-timeline)\n- [NPR - A timeline of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack Â— including when and how Trump responded](https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/01\/05\/1069977469\/a-timeline-of-how-the-jan-6-attack-unfolded-including-who-said-what-and-when)\n\nFeedback\n\nThank you for your feedback\n\nOur editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.\n\n*print* Print\n\nPlease select which sections you would like to print:\n\n*verified*Cite\n\nWhile every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nDuignan, Brian. \"Donald Trump\". *Encyclopedia Britannica*, 27 Mar. 2026, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump. Accessed 15 April 2026.\n\nCopy Citation\n\nShare\n\nShare to social media\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BRITANNICA\/) [X](https:\/\/x.com\/britannica)\n\nURL\n\n<https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump>\n\nExternal Websites\n\n- [Miller Center - Donald Trump](https:\/\/millercenter.org\/president\/trump)\n- [Donald J. Trump Presidential Library - Biography of President Donald J. Trump](https:\/\/www.trumplibrary.gov\/trumps\/president-donald-j-trump)\n\nBritannica Websites\n\nArticles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.\n\n- [Donald Trump - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/kids\/article\/Donald-Trump\/628383)\n- [Donald Trump - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/students\/article\/Donald-Trump\/313895)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Top Questions\n\n### In which case did the Supreme Court decide that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977?\n### Why did President Donald Trump order the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean?\n### What criminal charges did Venezuelan president [Nicolás Maduro](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Nicolas-Maduro) face following his capture by the U.S. military?\n### Can President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War?\n### What is historically unusual about Donald Trump’s presidency?\n### How did Donald Trump’s business career begin?\n### Where and when was Donald Trump shot?\n### What was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade?\n### Prior to 2025, when was the last major military parade in the U.S.?\n### How much does a military parade cost?\n### What is a border czar?\n## News •\n**Donald Trump** (born June 14, 1946, [New York](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-York-state), New York, U.S.) is a former real estate mogul and [reality TV star](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/reality-TV) who has served as the 45th and 47th [president](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/president-government-official) of the [United States](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/United-States). The scion of renowned New York real estate developer Fred Trump, Donald rose to eclipse his father in fame and fortune, moving through New York’s elite social circles in the 1980s to American TV fame in the 2000s and finally leveraging his name and wealth to become one of the most consequential leaders of the early 21st century.\n\nThroughout Trump’s long career in business and politics, one constant has been his [brazen](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/brazen), [pugnacious](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/pugnacious), and unrepentant style, which has led to unparalleled achievements while often sowing conflict and [chaos](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/chaos). As a businessman, Trump flashed his name worldwide across buildings, casinos, airlines, universities, and even steaks, often while mired in lawsuits and weathering multiple bankruptcies. As a politician, Trump started the fiercely tribal Make America Great Again ([MAGA](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/MAGA-movement)) movement that came to dominate American politics in the second half of the 2010s and 2020s. His uncanny [resilience](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/resilience) to scandals led him to become one of two U.S. presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, even after leading a rally that resulted in a mob storming [Congress](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Congress-of-the-United-States) (the [January 6 attack](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)), two [impeachments](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/impeachment), and being the only former U.S. president convicted in a criminal case. His willingness to push boundaries, test legal precedent, and discard conventional norms has reshaped much of American life and been embraced by many [disenfranchised](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/disenfranchised) voters, but it has also eroded protections for millions, stoked [xenophobia](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/xenophobia), and amplified political divisions to new heights.\n\nAfter being elected in 2024 for his second term, Trump swiftly moved to consolidate power under the [executive](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/executive-government) branch, upended [international trade](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/international-trade), and shook up America’s global footprint by discarding centuries-old alliances and igniting bombast with Canada, Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran.\n\n## Early life and business career\n[Donald Trump](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/45\/193845-050-A7905463\/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg)Donald Trump speaking in front of Trump Tower, New York City, August 2008.\n\nTrump was the fourth of five children of [Frederick (Fred) Christ Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Fred-Trump), a successful real estate developer, and Mary MacLeod. Donald’s eldest sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, eventually served as a U.S. [district court](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-District-Court) judge (1983–99) and later as a judge on the [U.S. Court of Appeals](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/United-States-Court-of-Appeals) for the Third [Circuit](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/Circuit) until her retirement in 2011. His elder brother, Frederick, Jr. (Freddy), worked briefly for their father’s business before becoming an airline pilot in the 1960s. Freddy’s [alcoholism](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/alcoholism) led to his early death in 1981, at the age of 43.\n\nBeginning in the late 1920s, Fred Trump built hundreds of single-family houses and row houses in the [Queens](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Queens-New-York) and [Brooklyn](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Brooklyn-borough-New-York-City) boroughs of [New York City](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-York-City), and from the late 1940s he built thousands of apartment units, mostly in Brooklyn, using federal loan guarantees designed to stimulate the construction of [affordable housing](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/affordable-housing). During [World War II](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/World-War-II) he also built federally backed housing for naval personnel and shipyard workers in [Virginia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Virginia-state) and [Pennsylvania](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Pennsylvania-state). In 1954 Fred was investigated by the Senate Banking Committee for allegedly abusing the loan-guarantee program by deliberately overestimating the costs of his construction projects to secure larger loans from [commercial banks](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/commercial-bank), enabling him to keep the difference between the loan amounts and his actual construction costs. In [testimony](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/testimony) before the Senate committee in 1954, Fred admitted that he had built the Beach Haven apartment complex in Brooklyn for \\$3.7 million less than the amount of his government-insured loan. Although he was not charged with any crime, he was thereafter unable to obtain federal loan guarantees. A decade later a New York state investigation found that Fred had used his profit on a state-insured construction loan to build a shopping center that was entirely his own property. He eventually returned \\$1.2 million to the state but was thereafter unable to obtain state loan guarantees for residential projects in the [Coney Island](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Coney-Island-amusement-area) area of Brooklyn.\n\n[![Richard M. Nixon. Richard Nixon during a 1968 campaign stop. President Nixon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/44\/164744-131-7A6008A3\/Richard-M-Nixon-campaign-stop-crowd-gesture-1968.jpg) Britannica Quiz U.S. Presidents and Their Years in Office Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/us-presidents-and-their-years-in-office-quiz)\n\nDonald Trump attended New York Military Academy (1959–64), a private boarding school; [Fordham University](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Fordham-University) in the [Bronx](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Bronx-borough-New-York-City) (1964–66); and the [University of Pennsylvania](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/University-of-Pennsylvania)’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (1966–68), where he graduated with a [bachelor’s degree](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/bachelors-degree) in [economics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/economics). In 1968, during the [Vietnam War](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Vietnam-War), he secured a [diagnosis](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/diagnosis) of bone spurs, which qualified him for a medical exemption from the [military draft](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/conscription) (he had earlier received four draft deferments for education). Upon his graduation Trump began working full-time for his father’s business, helping to manage its holdings of rental housing, then estimated at between 10,000 and 22,000 units. In 1974 he became president of a conglomeration of Trump-owned corporations and partnerships, which he later named the Trump Organization.\n\nDuring the 1960s and early 1970s, Trump-owned housing developments in New York City, [Cincinnati](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Cincinnati), [Ohio](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Ohio-state), and [Norfolk](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Norfolk-Virginia), [Virginia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Virginia-state), were the target of several complaints of racial [discrimination](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/discrimination-society) against [African Americans](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/African-Americans) and other minority groups. In 1973 Fred and Donald Trump, along with their company, were sued by the [U.S. Justice Department](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/US-Department-of-Justice) for allegedly violating the [Fair Housing Act](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Fair-Housing-Act) (1968) in the operation of 39 apartment buildings in New York City. The Trumps initially countersued the [Justice](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Justice) Department for \\$100 million, alleging harm to their reputations. The suit was settled two years later under an agreement that did not require the Trumps to admit guilt.\n\nGo beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\n[Father and son](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/283327-050-780509F8\/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg)Donald Trump posing with his father, Fred Trump, at Trump Tower in 1987.\n\nIn the late 1970s and the 1980s, Donald Trump greatly expanded his father’s business by investing in luxury hotels and residential properties and by shifting its geographic focus to [Manhattan](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Manhattan-New-York-City) and later to [Atlantic City](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Atlantic-City-New-Jersey), [New Jersey](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/New-Jersey). In doing so, he relied heavily on loans, gifts, and other financial assistance from his father, as well as on his father’s political connections in New York City. In 1976 he purchased the decrepit Commodore Hotel near [Grand Central Station](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Grand-Central-Station) under a complex profit-sharing agreement with the city that included a 40-year [property tax](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/property-tax) abatement, the first such tax break granted to a commercial property in New York City. Relying on a construction loan guaranteed by his father and the Hyatt Corporation, which became a partner in the project, Trump refurbished the building and reopened it in 1980 as the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt Hotel. In 1983 he opened [Trump Tower](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Trump-Tower), an office, retail, and residential complex constructed in partnership with the Equitable Life [Assurance](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Assurance) Company. The 58-story building on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue eventually contained Trump’s Manhattan residence and the headquarters of the Trump Organization. Other Manhattan properties developed by Trump during the 1980s include the Trump Plaza residential cooperative (1984), the Trump Parc luxury [condominium](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/condominium-building) complex (1986), and the 19-story Plaza Hotel (1988), a historic landmark for which Trump paid more than \\$400 million.\n\nIn the 1980s Trump invested heavily in the [casino](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/casino-gambling-house) business in Atlantic City, where his properties eventually included Harrah’s at Trump Plaza (1984, later renamed Trump Plaza), Trump’s Castle Casino Resort (1985), and the Trump Taj Mahal (1990), then the largest casino in the world. During that period Trump also purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived U.S. Football League; [Mar-a-Lago](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Mar-a-Lago), a 118-room mansion in [Palm Beach](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Palm-Beach-Florida), Florida, built in the 1920s by the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post; a 282-foot [yacht](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/yacht), then the world’s second largest, which he named the *Trump Princess*; and an East Coast air-shuttle service, which he called Trump Shuttle.\n\nIn 1977 Trump married Ivana Zelníčková Winklmayr, a Czech model, with whom he had three children—[Donald, Jr.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump-Jr), [Ivanka](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Ivanka-Trump), and Eric—before the couple divorced in 1992. Their married life, as well as Trump’s business affairs, were a [staple](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/staple) of the [tabloid](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/tabloid-journalism) press in New York City during the 1980s. Trump married the American actress Marla Maples after she gave birth to Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, in 1993. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1999. In 2005 Trump married the Slovene model Melania Knauss, and their son, Barron, was born the following year. [Melania Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Melania-Trump) became the second foreign-born [first lady](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/first-lady-United-States-title) of the United States upon Trump’s inauguration as president in 2017.\n\nWhen the U.S. economy fell into [recession](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/recession) in 1990, many of Trump’s businesses suffered, and he soon had trouble making payments on his approximately \\$5 billion debt, some \\$900 million of which he had personally guaranteed. Under a restructuring agreement with several banks, Trump was forced to [surrender](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/surrender) his airline, which was taken over by [US Airways](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/US-Airways) in 1992; to sell the *Trump Princess*; to take out second or third mortgages on nearly all of his properties and to reduce his ownership stakes in them; and to commit himself to living on a personal budget of \\$450,000 a year. Despite those measures, the Trump Taj Mahal declared [bankruptcy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/bankruptcy) in 1991, and two other casinos owned by Trump, as well as his Plaza Hotel in New York City, went bankrupt in 1992. Following those setbacks, most major banks refused to do any further business with him. Estimates of Trump’s net [worth](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/worth) during this period ranged from \\$1.7 billion to minus \\$900 million.\n\nTrump’s fortunes rebounded with the stronger economy of the later 1990s and with the decision of the [Frankfurt](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Frankfurt-am-Main)\\-based [Deutsche Bank AG](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Deutsche-Bank-AG) to establish a presence in the U.S. commercial real estate market. Deutsche Bank extended hundreds of millions of dollars in credit to Trump in the late 1990s and the 2000s for projects including Trump World Tower (2001) in New York and [Trump International Hotel and Tower](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Trump-International-Hotel-and-Tower-Chicago) (2009) in [Chicago](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Chicago). In the early 1990s Trump had floated a plan to his creditors to convert his Mar-a-Lago estate into a luxury housing development consisting of several smaller mansions, but local opposition led him instead to turn it into a private club, which was opened in 1995. In 1996 Trump partnered with the [NBC](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/National-Broadcasting-Co-Inc) television network to purchase the Miss Universe Organization, which produced the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. Trump’s casino businesses continued to struggle, however: in 2004 his company Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy after several of its properties accumulated unmanageable debt, and the same company, renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts, went bankrupt again in 2009.\n\nBeginning in the mid-2000s, Trump enjoyed an enormous financial windfall from the success of *[The Apprentice](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/The-Apprentice)*, a [reality television](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/television-in-the-United-States\/Reality-TV#ref283656) series in which he starred that directly earned him nearly \\$200 million over a 16-year period. The [Emmy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/Emmy-Award)\\-nominated show, in each episode of which Trump “fired” one or more contestants competing for a lucrative one-year contract as a Trump employee, further [enhanced](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/enhanced) his reputation as a shrewd businessman and self-made billionaire. In 2008 the show was revamped as *[The Celebrity Apprentice](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/The-Celebrity-Apprentice)*, which featured news makers and entertainers as contestants.\n\nTrump marketed his name as a brand in numerous other business ventures, including Trump Financial, a [mortgage](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/mortgage) company, and the Trump [Entrepreneur](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Entrepreneur) [Initiative](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Initiative) (formerly Trump University), an online education company focusing on real estate investment and entrepreneurialism. The latter firm, which ceased operating in 2011, was the target of [class-action](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/class-action) lawsuits by former students and a separate action by the [attorney general](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/attorney-general) of New York state, alleging [fraud](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/fraud). After initially denying the allegations, Trump settled the lawsuits for \\$25 million in November 2016. In 2019, more than two years into his presidency, Trump agreed to pay \\$2 million in damages and to admit guilt to settle another lawsuit by the attorney general of New York that had accused him of illegally using [assets](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/assets) from his charity, the Trump Foundation, to fund his 2016 presidential campaign. As part of the settlement, the Trump Foundation was dissolved.\n\nIn 2018 *The New York Times* published a lengthy investigative report that documented how Fred Trump had regularly transferred vast sums of money, ultimately amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, to his children by means of strategies that involved tax, securities, and real estate fraud, as well as by legal means. According to the report, Donald Trump was the main beneficiary of the transfers, having received the equivalent (in 2018 dollars) of \\$413 million by the early 2000s. According to a later report by the *Times*, based on [data](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/data) from tax returns filed by Trump during an 18-year period starting in 2000, Trump paid no federal taxes in 11 years and only \\$750 in each of two years, 2016 and 2017. Trump was able to reduce his tax obligations to levels significantly below the average for the wealthiest Americans by claiming massive losses on many of his businesses; by deducting as business expenses costs associated with his residences and his personal aircraft; and by receiving, on the basis of business losses, a tentative refund from the [Internal Revenue Service](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money\/Internal-Revenue-Service) (IRS) of nearly \\$73 million, which more than covered the federal taxes Trump had paid on income he received from *The Apprentice* in 2005–08. The refund became the subject of an IRS audit and a legally [mandated](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/mandated) review by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.\n\nQuick Facts\n\nIn full:\n\nDonald John Trump\n\nNotable Family Members:\n\nspouse [Melania Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Melania-Trump)\n\nfather [Fred Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Fred-Trump)\n\ndaughter [Ivanka Trump](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Ivanka-Trump)\n\nson [Donald Trump, Jr.](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Donald-Trump-Jr)\n\nson of Frederick Christ Trump\n\nson of Mary MacLeod\n\nhusband of Melania Trump (January 22, 2005–present)\n\nhusband of Marla Maples (December 20, 1993–June 8, 1999)\n\nhusband of Ivana Trump (April 9, 1977–March 22, 1992)\n\nfather of Donald Trump, Jr. (b. 1977)\n\nfather of Ivanka Trump (b. 1981)\n\nfather of Eric Trump (b. 1984)\n\nfather of Tiffany Trump (b. 1993)\n\nfather of Barron Trump (b. 2006)\n\nbrother of Maryanne Trump Barry\n\nbrother of Frederick Trump, Jr.\n\nbrother of Elizabeth Trump Grau\n\nbrother of Robert Trump\n\nPublished Works:\n\n\"Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life\" (2004; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life\" (2007; with Bill Zanker)\n\n\"Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies\" (2006)\n\n\"The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received\" (2005)\n\n\"Trump: The Art of the Comeback\" (1997; with Kate Bohner)\n\n\"Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again\" (2015)\n\n\"Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—And Why Most Don't\" (2011; with Robert T. Kiyosaki)\n\n\"Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life\" (2009; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Trump: The Art of the Deal\" (1987; with Tony Schwartz)\n\n\"Time to Get Tough: Making America \\#1 Again\" (2011)\n\n\"Trump: Surviving at the Top\" (1990; with Charles Leerhsen)\n\n\"The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received\" (2004)\n\n\"The America We Deserve\" (2000; with Dave Shiflett)\n\n\"Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message\" (2006; with Robert T. Kiyosaki)\n\n\"Trump: How to Get Rich\" (2004; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success\" (2008; with Meredith McIver)\n\n\"Trump 101: The Way to Success\" (2007; with Meredith McIver)\n\nMovies\/Tv Shows (Acted In):\n\n\"The Little Rascals\" (1994)\n\n\"Horrorween\" (2011)\n\n\"Eddie\" (1996)\n\n\"Marmalade\" (2004)\n\n\"Two Weeks Notice\" (2002)\n\n\"Across the Sea of Time\" (1995)\n\n\"54\" (1998)\n\n[\"Zoolander\" (2001)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Zoolander)\n\n\"Spin City\" (1998)\n\n\"The Drew Carey Show\" (1997)\n\n\"NightMan\" (1997)\n\n\"The Nanny\" (1996)\n\n\"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York\" (1992)\n\n\"Celebrity\" (1998)\n\n\"Suddenly Susan\" (1997)\n\n\"Ghosts Can't Do It\" (1989)\n\nTrump was credited as coauthor of a number of books on entrepreneurship and his business career, including *Trump: The Art of the Deal* (1987), *Trump: The Art of the Comeback* (1997), *Why We Want You to Be Rich* (2006), *Trump 101: The Way to Success* (2006), and *Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success* (2008).\n## At a glance: the Trump presidency","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Description	The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was carried out in 2021 by a mob of supporters of President Donald J. Trump. After hearing Trump speak at a rally, they stormed the Capitol, disrupting a joint session of Congress convened to certify Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the presidential election of 2020.
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Boilerpipe Text	Top Questions In which case did the Supreme Court decide that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977? Why did President Donald Trump order the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean? What criminal charges did Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro face following his capture by the U.S. military? Can President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War? What is historically unusual about Donald Trump’s presidency? How did Donald Trump’s business career begin? Where and when was Donald Trump shot? What was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade? Prior to 2025, when was the last major military parade in the U.S.? How much does a military parade cost? What is a border czar? News • Donald Trump (born June 14, 1946, New York , New York, U.S.) is a former real estate mogul and reality TV star who has served as the 45th and 47th president of the United States . The scion of renowned New York real estate developer Fred Trump, Donald rose to eclipse his father in fame and fortune, moving through New York’s elite social circles in the 1980s to American TV fame in the 2000s and finally leveraging his name and wealth to become one of the most consequential leaders of the early 21st century. Throughout Trump’s long career in business and politics, one constant has been his brazen , pugnacious , and unrepentant style, which has led to unparalleled achievements while often sowing conflict and chaos . As a businessman, Trump flashed his name worldwide across buildings, casinos, airlines, universities, and even steaks, often while mired in lawsuits and weathering multiple bankruptcies. As a politician, Trump started the fiercely tribal Make America Great Again ( MAGA ) movement that came to dominate American politics in the second half of the 2010s and 2020s. His uncanny resilience to scandals led him to become one of two U.S. presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, even after leading a rally that resulted in a mob storming Congress (the January 6 attack ), two impeachments , and being the only former U.S. president convicted in a criminal case. His willingness to push boundaries, test legal precedent, and discard conventional norms has reshaped much of American life and been embraced by many disenfranchised voters, but it has also eroded protections for millions, stoked xenophobia , and amplified political divisions to new heights. After being elected in 2024 for his second term, Trump swiftly moved to consolidate power under the executive branch, upended international trade , and shook up America’s global footprint by discarding centuries-old alliances and igniting bombast with Canada, Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran. Early life and business career Donald Trump Donald Trump speaking in front of Trump Tower, New York City, August 2008. Trump was the fourth of five children of Frederick (Fred) Christ Trump , a successful real estate developer, and Mary MacLeod. Donald’s eldest sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, eventually served as a U.S. district court judge (1983–99) and later as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit until her retirement in 2011. His elder brother, Frederick, Jr. (Freddy), worked briefly for their father’s business before becoming an airline pilot in the 1960s. Freddy’s alcoholism led to his early death in 1981, at the age of 43. Beginning in the late 1920s, Fred Trump built hundreds of single-family houses and row houses in the Queens and Brooklyn boroughs of New York City , and from the late 1940s he built thousands of apartment units, mostly in Brooklyn, using federal loan guarantees designed to stimulate the construction of affordable housing . During World War II he also built federally backed housing for naval personnel and shipyard workers in Virginia and Pennsylvania . In 1954 Fred was investigated by the Senate Banking Committee for allegedly abusing the loan-guarantee program by deliberately overestimating the costs of his construction projects to secure larger loans from commercial banks , enabling him to keep the difference between the loan amounts and his actual construction costs. In testimony before the Senate committee in 1954, Fred admitted that he had built the Beach Haven apartment complex in Brooklyn for $3.7 million less than the amount of his government-insured loan. Although he was not charged with any crime, he was thereafter unable to obtain federal loan guarantees. A decade later a New York state investigation found that Fred had used his profit on a state-insured construction loan to build a shopping center that was entirely his own property. He eventually returned $1.2 million to the state but was thereafter unable to obtain state loan guarantees for residential projects in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn. Britannica Quiz U.S. Presidents and Their Years in Office Quiz Donald Trump attended New York Military Academy (1959–64), a private boarding school; Fordham University in the Bronx (1964–66); and the University of Pennsylvania ’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (1966–68), where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics . In 1968, during the Vietnam War , he secured a diagnosis of bone spurs, which qualified him for a medical exemption from the military draft (he had earlier received four draft deferments for education). Upon his graduation Trump began working full-time for his father’s business, helping to manage its holdings of rental housing, then estimated at between 10,000 and 22,000 units. In 1974 he became president of a conglomeration of Trump-owned corporations and partnerships, which he later named the Trump Organization. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Trump-owned housing developments in New York City, Cincinnati , Ohio , and Norfolk , Virginia , were the target of several complaints of racial discrimination against African Americans and other minority groups. In 1973 Fred and Donald Trump, along with their company, were sued by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly violating the Fair Housing Act (1968) in the operation of 39 apartment buildings in New York City. The Trumps initially countersued the Justice Department for $100 million, alleging harm to their reputations. The suit was settled two years later under an agreement that did not require the Trumps to admit guilt. Go beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. SUBSCRIBE Father and son Donald Trump posing with his father, Fred Trump, at Trump Tower in 1987. In the late 1970s and the 1980s, Donald Trump greatly expanded his father’s business by investing in luxury hotels and residential properties and by shifting its geographic focus to Manhattan and later to Atlantic City , New Jersey . In doing so, he relied heavily on loans, gifts, and other financial assistance from his father, as well as on his father’s political connections in New York City. In 1976 he purchased the decrepit Commodore Hotel near Grand Central Station under a complex profit-sharing agreement with the city that included a 40-year property tax abatement, the first such tax break granted to a commercial property in New York City. Relying on a construction loan guaranteed by his father and the Hyatt Corporation, which became a partner in the project, Trump refurbished the building and reopened it in 1980 as the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt Hotel. In 1983 he opened Trump Tower , an office, retail, and residential complex constructed in partnership with the Equitable Life Assurance Company. The 58-story building on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue eventually contained Trump’s Manhattan residence and the headquarters of the Trump Organization. Other Manhattan properties developed by Trump during the 1980s include the Trump Plaza residential cooperative (1984), the Trump Parc luxury condominium complex (1986), and the 19-story Plaza Hotel (1988), a historic landmark for which Trump paid more than $400 million. In the 1980s Trump invested heavily in the casino business in Atlantic City, where his properties eventually included Harrah’s at Trump Plaza (1984, later renamed Trump Plaza), Trump’s Castle Casino Resort (1985), and the Trump Taj Mahal (1990), then the largest casino in the world. During that period Trump also purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived U.S. Football League; Mar-a-Lago , a 118-room mansion in Palm Beach , Florida, built in the 1920s by the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post; a 282-foot yacht , then the world’s second largest, which he named the Trump Princess ; and an East Coast air-shuttle service, which he called Trump Shuttle. In 1977 Trump married Ivana Zelníčková Winklmayr, a Czech model, with whom he had three children— Donald, Jr. , Ivanka , and Eric—before the couple divorced in 1992. Their married life, as well as Trump’s business affairs, were a staple of the tabloid press in New York City during the 1980s. Trump married the American actress Marla Maples after she gave birth to Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, in 1993. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1999. In 2005 Trump married the Slovene model Melania Knauss, and their son, Barron, was born the following year. Melania Trump became the second foreign-born first lady of the United States upon Trump’s inauguration as president in 2017. When the U.S. economy fell into recession in 1990, many of Trump’s businesses suffered, and he soon had trouble making payments on his approximately $5 billion debt, some $900 million of which he had personally guaranteed. Under a restructuring agreement with several banks, Trump was forced to surrender his airline, which was taken over by US Airways in 1992; to sell the Trump Princess ; to take out second or third mortgages on nearly all of his properties and to reduce his ownership stakes in them; and to commit himself to living on a personal budget of $450,000 a year. Despite those measures, the Trump Taj Mahal declared bankruptcy in 1991, and two other casinos owned by Trump, as well as his Plaza Hotel in New York City, went bankrupt in 1992. Following those setbacks, most major banks refused to do any further business with him. Estimates of Trump’s net worth during this period ranged from $1.7 billion to minus $900 million. Trump’s fortunes rebounded with the stronger economy of the later 1990s and with the decision of the Frankfurt -based Deutsche Bank AG to establish a presence in the U.S. commercial real estate market. Deutsche Bank extended hundreds of millions of dollars in credit to Trump in the late 1990s and the 2000s for projects including Trump World Tower (2001) in New York and Trump International Hotel and Tower (2009) in Chicago . In the early 1990s Trump had floated a plan to his creditors to convert his Mar-a-Lago estate into a luxury housing development consisting of several smaller mansions, but local opposition led him instead to turn it into a private club, which was opened in 1995. In 1996 Trump partnered with the NBC television network to purchase the Miss Universe Organization, which produced the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. Trump’s casino businesses continued to struggle, however: in 2004 his company Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy after several of its properties accumulated unmanageable debt, and the same company, renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts, went bankrupt again in 2009. Beginning in the mid-2000s, Trump enjoyed an enormous financial windfall from the success of The Apprentice , a reality television series in which he starred that directly earned him nearly $200 million over a 16-year period. The Emmy -nominated show, in each episode of which Trump “fired” one or more contestants competing for a lucrative one-year contract as a Trump employee, further enhanced his reputation as a shrewd businessman and self-made billionaire. In 2008 the show was revamped as The Celebrity Apprentice , which featured news makers and entertainers as contestants. Trump marketed his name as a brand in numerous other business ventures, including Trump Financial, a mortgage company, and the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative (formerly Trump University), an online education company focusing on real estate investment and entrepreneurialism. The latter firm, which ceased operating in 2011, was the target of class-action lawsuits by former students and a separate action by the attorney general of New York state, alleging fraud . After initially denying the allegations, Trump settled the lawsuits for $25 million in November 2016. In 2019, more than two years into his presidency, Trump agreed to pay $2 million in damages and to admit guilt to settle another lawsuit by the attorney general of New York that had accused him of illegally using assets from his charity, the Trump Foundation, to fund his 2016 presidential campaign. As part of the settlement, the Trump Foundation was dissolved. In 2018 The New York Times published a lengthy investigative report that documented how Fred Trump had regularly transferred vast sums of money, ultimately amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, to his children by means of strategies that involved tax, securities, and real estate fraud, as well as by legal means. According to the report, Donald Trump was the main beneficiary of the transfers, having received the equivalent (in 2018 dollars) of $413 million by the early 2000s. According to a later report by the Times , based on data from tax returns filed by Trump during an 18-year period starting in 2000, Trump paid no federal taxes in 11 years and only $750 in each of two years, 2016 and 2017. Trump was able to reduce his tax obligations to levels significantly below the average for the wealthiest Americans by claiming massive losses on many of his businesses; by deducting as business expenses costs associated with his residences and his personal aircraft; and by receiving, on the basis of business losses, a tentative refund from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of nearly $73 million, which more than covered the federal taxes Trump had paid on income he received from The Apprentice in 2005–08. The refund became the subject of an IRS audit and a legally mandated review by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Quick Facts In full: Donald John Trump Notable Family Members: spouse Melania Trump father Fred Trump daughter Ivanka Trump son Donald Trump, Jr. son of Frederick Christ Trump son of Mary MacLeod husband of Melania Trump (January 22, 2005–present) husband of Marla Maples (December 20, 1993–June 8, 1999) husband of Ivana Trump (April 9, 1977–March 22, 1992) father of Donald Trump, Jr. (b. 1977) father of Ivanka Trump (b. 1981) father of Eric Trump (b. 1984) father of Tiffany Trump (b. 1993) father of Barron Trump (b. 2006) brother of Maryanne Trump Barry brother of Frederick Trump, Jr. brother of Elizabeth Trump Grau brother of Robert Trump Published Works: "Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life" (2004; with Meredith McIver) "Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life" (2007; with Bill Zanker) "Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies" (2006) "The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received" (2005) "Trump: The Art of the Comeback" (1997; with Kate Bohner) "Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again" (2015) "Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—And Why Most Don't" (2011; with Robert T. Kiyosaki) "Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life" (2009; with Meredith McIver) "Trump: The Art of the Deal" (1987; with Tony Schwartz) "Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again" (2011) "Trump: Surviving at the Top" (1990; with Charles Leerhsen) "The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received" (2004) "The America We Deserve" (2000; with Dave Shiflett) "Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message" (2006; with Robert T. Kiyosaki) "Trump: How to Get Rich" (2004; with Meredith McIver) "Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success" (2008; with Meredith McIver) "Trump 101: The Way to Success" (2007; with Meredith McIver) Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In): "The Little Rascals" (1994) "Horrorween" (2011) "Eddie" (1996) "Marmalade" (2004) "Two Weeks Notice" (2002) "Across the Sea of Time" (1995) "54" (1998) "Zoolander" (2001) "Spin City" (1998) "The Drew Carey Show" (1997) "NightMan" (1997) "The Nanny" (1996) "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992) "Celebrity" (1998) "Suddenly Susan" (1997) "Ghosts Can't Do It" (1989) Trump was credited as coauthor of a number of books on entrepreneurship and his business career, including Trump: The Art of the Deal (1987), Trump: The Art of the Comeback (1997), Why We Want You to Be Rich (2006), Trump 101: The Way to Success (2006), and Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success (2008). At a glance: the Trump presidency
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[What happened on January 6, 2021?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-happened-on-January-6-2021) - [Why actions did the crowd take that day?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Why-actions-did-the-crowd-take-that-day) - [How did government officials and police respond to the riot?](https://www.britannica.com/question/How-did-government-officials-and-police-respond-to-the-riot) - [What were the consequences for those involved in the attack?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-were-the-consequences-for-those-involved-in-the-attack) - [How did the January 6 attack impact U.S. government and society?](https://www.britannica.com/question/How-did-the-January-6-attack-impact-U-S-government-and-society) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Contents Ask Anything [Politics, Law & Government](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Politics-Law-Government) [Law, Crime & Punishment](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Law-Crime-Punishment) CITE Share Feedback External Websites # January 6 U.S. Capitol attack riot, Washington, D.C., United States \[2021\] Homework Help Written by [Brian Duignan Brian Duignan is a senior editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. His subject areas include philosophy, law, social science, politics, political theory, and religion.](https://www.britannica.com/editor/brian-duignan/6469) Brian Duignan Fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 1, 2026 •[History](https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack/additional-info#history) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything [![January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters](https://cdn.britannica.com/07/221007-050-0B9861FF/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg?w=1000)](https://cdn.britannica.com/07/221007-050-0B9861FF/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg) [January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters](https://cdn.britannica.com/07/221007-050-0B9861FF/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)Supporters of Donald Trump during an attack on the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021. (more) Top Questions ### What happened on January 6, 2021? On January 6, 2021, the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a mob of supporters of Republican Pres. [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump), disrupting a joint session of Congress convened to certify the results of the [2020 presidential election](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020), which Trump lost to his Democratic opponent, [Joe Biden.](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Biden) At a rally held near the White House, Trump repeated false claims about the election and encouraged the crowd to march to the Capitol. The ensuing attack, during which rioters vandalized and looted the interior, resulted in property damage of approximately \$1.5 million. The Capitol was cleared of rioters about four hours after they first entered the building, and Congress resumed its tabulation of electoral votes, certifying Biden as the winner. ### Why actions did the crowd take that day? On January 6, 2021, a large crowd of [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump)’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to disrupt the certification of the [2020 presidential election](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020) results. The mob pushed through fences at the Capitol grounds’ perimeter, overwhelming police officers. Some rioters beat officers with weapons, sprayed them with chemical irritants, or crushed them in the surging crowd. The rioters shattered windows to enter the Capitol, vandalized and looted the interior, ransacked offices, and searched for lawmakers and then-Vice President [Mike Pence](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mike-Pence). The Capitol was cleared at approximately 6 p.m., about four hours after the rioters entered the building. ### How did government officials and police respond to the riot? On January 6, 2021, a mob of [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump)’s supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol Building while Congress was in session to certify the results of the [2020 presidential election](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020). The Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department were overwhelmed as rioters breached barriers, vandalized the building, and assaulted officers. Reinforcements were summoned, and the governors of Virginia and Maryland dispatched National Guard units and state troopers to help secure the Capitol. However, due to bureaucratic delays, the District of Columbia National Guard wasn’t mobilized until three hours after the attack began. The Capitol was secured around 6 p.m., four hours after the initial breach.. ### What were the consequences for those involved in the attack? The January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack had significant consequences for those involved. Protester Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by police officers as she tried to breach the House chamber. Three other protesters also died, two of natural causes and one in a stampede. Five police officers involved in the protection of the Capitol on January 6 died in the aftermath of the attacks. Participants faced a range of criminal charges, from trespassing to seditious conspiracy, leading to numerous arrests and prosecutions. Members of extremist groups including the [Proud Boys](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Proud-Boys) and [Oath Keepers](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oath-Keepers) received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in planning and carrying out the attack. For example, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes received 18 years. In January 2025, shortly after returning to office, Pres. [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump) issued full pardons to individuals convicted of offenses related to the attack, commuted the sentences of others, and ordered the dismissal of remaining indictments. ### How did the January 6 attack impact U.S. government and society? The January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol disrupted the certification of the [2020 presidential election](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020), which [Joe Biden](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Biden) won. A mob of supporters of Pres. [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump) stormed the Capitol, aiming to prevent the legitimate president-elect from assuming office. This event was widely regarded as an insurrection and an act of domestic terrorism. The attack led to the second impeachment of Donald Trump for inciting violence against the government. He was acquitted by the Senate. It also resulted in approximately \$1.5 million in damage to the Capitol building. In the aftermath, many individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes. With his January 2025 inauguration to a second term, Trump issued pardons and commutations to many of those found guilty of participating in the attack. ### How many people died on January 6th? Eight people died during or in the aftermath of the January 6th attack, including five police officers involved in the protection of the [Capitol](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Capitol). Protester Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by police officers as she tried to breach the [House](https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Representatives-United-States-government) chamber, and three other protesters also died, two of natural causes and one in a stampede. ### How many people connected to January 6th were charged with insurrection? None of the people connected to January 6th were formally charged with [insurrection](https://www.britannica.com/topic/insurrection-politics). Instead, they were charged with specific crimes related to the January 6th attack. The alleged crimes included assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground with a dangerous or deadly weapon; and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. ### Did Trump pardon people who participated in the January 6th attack? Yes, Trump [pardoned](https://www.britannica.com/topic/pardon) or granted [commutations](https://www.britannica.com/topic/commutation-law) or to all people convicted of or charged with crimes committed during the January 6th attack. He also dismissed pending [indictments](https://www.britannica.com/topic/indictment) of all people subject to related criminal charges. ## News • [Trump isn't immune from civil claims his Jan. 6 rally speech incited riot, judge says](https://www.britannica.com/news/2185465/13ce62c37c69a82e5748ce6ba4fc8ebb) • Apr. 1, 2026, 1:02 PM ET (AP) Show less January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, storming of the [United States Capitol](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Capitol) on January 6, 2021, by a mob of supporters of [Republican](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Republican-Party) Pres. [Donald J. Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump). The attack disrupted a joint session of [Congress](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Congress-of-the-United-States) [convened](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convened) to certify the results of the [presidential election of 2020](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020), which Trump had lost to his [Democratic](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Democratic-Party) opponent, [Joe Biden](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Biden). Because its object was to prevent a [legitimate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legitimate) president-elect from assuming office, the attack was widely regarded as an [insurrection](https://www.britannica.com/topic/insurrection-politics) or attempted [coup d’état](https://www.britannica.com/topic/coup-detat). The [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federal-Bureau-of-Investigation) (FBI) and other law-enforcement agencies also considered it an act of [domestic](https://www.britannica.com/topic/domestic-terrorism) [terrorism](https://www.britannica.com/topic/terrorism). For having given a speech in which he rallied supporters to storm the Capitol in a violent attack that threatened the certification of Biden’s victory, Trump was [impeached](https://www.britannica.com/topic/impeachment) by the Democratic-led [House of Representatives](https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Representatives-United-States-government) for “incitement of insurrection” (he was subsequently acquitted by the [Senate](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Senate-United-States-government)). ## Background The conduct of the 2020 presidential [election](https://www.britannica.com/topic/election-political-science) was significantly affected by the deadly [COVID-19](https://www.britannica.com/science/coronavirus-virus-group) [pandemic](https://www.britannica.com/science/pandemic) in the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), the early stages of which coincided with the first presidential [primary elections](https://www.britannica.com/topic/primary-election) in February and March. Because of the evident risk to [public health](https://www.britannica.com/topic/public-health), governors and election officials in several states postponed primary elections or [implemented](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implemented) changes to election procedures to enable voters to cast their ballots safely. Among such measures were extending early-voting periods and loosening or eliminating requirements for obtaining or casting absentee (mail-in) ballots, which millions of voters were expected to use as a safer [alternative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternative) to in-person voting. Correctly anticipating that Democratic voters would be more likely than Republican voters to use absentee ballots (in part because Trump had repeatedly downplayed the extent of the pandemic and the seriousness of the illness), the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee (RNC), and Republican leaders in several states filed scores of lawsuits alleging that the changes undermined the [constitutional](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitutional) authority of state legislatures to make election law or that they invited individual voter fraud. Nearly all of the suits were dismissed or withdrawn. Amid those failed challenges, Trump continued to falsely claim that Democrats were plotting to “rig” the election through voter fraud and by systematically forging, altering, or discarding absentee ballots, among other illegal means. His accusations were of a piece with his frequent assertions during the 2016 presidential campaign that the [election of that year](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-presidential-election-of-2016), which he won, would be rigged by Democrats. In a press encounter in the early morning of November 4, the day after the election, Trump maintained his false narrative of Democratic cheating by declaring himself the winner and denouncing the ongoing counting of absentee ballots as a “fraud on the American people.” During the next several weeks he continually accused Biden and the Democrats of having stolen the presidential election and repeated [conspiracy theories](https://www.britannica.com/topic/conspiracy-theory) involving ballot stuffing, dead voters, and [malicious](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malicious) voting-machine software that deleted or changed millions of votes for Trump. His false accusations were indirectly [endorsed](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endorsed) by several Republican members of Congress who expressed uncertainty about the election’s outcome or who simply refused to publicly acknowledge Biden’s victory. Their calculated reticence helped to spread false doubts about the [integrity](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity) of the election among rank-and-file Republicans. (Such manufactured doubts were later cited by Republican governors and election officials in several states to justify new “election integrity” laws that made it harder for some Democrats to vote and easier for partisan state legislatures to improperly influence or overturn statewide elections—see [voter suppression](https://www.britannica.com/topic/voter-suppression).) As vote counting continued, various groups of radicalized Trump supporters quickly coalesced around the idea that forceful protests and even violent direct action were necessary to stop the counting of fraudulent ballots and thereby to prevent Biden from taking office. A short-lived [Facebook](https://www.britannica.com/money/Facebook) group calling itself “Stop the Steal” was created on November 4 and grew to some 320,000 members in less than 24 hours before the social media company shut it down because of posts containing disinformation and calls for [violence](https://www.britannica.com/topic/violence) (see also [collective violence](https://www.britannica.com/topic/collective-violence)). Stop the Steal enthusiasts soon migrated to other social media [venues](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/venues), where they repeated and elaborated [conspiracy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conspiracy) theories about the election and organized on-the-ground demonstrations in several cities, including at polling stations where supposedly fraudulent vote counting was underway. After the electors from each state cast their votes for president and vice president on December 14, giving Biden a victory of 306 electoral votes to 232, Trump and his allies, as well as leaders of Stop the Steal and other pro-Trump groups across the country, turned their attention to the last, formal step in the election of a U.S. president, the ceremonial opening and counting of the electoral votes of each state in a joint session of [Congress](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Congress), presided over by the vice president and commencing on January 6, a date fixed in federal law. Some allies reportedly advised Trump—incorrectly—that the vice president’s role in the electoral-vote counting would give Trump’s vice president, [Mike Pence](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mike-Pence), the constitutional authority to replace Democratic slates of electors with Republican ones and thereby to block Congress’s confirmation of Biden’s victory. Meanwhile, in several tweets beginning in mid-December, Trump encouraged his supporters to attend a rally and march on January 6 to protest the vote-counting ceremony. In one of the tweets, Trump stated, “Be there, will be wild!” (Trump’s news conferences, public speeches, and social-media communications in the weeks leading up to the January 6 attack have frequently been characterized as “[stochastic terrorism](https://www.britannica.com/topic/stochastic-terrorism),” understood as the repeated use of vilifying [rhetoric](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhetoric) by a public figure that inspires acts of violence against a targeted person, group, or community.) Explore Britannica Premium\! Trusted knowledge for those who want to know more. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=shorter-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) ## The attack and its aftermath [![Protestors with Trump signs and American flags outside the U.S. Capitol.](https://cdn.britannica.com/94/238294-138-CE3717FC/January-6-US-Capitol-attack.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/January-6-US-Capitol-attack/-285106) What Caused the January 6, 2021, Capitol Attack?On the afternoon of January 6, 2021, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol building. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack/images-videos) At Trump’s rally, held at a public park near the [White House](https://www.britannica.com/topic/White-House-Washington-DC), a crowd of thousands, which included members of paramilitary organizations and other right-wing extremists, listened to speeches by Trump’s personal attorney [Rudy Giuliani](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudy-Giuliani) and Trump’s sons [Donald, Jr.](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump-Jr), and [Eric](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eric-Trump), among others. In his own address, which began at about noon, Trump repeated well-worn falsehoods and conspiracy theories about the stolen election; called on Pence to block Congress’s confirmation of the electoral college vote—declaring that, if Pence failed to act, the rally crowd would not let the confirmation take place (“We’re just not going to let that happen”); encouraged the crowd to “walk down Pennsylvania Avenue” to the Capitol building; and urged his audience to “fight like hell” or “you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Although Trump did not explicitly direct those in attendance to commit illegal acts, his generally [incendiary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incendiary) language plainly suggested to many in the crowd that they would be justified in violently attacking the Capitol and members of Congress to prevent Biden from becoming president. Even before Trump finished his address shortly after 1:00 pm, and just as the joint session of Congress was being convened, a mob of his supporters—including members of right-wing extremist organizations, such as the [Proud Boys](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Proud-Boys), the Oath Keepers, and the Three Percenters, as well as self-identified adherents of the [QAnon](https://www.britannica.com/topic/QAnon) conspiracy theory—pushed through fences at the western perimeter of the Capitol grounds, forcing Capitol Police officers to retreat to additional barricades closer to the building (see [United States: The 2020 U.S. election](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/The-indictment-of-Paul-Manafort-the-guilty-pleas-of-Michael-Flynn-and-George-Papadopoulos-and-indictments-of-Russian-intelligence-officers#ref346098) and [United States presidential election of 2020: Aftermath: Trump’s refusal to concede and the insurrection at the Capitol](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020#ref347103)). The [mob](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/mob) grew larger as ever more people arrived from the rally at which Trump had spoken. Capitol Police officers, along with reinforcements from the Metropolitan Police Department of the [District of Columbia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC), were overwhelmed. Many officers were brutally beaten with deadly weapons (bats, pipes, and flag poles), sprayed with chemical irritants, or crushed and trampled by the surging crowd. As the rioting continued outside, the joint session was temporarily adjourned to allow the House and Senate to separately debate a Republican challenge to the Democratic slate of electors from [Arizona](https://www.britannica.com/place/Arizona-state). By about 2:00 pm the rioters had [breached](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breached) the last barrier on the west side of the building and were running up the Capitol steps and scaling the walls of the West Terrace. Another mob also had broken through barriers on the east side of the Capitol. [![January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol](https://cdn.britannica.com/06/221006-050-8BA0B2C7/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg?w=1000)](https://cdn.britannica.com/06/221006-050-8BA0B2C7/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg) [January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol](https://cdn.britannica.com/06/221006-050-8BA0B2C7/Pro-Trump-supporters-storm-US-Capitol-January-6-2021-Washington-DC.jpg)Supporters of Donald Trump attacking the Capitol in Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021. (more) Shortly after 2:00 pm the rioters shattered windows to break into the west side of the building, and for the next few hours they vandalized and looted the interior and ransacked offices as they searched for their perceived enemies in Congress. They also looked for Pence, whom they now [denounced](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/denounced) as a traitor for having refused to interfere in Congress’s tabulation of electoral votes. (Shortly before the start of the joint session, Pence had released a letter in which he stated that “it is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.”) At about 2:20 pm Trump condemned Pence in a tweet to his followers, claiming that “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.” Only minutes after the break-in, members of the House and Senate were notified that protesters had entered the building. Realizing that their lives were in danger, many lawmakers fled or were evacuated from the building or hid behind desks or in barricaded offices and even closets. Pence was evacuated to a secure location within the complex. The governors of Virginia and Maryland eventually dispatched National Guard units and state troopers to assist in securing the building; because of [bureaucratic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bureaucratic) delays, the District of Columbia National Guard was not mobilized until about three hours after the start of the attack. The Capitol was finally cleared of rioters at about 6 pm, some four hours after they first entered the building. The vast majority of the attackers were not arrested on-site and simply walked away. Congress then resumed its tabulation of electoral votes (after dismissing Republican challenges to the slates of electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania), and Biden was certified as the winner of the 2020 presidential election in the early morning hours of January 7. The attack on the Capitol was broadcast live on major news networks. Trump himself watched some of the assault and reportedly was pleased and excited by what he saw. After initially resisting pressure from White House aides and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy to condemn the attack, Trump reluctantly tweeted (at about 2:40 pm) a call to his followers to support the Capitol Police and to “stay peaceful.” A similar tweet was issued about half an hour later. At about 4:20 pm Trump tweeted a brief video in which he once again asserted that the election had been stolen. Expressing his “love” for the rioters, he urged them to “go home,” stating that “we have to have peace.” Later that day he tweeted: > These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever\! On January 8 Trump was banned from [Twitter](https://www.britannica.com/money/Twitter) for having posted tweets before, during, and after the assault that violated the company’s policy against glorification of violence. The ban was [rescinded](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rescinded) after [Elon Musk](https://www.britannica.com/money/Elon-Musk) took over the [social media](https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-media) company. According to a [Justice](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Justice) Department report released in July 2021, approximately 140 Capitol and Metropolitan police officers were criminally assaulted by the rioters in the January 6 attack. Five police officers involved in the protection of the Capitol on January 6 died in the aftermath of the attacks. Protester Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by police officers as she tried to [breach](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breach) the House chamber. Three other protesters also died, two of natural causes and one in a stampede. The rioters caused an estimated \$1.5 million in damage to the Capitol building. On January 13, 2021, the House of Representatives, by a vote of 232 to 197, adopted a single article of impeachment against Trump for incitement of insurrection. At his Senate trial in February, which began three weeks after he left office on January 20, Trump was acquitted after only 57 senators, 10 short of the required two-thirds majority, voted to find him guilty. During the first year after the attack, the FBI and the Justice Department arrested more than 725 of the rioters, charging them with a variety of federal crimes, including injuring law-enforcement officers, destruction and theft of government property, seditious conspiracy, and obstruction of an official proceeding. (In June 2024, the [U.S. Supreme Court](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States) invalidated the [conviction](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conviction) of a January 6 rioter on the charge of obstructing an official proceeding, holding that the relevant law applied only to reducing the “availability or integrity” of official documents, records, or objects.) By January 6, 2025, nearly 1,600 persons had been charged with crimes related to the attack. Two weeks later, shortly after his second inauguration as president of the United States, Trump issued a “full, complete and unconditional pardon to all…individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.” Trump also [commuted](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/commuted) the sentences of 14 other rioters and ordered the dismissal of all pending indictments connected to the attack. In May 2021 Senate Republicans blocked passage of a House-passed bill that would have created a national commission to investigate the January 6 attack, claiming that it would unnecessarily duplicate ongoing investigations by two Senate committees and the Justice Department (the Senate investigation, however, was focused on intelligence and communication failures by law-enforcement agencies prior to the attack). In response, the House voted along near-party lines to create its own committee, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. After Speaker of the House [Nancy Pelosi](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nancy-Pelosi) refused to seat two of the Republican representatives chosen by minority leader [Kevin McCarthy](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kevin-McCarthy-politician) to serve on the committee investigating the January 6th attack ([Jim Jordan](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jim-Jordan-politician) and Jim Banks), McCarthy withdrew his other nominees and sought to block Republican involvement in the committee, which he branded a “sham process.” When Representatives [Adam Kinzinger](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adam-Kinzinger) and [Liz Cheney](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Liz-Cheney) ignored that directive, the [Republican National Committee](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Republican-National-Committee) [censured](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censured) them, and McCarthy saw that Cheney was stripped of her leadership role within the party. The committee began holding hearings in July and by early January 2022 the committee had interviewed more than 300 people and collected thousands of pages of records related to the attack. It had also subpoenaed testimony and records from high-level members of the Trump administration and other Trump associates and supporters, some of whom refused to cooperate with the investigation. In October 2021 Trump filed suit against the committee in federal district court, seeking to block the release of several hundred pages of records relating to his activities and communications before and during the attack, which the committee had originally requested in August. In December, after the district court rejected Trump’s request and an appellate court [upheld](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/upheld) that decision, Trump filed an emergency petition with the [Supreme Court](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States), asking that it review the district court’s ruling and that it block release of the documents pending its final decision in the case. The Supreme Court denied Trump’s request in January 2022, allowing the committee to begin receiving the documents from the National Archives. Quick Facts Date: January 6, 2021 (Show more) Location: [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States) [Washington, D.C.](https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC) (Show more) Participants: [Proud Boys](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Proud-Boys) [Oath Keepers](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oath-Keepers) [Three Percenters](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Three-Percenters) (Show more) Context: [United States presidential election of 2020](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020) (Show more) Key People: [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump) [Steve Bannon](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steve-Bannon) (Show more) [See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack) See also [Donald J. Trump: Presidential election of 2020](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump). [Brian Duignan](https://www.britannica.com/editor/brian-duignan/6469) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI chevron\_right January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack close [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. 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President Nixon](https://cdn.britannica.com/44/164744-131-7A6008A3/Richard-M-Nixon-campaign-stop-crowd-gesture-1968.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/us-presidential-nicknames) [U.S. Presidential Nicknames](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/us-presidential-nicknames) [![President Theodore Roosevelt delivering a speech, September 2, 1902. Teddy Roosevelt.](https://cdn.britannica.com/33/181733-131-CAA9FEAA/Theodore-Roosevelt-speech-September-2-1902.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/us-presidential-firsts) [U.S. Presidential Firsts](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/us-presidential-firsts) Related Questions - [Can President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Can-President-Donald-Trump-change-the-name-of-the-Department-of-Defense-to-the-Department-of-War) - [What was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-was-the-significance-of-Donald-Trumps-military-parade) - [What is a border czar?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-a-border-czar) - [What is Tim Walz’s background before entering politics?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-Tim-Walzs-background-before-entering-politics) - [Why challenged did Tim Walz face in 2026?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Why-challenged-did-Tim-Walz-face-in-2026) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Contents Ask Anything [Politics, Law & Government](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Politics-Law-Government) [World Leaders](https://www.britannica.com/browse/World-Leaders) [Presidents & Heads of States](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Presidents) CITE Share Feedback External Websites [![Donald Trump](https://cdn.britannica.com/18/273318-050-9DE2F788/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https://cdn.britannica.com/18/273318-050-9DE2F788/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg) [Donald Trump](https://cdn.britannica.com/18/273318-050-9DE2F788/President-Donald-J-Trump-portrait-2025.jpg) U.S. Pres. Donald Trump's official portrait, 2025. (more) # Donald Trump 45th and 47th president of the United States Homework Help Also known as: Donald John Trump Written by [Brian Duignan Brian Duignan is a senior editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. His subject areas include philosophy, law, social science, politics, political theory, and religion.](https://www.britannica.com/editor/brian-duignan/6469) Brian Duignan Fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 27, 2026 •[History](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump/additional-info#history) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything Top Questions ### In which case did the Supreme Court decide that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977? The case in which the [Supreme Court](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Supreme-Court-of-the-United-States) decided that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the [International Emergency Economic Powers Act](https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Emergency-Economic-Powers-Act) (IEEPA) of 1977 is [Learning Resources v. Trump](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Major-Supreme-Court-Cases-from-the-2025-26-Term#ref448652) (2026). ### Why did President Donald Trump order the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean? President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific because he believed that the targeted boats were smuggling illegal drugs into the United States. ### What criminal charges did Venezuelan president [Nicolás Maduro](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolas-Maduro) face following his capture by the U.S. military? Venezuelan president [Nicolás Maduro](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolas-Maduro) faced criminal charges related to drug trafficking. ### Can President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War? In 1947 the U.S. Congress passed the [National Security Act](https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Security-Act), which reorganized and renamed the Department of War, established in 1789, as the National Military Establishment. An amendment to the Act in 1949 changed the name of the National Military Establishment to the [Department of Defense](https://www.britannica.com/topic/US-Department-of-Defense). Because the Constitution gives Congress the power to create executive departments and agencies, and because the Department of Defense was so named under Congressional legislation, President Donald Trump cannot legally reinstate the department’s official name under an [executive order](https://www.britannica.com/topic/executive-order). In apparent recognition of that fact, the order eventually signed by Trump presents the new name as a “secondary title” of the department, though it also requires other federal departments and agencies to use the new name in official correspondence and nonstatutory documents. ### What is historically unusual about Donald Trump’s presidency? Donald Trump is the only [U.S. president](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Presidents-of-the-United-States-1846696) to be impeached twice and the first convicted felon to be elected president. He is also one of only two presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, the other being [Grover Cleveland](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Grover-Cleveland) (1885–89; 1893–97). ### How did Donald Trump’s business career begin? Trump began working for his father’s real estate business after graduating from the [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Pennsylvania)’s Wharton School in 1968. He expanded the business by investing in luxury properties and casinos. ### Where and when was Donald Trump shot? Donald Trump was shot during a campaign rally in Butler, [Pennsylvania](https://www.britannica.com/place/Pennsylvania-state) on July 13, 2024. ### What was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade? The official purpose of Donald Trump’s military parade on June 14, 2025, in [Washington, D.C.](https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC), was to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the [U.S. Army](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-United-States-Army). The parade, which took place on [Flag Day](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Flag-Day) (June 14) and Trump’s 79th birthday, was also intended to showcase American military strength. ### Prior to 2025, when was the last major military parade in the U.S.? The last major military parade in the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States), which commemorated the end of the [Persian Gulf War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Persian-Gulf-War), took place in [Washington, D.C.](https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC), on June 18, 1991. ### How much does a military parade cost? The cost of a military parade varies based on its scale, location, logistics, and security needs and includes post-parade work, such as clean-up and repair of roads. The parade celebrating the end of the [Persian Gulf War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Persian-Gulf-War) cost \$12 million, and [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump)’s military parade cost \$30 million. ### What is a border czar? The border czar is an informal title used to describe a U.S. government official who oversees or coordinates policies related to immigration and border security, including deportation. The individual is appointed by the president and implements his policies. The post does not require [Senate](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Senate-United-States-government) approval, which has raised questions about its authority, accountability, and constitutionality. Supporters argue that such appointments allow the president to act quickly and to coordinate policy across multiple agencies. In 2021 Pres. [Joe Biden](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Biden) tapped Vice Pres. [Kamala Harris](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kamala-Harris) to look into the root causes of immigration from Latin American countries. The media and critics dubbed her “border czar,” though the Biden administration never used that title. In 2025, during his second term, Pres. [Donald Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump) selected Tom Homan to serve as border czar. He notably sent Homan to Minnesota in early 2026 amid unrest after [ICE](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Immigration-and-Customs-Enforcement) agents fatally shot several people. ## News • [The Latest: US blockade of Iranian ports 'fully implemented' as Trump says war is near end](https://www.britannica.com/news/607230/2595edb52849560135f352ca5746ed85) • Apr. 15, 2026, 5:36 AM ET (AP) ...(Show more) [European shares are little changed after Asia finishes higher amid hopes for US-Iran talks](https://www.britannica.com/news/607230/7659569791b1f5e108489360d18e50f1) • Apr. 15, 2026, 5:06 AM ET (AP) [Hopes rise for renewed talks as US military says Iran blockade is in force](https://www.britannica.com/news/607230/f1b02d16f81d6fdcf68c0ed16d7a719d) • Apr. 15, 2026, 1:39 AM ET (AP) [Trump urges extending foreign surveillance program as some lawmakers push for US privacy protections](https://www.britannica.com/news/607230/fc13cfaa521e3380539611065a45f112) • Apr. 15, 2026, 12:30 AM ET (AP) [As Vance rallies with Turning Point, some supporters bristle at Trump's war, memes and feuds](https://www.britannica.com/news/607230/2488d70793a21909b1026ccad0ac42a7) • Apr. 15, 2026, 12:03 AM ET (AP) Show less Donald Trump (born June 14, 1946, [New York](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state), New York, U.S.) is a former real estate mogul and [reality TV star](https://www.britannica.com/topic/reality-TV) who has served as the 45th and 47th [president](https://www.britannica.com/topic/president-government-official) of the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States). The scion of renowned New York real estate developer Fred Trump, Donald rose to eclipse his father in fame and fortune, moving through New York’s elite social circles in the 1980s to American TV fame in the 2000s and finally leveraging his name and wealth to become one of the most consequential leaders of the early 21st century. Throughout Trump’s long career in business and politics, one constant has been his [brazen](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brazen), [pugnacious](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pugnacious), and unrepentant style, which has led to unparalleled achievements while often sowing conflict and [chaos](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaos). As a businessman, Trump flashed his name worldwide across buildings, casinos, airlines, universities, and even steaks, often while mired in lawsuits and weathering multiple bankruptcies. As a politician, Trump started the fiercely tribal Make America Great Again ([MAGA](https://www.britannica.com/topic/MAGA-movement)) movement that came to dominate American politics in the second half of the 2010s and 2020s. His uncanny [resilience](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience) to scandals led him to become one of two U.S. presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, even after leading a rally that resulted in a mob storming [Congress](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Congress-of-the-United-States) (the [January 6 attack](https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)), two [impeachments](https://www.britannica.com/topic/impeachment), and being the only former U.S. president convicted in a criminal case. His willingness to push boundaries, test legal precedent, and discard conventional norms has reshaped much of American life and been embraced by many [disenfranchised](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchised) voters, but it has also eroded protections for millions, stoked [xenophobia](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenophobia), and amplified political divisions to new heights. After being elected in 2024 for his second term, Trump swiftly moved to consolidate power under the [executive](https://www.britannica.com/topic/executive-government) branch, upended [international trade](https://www.britannica.com/money/international-trade), and shook up America’s global footprint by discarding centuries-old alliances and igniting bombast with Canada, Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran. ## Early life and business career [![Donald Trump](https://cdn.britannica.com/45/193845-050-A7905463/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/45/193845-050-A7905463/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg) [Donald Trump](https://cdn.britannica.com/45/193845-050-A7905463/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg)Donald Trump speaking in front of Trump Tower, New York City, August 2008. (more) Trump was the fourth of five children of [Frederick (Fred) Christ Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fred-Trump), a successful real estate developer, and Mary MacLeod. Donald’s eldest sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, eventually served as a U.S. [district court](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-District-Court) judge (1983–99) and later as a judge on the [U.S. Court of Appeals](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Court-of-Appeals) for the Third [Circuit](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Circuit) until her retirement in 2011. His elder brother, Frederick, Jr. (Freddy), worked briefly for their father’s business before becoming an airline pilot in the 1960s. Freddy’s [alcoholism](https://www.britannica.com/science/alcoholism) led to his early death in 1981, at the age of 43. Beginning in the late 1920s, Fred Trump built hundreds of single-family houses and row houses in the [Queens](https://www.britannica.com/place/Queens-New-York) and [Brooklyn](https://www.britannica.com/place/Brooklyn-borough-New-York-City) boroughs of [New York City](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City), and from the late 1940s he built thousands of apartment units, mostly in Brooklyn, using federal loan guarantees designed to stimulate the construction of [affordable housing](https://www.britannica.com/topic/affordable-housing). During [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II) he also built federally backed housing for naval personnel and shipyard workers in [Virginia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Virginia-state) and [Pennsylvania](https://www.britannica.com/place/Pennsylvania-state). In 1954 Fred was investigated by the Senate Banking Committee for allegedly abusing the loan-guarantee program by deliberately overestimating the costs of his construction projects to secure larger loans from [commercial banks](https://www.britannica.com/money/commercial-bank), enabling him to keep the difference between the loan amounts and his actual construction costs. In [testimony](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/testimony) before the Senate committee in 1954, Fred admitted that he had built the Beach Haven apartment complex in Brooklyn for \$3.7 million less than the amount of his government-insured loan. Although he was not charged with any crime, he was thereafter unable to obtain federal loan guarantees. A decade later a New York state investigation found that Fred had used his profit on a state-insured construction loan to build a shopping center that was entirely his own property. He eventually returned \$1.2 million to the state but was thereafter unable to obtain state loan guarantees for residential projects in the [Coney Island](https://www.britannica.com/place/Coney-Island-amusement-area) area of Brooklyn. [![Richard M. Nixon. Richard Nixon during a 1968 campaign stop. President Nixon](https://cdn.britannica.com/44/164744-131-7A6008A3/Richard-M-Nixon-campaign-stop-crowd-gesture-1968.jpg) Britannica Quiz U.S. Presidents and Their Years in Office Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/us-presidents-and-their-years-in-office-quiz) Donald Trump attended New York Military Academy (1959–64), a private boarding school; [Fordham University](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fordham-University) in the [Bronx](https://www.britannica.com/place/Bronx-borough-New-York-City) (1964–66); and the [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Pennsylvania)’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (1966–68), where he graduated with a [bachelor’s degree](https://www.britannica.com/topic/bachelors-degree) in [economics](https://www.britannica.com/money/economics). In 1968, during the [Vietnam War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War), he secured a [diagnosis](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diagnosis) of bone spurs, which qualified him for a medical exemption from the [military draft](https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscription) (he had earlier received four draft deferments for education). Upon his graduation Trump began working full-time for his father’s business, helping to manage its holdings of rental housing, then estimated at between 10,000 and 22,000 units. In 1974 he became president of a conglomeration of Trump-owned corporations and partnerships, which he later named the Trump Organization. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Trump-owned housing developments in New York City, [Cincinnati](https://www.britannica.com/place/Cincinnati), [Ohio](https://www.britannica.com/place/Ohio-state), and [Norfolk](https://www.britannica.com/place/Norfolk-Virginia), [Virginia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Virginia-state), were the target of several complaints of racial [discrimination](https://www.britannica.com/topic/discrimination-society) against [African Americans](https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-Americans) and other minority groups. In 1973 Fred and Donald Trump, along with their company, were sued by the [U.S. Justice Department](https://www.britannica.com/topic/US-Department-of-Justice) for allegedly violating the [Fair Housing Act](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fair-Housing-Act) (1968) in the operation of 39 apartment buildings in New York City. The Trumps initially countersued the [Justice](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Justice) Department for \$100 million, alleging harm to their reputations. The suit was settled two years later under an agreement that did not require the Trumps to admit guilt. Explore Britannica Premium\! Go beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) [![Father and son](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/283327-050-780509F8/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/283327-050-780509F8/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg) [Father and son](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/283327-050-780509F8/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg)Donald Trump posing with his father, Fred Trump, at Trump Tower in 1987. (more) In the late 1970s and the 1980s, Donald Trump greatly expanded his father’s business by investing in luxury hotels and residential properties and by shifting its geographic focus to [Manhattan](https://www.britannica.com/place/Manhattan-New-York-City) and later to [Atlantic City](https://www.britannica.com/place/Atlantic-City-New-Jersey), [New Jersey](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Jersey). In doing so, he relied heavily on loans, gifts, and other financial assistance from his father, as well as on his father’s political connections in New York City. In 1976 he purchased the decrepit Commodore Hotel near [Grand Central Station](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Grand-Central-Station) under a complex profit-sharing agreement with the city that included a 40-year [property tax](https://www.britannica.com/money/property-tax) abatement, the first such tax break granted to a commercial property in New York City. Relying on a construction loan guaranteed by his father and the Hyatt Corporation, which became a partner in the project, Trump refurbished the building and reopened it in 1980 as the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt Hotel. In 1983 he opened [Trump Tower](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trump-Tower), an office, retail, and residential complex constructed in partnership with the Equitable Life [Assurance](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Assurance) Company. The 58-story building on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue eventually contained Trump’s Manhattan residence and the headquarters of the Trump Organization. Other Manhattan properties developed by Trump during the 1980s include the Trump Plaza residential cooperative (1984), the Trump Parc luxury [condominium](https://www.britannica.com/topic/condominium-building) complex (1986), and the 19-story Plaza Hotel (1988), a historic landmark for which Trump paid more than \$400 million. In the 1980s Trump invested heavily in the [casino](https://www.britannica.com/topic/casino-gambling-house) business in Atlantic City, where his properties eventually included Harrah’s at Trump Plaza (1984, later renamed Trump Plaza), Trump’s Castle Casino Resort (1985), and the Trump Taj Mahal (1990), then the largest casino in the world. During that period Trump also purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived U.S. Football League; [Mar-a-Lago](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mar-a-Lago), a 118-room mansion in [Palm Beach](https://www.britannica.com/place/Palm-Beach-Florida), Florida, built in the 1920s by the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post; a 282-foot [yacht](https://www.britannica.com/technology/yacht), then the world’s second largest, which he named the Trump Princess; and an East Coast air-shuttle service, which he called Trump Shuttle. In 1977 Trump married Ivana Zelníčková Winklmayr, a Czech model, with whom he had three children—[Donald, Jr.](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump-Jr), [Ivanka](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ivanka-Trump), and Eric—before the couple divorced in 1992. Their married life, as well as Trump’s business affairs, were a [staple](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/staple) of the [tabloid](https://www.britannica.com/topic/tabloid-journalism) press in New York City during the 1980s. Trump married the American actress Marla Maples after she gave birth to Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, in 1993. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1999. In 2005 Trump married the Slovene model Melania Knauss, and their son, Barron, was born the following year. [Melania Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Melania-Trump) became the second foreign-born [first lady](https://www.britannica.com/topic/first-lady-United-States-title) of the United States upon Trump’s inauguration as president in 2017. When the U.S. economy fell into [recession](https://www.britannica.com/money/recession) in 1990, many of Trump’s businesses suffered, and he soon had trouble making payments on his approximately \$5 billion debt, some \$900 million of which he had personally guaranteed. Under a restructuring agreement with several banks, Trump was forced to [surrender](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/surrender) his airline, which was taken over by [US Airways](https://www.britannica.com/money/US-Airways) in 1992; to sell the Trump Princess; to take out second or third mortgages on nearly all of his properties and to reduce his ownership stakes in them; and to commit himself to living on a personal budget of \$450,000 a year. Despite those measures, the Trump Taj Mahal declared [bankruptcy](https://www.britannica.com/money/bankruptcy) in 1991, and two other casinos owned by Trump, as well as his Plaza Hotel in New York City, went bankrupt in 1992. Following those setbacks, most major banks refused to do any further business with him. Estimates of Trump’s net [worth](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/worth) during this period ranged from \$1.7 billion to minus \$900 million. Trump’s fortunes rebounded with the stronger economy of the later 1990s and with the decision of the [Frankfurt](https://www.britannica.com/place/Frankfurt-am-Main)\-based [Deutsche Bank AG](https://www.britannica.com/money/Deutsche-Bank-AG) to establish a presence in the U.S. commercial real estate market. Deutsche Bank extended hundreds of millions of dollars in credit to Trump in the late 1990s and the 2000s for projects including Trump World Tower (2001) in New York and [Trump International Hotel and Tower](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trump-International-Hotel-and-Tower-Chicago) (2009) in [Chicago](https://www.britannica.com/place/Chicago). In the early 1990s Trump had floated a plan to his creditors to convert his Mar-a-Lago estate into a luxury housing development consisting of several smaller mansions, but local opposition led him instead to turn it into a private club, which was opened in 1995. In 1996 Trump partnered with the [NBC](https://www.britannica.com/money/National-Broadcasting-Co-Inc) television network to purchase the Miss Universe Organization, which produced the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. Trump’s casino businesses continued to struggle, however: in 2004 his company Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy after several of its properties accumulated unmanageable debt, and the same company, renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts, went bankrupt again in 2009. Beginning in the mid-2000s, Trump enjoyed an enormous financial windfall from the success of [The Apprentice](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Apprentice), a [reality television](https://www.britannica.com/art/television-in-the-United-States/Reality-TV#ref283656) series in which he starred that directly earned him nearly \$200 million over a 16-year period. The [Emmy](https://www.britannica.com/art/Emmy-Award)\-nominated show, in each episode of which Trump “fired” one or more contestants competing for a lucrative one-year contract as a Trump employee, further [enhanced](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enhanced) his reputation as a shrewd businessman and self-made billionaire. In 2008 the show was revamped as [The Celebrity Apprentice](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Celebrity-Apprentice), which featured news makers and entertainers as contestants. Trump marketed his name as a brand in numerous other business ventures, including Trump Financial, a [mortgage](https://www.britannica.com/money/mortgage) company, and the Trump [Entrepreneur](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Entrepreneur) [Initiative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Initiative) (formerly Trump University), an online education company focusing on real estate investment and entrepreneurialism. The latter firm, which ceased operating in 2011, was the target of [class-action](https://www.britannica.com/topic/class-action) lawsuits by former students and a separate action by the [attorney general](https://www.britannica.com/topic/attorney-general) of New York state, alleging [fraud](https://www.britannica.com/topic/fraud). After initially denying the allegations, Trump settled the lawsuits for \$25 million in November 2016. In 2019, more than two years into his presidency, Trump agreed to pay \$2 million in damages and to admit guilt to settle another lawsuit by the attorney general of New York that had accused him of illegally using [assets](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/assets) from his charity, the Trump Foundation, to fund his 2016 presidential campaign. As part of the settlement, the Trump Foundation was dissolved. In 2018 The New York Times published a lengthy investigative report that documented how Fred Trump had regularly transferred vast sums of money, ultimately amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, to his children by means of strategies that involved tax, securities, and real estate fraud, as well as by legal means. According to the report, Donald Trump was the main beneficiary of the transfers, having received the equivalent (in 2018 dollars) of \$413 million by the early 2000s. According to a later report by the Times, based on [data](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/data) from tax returns filed by Trump during an 18-year period starting in 2000, Trump paid no federal taxes in 11 years and only \$750 in each of two years, 2016 and 2017. Trump was able to reduce his tax obligations to levels significantly below the average for the wealthiest Americans by claiming massive losses on many of his businesses; by deducting as business expenses costs associated with his residences and his personal aircraft; and by receiving, on the basis of business losses, a tentative refund from the [Internal Revenue Service](https://www.britannica.com/money/Internal-Revenue-Service) (IRS) of nearly \$73 million, which more than covered the federal taxes Trump had paid on income he received from The Apprentice in 2005–08. The refund became the subject of an IRS audit and a legally [mandated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandated) review by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Quick Facts In full: Donald John Trump (Show more) Born: June 14, 1946, [New York](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City), [New York](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state), [U.S.](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States) (age 79) (Show more) Title / Office: [presidency of the United States of America (2025-)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/presidency-of-the-United-States-of-America), [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States) [presidency of the United States of America (2017-2021)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/presidency-of-the-United-States-of-America), [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States) (Show more) Founder: [Truth Social](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Truth-Social) (Show more) Political Affiliation: [Republican Party](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Republican-Party) (Show more) Notable Works: [“Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again”](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Crippled-America-How-to-Make-America-Great-Again) [“The America We Deserve”](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-America-We-Deserve) [“Trump: The Art of the Deal”](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trump-The-Art-of-the-Deal) (Show more) Notable Family Members: spouse [Melania Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Melania-Trump) father [Fred Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fred-Trump) daughter [Ivanka Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ivanka-Trump) son [Donald Trump, Jr.](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump-Jr) son of Frederick Christ Trump son of Mary MacLeod husband of Melania Trump (January 22, 2005–present) husband of Marla Maples (December 20, 1993–June 8, 1999) husband of Ivana Trump (April 9, 1977–March 22, 1992) father of Donald Trump, Jr. (b. 1977) father of Ivanka Trump (b. 1981) father of Eric Trump (b. 1984) father of Tiffany Trump (b. 1993) father of Barron Trump (b. 2006) brother of Maryanne Trump Barry brother of Frederick Trump, Jr. brother of Elizabeth Trump Grau brother of Robert Trump (Show more) Role In: [12-Day War](https://www.britannica.com/event/12-Day-War) [2025–26 Minnesota ICE Deployment](https://www.britannica.com/event/2025-26-Minnesota-ICE-Deployment) [2026 Iran war](https://www.britannica.com/event/2026-Iran-war) [January 6 U.S. Capitol attack](https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack) [Ukraine scandal](https://www.britannica.com/event/Ukraine-scandal) [United States presidential election of 2020](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2020) [United States presidential election of 2024](https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2024) [United States Presidential Election of 2016](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-presidential-election-of-2016) (Show more) Education: [Fordham University (1964–1966)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fordham-University) [University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School (B.S., 1968)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Pennsylvania) New York Military Academy (Cornwall, New York) (Show more) Published Works: "Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life" (2004; with Meredith McIver) "Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life" (2007; with Bill Zanker) "Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies" (2006) "The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received" (2005) "Trump: The Art of the Comeback" (1997; with Kate Bohner) "Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again" (2015) "Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—And Why Most Don't" (2011; with Robert T. Kiyosaki) "Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life" (2009; with Meredith McIver) "Trump: The Art of the Deal" (1987; with Tony Schwartz) "Time to Get Tough: Making America \#1 Again" (2011) "Trump: Surviving at the Top" (1990; with Charles Leerhsen) "The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received" (2004) "The America We Deserve" (2000; with Dave Shiflett) "Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message" (2006; with Robert T. Kiyosaki) "Trump: How to Get Rich" (2004; with Meredith McIver) "Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success" (2008; with Meredith McIver) "Trump 101: The Way to Success" (2007; with Meredith McIver) (Show more) Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In): "The Little Rascals" (1994) "Horrorween" (2011) "Eddie" (1996) "Marmalade" (2004) "Two Weeks Notice" (2002) "Across the Sea of Time" (1995) "54" (1998) ["Zoolander" (2001)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zoolander) "Spin City" (1998) "The Drew Carey Show" (1997) "NightMan" (1997) "The Nanny" (1996) "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992) "Celebrity" (1998) "Suddenly Susan" (1997) "Ghosts Can't Do It" (1989) (Show more) [See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/Donald-Trump) Show More Trump was credited as coauthor of a number of books on entrepreneurship and his business career, including Trump: The Art of the Deal (1987), Trump: The Art of the Comeback (1997), Why We Want You to Be Rich (2006), Trump 101: The Way to Success (2006), and Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success (2008). ## At a glance: the Trump presidency ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI chevron\_right Donald Trump close [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. Load Next Page Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Duignan, Brian. "January 6 U.S. Capitol attack". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack. Accessed 15 April 2026. Copy Citation Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack> External Websites - [BBC - Capitol riots timeline: What happened on 6 January 2021?](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56004916) - [CNN Politics - The January 6 insurrection: Minute-by-minute](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/10/politics/jan-6-us-capitol-riot-timeline) - [NPR - A timeline of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack Â— including when and how Trump responded](https://www.npr.org/2022/01/05/1069977469/a-timeline-of-how-the-jan-6-attack-unfolded-including-who-said-what-and-when) Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Duignan, Brian. "Donald Trump". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Mar. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump. Accessed 15 April 2026. Copy Citation Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump> External Websites - [Miller Center - Donald Trump](https://millercenter.org/president/trump) - [Donald J. Trump Presidential Library - Biography of President Donald J. Trump](https://www.trumplibrary.gov/trumps/president-donald-j-trump) Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. - [Donald Trump - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Donald-Trump/628383) - [Donald Trump - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Donald-Trump/313895)
Readable Markdown	Top Questions ### In which case did the Supreme Court decide that President Donald Trump is not authorized to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977? ### Why did President Donald Trump order the bombing of Venezuelan civilian vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean? ### What criminal charges did Venezuelan president [Nicolás Maduro](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolas-Maduro) face following his capture by the U.S. military? ### Can President Donald Trump change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War? ### What is historically unusual about Donald Trump’s presidency? ### How did Donald Trump’s business career begin? ### Where and when was Donald Trump shot? ### What was the significance of Donald Trump’s military parade? ### Prior to 2025, when was the last major military parade in the U.S.? ### How much does a military parade cost? ### What is a border czar? ## News • Donald Trump (born June 14, 1946, [New York](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state), New York, U.S.) is a former real estate mogul and [reality TV star](https://www.britannica.com/topic/reality-TV) who has served as the 45th and 47th [president](https://www.britannica.com/topic/president-government-official) of the [United States](https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States). The scion of renowned New York real estate developer Fred Trump, Donald rose to eclipse his father in fame and fortune, moving through New York’s elite social circles in the 1980s to American TV fame in the 2000s and finally leveraging his name and wealth to become one of the most consequential leaders of the early 21st century. Throughout Trump’s long career in business and politics, one constant has been his [brazen](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brazen), [pugnacious](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pugnacious), and unrepentant style, which has led to unparalleled achievements while often sowing conflict and [chaos](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaos). As a businessman, Trump flashed his name worldwide across buildings, casinos, airlines, universities, and even steaks, often while mired in lawsuits and weathering multiple bankruptcies. As a politician, Trump started the fiercely tribal Make America Great Again ([MAGA](https://www.britannica.com/topic/MAGA-movement)) movement that came to dominate American politics in the second half of the 2010s and 2020s. His uncanny [resilience](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience) to scandals led him to become one of two U.S. presidents to serve two nonconsecutive terms, even after leading a rally that resulted in a mob storming [Congress](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Congress-of-the-United-States) (the [January 6 attack](https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack)), two [impeachments](https://www.britannica.com/topic/impeachment), and being the only former U.S. president convicted in a criminal case. His willingness to push boundaries, test legal precedent, and discard conventional norms has reshaped much of American life and been embraced by many [disenfranchised](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchised) voters, but it has also eroded protections for millions, stoked [xenophobia](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xenophobia), and amplified political divisions to new heights. After being elected in 2024 for his second term, Trump swiftly moved to consolidate power under the [executive](https://www.britannica.com/topic/executive-government) branch, upended [international trade](https://www.britannica.com/money/international-trade), and shook up America’s global footprint by discarding centuries-old alliances and igniting bombast with Canada, Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran. ## Early life and business career [Donald Trump](https://cdn.britannica.com/45/193845-050-A7905463/Donald-Trump-front-Tower-New-York-City-August-2008.jpg)Donald Trump speaking in front of Trump Tower, New York City, August 2008. Trump was the fourth of five children of [Frederick (Fred) Christ Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fred-Trump), a successful real estate developer, and Mary MacLeod. Donald’s eldest sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, eventually served as a U.S. [district court](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-District-Court) judge (1983–99) and later as a judge on the [U.S. Court of Appeals](https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Court-of-Appeals) for the Third [Circuit](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Circuit) until her retirement in 2011. His elder brother, Frederick, Jr. (Freddy), worked briefly for their father’s business before becoming an airline pilot in the 1960s. Freddy’s [alcoholism](https://www.britannica.com/science/alcoholism) led to his early death in 1981, at the age of 43. Beginning in the late 1920s, Fred Trump built hundreds of single-family houses and row houses in the [Queens](https://www.britannica.com/place/Queens-New-York) and [Brooklyn](https://www.britannica.com/place/Brooklyn-borough-New-York-City) boroughs of [New York City](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City), and from the late 1940s he built thousands of apartment units, mostly in Brooklyn, using federal loan guarantees designed to stimulate the construction of [affordable housing](https://www.britannica.com/topic/affordable-housing). During [World War II](https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II) he also built federally backed housing for naval personnel and shipyard workers in [Virginia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Virginia-state) and [Pennsylvania](https://www.britannica.com/place/Pennsylvania-state). In 1954 Fred was investigated by the Senate Banking Committee for allegedly abusing the loan-guarantee program by deliberately overestimating the costs of his construction projects to secure larger loans from [commercial banks](https://www.britannica.com/money/commercial-bank), enabling him to keep the difference between the loan amounts and his actual construction costs. In [testimony](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/testimony) before the Senate committee in 1954, Fred admitted that he had built the Beach Haven apartment complex in Brooklyn for \$3.7 million less than the amount of his government-insured loan. Although he was not charged with any crime, he was thereafter unable to obtain federal loan guarantees. A decade later a New York state investigation found that Fred had used his profit on a state-insured construction loan to build a shopping center that was entirely his own property. He eventually returned \$1.2 million to the state but was thereafter unable to obtain state loan guarantees for residential projects in the [Coney Island](https://www.britannica.com/place/Coney-Island-amusement-area) area of Brooklyn. [![Richard M. Nixon. Richard Nixon during a 1968 campaign stop. President Nixon](https://cdn.britannica.com/44/164744-131-7A6008A3/Richard-M-Nixon-campaign-stop-crowd-gesture-1968.jpg) Britannica Quiz U.S. Presidents and Their Years in Office Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/us-presidents-and-their-years-in-office-quiz) Donald Trump attended New York Military Academy (1959–64), a private boarding school; [Fordham University](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fordham-University) in the [Bronx](https://www.britannica.com/place/Bronx-borough-New-York-City) (1964–66); and the [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Pennsylvania)’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (1966–68), where he graduated with a [bachelor’s degree](https://www.britannica.com/topic/bachelors-degree) in [economics](https://www.britannica.com/money/economics). In 1968, during the [Vietnam War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War), he secured a [diagnosis](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diagnosis) of bone spurs, which qualified him for a medical exemption from the [military draft](https://www.britannica.com/topic/conscription) (he had earlier received four draft deferments for education). Upon his graduation Trump began working full-time for his father’s business, helping to manage its holdings of rental housing, then estimated at between 10,000 and 22,000 units. In 1974 he became president of a conglomeration of Trump-owned corporations and partnerships, which he later named the Trump Organization. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Trump-owned housing developments in New York City, [Cincinnati](https://www.britannica.com/place/Cincinnati), [Ohio](https://www.britannica.com/place/Ohio-state), and [Norfolk](https://www.britannica.com/place/Norfolk-Virginia), [Virginia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Virginia-state), were the target of several complaints of racial [discrimination](https://www.britannica.com/topic/discrimination-society) against [African Americans](https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-Americans) and other minority groups. In 1973 Fred and Donald Trump, along with their company, were sued by the [U.S. Justice Department](https://www.britannica.com/topic/US-Department-of-Justice) for allegedly violating the [Fair Housing Act](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fair-Housing-Act) (1968) in the operation of 39 apartment buildings in New York City. The Trumps initially countersued the [Justice](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Justice) Department for \$100 million, alleging harm to their reputations. The suit was settled two years later under an agreement that did not require the Trumps to admit guilt. Go beyond the basics with trusted, in-depth knowledge for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=basics-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) [Father and son](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/283327-050-780509F8/Donald-and-Fred-Trump-1987.jpg)Donald Trump posing with his father, Fred Trump, at Trump Tower in 1987. In the late 1970s and the 1980s, Donald Trump greatly expanded his father’s business by investing in luxury hotels and residential properties and by shifting its geographic focus to [Manhattan](https://www.britannica.com/place/Manhattan-New-York-City) and later to [Atlantic City](https://www.britannica.com/place/Atlantic-City-New-Jersey), [New Jersey](https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Jersey). In doing so, he relied heavily on loans, gifts, and other financial assistance from his father, as well as on his father’s political connections in New York City. In 1976 he purchased the decrepit Commodore Hotel near [Grand Central Station](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Grand-Central-Station) under a complex profit-sharing agreement with the city that included a 40-year [property tax](https://www.britannica.com/money/property-tax) abatement, the first such tax break granted to a commercial property in New York City. Relying on a construction loan guaranteed by his father and the Hyatt Corporation, which became a partner in the project, Trump refurbished the building and reopened it in 1980 as the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt Hotel. In 1983 he opened [Trump Tower](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trump-Tower), an office, retail, and residential complex constructed in partnership with the Equitable Life [Assurance](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Assurance) Company. The 58-story building on 56th Street and Fifth Avenue eventually contained Trump’s Manhattan residence and the headquarters of the Trump Organization. Other Manhattan properties developed by Trump during the 1980s include the Trump Plaza residential cooperative (1984), the Trump Parc luxury [condominium](https://www.britannica.com/topic/condominium-building) complex (1986), and the 19-story Plaza Hotel (1988), a historic landmark for which Trump paid more than \$400 million. In the 1980s Trump invested heavily in the [casino](https://www.britannica.com/topic/casino-gambling-house) business in Atlantic City, where his properties eventually included Harrah’s at Trump Plaza (1984, later renamed Trump Plaza), Trump’s Castle Casino Resort (1985), and the Trump Taj Mahal (1990), then the largest casino in the world. During that period Trump also purchased the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived U.S. Football League; [Mar-a-Lago](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mar-a-Lago), a 118-room mansion in [Palm Beach](https://www.britannica.com/place/Palm-Beach-Florida), Florida, built in the 1920s by the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post; a 282-foot [yacht](https://www.britannica.com/technology/yacht), then the world’s second largest, which he named the Trump Princess; and an East Coast air-shuttle service, which he called Trump Shuttle. In 1977 Trump married Ivana Zelníčková Winklmayr, a Czech model, with whom he had three children—[Donald, Jr.](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump-Jr), [Ivanka](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ivanka-Trump), and Eric—before the couple divorced in 1992. Their married life, as well as Trump’s business affairs, were a [staple](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/staple) of the [tabloid](https://www.britannica.com/topic/tabloid-journalism) press in New York City during the 1980s. Trump married the American actress Marla Maples after she gave birth to Trump’s fourth child, Tiffany, in 1993. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1999. In 2005 Trump married the Slovene model Melania Knauss, and their son, Barron, was born the following year. [Melania Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Melania-Trump) became the second foreign-born [first lady](https://www.britannica.com/topic/first-lady-United-States-title) of the United States upon Trump’s inauguration as president in 2017. When the U.S. economy fell into [recession](https://www.britannica.com/money/recession) in 1990, many of Trump’s businesses suffered, and he soon had trouble making payments on his approximately \$5 billion debt, some \$900 million of which he had personally guaranteed. Under a restructuring agreement with several banks, Trump was forced to [surrender](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/surrender) his airline, which was taken over by [US Airways](https://www.britannica.com/money/US-Airways) in 1992; to sell the Trump Princess; to take out second or third mortgages on nearly all of his properties and to reduce his ownership stakes in them; and to commit himself to living on a personal budget of \$450,000 a year. Despite those measures, the Trump Taj Mahal declared [bankruptcy](https://www.britannica.com/money/bankruptcy) in 1991, and two other casinos owned by Trump, as well as his Plaza Hotel in New York City, went bankrupt in 1992. Following those setbacks, most major banks refused to do any further business with him. Estimates of Trump’s net [worth](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/worth) during this period ranged from \$1.7 billion to minus \$900 million. Trump’s fortunes rebounded with the stronger economy of the later 1990s and with the decision of the [Frankfurt](https://www.britannica.com/place/Frankfurt-am-Main)\-based [Deutsche Bank AG](https://www.britannica.com/money/Deutsche-Bank-AG) to establish a presence in the U.S. commercial real estate market. Deutsche Bank extended hundreds of millions of dollars in credit to Trump in the late 1990s and the 2000s for projects including Trump World Tower (2001) in New York and [Trump International Hotel and Tower](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Trump-International-Hotel-and-Tower-Chicago) (2009) in [Chicago](https://www.britannica.com/place/Chicago). In the early 1990s Trump had floated a plan to his creditors to convert his Mar-a-Lago estate into a luxury housing development consisting of several smaller mansions, but local opposition led him instead to turn it into a private club, which was opened in 1995. In 1996 Trump partnered with the [NBC](https://www.britannica.com/money/National-Broadcasting-Co-Inc) television network to purchase the Miss Universe Organization, which produced the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. Trump’s casino businesses continued to struggle, however: in 2004 his company Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy after several of its properties accumulated unmanageable debt, and the same company, renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts, went bankrupt again in 2009. Beginning in the mid-2000s, Trump enjoyed an enormous financial windfall from the success of [The Apprentice](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Apprentice), a [reality television](https://www.britannica.com/art/television-in-the-United-States/Reality-TV#ref283656) series in which he starred that directly earned him nearly \$200 million over a 16-year period. The [Emmy](https://www.britannica.com/art/Emmy-Award)\-nominated show, in each episode of which Trump “fired” one or more contestants competing for a lucrative one-year contract as a Trump employee, further [enhanced](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enhanced) his reputation as a shrewd businessman and self-made billionaire. In 2008 the show was revamped as [The Celebrity Apprentice](https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Celebrity-Apprentice), which featured news makers and entertainers as contestants. Trump marketed his name as a brand in numerous other business ventures, including Trump Financial, a [mortgage](https://www.britannica.com/money/mortgage) company, and the Trump [Entrepreneur](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Entrepreneur) [Initiative](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Initiative) (formerly Trump University), an online education company focusing on real estate investment and entrepreneurialism. The latter firm, which ceased operating in 2011, was the target of [class-action](https://www.britannica.com/topic/class-action) lawsuits by former students and a separate action by the [attorney general](https://www.britannica.com/topic/attorney-general) of New York state, alleging [fraud](https://www.britannica.com/topic/fraud). After initially denying the allegations, Trump settled the lawsuits for \$25 million in November 2016. In 2019, more than two years into his presidency, Trump agreed to pay \$2 million in damages and to admit guilt to settle another lawsuit by the attorney general of New York that had accused him of illegally using [assets](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/assets) from his charity, the Trump Foundation, to fund his 2016 presidential campaign. As part of the settlement, the Trump Foundation was dissolved. In 2018 The New York Times published a lengthy investigative report that documented how Fred Trump had regularly transferred vast sums of money, ultimately amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, to his children by means of strategies that involved tax, securities, and real estate fraud, as well as by legal means. According to the report, Donald Trump was the main beneficiary of the transfers, having received the equivalent (in 2018 dollars) of \$413 million by the early 2000s. According to a later report by the Times, based on [data](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/data) from tax returns filed by Trump during an 18-year period starting in 2000, Trump paid no federal taxes in 11 years and only \$750 in each of two years, 2016 and 2017. Trump was able to reduce his tax obligations to levels significantly below the average for the wealthiest Americans by claiming massive losses on many of his businesses; by deducting as business expenses costs associated with his residences and his personal aircraft; and by receiving, on the basis of business losses, a tentative refund from the [Internal Revenue Service](https://www.britannica.com/money/Internal-Revenue-Service) (IRS) of nearly \$73 million, which more than covered the federal taxes Trump had paid on income he received from The Apprentice in 2005–08. The refund became the subject of an IRS audit and a legally [mandated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandated) review by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Quick Facts In full: Donald John Trump Notable Family Members: spouse [Melania Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Melania-Trump) father [Fred Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fred-Trump) daughter [Ivanka Trump](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ivanka-Trump) son [Donald Trump, Jr.](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump-Jr) son of Frederick Christ Trump son of Mary MacLeod husband of Melania Trump (January 22, 2005–present) husband of Marla Maples (December 20, 1993–June 8, 1999) husband of Ivana Trump (April 9, 1977–March 22, 1992) father of Donald Trump, Jr. (b. 1977) father of Ivanka Trump (b. 1981) father of Eric Trump (b. 1984) father of Tiffany Trump (b. 1993) father of Barron Trump (b. 2006) brother of Maryanne Trump Barry brother of Frederick Trump, Jr. brother of Elizabeth Trump Grau brother of Robert Trump Published Works: "Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life" (2004; with Meredith McIver) "Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life" (2007; with Bill Zanker) "Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies" (2006) "The Best Golf Advice I Ever Received" (2005) "Trump: The Art of the Comeback" (1997; with Kate Bohner) "Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again" (2015) "Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—And Why Most Don't" (2011; with Robert T. Kiyosaki) "Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life" (2009; with Meredith McIver) "Trump: The Art of the Deal" (1987; with Tony Schwartz) "Time to Get Tough: Making America \#1 Again" (2011) "Trump: Surviving at the Top" (1990; with Charles Leerhsen) "The Way to the Top: The Best Business Advice I Ever Received" (2004) "The America We Deserve" (2000; with Dave Shiflett) "Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message" (2006; with Robert T. Kiyosaki) "Trump: How to Get Rich" (2004; with Meredith McIver) "Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success" (2008; with Meredith McIver) "Trump 101: The Way to Success" (2007; with Meredith McIver) Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In): "The Little Rascals" (1994) "Horrorween" (2011) "Eddie" (1996) "Marmalade" (2004) "Two Weeks Notice" (2002) "Across the Sea of Time" (1995) "54" (1998) ["Zoolander" (2001)](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zoolander) "Spin City" (1998) "The Drew Carey Show" (1997) "NightMan" (1997) "The Nanny" (1996) "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992) "Celebrity" (1998) "Suddenly Susan" (1997) "Ghosts Can't Do It" (1989) Trump was credited as coauthor of a number of books on entrepreneurship and his business career, including Trump: The Art of the Deal (1987), Trump: The Art of the Comeback (1997), Why We Want You to Be Rich (2006), Trump 101: The Way to Success (2006), and Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success (2008). ## At a glance: the Trump presidency
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