Donald Trump’s Rise to Power From A Business Tycoon To Twice-Elected U.S. President

His Early Life and Rise as a Business Tycoon

Donald Trump was born in 1946 into a well-off family in Queens, New York, and was no stranger to the business world or the rich tradition of ambition. Donated by his successful father, Fred Trump, a business developer, Trump became intrigued with the practice of property management and investment.

He attended the Wharton School of Finance and then worked in his father’s real estate business. He took control in 1971, renaming it the Trump Organisation and growing aggressively into high-profile projects.

While Donald Trump was leading the Trump Organization, it took its first steps into luxury real estate, followed by casinos and branding along with resorts. Trump became a celebrity figure with his larger-than-life persona and his projects. His 14-season run as host of The Apprentice added to his fame, where his catchphrase, “You’re fired,” became iconic.

Donald Trump’s Entry into Politics

In the 2016 election, Trump beat Hillary Clinton and took the presidency, becoming the country’s 45th president. In terms of administration, Mr. Cameron managed to alter large-scale policies including tax, deregulation, judiciary, and immigration.

His direct, sometimes shrill, message resonated with two electoral groups who were frustrated with traditional political systems. Trump’s promise to “Make America Great Again” targeted the working class, whose struggles he highlighted as a critical point of his campaign.

The First Presidential Term: The Era Of Transformation (2016-2020)

Donald Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton and became the 45th President of the United States. Under his leadership, major reforms were made in some major policies such as the tax system, deregulation, judiciary, and immigration.

Economic and Domestic Reforms

The areas of focus of all the economic policies of the Trump administration were tax reform and dismantling regulations especially propping up the manufacturing and energy industries. The Tax Reform ACT of 2017 sought to lower the corporate tax rate with an implied objective of increasing investments. There was a liberalisation process of many sectors – energy in particular, where Trump put American energy first by increasing oil and gas production.

Policies on Immigration and the Protection of Borders

Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy on illegal immigration included constructing the U.S.-Mexico border wall and stringent asylum requirements. It was debated for most of his tenure and remains a subject of a president who wants to keep foreigners out as much as possible among the supporters.

Key Elements of Trump’s Foreign Policy

Towards the Middle East, Trump’s policy was seen as favouring Israel due to the president’s support for the country. He also raised the U.S. embassy status in Jerusalem to a consulate in 2018, from Tel Aviv, a move that Palestinian leaders and other Middle East leaders did not appreciate but Israel did. This symbolic move told the world that Trump stood with the Israelis and a change of policy on the U.S. Acknowledging Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel.

1. Abraham Accords

The pinnacle of Trump’s Middle East policy was the Abraham Accords, contracts that signed Arab states as friends with Israel, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco. These accords were supposed to bring harmony and order to a region that has always been characterised by conflicts.

2. Opinion on the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Donald Trump was very direct in his stance on Palestine and yet it is quite unclear. On the one hand, he called for the realistic acceptance of peace while, on the other, he was pro-Israel whose eleven policy decisions impacted relations with Palestinian authorities. 

Trump’s “Deal of the Century” proposed a solution but was widely criticised by Palestinian leaders as one-sided. The plan provided territorial arrangements that gave Israel dominion over the disputed territories, which Palestinians and their associates deemed as exclusion.

3. Relations with Arab Nations

Trump remained friendly with the Arab countries explaining to them that the US is a friendly nation ready to work with them in trading and in defending themselves. His administration always focused on the economic relations with Saudi Arabia, UAE, and other powerful states. However, the author argues that Trump’s support for the Palestinian issue was an issue of conflict of interest with some Arab leaders who saw it as an obstacle to the region’s stability.

4. Trade and Tariff

Trump’s core policy was aimed at renegotiating international trade in such a way that would produce a positive impact on American employees. During his administration with presumably intent to decrease the trade deficit with China, he levied tariffs on steel, aluminium, and a host of China’s exports.

This was done as part of measures towards fully seeking to nullify what he considered to be maladaptive trends in trade relations and policy with China including piracy. The trade war between the US and China continued during the duration of his presidency up to early 2020 as the Phase One trade deal.

5. Relations With North Korea

Donald Trump became the first sitting president of the United States to meet a North Korean leader. His bold meetings with Kim Jong-un in 2018 and 2019 endeavoured to disable nuclear power in the Korean peninsula. Nonetheless, the negotiations progress does not seem to yield tangible outcomes as North Korea persisted in launching its missiles not even sparing the period after Trump personally dealt with Kim.

6. Trump’s Focus On Military Withdrawals

Trump did everything he could to have fewer American soldiers on foreign soil, especially in the Middle East. He shocked the world by deciding to quit Syria in October of 2019 in a move that isolated Kurds from Turkish aggression. The withdrawal was framed as part of his promise to end “endless wars” and focus on bringing American troops home.

The First Impeachment and Other Legal Controversies

Impeachment of 2019 was the first political crisis for Donald Trump and occurred after the president endangered national security and leveraged foreign power to serve his personal political interest – to press Ukraine to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter. The Senate went ahead and impeached him on two articles, that of abuse of power, and refusal to testify before Congress. 

Yet, Trump was impeached, and the Senate had already acquitted him in a trial with Republicans voting in his favour in February 2020. It was a perfect indication of the division along the lines of the party in the presidency of Donald Trump since the impeachment process was the pointer to division within the politics of the United States.

The 2020 Presidential Election: Defeat and Controversy

In the 2020 election, Trump contested for the presidency for a second term against Joe Biden from the Democratic party. His campaign focused more on what his administration has accomplished such as job creation, and attempts to reboot the economy. But the newfound COVID-19 pandemic brought significant change to this nation, with the country entering a recession that hurt his approval ratings.

In a very tight and intense election, Trump lost to Biden and this triggered legal cases and the gallows of January 6. After the riot, Trump was impeached for the second time and again, he was acquitted in the Senate. These events were nothing but a very volatile way to end his first term in office.

Attempted Assassination: Security Risk in the Public

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump happened on July 13th, 2024, at a rally which was being held in Butler, Pennsylvania. Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple shots at the event convening from a rooftop while the man was still speaking. Trump was hit in the right upper ear but was able to duck behind a lectern with the Secret Service agents acting as a shield. 

In addition, one person in the audience died, and two people were injured during the attack. Crooks was later neutralised by the Secret Service Counter Sniper Team while he was in a ditch. The shooter had fired an AR-15-style rifle and the FBI opened an investigation into the attack as an assassination attempt and possible domestic terrorism.

The attempt soon raised awareness of his protests and the security measures of his events got tighter. This episode only demonstrated that the United States had become divided and Trump became a political figure that an attacker identified as well as a scapegoat for all the anger afterward as he continued to stir the hornet nest in his civilian life.

The 2024 Election: Analysing Donald Trump’s Rise And Kamala Harris’s Downfall

The news that former president Donald Trump agreed to run for the presidency in 2024 excited the country and the world as a whole. Campaigning against Kamala Harris who previously held the office of the Vice President for Joe Biden, Trump made it clear that he wanted to give Americans jobs, ensure crime was eradicated, and continue with measures to secure the country’s borders. Its message appealed to the sensibility of voters that was upset by increasing inflation, immigration problems, and soaring interstate conflicts.

“Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American people.”

Campaign Strategy and Popularity Amongst The Voters

In the Trump 2024 campaign, there was the intended planning to engage not only the base of the former president but also the swing voters. He had massive attendance at his rallies, and his policy of power and pride in America struck the large populace.

The promise to “Make America Great Again” returned with a renewed focus on domestic stability, crime reduction, and economic opportunities.

“We are fighting for the hardworking men and women of this country, to protect our jobs, our borders, and our freedoms. America will never be underestimated again.”

Victory and Becoming the 47th President

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It was a clear victory; the country gave Donald Trump a chance to become the 47th President of the United States leaving Kamala Harris behind. His win however is manifest of a compelling political vendetta and a stamp of approval to some of his policies. This triumph cemented Trump as the only kind of president who could be impeached and investigated and still win re-elections in America’s history.

Policy Direction in the Second Term

With his re-election, Trump doubled down on economic reforms, border security, and a “strong America” agenda. He formulated policies to support economic growth especially for businesses to find more markets and employ people in explaining the areas most impacted by the changing economic times and offered tax relief. Further, Trump demanded deeper actions against unlawful immigration and came up with increased policing costs.

“America will be bigger, better, bolder, richer, safer and stronger than ever before,” 

The Stance On Israel-Palestinian Conflict and Arab Nations in Trump’s Second Term

Trump’s second term continued the strong support of Israel but was characterised by efforts to restore relations with Arab countries on more equal terms.

1. Renewed Stance On Palestine

While Donald Trump has changed his approach to the Palestine conflict to be more aggressive and supportive of Israel, he vowed to talk to Palestinian authorities. He conveyed messages and acted in a bid to seek the support of moderate Palestinian factions, which called for political, and economic assistance in the Palestinian territories in his peace mission. However, the opponents of the actions complained that the changes did not make much impact on power relations.

2. Strengthening Ties with the Middle East

Trump’s relations with Middle Eastern Nations were more or less business-oriented primarily based on trade, oil, and defence. Although his bold policy on Israel had threatened his relations with some Arab partners in the past, he made efforts to strengthen relations with strategic partners Such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE. His administration tried to keep these relations on a good footing but firmly focused on containing Iran and positioning the US as a counterweight to Iranian influence in the region.

Ongoing Legal Issues and Felony Charges

Donald Trump has been charged with multiple felonies due to the different lawsuits against him. The most famous among them has turned into the perpetrator of the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Greenberg is charged with four felonies linked to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his participation in the storm of the US Capitol.

Another one is about payment composed during the presidential campaign in 2016 when Trump was charged with an attempt to pay $ 150k to Stormy Daniels and the preparation of faked documents. 

He is also answering for the classified documents case, which accuses him of violating the law by keeping the government documents he brought from The White House after his presidency term, and he has interfered with the process of returning these documents. Furthermore, Trump is accused of election interference in Georgia where he pressured the state’s officials to change the result of the 2020 election – a crime that can be punished with up to multiple felonies. 

Nonetheless, Donald Trump has not put his hand in the wrong docket, about these cases, and has dismissed the charges as a political witch hunt meant to undermine his aim of attaining public office.

Conclusion: The Socio-Political Effects of Donald Trump’s Electoral Victory in the Second Term

Donald Trump’s second term in office is set to continue to dominate American politics as he intensifies economic power, strict immigration laws enforcement, improved laws on enforcement, and aggressive foreign policies especially in the Middle East. On the Palestinian conflict, he remains pro-Israel as the process of fostering Arab nations continues ongoing.

Domestically, Trump’s “America First” policies prioritise jobs, healthcare, and border security, reshaping the Republican Party with populist ideals. His contributions can best be described as stable populist political institutions which in the future will define American politics and world relations.

On the foreign policy front, the aggressively anti-China posture of Trump’s regime continues pressure on trade relations and military expansion. His drive to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons through diplomacy and force will go on, as will the relationship between the US and Russia mainly through sanctions and diplomacy.

Donald Trump’s second term may be the most enduring instruction to the electorate on the character of his domestic political agenda and relations with the world, further entrenching his status as a history-maker.

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