Trump aims for political comeback amid legal battles

Donald John Trump was born in 1946 in New York into a wealthy family of German descent. His father, Fred Trump, was known as a ruthless developer from Queens, and his mother, Mary Anne, was an immigrant from Scotland who raised him with a focus on success. "The principle Fred Trump taught Donald Trump is to be a winner. (A winner) is a person who plays hard and wants to win. If it means setting the rules, he will set the rules and expect others to play by them," states Trump's biographer, Michael D'Antonio, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency.

In his youth, Trump dreamed of a career in baseball or film; however, his father enrolled him in a military high school where he learned discipline. He studied economics at Fordham University and the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, falsely claiming he was the top student in his class. He avoided military service in Vietnam and was ultimately exempted due to alleged bone spurs.

After college, he joined the family real estate business, expanding its operations to Manhattan, dominated by the New York elite. He gained fame through building the Trump Tower and appearing in glossy magazines, but elites viewed him as nouveau riche. He navigated the worlds of business, show business, and politics with the help of his mentor, the infamous lawyer Roy Cohn, known for his unscrupulous tactics and mafia connections.

The 1980s and 1990s brought Trump unsuccessful investments in the USFL football league, airlines, and casinos in Atlantic City, leading him to the brink of bankruptcy (he declared bankruptcy for his companies six times). His fortune turned at the beginning of the 21st century with the reality show "The Apprentice," where he judged participants competing for a job at his company. After the Atlantic City debacle, he focused on promoting his brand, earning mainly from licensing his name.

Signals of Trump's political ambitions surfaced as early as the 1980s, with him switching between parties and considering a run as an independent candidate. His plans to run in the 2000 and 2012 elections were not taken seriously, so he did not proceed.

The situation changed in 2015. His populist agenda, anti-immigration stance, and anti-establishment rhetoric, combined with his showmanship charisma, resonated with the right. Trump dominated the Republican primaries and in 2016, despite accusations of sexual misconduct, defeated Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.

Trump's presidency, marked by chaos and scandals, overturned many norms of American politics. Despite internal conflicts in the White House and unfulfilled campaign promises, a favorable economic climate buoyed him until the pandemic. Thanks to his charisma and loyal electorate, he consolidated the power of the Republican Party, despite initial internal opposition and ostracism after the Capitol riots.

During his term, he withdrew the US from the Paris climate agreement and the Iran nuclear deal, reduced troop numbers in the Middle East, and renegotiated the NAFTA agreement (renamed USMCA). He waged trade wars with China and repeatedly called on NATO countries, especially Germany, to increase defense spending. In Helsinki in 2018, he met with Vladimir Putin, suggesting he trusted the Russian leader more than U.S. intelligence services.

Trump has frequently been at the center of legal disputes and subject to prosecutorial investigations. According to former prosecutor Jim Zirin, he was involved in 3,500 lawsuits, including for not paying contractors and discrimination. His "university" was sued for fraud and had to pay $25 million, and a charity foundation was dissolved for using donations for political purposes.

After his presidency, Donald Trump faced criminal charges: attempts to hide a payment for silence to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, illegal attempts to overturn election results, and illegal retention of classified documents. He was found guilty in the first case and is awaiting sentencing after the election in November. The document case was dismissed by a judge appointed by Trump, but the prosecution has appealed. The other two cases are ongoing.

Trump is the first candidate for president in history to be found guilty of a crime and the first to undergo impeachment twice—for attempting to coerce Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden and inciting the attack on the Capitol. He has thus far avoided the consequences of his actions and emerged unscathed from troubles.