This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2011)

Cringe comedy is a comedy genre that uses awkward and embarrassing situations to cause audiences to feel uneasy. This genre is particularly prominent in British comedy and has been popularised by comic acts such as Rowan Atkinson, Harry Enfield, Steve Coogan, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ricky Gervais and Frankie Boyle.

On film[link]

Humour based on uncomfortable situations is not a new concept. One can point to black comedy as the likely origin of the concept, as it is often intended to provoke a similar response. A movement toward this style of comedy began in earnest with the television series Monty Python, and their film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Countless films employing this style of comedy were made during the 1980s and 1990s (including There's Something About Mary). More recent examples include Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat and Bruno.

On television[link]

The label has been applied most frequently to the original (BBC) version of The Office. The series often captures excruciating moments in the lives of employees of a Slough-based paper firm, including, but not limited to, overheard conversations that suddenly become explicit in nature, office party dances so bad they literally leave the viewers speechless, and, frequently, boss David Brent's inability to censor himself or even understand that he is being offensive. This approach can also be seen in Gervais's more recent series, Extras, although Gervais's character is generally the straight man in the show. One also finds frequent examples of this in the series created by Larry David Curb Your Enthusiasm. David stars as a version of himself who is unable to censor his feelings and does not believe that he should have to follow social rules he does not like, but also feels that everybody should follow the social rules he likes (which he usually invents himself). The result is often unfortunate, and nearly every episode ends in humiliation for Larry. This is a style that was previously used in the UK sitcom I'm Alan Partridge in which the title character, portrayed by Steve Coogan seemed inept at being able to keep his thoughts and emotions to himself and constantly spoke his mind. Another British show, Peep Show, took a different slant on this, by actually showing the audience the character's thoughts, often their most embarrassing and awkward ones.

Larry David had begun to explore the bounds of traits generally regarded as socially unacceptable years earlier with a character loosely based on himself, George Costanza on Seinfeld, which he had co-created and served as an executive producer. Costanza's character storylines often revolved around extreme selfishness and blatant disregard of others, but portrayed more explicitly than David's Curb Your Enthusiasm version of himself.

Another show which can be closely identified with this trend is Da Ali G Show. Sacha Baron Cohen's crossover UK hit often featuring cringe comedy. This can be seen with two characters in particular: Bruno, whose extravagant homosexuality often drives his subjects' homophobia to the surface. The central character on the show, Ali G, often says things that are cringe-worthy in their stupidity, but whether his material can be considered "cringe comedy" is debatable.

Comedy Central's own take on roasting events frequently uses offensive and shocking comedic remarks on every roastees' career, controversies and personal lives.

In comedy[link]

Some examples of comedians who often use cringe comedy:

• Ricky Gervais
• Doug Stanhope
• Jimmy Carr
• Tom Green
• Opie & Anthony
• Jim Norton
• Bill Burr
• Matt Pinto
• Frankie Boyle
• Zach Galifianakis
• Sacha Baron Cohen
• Tracy Morgan
• Patrice O'Neal

References[link]

External links[link]

Examples of Cringe Comedy

Cringe humor.net

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Patrice O'Neal
O'Neal in January 2006
Born	(1969-12-07)December 7, 1969 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	November 29, 2011(2011-11-29) (aged 41) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up comedy, television, radio
Nationality	American
Years active	1992–2011
Genres	Black humor, cringe humor, observational comedy, political satire
Subject(s)	American politics, racism, race relations, sexuality, relationships
Influences	Richard Pryor, George Carlin
Website	Official website

Patrice Malcolm O'Neal (December 7, 1969 – November 29, 2011), usually credited as Patrice O'Neal, was an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, and actor. He was known for his cutting, often confrontational crowd work during which he often played couples against each other. Originally from Boston, he was a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, in his later years.

Early life[link]

O'Neal was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 7, 1969.^[1] His mother, Georgia, named him after Patrice Lumumba, the leader of the Congolese independence movement, and Malcolm X. He was raised by his mother and never met his father.^[2]

At the age of 17, O'Neal was convicted of statutory rape of a 15 year old girl and sentenced to 60 days in prison, served during his summer break, so as not to disrupt his schooling.^[3] The act, which occurred when O'Neal was still 16, would have been legal in most states, but Massachusetts lacks a close-in-age exception, and has an age of consent of 16.^[4] O'Neal said his humor helped him to negotiate the harsh realities of prison.^[3][5]

O'Neal was a star football player at West Roxbury High School, ending his career with 3 letters in varsity football and a state championship his senior year. He turned down football scholarships in order to attend Northeastern University on a public housing grant, majoring in Performing Arts.^[6]

Career[link]

O'Neal began his comedy career in his native Boston at an open mic at Estelle's Bar and Grill in October 1992.^[7] In the late 1990s, he moved to New York City, where he became a regular at the Comedy Cellar, before relocating to Los Angeles, in the hopes of finding greater fame. "I tap danced like you wouldn't believe... trying to get something," he said in a 2008 interview with Ron Bennington . "I'm telling you, if I'd have had a gun back then, I would have shot myself." His inability to achieve success on other people's terms motivated him to prioritize his own integrity first. "At the end of the day I just want to know that I was true to myself."^[8] Later in his career, Patrice would walk away from successful shows like The Office, Arrested Development, Web Junk 20, and a writing position on the WWE. "I'm a professional bridge-burner," O'Neal stated in an interview.^[9]

Unwilling to yield to the demands of American club owners that he change his often confrontational act, O'Neal relocated to the United Kingdom to work on his comedy there. He worked harder as an outsider and a foreigner to gain the respect of his peers. "It took about 5 months... for them to go 'Ok, this guy's not playing around,'" he told Bennington. It was also during this time that he caught the eye of British comedian Ricky Gervais, still early in his stand-up career.^[8] Gervais frequently mentioned O'Neal as a favorite comic.^[10][11][12] He returned to the New York area in 2002 when he got the offer to do his first half-hour special for Showtime. Later that year he joined the cast of The Colin Quinn Show and then Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. The following year, he recorded a Comedy Central Presents special.

O'Neal had many guest appearances on television. His first television appearance was on The Apollo Comedy Hour where he performed his Malcolm XXL bit. From there, he moved on to appearances on Showtime at the Apollo, FNight Videos, and a brief stint as a writer for the WWE. He appeared in guest-starring roles on MTV’s Apt 2F, Assy McGee, Ed, Z Rock, Yes Dear, Arrested Development, Chappelle Show and The Office. O'Neal was a regular on the Fox series The Jury, and he starred in the Comedy Central animated program Shorties Watching Shorties, along with Nick DiPaolo. He supplied the voice of Harold Jenkins on Noggin’s animated program O'Grady High and was featured as Jesus in Denis Leary’s Searchlight. In 2005, O'Neal filmed a half-hour One Night Stand special for HBO, and shortly thereafter became the first host of VH1's Web Junk 20. O'Neal left the show after two seasons, expressing concerns that the show's audience was too different from his own. In 2006 and 2007 he joined Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour, playing large outdoor concert arenas across the country.

O'Neal at the 2007 O&A Traveling Virus at PNC

Since his move back to New York in 2002, O'Neal became a recognized radio personality as a regular guest and occasional co-host on the Opie and Anthony program. Along with Bill Burr and Robert Kelly, he filled in as co-host for comedian Jim Norton while Jim filmed Lucky Louie. From 2006 to 2008, O'Neal hosted a call-in relationship advice show on XM Radio, which ended when the satellite network merged with rival Sirius. Initially promoted as Bitch Management, the show was titled The Black Philip Show, a reference to Dr. Phil. Dante Nero co-hosted, and a rotating cast of female comedians played third mic. The show aired until the station suspended much of its Saturday night programming when they were unable to reconcile budget concerns with the new management following the merger. O'Neal had also appeared as a guest on other radio shows such as Alex Jones along with numerous political talk shows on the Fox News channel.

Living in the New York area, O'Neal performed at comedy clubs in the area, including headlining appearances at Comix comedy club and Caroline's. He was also popular in Montreal, making five appearances at the Just for Laughs festival, including one of the most memorable in fest history: a one-man, one-week show at Théâtre Ste. Catherine in 2008. O'Neal had also been slated to do five sold-out, one-man shows at Les Katacombes at the 2010 Just for Laughs Festival, but he was refused entry into Canada at the U.S. border and the shows were cancelled.^[13]

In February 2011, Comedy Central aired his first hour-long special, Elephant in the Room. He eventually began a web series and podcast called The Patrice O'Neal Show - Coming Soon!^[14] showing various episodes as of May 15, 2007. He performed with a five-person group—Bryan Kennedy, Dante Nero, Vondecarlo Brown, Harris Stanton and Wil Sylvince—touching on many fictional scenarios. The show was produced by For Your Imagination and can be found on O'Neal's website. He guest-starred in another For Your Imagination-produced show, called Break a Leg, playing Adult-Sized Gary Coleman. O'Neal voiced Jeffron James in Grand Theft Auto IV, on an in-game radio show, Fizz!.

On September 19, 2011, Patrice was one of the many roasters at the Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen. This would be his final television appearance before his death two months later. O'Neal's final recorded interview was with Jay Mohr on his "Mohr Stories" Podcast #17, uploaded October 27, 2011, shortly after news of his stroke.

Shortly after O'Neal's death, BSeen Media announced the release of his first album, Mr. P, to be released February 7, 2012. It was recorded at the D.C. Improv.^[15] Although announced after his death, the album had been completed before his illness, with the comedian's full involvement.^[16]

Illness and death[link]

On October 19, 2011, O'Neal reported being unable to move his legs, the first signs of a stroke. He was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, and later Englewood Hospital where doctors performed surgery to remove a blood clot. He lost his ability to speak, and later his ability to move, for a time communicating by eye movements, before losing that ability as well. Doctors warned that if he survived, he would likely remain permanently paralyzed and unable to speak.^[2]

Initially the family made efforts to keep news of O'Neal's illness quiet. On October 26, 2011, it was announced to the public on The Opie and Anthony Show that O'Neal had suffered a stroke a week earlier.^[17][18] At 7:00 AM on November 29, 2011, he died due to complications from his stroke.^[19] O'Neal had struggled with diabetes and weight issues for several years.^[20] He is survived by his longtime partner, Vondecarlo Brown, whom he often referred to as his wife; mother, Georgia; stepdaughter, Aymilyon, and sister, Zinder.^[1]

O'Neal's funeral was held on December 5 at Park Avenue Christian Church in New York City, and was attended by notable comedians including Chris Rock, Colin Quinn, Nick DiPaolo, Artie Lange, Dane Cook, and Wanda Sykes.^[2]

Reactions and tributes[link]

On November 30, a dozen comedians gathered to eulogize O'Neal on The Opie and Anthony Show, a radio program that O'Neal had appeared on over 100 times. These comedians included Jim Norton, Bob Kelly, Louis CK, Joe Rogan, Bill Burr, Colin Quinn, Amy Schumer, Dave Attell, and Jim Florentine, among others. The channel dedicated its programming that weekend to the comedian by airing a 16-hour special entitled A Tribute to Patrice O'Neal featuring some of his best appearances, along with memories from some of his fellow comedians.^[21]

Always known as a comedian's comedian, O'Neal was one of the best loved acts by his peers. Many comics reacted via Twitter.^[22] "The best comedian in the world has died," proclaimed Norm MacDonald. Dave Attell tweeted "Patrice O. was and is one of the best comics I have ever had the pleasure to watch perform." Ricky Gervais, a long time vocal fan of O'Neal's, said "One of my favourite stand up comedians. So sad. RIP." Denis Leary called him "one of the funniest men who ever walked this earth" and Bill Burr concurred, saying he was "the most purely funny human being I’ve ever met." Doug Stanhope remembered O'Neal as "one of the best ever. Inspiring every time I heard him on anything." Dane Cook, a fellow Boston native echoed "He was 1 of the best ever." Dozens of other comedians echoed similar sentiments on Twitter.^[23][24] Comedian Jon Stewart paid his respects through his "Moment of Zen" bit, in his show The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, stating: "Sad News. Once again in comedy we lose somebody, who's too funny, too soon." This statement was followed by a clip of O'Neal's stand up special Elephant in the Room.^[25]

Many entertainers outside of the comedy community reacted as well. Director Kevin Smith said "I shared some air & some air time with the man on O&A & he was always funny & thoughtful. He WILL be missed." Author Chuck Palahniuk tweeted "We lost a great comedian yesterday." Rapper Talib Kweli said "Super funny and I had the pleasure of meeting the man. We will miss you." The Roots drummer Questlove mourned "so grateful I got to see Patrice O'Neal do his last NYC gig. Man, this is so devastating. He truly was one of my favorite comics." Nick Cannon called him "An amazing comedian and an even better person."^[23] Actor Charlie Sheen paid his respects through his blog, saying: "The entertainment world as well as the world at large lost a brilliant man today. Patrice had that rare "light" around him and inside of him. I only knew him for the few days leading up the Roast. Yet I will forever be inspired by his nobility, his grace and his epic talent. My tears today are for the tremendous loss to his true friends and loving family."^[26]

Comedians Nick DiPaolo & Artie Lange paid tribute to O'Neal on their radio show by recounting stories of the late comedian, "As a standup comic, guys like Nick and Patrice are like Babe Ruth, and on a good day I'm maybe Robin Yount," said Lange.

Comedy Central aired O'Neal's special "Elephant in the Room" on November 30 in the wake of his death.^[27]

Comedian Louis C.K. dedicated his comedy special Live at the Beacon Theater to O'Neal's memory. He later commented on Twitter that O'Neal had been his favorite living comedian.^[28]

Rolling Stone ran a four-page article about Patrice's career and passing in the February 16th, 2012 issue.

Comic style[link]

O'Neal's comedy has been described as conversational.^[29] Except during televised appearances, he seldom performed standing up, preferring a relaxed, philosophical delivery.^[30]

Although he would perform prepared material, the wording of this material and the order in which the bits were performed varied greatly from show to show, and was interwoven with a great deal of crowd work, creating the illusion that his performance was improvised, and reinforcing the sense that he was having an individual conversation with the audience.

O'Neal was also known as a provocateur, often inciting audience members to call out, or even leave the club. "I've seen him give people money to leave," recalls Gregg "Opie" Hughes.^[31] At times he would encourage people to call out to the stage in order to set up a punchline. "Ladies, how would you keep your man if you lost your vagina?," O'Neal would ask of his audience. When the women would invariably reference oral and anal sex acts, the comedian would respond "See, I gave you the chance to talk and you qualified yourself as a series of holes."^[29] O'Neal would frequently project his self-admittedly misogynistic ideas onto men in the audience to create uncomfortable situations in order to get laughs. "What's your daydream about how to kill her?," O'Neal asked an audience member sitting next to his wife in his Elephant in the Room special.

In contrast to the observational monologues that are common in most stand-up, much of O'Neal's act consisted of absurd arguments which were internally logically consistent. For example, O'Neal would begin, "It's unfair that I can't harass you [women] in the workplace," and then build his argument with analogies like "Having women work with men is like having a grizzly bear work with salmon dipped in honey."

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Film[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Comedy Central: Comedians: Patrice O'Neal
• March 26, 2009 interview
• Patrice O'Neal at the Internet Movie Database

James "Jim" Florentine (born August 18, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, comedian, voice artist, and performer. He is best known for hosting the That Metal Show on Vh1 Classic as well as performing Special Ed and Bobby Fletcher on Crank Yankers.

Currently, he is touring the country performing solo and with Don Jamieson and is part of The Killers of Comedy tour.

Early life[link]

Florentine was born James Florentine on August 18, 1964. In 1993, he began his career in comedy clubs in New York City.^[1]

Career[link]

In July 2001, Florentine released Terrorizing Telemarketers Volume 1. After numerous plays on the Howard Stern Radio Show, his CD ranking on Amazon.com went from 282,363 to number 2. The only artist ahead of him was the Backstreet Boys. Later that week, Florentine's CD came in at #17 on the Internet Billboard charts.

After the release of Terrorizing Telemarketers Volume 2 in late 2001, Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla took a liking to Florentine's prank calls and hired him for a show to debut in June 2002 on Comedy Central called Crank Yankers. Florentine played Special Ed, a mentally retarded teenager, and Bobby Fletcher, a despicable, alcoholic slob who is the older cousin of Ed.

After season 1, Eminem took a liking to Florentine's characters and flew him out to his Detroit studio to do prank calls together for the upcoming season of Crank Yankers. The following year in 2004, Eminem and Florentine did a bit together on the MTV Music awards show where Eminem beat up Special Ed, who kept annoying him (and tore his leg off). Crank Yankers lasted 3 seasons on Comedy Central. The show moved over to MTV2 in 2006 for one season. Florentine's Special Ed character that he created is still played at various Sporting Events at stadiums across the USA.

Florentine was featured on the series premiere of Down and Dirty with Jim Norton, a stand-up comedy series that aired on HBO on October 3, 2008. The series spotlights new and established talent, including Artie Lange, Bill Burr (Chappelle Show), Patrice O'Neal (Scary Movie 4), and Andrew Dice Clay. Lemmy, leader of the heavy metal band Motörhead, serves as the musical director.

Later that year, That Metal Show which Florentine hosts made its debut on VH1 Classic. It's described as "The Tonight Show for AC/DC fans". He is also co-hosting along with Eddie Trunk and Don Jamieson.

Florentine has been seen on The Apprentice, Comedy Central's Mother Load, HBO's Inside the NFL, Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Opie and Anthony Show, The Howard Stern Show, Spike TV's Video Game Awards, MTV Music Video Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn on Comedy Central, VH1's The List, and Louie Anderson's Comedy Showcase. He also voiced the redneck radio host Bobbie Ray in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

He has a series of prank call CDs known as Terrorizing Telemarketers Volumes 1-5.^[2] The CDs feature a series of recorded telephone conversations, often with Florentine receiving calls from telemarketers, wherein he turns the tables on often aggressive salespeople by being deliberately difficult and creating awkward situations.

In 2004, he worked one season on HBO's Inside the NFL performing various comedy sketches. The show won an Emmy that season and Florentine has proudly said in various interviews that when he was single he kept it on his night stand and it would close the deal anytime he had a date over. He called it his "Mariano Rivera".

At the same time, Florentine released two hidden camera DVDs called Meet The Creeps where he and his partner Don Jamieson pull outrageous pranks on people. The DVD has got in the hands of some Comedy Central executives and they brought Meet The Creeps to their broadband channel called Motherload. After the two successful seasons, Comedy Central did a Meet The Creeps pilot for the network. The pilot was deemed too mean spirited and the show never made it on the network.

Between 2004 and 2008, he made 3 appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. He also appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. In 2007, Florentine appeared on the last episode of The Apprentice in season 4 doing his edgy stand-up comedy at a conservative charity event. He asked Trump's partner George if he wears a diaper. He has not appeared on "The Apprentice" since.

In 2008, he dated Robin Quivers.^[1]

He is an occasional guest on the late-night Fox News Channel show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.

Later in 2010, Florentine appeared in the feature film A Little Help as Brian.

On October 25, 2011 his live comedy CD/DVD Cringe 'n' Purge was released on Metal Blade Records.^[3] The album cracked the top 5 on the Billboard Current Comedy Chart. It is also available on iTunes with three additional bonus tracks and peaked at #3 on the iTunes comedy charts.

Filmography[link]

Television work[link]

Video games[link]

• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories .... Bobbie Ray (2006)

Discography[link]

• Terrorizing Telemarketers I (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers II (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers III (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers IV (CD)
• Terrorizing Telemarketers V (CD)
• Jim Florentine LIVE: GET THE KIDS OUT OF THE ROOM (CD)
• Anger is a Gift (CD)
• Cringe and Purge (CD)

DVDs[link]

• Meet The Creeps Volume 1 (DVD)
• Meet The Creeps Volume 2 (DVD)
• Meet The Creeps Volume 3 (DVD)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jim Florentine at the Internet Movie Database
• Jim Florentine on Twitter
• Interview with WickedInfo.com
• Jim Florentine on Tom Green Live
• Interview with JesterJournal.com

Mike DeStefano (November 29, 1966^[1][2][3][4] – March 6, 2011) was an American stand-up comedian. He used material from his heroin addiction, which began at age 15, and his recovery in brutally honest, profanity-laced routines. He also was a drug counselor to others.

Career[link]

His first gig was in Florida and convinced him there was something to live for, and he had options outside of taking his own life. His second gig was at a Narcotics Anonymous convention in Atlanta, Georgia, where he stepped before the microphone after a rained-out pool party and started ranting about drugs.^[5]

A regular at clubs in New York and around the country, DeStefano gained popularity after appearing on television on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham. He also appeared on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Showtime's Whiteboyz in the Hood and other radio and television shows, and at popular comedy festivals, most notably US Comedy Arts Festival and Montreal's Just for Laughs festival. In 2010, he competed in the seventh season of NBC's Last Comic Standing and finished in fourth place.^[5][6]

On October 9, 2010 DeStefano appeared with Jim Norton, Rich Vos and Robert Kelly in the Comedy Central stand-up special "Comics Anonymous"; all four comedians appearing in the special were former addicts who had been clean and sober for 10 years or more. DeStefano was also an executive producer on the special, which was dedicated to their friend, comedian Greg Giraldo, who had died of a drug overdose the months before.

Death[link]

On March 6, 2011, Mike DeStefano died as a result of a heart attack. His death came hours after filming a video for funnyordie.com. DeStefano's funeral was held three days later on March 9 as well as March 10 at the Schuyler Hill Funeral Home in New York.

Unfinished Projects[link]

DeStefano's death came just days before he was scheduled to perform his one-man show, A Cherry Tree in the Bronx, in New York. He had just finished a run of shows titled Drugs, Disease and Death: A Comedy, which was largely based on being HIV positive, his past drug addiction and his wife Fran's death several years ago after her drug addiction and affliction with AIDS.^[6][7]

Discography[link]

• 2010: OK Karma - released on Stand Up! Records comedy label

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mike DeStefano official website
• Mike DeStefano MySpace
• Mike DeStefano Facebook
• Mike DeStefano Twitter
• Mike DeStefano at the Internet Movie Database

Donald Trump
Donald Trump, February 2011
Born	Donald John Trump (1946-06-14) June 14, 1946 (age 66) Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
Residence	Trump Tower, Manhattan
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Fordham University The Wharton School (B.S.)
Occupation	Chairman and president of The Trump Organization[1] Chairman of Trump Plaza Associates, LLC[2] Chairman of Trump Atlantic City Associates[2] Host of The Apprentice
Years active	1968–present
Salary	$60 million (2010–11)[2]
Net worth	$2.9 billion (2012)[3]
Political party	Independent (2011–present)[4] Republican (1987–99; 2009–11) Democratic (2001–09)[5] Reform Party (1999–2000)[6]
Religion	Presbyterian[7]
Spouse	Ivana Trump (m. 1977–1992) «start: (1977)–end+1: (1993)»"Marriage: Ivana Trump to Donald Trump" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Donald_Trump) Marla Maples (m. 1993–1999) «start: (1993)–end+1: (2000)»"Marriage: Marla Maples to Donald Trump" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Donald_Trump) Melania Trump (m. 2005) «start: (2005)»"Marriage: Melania Trump to Donald Trump" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Donald_Trump)
Children	Donald Trump Jr. (b. 1977) Ivanka Trump (b. 1981) Eric Trump (b. 1984) Tiffany Trump (b. 1993) Barron Trump (b. 2006)
Signature
Website
TrumpOnline.com

Donald John Trump, Sr. (born June 14, 1946) is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts.^[1] Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have made him a well-known celebrity who was No. 17 on the 2011 Forbes Celebrity 100 list.^[2] He is well-known as a real-estate developer who amassed vast hotel, casino, and other real-estate properties, in the New York City area and around the world.

Trump is the son of Fred Trump, a wealthy New York City real-estate developer.^[8] He worked for his father's firm, Elizabeth Trump & Son, while attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1968 officially joined the company.^[9] He was given control of the company in 1971 and renamed it The Trump Organization.^[10][11]

In 2010, Trump expressed an interest in becoming a candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election.^[12][13] In May 2011, he announced he would not be a candidate, but a few weeks later he said he had not completely ruled out the possibility.^[14][15] In December 2011, Trump was suggested as a possible Vice Presidential selection by Michele Bachmann.^[16] Bachmann has since suspended her presidential campaign.

Early life and education[link]

Trump is a son of Fred Trump and his wife, Mary Anne MacLeod, who married in 1936. His mother was born on the Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland.^[17] Donald was one of five children. Donald's oldest brother, Fred Jr., died in 1981 at the age of 43.^[18] Trump's paternal grandparents were German immigrants.^[19] His grandfather, Frederick Trump (née Freidrich Drumpf), emigrated to the United States in 1885 and became a naturalized American citizen in 1892. Frederick married Elisabeth Christ (October 10, 1880 – June 6, 1966)^[20] at Kallstadt, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, on August 26, 1902. They had three children.

Trump attended the Kew-Forest School, Forest Hills, New York, as did some of his siblings. At age 13 after having some difficulties there, his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy (NYMA), hoping to direct his energy and assertiveness in a positive manner.^[21] At NYMA, in upstate New York, Trump earned academic honors, and played varsity football in 1962, varsity soccer in 1963, and varsity baseball from 1962 to 1964 (baseball captain 1964). The baseball coach, Ted Dobias, a local celebrity for his work with area youth, awarded him the Coach's Award in 1964. Promoted to Cadet Captain-S4 (Cadet Battalion Logistics Officer) in his senior year, Trump and Cadet First Sergeant Jeff Donaldson (NYMA class of 1965; West Point 1969) formed a composite company of cadets, taught them advanced close-order drill, and marched them down Fifth Avenue on Memorial Day, 1964.

Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics.^[22] In his book, Trump: The Art of the Deal, Trump discusses his undergraduate career:

After I graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964, I flirted briefly with the idea of attending film school... but in the end I decided real estate was a much better business. I began by attending Fordham University... but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in... I was also very glad to get finished. I immediately moved back home and went to work full time with my father.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Donald Trump at a press conference announcing David Blaine's latest feat in New York City at the Trump Tower.

Trump is popularly known as The Donald, a nickname given to him by the media after his first wife Ivana Trump, a native of the Czech Republic, referred to him as such in an interview.^[23] Trump is also known for his catchphrase, "You're fired!", made popular by his television series The Apprentice. While it has been reported that Trump does not shake hands because of fear of germs,^[24] he claims this phobia is "a rumor that the enemies say", and shook hands repeatedly in public during a visit to New Hampshire in April 2011.^[25] Trump is a golfer, with a low single-figure handicap. He is a member of the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, and also plays regularly at the other courses he owns and operates.^[26]

Christian[link]

Trump has stated in interviews that he is a Presbyterian. In April 2011 on Human Events he said that he is "a Presbyterian within the Protestant group".^[7] In an April 2011 interview, on the 700 Club, Trump said, "I'm a Protestant, I'm a Presbyterian. And you know I've had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion."^[27][28] A 2010 article in The Daily Telegraph stated that Trump was Catholic.^[29] A February 2011 Politics Daily article described Trump as "apparently a member of the Dutch Reformed Church, which is a Presbyterian denomination".^[30] Andrew Cusack in 2008 stated that Donald Trump is a member of New York City's Marble Collegiate Church. Explaining that church's organizational relationships, Cusack says "the Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church is actually a denomination within a denomination" and that the Collegiate Churches are "now part of the Reformed Church of America".^[31] Marble Collegiate Church also states that it is denominationally affiliated with the Reformed Church in America,^[32] with the RCA website stating that the RCA has a local church "presbyterian form of government".^[33] Trump does not drink alcohol.^[34]

Trump married Melania Knauss, his third wife, at the Episcopal church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, in a "traditional ceremony".^[35][36][37] Their son, Barron, was baptized in that church.^[38] In September 2010, Trump expressed on Anderson Cooper's show on CNN, his "suspicions of ulterior motives at the imam running the project" known as Park51, claiming the imam was "using religion" (meaning Islam) to get a good price for the real estate.^[39] He also appeared on Fox's Hannity, and said much the same.^[40] Trump was quoted by the New York Post that, while he "is a 'big believer in freedom of religion,' ... his personal opinion was that the mosque should not be built close to Ground Zero ...". After Trump offered in a letter to buy the two-building site for more than $6 million in order to end the general controversy, the lawyers for the majority stakeholder, according to the Post, criticized "Trump's letter offering to buy the site as a publicity stunt".^[41]

Family[link]

Melania Knauss-Trump

Trump's mother, Mary Anne, was born at Tong, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland in 1912. In 1930, aged 18, on holiday in New York, she met Fred Trump and stayed in New York. Born in Queens, New York,^{[citation needed]} Trump has four siblings: two brothers, Fred Jr. (who is deceased) and Robert; and two sisters, Maryanne and Elizabeth. His elder sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, is a federal appeals court judge.

In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelníčková and together they have three children: Donald Jr. (born December 31, 1977), Ivanka (born October 30, 1981), and Eric (born January 6, 1984). They were divorced in 1992. In 1993, he married Marla Maples and together they had one child, Tiffany (born October 13, 1993). They divorced on June 8, 1999. In a February 2008 interview on ABC's Nightline Trump commented on his ex-wives by saying, "I just know it's very hard for them (Ivana and Marla) to compete because I do love what I do. I really love it."^{[citation needed]}

On April 26, 2004, he proposed to Melania Knauss (Melanija Knavs), a native of Slovenia. Trump and Knauss married on January 22, 2005, at Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church, on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate.^[36] Melania gave birth to a boy named Barron William Trump, Trump's fifth child, on March 20, 2006.

Trump has four grandchildren. Three from his son Donald Jr. (Kai Madison^[42], Donald John III^[43] and Tristan Milos^[44]) and one from his daughter Ivanka (Arabella Rose^[45][46]).

Business career[link]

Successes (1968–89)[link]

Trump began his career at his father's company,^[47] the Trump Organization, and initially concentrated on his father's preferred field of middle-class rental housing in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. One of Trump's first projects, while he was still in college, was the revitalization of the foreclosed Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, which his father had purchased for $5.7 million in 1962. Trump became intimately involved in the project, personally flying in for a few days at a time to carry out landscaping and other low-level tasks. After $500,000 investment, Trump successfully turned a 1200-unit complex with a 66 percent vacancy rate to 100 percent occupancy within two years. The Trump Organization sold Swifton Village for $6.75 million in 1972.^[48]

In 1971 Trump moved to Manhattan, where he became convinced of the economic opportunity in the city, specifically large building projects in Manhattan that would offer opportunities for earning high profits, utilizing attractive architectural design, and winning public recognition.^[8] Trump began by landing the rights to develop the old Penn Central yards on the West Side, then – with the help of a 40-year tax abatement by the financially strained New York City government, which was eager to give tax concessions in exchange for investments at a time of financial crisis – turned the bankrupt Commodore Hotel into a new Grand Hyatt.^[49]

He was also instrumental in steering the development of the Javits Convention Center on property he had an option on. The development saga of the Javits Convention Center brought Trump into contact with the New York City government when a project that he had estimated could have been completed by his company for $110 million ended up costing the state $430 million.^[50] While rejecting his proposal that he build the center, the State chose the site, so Trump received a broker's fee instead.

A similar opportunity would arise in the city's attempt to restore the Wollman Rink in Central Park, a project started in 1980 with an expected 2½-year construction schedule that was still, with $12 million spent, nowhere near completion in 1986. Trump offered to take over the job at no charge to the city, an offer that was initially rebuffed until it received much local media attention. Trump then was given the job which he completed in six months and with $750,000 of the $3 million budgeted for the project left over.^[51] Trump was also involved with the old USFL, a competitor to the NFL, as owner of the New Jersey Generals.^[52] In addition, Trump at one time acted as a financial advisor for Mike Tyson,^[53] hosting Tyson's fight against Michael Spinks in Atlantic City.^[54]

Trump renovated the Commodore Hotel and created the Grand Hyatt with the Pritzker family. He also renovated the Trump Tower in New York City and several other residential projects. He later bought the Eastern Shuttle routes,^[55] and Atlantic City casino business, including acquiring the Taj Mahal Casino in a transaction with Merv Griffin and Resorts International.^[56]

In March 1990, Trump threatened to sue Janney Montgomery Scott, a stock brokerage, whose analyst made negative comments on the financial prospects of Taj Mahal. The analyst refused to retract the statements, and the firm fired him. The firm denied being influenced by Trump's threat.^[57] Taj Mahal declared bankruptcy for the first time in November 1990.^[58] The analyst was awarded $750,000 by arbitration panel against his firm for his termination. A defamation lawsuit by the analyst against Trump for $2 million was settled out of court.^[59]

This expansion, both personal and business, led to mounting debt.^[60] Much of the news about him in the early 1990s involved his much publicized financial problems, creditor-led bailout, extramarital affair with Marla Maples (whom he later married), and the resulting divorce from his first wife, Ivana Trump.

The late 1990s saw a resurgence in his financial situation and fame. In 2001, he completed Trump World Tower, a 72-story residential tower across from the United Nations Headquarters.^[61] Also, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. Trump owns commercial space in Trump International Hotel and Tower, a 44-story mixed-use (hotel and condominium) tower on Columbus Circle. Trump currently^[when?] owns several million square feet of prime Manhattan real estate,^[62] and remains a major figure in the field of real estate in the United States and a celebrity for his prominent media exposures.

Financial problems (1989–97)[link]

By 1989, the effects of the recession left Trump unable to meet loan payments. Trump financed the construction of his third casino, the $1 billion Taj Mahal, primarily with high-interest junk bonds. Although he shored up his businesses with additional loans and postponed interest payments, by 1991 increasing debt brought Trump to business bankruptcy^[60] and the brink of personal bankruptcy. Banks and bond holders had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, but opted to restructure his debt to avoid the risk of losing more money in court. The Taj Mahal re-emerged from bankruptcy on October 5, 1991, with Trump ceding 50 percent ownership in the casino to the original bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates on the debt and more time to pay it off.^[63]

On November 2, 1992, the Trump Plaza Hotel was forced to file a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection plan after being unable to make its debt payments. Under the plan, Trump agreed to give up a 49 percent stake in the luxury hotel to Citibank and five other lenders. In return Trump would receive more favorable terms on the remaining $550+ million owed to the lenders, and retain his position as chief executive, though he would not be paid and would not have a role in day-to-day operations.^[64]

By 1994, Trump had eliminated a large portion of his $900 million personal debt^[65] and reduced significantly his nearly $3.5 billion in business debt. While he was forced to relinquish the Trump Shuttle (which he had bought in 1989), he managed to retain Trump Tower in New York City and control of his three casinos in Atlantic City. Chase Manhattan Bank, which lent Trump the money to buy the West Side yards, his biggest Manhattan parcel, forced the sale of the tract to Asian developers. According to former members of the Trump Organization, Trump did not retain any ownership of the site's real estate – the owners merely promised to give him about 30 percent of the profits once the site was completely developed or sold. Until that time, the owners of The West Side Yards gave him modest construction and management fees to oversee the development, and allowed him to put his name on the buildings that eventually rose on the yards because his well-known moniker allowed them to charge a premium for their condos.^[66]

Trump was elected to the Gaming Hall of Fame in 1995.^[67] In 1995, he combined his casino holdings into the publicly held Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. Wall Street drove its stock above $35 in 1996, but by 1998 it had fallen into single digits as the company remained profitless and struggled to pay just the interest on its nearly $3 billion in debt. Under such financial pressure, the properties were unable to make the improvements necessary for keeping up with their flashier competitors.

Legal developments (2002–05)[link]

In January 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission brought a financial-reporting case against Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc., alleging that it had committed several "misleading statements in the company's third-quarter 1999 earnings release." The matter was settled with the defendant neither admitting nor denying the charge.^[68]

Finally, on October 21, 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts announced a restructuring of its debt.^[69] The plan called for Trump's individual ownership to be reduced from 56 percent to 27 percent, with bondholders receiving stock in exchange for surrendering part of the debt. Since then, Trump Hotels has been forced to seek voluntary bankruptcy protection to stay afloat. After the company applied for Chapter 11 Protection in November 2004, Trump relinquished his CEO position but retained a role as Chairman of the Board. In May 2005^[70] the company re-emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.^[71]

Resurgence (1997–2007)[link]

Trump has several projects under way, with varying levels of success in their progress. The Trump International Hotel and Tower – Honolulu seems to be a success. According to Trump, buyers paid non-refundable deposits, committing to purchase every unit on the first day they were made available. Construction of the Trump International Hotel and Tower – Chicago seems to be proceeding as planned, although 30 percent of the units remain unsold. The Trump International Hotel and Tower – Toronto has had a series of delays and a height reduction. The Trump Tower – Tampa has been quite controversial because the initial sales were so successful that all deposits were returned in order to charge a higher price. Three years after construction of this controversial development began, construction has delayed and lawsuits have been filed. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, one Trump construction project was put on hold in favor of another (Trump International Hotel and Tower – Fort Lauderdale). Meanwhile, Trump Towers – Atlanta is being developed in a housing market having the nation's second-highest inventory of unsold homes.^[72] Trump was the first customer for the 2006 Cadillac DTS limosine after the President of the United States.^[73]

In its October 7, 2007 Forbes 400 issue, "Acreage Aces", Forbes valued Trump's wealth at $3.0 billion.^[74] His wealth went down and then up in the 2000s recession, but according to Forbes, Trump's wealth was valued at $2.9 billion in September 2011,^[2] though Trump claimed it was much more.^[75]

Financial crisis[link]

Lender Deutsche Bank refused to let Trump lower the prices on the units to spur sales. Arguing that the financial crisis and resulting drop in the real estate market is due to circumstances beyond his control, Trump invoked a clause in the contract to not pay the loan. Deutsche Bank then noted in court that "Trump is no stranger to overdue debt" and that he had twice previously filed for bankruptcy regarding his casino operations.^[76] Trump then initiated a suit asserting that his image had been damaged. Both parties agreed to drop their suits, and sale of the units is nearly complete.^[77]

On February 17, 2009 Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; Trump stating on February 13 that he would resign from the board.^[78] Trump Entertainment Resorts has three properties in Atlantic City. Trump's unsuccessful libel lawsuit against author Timothy L. O'Brien, for O'Brien's estimating his net worth at less than $250 million, was dismissed in 2009.^[79][80] In the lawsuit it was revealed that in 2005, Deutsche Bank valued Trump's net worth at $788 million, to which Trump objected.^[79][80][81]

Business ventures[link]

The Trump Organization owns many skyscrapers including Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.

Trump branding and licensing[link]

Trump has succeeded in marketing the Trump name on a large number of products, including Trump Financial (a mortgage firm), Trump Sales and Leasing (residential sales), Trump Entrepreneur Initiative (a business education company),^[2] Trump Restaurants (Located in Trump Tower and consisting of Trump Buffet, Trump Catering, Trump Ice Cream Parlor, and Trump Bar), GoTrump^[3] (an online travel website), Donald J. Trump Signature Collection (a line of menswear, men's accessories, and watches), Donald Trump The Fragrance (2004), Trump Ice bottled water, Trump Magazine, Trump Golf, Trump Institute, Trump The Game (1989 Board Game), Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks. In addition, Trump reportedly receives $1.5 million for each one-hour presentation he does for The Learning Annex.^[82] Trump also has a business simulation game called Donald Trump's Real Estate Tycoon.^{[citation needed]}

In 2011, Forbes reported that its financial experts had estimated the value of the Trump brand at $200 million. Trump disputes this valuation, saying that his brand is worth about $3 billion.^[83] Many developers pay Trump to market their properties and to be the public face for their projects.^[81] For that reason, Trump does not own many of the buildings that display his name.^[81] According to Forbes, this portion of Trump's empire, actually run by his children, is by far his most valuable, having a $562 million valuation. According to Forbes there are 33 licensing projects under development including seven "condo hotels" (the seven Trump International Hotel and Tower developments).

Other ventures[link]

Other investments include a 17.2 percent stake in Parker Adnan, Inc. (formerly AdnanCo Group), a Bermuda-based financial services holdings company. In late 2003, Trump, along with his siblings, sold their late father's real estate empire to a group of investors that included Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and LamboNuni Bank reportedly for $600 million. Donald Trump's ¹⁄₃ share was $200 million, which he later used to finance Trump Casino & Resorts.

In 2006, Donald Trump bought the Menie estate on the coast north of Aberdeen, Scotland announcing that he intended to create the best golf course in the world.^[84][85] The project includes plans for a hotel, holiday homes, housing and two golf courses. It led to controversy, initially because the coastal dunes were designated a site of special scientific interest (SSSI);^[86] opposition was voiced by environmentalists and local residents and planning permission was initially refused by Aberdeenshire Council. In 2008 the local authority was overruled by the Scottish government,^[87][88] First Minister Alex Salmond citing economic benefits Trump had promised as justifying the unusual step of permitting development on an SSSI.^[89]

In 2009, Aberdeenshire Council received a request on behalf of Trump International Golf Links Scotland to approve compulsory purchase orders on a number of local homes.^[90] A protest group campaigned actively, using mass land purchase as a tactic.^[91] In late January 2011 Trump International stated that it had "no interest" in pursuing compulsory purchase orders^[92] and in fact had never applied for them.^[93][94] An award-winning 2011 documentary, 'You've been Trumped'^[95][96] by Anthony Baxter, follows the development's progress, showing Trump speaking locally about his ambitions for the project and being honoured in Aberdeen by Robert Gordon's University.^[97] It also queries the supposed economic benefits, the ecological impact and the effect on local residents.^[98][99]

Donald Trump has objected to plans for an offshore windfarm to be built within sight of the golf links. In 2011 he wrote to Alex Salmond expressing his view that the planned structures were ugly. He denied that he was concerned only with the view from the golf links, saying: 'It is not only for my project, it is more to preserve Scotland's beautiful coastline and natural heritage.'^[100] In 2012 Trump announced that if the windfarm were built he would abandon his plans for the hotel and housing at the golf links.^[101]

In April 2011, it was reported that Trump was in the process of negotiating a deal with New York City to reopen the historic Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park.^[102]

Beauty pageants[link]

The Miss Universe Organization is owned by Donald Trump and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). The organization produces the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA pageants. In December 2006, talk show host Rosie O'Donnell criticized Trump's lenience toward Miss USA, Tara Conner, who had violated pageant behavioral guidelines. This sparked a tabloid war between the two celebrities which lasted for several weeks thereafter.^{[103][104][105][106]}

Entertainment media[link]

Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Donald Trump, a two-time Emmy Award-nominated personality, has made appearances as a caricatured version of himself in television series and films (e.g. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Nanny, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Days of our Lives, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.^[108]), and as a character (The Little Rascals). He has been the subject of comedians, flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists.

In March 2011, Trump was the subject of a Comedy Central Roast. The special was hosted by Seth MacFarlane, and roasters included Larry King, Snoop Dogg, and Anthony Jeselnik among regular roast participants. Trump's daughter Ivanka was seen in the audience. In April 2011, Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner, featuring comedian Seth Meyers. President Obama used the occasion to present several prepared jokes mocking Trump.^[109]

[edit] The Apprentice

Trump with Celebrity Apprentice star Dennis Rodman

In 2003, Trump became the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show, The Apprentice, in which a group of competitors battled for a high-level management job in one of Trump's commercial enterprises. The other contestants were successively "fired" and eliminated from the game. In 2004, Donald Trump filed a trademark application for the catchphrase "You're fired."^[4][5][6]

For the first year of the show Trump was paid $50,000 per episode (roughly $700,000 for the first season), but following the show's initial success, he is now^[when?] paid a reported $3 million per episode, making him one of the highest paid TV personalities.^{[citation needed]} In 2007, Trump received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to television (The Apprentice).

Along with British TV producer Mark Burnett, Trump also put together The Celebrity Apprentice, where well-known stars compete to win money for their charities. While Trump and Burnett co-produced the show, Trump stayed in the forefront, deciding winners and "firing" losers.

World Wrestling Entertainment[link]

Trump is a known World Wrestling Entertainment fan and friend of WWE owner Vince McMahon. He has hosted two WrestleMania events in the Trump Plaza and has been an active participant in several of the shows. Trump's Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City was host to the 1991 WBF Championship (which was owned by WWE, known at the time as the "World Wrestling Federation."). Trump was interviewed by Jesse Ventura ringside at WrestleMania XX. He also appeared at WrestleMania 23 in the corner of Bobby Lashley who competed against Umaga with WWE Chairman McMahon in his corner, in a hair versus hair match, with either Trump or McMahon having their head shaved if their competitor lost. Lashley won the match, and he and Trump both proceeded to shave McMahon bald.^[110]

On June 15, 2009, as part of a storyline, McMahon announced on WWE Raw that he had 'sold' the show to Donald Trump. Appearing on screen, Trump confirmed it and declared he would be at the following commercial-free episode in person and would give a full refund to the people who purchased tickets to the arena for that night's show in the amount of USD $235,000. McMahon "bought back" Raw on June 22, 2009.^{[citation needed]} His entrance theme "Money, Money" was written by Jim Johnston.

Political activity[link]

2000s[link]

In the 2000 election, Trump expressed a desire to run as a third-party candidate for the United States presidency, considering running nomination by the Reform Party as a business conservative, socially moderate candidate.^{[111][112][113][114]} In his 2000 tome, The America We Deserve, economic policies Trump proposed include:

• Institution of a once-only 14.25 percent tax on personal estates and trusts over $10 million, which he estimated would raise $5.7 trillion in revenue toward retirement of the national debt, tax cuts for the middle class, and supplementing the funding of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; and, by way of compensating this one-time tax on the wealthy, permanent abolition of the 55 percent federal inheritance tax.
• Repeal of limits on campaign contributions, combined with outlawing soft money campaign contributions
  See also: Campaign finance reform in the United States
• Regarding universal health care, Trump touted himself as "a conservative on most issues, but a liberal on this one. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our greatest asset."^[115][116]
• Renegotiation of U.S. trade policies.^[117]

For 2004 and 2008, Trump speculated about running for President in the Republican party and for 2006 considered running for governor of New York as a representative of the party.^[118] In October 2007, Trump appeared on Larry King Live and delivered a strong criticism of then-United States President George W. Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. He speculated that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton could win the Republican and Democratic Presidential nominations, respectively, and voiced some support for either of them being elected President. He expressed doubt, on CNN's The Situation Room at the time, over whether a candidate for President could win the election by supporting a continued escalation of the war in Iraq.^[119]

On September 17, 2008, Trump officially endorsed John McCain for the U.S. Presidency on Larry King Live.^[120] Trump again registered as a Republican in 2009 after having registered with the Democratic Party in 2001.^[121] Trump said in an interview in 2007, "I'm very much independent in that way. I go for the person, not necessarily the party. I mean, I vote for Republicans and I vote for Democrats."^[122]

Since the 1990 U.S. elections, Donald Trump has made contributions to campaigns of both Republican Party and Democratic Party candidates. These have included Republicans John McCain, Rudolph Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush^[123] and Democrats Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Tom Daschle, Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Charles Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Charles Rangel).^{[123][124][125]}

2012 politics and potential presidential candidacy[link]

In 2010, Trump said he considered himself a potential candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election.^[126][127] In his primary campaign, Trump has made a February speech to a CPAC gathering,^[128] an early venue for candidates considering a presidential run, as a write-in candidate in its straw poll for the office. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released in March 2011 found Donald Trump leading among potential contenders for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, one point ahead of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.^[129] A Newsweek poll conducted February 2011 showed Trump within a few points of Obama, with many voters undecided in the November 2012 general election for President of the United States against Barack Obama.^[130] A poll released in April 2011 by Public Policy Polling showed Trump having a nine point lead in a potential contest for the Republican nomination for President of the United States while he was still actively considering a run.^[131][132]

Trump's present political stances include being pro-life, against same-sex marriage,^[27] anti-gun control, advocating the repeal and replacement of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, anti-foreign aid;^[128][133] and supporting a fair trade policy and believing generally that the People's Republic of China should be considered more of an adversarial competitor, subjected to significant import tariffs as a response to China's currency manipulation in order to help balance the U.S. budget.^[134] He said he would impose a 25 percent tariff on Chinese goods.^[135] He also believes the U.S. should disengage in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[136] In December 2008, Trump supported a government backed rescue plan for the American auto industry where the government would provide the debtor in possession financing for a Chapter 11 restructuring.^[137]

His campaign has been reported by some media as a possible promotional tool for his reality show The Apprentice.^[138][139] Time ran the headline "Donald Trump Begins Not Running For President"^[140] and The Huffington Post was similarly skeptical of whether he would run.^[141]

Regardless of this skepticism, Trump has quietly chosen to participate in the "Politics and Eggs" forum at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, a popular spot for presidential candidates visiting New Hampshire.^[142] This scheduled visit is important because the event is taking place in mid June 2011, supposedly after Trump had been supposed to make his decision whether to or not to run. On April 23, 2011, the New York-based TV station NY1 reported that Trump had not voted in primary elections in New York City for a span of 21 years,^[143] beginning after the city's mayoral primary in 1989, an accusation he has denied. A City election board spokeswoman confirmed the story.^[144]

On May 5, 2011, Trump announced he would not be the celebrity pace-car driver for the 2011 Indy 500 as was previously announced a month earlier by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (on April 5, 2011.)^[145][146] Trump stated he made the decision because of business constraints, but there had been a fan campaign for the Speedway to instead name a racing celebrity to the position^[147] and a Speedway press release stated that Trump cancelled because of his intention to run for President.^[148]

On May 16, 2011, Trump announced he would not run for president.^[14] On May 23, 2011, Trump stated that he hasn't ruled out running for president, adding: "The country is so important, so vital that we choose the right person, and at this moment, I don't see that person."^[15]

In February 2012 he endorsed Mitt Romney prior to the Nevada caucuses.^[149] Trump gave media interviews endorsing Romney before the Michigan primary.^[150]

Barack Obama[link]

Speaking to an audience of more than five thousand people in Boca Raton, Florida on April 16, 2011, Trump implied that voter reaction to the 2008 financial crisis and the perception of slow progress on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the final months of George W. Bush's second term as President was the primary cause for the election of his successor Barack Obama, and further that Obama would probably be known as the worst president in U.S. history.^[151]

Trump brought attention to conspiracy theories questioning Obama's citizenship status in media appearances, and endured criticism from political opponents for this.^[152][153] In an NBC-TV interview broadcast April 7, 2011, Trump said he was not satisfied that Obama had proven his citizenship.^[154]

In an April 2011 NBC interview, Trump disclosed that he had sent researchers to Hawaii to investigate the matter of Obama's citizenship status, commenting "they cannot believe what they're finding."^[155] On Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN, April 25, 2011, Trump said he wanted Obama to end the issue by releasing his long-form Certificate of Live Birth (distinct from the short-form Certification of Live Birth – Hawaii's prima facie evidence of birth), adding, "I've been told very recently ... the birth certificate is missing."^[156][157]

The long-form of Obama's birth certificate was released by the White House on April 27, 2011. Obama said it should put the matter to rest; that the nation had more pressing problems to solve and could not afford to be "distracted by side shows and carnival barkers".^[158] Trump expressed pride at his role in the release of the long-form certificate in a press conference followup.^[159] (The following Sunday, May 1, NBC would interrupt The Apprentice for breaking news coverage following the revelation that US forces had killed Osama bin Laden: some conspiracy theorists suggested that a vindictive Obama knew of the mission's success well beforehand and had consciously delayed his official announcement so that it would take Trump off the air.)^[160]

In May 2011, Public Policy Polling described the events as "one of the quickest rises and falls in the history of presidential politics", reporting:

Trump really made hay out of the 'birther' issue and as the resonance of that has declined, so has his standing. In February we found that 51 percent of Republican primary voters thought Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Now with the release of his birth certificate only 34 percent of Republican partisans fall into that camp, and Trump's only in fifth place with that now smaller group of the electorate at 9 percent.^[161]

On the Today Show on October 19, 2011, Trump stated that "I could vote for anybody over President Obama. President Obama has been a total and complete disaster."^[162]

Bibliography[link]

Trump has authored many books including:

References[link]