“We will make America strong again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And we will make America great again.”

Photo of Donald J. Trump

Donald J. Trump

Trump officially launched his re-election campaign in June 2019 in Orlando, Florida, unveiling the slogan, “Keep America Great,” a variation of his 2016 slogan “Make American Great Again.” He told supporters, “We did it once and now we will do it again and this time we’re going to finish the job.”

Previous accomplishments: Before becoming president, Trump was known as a businessman and television personality. Soon after graduating from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, he took over his family’s real estate business, expanding it and building hotels, casinos and golf courses around the world. In the early 1990s, Trump was forced to file several bankruptcies involving properties in Atlantic City and New York, however, he later rebuilt his businesses and, in 2016, Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.7 billion. In 2004, Trump became a widely known media figure for producing and starring in the reality television show “The Apprentice,” which became a hit for NBC. He left the show in 2015 as he prepared to run for president.

Presidential accomplishments: During his almost three years in office, President Trump passed a major tax reform bill, drew down troop levels in Syria, and got two new Supreme Court judges confirmed, including Brett Kavanaugh, whose controversial nomination hearing included allegations of sexual misconduct. Trump has pushed forward his policy to crack down on illegal immigration, including winning approval of nearly $1.4 billion from Congress for a border wall (though far lower than the amount he requested) and passed a state of emergency to free up $3.6 billion more funding for the wall. The president has followed through on campaign promises to roll back government regulations and to repeal a large part of former President Barack Obama’s health care law. Trump has presided over an economic boom that has included low unemployment and high stock values.

Foreign policy: Trump’s foreign policy has been defined by his “America First” agenda in which he has sought to put the interests of Americans above all else. He withdrew from several international agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Paris climate agreement and the Iran nuclear deal. On trade, Trump fulfilled a campaign pledge to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico and has launched a trade war with China. He has repeatedly questioned the amount of money the United States spends to defend other countries and has publicly criticized NATO. The president has had a volatile relationship with many foreign leaders, including traditional allies such as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as historical foes such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom Trump initially called “little rocket man” but later met on three occasions and said of him, “We’ve developed a very good relationship.”

Presidential challenges: Trump has faced major challenges as president, including an impeachment inquiry Democrats have launched over allegations that Trump sought Ukraine’s help to dig up incriminating information about former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, that could hurt Biden’s prospects of trying to challenge Trump in the 2020 U.S. election. Trump also faced a nearly two-year investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election. The final report by Mueller found that the Trump campaign did not conspire with Russia to affect the outcome of the race. However, it reached no conclusion on whether Trump should be charged with obstruction of justice for instances in which he may have tried to sidetrack Mueller’s probe.