Donald Trump

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Who is Donald Trump?

Real estate mogul, businessman, and reality TV show host, Donald Trump, publicly announced his intention to run for the 2016 Presidential Candidacy at Trump Tower on June 16th, 2015.

Trump Biography

Donald Trump is the son of wealthy real estate developer, Fred Trump. He is the current chairman of his father's company, Trump Organization.

He started his college career at Fordham University, but ended up transferring after two years. Trump graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Economics.

Trump has been on a rollar coaster of business peaks and vallies over the years. He turned his father's mid-sized real estate development and management company into a billion dollar organization before plunging it into billions of dollars of debt by the 90's.

In addition to his formal ventures in real estate, hospitality, and his television series, The Apprentice, Trump has been successful in branding his name, branching into restaurants, travel, menswear, golf, chocolates, games, books, and vodka, among other things.

Over the years, Trump has flirted with politics and ideas about running for office such as the '06 bid for New York Governor and a possible 2011 Presidential campaign. However, regardless of his past tendencies and habits, Trump's 2016 presidential run seems to be shaping up much differently than past efforts. According to the The Conservative Review, "Trump has been eyeing a presidential run for over two years. In 2013, Trump spent more than $1 million researching a potential bid. In March 2015, Trump formed an exploratory presidential committee."

Last year, Trump told reporters at the Iowa Freedom Summit that, "I'm the one person who can make this country great again, that's all I know... Nobody else can."

Trump & The Issues

The Budget: Trump believes government must cut spending. He has said that automatic budget cuts are not enough, and congress must reduce its spending to address the impending increases in the deficit.

Climate Change: Trump has publicly stated multiple times through his twitter account that he does not believe climate change is real. He has called it a "hoax". Trump has also expressed opposition against wind turbines.

Gun Control: Trump wants to limit the restrictions on guns, ban some assault weapons, and extend the waiting periods for purchasing firearms. During a 2013 interview with Fox News, the real estate mogul defined himself as, “a very strong person on the Second Amendment.”

Immigration and Refugees: Trump has identified America's porous border as one of the biggest issues regarding immigration. He has also advocated for eliminating the "birthright" citizenship loophole to ease the tension illegal immigration places on social services and welfare programs.

Obamacare: Trump claims to oppose Obamacare, but he has publicly supported the idea of a nationalized healthcare system. He advocates for the Canadian healthcare system model, but also supports privatizing parts of Social Security.

Taxes: Trump opposes fast track trade authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is popularly dubbed as “Obamatrade”. He has spoken about a broad range of tax initiatives such as taxing the assets of the wealthy, reducing the corporate tax rate to zero, taxing companies that outsource jobs overseas, lowering the rate on capital gains and dividends, repealing the death tax, and broadening the tax base and lowering rates overall. These would potentially lead to mixed results, and their contradictory natures make it hard to predict possible outcomes.

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