Donald Trump Jr. is the eldest son of United States President Donald Trump. He is an American businessman and political figure, widely known for his senior role within the family-owned real estate empire and for his outspoken presence in conservative politics.

Donald John “Don” Trump Jr. was born on December 31, 1977, in Manhattan, New York City, United States. He is the first child of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States, and his first wife, Czech-born model Ivana Trump. He has two full siblings, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump, and two half-siblings from his father’s later marriages, Tiffany Trump and Barron Trump. Due to his mother’s background, he is fluent in the Czech language. Following his parents’ highly publicized and contentious divorce in 1992, his relationship with his father remained strained for several years.

Donald Trump Jr. began his education at Buckley School before attending The Hill School, a college-preparatory boarding school in Pennsylvania. He later enrolled at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2000, an institution that also educated figures such as Elon Musk and Warren Buffett.

After graduating, he joined the family business, the Trump Organization, where he assumed an active role across a broad portfolio that included hotels, casinos, golf resorts, and residential developments. Serving as Executive Vice President alongside Eric Trump, he was involved in major projects such as Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago (2009) and Trump Soho (2010). The Trump Soho development later became the subject of legal disputes, and in 2017, following the resolution of a civil fraud lawsuit, the Trump Organization ended its association with the property, which was subsequently renamed The Dominick.

In addition to his business activities, Donald Trump Jr. gained visibility in television through appearances on the reality series The Apprentice, hosted by his father, between 2005 and 2015. The program, which also featured figures such as Ivanka Trump and Omarosa Manigault Newman, played a significant role in shaping Donald Trump’s national media image prior to his political career.

In his personal life, Donald Trump Jr. married model Vanessa Kay Haydon on November 12, 2005, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Vanessa Kay Haydon is the daughter of Bonnie Haydon and Charles Haydon and is of Jewish and Danish descent. She studied psychology at Marymount Manhattan College. The couple had five children: Kai Madison Trump (born 2007), Donald John Trump III (born 2009), Tristan Milos Trump (born 2011), Spencer Frederick Trump (born 2012), and Chloe Sophia Trump (born 2014). The marriage ended in divorce in 2018.

Donald Trump Jr. became politically active following his father’s announcement of his presidential candidacy for the Republican Party in 2015. He played a visible role in the campaign, frequently speaking at rallies and engaging audiences through social media, often generating controversy. During the 2016 presidential election, his private meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to possess damaging information about Hillary Clinton became public. The episode later became a focal point of investigations led by Robert Mueller. After Donald Trump’s victory in November 2016, Donald Trump Jr. participated in the presidential transition process alongside figures such as Mike Pence and Steve Bannon.

When Donald Trump assumed office in 2017, the day-to-day management of the Trump Organization was transferred to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump in order to reduce potential conflicts of interest. Despite this, Donald Trump Jr. remained one of his father’s most vocal and loyal supporters. During the 2018 midterm elections, he campaigned for numerous Republican candidates and drew attention for promoting claims related to the “deep state,” a term also frequently used by political commentators such as Tucker Carlson, as well as allegations of political bias by major technology companies.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, his Twitter account was temporarily suspended after he shared a video promoting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus. Around the same period, he published the political books Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us (2019) and Liberal Privilege: Joe Biden and the Democrats’ Defense of the Indefensible (2020), both of which directly criticized figures such as Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and prominent Democratic Party leaders.

Donald Trump Jr. played a significant role in his father’s 2020 reelection campaign and publicly supported unfounded claims of election fraud. On January 6, 2021, he spoke at a rally in Washington, DC, alongside speakers including Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump. That same day, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol. During the events, it was reported that Donald Trump Jr. urged his father to publicly condemn the violence.

After the conclusion of Donald Trump’s presidency, Donald Trump Jr. remained active in political life and became involved in several legal proceedings. In 2022, he testified before the congressional committee investigating the January 6 events, chaired by Bennie Thompson and vice-chaired by Liz Cheney. That same year, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization and members of the Trump family, alleging the deliberate misrepresentation of property values and “persistent and repeated business fraud.” If the allegations were upheld, Donald Trump Jr. could face a ban from serving as an executive or board member of any company in New York State.

Today, Donald Trump Jr. continues to be an influential and polarizing figure, maintaining a prominent role within the Trump family’s business empire while remaining a significant presence in conservative politics in the United States.

Source: Biyografiler.com