VOA: Donald J. Trump, an unusual journey to the presidency

“Donald Trump today (January 20) took the oath as the 47th President of the United States. This moment marks a historic return to power for the man who, in just over nine years, reshaped the Republican Party in a country where political divisions are increasingly visible. Voice of America correspondent Tina Trinh takes a look at Mr. Trump’s political journey and his return to the White House.

Donald Trump says he was reelected after an “unprecedented and powerful” support from American voters.

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of choosing me as the 47th and 45th president. I will fight for every citizen, for families, and for your future. Every day I will fight for you. With every breath, I will not rest until we make America strong, safe, and prosperous, just as our children and you deserve,” said Mr. Trump.

Experts say Mr. Trump’s return to power is the result of his determination to triumph.

“I think he is someone who has incredible confidence in his intuition,” says journalist Russ Buettner. He and Susanne Craig are investigative journalists for the New York Times and co-authors of the book “Lucky Loser,” a critical evaluation of how Mr. Trump portrayed himself as a billionaire who became successful through his own work.

“Since the early ’80s, he has not trusted people who are experts in almost anything. He always bypasses them to do things his way,” says Mr. Buettner.

The large golden letters of his name on the Trump Towers are a display of ambition and self-promotion.

“His fortune was $200 million when he spoke in an interview with the New York Times, and it grew to a billion dollars when he spoke on the ’60 Minutes’ show a decade later,” says journalist Susanne Craig.

Mr. Trump managed to attract attention by portraying himself as someone who delivers results. Through his name, he made millions.

But behind his success were problems. His companies declared bankruptcy six times. His casinos suffered financial losses and were shut down.

Mr. Trump managed to compensate for the losses with his television program “The Apprentice,” a project that led him to the most prominent role of his career.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we will make our country great again,” he said on June 16, 2015.

Without remorse and without filters, Mr. Trump was a polarizing and nationalist candidate.

“When Mexico sends people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs, crime, they’re rapists, and some, I suppose, are good people,” he said.

As president, Mr. Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices who helped strike down abortion rights laws.

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic tested Mr. Trump. He accelerated the development of vaccines necessary to save people’s lives. But he also gave the impression that he suggested to scientists to study injecting bleach to kill the virus.

With over 9 million Americans infected and more than 230,000 dead, in November of that year, voters chose Joe Biden as their next president.

After leaving the White House, Mr. Trump faced multiple criminal lawsuits and became the first former president to be convicted of a crime.

Mr. Trump has referred to the lawsuits against him as a “witch hunt.”

However, he has never been more popular.

Mr. Trump survived two assassination attempts last year, which strengthened his bond with his supporters.

“God has a plan for Trump. He survived for certain goals and reasons. We hope he will become the 47th president,” said Pam Smith, a Trump supporter, before the elections.

American politics has changed with the entry of Donald Trump onto the scene.

The co-author of the book “The Art of the Comeback” is beginning his second term in the White House in one of the greatest comebacks in American history.*”/VOA

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