57 Little Known Facts About Donald Trump

via Flickr - DonkeyHotey
via Flickr – DonkeyHotey

1. The Donald was a badly behaved kid. At the age of thirteen he was booted from the Kew-Forest School, a private school where his father was actually on the Board of Trustees. So, you can only imagine what he would have had to have done to get kicked out. His father then sent him to military school where Trump achieved the rank of Captain. [Source]

2. His sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, is a Senior United States Circuit Judge. These positions are nominated by the President of the United States and Maryanne was nominated into the position in 1999 by then President Bill Clinton. This was despite her being a Republican.

Donald maintains that his sister was nominated for the position because he’d given money to Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.“When you give, they do whatever the hell you want them to do.” [Source]

3. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of Business in 1968 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. The Wharton School of Business is widely considered to be the best schools of its kind in the entire world. [Source]

4. Trump thought his paternal grandfather was Swedish for years because his dad had presented the Trump family as being from Sweden instead of Germany. Why? Because, as Trump’s father explained, in the 1960s, “he had a lot of Jewish tenants and it wasn’t a good thing to be German.” The Holocaust had occurred less than two decades previous.[Source]

5. Trump has birthmarks on both of his heels. [Source]

6. After getting out of school, Trump’s first big real estate project was impressive. After purchasing a foreclosed apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio called the Swifton Village for $5.7 million, he turned it around, reaching full occupancy of the building while totally renovating it. Ten years later he sold the complex for $6.75 million.

via city-data
Swifton Village in 1953 via city-data

7. We all know that Trump had runaway television hits with “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice” but few people know that he was slated for another season of “Celebrity” in 2016. Since he launched his presidential campaign, NBC had to find a new host and settled on none other than the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. [Source]

8. Trump is known for Trump Tower in Manhattan but few remember the controversy surrounding its construction in 1983. First off, the building that was destroyed in order to build Trump Tower was an Art Deco building constructed in 1929 and was considered architecturally and historically important.

But the controversy didn’t stop there. Trump’s contracted construction company was found guilty of employing 200 Polish workers who were in the country illegally to do the bulk of the the demolition work. Worse, the workers were paid a pittance, 4 to 5 dollars an hour for working 12 hour shifts. Trump denied knowledge of the situation but his company reportedly threatened to deport the workers when they asked to be paid the rest of the money they were owed. [Source]

9. In 2006, Trump bought a huge estate in Scotland and built a luxury golf course on the property. He’d promised the local community that its construction would produce 6,000 jobs. It produced 200. The entire affair made the locals so mad that a full documentary was made about the debacle called “You’ve Been Trumped”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fACFeqRisXY

10. In 2014, Trump purchased another gold course in Scotland and proceeded to oppose a 2015 plan for offshore wind turbines because they would be visible from the golf course. Not only did he not get his way but a former Scottish First Minister called Trump “three times a loser.”

Trump responded in typical Trump fashion by calling the former First Minister a “has been” and “totally irrelevant” but his opposition to the planned wind turbines went nowhere. [Source]

11. There are two video games based on “The Apprentice”, the first of which was released by Yahoo games about a million years ago. The newer one, released in 2007, is called “The Apprentice: Los Angeles”. Both games consist, at the beginning at least, of being a waiter and serving food to customers quickly. Both should be renamed “College Graduate: The Game”.

Here’s a screenshot and here are links to both games.

"The Apprentice"
“The Apprentice”

12. Beginning in 1989, Donald Trump’s investments and business endeavors took a turn for the worse. The recession of the late 80s/early 90s took a toll on the entire nation but by 1991 Trump was up to his ears in $900 million in personal debt and $3.5 billion in business debt. He declared bankruptcy. By 1995, despite making headway in settling his debts, his Atlantic City casinos began to fail, unable to compete with newer casinos built by other investors.

In 2004, his company again declared bankruptcy and Trump lost his majority ownership in Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts to his investors. The company briefly climbed back into profitability before again declaring bankruptcy in 2009. [Source]

13. The Donald used to own a megayacht he named “The Trump Princess”. It’s a 281 foot craft that is absolutely enormous. Built in 1980 for a Saudi billionaire, it cost $100 million to build it at the time and, in 1998, Trump practically stole it for the low price of $29 million. In 1991, because he was going broke, he sold it for $40 million bucks to a Saudi Prince for $11 million in profit.

The yacht has “five decks, a disco, a cinema with seats for 12 and 2 double beds, 11 opulent suites, a helipad on top (its funnels are sloped outward to avoid interference with the helicopters), a pool with a water jet on top in front of the heliport, 2 Riva tenders, a crew of 48, a top speed of 20 knots, and cruising speed of 17.5 knots.” [Source]

via wiki commons
via wiki commons

14. Branding is huge for Donald Trump. Forbes magazine estimated the value of the Trump brand as being worth $200 million in 2011. Trump disputed this number saying it was ridiculous and claiming his brand was worth $3 billion. [Source]

15. Donald Trump, The Fragrance exists along with a slew of other Trump branded men’s items including deodorant.

61jWd+e+tlL._SX522_
via Amazon.com

16. Despite not seeing incredible financial success from business in recent years, Trump has managed to turn his persona into an enormous business. From books to a model management company and from vitamins (yes, vitamins) to cosmetics, Trump has put his name on an army of items and endeavors.

17. In 2013, Trump was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. In the same year, he also appeared in the WWE’s “Battle of the Billionaires” which resulted in him winning and Vince McMahon having his head shaved in the middle of the ring. [Source]

18. Paris Hilton used to be signed to Trump’s modeling agency. This was back in 2000 when she was still amazingly popular. [Source]

19. No one but Trump currently knows what Trump’s net worth is and anyone else who claims to is simply guessing. He hasn’t released his taxes and has alternately claimed that he’s being audited for the last couple of years or for the last four years. He’s also implied that he’s being audited because of his strong Christian beliefs. He may be worth billions, he may not. It’s impossible to really know for sure at this point.

Last year, Forbes said he was probably worth $4 billion while Bloomberg estimated his worth at closer to $2.9 billion. [Source]

20. Trump’s properties have enormous mortgages on them which is to be expected. However, in 2012, it was reported that Trump had over $1.4 billion in assets and owed $265 million in debt most of which appears to be mortgages, broadly considered to be healthy debt. So he may not be as rich as he’s implied but he’s still probably a billionaire. [Source]

21. Trump claimed in 2012 that he was worth over $12 billion dollars. He probably isn’t. [Source]

22. Trump claims he made $214 million from NBC over the years for doing “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice”. [Source]

23. The prizes for “The Apprentice” weren’t really real. The prize for whoever won each season of “The Apprentice” was that they were supposed to be named an Executive VP of one of Trump’s companies. Winning contestants were given the title but they weren’t given the responsibilities. In fact, they all ended up working as glorified spokespersons, collecting quarter million dollar a year salaries to go out push the Trump brand. [Source]

24. Trump basically wears a uniform rather dressing in a different look that changes with the times. For years now it’s been a dark suit with a loud, usually single-colored tie that’s about four inches too long. GQ has even implied that he might be compensating for something. [Source]

25. Trump’s one main regret regarding women is that he never got to date Princess Diana. In 1996, after her divorce from Prince Charles, he apparently sent tons of flowers in an attempt to get a date. It never happened. Here’s what he had to say about her in his book “The Art of the Comeback”.

“I only have one regret in the women department – that I never had the opportunity to court Lady Diana Spencer…I met her on a number of occasions … She was a genuine princess – a dream lady.” [Source]

He told Howard Stern in 2000 that he’d have loved to have slept with her but that she was also a little bit crazy which he described as a “minor detail.” [Source]

26. Also on Howard Stern in 2000, Trump listed his top 10 hottest women. They are, in order of hotness according to Donald:

Melania Knauss (his girlfriend at the time)
Ivana Trump (his first wife)
Princess Diana
Michelle Pfeiffer
Cameron Diaz
Julia Roberts
Cindy Crawford
Mariah Carey
Gwyneth Paltrow
Diane Sawyer

[Source]

27. Trump has been married three times, twice to women from Eastern Europe. His ex-wife of twenty four years, Ivana, is from Czechoslovakia and his current wife Melanie, who he married in 2005, is from Slovenia. His second wife was American actress Marla Maples. Their marriage lasted six years. [Source]

28. His current wife wouldn’t even give him her number at first because he had such a reputation as a ladies man.

29. Donald appears to know that the business desire for more, more, more is a vice. In an appearance at Regent University this year, Trump said that he’s sometimes guilty of simply wanting more but followed that by saying the “happiest people he knows are people who love their families and whose families love them.” [Source]

30. Donald claims he has a good relationship with the Presbyterian Church, specifically Marble Collegiate Church in NYC where he has said he is a member. Responding to this, Marble Collegiate stated that he was a member but not an active member. [Source]

31. In August of last year, when asked about his faith, Trump stated that he was “a big believer in the Bible” but wasn’t able to attend church regularly because of his schedule. [Source]

32. In an August interview with the Hollywood Reporter Trump said he couldn’t remember apologizing for anything recently. “It was too many years ago to remember. I have one of the great memories of all time, but I can’t remember.” [Source]

33. Although an avowed Christian, Trump says he’s never asked God’s forgiveness for anything and prefers to just try and do better and leave God out of it. [Source]

34. Trump’s daughter Ivanka converted from Christianity to Judaism prior to marrying her husband, Jared Kushner. At that time she took the name Yael. [Source]

35. In November 2015, Trump’s appearance on Saturday Night Live resulted in incredible ratings for the show not seen since Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon appeared on the show in 2013. 9.3 million people tuned in to see The Donald. [Source]

36. Despite many people believing that Trump’s statements about making Mexico pay for a border wall refers to him forcing the Central American nation to literally pony up the cash, Trump’s plan on paying for his proposed wall is predicated on ending or renegotiating the NAFTA trade agreement in such a way that American businesses returning to the U.S. from Mexico would provide the funds via taxation. He has also suggested increasing border fees, via fees, impounding remittance payments from illegal wages, and cutting foreign aid to Mexico.

Additionally, Trump hasn’t suggested building a wall across the entire 3,000 mile border, just the 1,000 miles where the terrain makes it crossable. [Source]

37. Last August, another less well known takedown documentary about Trump in the 80s and 90s was released on Youtube in full called “Donald Trump: What’s the Deal? Lies and Secrets Exposed!” Originally made in 1991, Trump had sued to keep it from being released and it wasn’t. Now, twenty four years later, you can see it for yourself. [Source]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcx5MH93cDU

38. Since 1973, Trump has been involved in thirteen high profile lawsuits. He didn’t lose any of these suits but, despite his claim that he never settles any lawsuits, he’s settled several.

Of the thirteen suits, six were against him. Of those six he settled four while one was dropped and another is ongoing.

The remaining seven were initiated by Trump. Of those he settled one and dropped three while one was dismissed and another is ongoing. [Source]

39. The rumors that Donald Trump is a germaphobe are true.

40. In 2013, Bill Maher offered $5 million to anyone who could produce evidence that Trump’s mother had not had mated with an orangutan. Trump promptly produced his birth certificate proving his father wasn’t an ape and then sued Maher when he wasn’t given the stated $5 million. The suit was ultimately dismissed. [Source]

41. The Trump Tower, Plaza, and other properties in New York owned by Trump were probably constructed with concrete purchased from the Genovese and Gambino crime families according to Washington Post investigative reporter Robert O’Harrow Jr. [Source]

42. In 1991, Trump Plaza was fined $200,000 for removing African American gamblers from a craps table where mob associate Robert LiButti wanted to play. LiButti was apparently known to go into racist fits when he was losing. [Source]

43. Trump has received 12 awards for various things from a variety of different organizations. In 2010 he received an honorary degree from Robert Gordon University in Scotland. In 2015, the degree was revoked after Trump made statements “wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university.” These statements mostly had to do with his ideas about temporarily ending travel from Muslim countries. [Source]

44. At the same time, 250,000 Britons signed a petition to ban Trump from traveling to the UK at all. [Source]

45. In 2015 he was given the Commandant of the Marine Corps Leadership Award by the Marine Corps–Law Enforcement Foundation and, not to forget, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.

46. The Clinton Foundation has received a ton of money from Trump. Experts estimate the amount is between $100,000 and $250,000. [Source]

47. Many have accused Trump of being either a racist or catering to racists in his language. In a December 2015 interview with Barbara Walters he denied this was the case saying “not at all.”

48. Despite recently receiving the endorsement of former KKK head David Duke, an endorsement he apparently did not seek, Trump actually left the Reform Party in 2001 because David Duke became involved in the party. He crafted a New York Times op/ed in the same year stating that “is not company I wish to keep.” [Source]

49. Donald Trump has stated that he believes that since Barack Obama was elected President that racism isn’t an issue anymore. He’s also suggested that maybe some people should go back to Africa.

“There’s no such thing as racism anymore. We’ve had a black president so it’s not a question anymore. Are they saying black lives should matter more than white lives or Asian lives? If black lives matter, then go back to Africa? We’ll see how much they matter there.” [Source]

50. Trump’s statement about racism not existing anymore resulted in Oprah calling Trump a crazy cracker.

“The dye from that toupee must have seeped into this cracker’s brain and driven him crazy.” [Source]

51. Back in 1989, Trump said that if he could be born all over again he’d choose to be a well-educated Black man because they, according to him, have a “tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market.” [Source]

52. He also said this about the possibility of a Black president in the future.

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/537157586316165120

53. Trump used to be and perhaps still is good friends with Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings. After Trump made his now infamous statement about temporarily barring travel from Muslim countries, Simmons came out in opposition to him and accused him of pandering.

“I know the cheap seats are easy to play to, but you can get them just by being the man I have known for nearly 30 years.” [Source]

54. At the same time, the brother of Civil Rights era icon Medgar Evers has endorsed Donald Trump for president out of concern for American job opportunities. [Source]

55. It’s hard to tell if The Donald actually means any of the things he says. He’s often called an idiot by those who oppose him ideologically but his mastery of the media seems to indicate he’s anything but that. Some have even referred to him as “brilliant”.

56. Donald Trump has been talking about running for President of the United States since 2000. During every cycle he’s brought it back up. When he first considered running as the candidate for the Reform Party he described campaigning as “enormous fun” and one of his “greatest life experiences” comparing himself at the time to Al Gore who he said seemed to view running for president as “drudgery”. [Source]

57. Trump is the only presidential candidate in the history of the country to have the press (specifically CNN) ask their wife about their husband’s penis size. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

https://youtu.be/wvF-mbHRMQ0?t=36s

Ask me anything as long as it’s safe for all ages and just fantastically interesting.

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