Donald John Trump Jr. is an American businessman, political activist, and author who is the eldest child of U.S. President Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana Trump. He serves as an executive vice president of The Trump Organization and has co-founded or invested in several cryptocurrency ventures, including World Liberty Financial and American Bitcoin. ^[4]

Early Life

Trump was born in Manhattan, New York City, on December 31, 1977. He is the first child of Donald Trump and Ivana Trump (née Zelníčková) and has two younger full siblings, Ivanka and Eric. He also has a half-sister, Tiffany, from his father's marriage to Marla Maples, and a half-brother, Barron, from his father's marriage to Melania Trump. As a child, he was close to his maternal grandfather, Miloš Zelníček, and spent summers in a rural area near Prague, where he learned to camp, fish, hunt, and speak the Czech language. His parents divorced when he was 12, after which he was estranged from his father for a year. ^{[3] [4] [1]}

Education

Trump attended the Buckley School in New York City before enrolling at The Hill School, a college-preparatory boarding school located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Following his graduation from The Hill School, he attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. ^[4]

Career

After graduating from college in 2000, Trump moved to Aspen, Colorado, for a year, where he worked as a bartender before returning to New York to join his family's business, The Trump Organization. In his role as executive vice president, he has overseen numerous building projects, including 40 Wall Street and the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. He also appeared as a boardroom judge on his father's reality television show, The Apprentice, from 2006 to 2015. In January 2017, following his father's inauguration as president, he and his brother Eric were appointed to oversee a trust containing the assets of The Trump Organization. Despite a pledge to avoid new foreign deals, reports indicated that the brothers continued to pursue international business and accept payments from foreign governments at their U.S. properties during their father's presidency.

Trump has been actively involved in the cryptocurrency sector, co-founding one decentralized finance project and taking an ownership stake in a Bitcoin mining company.

World Liberty Financial

Donald Trump Jr. is a co-founder of World Liberty Financial (WLFi), an Ethereum-based decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol. His profile on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) explicitly lists him as a co-founder of the project. The project, which also involves other members of the Trump family in advisory or promotional roles, aims to provide peer-to-peer digital asset systems. Donald Trump Jr. is listed as a "Web3 Ambassador" for the platform. In March 2025, World Liberty Financial announced the launch of its stablecoin, USD1, which is intended to be backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars and other cash equivalents held in custody by BitGo. The project has also pursued integrations with other DeFi protocols, including a partnership with Ethena Labs to incorporate its sUSDe token as a collateral asset. ^{[2] [1] [9] [10] [11]}

American Bitcoin

In addition to his role at World Liberty Financial, Trump Jr. is a co-owner of American Bitcoin, a bitcoin mining company launched on April 1, 2025. The company was formed as a partnership between the energy and data center infrastructure company Hut 8 and members of the Trump family. Hut 8 owns 80% of American Bitcoin, while the remaining 20% is owned by Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and other legacy shareholders. His brother, Eric Trump, serves as a co-founder and the chief strategy officer. The company's primary objective is to accumulate bitcoin by mining it at a cost below market value and by purchasing additional bitcoin to build a strategic reserve. American Bitcoin utilizes Hut 8's data center infrastructure, which includes facilities in New York, Texas, and Alberta, Canada. In May 2025, the company announced its intention to go public through a merger with Gryphon Digital Mining, a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq exchange. ^{[3] [1] [2] [4] [6] [7] [8]}

Other Ventures

In 2023, Trump launched a podcast on the platform Rumble titled Triggered with Don Jr. In April 2025, he was named as a co-founder of the Executive Branch, a private membership club in Washington, D.C., alongside tech investors David O. Sacks and the Winklevoss twins.

Involvement in Politics

Trump was a key advisor and prominent surrogate during his father's 2016 presidential campaign. He gained significant media attention for a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer who had offered damaging information on Hillary Clinton's campaign. He later released the email exchange that set up the meeting, which confirmed he had been told the information was part of the Russian government's support for his father's candidacy. He also had direct correspondence with WikiLeaks via Twitter during the campaign, in which the organization solicited his cooperation.

He campaigned extensively for Republican candidates during the 2018 midterm elections. Following his father's defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Trump actively promoted claims of widespread voter fraud and participated in efforts to overturn the results. He called for "total war" over the election count and sent a text message to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows two days after the election outlining a strategy to subvert the Electoral College process. On January 6, 2021, he spoke at the "Save America" rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol, where he threatened political opponents by stating, "we're coming for you." His actions and rhetoric surrounding the 2020 election and the Capitol attack have made him a person of interest in related criminal investigations.

Major Works

Trump has authored two books. His first, Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us, was published in 2019 and became a New York Times bestseller, partly due to bulk purchases by several Republican organizations, including the Republican National Committee (RNC). The book criticizes political correctness and what he describes as a victimhood complex on the American left.

In 2020, he self-published his second book, Liberal Privilege: Joe Biden and the Democrats' Defense of the Indefensible. This book was also promoted through bulk purchases by the RNC, which spent over $300,000 to acquire copies that were then offered to donors. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Interviews

ExtraTV Discussion Following The View #01

On November 11, 2019, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle were interviewed by Jennifer Lahmers for ExtraTV at Mar-a-Lago, following his appearance on The View. The interview included discussion of his book Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us, as well as topics related to politics and popular culture.

Trump Jr. described his experience on The View as contentious, noting what he considered antagonistic behavior during the program, such as the omission of his last name on air. He stated that he had intended to focus on the themes of his book but that the exchange became confrontational. He also mentioned that several of his supporters, including Republican donors, were present in the studio audience.

During the conversation with ExtraTV, Trump Jr. addressed Kanye West’s suggestion of a possible presidential run, characterizing West as someone who challenged established political conventions. He also commented on former White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s participation in Dancing with the Stars, referring to the divided reactions surrounding Spicer’s appearance and making remarks on his performance in a light context.

Trump Jr. additionally spoke about the pressures associated with political life, describing the criticism he faces in the public sphere and connecting these experiences to themes explored in his book Triggered. ^[12]

Discussion with KENS 5 on National Issues #02

On March 7, 2020, Donald Trump Jr. gave an interview to KENS 5: Your San Antonio News Source, where he addressed topics including illegal immigration, accusations of racism directed at his father, and the political importance of San Antonio and Texas in the 2020 presidential election.

From his perspective, Texas held both political and cultural significance, partly due to his long-standing personal ties to the state. He pointed to the economic record of the Trump administration, citing low unemployment rates and economic growth, and noted that these outcomes included gains for women and minority groups. He also referred to bipartisan initiatives such as Opportunity Zones and prison reform, describing them as policy efforts that crossed party lines.

Trump Jr. stressed an emphasis on merit in political participation, contrasting it with identity-based approaches. On immigration, he stated that while immigration itself was supported, he believed the priority should be protecting American workers, particularly those in more vulnerable positions.

He also raised concerns about media coverage, arguing that conservative policies and achievements were often portrayed unfavorably. According to him, frequent use of racism accusations risked diminishing serious discussions about racial issues. He concluded by highlighting the importance of patriotism and national pride, which he framed as unifying values connected to the idea of the American Dream. ^[13]

Interview on Lifestyle and Personal Background #03

On April 6, 2024, Donald Trump Jr. appeared in an interview on the YouTube channel Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker. The conversation followed an informal format, in which Trump Jr. discussed aspects of his personal life and experiences.

During the interview, he referred to his late-night caffeine consumption, hunting activities, and interest in archery. He recalled his son’s first elk hunt in Kentucky and commented on the state’s scenery and residents. Trump Jr. also stated that he had once competed in recurve and compound bow shooting in New York.

In addition, he spoke about his food preferences, noting steak and potatoes as his favorite meal, while also mentioning an appreciation for Japanese and Korean cuisine. He linked this variety of culinary interests to his maternal Eastern European heritage. Trump Jr. further referred to personal connections with members of Kentucky’s coal mining communities.

The interview concluded with a farewell in which he addressed the audience and included the expression “losers and haters,” a phrase often associated with his father, Donald Trump. ^[14]