Donald Trump: MAGA icon who beat the odds for a stunning political comeback

On July 14, gunshots rang out at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania, sending the crowd into chaos as security rushed to shield him.

Amid the turmoil, Trump picked himself up to face the crowd again, a streak of blood across his face.

Raising a clenched fist – perhaps the most iconic moment of the 2024 elections – Trump exhorted his supporters to “fight, fight”.

What followed four months later was a stunning political comeback as he won a tight presidential race against his Democratic challenger, Kamala Harris.

Trump’s victory makes him only the second president in history to reclaim the White House after losing a re-election bid.

To his supporters, Trump is a plain-spoken, unyielding leader challenging entrenched power structures. To his critics, he is a polarising figure whose actions often threaten democratic norms.

Despite a turbulent end to his first term, the American electorate has restored him to office, even as he faces a slew of criminal charges—including federal indictments for alleged mishandling of classified documents, obstruction of justice, and attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump’s return grants him considerable leverage over these cases, as he is expected to swiftly remove Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing federal investigations against him. As Trump once said he would do “within two seconds”.

With his own attorney general in place, Trump could likely see these charges dismissed.

Trump’s campaign for a second term centred on a sweeping array of over 40 pledges, from mass deportations to defunding schools that teach critical race theory and transgender issues.

Trump’s return to the Oval Office marks the continuation of an unconventional political journey.

Making of Donald Trump

Before politics, Trump was a well-known businessman and television personality, the only president without prior military or governmental experience.

Born in 1946, he inherited his father’s real estate empire, transforming it into the high-profile Trump Organization with what he famously described as “a small loan of a million dollars.”

He became a household name in the early 2000s as host of The Apprentice, crafting an image as a shrewd, no-nonsense businessman.

Trump launched his political career in 2015 with a pledge to “make America great again” by clamping down on immigration, reviving US manufacturing, and "draining the swamp" by reducing the influence of lobbyists in DC.

He vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), President Obama’s hallmark healthcare law, which he described as costly and burdensome for Americans, and to withdraw the US from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate crisis, arguing it was economically disadvantageous.

In office, Trump enacted a series of controversial immigration policies, including family separations at the border, travel bans on several Muslim-majority countries, and restrictive asylum measures.

His “America First” platform, marked by hardline immigration stances, tough trade policies, and scepticism toward global alliances, struck a chord with millions. This message, along with his unfiltered style, propelled him to an unexpected victory in 2016.

His handling of the COVID-19 pandemic became another point of contention, as critics accused him of downplaying the virus’s severity and endorsing unproven treatments.

Foreign policy

On foreign policy, Trump’s unequivocal support for Israel became a hallmark of his administration.

In 2017, he broke with decades of US diplomatic precedent by moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that provoked significant international backlash.

He championed pro-Israel policies, and went further recognising Israel’s illegal annexation of occupied Golan Heights and brokering the Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and several Arab states.

While his supporters applauded these moves as bold support for a key ally, critics argued they fuelled regional tensions and jeopardised longstanding US goals in the Middle East.

His approach to diplomacy also extended to North Korea, with Trump becoming the first sitting US president to meet its leader, Kim Jong-un, in an attempt to broker peace and address nuclear disarmament.

Despite these high-profile engagements, no concrete agreements were reached.

The final chapter of Trump’s first term was dominated by the events of January 6, 2021. His public insistence that the election had been “stolen” culminated in a rally near the White House on January 6, where he urged his supporters to “fight like hell.”

Hours later, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in a bid to stop formal certification of the Republican president's election defeat, causing millions of dollars in damage.

The attack, which left 5 dead and 140 officers injured, shocked the world.

Trump’s role led to his second impeachment, making him the only president to face this action twice.

The Second Term: Sharpened Edge

Now back in office, Trump is doubling down on policies that defined his previous tenure.

Among his top priorities are launching what he has called the “largest deportation operation” in US history, rolling back electric vehicle incentives that he claims threaten the US auto industry, and dismantling Obamacare, which his vice president, JD Vance, described as “costly and low-quality.”

In foreign affairs, Trump maintains staunch support for Israel, billing himself as its “protector” while cautioning pro-Israel Jewish voters against backing Harris.

Interestingly, a shift in support from Muslim voters—dissatisfied with the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war on Gaza—may have tipped the scales for Trump in swing states.

As he embarks on his second term, the United States stands poised for another chapter of high-stakes governance under its most unconventional president.