US president-elect: The unpredictable populist

WASHINGTON — Impulsive, immoderate and politically untested, Donald Trump did not exactly seem to fit the profile of a candidate for the most powerful job in the world. But with his boundless energy and outsized ego, the 70-year-old billionaire Republican defied all predictions, defeating the far more experienced Hillary Clinton to win the White House. Delivering corrosive speeches that played to the frustrations and insecurities of Americans in an evolving world, the Manhattan real estate mogul has nevertheless become the voice of change for millions of them. And he has blown up a Republican Party still struggling to understand his supporters — and still baffled by how, or whether, to dance with Tornado Trump. Before launching his campaign in June 2015, Trump was known mainly for his immense fortune; for the luxury hotels, golf courses and casinos bearing his name; for the tabloid-worthy details of his divorces; and for being the star host of the reality TV show “The Apprentice.” All of this made his a familiar face in American households. But he has also shown himself to be a formidable political animal, and an unlikely populist hero with his promise to “Make America Great Again.” During the campaign, he offered simple solutions for the most complex of problems — he said he would build a wall along the Mexican border, paid for by Mexico, to stop illegal immigration. He vowed to expel the 11 million undocumented immigrants believed to be living in America. And he insisted he could bring jobs back to America by renegotiating international trade deals. To prevent attacks on American soil, he said he would ban from the United States immigrants from countries with “a proven history of terrorism,” after first saying he would ban all Muslims. Trump is arrogant, charismatic, abrupt and sometimes funny. He insulted women, Muslims and Hispanics on the campaign trail, while alienating black voters. Trump lives in a palatial three-story penthouse — a veritable mini-Versailles — atop Trump Tower in New York. He travels in his private, gilded Boeing 757, which was in the background at his airport rallies around the country. With his trademark wispy, unruly blond hair and his impeccable suits, he both fascinates and horrifies. He lies so often, and on so many subjects, that fact-checkers have had a hard time keeping up. Trump is not exactly an ideologue. He was a Democrat until 1987, then a Republican until 1999, then a member of the Reform Party up until 2001, then a Democrat for eight years before finally again becoming a Republican. Born in New York — the fourth of five children of a real estate promoter — he had such a volcanic temper that at age 13, his parents sent him to a military school in hopes the regimented life there would have a calming influence. After studying economics in college, he joined the family business. His father helped him out with what Trump has called a “small loan of a million dollars.” The younger Trump took control of the family business in 1971. But while his father had built apartments for middle class New Yorkers, Donald preferred luxury high-rise hotels, glittering casinos and manicured golf courses, from Manhattan to Mumbai. Trump, a wrestling fan, was also co-owner until 2015 of the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants. And from 2004 to 2015, he hosted “The Apprentice.” — AFP