Donald Trump is set to be sworn in for a second term as President of the United States. The 78-year-old defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a race that started close but ended up being one-sided as Trump swept through swing states. Trump is one of the most unusual US presidents because he is not a professional politician. His path to the Oval Office led through boardrooms, film roles and television series.

Donald Trump, the entertainer

While he was known as a real estate mogul in New York in the '80s, Donald Trump rose to national prominence through cameo appearances in films and eventually appearances on reality shows. He made his first on-screen appearance in the 1989 film Ghosts Can't Do It before rising to fame in Home Alone 2. In 1994 he played another person on screen for the first time in “The Little Rascals”. He later appeared in popular films such as Zoolander and The Associate. In the 90s, he appeared on The Howard Stern Show 24 times, which further increased his popularity among the masses.

The Apprentice, WWE and international popularity

In 2003, Trump became the host and producer of the reality show “The Apprentice.” On this show, he revealed his acerbic, no-nonsense personality as a business tycoon. His catchphrase, “You’re fired,” soon became part of pop culture and led to Trump trademarking it. At the peak of the series' popularity, Trump was earning $3 million per episode, making him one of the highest-paid TV stars in the world. By 2015, Trump hosted “The Apprentice,” cementing his place in American pop culture. This led to a polarizing appearance in professional wrestling, where he faced WWE Chairman Vince McMahon in the famous “Battle of the Billionaires” in 2007.

How media appearances helped Trump's political career

Donald Trump has long been America's favorite punchline. Even after he made public his intention to run for president in 2016, many thought it was a joke. Over the years, Trump has used his media appearances to enter America's living room. He was no longer just a billionaire, but a popular personality. He took advantage of this fame, which was different from the image of a politician, and added his ultra-right program when he launched his candidacy in 2019. The end result was a charismatic, unconventional leader. Many Americans saw him as a break with the two-party system they had long aspired to. Trump used the skills he learned as a TV star in his campaign speeches and became the darling of conservative America.

That Trump was able to return to the center stage of American politics four years after his defeat and deposition speaks volumes about the cult-like following he has built. The emergence of this personality began on screen three decades ago.