Profiles of Donald Trump and JD Vance: A duo of businessman and "rust belt hillbilly"

Up next we take time now to learn more about the two men behind the posts of president and vice-president of the U.S. for the next four years.

Lee Shi-hoo has details.

Donald Trump was born in 1946 to a wealthy American family running a real-estate business.

He gained wide popularity in the early 2000s through his star role on reality TV.

The image of a successful businessman he cultivated on television propelled his political career.

In 2016, Trump ran for the presidency and won against Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton.

His catchphrase both then and now: "America First."

"From this day forward, it's going to be only, America first, America first."

Upon entering the White House, Trump rolled back many of the preceding Obama administration's policies.

He signed tax cuts for businesses, withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, and boosted the production of fossil fuels.

He adopted a strict immigration policy, partially building walls along the U.S.-Mexico border to stop migrants from seeking asylum.

At the end of his first term, Trump entered the 2020 presidential race, but lost to Joe Biden.

Four years later in 2024, Trump declared he was running again, "for all of America."

"I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America because there is no victory in winning for half of America."

During his campaign, Trump survived two assassination attempts, one at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in July.

His message continued unrattled.

"Four more years of incompetence and stupidity and failure and disaster, or whether we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country?"

Trump ultimately claimed victory in the election on November 6th.

Helping Trump to win in "rust belt" swing states --Vice President JD Vance, a former Ohio Senator, who entered the public eye with his 2016 memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."

In this memoir, Vance raised questions about social disintegration and economic insecurity among working-class Americans.

He continued to vow support for the working class during the campaign last year.

The New York businessman and the Rust Belt senator now stand together to face key tasks in America, just as culturally, and socioeconomically diverse as the duo.

Lee Shi-hoo, Arirang News.