What Is Donald Trump's Middle Name? Here's What The Former President Said The J Stands For
Former President Trump was born Donald John Trump to parents Fred and Mary Trump on June 14, 1946. The outspoken politician rarely acknowledges the biblical origins of his middle name, which is ironic considering that he now sells customized "God Bless the USA" bibles. Most of the time, when Trump incorporates his middle name, he does so by only using the first initial. However, in 2020, he had a hilarious explanation for the meaning of the letter J in his full name.
In January of that year, Vanity Fair special correspondent Gabriel Sherman reported that Trump's associate Frank Luntz recounted that the Mar-a-Lago owner told him the J in his name stands for "Genius." Though a quirky response, Trump has referred to himself this way on several other occasions. During an October 2023 rally in New Hampshire, Trump once again called himself a genius after pointing out that the word "us" is spelled using the same letters as the United States. Trump's interpretation of the meaning of the J is apparently significant to him, which could be why it is frequently incorporated.
Trump has used the J on the controversial stimulus checks
During the controversial April 2020 rollout of the stimulus checks to help Americans stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump sparked much conversation by signing his name on the checks. It marked the first time a President's name appeared on IRS-distributed payments. Additionally, Trump included an official letter to each recipient of the check, which outlined how the money was distributed and concluded with, "We will do it together, as one nation, stronger than ever before," and signed using his prized middle initial.
During another round of stimulus checks, which arrived in 2021, there were concerns that Donald J. Trump would once again appear on these. It was alleged that this was due to President Joe Biden wanting to get them out much quicker, though this was proven false, with neither name appearing on the documents. Outside of his official paperwork, Trump has also incorporated "John" on his online imprints using just the first letter.
Trump includes the J on social media
Believing that J is short for genius, it comes as no surprise that Melania Trump's husband includes the letter on his social media profiles. His Twitter, Truth Social, and Instagram all list Donald J. Trump. His eldest son, Donald John Trump Jr., has carefully differentiated the two, leaving the J out of his name and going only by Donald Trump Jr.
The real estate businessman also shares a middle name with his grandson, Donald John Trump III, the first son of Trump Jr. Though it's unclear what he goes by, it's apparent that the close-knit brood wishes to preserve the family name. Trump doesn't appear to have offered any new explanations for his middle name during his recent troubled presidential campaign. However, with lingering legal issues and mounting pushback even from his fellow Republicans, the signature J may be the least of his concerns moving into the 2024 election.