U.S. President Donald Trump has drawn controversy with his provocative rhetoric since taking office in January 2017, often causing friction with media and other countries, including some of the United States' closest allies.

The businessman- and TV-personality-turned-president, who will turn 72 on Thursday, has more than 52 million followers on Twitter, his preferred means of communicating with the American people unfiltered.

Trump, a Republican, has stuck to his stance of criticizing the media for publishing what he calls "fake news," when their coverage is not as positive as he wants.

Earlier this month, Trump abruptly backed out of a joint communique agreed at a Group of Seven summit in Canada after a war of words with other leaders over trade.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania's business school, Trump, whose grandfather was an immigrant from Germany, took over his father's real estate business.

Trump's company built or renovated various skyscrapers, hotels and golf courses across the globe, allowing him to become a billionaire. He won a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

The president is an avid golfer who often uses the game to conduct business. He is a non-smoker who loves fast food but disdains alcohol, preferring to drink Diet Coke, reportedly going through 12 cans a day.

During the 2016 presidential election campaign, Trump said that if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the United States, instead of a costly state dinner they would eat "a hamburger on a conference table."

On Tuesday, Trump became the first sitting U.S. leader to meet a North Korean leader.