This week, members of the Republican party have attempted to portray the four years of Trump’s presidency as a period of unmatched peace, prosperity, and serenity. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama claimed it was ”the strongest economy in history.” Meanwhile, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota stated that “President Trump honored the Constitution,” and Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia lauded Mr. Trump’s first term as an example of ”common-sense conservative leadership.”
However, the reality of Trump’s presidency and his actions in office contradict the glowing descriptions provided by the Republicans. The truth is that under his leadership, the country faced numerous crises, from the separation of migrant families at the border to a sudden spike in prices due to the trade war with China, and the mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, Trump’s repeated disregard for the Constitution and those oath-bound to defend it is a marked departure from the image the Republicans are trying to uphold.
For those who may need a reminder, or have chosen to forget, let’s review the timeline of his presidency. This provides a stark warning about what Trump is capable of doing with the power of his office if he is not rejected by the American voters.
January 21, 2017: “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period.”
January 25, 2017: Attempts to defund sanctuary cities in a bid to increase deportations.
January 27, 2017: Enforces the Muslim ban.
January 28, 2017: Appoints Steve Bannon, a committed advocate of dismantling the administrative state, to the National Security Council.
February 15, 2017: Abandons a long-standing commitment to a two-state solution in a news conference.
March 4, 2017: Claims to have been wiretapped by the U.S. government.
May 9, 2017: Fires the F.B.I. director, James Comey, who was leading an investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
May 10, 2017: Reveals highly classified intelligence to Russian officials.
And the list of concerning actions and decisions made during his presidency continues. From orders that have upended decades of U.S. policy to instigating the longest government shutdown, his presidency was marked by controversy and division. His responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, including promoting unproven treatments and downplaying the severity of the virus, have left a lasting impact on the nation.
It is crucial to remember this timeline of events and decisions from Trump’s presidency as the country moves forward. The repercussions of his actions continue to be felt, and serve as a stark reminder of the consequences that come with unchecked power.
January 6, 2020: Calls for a big protest in Washington, D.C.
December 22, 2020: Threatens to veto coronavirus aid.
December 23, 2020: Vetoes annual military spending bill.
January 2, 2021: Tries to overturn Georgia’s election result.
January 13, 2021: Becomes the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice.
January 21, 2017: Exaggerates the size of the audience at his inauguration.
January 25, 2017: Tries to defund sanctuary cities to increase deportations.
January 27, 2017: Imposes a ban on refugees from war-torn countries and Muslim-majority nations.
January 28, 2017: Names Steve Bannon, a far-right agitator, to the National Security Council.
February 15, 2017: Abandons a two-state solution in a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
March 04, 2017: Makes unsubstantiated claims about being wiretapped by the U.S. government.
May 09, 2017: Fires the F.B.I. director, James Comey, who was leading an investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
May 10, 2017: Reveals highly classified intelligence to Russian officials.
June 2017: Makes racist comments about immigrants from Haiti.
June 2017: Attempts to fire special counsel Robert Mueller over the Russia investigation.
June 21, 2017: Sends son-in-law to negotiate Middle East peace.
July 26, 2017: Announces a ban on transgender people in the military.
August 15, 2017: Makes controversial remarks after a violent rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
August 21, 2017: Makes a comment about staring at an eclipse.
October 03, 2017: Throws paper towels to Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria.
December 06, 2017: Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, deviating from longstanding U.S. policy.
December 22, 2017: Cuts taxes for corporations and the wealthy.
January 06, 2018: Boasts about his mental stability and intelligence.
January 11, 2018: Makes derogatory comments about immigrants from certain countries.
Winter 2018: Benefits financially from a diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf.
March 14, 2018: Admits to making up facts in meetings with foreign leaders.
April 15, 2018: Reverses position on sanctions for Russia over its role in Syria’s chemical weapons program.
Spring 2018: Attempts to get the Justice Department to prosecute Hillary Clinton and James Comey.
Spring 2018: Initiates family separations by executive order.
May 2018: Orders top-secret clearance for Mr. Kushner against intelligence officials’ advice.
May 2018: Closes pandemic preparedness unit.
May 08, 2018: Unilaterally pulls out of the Iran nuclear deal.
June 04, 2018: Claims he has the absolute right to pardon himself.
Summer 2018: Escalates trade war with China.
July 11, 2018: Insults NATO allies and calls the European Union a “foe.”
July 16, 2018: Sides with Vladimir Putin over American intelligence agencies on Russian election interference.
September 13, 2018: Denies nearly 3,000 deaths from Hurricane Maria.
October 24, 2018: Continues to use personal iPhones after warnings that they are not secure.
November 10, 2018: Calls American soldiers “losers” and “suckers.”
December 22, 2018: Instigates the longest government shutdown ever.
December 28, 2018: Proposes weakening regulations on power plants that restrict the release of mercury, which can cause brain damage.
February 14, 2019: Moves to appoint a climate change denier to lead a climate security panel.
February 15, 2019: Declares national emergency to get money for border wall.
March 2019: Suggests shooting migrants in the legs to slow them down.
March 20, 2019: Continues to attack John McCain after his death.
March 22, 2019: Reverses North Korea sanctions by tweet … maybe.
May 24, 2019: Proposes ending federal health rights protections for transgender people.June 12, 2019: Federal Protections for Trans Patients Blocked
A day before federal protections against discrimination in the health care system for trans patients were set to take effect, a federal judge blocked this initiative.
June 29, 2019: Ivanka Trump at G20 Summit
A video clip of Ivanka Trump trying to join a conversation with four world leaders at the G20 summit went viral, spawning the hashtag #UnwantedIvanka.
June 30, 2019: Trump and North Korea
After initially promising “fire and fury,” Trump’s almost complete embrace of Kim Jong-un resulted in no progress in reducing North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, with North Korea continuing to test-launch missiles in the months after the visit.
July 25, 2019: Pressure on Ukraine’s President
Trump pressures Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, for a favor to investigate Mr. Biden’s activities in the country. He orders his acting chief of staff to put a hold on almost $400 million of military aid intended for the country to combat Russian aggression.
August 20, 2019: Cancelled State Visit to Denmark
Denmark’s refusal to sell Greenland leads to Trump cancelling a state visit to Denmark, prompting him to say, “You don’t talk to the United States that way”.
August 21, 2019: Proposal for Indefinite Detention of Migrant Families
Trump proposed a regulation that would allow the indefinite detention of migrant families, which was rejected by a federal judge as “Kafkaesque”.
September 4, 2019: Sharpiegate and Hurricane Dorian
Trump insists, against meteorologists’ objections, that Alabama would be hit by Hurricane Dorian, and allegedly alters a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration map to prove his statement. This incident comes to be known as Sharpiegate.
November 18, 2019: Reversal on Israeli Settlements
Trump reverses four decades of U.S. policy by declaring that Israeli settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law.
December 18, 2019: Impeachment
Trump becomes the third president in the history of the United States to be impeached, on charges related to his interactions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He was subsequently acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate.
January 17, 2020: School Nutrition Rules Rollback
Trump rolls back school nutrition rules promoted by Michelle Obama, leading to fewer vegetables and more pizza in school meals.
January 28, 2020: Middle East Peace Plan
Trump announces a Middle East peace plan that heavily favors Israel, celebrating by Israeli hard-liners and denounced by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority.
February 28, 2020: Downplaying Covid-19
Trump downplays the seriousness of Covid-19, blaming the media for instilling fear and calling it a “hoax” by the Democrats.
March 2020: Early Covid-19 Response Failings
The White House Covid response coordinator, Deborah Birx, reveals that the White House purposely tried to discourage testing to obscure the virus’s rapid spread, among other failings.
April 4, 2020: Promotion of Hydroxychloroquine
Trump pushes hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug, as a Covid treatment, leading to a surge in prescriptions.
April 23, 2020: Pushing Bleach as a Covid Treatment
Trump promotes bleach as a Covid treatment, leading to a spike in reports of poison control cases of accidental disinfectant poisoning.
May 7, 2020: Pressure on the Justice Department
Trump pressures the Justice Department into dropping a Russia-related case against his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
June 1, 2020: Controversial Tweet on George Floyd Protests
Trump tweets a slogan seemingly advocating violence against Black Lives Matter protesters, amid protests over George Floyd’s murder.
July 2020: Defense of the Confederate Flag
Trump defends the Confederate flag, stating that people with Confederate flags are not talking about racism, but rather love for the South.
August 19, 2020: Praise for QAnon
Trump praises QAnon at a news conference, further fanning the controversies associated with the group.
September 23, 2020: Refusal to Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power
Trump refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, raising concerns about the integrity of the upcoming elections.
September 26, 2020: Covid-19 Superspreader Event
Trump hosts a Covid-19 superspreader event at the White House, resulting in multiple Covid-19 cases.
September 29, 2020: Addressing the Proud Boys
During a presidential debate, Trump addresses the white supremacist group Proud Boys directly, telling them to “stand back and stand by.”
October 7, 2020: Access to Experimental Covid Treatment
Trump receives an experimental Covid treatment not yet widely available and calls it a “cure.”
October 7, 2020: Pressure on the Attorney General
Trump pressures Attorney General Bill Barr to start a pre-election investigation into his political enemies.
November 4, 2020: False Claims of Election Victory
Trump falsely claims victory in the election before all votes are counted, stating, “We did win this election.”
November 9, 2020: Firing the Defense Secretary
In the wake of his election loss, Trump fires the defense secretary, raising concerns about his intentions for the military in the final weeks of his administration.
November 9, 2020: Withholding Briefings from Biden’s Team
Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the outcome of the election results in withheld intelligence briefings from Biden’s team for a smooth transition.
November 2020: Attempts to Overturn Election Results
Trump uses pressure tactics to overturn Michigan’s election results and stop a crucial swing state from going to Mr. Biden.
December 19, 2020: Encouraging Protests in D.C.
Trump encourages protests in Washington D.C. on January 6th, and tweets, “Be there, will be wild!”
December 22, 2020: Threat to Veto Coronavirus Aid
Trump suddenly denounces a bill to provide $900 billion in coronavirus relief and threatens to veto it, resulting in delays in financial aid for Americans.
December 23, 2020: Veto of Annual Military Spending Bill
Trump vetoes the annual military spending bill, objecting to parts of the legislation including a measure to rename military bases honoring Confederate generals.
January 2, 2021: Efforts to Overturn Georgia’s Election Result
Trump pressures Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to overturn election results in the state.
January 6, 2021: Role in Capitol Riot
Trump’s false claims about a stolen election culminate in a mob storming the Capitol on January 6, leading to injuries and deaths.
January 13, 2021: Second Impeachment
Trump becomes the first president in the history of the United States to be impeached twice, though he was later acquitted in the Senate.
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