A review of Trump’s first year in office
For many, the one-year mark of Trump’s presidency this past Saturday seems less like the anniversary of a presidency and more like the anniversary of a reality tv show that they did not wish to be a part of. The exhausting and eventful past year of Trump’s presidency was marked by a government shutdown, primarily due to the debate over a government funding bill and the DACA immigration program. This shutdown marks the first time in history that a president has had a majority in the house and the senate yet had a shutdown where in which federal employees are furloughed (i.e. sent home without pay), and is also marks the earliest shutdown in a president’s term. Additionally, it is the first time since the tradition has begun that the first-year anniversary talk between the previous president and the current president has not taken place.
From the moment he was inaugurated, Trump has shattered what America considers political normalcy. From his divisive inaugural speech and his infamous Twitter account to his vulgar and crude comments on gender, race, and other issues, Trump has demolished the conventional methods of presidency – and at a high cost. On his own terms, Trump has delivered much of what he promised, implementing a strict and hardline conservative agenda. He has delivered on judicial appointment and tax law, but despite the roaring economy and the soaring stock market, the President’s approval ratings are the lowest of any new commander-in-chief.
In his time as president, Trump has had a bizarre dispute over the size of his inaugural crowds, the departure of Michael Flynn, the travel bans, the wiretapping claim and the airstrike on Syria. He fired James Comey, botched the repeal of Obamacare along with the instatement of a new healthcare bill, and is currently under investigation for the Russia election probe. Trump also signed a once in a generation tax-cut, which is highly supported by his administration. Trump’s presidency was marked by a number of media wars, including the attacks on socially conscious NFL players, the public inquiry on whether Trump was fit for office following the publication of Michael Wolff’s book, and the taunting of a nuclear war with “Little Rocket man” Kim Jong Un, including a Twitter comment from Trump asking “will someone from [Kim Jong Un’s] depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” He has retweeted anti-muslim videos, used racial slurs in front of Native American war heroes, and made an incendiary comment about certain African countries in a debate over immigration. All of these bizarre situations cannot come close to a comprehensive list of what has occurred in the past year.
In the end, Trump’s presidency has been centered around only one thing: Trump himself. This is where his platform and decision making start and end. His unrestrained approach is the reason people who love him support him even more intensely one year in, but it’s also why a majority of the nation fears he is disastrously unsuited to the job. His reactive and unchecked behavior is the reason why his second year is likely to be more exhausting than the first.
