Trump’s Presidency: Major Events
By Justin Fichera
National News Staff Writer
We are now weeks away from election day. Nearly four years ago, Donald Trump was sworn in as the fourty fifth president of the United States. For some, his inauguration represented a positive change. Donald Trump was going to ‘drain the swamp’ and bring the power back to the people. For others, his inauguration signified the end of the Obama era. The well-spoken, charismatic politician would be replaced with a politically incorrect Washington outsider. Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, there have been several key events that define his presidency.
In the President’s first year, Justice Neil Gorsuch was nominated to the United States Supreme Court after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia. He delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress. The historic speech drew the headline “Donald Trump Finally Sounded Like a President” from Time Magazine. President Trump also announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, an agreement that sought to combat climate change. For this, Trump faced backlash. He also faced backlash for imposing a travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries and claiming there are “some very fine people” when referring to a group including white nationalists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia. That December, he signed a $1.5 trillion tax cut, the first major tax overhaul in decades.
President Trump’s second year in office was highlighted by several events. Firstly, seventeen people were killed in a school shooting in Parkland, Florida. The tragedy rallied many to go out and voice their concerns about gun violence in America. Another key event was Trump’s meeting with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Though it is unclear what resulted from the meetings between the two leaders, this was the first meeting between a sitting President and North Korea in history. In 2018, unemployment dropped to 3.7 percent—the lowest since 1969. For the first time, the government started tracking job openings in 2000, there were more openings than unemployed Americans. The president also nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. We also saw a “blue wave” of Democrats during the midterm elections, causing them to win back the House of Representatives.
The third year of President Trump’s presidency saw even more historic events. The President was the first American President to set foot in North Korea. He announced the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In 2019, Trump became the third President in U.S. History to be impeached. He was charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. After a Senate Trial, Trump was acquitted of these charges. Finally, that December, President Trump signed into law a sixth branch of the military: The United States Space Force.
The fourth year of Trump’s Presidency needs no introduction. The world has seen the global COVID-19 pandemic which is responsible for the death of over a million people. There have been protests and riots in response to the killing of African Americans by the police. To top it off, the President is nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with just weeks until the election. The President has seen backlash for his handling of all these events. The question voters must answer is “Which candidate will take us in the right direction?”
Contact Justin at justin.fichera@student.shu.edu