*A correction has been made regarding Trump’s approval rating. A wrong statistic was printed in the Feb. 13, 2018 issue.
One year and 24 days have passed since President Trump’s inauguration. Within this eventful year, new policies and actions have compelled many people to become invested in a controversial political scene. Here’s a recap of what Trump did in the first year of his presidency.
Trump made many promises during his campaign, including an increase in employment, better care for veterans, a stronger military and a wall to strengthen the border between the United States and Mexico.
“The Wall is the Wall, it has never … evolved from the first day I conceived of it,” tweeted Trump. “The Wall will be paid for, directly or indirectly or through longer term reimbursement, by Mexico, which has a ridiculous $71 billion dollar trade surplus with the US.”
Trump intended for Mexico to cover the costs of the wall. However, the recently proposed Border Security for America Act outlines new border regulations, which includes funding by Congress to construct a wall and hire 5,000 new border control agents.
“This bill would authorize at least $14 billion in new border–security spending over four years, nearly all of it along the US–Mexico border,” stated the Washington Office on Latin America.
Furthermore, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in January 2010 was 9.8 percent due to the Great Recession. Unemployment decreased to 4.8 percent by the end of Obama’s presidency. Within this past year, it further decreased to 4.1 percent.
Trump has a lower approval rating after his first year than past presidents: thirty–nine percent compared to Obama’s forty–seven percent, according to BBC News and Politico. The low rating corresponds with how people respond to his actions and beliefs, including issues regarding the border wall and the legality of abortions— both divisive issues.
Under Trump’s administration, H.J. Res 43 was passed, prohibiting states from funding facilities that provide abortions like Planned Parenthood. Many citizens were aggravated due to the loss of the resources that Planned Parenthood provides. According to Planned Parenthood, their facilities not only offer abortions but also offer “access to health care like birth control, cancer screenings and STD testing and treatment.”
Over the past year, the economy has prospered— the Dow Jones Industrial Average grew by 28.5 percent, according to BBC News. However, the Dow fell drastically as of Feb. 5.
The Dow is a stock market index of 30 major U.S. companies. It indicates how well these companies are doing in the stock exchange, which can be extrapolated to estimate the health of the stock market as a whole.
Also, the environment is becoming an increasing concern as attention and funding are redirected to other programs and issues.
In June 2016, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, an agreement within the United Nations that makes decisions regarding greenhouse gas emissions.
The withdrawal is not the only environmental impact he has made since in office.
“On Jan. 4, the Trump administration unveiled a five–year blueprint to expand offshore drilling and gas leasing in nearly all U.S. waters,” reported National Geographic. “The plan, which would span 2019 to 2024, would also let the government auction off permanently protected areas.”
Whether it is about the stock market boom or policies against abortion, people have polarizing opinions about the president.
Now that Trump has had a full year in office, citizens can review his actions and policies and decide what to expect in the upcoming year under the Trump administration.
