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{{for timeline|Timeline of the Donald Trump presidencies}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{for timeline}}
{{very long|date=April 2024|words=24,000}}
{{Infobox presidential administration
{{Infobox administration
| article_title = Presidency of Donald Trump
| name = First presidency of Donald Trump
| image = Donald Trump official portrait.jpg
| image = Donald Trump official portrait.jpg
| alt =
| term_start = January 20, 2017
| caption = ], ] ]
|term_start=Since January 20, 2017
| term_end = January 20, 2021
| president_link = President of the United States
|term_end = (])
| predecessor = ]
| cabinet = ]
| party = ]
| successor =
| election = ]
| location = ], ]
| seat = ]
| party = ]
| predecessor = ]
| successor = ]
| archive_url = trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov
| library_url = trumplibrary.gov
}}
}}
{{Donald Trump series}}
{{Donald Trump series|expanded=45th and 47th president of the United States}}
] was ] as the ] at noon ] on January 20, 2017, succeeding ]. Trump, the ] nominee, was a businessman and ] personality from ] at the time of his victory in the ] over the ] nominee ]. While Trump lost the ] by nearly 3 million votes, he won the ] vote by 304 to 227.<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 Presidential Electoral and Popular Vote|url=https://transition.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2016/federalelections2016.pdf#page=11|publisher=]|date=March 1, 2018|accessdate=May 28, 2018}}</ref> ] Trump to be the least popular President in the history of modern American presidential opinion polling, as of the end of his first year in office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-year-in-trumps-approval-rating/|title=How Trump Ranks In Popularity vs. Past Presidents |work=]|author=]|date=January 19, 2018|access-date=January 21, 2018}}</ref>
The first tenure of ] as the ] began on January 20, 2017, when Trump was ] as the ], and ended on January{{nbsp}}20, 2021. Trump, a ] from ], took office following his ] victory over ] nominee ] in the ]. Upon his inauguration, he became the first president in American history ]. Trump made an unprecedented number of ] during his ] and first presidency. His first presidency ended following his defeat in the ] to former Democratic vice president ], after his first term in office.
Upon taking office, Trump repealed regulations intended to address ], such as the ], and ] from the ] on ]. Trump also withdrew the United States from the ], issued ] denying entry into the U.S. to citizens of certain countries, and withdrew from the ]. Trump ended the ] (DACA) program, ], ], and enacted tariffs on steel and aluminum imports triggering retaliatory tariffs from the EU.
Trump was unsuccessful in his efforts to repeal the ] but rescinded the ]. He sought substantial spending cuts to major welfare programs, including ] and ]. Trump signed the ] and a ]. He appointed ], ], and ] to the ]. Trump reversed numerous ], ], and signed the ] but later issued an Executive Order undercutting its impact. He signed the ] aimed at reforming ]s. He enacted ], triggering retaliatory tariffs from ], Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. He withdrew from the ] negotiations and signed the ], a successor to the ] with modest changes. The ] significantly increased under Trump due to spending increases and tax cuts.
Trump's nomination of ] to a vacant seat on the ] was confirmed by the ] in April 2017. Trump worked with congressional Republicans to repeal the ], but the repeal bill failed in the Senate in July. In December 2017, Trump signed the ], which dramatically lowered corporate and estate taxes.
Trump implemented a controversial ] apprehended at the United States–Mexico border, starting in 2018. His demand for the federal funding of ] resulted in ]. He ] in response to the ]. Trump's "]" ] was characterized by unilateral actions, disregarding traditional norms and allies. His administration implemented ]; denied citizens from several ] entry into the United States; ]; and brokered the ], a series of ] between Israel and various ]. Trump withdrew United States troops from northern Syria, allowing ]. His administration ] with the ] to ]. Trump met ]'s leader ] three times. He ] and later escalated tensions in the Persian Gulf by ] of General ].
After Trump ] FBI Director ] in 2017, a ] was appointed to take over an existing FBI ] into ] and related matters, including coordination or ] between the ] and ]; the investigation has resulted in several indictments and guilty pleas involving Trump campaign advisors and staff.
]'s ] (2017–2019) ] that Russia interfered to favor Trump's candidacy and that while the prevailing evidence "did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government", possible obstructions of justice occurred during the course of that investigation. Trump ] to announce investigations into his political rival Joe Biden, triggering his ] by the House of Representatives on December{{nbsp}}18, 2019, but he was ] on February{{nbsp}}5, 2020. Trump reacted slowly to the ], ignored or contradicted many recommendations from health officials in ], and ] about unproven treatments and the availability of testing.
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Following his loss in the 2020 presidential election to Biden, Trump made unproven claims of widespread ] and initiated an ]. At a rally on January 6, 2021, Trump urged his supporters to march to the ], where the ] in order to formalize Biden's victory. A mob of Trump supporters ], suspending the count and causing ] ] and other members of Congress to be evacuated. On January 13, the House voted to ] for ], but he was later ] on February{{nbsp}}13, after he had already left office.
==Elections==
Trump was elected for a second nonconsecutive term in ] and started his ] as the 47th president on January 20, 2025.
===2016 elections===
{{main|United States presidential election, 2016}}
{{further|United States elections, 2016|Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|Republican Party presidential primaries, 2016|2016 Republican National Convention}}
] in the 2016 presidential election, taking 304 of the 538 electoral votes. Five other individuals received electoral votes from ].
]]
Republicans ] of New York and Governor ] of Indiana won the ], defeating Democrats former Secretary of State ] of New York and Senator ] of Virginia. Trump won 304 electoral votes compared to Clinton's 227, though Clinton won a ] of the popular vote.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/19/us/elections/electoral-college-results.html|title=A Historic Number of Electors Defected, and Most Were Supposed to Vote for Clinton|date=December 19, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|4}}
Trump is the fifth person to win the presidency but lose the popular vote, after ] (1824),{{efn|In ], there were six states in which electors were legislatively appointed, rather than popularly elected, so it is uncertain what the national popular vote would have been if all presidential electors had been popularly elected.}} ] (1876), ] (1888), and ] (2000).<ref name="desilverpopvote">{{cite web |last1=DeSilver|first1=Drew|title=Trump's victory another example of how Electoral College wins are bigger than popular vote ones|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/20/why-electoral-college-landslides-are-easier-to-win-than-popular-vote-ones/|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=December 20, 2016|accessdate=January 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name="jpatel1">{{cite news |last1=Patel|first1=Jugal|last2=Andrews|first2=Wilson|title=Trump's Electoral College Victory Ranks 46th in 58 Elections|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/18/us/elections/donald-trump-electoral-college-popular-vote.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 18, 2016|accessdate=January 11, 2017}}</ref> He is also the fourth president to lose his home state in the election he won.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ballot-access.org/2016/11/16/donald-trump-will-be-first-president-to-have-won-without-carrying-his-home-state-since-1844/|title=Donald Trump Will be First President-Elect to Have Won Without Carrying His Home State Since 1844|author=] |publisher=]|date=November 16, 2016|accessdate=August 20, 2017}}</ref>
== 2016 election ==
Trump made false claims that massive amounts of ] in Clinton's favor occurred during the election, and he called for a major investigation after taking office. Numerous studies have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.<ref name="merica1">{{cite news |last1=Merica|first1=Dan|last2=Bradner|first2=Eric|last3=Schleifer|first3=Theodore|title=Trump calls for 'major investigation' into voter fraud|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/25/politics/trump-calls-for-major-investigation-into-voter-fraud/|publisher=CNN|date=January 25, 2017|accessdate=January 25, 2017}}</ref>
{{Main|Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|2016 United States presidential election}}
{{Further|2016 United States elections|2016 Republican Party presidential primaries|2016 Republican National Convention}}
].]]
] officially announced ] for the ] of the ] in the ] on June 16, 2015, at his ] residence. In May 2016, Trump clinched the nomination by winning a majority of the delegates to become the ] for the Republican Party following the party's presidential primaries. Trump ] Governor ] of Indiana as his ], and they were officially nominated as the Republican ticket at the ].
===2018 midterm elections===
{{main|United States elections, 2018}}
] will be held on November 6, 2018. One-third of the Senate (]) and all 435 House seats will be up for election.
With Democratic president ] term-limited, the ] nominated former secretary of state ] of New York for president and Senator ] of Virginia for vice president.
=== Indications of 2020 presidential campaign ===
{{main|Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2020|United States presidential election, 2020}}
Trump signaled his intent to run for a second term by filing with the ] within hours of assuming the presidency.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-hints-at-re-election-bid-vowing-eight-years-of-great-things/article/2612632|title=Trump hints at re-election bid, vowing 'eight years' of 'great things'|last=Westwood|first=Sarah|newspaper=The Washington Examiner|date=January 22, 2017|accessdate=February 19, 2017}}</ref> Trump marked the official start of the campaign with a rally in ], on February 18, 2017, less than a month after taking office.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/trump-kicks-off-his-2020-reelection-campaign-on-saturday/516909/|title=Trump Kicks Off His 2020 Reelection Campaign on Saturday|last=Graham|first=David A.|work=The Atlantic|date=February 15, 2017|accessdate=February 19, 2017}}</ref> By February 1, 2017, the campaign had already raised over $7 million.<ref>{{cite news |author=Matea Gold |author2=Anu Narayanswamy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/31/president-trump-has-already-socked-away-more-than-7-million-for-his-2020-reelection/|title=Trump already has socked away more than $7 million for his 2020 reelection|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=February 17, 2017}}</ref>
Early on November 9, 2016, the day after the election, Trump was projected to have won ] (a flip from the ]), thereby receiving enough ] to secure the presidency, becoming the ]. Trump won the ] with 304 electoral votes compared to Clinton's 227, though Clinton won a ] of the nationwide popular vote, receiving nearly 2.9 million more votes than Trump. Trump thus became the fifth person to ].<ref>DeSilver, Drew (December 20, 2016). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712013502/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/20/why-electoral-college-landslides-are-easier-to-win-than-popular-vote-ones/ |date=July 12, 2020 }}. Pew Research Center. Retrieved November 7, 2021.</ref> The ] on January 6, 2017. In the concurrent ], Republicans maintained their majorities in both the ] and the ], and ] ] and ] ] both remained in their posts.
==Transition period and inauguration==
{{main|Presidential transition of Donald Trump|Inauguration of Donald Trump}}
] and President-elect Donald Trump, November 17, 2016]]
Prior to the election, Trump named ] as the leader of his ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Bender|first=Michael C.|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-transition-team-planning-first-months-in-office-1478699360|title=Donald Trump Transition Team Planning First Months in Office |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=November 10, 2016|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> After the election, Vice President-elect Mike Pence replaced Christie as chairman of the transition team, while Christie became a vice-chairman alongside Senator ] of Alabama, retired Army Lt. Gen. ], former New York City Mayor ], former presidential candidate ], and former House Speaker ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Pence will lead Trump transition|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/11/politics/pence-will-lead-trump-transition/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=November 11, 2016}}</ref> Trump's transition team launched the website ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lawler|first1=Richard|title=Donald Trump's 'Transition Team' launches GreatAgain.gov|url=https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/09/this-is-happening/|website=Engadget|date=November 9, 2016|accessdate=November 11, 2016}}</ref>
== Transition period, inauguration, and first 100 days ==
Trump was ] on January 20, 2017, shortly after Pence was inaugurated as Vice President. Accompanied by his wife, ], Donald Trump was sworn in by ] ].<ref name="inaugurated1">{{cite news |last1=Fahrenthold|first1=David |authorlink=David Fahrenthold |last2=Rucker|first2=Philip|last3=Wagner|first3=John|title=Donald Trump is sworn in as president, vows to end 'American carnage'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-to-be-sworn-in-marking-a-transformative-shift-in-the-countrys-leadership/2017/01/20/954b9cac-de7d-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 20, 2017|accessdate=January 20, 2017}}</ref> In his seventeen-minute inaugural address, Trump struck a dark tone with a broad condemnation of contemporary America, pledging to end "American carnage" and saying that America's “wealth, strength and confidence has dissipated”.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-inauguration-speech-analysis-20170120-story.html|title=Raw, angry and aggrieved, President Trump's inaugural speech does little to heal political wounds|last=Barabak|first=Mark Z.|date=January 20, 2018|work=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=February 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/20/donald-trump-transition-of-power-president-first-speech|title='American carnage': Donald Trump's vision casts shadow over day of pageantry|last=Pilkington|first=Ed|date=January 21, 2018|work=The Guardian|accessdate=February 21, 2018}}</ref> Trump repeated the "America First" slogan that he had used in the campaign and promised that "very decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American factories".<ref name="inaugurated1"/> Aged seventy, Trump surpassed Ronald Reagan and became the ] to assume the presidency,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-oldest-president-us-history-2016-11|title=Donald Trump is oldest president elected in US history|publisher=Business Insider|date=November 9, 2016|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> and the first without any prior government or military experience.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/11/13587532/donald-trump-no-experience|title=Donald Trump is the only US president ever with no political or military experience|publisher=Vox|date=January 23, 2017|accessdate=February 22, 2017}}</ref>
{{main|First presidential transition of Donald Trump|First inauguration of Donald Trump}}
{{see also|First 100 days of the first Donald Trump presidency}}
] and President-elect Donald Trump in the ] on November 10, 2016]]
] ] administers the ] to Trump at ], January 20, 2017]]
The ] began following Trump's victory in the ], though Trump had chosen ] to begin planning for the transition in August 2016. During the transition period, Trump announced nominations for his ] and ].
Trump was ] on January 20, 2017, succeeding ]. He was sworn in by ] ].<ref name="inaugurated1">]; Rucker, Philip; Wagner, John (January 20, 2017). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331205748/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-to-be-sworn-in-marking-a-transformative-shift-in-the-countrys-leadership/2017/01/20/954b9cac-de7d-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html |date=March 31, 2020 }}. '']''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> In his seventeen-minute inaugural address, Trump painted a dark picture of contemporary America, pledging to end "American carnage" caused by urban crime and saying America's "wealth, strength, and confidence has dissipated" by jobs lost overseas.<ref>Pilkington, Ed (January 21, 2018). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713104006/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/20/donald-trump-transition-of-power-president-first-speech |date=July 13, 2020 }}. '']''. Retrieved February 21, 2018.</ref> He declared his strategy would be "]."<ref name="inaugurated1" /> The largest single-day protest in U.S. history, the ], took place the day after his inauguration and was driven by opposition to Trump and his policies and views.<ref>Waddell, Kaveh (January 23, 2017). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126005341/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/01/womens-march-protest-count/514166/ |date=January 26, 2017 }}. '']''. Retrieved February 8, 2017.</ref>
==Personnel==
{{Trump cabinet infobox}}
== Administration ==
The Trump administration has been characterized by high turnover, particularly among White House staff. By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of his original staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned.<ref name="Trimble">{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-12-28/trumps-white-house-has-highest-turnover-rate-in-40-years |title=Trump White House Has Highest Turnover in 40 Years |last=Trimble |first=Megan |date=December 28, 2017 |work=U.S. News |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref> {{As of|2018|3|pre=early}}, 43 percent of senior White House positions had turned over. Both figures set a record for recent presidents{{emdash}}more change in the first 13 months than his four immediate predecessors saw in their first two years.<ref name="Keith">{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/07/591372397/white-house-staff-turnover-was-already-record-setting-then-more-advisers-left |title=White House Staff Turnover Was Already Record-Setting. Then More Advisers Left |last=Keith |first=Tamara |work=NPR |accessdate=March 16, 2018}}</ref>
{{First Trump cabinet infobox}}
{{Further|Political appointments of the first Trump administration}}
The Trump administration was characterized by record turnover, particularly among White House staff. By early 2018, 43% of senior White House positions had turned over.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/07/591372397/white-house-staff-turnover-was-already-record-setting-then-more-advisers-left |date=March 7, 2018 |title=White House Staff Turnover Was Already Record-Setting. Then More Advisers Left|last=Keith|first=Tamara|work=]|access-date=March 16, 2018}}</ref> The administration had a higher turnover rate in the first two and a half years than the five previous presidents did over their entire terms.<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Joung |first = Madeleine |title = Trump Has Now Had More Cabinet Turnover Than Reagan, Obama and the Two Bushes |url = https://time.com/5625699/trump-cabinet-acosta/ |magazine = Time |access-date = October 26, 2019 |date = July 12, 2019 |archive-date = July 3, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200703004922/https://time.com/5625699/trump-cabinet-acosta/ |url-status = live }}</ref>
===Cabinet===
{{Main|Cabinet of Donald Trump}}
{{further|Formation of Donald Trump's cabinet}}
]
Days after the presidential election, Trump announced that he had selected RNC Chairman ] as his ], a position that does not require Senate confirmation.<ref name="mshear1">{{cite news |last1=Shear|first1=Michael |last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie |author2link=Maggie Haberman |last3=Rappeport|first3=Alan |title=Donald Trump Picks Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff and Stephen Bannon as Strategist|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/us/politics/reince-priebus-chief-of-staff-donald-trump.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 13, 2016|accessdate=November 14, 2016}}</ref> Priebus and Senior Counselor ] were named as "equal partners" within the ] power structure, although Bannon was not a member of the Cabinet.<ref name="ktumulty1">{{cite news |last1=Tumulty |first1=Karen |authorlink=Karen Tumulty |title=Priebus faces daunting task bringing order to White House that will feed off chaos|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/priebus-faces-daunting-task-bringing-order-to-white-house-that-will-feed-off-chaos/2017/01/01/5a2ba9e4-cd31-11e6-a87f-b917067331bb_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 1, 2016|accessdate=January 2, 2017}}</ref> Aside from the vice president and the chief of staff, the remaining ] required Senate confirmation.
By October 2019, one in 14 of Trump's political appointees were former lobbyists; less than three years into his presidency, Trump had appointed more than four times as many lobbyists than his predecessor ] did over the course of his first six years in office.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-a-staggering-281-lobbyists-whove-worked-in-the-trump-administration|title= We Found a "Staggering" 281 Lobbyists Who've Worked in the Trump Administration|last=Mora|first=David|date=October 15, 2019|website=ProPublica|access-date=October 15, 2019}}</ref>
On November 18, Trump announced his first Cabinet designee, choosing Alabama Senator ] for the position of Attorney General.<ref name="stokols18nov2016">{{cite news |last1=Stokols|first1=Eli|title=What Trump's early picks say about his administration|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-cabinet-selections-231617|newspaper=Politico|date=November 18, 2016|accessdate=November 18, 2016}}</ref> Trump continued to name designees for various positions in November, December, and January. Former Georgia Governor ] was announced as the nominee for ] on January 19, completing Trump's initial slate of Cabinet nominees.<ref name="perdue1">{{cite news |last1=Mooney|first1=Chris|last2=Wagner|first2=John|title=Trump picks Sonny Perdue for agriculture secretary|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-picks-sonny-perdue-for-agriculture-secretary/2017/01/18/a26abbc0-ddec-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 19, 2017|accessdate=January 19, 2017}}</ref> Trump is the first incoming president to benefit from the 2013 ], which eased the use of ] on executive and lower-level judicial nominees, reducing the amount required to invoke from an ] ] of three-fifths to a bare ].<ref name="cillfilibusterreform">{{cite news |last1=Cillizza|first1=Chris |authorlink=Chris Cillizza |title=How Harry Reid caused Donald Trump's very conservative Cabinet|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/05/looking-for-someone-to-blame-for-trumps-cabinet-try-harry-reid/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 5, 2017|accessdate=January 5, 2017}}</ref>
Trump's cabinet included U.S. senator from Alabama ] as ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Lichtblau|first=Eric|author-link=Eric Lichtblau|date=November 18, 2016|title=Jeff Sessions, as Attorney General, Could Overhaul Department He's Skewered|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/jeff-sessions-donald-trump-attorney-general.html|access-date=December 19, 2019}}</ref> banker ] as ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=November 30, 2016|title=Former US banker Steve Mnuchin confirms he will be US treasury secretary|work=]|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38141686|access-date=November 30, 2016}}</ref> retired Marine Corps general ] as ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=December 1, 2016|last=Lamothe|first=Dan|title=Trump has chosen retired Marine Gen. James Mattis for secretary of defense|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-has-chosen-retired-marine-gen-james-mattis-for-secretary-of-defense/2016/12/01/6c6b3b74-aff9-11e6-be1c-8cec35b1ad25_story.html|access-date=December 1, 2016}}</ref> and ] CEO ] as ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|author-link1=Michael D. Shear|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author-link2=Maggie Haberman|date=December 12, 2016|title=Rex Tillerson, Exxon C.E.O., chosen as Secretary of State|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/us/politics/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state-trump.html|access-date=December 26, 2016}}</ref> Trump also brought on board politicians who had opposed him during the presidential campaign, such as neurosurgeon ] as ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gabriel|first=Trip|author-link=Trip Gabriel|date=December 5, 2016|title=Trump Chooses Ben Carson to Lead HUD|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/us/politics/ben-carson-housing-urban-development-trump.html|access-date=December 5, 2016}}</ref> and South Carolina governor ] as ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Markon|first1=Jerry|last2=Costa|first2=Robert|last3=Brown|first3=Emma|author-link=Robert Costa (journalist)|date=November 23, 2016|title=Trump nominates two prominent GOP women: DeVos as education secretary, Haley as U.N. ambassador|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sc-gov-nikki-haley-tapped-to-be-trumps-un-ambassador/2016/11/23/c1395cb6-b144-11e6-8616-52b15787add0_story.html|access-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref>]
By February 8, 2017, President Donald Trump had fewer cabinet nominees confirmed than any other modern president.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schoen|first1=John W.|title=No President has Ever Waited This Long to Get a Cabinet Approved|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/24/trumps-cabinet-waiting-for-confirmation.html|date=February 24, 2017|publisher=]|accessdate=February 27, 2017}}</ref> His final initial Cabinet-level nominee, U.S. Trade Representative ], was confirmed on May 12, 2017.<ref name="lighthizer1">{{cite news |last1=Phippen|first1=J. Weston|title=The Senate confirms Trump's NAFTA Negotiator|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/05/senate-confirm-robert-lighthizer/526419/|accessdate=May 12, 2017|work=The Atlantic|date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> In February 2017, Trump formally announced his cabinet structure, elevating the ] and ] to cabinet level. The ], which had been added to the cabinet by Obama in 2009, was removed from the cabinet. Trump's cabinet consists of 24 members, more than Barack Obama at 23 or George W. Bush at 21.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/president-trump-announces-his-full-cabinet-roster-044552214.html|title=President Trump announces his full Cabinet roster|access-date=February 9, 2017}}</ref>
=== Cabinet ===
In July 2017, ], who had served as ], replaced Priebus as Chief of Staff.<ref name="bender1">{{cite news |last1=Bender|first1=Bryan|last2=Hesson|first2=Ted|last3=Beasley|first3=Stephanie|title=How John Kelly got West Wing cleanup duty|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/28/who-is-white-house-chief-of-staff-john-kelly-241106|accessdate=July 29, 2017|newspaper=Politico|date=July 28, 2017}}</ref> Bannon was fired in August 2017, leaving Kelly as one of the most powerful individuals in the White House.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rucker|first1=Philip|last2=Parker|first2=Ashley|title=During a summer of crisis, Trump chafes against criticism and new controls|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/during-a-summer-of-crisis-trump-chafes-against-criticism-and-new-controls/2017/08/31/8fb32d72-8d97-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html|accessdate=April 5, 2018|publisher=Washington Post|date=August 31, 2017}}</ref> In September 2017, ] resigned as ] amid criticism over ] for his personal travel. ] replaced Price as acting Secretary of Health and Human Services.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/09/29/trump-to-decide-friday-night-whether-to-fire-hhs-secretary-price/|title=Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigns after criticism for taking charter flights at taxpayer expense|last=Goldstein|first=Amy|date=September 29, 2017|work=The Washington Post|access-date=September 29, 2017|last2=Wagner|first2=John}}</ref> ] succeeded Kelly as Secretary in December 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/12/06/kirstjen-m-nielsen-sworn-sixth-homeland-security-secretary |title=Kirstjen M. Nielsen Sworn-in as the Sixth Homeland Security Secretary |date=December 6, 2017 |website=Department of Homeland Security |language=en |access-date=December 6, 2017}}</ref> Secretary of State ] was fired via a tweet in March 2018; Trump nominated ] to replace Tillerson and ] to succeed Pompeo as the Director of the CIA.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mangan|first1=Dan|title=Rex Tillerson found out he was fired as secretary of State from President Donald Trump's tweet|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/tillerson-learned-he-was-fired-from-trumps-tweet.html|accessdate=April 5, 2018|publisher=CNBC|date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|First cabinet of Donald Trump|List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations}}
Days after the presidential election, Trump selected RNC Chairman ] as his ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author2-link=Maggie Haberman|last3=Rappeport|first3=Alan|title=Donald Trump Picks Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff and Stephen Bannon as Strategist|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/14/us/politics/reince-priebus-chief-of-staff-donald-trump.html|newspaper=]|date=November 13, 2016|access-date=November 14, 2016}}</ref> Trump chose Sessions for the position of attorney general.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Stokols|first=Eli|title=What Trump's early picks say about his administration|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-cabinet-selections-231617 |newspaper=]|date=November 18, 2016|access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref>
In February 2017, Trump formally announced his cabinet structure, elevating the ] and ] to cabinet level. The ], which had been added to the cabinet by Obama in 2009, was removed from the cabinet. Trump's cabinet consisted of 24 members, more than Obama at 23 or ] at 21.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/president-trump-announces-his-full-cabinet-roster-044552214.html |first=Hunter |last=Walker |work=] |date=February 8, 2017 |title=President Trump announces his full Cabinet roster|access-date=February 9, 2017}}</ref>
Since taking office, Trump has made two ]. ] was nominated for the position of Secretary of Labor in 2017, while ], who had previously served as the ], was nominated as Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 2018. Each withdrew their name from consideration after facing opposition in the Senate.<ref name="cforan1">{{cite news|last1=Foran|first1=Claire|last2=Summers|first2=Juana|last3=Diamond|first3=Jeremy|title=Ronny Jackson withdraws as VA secretary nominee|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/26/politics/ronny-jackson-va-nominee/index.html|accessdate=May 2, 2018|publisher=CNN|date=April 26, 2018}}</ref>
On February 13, 2017, Trump fired ] from the post of ] on grounds that he had lied to Vice President Pence about his communications with ] ]; Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the ] (FBI) about his contacts with Russia.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Goldman|first1=Adam|last2=Mazzetti|first2=Mark|date=May 14, 2020|title=Trump White House Changes Its Story on Michael Flynn|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/us/politics/trump-michael-flynn.html|access-date=May 20, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Flynn was fired amidst the ongoing controversy concerning ] and accusations that Trump's electoral team colluded with Russian agents.
{{clear}}
In July 2017, ], who had served as ], replaced Priebus as chief of staff.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Bender|first1=Bryan|last2=Hesson|first2=Ted|last3=Beasley|first3=Stephanie|title=How John Kelly got West Wing cleanup duty|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/28/who-is-white-house-chief-of-staff-john-kelly-241106 |access-date=July 29, 2017|newspaper=]|date=July 28, 2017}}</ref> In September 2017, ] resigned as ] amid criticism over ] for personal travel.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/09/29/trump-to-decide-friday-night-whether-to-fire-hhs-secretary-price/|title=Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigns after criticism for taking charter flights at taxpayer expense|last1=Goldstein|first1=Amy|last2=Wagner|first2=John|date=September 29, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> ] succeeded Kelly as secretary in December 2017.<ref>{{cite press release |url = https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/12/06/kirstjen-m-nielsen-sworn-sixth-homeland-security-secretary |title = Kirstjen M. Nielsen Sworn-in as the Sixth Homeland Security Secretary |date = December 6, 2017 |website = Department of Homeland Security |access-date = December 6, 2017 |archive-date = December 6, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171206174245/https://www.dhs.gov/news/2017/12/06/kirstjen-m-nielsen-sworn-sixth-homeland-security-secretary |url-status = live }}</ref> Secretary of State ] was fired via a tweet in March 2018; Trump appointed ] to replace Tillerson and ] to succeed Pompeo as the director of the CIA.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Mangan|first=Dan|title=Rex Tillerson found out he was fired as secretary of State from President Donald Trump's tweet|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/tillerson-learned-he-was-fired-from-trumps-tweet.html|access-date=April 5, 2018|work=] |date=March 13, 2018}}</ref> In the wake of a series of scandals, ] resigned as ] of the ] (EPA) in July 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Dennis|first1=Brady|last2=Eilperin|first2=Juliet|title=Scott Pruitt steps down as EPA head after ethics, management scandals|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-epa-head-steps-down-after-wave-of-ethics-management-scandals/2018/07/05/39f4251a-6813-11e8-bea7-c8eb28bc52b1_story.html|access-date=July 5, 2018|newspaper=]|date=July 5, 2018}}</ref> Secretary of Defense ] informed Trump of his resignation following Trump's abrupt December 19, 2018, announcement that the remaining 2,000 American troops in Syria would be withdrawn, against the recommendations of his military and civilian advisors.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title='A sad day for America': Washington fears a Trump unchecked by Mattis|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/a-sad-day-for-america-washington-fears-a-trump-unchecked-by-mattis/2018/12/20/faef8da0-04ac-11e9-b6a9-0aa5c2fcc9e4_story.html |access-date=November 8, 2021 |first1=Greg |last1=Jaffe |first2=Karoun |last2=Demirjian |date=December 20, 2018 |newspaper=]}}</ref>
===Notable non-Cabinet positions===
{{see also|Political appointments of Donald Trump}}
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
'''White House staff'''
*]
**''']''' <small>(2017)</small>
*]
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2017–2018)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2018–present)</small>
*]
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
*]
**''']''' <small>(2017)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2017–2018)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2017)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2018–present)</small>
*]
**''']''' <small>(2017)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
*]
**''']''' {{small|(2017)}}
**''']''' {{small|(2017)}}
**''']''' {{small|(2017)}}
**''']''' {{small|(2017–2018)}}
*]
**''']''' {{small|(2017–present)}}
{{Col-break}}
'''Security and international affairs'''
*]
**''']''' <small>(2017)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2017–2018)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2018–present)</small>
*]
**''']''' <small>(2017–2018)</small>
*]
** ''']'''<sup>1</sup> <small>(2013–2017)</small>
** ''']'''<small> (2017–present)</small>
Trump fired numerous ] of agencies, including those who were probing the Trump administration and close Trump associates. In 2020, he fired five inspectors general in two months. ''The Washington Post'' wrote, "For the first time since the system was created in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, inspectors general find themselves under systematic attack from the president, putting independent oversight of federal spending and operations at risk."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=May 4, 2020 |first1=Lisa |last1=Rein |first2=Tom |last2=Hamburger |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=As Trump removes federal watchdogs, some loyalists replacing them have 'preposterous' conflicts|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-trump-removes-federal-watchdogs-some-loyalists-replacing-them-have-extensive-conflicts/2020/05/24/8dad46a4-9b89-11ea-a2b3-5c3f2d1586df_story.html}}</ref>
'''Domestic affairs'''
*Chair of the ]
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
*Chair of the ]
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
*Chair of the ]
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
*Director of the ]
**''']''' <small>(2017–2018)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2018)</small>
=== Dismissal of James Comey ===
''']'''
{{Main|Dismissal of James Comey}}
*]
**''']'''<sup>1</sup> <small>(2014–2018)</small>
**''']''' <small>(2018–present)</small>
*Vice Chair
**''']'''<sup>1</sup> <small>(2014–2017)</small><ref name=globeandmail20161202>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/fed-may-face-unnerving-shake-up-under-trump-administration/article33131983/|title=Fed may face unnerving shake-up under Trump administration|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130071255/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/fed-may-face-unnerving-shake-up-under-trump-administration/article33131983/|archivedate=January 30, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
*Other Federal Reserve Governors
**''']''' <small>(2017–present)</small>
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}
<sup>1</sup><small>Appointed by Barack Obama</small>
Trump dismissed ] ] on May 9, 2017, saying he had accepted the recommendations of Attorney General Sessions and ] ] to dismiss Comey. Sessions's recommendation was based on Rosenstein's, while Rosenstein wrote that Comey should be dismissed for his handling of the conclusion of the FBI investigation into the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Gambacorta|first=David|title=Rod Rosenstein: one-man man standing in Trump's way is the president's polar opposite|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/politics/presidential/rod-rosenstein-trump-russia-investigation-robert-mueller-20170727.html |date=July 27, 2017 |website=]|publisher=]|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> On May 10, Trump met Russian foreign minister ] and Russian ambassador ]. Based on White House notes of ], Trump told the Russians, "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job{{spaces}}... I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Apuzzo|first1=Matt|author1-link=Matt Apuzzo|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author2-link=Maggie Haberman|last3=Rosenberg|first3=Matthew|author3-link=Matthew Rosenberg|title=Trump Told Russians That Firing 'Nut Job' Comey Eased Pressure From Investigation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/us/politics/trump-russia-comey.html|newspaper=]|date=May 19, 2017|access-date=May 19, 2017}}</ref> On May 11, Trump said in a videoed interview, "...{{spaces}}regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey{{spaces}}... in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Shabad|first=Rebecca|title=Trump says he planned to fire James Comey regardless of DOJ recommendation|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-he-planned-to-fire-james-comey-regardless-of-doj-recommendation/ |date=May 11, 2017 |work=]|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> On May 18, Rosenstein told members of the U.S. Senate that he recommended Comey's dismissal while knowing Trump had already decided to fire Comey.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Leigh Ann|last=Caldwell|title=Rosenstein Tells Senate He Knew of Comey Firing Before He Wrote Memo|date=May 18, 2017|work=]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rosenstein-tells-senate-he-knew-comey-firing-he-wrote-memo-n761666 |access-date=November 8, 2021}}</ref> In the aftermath of Comey's firing, the events were compared with those of the "]" during ]'s administration and there was debate over whether Trump had provoked a ], as he had dismissed the man leading an investigation into Trump's associates.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rosen|first=Jeffrey|author-link=Jeffrey Rosen (legal academic)|title=Does Comey's Dismissal Fit the Definition of a Constitutional Crisis?|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/president-trump-james-comey-constitutional-crisis/526299/|access-date=May 12, 2017|work=]|date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> Trump's statements raised concerns of potential obstruction of justice.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/questions-mueller-wants-to-ask-trump-russia.html |date=April 30, 2018 |first1=Matt |last1=Apuzzo |first2=Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |title=The Questions Mueller Wants to Ask Trump About Obstruction, and What They Mean|newspaper=]|access-date=October 20, 2018}}</ref> In ], Comey said Trump attempted to persuade him to abort the investigation into Flynn.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Schmidt|first=Michael S.|author-link=Michael S. Schmidt|date=May 16, 2017|title=Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-flynn-russia-investigation.html|access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref>
===Notable departures===
{{see also|List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations}}
In the first 13 months of the Trump administration, the White House staff had a higher turnover than the previous four presidents had in the first two years of their respective administrations. By March 2018, White House staff turnover was estimated at 43%.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Keith|first1=Tamara|title=White House Staff Turnover Was Already Record-Setting. Then More Advisers Left|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/07/591372397/white-house-staff-turnover-was-already-record-setting-then-more-advisers-left|work=NPR|date=March 7, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dunn Tenpas|first1=Kathryn|title=Why is Trump’s staff turnover higher than the 5 most recent presidents?|url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/why-is-trumps-staff-turnover-higher-than-the-5-most-recent-presidents/|website=Brookings|accessdate=March 13, 2018|date=January 19, 2018}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Office/Role
! Fired or Resigned
! Date Announced
! Days with Administration
! Reasons Behind Departure
== Judicial appointments ==
|-
{{Further|List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump|Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies}}
| ''']'''
] and her family with Trump on September 26, 2020]]
| Secretary of Veterans Affairs
| Fired
| March 28, 2018
|
| ''Trump replaces embattled Veterans Affairs secretary with White House physician''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-replaces-embattled-va-secretary-personal-physician-n859496|title=Trump replaces embattled Veterans Affairs secretary with White House physician |last1=Allen|first1=Jonathan|last2=Vitali|first2=Ali|date=March 28, 2018|work=NBC News|accessdate=March 28, 2018}}</ref>
After Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate in 2014, only 28.6 percent of judicial nominees were confirmed, "the lowest percentage of confirmations from 1977 to 2018".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Boghani |first=Priyanka |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-mcconnell-and-the-senate-helped-trump-set-records-in-appointing-judges/ |title=How McConnell's Bid to Reshape the Federal Judiciary Extends Beyond the Supreme Court |work=] |date=October 16, 2020 |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref> At the end of the Obama presidency, 105 judgeships were vacant.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Greenberg |first=Jon |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/oct/02/donald-trump/fact-check-why-barack-obama-failed-fill-over-100-j/ |title=Fact-check: Why Barack Obama failed to fill over 100 judgeships |work=] |date=October 2, 2020 |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref> Senate Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader ], prioritized confirming Trump's judicial appointees, doing so rapidly.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Li|last=Zhou|date=May 4, 2020|title='Leave no vacancy behind': Mitch McConnell remains laser-focused on judges amid coronavirus|work=]|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/5/4/21246313/federal-judges-mitch-mcconnell-senate-coronavirus-pandemic |access-date=November 8, 2021}}</ref> By November 2018, Trump had appointed 29 judges to the ], more than any modern president in the first two years of a presidential term.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Cancryn|first=Adam|title=Even if Democrats win, Trump has them beat on the courts|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/05/trump-courts-elections-judges-960754|access-date=January 12, 2019|work=]|date=November 5, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| ''']'''
| National Security Advisor
| Resigned
| March 22, 2018
|
| ''H.R. McMaster Resigns. John Bolton Named Trump's New National Security Advisor''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lucey |first1=Catherine |last2=Miller |first2=Zeke |last3=Thomas |first3=Ken |date=March 22, 2018 |url=http://time.com/5211928/hr-mcmaster-resign-john-bolton-trump-white-house-national-security-advisor/ |title=H.R. McMaster Resigns. John Bolton Named Trump's New National Security Advisor |publisher=] |accessdate=March 22, 2018}}</ref>
Trump ultimately appointed 226 ] and ] in total.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/01/13/how-trump-compares-with-other-recent-presidents-in-appointing-federal-judges/ |access-date=November 8, 2021 |first=John |last=Gramlich |date=January 13, 2021 |title=How Trump compares with other recent presidents in appointing federal judges}}</ref> His appointees, who were usually affiliated with the conservative ], ].<ref name="Ruiz">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Ruiz|first1=Rebecca R.|last2=Gebeloff|first2=Robert|last3=Eder|first3=Steve|last4=Protess|first4=Ben|date=March 14, 2020|title=A Conservative Agenda Unleashed on the Federal Courts|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/us/trump-appeals-court-judges.html |access-date=November 8, 2021}}</ref> A third of Trump's appointees were under 45 years old when appointed, far higher than under previous presidents.<ref name="Ruiz" /> Trump's judicial nominees were less likely to be female or ethnic minority than those of the previous administration.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=November 14, 2017|title=Trump choosing white men as judges, highest rate in decades|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-choosing-white-men-as-judges-highest-rate-in-decades/|access-date=December 21, 2021|website=www.cbsnews.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gramlich|first=John|date=March 20, 2018|title=Trump has appointed a larger share of female judges than other GOP presidents, but lags Obama |publisher=Pew Research Center|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/02/trump-has-appointed-a-larger-share-of-female-judges-than-other-gop-presidents-but-lags-obama/ |access-date=May 11, 2018}}</ref> Of Trump's judicial appointments to the U.S. courts of appeals (circuit courts), two-thirds were white men, compared to 31% of Obama nominees and 63% of George W. Bush nominees.<ref name="Ruiz" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||first=Andrew|last=Cohen|date=July 1, 2020|url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/trump-and-mcconnells-overwhelmingly-white-male-judicial-appointments |access-date=November 8, 2021 |work=] |publisher=New York University School of Law|title=Trump and McConnell's Overwhelmingly White Male Judicial Appointments}}</ref>
|-
| ''']'''
| Deputy Director of the FBI
| ]
| March 16, 2018'''
|
| ''Sessions fires McCabe before he can retire''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/sessions-fires-mccabe-he-can-retire-n856751|title=Sessions fires McCabe before he can retire |last=Williams|first=Pete|date=March 16, 2018|work=NBC News|accessdate=March 17, 2018}}</ref>
=== Supreme Court nominations ===
|-
{{main|Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates}}
| ''']'''
Trump made three nominations to the ]: ], ], and ]:
| Under Secretary for State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
* ] in January 2017 to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice ] in February 2016, which had not been filled by Obama because the Republican-majority Senate did not consider the ]. The Senate confirmed Gorsuch in a mostly ] of 54–45 in April 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Leigh Ann|last=Caldwell|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/neil-gorsuch-confirmed-supreme-court-after-senate-uses-nuclear-option-n743766 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |work=]|title=Neil Gorsuch Confirmed to Supreme Court After Senate Uses 'Nuclear Option'|date=April 7, 2020}}</ref> Gorsuch's confirmation was one of Trump's major first year accomplishments, made as part of a "100{{nbh}}day pledge".<ref name="Jacobson">Jacobson, Louis (April 24, 2017). {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424073916/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/apr/24/donald-trump/how-do-donald-trumps-first-100-days-rate-historica/ |date=April 24, 2019 }}. '']''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref>
| Fired
* ] in July 2018 to replace retiring Justice ], who was considered a key swing vote on the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh in a mostly party-line vote of 50–48 in October 2018 after allegations that Kavanaugh had attempted to rape another student when they were both in high school, which Kavanaugh denied.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Sheryl Gay|last=Stolberg|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/us/politics/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court.html |access-date=November 8, 2021 |date=October 6, 2018|title=Kavanaugh Is Sworn In After Close Confirmation Vote in Senate|newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Barnes|first=Robert|title=Justice Kennedy, the pivotal swing vote on the Supreme Court, announces his retirement|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/justice-kennedy-the-pivotal-swing-vote-on-the-supreme-court-announces-retirement/2018/06/27/a40a8c64-5932-11e7-a204-ad706461fa4f_story.html|access-date=August 26, 2018|newspaper=]|date=June 27, 2018}}</ref>
| March 13, 2018'''
* ] in September 2020 to fill the vacancy left by the ] ]. Ginsburg was considered part of the Court's liberal wing and her replacement with a conservative jurist substantially changed the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|date=September 25, 2020|title=Trump Selects Amy Coney Barrett to Fill Ginsburg's Seat on the Supreme Court|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/us/politics/amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court.html |access-date=November 8, 2021 |author1-link=Peter Baker (journalist)|author2-link=Maggie Haberman}}</ref> Democrats opposed the nomination, arguing that the court vacancy should not be filled until after the ]. On October 26, 2020, the Senate confirmed Barrett by a mostly party-line vote of 52–48, with all Democrats opposing her confirmation.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-amy-coney-barrett-vote |first=Tyler |last=Olson |title=Senate confirms Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court, cements 6-3 conservative majority|website=]|date=October 26, 2020|access-date=December 17, 2020}}</ref>
|
| ''Top State Department Aide Fired after Contradicting White House Account of Tillerson Ouster''<ref>{{cite news|last1=McCardle|first1=Mairead|title=TTop State Department Aide Fired after Contradicting White House Account of Tillerson Ouster|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/steve-goldstein-fired-contradicting-white-house/|work=National Review|date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
== Leadership style ==
|-
{{See also|Rhetoric of Donald Trump}}
| ''']'''
Trump's own staffers, subordinates, and allies frequently characterized Trump as infantile.<ref>{{Cite book |last = Drezner |first = Daniel W. |title = The Toddler-in-Chief |date = 2020 |publisher = University of Chicago Press |doi = 10.7208/chicago/9780226714394.001.0001 |isbn = 978-0-226-71425-7 |s2cid = 202954099}}</ref> Trump reportedly eschewed reading detailed briefing documents, including the ], in favor of receiving oral briefings.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/breaking-with-tradition-trump-skips-presidents-written-intelligence-report-for-oral-briefings/2018/02/09/b7ba569e-0c52-11e8-95a5-c396801049ef_story.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=February 9, 2018 |first1=Carol D. |last1=Leonnig |first2=Shane |last2=Harris |first3=Greg |last3=Jaffe |title=Breaking with tradition, Trump skips president's written intelligence report and relies on oral briefings|newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/americas-first-post-text-president/549794/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=The President Who Doesn't Read |first=David A. |last=Graham |date=January 5, 2018 |website=]}}</ref> Intelligence briefers reportedly repeated the President's name and title in order to keep his attention.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-intelligence-reports-white-house-read-them-mentioned-name-president-a7740726.html |first=Andrew |last=Griffin |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Donald Trump will only read intelligence reports if he is mentioned in them, White House sources claim|date=May 17, 2017 |website=]}}</ref><ref name="time.com">{{cite magazine |url = https://time.com/5518947/donald-trump-intelligence-briefings-national-security/ |date = February 5, 2019 |first = John |last = Walcott |access-date = November 7, 2021 |title = 'Willful Ignorance'. Inside President Trump's Troubled Intel Briefings |magazine = Time |archive-date = October 27, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211027091400/https://time.com/5518947/donald-trump-intelligence-briefings-national-security/ |url-status = live }}</ref> He was also known to acquire information by watching up to eight hours of television each day, most notably ] programs such as '']'' and '']'', whose broadcast talking points Trump sometimes repeated in public statements, particularly in early morning tweets.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Inside Trump's Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|first2=Glenn|last2=Thrush|first3=Peter|last3=Baker|newspaper=]|date=December 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/04/22/media/president-trump-fox-news/index.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Watch President Trump repeat Fox News talking points|first=Jackie|last=Wattles|date=April 22, 2018|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/05/trump-media-feedback-loop-216248/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=January 5, 2018 |title=I've Studied the Trump-Fox Feedback Loop for Months. It's Crazier Than You Think.|first=Matthew |last=Gertz |website=]}}</ref> Trump reportedly expressed anger if intelligence analyses contradicted his beliefs or public statements, with two briefers stating they had been instructed by superiors to not provide Trump with information that contradicted his public statements.<ref name="time.com" />
| Secretary of State
| Fired
| March 13, 2018'''
|
|''Trump fires chief diplomat Tillerson after clashes, taps Pompeo''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Holland|first1=Steve|last2=Rampton|first2=Roberta|title=Trump fires top diplomat Tillerson after clashes, taps Pompeo|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-tillerson/trump-fires-chief-diplomat-tillerson-after-clashes-taps-pompeo-idUSKCN1GP1NJ|work=Reuters|date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
Trump had reportedly fostered chaos as a management technique, resulting in low morale and policy confusion among his staff.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/us/politics/trump-chaos-oval-office.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump's Chaos Theory for the Oval Office Is Taking Its Toll|first1=Mark|last1=Landler|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman |date=March 1, 2018 |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/business-professors-discuss-donald-trumps-chaotic-management-style.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Business professors discuss Donald Trump's chaotic management style|first=Ruth|last=Umoh|date=March 13, 2018 |work=]}}</ref> Trump proved unable to effectively compromise during the ], which led to significant governmental ] and few notable legislative accomplishments despite Republican control of both houses of Congress.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal|| last=Binder| first=Sarah| date=2018| title=Dodging the Rules in Trump's Republican Congress| journal=The Journal of Politics| volume=80| issue=4| pages=1454–1463| doi=10.1086/699334| s2cid=158183066| issn=0022-3816}}</ref> Presidential historian ] found Trump lacked several traits of an effective leader, including "humility, acknowledging errors, shouldering blame and learning from mistakes, empathy, resilience, collaboration, connecting with people and controlling unproductive emotions."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/business/trump-staff-turnover-leadership.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Why Trump's Unusual Leadership Style Isn't Working in the White House|first=James B.|last=Stewart|date=January 10, 2019|newspaper=]}}</ref>
|-
| ''']'''
| Personal Aide to President Trump
| Fired
| March 13, 2018
|
| ''Longtime Trump aide fired over security clearance issue''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kaitlan Collins, Jeremy Diamond and Jeff Zeleny|title=Longtime Trump aide fired over financial crime investigation|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/13/politics/john-mcentee-white-house-security-clearance/index.html|accessdate=March 13, 2018|work=CNN|date=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
In January 2018, '']'' reported Trump's working hours were typically around 11:00{{spaces}}a.m. to 6:00{{spaces}}p.m. (a later start and an earlier end compared to the beginning of his presidency) and that he was holding fewer meetings during his working hours in order to accommodate Trump's desire for more unstructured free time (labelled as "executive time").<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Swan|first=Jonathan|title= Trump's secret, shrinking schedule|url=https://www.axios.com/scoop-trumps-secret-shrinking-schedule-1515364904-ab76374a-6252-4570-a804-942b3f851840.html |date=January 7, 2018 |work=] |access-date=February 12, 2019}}</ref> In 2019, ''Axios'' published Trump's schedule from November 7, 2018, to February 1, 2019, and calculated that around sixty percent of the time between 8:00{{spaces}}a.m. and 5:00{{spaces}}p.m. was "executive time."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.axios.com/donald-trump-private-schedules-leak-executive-time-34e67fbb-3af6-48df-aefb-52e02c334255.html| title= Insider leaks Trump's "Executive Time"-filled private schedules|last1=McCammond|first1=Alexi|last2=Swan|first2=Jonathan|date=February 3, 2019|work=]|access-date=February 5, 2019}}</ref>
|-
| '''James Schawb '''
| Spokesperson for ICE
| Resigned
| December 3, 2018
|
| ''ICE spokesman resigns, citing fabrications by agency chief, Sessions about Calif. immigrant arrests''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/13/ice-spokesman-resigns-over-false-statements-by-top-officials-about-calif-immigrant-arrests/|title=ICE spokesman resigns, citing fabrications by agency chief, Sessions about Calif. immigrant arrests|first1=Meagan|last1=Flynn|first2=Avi|last2=Selk|date=March 13, 2018|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
=== False and misleading statements ===
|-
{{Main|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump}}
| ''']'''
{{ multiple image | total_width=320
| Top Economic Advisor
|image1= 2017- Donald Trump veracity - composite graph.png |caption1= ] from '']''<ref name=WashPostDatabase>{{cite news |author1=Fact Checker |title=In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/ |newspaper=] |date=January 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120194744/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/ |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> (orange), the '']''<ref name="TorontoStar_20190605">{{cite news|last1=Dale|first1=Daniel|author-link=Daniel Dale|date=June 5, 2019|title=Donald Trump has now said more than 5,000 false things as president|work=]|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2019/06/05/donald-trump-has-now-said-more-than-5000-false-claims-as-president.html|url-status=live|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003215457/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2019/06/05/donald-trump-has-now-said-more-than-5000-false-claims-as-president.html|archive-date=October 3, 2019}}</ref> and ]<ref name=Dale_20200309>{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Daniel |title=Trump is averaging about 59 false claims per week since ... July 8, 2019. |url=https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1237083913496989702 |agency=]|date=March 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309184231/https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1237083913496989702 |archive-date=March 9, 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=April 16, 2020 }} ()</ref><ref name="Dale_Subramaniam_3/9/2020">{{cite web | last1=Dale | first1=Daniel | last2=Subramaniam | first2=Tara | title=Donald Trump made 115 false claims in the last two weeks of February | website=] | date=March 9, 2020 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-february/index.html | access-date=August 3, 2021 | archive-date=August 3, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803235929/https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics/fact-check-trump-false-claims-february/index.html | url-status=live }}</ref> (blue) compiled data on "false or misleading claims", and "false claims", respectively. The peaks corresponded in late 2018 to ], in late 2019 to his ], and in late 2020 to the presidential election. The ''Post'' reported 30,573 false or misleading claims in four years,<ref name=WashPostDatabase/> an average of more than 20.9 per day.
| Resigned
}}
| July 3, 2018
The number and scale of Trump's statements in public speeches, remarks, and ] identified as false by scholars, fact-checkers, and commentators were characterized as unprecedented for an American president,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||first=Carole|last=McGranahan|url=https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/amet.12475|title=An anthropology of lying: Trump and the political sociality of moral outrage|journal=]|volume=44|issue=2|date=April 2017|pages=243–248|doi=10.1111/amet.12475|quote=Donald Trump is different. By all metrics and counting schemes, his lies are off the charts. We simply have not seen such an accomplished and effective liar before in U.S. politics.{{spaces}}... Stretching the truth and exaggerating is a key part of Trump's repertoire.|access-date=June 13, 2020|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126005215/https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/amet.12475|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 11, 2021 |first=Grace |last=Segers |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-post-fact-checker-talks-trumps-false-statements/|title=Washington Post fact checker talks about Trump and the truth |work=] |date=June 12, 2020|quote=Glenn Kessler, the chief writer for the "Fact Checker" feature of ''The Washington Post'', says that 'every president lies,' but President Trump is unique in the sheer scale and number of his falsehoods.{{spaces}}... 'What is unique about Trump is that he misleads and says false things and lies about just about everything on a regular basis.'}}</ref> and even unprecedented in U.S. politics.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Stolberg|first=Sheryl Gay|date=August 7, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/07/us/politics/lies-trump-obama-mislead.html|title=Many Politicians Lie. But Trump Has Elevated the Art of Fabrication|work=]|access-date=March 11, 2019|quote=President Trump, historians and consultants in both political parties agree, appears to have taken what the writer Hannah Arendt once called 'the conflict between truth and politics' to an entirely new level.}}</ref> '']'' called falsehoods a distinctive part of his political identity,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trumps-escalating-war-on-the-truth-is-on-purpose| title=It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose| magazine=]| date=August 3, 2018| access-date=January 10, 2019| first=Susan| last=Glasser| quote=for the President's unprecedented record of untruths{{spaces}}... the previous gold standard in Presidential lying was, of course, Richard Nixon{{spaces}}... the falsehoods are as much a part of his political identity as his floppy orange hair and the "Make America Great Again" slogan.}}</ref> and they have also been described by Republican political advisor ] as a ] tactic.<ref>{{cite book |last = Carpenter |first = Amanda |author-link = Amanda Carpenter |title = Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=wPKmtAEACAAJ |publisher = ] |access-date = March 2, 2019 |isbn = 978-0-06-274801-0 |date = April 30, 2019}}</ref> His White House had dismissed the idea of ],<ref>{{cite book |last = Kakutani |first = Michiko |author-link = Michiko Kakutani |title = The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vlw_DwAAQBAJ |publisher = ] |access-date = March 2, 2019 |isbn = 978-0-525-57484-2 |date = July 17, 2018}}</ref> and his campaign and presidency have been described as being "]",<ref>{{cite book |last = Kellner |first = Douglas |author-link = Douglas Kellner |title = Post-Truth, Fake News |pages = 89–100 |chapter = Donald Trump and the Politics of Lying |doi = 10.1007/978-981-10-8013-5_7 |year = 2018 |isbn = 978-981-10-8012-8}}</ref> as well as hyper-].<ref>{{cite book |last = Peters |first = Michael A. |author-link = Michael Adrian Peters |title = Post-Truth, Fake News |pages = 145–150 |chapter = Education in a Post-truth World |doi = 10.1007/978-981-10-8013-5_12 |url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323242136 |year = 2018 |isbn = 978-981-10-8012-8 |s2cid = 152030865 |access-date = November 8, 2021 |archive-date = November 10, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211110172459/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323242136_Education_in_a_Post-truth_World |url-status = live }}</ref> Trump's rhetorical signature included disregarding data from federal institutions that was incompatible to his arguments; quoting hearsay, anecdotal evidence, and questionable claims in partisan media; denying reality (including his own statements); and distracting when falsehoods were exposed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Jamieson|first1=Kathleen Hall|last2=Taussig|first2=Doron|title=Disruption, Demonization, Deliverance, and Norm Destruction: The Rhetorical Signature of Donald J. Trump|journal=]|date=2017|volume=132|issue=4|pages=619–650|url=https://go.galegroup.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA523610257&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00323195&p=AONE&sw=w|access-date=March 2, 2019|doi=10.1002/polq.12699 |s2cid=158646001}}</ref>
|
| ''Top economic adviser Gary Cohn leaves White House in wake of tariff rift''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/06/politics/gary-cohn-white-house-tariffs/index.html|title=Top economic adviser Gary Cohn leaves White House in wake of tariff rift|first=Jeremy Diamond,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
During the first year of Trump's presidency, '']''{{'s}} ] team wrote that Trump was "the most fact-challenged politician" it had "ever encountered{{spaces}}... the pace and volume of the president's misstatements means that we cannot possibly keep up."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Ye|first1=Hee Lee Michelle|last2=Kessler|first2=Glenn|last3=Kelly|first3=Meg|title=President Trump has made 1,318 false or misleading claims over 263 days|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/10/10/president-trump-has-made-1318-false-or-misleading-claims-over-263-days/ |date=October 10, 2017 |newspaper=]|access-date=November 5, 2017}}</ref> The Post found that as president, Trump made more than 30,000 false or misleading claims, increasing from an average of six a day in his first year as president to 39 claims a day in his final year.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 24, 2021 |title=Trump's false or misleading claims total 30,573 over 4 years |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-false-or-misleading-claims-total-30573-over-four-years/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 6, 2024 |archive-date=April 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409180445/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-false-or-misleading-claims-total-30573-over-four-years/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The most common false or misleading claims by Trump involved the economy and jobs, his border wall proposal, and his tax legislation; he had also made false statements regarding prior administrations,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/14/president-trump-made-18000-false-or-misleading-claims-1170-days/|access-date=November 11, 2021|title=President Trump made 18,000 false or misleading claims in 1,170 days|newspaper=]|date=December 16, 2019|first1=Glenn|last1=Kessler|first2=Salvador|last2=Rizzo|first3=Meg|last3=Kelly}}</ref> as well as other topics, including crime, terrorism, immigration, Russia and the Mueller probe, the ], immigration, and the ].<ref name="WashPostDatabase"/> Senior administration officials had also regularly given false, misleading, or tortured statements to the news media,<ref name="Dawsey-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/15/trump-russia-trust-problem-238422 |first=Josh |last=Dawsey |date=May 15, 2017 |title=Trump's trust problem|work=]|access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Tsipursky|first=Gleb|title=Towards a post-lies future: fighting "alternative facts" and "post-truth" politics|url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/b72eb456caa5be84ac308a52020ee357/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=35529 |date=March 2017|work=]|access-date=March 2, 2019}}</ref> which made it difficult for the news media to take official statements seriously.<ref name="Dawsey-2017"/>
|-
| ''']'''
| White House Communications Director
| Resigned
| February 27, 2018
|
| ''Hope Hicks, one of Trump's closest confidants and longest-tenured aide, is resigning''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Allan|title=Hope Hicks, one of Trump's closest confidants and longest-tenured aide, is resigning|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/hope-hicks-trump-aide-is-resigning-2018-2|accessdate=March 13, 2018|work=Business Insider|date=February 28, 2018}}</ref>
=== Rule of law ===
|-
Shortly before Trump secured the 2016 Republican nomination, '']'' reported "legal experts across the political spectrum say" Trump's rhetoric reflected "a constitutional worldview that shows contempt for the ], the ], and the ]," adding "many conservative and libertarian legal scholars warn that electing Mr. Trump is a recipe for a ]."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/04/us/politics/donald-trump-constitution-power.html |first=Adam |last=Liptak |date=June 4, 2016 |title=Donald Trump Could Threaten U.S. Rule of Law, Scholars Say|newspaper=]|access-date=November 18, 2018}}</ref> Political scientists warned that candidate Trump's rhetoric and actions mimicked those of other politicians who ultimately turned ] once in office.<ref>{{cite book |access-date = November 10, 2021 |last = Levitsky |first = Steven |title = How democracies die |date = January 16, 2018 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iF3ODgAAQBAJ&pg=PA61 |pages = 61–67 |publisher = Crown |isbn = 978-0-525-58795-8 |oclc = 1019872575}}</ref> Some scholars have concluded that during Trump's tenure as president and largely due to his actions and rhetoric, the U.S. has experienced ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Lieberman |first1=Robert C. |last2=Mettler |first2=Suzanne |last3=Pepinsky |first3=Thomas B. |last4=Roberts |first4=Kenneth M. |last5=Valelly |first5=Richard |title=The Trump Presidency and American Democracy: A Historical and Comparative Analysis |journal=Perspectives on Politics |date=October 29, 2018 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=470–479 |doi=10.1017/S1537592718003286 |issn=1537-5927 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Kaufman |first1=Robert R. |last2=Haggard |first2=Stephan |title=Democratic Decline in the United States: What Can We Learn from Middle-Income Backsliding? |journal=Perspectives on Politics |date=October 29, 2018 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=417–432 |doi=10.1017/s1537592718003377 |issn=1537-5927 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Many prominent Republicans have expressed similar concerns that Trump's perceived disregard for the rule of law betrayed conservative principles.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nhpr.org/all-things-considered/2018-05-23/bill-kristol-really-wants-someone-to-challenge-trump |title=Bill Kristol Really Wants Someone to Challenge Trump|first=Peter|last=Biello|date=May 23, 2018|publisher=NHPR|access-date=November 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/opinion/republicans-midterms-trump.html |date=June 25, 2018 |first=David |last=Leonhardt |title=Opinion – Republicans Against Trump|newspaper=]|access-date=November 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Just in time: A new Republican group seeks to protect Mueller |newspaper=] |date=April 11, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/04/11/just-in-time-a-new-republican-group-seeks-to-protect-mueller/ |first=Jennifer |last=Rubin |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Conservative Lawyers Say Trump Has Undermined the Rule of Law |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/14/us/politics/conservative-lawyers-trump.html |first=Adam |last=Liptak |access-date=November 18, 2018 |date=November 14, 2018}}</ref>
| '''Josh Raffel '''
| Spokesperson for Jared and Ivanka Trump
| Resigned
| February 27, 2018
|
| ''Top White House aide linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner is leaving''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/27/politics/josh-raffel-white-house-ivanka-trump-jared-kushner/index.html|title=Top White House aide linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner is leaving|first=Jeremy Diamond,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
During the first two years of his presidency, Trump repeatedly sought to influence the ] to investigate Clinton,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1345/appoint-special-prosecutor-investigate-hillary-cli/ |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=No special counsel was ever appointed to investigate Hillary Clinton |work=PolitiFact |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |date=July 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/03/trump-doj-investigate-hillary-clinton-244505 |title=Trump ratchets up call for DOJ to investigate Hillary Clinton |first=Louis |last=Nelson |website=] |date=November 3, 2017}}</ref> the ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/358576-trump-calls-on-fbi-to-investigate-dems-after-revelations-about/|first1=Jordan|last1=Fabian|first2=Avery|last2=Anapol|title=Trump calls on FBI to investigate Clinton-DNC deal|work=The Hill|date=November 3, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2022}}</ref> and Comey.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-foes-james-comey-andrew-mccabe-reportedly-subjected-rare-rigorou-rcna37024|title=IRS asks for review of audits into Trump foes James Comey and Andrew McCabe|date=July 7, 2022|first1=Zoë|last1=Richards|first2=Dareh|last2=Gregorian|work=NBC News|access-date=September 19, 2022}}</ref> He persistently repeated a variety of allegations, at least some of which had already been investigated or debunked.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/03/trump-doj-investigate-hillary-clinton-244505 |first=Louis |last=Nelson |title=Trump ratchets up call for DOJ to investigate Hillary Clinton |work=] |access-date=November 21, 2018 |date=November 3, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/20/politics/donald-trump-justice-department-campaign/index.html|title=Trump demands Justice Department examine whether it or FBI spied on campaign |first1=Maegan |last1=Vazquez |first2=Laura |last2=Jarrett |first3=Dana |last3=Bash |date=May 20, 2018 |work=]|access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> In spring 2018, Trump told White House counsel ] he wanted to order the Department of Justice to prosecute Clinton and Comey, but McGahn advised Trump such action would constitute abuse of power and invite possible ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/us/politics/president-trump-justice-department.html |date=November 20, 2018 |first1=Michael S. |last1=Schmidt |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |title=Trump Wanted to Order Justice Dept. to Prosecute Comey and Clinton |newspaper=] |access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> In May 2018, Trump demanded that the Department of Justice investigate "whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes," which the Department of Justice referred to its ].<ref name="nytimes.com2">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/us/politics/trump-mueller.html |date=May 20, 2018 |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last1=Davis |first2=Adam |last2=Goldman |title=Trump Demands Inquiry Into Whether Justice Dept. 'Infiltrated or Surveilled' His Campaign|newspaper=]|access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> Although it is not unlawful for a president to exert influence on the Department of Justice to open an investigation, presidents have assiduously avoided doing so to prevent perceptions of political interference.<ref name="nytimes.com2" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-north-america-ap-top-news-impeachments-060ca2399a744b4a9554dbd2ec276a90 |title=Trump Wanted to Prosecute Comey, Hillary Clinton|work=] |date=November 21, 2018 |first=Zeke |last=Miller |access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| '''David Sorensen '''
| White House Speechwriter
| Resigned
| November 2, 2018
|
| ''Second WH official resigns over domestic abuse allegations''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/09/politics/david-sorensen-white-house-resign-domestic-abuse-allegation/index.html|title=Second WH official resigns over domestic abuse allegations|first=Kaitlan Collins and Sophie Tatum,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
Sessions resisted several demands by Trump and his allies for investigations of political opponents, causing Trump to repeatedly express frustration, saying at one point, "I don't have an attorney general."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/2018/09/19/649475687/trump-again-slams-jeff-sessions-i-don-t-have-an-attorney-general|title=Trump Again Slams Jeff Sessions: 'I Don't Have An Attorney General'|newspaper=]|date=September 19, 2018|access-date=November 21, 2018|last1=Seipel|first1=Arnie}}</ref> While criticizing the special counsel investigation in July 2019, Trump falsely claimed that ] ensures that "I have to the right to do whatever I want as president."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Brice-Saddler|first=Michael|date=July 23, 2019|title=While bemoaning Mueller probe, Trump falsely says the Constitution gives him 'the right to do whatever I want'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/23/trump-falsely-tells-auditorium-full-teens-constitution-gives-him-right-do-whatever-i-want/|access-date=July 24, 2019|newspaper=]}}</ref> Trump had on multiple occasions either suggested or promoted views of extending his presidency beyond normal term limits.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Corbett|first=Erin|title=Trump Keeps Alluding to Extending His Presidency. Does He Mean It? |date=May 6, 2019 |url=https://fortune.com/2019/05/06/donald-trump-presidential-term-limit/|access-date=June 17, 2019|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Wu|first=Nicholas|title=Trump says supporters could 'demand' he not leave office after two terms|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/16/trump-says-supporters-could-demand-he-not-leave-after-two-terms/1471915001/ |date=June 16, 2019 |access-date=June 17, 2019|website=]}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| Justice Department Official
| Resigned
| October 2, 2018
|
| ''Rachel Brand, 3rd ranking official at Justice Dept., is stepping down''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/09/politics/rachel-brand-resigns/index.html|title=Rachel Brand to resign from Justice Dept.|first=Ariane de Vogue, Sophie Tatum, Laura Jarrett and Evan Perez,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
Trump frequently criticized the independence of the judiciary for unfairly interfering in his administration's ability to decide policy.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Coyle|first=Marcia|date=February 25, 2020|title='Ridiculous and Unhelpful': Commentary on Trump's Bashing of SCOTUS|work=]|url=https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2020/02/25/ridiculous-and-unhelpful-commentary-on-trumps-bashing-of-scotus/?slreturn=20200125193933|access-date=February 26, 2020}}</ref> In November 2018, in an extraordinary rebuke of a sitting president, Roberts criticized Trump's characterization of a judge who had ruled against his policies as an "Obama judge", adding "That's not law."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/us/politics/trump-appeals-court-ninth-circuit.html |first=Adam |last=Liptak |date=November 20, 2018 |title=Trump Takes Aim at Appeals Court, Calling It a 'Disgrace'|newspaper=]|access-date=November 21, 2018}}</ref> In October 2020, twenty Republican former ], among them appointees by each Republican president since Eisenhower, characterized Trump as "a threat to the rule of law in our country." ], who worked in the Trump administration, asserted, "It's clear that President Trump views the Justice Department and the FBI as his own personal law firm and investigative agency."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Hamburger |first1=Tom |last2=Barrett |first2=Devlin |title=Former U.S. attorneys – all Republicans – back Biden, saying Trump threatens 'the rule of law' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republican-us-attorneys-back-biden/2020/10/27/c1b55702-17fd-11eb-befb-8864259bd2d8_story.html |access-date=November 10, 2021 |newspaper=] |date=October 27, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| White House Aide
| Resigned
| July 2, 2018
| 385
| ''White House aide denies abuse allegations but resigns''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/07/politics/rob-porter-white-house-resignation/index.html|title=White House aide denies abuse allegations but resigns|first=Kevin Liptak, Betsy Klein and Kaitlan Collins,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
=== Relationship with the news media ===
|-
] (the NASA Transition Authorization Act).]]
| '''] '''
]
| CDC Director
| Resigned
| January 31, 2018
|
| ''CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald resigns''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/31/health/cdc-director-fitzgerald-resigns-bn/index.html|title=CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald resigns|first=Debra Goldschmidt and Ben Tinker,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
Early into his presidency, Trump developed a highly contentious relationship with the news media, repeatedly referring to them as the "] media" and "the ]."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Bondarenko|first=Veronika|title=Trump keeps saying 'enemy of the people' – but the phrase has a very ugly history|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-president-trumps-phrase-an-enemy-of-the-people-2017-2 |date=February 27, 2017 |website=Business Insider|access-date=October 25, 2017}}</ref> As a candidate, Trump had refused press credentials for offending publications but said he would not do so if elected.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/06/14/media/donald-trump-press-credentials-access/index.html|title=Donald Trump: I won't kick reporters out of White House press briefing room|last=Stelter|first=Brian|work=] |date=June 14, 2016|access-date=December 28, 2019}}</ref> Trump both privately and publicly mused about taking away critical reporters' ].<ref name="Stelter-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/09/media/president-trump-press-credentials/index.html |date=May 9, 2018 |title=Trump's latest shot at the press corps: 'Take away credentials?' |first1=Brian |last1=Stelter |first2=Kaitlan |last2=Collins |work=] |access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref> At the same time, the Trump White House gave temporary press passes to far-right ] fringe outlets, such as '']'' and '']'', which are known for publishing hoaxes and ].<ref name="Stelter-2018" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.businessinsider.com/infowars-granted-white-house-press-credentials-2017-5 |first=Maxwell |last=Tani |date=May 22, 2017 |title=Conspiracy outlet InfoWars was granted temporary White House press credentials|work=Business Insider|access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news|| last=Grynbaum| first=Michael M.| title=White House Grants Press Credentials to a Pro-Trump Blog| website=]| date=February 13, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/business/the-gateway-pundit-trump.html| access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| '''Taylor Weyeneth '''
| White House Drug Office Policy Official
| Resigned
| January 25, 2018
| 340
| ''Former Trump campaign aide leaving drug office after questions about credentials''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/25/politics/taylor-weyeneth-drug-office/index.html|title=Former Trump campaign aide leaving drug office after questions about credentials|first=Dan Merica,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
On his first day in office, Trump falsely accused journalists of understating the size of the crowd at his inauguration and called the news media "among the most dishonest human beings on earth." Trump's claims were notably defended by Press Secretary ], who claimed the inauguration crowd had been the biggest in history, a claim disproven by photographs.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/trump-white-house-briefing-inauguration-crowd-size.html|title=With False Claims, Trump Attacks Media on Turnout and Intelligence Rift|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|last1=Davis|first2=Matthew|last2=Rosenberg|date=January 21, 2017|access-date=April 30, 2017|newspaper=]}}</ref> Trump's senior adviser ] then defended Spicer when asked about the falsehood, saying it was an "]", not a falsehood.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Jaffe|first=Alexandra|title=Kellyanne Conway: WH Spokesman Gave 'Alternative Facts' on Inauguration Crowd|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/wh-spokesman-gave-alternative-facts-inauguration-crowd-n710466 |date=January 22, 2017 |access-date=January 22, 2017|work=]}}</ref>
|-
| '''Rick Dearborn '''
| White House Deputy Chief of Staff
| Resigned
| December 21, 2017
| 383
| ''White House Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Dearborn is resigning''<ref>{{dead link|date=May 2018}}</ref>
The administration frequently sought to punish and block access for reporters who broke stories about the administration.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/us/politics/white-house-sean-spicer-briefing.html|title=White House Bars Times and 2 Other News Outlets From Briefing|last=Grynbaum|first=Michael M.|date=February 24, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=February 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/reporters-blocked-white-house-gaggle-235360 |title=White House selectively blocks media outlets from briefing with Spicer|last=Gold|first=Hadas|date=February 24, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=February 24, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Michael M.|last=Grynbaum|date=November 13, 2018|title=CNN Sues Trump Administration for Barring Jim Acosta From White House|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/business/media/cnn-jim-acosta-trump-lawsuit.html |access-date=November 11, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Farhi|first=Paul|date=April 30, 2020|title=Pence staff threatens action against reporter who tweeted about visit to clinic without surgical mask|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/pence-staff-threatens-action-against-reporter-who-tweeted-about-visit-to-clinic-without-surgical-mask/2020/04/30/27c63056-8b0a-11ea-9dfd-990f9dcc71fc_story.html |access-date=May 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501001915/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/pence-staff-threatens-action-against-reporter-who-tweeted-about-visit-to-clinic-without-surgical-mask/2020/04/30/27c63056-8b0a-11ea-9dfd-990f9dcc71fc_story.html |archive-date=May 1, 2020}}</ref> Trump frequently criticized right-wing media outlet Fox News for being insufficiently supportive of him,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=August 28, 2019|title=Trump Blasts Fox News: We Have to Start Looking for a New News Outlet|work=]|url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/trump-blast-fox-news-we-have-to-start-looking-for-a-new-news-outlet-1.7764396|access-date=September 18, 2019}}</ref> threatening to lend his support for alternatives to Fox News on the right.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Bowden|first=John|date=April 26, 2020|title=Trump blasts Fox News, says he wants 'an alternative'|work=]|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/494745-trump-blasts-fox-news-says-he-wants-an-alternative|access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref> On August 16, 2018, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution affirming that "the press is not the enemy of the people."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Senate adopts resolution declaring "the press is not the enemy of the people"|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-unanimously-passes-resolution-declaring-the-press-is-not-the-enemy-of-the-people/ |first=Kathryn |last=Watson |date=August 16, 2018 |access-date=August 16, 2018|work=]}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| Chief of External Affairs, CNCS
| Resigned
| November 19, 2018
|153
| ''Trump appointee Carl Higbie resigns as public face of agency that runs AmeriCorps after KFile review of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments on the radio''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/18/politics/kfile-carl-higbie-on-the-radio/index.html|title=Trump appointee resigns as public face of agency that runs AmeriCorps after KFile review of racist, sexist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT comments on the radio|first=Andrew Kaczynski,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
The relationship between Trump, the news media, and fake news has been studied. One study found that between October{{spaces}}7 and November 14, 2016, while one in four Americans visited a ], "Trump supporters visited the most fake news websites, which were overwhelmingly pro-Trump" and "almost 6{{spaces}}in 10 visits to fake news websites came from the 10% of people with the most conservative online information diets."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Guess|first1=Andrew|last2=Nyhan|first2=Brendan|last3=Reifler|first3=Jason|date=January 9, 2018|title=Selective Exposure to Misinformation: Evidence from the consumption of fake news during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign|website=Dartmouth.edu|url=https://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/fake-news-2016.pdf|access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||first1=H.|last1=Allcott|first2=M.|last2=Gentzkow|year=2017|title=Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 election|journal=Journal of Economic Perspectives|volume=31|number=2|pages=211–236|access-date=May 3, 2017|url=https://web.stanford.edu/~gentzkow/research/fakenews.pdf|doi=10.1257/jep.31.2.211|s2cid=32730475}}</ref> ], one of the authors of the study, said in an interview, "People got vastly more misinformation from Donald Trump than they did from fake news websites."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Sarlin|first=Benjy|title='Fake news' went viral in 2016. This professor studied who clicked.|website=]|date=January 14, 2018|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/fake-news-went-viral-2016-expert-studied-who-clicked-n836581|access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref>
|-
]ian president ] use the term "fake news."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump says he's 'very proud' to hear Bolsonaro use the term 'fake news'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/434762-trump-says-hes-very-proud-to-hear-bolsonaro-use-the-term-fake-news |first=Brett |last=Samuels |access-date=November 7, 2021 |work=]|date=March 19, 2019}}</ref>]]
| '''] '''
| White House Aide
| Resigned/Fired <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/omarosa-manigault-newman-resign-trump-administration-article-1.3695668|title=Omarosa throws tantrum, is escorted from White House after firing|website=nydailynews.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
| December 13, 2017
| 364
| ''Omarosa Is Leaving Her White House Role''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/omarosa-leaving-her-white-house-153456718.html|title=Omarosa Is Leaving Her White House Role|website=yahoo.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
In October 2018, Trump praised U.S. representative ] for assaulting political reporter ] in 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/us/politics/trump-greg-gianforte-montana.html|title='That's My Kind of Guy,' Trump Says of Republican Lawmaker Who Body-Slammed a Reporter|last=Cochrane|first=Emily|date=October 19, 2018|work=]|access-date=October 20, 2018}}</ref> According to analysts, the incident marked the first time the president has "openly and directly praised a violent act against a journalist on American soil."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/18/trump-greg-gianforte-assault-guardian-ben-jacobs|title=Trump praises Gianforte for assault on Guardian reporter: 'He's my guy'|last=Pilkington|first=Ed|date=October 19, 2018|website=]|access-date=October 19, 2018}}</ref> Later that month, as ], Trump initially condemned the bomb attempts but shortly thereafter blamed the "Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News" for causing "a very big part of the anger we see today in our society."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/25/politics/trump-blames-media-for-anger-after-attacks/index.html |date=October 25, 2018 |title=Trump claims media to blame for 'anger' after bombs sent to CNN, Dems |first1=Veronica |last1=Stracqualursi |first2=Liz |last2=Stark |work=] |access-date=October 25, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| Deputy National Security Adviser
| Resigned
| August 12, 2017
| 304
| ''Dina Powell, deputy national security adviser, to depart Trump White House''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dina-powell-deputy-national-security-adviser-to-depart-trump-white-house/2017/12/08/85d8c9ea-dc31-11e7-a841-2066faf731ef_story.html|title=Dina Powell, deputy national security adviser, to depart Trump White House|first1=Philip|last1=Rucker|first2=Josh|last2=Dawsey|date=December 8, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
The Trump Justice Department obtained by court order the 2017 ]s or email ] of reporters from CNN, ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', ], and ''Politico'' as part of investigations into leaks of classified information.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/02/politics/trump-administration-phone-records-reporters-new-york-times/index.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=June 3, 2021 |title=New York Times reports Trump administration secretly obtained its reporters' phone records|first=Paul |last=LeBlanc |website=]}}</ref>
|-
| ''']'''
| HHS Secretary
| Resigned
| September 29, 2017
| 232
| ''HHS Secretary Tom Price resigns amid criticism for taking charter flights at taxpayer expense''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/09/29/trump-to-decide-friday-night-whether-to-fire-hhs-secretary-price/|title=HHS Secretary Tom Price resigns amid criticism for taking charter flights at taxpayer expense|first1=Juliet|last1=Eilperin|first2=Amy|last2=Goldstein|first3=John|last3=Wagner|date=September 29, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
=== Twitter ===
|-
{{Main|Donald Trump on social media|Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign#Use of Twitter}}
| ''']'''
{{See also|List of nicknames used by Donald Trump}}
| Director of Oval Office Operations
| Resigned
| September 20, 2017
| 244
| ''Longtime Trump aide Keith Schiller tells people he intends to leave White House''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dana Bash, Noah Gray and Jeremy Diamond|title=Longtime Trump aide Keith Schiller tells people he intends to leave White House|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/01/politics/keith-schiller-donald-trump/index.html|accessdate=March 15, 2018|work=CNN|date=September 1, 2017}}</ref>
Trump continued his use of ] following the presidential campaign. He continued to personally tweet from ], his personal account, while his staff tweet on his behalf using the official ] account. His use of Twitter was unconventional for a president, with his tweets initiating controversy and becoming news in their own right.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Andrew|last=Buncombe|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-twitter-tweets-no-regrets-interview-financial-times-a7664641.html|title=Donald Trump does not regret sending any of his tweets|date=April 3, 2017|newspaper=] |access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref> Some scholars have referred to his time in office as the "first true Twitter presidency."<ref>{{Cite book |url = https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315447049 |title = Presidential Communication and Character |last = Farnsworth |first = Stephen J. |publisher = Routledge |year = 2018 |doi = 10.4324/9781315447049 |isbn = 978-1-315-44704-9 |access-date = July 23, 2019 |archive-date = August 6, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200806133630/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315447049 |url-status = live }}</ref> The Trump administration described Trump's tweets as "official statements by the President of the United States."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Elizabeth|last=Landers|title=Spicer: Tweets are Trump's official statements |access-date=November 11, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/index.html|work=]|date=June 6, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720220333/http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/index.html|archive-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref> The federal judge ] ruled in 2018 that Trump's blocking of other Twitter users due to opposing political views violated the First Amendment and he must unblock them.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-twitter/trump-unblocks-more-twitter-users-after-u-s-court-ruling-idUSKCN1LE08Q |access-date=November 11, 2021 |work=]|title=Trump unblocks more Twitter users after U.S. court ruling|date=August 29, 2018|first=David|last=Shepardson}}</ref> The ruling was upheld on appeal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Charlie|last=Savage|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-twitter-first-amendment.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |newspaper=]|title=Trump Can't Block Critics From His Twitter Account, Appeals Court Rules|date=July 9, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Katelyn |last=Polantz |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/23/politics/trump-twitter-block/index.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Appeals court won't revisit ruling saying Trump can't block Twitter users |work=] |date=March 23, 2020}}</ref>
|-
]
| '''] '''
| White House Counterterrorism Adviser
| Resigned<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/348063-gorka-resigns-from-wh-report|title=Gorka leaves White House post|first=Julia|last=Manchester|date=August 25, 2017|website=thehill.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>/Fired <ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/us/politics/sebastian-gorka-leaves-white-house.html|title=Sebastian Gorka Is Forced Out as White House Adviser, Officials Say|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|first2=Matt|last2=Stevens|date=August 25, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
| August 25, 2017
| 211
| ''Sebastian Gorka Is Forced Out as White House Adviser, Officials Say''<ref name="nytimes.com"/>
His tweets have been reported as ill-considered, impulsive, vengeful, and ], often being made late at night or in the early hours of the morning.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last=Ott|first=Brian L.|date=January 1, 2017|title=The age of Twitter: Donald J. Trump and the politics of debasement |journal=Critical Studies in Media Communication|volume=34|issue=1|pages=59–68|doi=10.1080/15295036.2016.1266686 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15295036.2016.1266686 |s2cid=152133074|issn=1529-5036}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/us/politics/freedom-caucus-donald-trump.html|title='We Must Fight Them': Trump Goes After Conservatives of Freedom Caucus|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|author1-link=Glenn Thrush|last2=Martin|first2=Jonathan|date=March 30, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/30/15114408/trump-tweets-freedom-caucus-new-york-times |date=March 30, 2017 |title=Were those Trump tweets impulsive or strategic? The latest in a continuing series.|access-date=April 30, 2017 |work=]|last1=Prokop|first1=Andrew|last2=Beauchamp|first2=Zack}}</ref> His tweets about a Muslim ban were successfully turned against his administration to halt two versions of travel restrictions from some Muslim-majority countries.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.wired.com/2017/03/blocked-immigration-ban-proves-trumps-tweets-will-haunt-presidency/ |date=March 15, 2017 |title=A court just blocked Trump's second immigration ban, proving his tweets will haunt his presidency|first=Issie|last=Lapowsky|magazine=Wired|access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref> He has used Twitter to threaten and intimidate his political opponents and potential political allies needed to pass bills.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump Used Twitter to Praise and Blame Congress, Yet the Hill Agreed With Him Most of the Time|url=https://www.rollcall.com/2017/12/18/trump-used-twitter-to-praise-and-blame-congress-yet-the-hill-agreed-with-him-most-of-the-time/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |last=McMinn|first=Sean|date=December 18, 2017|website=Roll Call}}</ref> Many tweets appear to be based on stories Trump has seen in the media, including far-right news websites such as ] and television shows such as ''Fox & Friends''.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=June 4, 2018|title=A Trump tweet echoed RT and Breitbart criticisms of the FBI's Russia distraction|url=https://www.vox.com/world/2018/2/20/17029860/trump-rt-breitbart-fbi-russia |date=February 20, 2018 |first=Ricky |last=Zipp |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=June 4, 2018|title=Trump's Fox News Addiction Is Even Worse Than We Knew|url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a20681265/trump-fox-news-sean-hannity/ |first=Jack |last=Holmes |newspaper=Esquire|date=May 14, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| ''']'''
| Special Adviser to the President on Regulatory Reform
| Resigned
| August 18, 2017
| 209
| ''Billionaire Carl Icahn steps down as adviser to President Trump''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jackie Wattles|title=Billionaire Carl Icahn steps down as adviser to President Trump|url=http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/18/news/donald-trump-carl-icahn/index.html|accessdate=March 15, 2018|work=CNN|date=August 18, 2017}}</ref>
Trump used Twitter to attack ] who ruled against him in court cases<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Kristine |last=Phillips |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/04/26/all-the-times-trump-personally-attacked-judges-and-why-his-tirades-are-worse-than-wrong/ |title=All the times Trump personally attacked judges{{snd}}and why his tirades are 'worse than wrong' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103144335/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/04/26/all-the-times-trump-personally-attacked-judges-and-why-his-tirades-are-worse-than-wrong/ |archive-date=November 3, 2017 |newspaper=] |date=April 26, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=November 11, 2021}}</ref> and to criticize officials within his own administration, including then-] ], then-] ], ] ], and, at various times, Attorney General Jeff Sessions.<ref name="Lee-2016">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitter-insults.html|title=The 459 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List|last=Lee|first=Jasmine C.|date=2016|work=]|access-date=May 14, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Tillerson was eventually fired via a tweet by Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Singletary|first=Michelle|title=Trump dumped Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a tweet. What's the worst way you've been fired?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2018/03/15/trump-dumped-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-a-tweet-whats-the-worst-way-youve-been-fired/ |date=March 15, 2018 |newspaper=]|access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref> Trump also tweeted that his ] is part of the ];<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump again at war with 'deep state' Justice Department|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/president-donald-trump-deep-state/index.html |date=January 2, 2018 |first1=Stephen |last1=Collinson |first2=Jeremy |last2=Diamond |newspaper=]|access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref> that "there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & ]" ];<ref name="Lee-2016" /> and that the ] is a "]!"<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Griffiths|first=Brent|title=Trump slams Comey, mentions Mueller for first time in tweet|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/17/trump-james-comey-andrew-mccabe-fbi-469008 |date=March 17, 2018 |work=]|access-date=March 18, 2018}}</ref> In August 2018, Trump used Twitter to write that Attorney General Jeff Sessions "should stop" the special counsel investigation immediately; he also referred to it as "rigged" and its investigators as biased.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia/trump-says-attorney-general-should-stop-mueller-probe-right-now-idUSKBN1KM539| title=Trump says attorney general should stop Mueller probe 'right now'| work=]| date=August 1, 2018| access-date=August 1, 2018| first=Doina| last=Chiacu}}</ref>
|-
| ''']'''
| White House Chief Strategist
| Fired
| August 18, 2017
| 209
| ''Stephen Bannon Out at the White House After Turbulent Run''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Maggie Haberman, Michael D. Shear and Glenn Thrush|title=Stephen Bannon Out at the White House After Turbulent Run|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/18/us/politics/steve-bannon-trump-white-house.html|accessdate=March 15, 2018|work=New York Times|date=August 18, 2017}}</ref>
{{Tweet|name=Twitter Safety|username=TwitterSafety|date=January 8, 2021|text=After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.|ID=1347684877634838528 }} In February 2020, Trump tweeted criticism of the prosecutors' proposed sentence for Trump's former aide ]. A few hours later, the Justice Department replaced the prosecutors' proposed sentence with a lighter proposal. This gave the appearance of presidential interference in a criminal case and caused a strong negative reaction. All four of the original prosecutors withdrew from the case; more than a thousand former Department of Justice lawyers signed a letter condemning the action.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Benner|first=Katie|date=February 16, 2020|title=Former Justice Dept. Lawyers Press for Barr to Step Down|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/16/us/politics/barr-trump-justice-department.html|access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Wise|first=Justin|date=February 17, 2020|title=Judges' association calls emergency meeting in wake of Stone sentencing reversal|work=]|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/483398-judges-association-calls-emergency-meeting-in-wake-of-roger-stone|access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref> On July 10, Trump commuted the sentence of Stone days before he was due to report to prison.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Baker|first=Peter|title=In Commuting Stone's Sentence, Trump Goes Where Nixon Would Not|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/11/us/politics/trump-roger-stone-nixon.html|access-date=July 17, 2020|website=]|date=July 11, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| White House Communications Director
| Fired
| July 31, 2017
| 11
| ''Anthony Scaramucci removed as White House communications director''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/07/31/anthony-scaramucci-removed-as-white-house-communications-director/|title=Anthony Scaramucci removed as White House communications director|first1=Abby|last1=Phillip|first2=Damian|last2=Paletta|date=July 31, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
In response to the mid-2020 ], some of which resulted in looting,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Calamur|first1=Krishnadev|last2=Rascoe|first2=Ayesha|last3=Wise|first3=Alana|date=May 29, 2020|title=Trump Says He Spoke With Floyd's Family, Understands Hurt And Pain Of Community|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/29/864722348/twitter-hides-trumps-tweet-on-minneapolis-saying-it-glorifies-violence|access-date=January 9, 2021|website=]}}</ref> Trump tweeted on May 25 that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Not long after, Twitter restricted the tweet for violating the company's policy on promoting violence.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Porter|first=Jon|date=May 29, 2020|title=Twitter restricts new Trump tweet for 'glorifying violence'|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/29/21274323/trump-twitter-glorifying-violence-minneapolis-shooting-looting-notice-restriction|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=The Verge}}</ref> On May 28, Trump signed an executive order which sought to limit legal protections of social media companies.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Allyn|first=Bobby|date=May 28, 2020|title=Stung By Twitter, Trump Signs Executive Order To Weaken Social Media Companies|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/28/863932758/stung-by-twitter-trump-signs-executive-order-to-weaken-social-media-companies|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=]}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| White House Chief of Staff
| Fired
| July 28, 2017
| 188
| ''Reince Priebus Is Ousted Amid Stormy Days for White House''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/us/politics/reince-priebus-white-house-trump.html|title=Reince Priebus Is Ousted Amid Stormy Days for White House|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|date=July 28, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
On January 8, 2021, Twitter announced that they had permanently suspended Trump's personal account "due to the risk of further ] of violence" following the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=January 8, 2020|title=Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump|url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension.html|access-date=January 9, 2021|website=Twitter}}</ref> Trump announced in his final tweet before the suspension that he would not attend the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/tech/trump-twitter-ban/index.html|title=Twitter bans President Trump permanently|first=Brian|last=Fung|work=]|date=January 8, 2021|access-date=January 9, 2021}}</ref> Other social media platforms like ], ], ] and others also suspended the official handles of Donald Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/13/youtube-suspends-trump-channel-from-uploading-new-content-for-seven-days|title=YouTube suspends Trump channel from uploading new content for seven days|access-date=January 13, 2021|website=]|date=January 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.vox.com/2021/1/10/22223356/every-platform-that-banned-trump-twitter-facebook-snapchat-twitch |first=Cameron |last=Peters |date=January 10, 2021 |title=Every online platform that has cracked down on Trump|access-date=January 10, 2021 |website=]}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| White House Press Secretary
| Resigned
| July 21, 2017
| 181
| ''Sean Spicer Resigns as White House Press Secretary''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/21/us/politics/sean-spicer-resigns-as-white-house-press-secretary.html|title=Sean Spicer Resigns as White House Press Secretary|first1=Glenn|last1=Thrush|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|date=July 21, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
== Domestic affairs ==
|-
{{See also|Social policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}
| '''] '''
| Office of Government Ethics Director
| Resigned
| July 19, 2017
| 181
| ''Ethics Office Director Walter Shaub Resigns, Saying Rules Need To Be Tougher''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/07/06/535781749/ethics-office-director-walter-shaub-resigns-saying-rules-need-to-be-tougher|title=Ethics Office Director Walter Shaub Resigns, Saying Rules Need To Be Tougher|publisher=}}</ref>
=== Agriculture ===
|-
]
| '''Tera Dahl '''
{{See also|Agricultural policy of the United States}}
| Deputy Chief of Staff, National Security Council
Due to ] combined with depressed commodities prices, American farmers faced the worst crisis in decades.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:Cite web||first=Humeyra|last=Pamuk|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-usda-idUSKBN1QS28Z|title=Trump budget proposes steep subsidy cuts to farmers as they grapple with crisis|date=March 11, 2019|work=] |access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref> Trump provided farmers $12{{spaces}}billion in direct payments in July 2018 to mitigate the negative impacts of his tariffs, increasing the payments by $14.5{{spaces}}billion in May 2019 after trade talks with China ended without agreement.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/us/politics/farm-aid-package.html|title=Trump Gives Farmers $16 Billion in Aid Amid Prolonged China Trade War|last1=Swanson|first1=Ana|last2=Thrush|first2=Glenn|newspaper=]|date=May 23, 2019}}</ref> Most of the administration's aid went to the largest farms.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-30/majority-of-trump-s-trade-aid-went-to-biggest-farms-study-finds |first=Mike |last=Dorning |title=Majority of Trump's Trade Aid Went to Biggest Farms, Study Finds|date=2019|website=] |access-date=July 30, 2019}}</ref> ''Politico'' reported in May 2019 that some economists in the ] were being punished for presenting analyses showing farmers were being harmed by Trump's trade and tax policies, with six economists having more than 50 years of combined experience at the Service resigning on the same day.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Economists flee Agriculture Dept. after feeling punished under Trump|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/07/agriculture-economists-leave-trump-1307146 |date=May 7, 2019 |last=Mccrimmon|first=Ryan|website=]}}</ref> Trump's fiscal 2020 budget proposed a 15% funding cut for the Agriculture Department, calling farm subsidies "overly generous".<ref name="auto" />
| Resigned
| June 7, 2017
| 166
| ''Bannon ally leaves the National Security Council after less than six months''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/06/politics/tera-dahl-bannon-ally-national-security-council/index.html|title=Bannon ally leaves the National Security Council after less than six months|first=Kaitlan Collins,|last=CNN|publisher=}}</ref>
=== Consumer protections ===
|-
The administration reversed a ] (CFPB) rule that had made it easier for aggrieved consumers to pursue ]s against banks; the ] characterized the reversal as a victory for Wall Street banks.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://apnews.com/9121c1b1e4b543aeb9213a60182eb857|title=Consumers lose chance to sue banks in win for Wall Street|last=Sweet|first=Ken|date=October 25, 2017|website=]|access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref> Under ]'s tenure, the CFPB reduced enforcement of rules that protected consumers from predatory ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.propublica.org/article/consumer-financial-protection-bureau-drops-investigation-of-high-cost-lender|title=Newly Defanged, Top Consumer Protection Agency Drops Investigation of High-Cost Lender|date=January 23, 2018|website=ProPublica|first=Paul|last=Kiel|access-date=January 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/8ed9d74512e646ff8449732930323240 |first=Ken |last=Sweet |date=March 6, 2018 |title=Payday lenders, watchdog agency exhibit cozier relationship|access-date=March 6, 2018|work=]}}</ref> Trump scrapped a proposed rule from the Obama administration that airlines disclose baggage fees.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/363956-trump-admin-scraps-obama-era-proposal-requiring-airlines-to-disclose |title=Trump admin scraps Obama-era proposal requiring airlines to disclose bag fees|last=Zanona|first=Melanie|date=December 8, 2017|work=] |access-date=December 11, 2017}}</ref> Trump reduced enforcement of regulations against airlines; fines levied by the administration in 2017 were less than half of what the Obama administration did the year before.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/as-airline-rules-relax-under-trump-heres-a-survival-guide-to-flying-in-2018/2017/12/27/693795ee-e444-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html|title=Perspective {{!}} As airline rules relax under Trump, here's a survival guide to flying in 2018|last=Elliott|first=Christopher|date=December 28, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=January 3, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
| ''']'''
| White House Communications Director
| Resigned
| May 30, 2017
| 89
| ''Dubke resigns as White House communications director''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/30/dubke-resigns-as-white-house-communications-director/|title=Dubke resigns as White House communications director|first=Philip|last=Rucker|date=May 30, 2017|publisher=|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
=== Criminal justice ===
|-
] on April 16, 2018.{{Verify source|date=June 2024|reason=date, secondary source}}]]
| ''']'''
| FBI Director
| Fired
| September 5, 2017
| 110
| ''F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump''<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html|title=F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump|first1=Michael D.|last1=Shear|first2=Matt|last2=Apuzzo|date=May 9, 2017|publisher=|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
The ''New York Times'' summarized the Trump administration's "general approach to law enforcement" as "cracking down on violent crime", "not regulating the police departments that fight it", and overhauling "programs that the Obama administration used to ease tensions between communities and the police".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Eder|first1=Steve|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|last3=Dewan|first3=Shaila|date=November 21, 2017|title=How Trump's Hands-Off Approach to Policing Is Frustrating Some Chiefs|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/us/trump-justice-department-police.html|access-date=November 22, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Trump reversed a ban on providing federal military equipment to ]<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Johnson|first=Kevin|title=Trump lifts ban on military gear to local police forces|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/08/27/trump-expected-lift-ban-military-gear-local-police-forces/606065001/|access-date=June 17, 2020|work=]|date=August 28, 2017}}</ref> and reinstated the use of civil ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Sessions reinstates asset forfeiture policy at Justice Department|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sessions-signals-more-police-property-seizures-coming-from-justice-department/ |work=CBS News |date=July 19, 2017 |agency=CBS/AP |access-date=July 19, 2017}}</ref> The administration stated that it would no longer investigate police departments and publicize their shortcomings in reports, a policy previously enacted under the Obama administration. Later, Trump falsely claimed that the Obama administration never tried to reform the police.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Timm|first=Jane|title=Trump says Obama didn't reform policing – but he did. Then the president ditched it.|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1231200|access-date=June 17, 2020|work=]|date=June 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Benner|first=Katie|title=Sessions, in Last-Minute Act, Sharply Limits Use of Consent Decrees to Curb Police Abuses|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/us/politics/sessions-limits-consent-decrees.html|access-date=June 17, 2020|work=]|date=November 8, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181109033145/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/us/politics/sessions-limits-consent-decrees.html|archive-date=November 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| ''']'''
| Surgeon General
| Resigned*
| April 24, 2017
|
| ''Trump Administration Dismisses Surgeon General Vivek Murthy''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://time.com/4751511/surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-donald-trump/|title=Trump Administration Dismisses Surgeon General Vivek Murthy|website=Time}}</ref>
In December 2017, Sessions and the Department of Justice rescinded a 2016 guideline advising courts against imposing large fines and fees on poor defendants.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/43qxqp/jeff-sessions-is-cool-with-towns-like-ferguson-fining-the-poor-into-oblivion |first=Taylor |last=Dolven |title=Jeff Sessions gives OK for towns like Ferguson to hit the poor with heavy fines |access-date=December 26, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226130441/https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/43qxqp/jeff-sessions-is-cool-with-towns-like-ferguson-fining-the-poor-into-oblivion |archive-date=December 26, 2017|date=December 22, 2017}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| Deputy National Security Advisor
| Resigned
| September 4, 2017
| 118
| ''F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump''<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
].]]
|-
| '''] '''
| Deputy Chief of Staff
| Resigned
| March 30, 2017
| 68
| ''McFarland to Exit White House as McMaster Consolidates Power''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-09/mcfarland-to-exit-white-house-as-mcmaster-consolidates-power|title=McFarland to Exit White House as McMaster Consolidates Power|date=April 9, 2017|publisher=|via=www.bloomberg.com}}</ref>
Despite Trump's pro-police rhetoric, his 2019 budget plan proposed nearly fifty percent cuts to the ] Hiring Program which provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to help hire community policing officers.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Lopez|first=German|date=February 12, 2018|title=Trump said, "I love the police." But his budget slashes funding that helps hire more cops.|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/12/17004432/trump-budget-police-cops-hiring-2019|access-date=June 5, 2019|website=]}}</ref> Trump appeared to advocate ] in a July 2017 speech to police officers, prompting criticism from law enforcement agencies.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/29/nyregion/trump-police-too-nice.html|title=Police Criticize Trump for Urging Officers Not to Be 'Too Nice' With Suspects|last=Rosenthal|first=Brian M.|date=July 29, 2017|access-date=July 19, 2017|newspaper=]}}</ref> In 2020, the inspector general of the Department of Justice criticized the Trump administration for reducing police oversight and eroding public confidence in law enforcement.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Reilly|first=Ryan J.|date=November 18, 2020|title=Watchdog Knocks Trump DOJ On Lax Police Oversight, Urging 'Swift' Federal Action|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/doj-trump-police-oversight_n_5fb53eafc5b695be82ff01b9|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=HuffPost}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| National Security Advider
| Resigned <ref name="cnn.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/13/politics/michael-flynn-white-house-national-security-adviser/index.html|title=Flynn resigns amid controversy over Russia contacts|first=Sara Murray, Gloria Borger and Jeremy Diamond,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>/Fired <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/us/politics/trump-michael-flynn.html|title=Trump Says He Fired Michael Flynn ‘Because He Lied’ to F.B.I.|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|first2=Michael S.|last2=Schmidt|first3=Michael D.|last3=Shear|date=December 2, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=March 13, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>
| February 13, 2017
| 23
| ''Flynn resigns amid controversy over Russia contacts''<ref name="cnn.com"/>
In December 2018, Trump signed the ], a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill which sought to rehabilitate prisoners and reduce recidivism, notably by expanding job training and early-release programs, and lowering mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/us/politics/first-step-act-donald-trump.html|title=Trump Celebrates Criminal Justice Overhaul Amid Doubts It Will Be Fully Funded|newspaper=]|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|first2=Annie|last2=Karni|date=April 1, 2018|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref>
|-
| '''] '''
| Acting Attorney General
| Fired
| January 31, 2017
| 11
| ''Trump fires acting AG after she declines to defend travel ban''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/donald-trump-immigration-order-department-of-justice/index.html|title=Trump fires acting AG after she declines to defend travel ban|first=Evan Perez and Jeremy Diamond,|last=CNN|website=cnn.com|accessdate=March 13, 2018}}</ref>
The number of prosecutions of ] has showed a decreasing trend under the Trump administration relative to the 2nd term of Obama administration.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Prosecution of Sex Trafficking of Children is Down Nationwide |url=https://trac.syr.edu/tracreports/crim/565/ |date=July 16, 2019 |website=], ]|access-date=July 21, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Klasfeld|first=Adam|title=Prosecution of Child-Sex Traffickers Plummeted Under Trump|url=https://www.courthousenews.com/prosecution-of-kiddie-traffickers-plummeted-under-trump/|website=]|access-date=July 21, 2019|date=July 16, 2019}}</ref> Under the Trump administration, the SEC charged the fewest number of insider trading cases since the Reagan administration.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Under Trump, SEC Enforcement Of Insider Trading Dropped To Lowest Point In Decades |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/14/901862355/under-trump-sec-enforcement-of-insider-trading-dropped-to-lowest-point-in-decade |date=August 14, 2020 |first=Tom |last=Dreisbach |access-date=August 14, 2020 |newspaper=]}}</ref>
|}
==== Presidential pardons and commutations ====
====Firing of Michael Flynn====
{{Main|List of people granted executive clemency by Donald Trump}}
During his presidency, Trump ] or commuted the sentences of 237 individuals.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Thomson-DeVeaux|first=Amelia|date=January 21, 2021|title=How Trump Used His Pardon Power|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-trump-used-his-pardon-power/|access-date=January 22, 2021|website=FiveThirtyEight}}</ref> Most of those pardoned had personal or political connections to Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=July 11, 2020 |first1=Jack |last1=Goldsmith |first2=Matt |last2=Gluck |authorlink=Jack Goldsmith |title=Trump's Aberrant Pardons and Commutations|url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/trumps-aberrant-pardons-and-commutations |access-date=July 11, 2020|website=]}}</ref> A significant number had been convicted of fraud or public corruption.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Frum |first=David |authorlink=David Frum |date=January 20, 2021 |title=Swamp Thing|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/01/trump-was-swamp/617748/ |access-date=January 20, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> Trump circumvented the typical clemency process, taking no action on more than ten thousand pending applications, using the pardon power primarily on "public figures whose cases resonated with him given his own grievances with investigators".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=May 31, 2018 |title=Trump Wields Pardon Pen to Confront Justice System |work=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/us/politics/dsouza-pardon.html |access-date=June 1, 2018 |first=Peter |last=Baker |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
On February 13, 2017, Trump fired Michael Flynn from the post of National Security Adviser.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shear|first1=Michael |title=How the White House Explains Waiting 18 Days to Fire Michael Flynn|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/michael-flynn-russia.html|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=August 10, 2017}}</ref> The given reason for the termination was that he had lied to Vice President Pence about his communications with the Russian Ambassador to the United States, ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boyer|first1=Dave|title=Trump made right call in firing Flynn, White House says|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/27/white-house-trump-made-right-call-firing-flynn/|newspaper=The Washington Times|accessdate=August 10, 2017}}</ref> Flynn was fired amidst the ongoing controversy concerning ] and accusations that Trump's electoral team colluded with Russian agents. In May 2017, ], a holdover from the Obama administration, testified before the Senate Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism that she had told White House Counsel Don McGahn in late January 2017 that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials and warned that Flynn was potentially compromised by Russia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sally Yates says she warned White House that Flynn was a blackmail risk|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/08/politics/sally-yates-senate-testimony/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=August 10, 2017}}</ref> Flynn remained in his post for another two weeks and was fired after '']'' broke the story. Yates was fired by Donald Trump on January 30 because "she defiantly refused to defend his executive order closing the nation's borders to refugees and people from predominantly Muslim countries".<ref name=NYT-Shear>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/us/politics/trump-immigration-ban-memo.html|title=Trump Fires Acting Attorney General Who Defied Him|last=Shear|first=Michael D. |last2=Landler |first2=Mark |author2link=Mark Landler |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |author3link=Matt Apuzzo |last4=Lichtblau|first4=Eric |author4link=Eric Lichtblau |date=January 30, 2017|accessdate=October 19, 2017}}</ref>
==== Drug policy ====
In December 2017, Trump tweeted, "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies."<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump-Russia: Flynn's dealings were 'lawful'|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42209758|publisher=BBC|accessdate=December 3, 2017}}</ref> As lying to the FBI is a crime, and given that Trump allegedly requested then-FBI director ] to stop investigating Flynn a day after Flynn was fired, '']'' described four law professors (from Duke, Harvard, Texas and Yale) as agreeing that Trump's tweet "helps to establish his corrupt purpose — an attempt to protect an ally he knew had done something illegal."<ref>{{cite web|title=Oops: Trump’s latest tweet about Michael Flynn could strengthen Mueller’s case against president, experts say|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/analysis/2017/12/02/trump-says-he-had-to-fire-flynn-because-he-lied-to-pence-maintains-nothing-to-hide.html|work=]|accessdate=December 3, 2017|first1=Daniel|last1=Dale}}</ref>
{{Main|Cannabis policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}
In a May 2017 departure from the policy of the Department of Justice under Obama to reduce long jail sentencing for minor drug offenses and contrary to a growing bipartisan consensus, the administration ordered federal prosecutors to seek maximum sentencing for ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/us/politics/jeff-sessions-criminal-sentencing.html|title=Bipartisan View Was Emerging on Sentencing. Then Came Jeff Sessions.|last=Hulse|first=Carl|date=May 14, 2017|work=]|access-date=May 14, 2017}}</ref> In a January 2018 move that created uncertainty regarding the legality of recreational and medical marijuana, Sessions rescinded a federal policy that had barred federal law enforcement officials from aggressively enforcing federal cannabis law in states where the drug is legal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/19f6bfec15a74733b40eaf0ff9162bfa |first=Sadie |last=Gurman |date=January 4, 2018 |title=Sessions ending federal policy that let legal pot flourish |access-date=January 4, 2018 |work=]}}</ref> The administration's decision contradicted then-candidate Trump's statement that marijuana legalization should be "up to the states".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-marijuana/trump-administration-to-end-obama-era-marijuana-policy-source-idUSKBN1ET1MU |first=Sarah N. |last=Lynch |title=Trump administration drops Obama-era easing of marijuana prosecutions|date=January 4, 2018|work=] |access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> That same month, the VA said it would not research cannabis as a potential treatment against PTSD and chronic pain; veterans organizations had pushed for such a study.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://taskandpurpose.com/va-will-not-study-medical-marijuana-ptsd-chronic-pain/|title=VA Says It Will Not Study Effects Of Medical Marijuana On PTSD And Chronic Pain|last=Clark|first=James|date=January 16, 2018|work=Task & Purpose|access-date=January 17, 2018|archive-date=February 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216184146/https://taskandpurpose.com/news/va-will-not-study-medical-marijuana-ptsd-chronic-pain/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In December 2018, Trump signed the ], which included de-scheduling certain cannabis products, leading to a rise in legal ]—a step which resembled legalization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Chris |title=The Feds Are Coming For Delta-8 THC |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisroberts/2021/09/17/the-feds-are-coming-for-delta-8-thc/ |access-date=August 30, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en |archive-date=August 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830182050/https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisroberts/2021/09/17/the-feds-are-coming-for-delta-8-thc/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
====Firing of James Comey====
{{Main|Dismissal of James Comey}}
==== Capital punishment ====
On May 9, 2017, Trump fired FBI Director ]. In explaining his decision to fire Comey, the Trump administration cited Comey's handling of the ].<ref name="comeyfired1">{{cite news |last1=Shear|first1=Michael D. |last2=Apuzzo|first2=Matt |author2link=Matt Apuzzo |title=F.B.I. Director James Comey Is Fired by Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/james-comey-fired-fbi.html|accessdate=May 12, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 9, 2017}}</ref> In firing Comey, Trump relied on a memo written by Deputy Attorney General ] that criticized Comey for publicly announcing that the case involving Hillary Clinton's emails would not be prosecuted. Rosenstein argued that Comey overstepped his role and that the Justice Department determines whether a case should be prosecuted.<ref name="rosensteinmemo1">{{cite news |last1=Savage|first1=Charlie |authorlink=Charlie Savage |title=Deputy Attorney General's Memo Breaks Down Case Against Comey|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/us/politics/comey-fbi-memo-rod-rosenstein.html|accessdate=May 12, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 9, 2017}}</ref> However, many critics of Trump accused him of using Comey's handling of the Clinton investigation as a pretext for Comey's dismissal; instead, these critics argue that Comey was dismissed due to his investigation into the Trump administration's ties with Russia.<ref name="comeypretextall1">{{cite news |last1=Savage|first1=Charlie |authorlink=Charlie Savage |title=Critics Say Trump Broke the Law in Firing Comey. Proving It Isn't So Easy.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/11/us/politics/obstruction-of-justice-fbi.html|accessdate=May 12, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> Governance experts said that the firing of Comey was highly significant and abnormal, with the action raising concerns about checks and balances in American democracy broadly.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/upshot/how-abnormal-was-comeys-firing-experts-weigh-in.html|title=How Abnormal Was Comey's Firing? Experts Weigh In|last=Bui |first=Quoctrung |last2=Miller |first2=Claire Cain |last3=Quealy |first3=Kevin |date=May 10, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 12, 2017}}</ref> Days after firing Comey, Trump stated that he would have fired Comey regardless of Rosenstein's recommendations, describing Comey as a "showboat".<ref name="showboat1">{{cite news |last1=Conway|first1=Madeline|last2=Lima|first2=Cristiano|title=Trump says it was his call to fire 'showboat' Comey|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/11/trump-on-firing-showboat-james-comey-238271|accessdate=May 12, 2017|newspaper=Politico|date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> In a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the US, Trump asserted Comey was a "nut job" and that this would relieve pressure off of him regarding his relationship with Russia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump Told Russians That Firing 'Nut Job' Comey Eased Pressure From Investigation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/19/us/politics/trump-russia-comey.html|accessdate=May 20, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 19, 2017}}</ref> In the aftermath of Comey's firing, various news outlets compared the firing to the "]", a ] that occurred during ]'s administration.<ref name="gkrieg1">{{cite news |last1=Krieg|first1=Gregory|title=Is this a constitutional crisis? 'Still no' but...|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/12/politics/trump-comey-constitutional-crisis/|accessdate=May 12, 2017|publisher=CNN|date=May 12, 2017}}</ref><ref name="cc2">{{cite news |last1=Rosen|first1=Jeffrey |authorlink=Jeffrey Rosen |title=Does Comey's Dismissal Fit the Definition of a Constitutional Crisis?|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/05/president-trump-james-comey-constitutional-crisis/526299/|accessdate=May 12, 2017|work=The Atlantic|date=May 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name="cc3">{{cite news |title=Is This a Constitutional Crisis?|url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/05/09/comey-trump-firing-is-this-a-constitutional-crisis-215118|accessdate=May 12, 2017|newspaper=Politico|date=May 9, 2017}}</ref>
Between July 2020<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-07 |title=Trump ratchets up pace of executions before Biden inaugural |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-death-penalty-legacy-838932ac2b665b42373309336d130f56 |access-date=2024-03-06 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=April 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240421172426/https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-death-penalty-legacy-838932ac2b665b42373309336d130f56 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the end of Trump's term, the ] thirteen people; the first executions since 2002.<ref name="tarm">{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Michael |last1=Tarm |first2=Michael |last2=Kunzelman |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wildlife-coronavirus-pandemic-crime-terre-haute-28e44cc5c026dc16472751bbde0ead50 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Trump administration carries out 13th and final execution |work=] |date=January 15, 2021}}</ref> In this time period, Trump oversaw more federal executions than any president in the preceding 120 years.<ref name="tarm" />
=== Disaster relief ===
Comey had prepared detailed memos, some of which ] information, documenting most of his meetings and telephone conversations with President Trump.<ref name= Schmidt/> He told the Senate Intelligence Committee that he created written records immediately after his conversations with Trump because he "was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/comey-worried-trump-might-lie-about-meetings-2017-6|title=COMEY: I documented my meetings with Trump because 'I was honestly concerned that he might lie' about them|last=Bertrand|first=Natasha|date=June 8, 2017|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=July 19, 2017}}</ref> The ''Times'' noted that contemporaneous notes created by FBI agents are frequently relied upon "in court as credible evidence of conversations".<ref name= Schmidt/> In his memo about a February 14, 2017, Oval Office meeting, Comey says Trump attempted to persuade him to abort the investigation into General Flynn.<ref name= Schmidt >{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-flynn-russia-investigation.html|title=Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation|last=Schmidt|first=Michael S. |authorlink=Michael S. Schmidt |date=May 16, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref>
{{Further|Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates|List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump|Donald Trump judicial appointment controversies}}
Three hurricanes hit the U.S. in August and September 2017: ] in southeastern Texas, ] on the Florida Gulf coast, and ] in Puerto Rico. Trump signed into law $15{{spaces}}billion in relief for Harvey and Irma, and later $18.67{{spaces}}billion for all three.<ref name="Greer-2019">{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Greer |first1=Scott L. |last2=Creary |first2=Melissa S. |last3=Singer |first3=Phillip M. |last4=Willison |first4=Charley E. |date=January 1, 2019 |title=Quantifying inequities in US federal response to hurricane disaster in Texas and Florida compared with Puerto Rico |journal=BMJ Global Health |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=e001191 |doi=10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001191 |pmid=30775009 |issn=2059-7908 |pmc=6350743}}</ref> The administration came under criticism for its delayed response to the humanitarian crisis on Puerto Rico.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-visit-hurricane-ravaged-puerto-rico-amid-criticism/story?id=50101038 |first1=Veronica |last1=Stracqualursi |first2=Adam |last2=Kelsey |title=Trump to visit hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, says he is 'very proud' of response |date=September 27, 2017 |work=ABC News |access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> Politicians of both parties had called for immediate aid for Puerto Rico, and criticized Trump for focusing on a feud with the ] instead.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/26/politics/trump-puerto-rico-response/index.html |date=September 26, 2017 |title=Trump ramps up Puerto Rico response amid criticism |first1=Jeremy |last1=Diamond |first2=Kevin |last2=Liptak |work=] |access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> Trump did not comment on Puerto Rico for several days while the crisis was unfolding.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-puerto-rico-atlantic-ocean-2017-9 |first=Allan |last=Smith |date=September 26, 2017 |title=Trump addresses criticism over Puerto Rico disaster response: 'It's out in the ocean – you can't just drive your trucks there' |website=Business Insider|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> According to ''The Washington Post'', the White House did not feel a sense of urgency until "images of the utter destruction and desperation{{snd}}and criticism of the administration's response{{snd}}began to appear on television."<ref name="Phillip-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/lost-weekend-how-trumps-time-at-his-golf-club-hurt-the-response-to-maria/2017/09/29/ce92ed0a-a522-11e7-8c37-e1d99ad6aa22_story.html |title=Lost weekend: How Trump's time at his golf club hurt the response to Maria |newspaper=] |first1=Abby |last1=Phillip |first2=Ed |last2=O'Keefe |first3=Nick |last3=Miroff |first4=Damian |last4=Paletta |date=September 29, 2017 |access-date=September 30, 2017}}</ref> Trump dismissed the criticism, saying distribution of necessary supplies was "doing well". ''The Washington Post'' noted, "on the ground in Puerto Rico, nothing could be further from the truth."<ref name="Phillip-2017" /> Trump cited Puerto Rico’s remote location as an impediment to providing prompt relief, saying "This is an island surrounded by water. Big water. Ocean water."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Jordan |title=Trump says Puerto Rico relief hampered by 'big water, ocean water' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/353094-trump-says-puerto-rico-relief-hampered-by-big-water-ocean-water/ |access-date=November 9, 2024 |work=The HIll |date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> Trump also criticized Puerto Rico officials.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/30/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-recovery/index.html |first1=Jason |last1=Hanna |first2=Madison |last2=Park |date=October 1, 2017 |title=Puerto Rico: Mayor pleads for better response; Trump hits back|access-date=September 30, 2017 |work=]}}</ref> A ''BMJ'' analysis found the federal government responded much more quickly and on a larger scale to the hurricane in Texas and Florida than in Puerto Rico, despite the fact that the hurricane in Puerto Rico was more severe.<ref name="Greer-2019" /> A 2021 HUD Inspector General investigation found that the Trump administration erected bureaucratic hurdles which stalled approximately $20 billion in hurricane relief for Puerto Rico.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Jan |first1=Tracy |last2=Rein |first2=Lisa |title=Investigation suppressed by Trump administration reveals obstacles to hurricane aid for Puerto Rico |newspaper=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/22/puerto-rico-hurricane-trump-hud/ |date=April 22, 2021 |access-date=April 22, 2021 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241026155343/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/22/puerto-rico-hurricane-trump-hud/ |archive-date=26 October 2024}}</ref>
At the time of FEMA's departure from Puerto Rico, one third of Puerto Rico residents still lacked electricity and some places lacked running water.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/29/581511023/fema-to-end-food-and-water-aid-for-puerto-rico |date=January 29, 2018 |first=Adrian |last=Florido |title=FEMA To End Food And Water Aid For Puerto Rico |work=] |access-date=January 30, 2018}}</ref> A '']'' study estimated the number of hurricane-related deaths during the period September 20 to December 31, 2017, to be around 4,600 (range 793–8,498)<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last=Kishore|first=Nishant|display-authors=etal|date=May 29, 2018|title=Mortality in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria|journal=New England Journal of Medicine |volume=379 |issue=2 |pages=162–170 |doi=10.1056/nejmsa1803972 |pmid=29809109 |s2cid=44155986 |issn=0028-4793 |url=https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/37309252 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> The official death rate due to Maria reported by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is 2,975; the figure was based on an independent investigation by ] commissioned by the governor of Puerto Rico.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45338080 |title=Puerto Rico hurricane death toll jumps |date=August 29, 2018|work=] |access-date=August 31, 2018}}</ref> Trump falsely claimed the official death rate was wrong, and said the Democrats were trying to make him "look as bad as possible".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/13/politics/trump-puerto-rico-death-toll/index.html|title=Trump falsely claims nearly 3,000 Americans in Puerto Rico 'did not die' |first1=Betsy |last1=Klein |first2=Maegan |last2=Vazquez |website=] |date=September 13, 2018|access-date=October 20, 2018}}</ref>
Trump took office with a ] vacancy, which arose after the February 2016 death of ] and Republican obstruction to prevent then-President Obama from filling the vacancy. Republicans also delayed consideration of dozens of Obama's nominees in other court seats, which meant that Trump entered office with 108 judicial openings to fill.<ref name=":39">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-27/mcconnell-cements-a-legacy-for-trump-with-reshaped-u-s-courts|title=McConnell Cements a Legacy for Trump With Reshaped Courts|date=April 27, 2018|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=May 10, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
Puerto Rico Governor ] wrote that as he and Trump were in a helicopter surveying damage from the hurricane, Trump said, "Nature has a way of coming back. Well, it does until it does not. Who knows with nuclear warfare what will happen. But I tell you what. If nuclear war happens, we won't be second in line pressing the button."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Samuels |first1=Brett |title=Book recalls Trump's quip on pressing nuclear button: US 'won't be second' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/4730282-trump-nuclear-button-ricardo-rossello-book/ |access-date=November 9, 2024 |work=The Hill |date=June 20, 2024}}</ref> Axios reported that Trump suggested that they explore the possibility of bombing and nuking hurricanes to stop their arrival, that these suggestions were recorded in National Security Council memos, that Trump denied making the suggestions, and that a senior official defended Trump's suggestion by saying, "It takes strong people to respond to him in the right way when stuff like this comes up."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Swan |first1=Jonathan |last2=Talev |first2=Margaret |title=Scoop: Trump suggested nuking hurricanes to stop them from hitting U.S. |url=https://www.axios.com/2019/08/25/trump-nuclear-bombs-hurricanes |work=Axios |date=August 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Ryan W. |title=You can't nuke a hurricane to stop it, as Trump reportedly suggested. Here's why |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2019/08/26/nuke-hurricane-why-donald-trumps-reported-idea-wouldnt-work/2118430001/ |work=USA Today |date=August 26, 2019}}</ref>
On January 31, 2017, Trump ] federal appellate judge ] to the Supreme Court. Gorsuch's appointment was confirmed on April 7, 2017, after a 54–45 vote.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court.html|title=Neil Gorsuch Confirmed by Senate as Supreme Court Justice|last=Liptak|first=Adam |authorlink=Adam Liptak |date=April 7, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=April 7, 2017|last2=Flegenheimer|first2=Matt}}</ref> Prior to this nomination, 60 votes had been required for Supreme Court nominees to be moved to a confirmation vote over a ], via invoking ]. The 60-vote total previously needed to advance the vote was not met due to Democratic opposition. To allow the nomination to proceed, the "]" was deployed, requiring only a simple majority, 51 votes, for cloture for a nominee.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-senate.html|title=Senate Republicans Deploy 'Nuclear Option' to Clear Path for Gorsuch|last=Flegenheimer|first=Matt|date=April 6, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=April 7, 2017}}</ref>
==== California wildfires ====
In his first year in office, Trump appointed twelve judges to the ], setting a new record.<ref name="tberenson">{{cite news|last1=Berenson|first1=Tessa|title=President Trump Appointed Four Times as Many Federal Appeals Judges as Obama in His First Year|url=http://time.com/5066679/donald-trump-federal-judges-record/|accessdate=May 11, 2018|publisher=Time|date=December 15, 2018}}</ref> ''Bloomberg News'' noted that Trump's judicial nominees tended to be young and favored by the conservative ].<ref name=":39" /> Compared to President Obama, Trump has nominated fewer non-white and female judges.<ref name="jgramclich1">{{cite news|last1=Gramlich|first1=John|title=Trump’s appointed judges are a less diverse group than Obama’s|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/20/trumps-appointed-judges-are-a-less-diverse-group-than-obamas/|accessdate=May 11, 2018|publisher=Pew Research Center|date=March 20, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|2018 California wildfires|2020 California wildfires}}
Trump misleadingly blamed the ], on "gross" and "poor" "mismanagement" of forests by California, saying there was no other reason for these wildfires. The fires in question were not "forest fires"; most of the forest was owned by federal agencies; and ] in part contributed to the fires.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/us/politics/fact-check-trump-california-fire-tweet.html|title=Trump's Misleading Claims About California's Fire 'Mismanagement'|newspaper=]|department=Fact Check|first=Kendra|last=Pierre-Louis|date=November 12, 2018|access-date=November 14, 2018}}</ref> Trump mentioned Finland as a model, saying, "they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don't have any problem. And when it is, it is a very small problem. So I know everybody is looking at that—to that end. And it's going to work out. It's going to work out well."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hannon |first1=Elliot |title=During Wildfire Tour, Trump Suggests Doing More Raking Like Finland Could Prevent California Wildfires |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/11/during-wildfire-tour-trump-suggests-doing-more-raking-like-finland-could-prevent-california-wildfires.html |access-date=November 9, 2024 |work=Slate |date=November 17, 2018}}</ref>
In September 2020, ] prompted Trump to visit the state. In a briefing to state officials, Trump said that federal assistance was necessary, and again baselessly asserted that ], not climate change, is the underlying cause of the fires.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/politics/donald-trump-wildfires-briefing-climate-change/index.html |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Trump baselessly questions climate science during California wildfire briefing|first=Maegan|last=Vazquez |work=]|date=September 14, 2020}}</ref>
==First year==
{{See also|First 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency|Timeline of the presidency of Donald Trump}}
=== Economy ===
{| class="wikitable"
{{Main|Economic policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}
{{See also|2018 United States federal budget|Trump tariffs}}
! rowspan="2"| ]<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDPA|title=Gross Domestic Product|last=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |website=Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis |date=January 1929|via=]|access-date=March 4, 2019}}</ref>
! rowspan="2"| ]<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/A191RL1A225NBEA|title=Real Gross Domestic Product|last=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |website=FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis|date=January 1930|access-date=March 4, 2019}}</ref>
| colspan="4" style="background:honeydew"|Fiscal data<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Federal receipts, outlays and deficits |access-date=November 10, 2021 |work=Office of Management and Budget |via=] |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=mr42}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||title=Federal Debt Held by the Public |journal=U.S. Treasury |via=] |url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=mCXl |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref>
*Directed all federal agencies to minimize the "unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens" of the ].<ref name="dayone1">{{cite news|last1=Parker|first1=Ashley|authorlink=Ashley Parker|last2=Goldstein|first2=Amy|title=Trump signs executive order that could effectively gut Affordable Care Act's individual mandate|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-signs-executive-order-that-could-lift-affordable-care-acts-individual-mandate/2017/01/20/8c99e35e-df70-11e6-b2cf-b67fe3285cbc_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 20, 2017|access-date=January 21, 2017}}</ref>
* Froze any work on new regulations that agencies had started during the previous administration.<ref name="dayone1"/>
* Withdrew the U.S. from the ], an unratified free trade agreement, re-instated the ] against funding abortion advocacy abroad, and froze federal hiring.<ref name="diamondbash1">{{cite news|last1=Diamond|first1=Jeremy|last2=Bash|first2=Dana|author2link=Dana Bash|title=Trump signs order withdrawing from TPP, reinstate 'Mexico City policy' on abortion|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/politics/trans-pacific-partnership-trade-deal-withdrawal-trumps-first-executive-action-monday-sources-say/|publisher=CNN|date=January 23, 2017|access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref>
* Decided to fast-track "high-priority infrastructure projects", and supported the construction of the ] and ] pipelines.<ref name="gkorte1">{{cite news |last1=Korte|first1=Gregory|title=Trump signs five more orders on pipelines, steel and environment|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/24/trump-signs-five-more-orders-pipelines-steel-and-environment/96988428/|newspaper=USA Today|date=January 24, 2017|access-date=January 24, 2017}}</ref>
* Directed the ] to build part of a ] on the Mexico–United States border, to the extent of available funding.<ref name="borderwalljan252017">{{cite news|last1=Min Kim|first1=Seung|last2=Stokols|first2=Eli|last3=Nelson|first3=Louis|last4=Caygle|first4=Heather|last5=Goldmacher|first5=Shane|title=Trump signs orders on border wall, immigration crackdown|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/donald-trump-immigration-234142|newspaper=Politico|date=January 25, 2017|accessdate=January 25, 2017}}</ref>
* Banned former government officials from lobbying agencies where they had worked, for a five-year period.<ref name="nvladimirov">{{cite news|last1=Vladimirov|first1=Nikita|last2=Shelbourne|first2=Mallory|title=Trump signs three more executive actions|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/316701-admin-trump-to-issue-three-more-executive-orders|accessdate=January 29, 2017|newspaper=The Hill|date=January 28, 2017}}</ref>
* ] conservative judge ] to fill a Supreme Court vacancy;<ref name="gorsuchnominated1">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-trump-idUSKBN15F1OW?il=0|title=Trump names conservative judge Gorsuch as U.S. Supreme Court pick|author1=Lawrence Hurley|date=January 31, 2017|accessdate=January 31, 2017|agency=]|author2=Steve Holland}}</ref> Gorsuch was confirmed and took office in April 2017.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Adam Liptak|author-link=Adam Liptak|last2=Matt Flegenheimer|title=Neil Gorsuch Confirmed by Senate as Supreme Court Justice|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court.html|accessdate=April 15, 2017|work=]|date=April 8, 2017|page=A1}}</ref>
*Issued ], referred to as "The Muslim Ban", which restricted the immigration of Syrian refugees and members of certain Muslim majority nations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-changes-travel-ban-countries/2017/09/24/1fef7cfe-a140-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html|title=White House expands travel ban, restricting visitors from eight countries |publisher=Washington Post|date=September 24, 2017}}</ref>
|-
|-
| '''February 2017'''
|]
* Loosened many financial regulations imposed by the 2010 ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Protess|first1=Ben|last2=Hirschfield Davis|first2=Julie|title=Trump Moves to Roll Back Obama-Era Financial Regulations |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/business/dealbook/trump-congress-financial-regulations.html|accessdate=February 5, 2017|publisher=The New York Times Dealbook blog|date=February 3, 2017}}</ref>
* Announced his full ], comprising 24 members. Removed the position of ], and elevated the ] and ] to cabinet-level.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/08/president-donald-j-trump-announces-his-cabinet|title=President Donald J. Trump Announces His Cabinet|date=February 8, 2017|publisher=]|access-date=February 9, 2017}}</ref><ref name="flynn1">{{cite news |last1=Miller|first1=Greg|last2=Rucker|first2=Philip|title=Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/michael-flynn-resigns-as-national-security-adviser/2017/02/13/0007c0a8-f26e-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html|accessdate=February 14, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 14, 2017}}</ref>
* Proposed a 10% increase of $54 billion in military spending, diverted from numerous other budgets, including that of the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/27/donald-trump-orders-43-billion-boost-defence-spending|title=Donald Trump orders £43 billion boost to defence spending|last=Crilly|first=Rob |authorlink=Rob Crilly |date=February 27, 2017|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=February 27, 2017}}</ref>
* Delivered ] addressing a wide range of issues including drug abuse, gang crime, immigration, terrorism, the ], infrastructure, foreign trade, and the stock market.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/us/politics/trump-address-congress.html|title=Trump, in Optimistic Address, Asks Congress to End 'Trivial Fights'|last1=Hirschfield Davis|first1=Julie|last2=Shear|first2=Michael |last3=Baker|first3=Peter |author3link=Peter Baker (author) |date=February 28, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=March 1, 2017}}</ref>
|-
|-
! 2016*
| '''March 2017'''
| 4.9%
|]
| $18.695
*] the ] of intercepting communications at his offices in ] in October 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39168149|title=Obama 'never ordered Trump wire-tapping'|date=March 4, 2017 |publisher=BBC News|access-date=March 4, 2017}}</ref>
| 1.7%
* Defined the budget and objectives of ], including a crewed mission to ] as early as 2033.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/442|title=S.442 – National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017|date=February 17, 2017|publisher=]}}</ref>
| $3.268
* Signed four ] disapproval resolutions into law, eliminating regulations from the Obama administration on teacher preparedness, resource management planning, and the "Federal Acquisition Regulation and Fair Pay and Safe Workspaces" rule.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-joint-resolution/37|title=H.J.Res.37 – Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to the Federal Acquisition Regulation|date=March 27, 2017|publisher=U.S. Congress}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-joint-resolution/44|title=H.J.Res.44 – Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976|date=March 27, 2017|publisher=U.S. Congress}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-joint-resolution/57|title=H.J.Res.57 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965|date=March 27, 2017|publisher=U.S. Congress}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-joint-resolution/58|title=H.J.Res.58 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues|date=March 27, 2017|publisher=U.S. Congress}}</ref>
| $3.853
* Removed a directive to consider ] during deliberations under the ], removed restrictions on ], and directed the ] to suspend, revise or abolish the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/28/presidential-executive-order-promoting-energy-independence-and-economi-1|title=Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth|date=March 28, 2017|publisher=The White House}}</ref>
| – $0.585
| $14.2
|-
|-
| '''April 2017'''
! 2017
| 4.4%
|]
| $19.480
* Donated first quarter salary ($78,333.32) to the ], concomitant with Administration's proposed cuts of $1.5 billion to Dept. of Interior funding.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/us/politics/national-park-service-trump-salary.html|title=Trump Donates First-Quarter Salary to National Park Service|date=April 3, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
| 2.3%
* ] a ] bomb on an ] cave complex in ], Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-drops-mother-of-all-bombs-in-afghanistan-marking-weapons-first-use|title=U.S. drops "mother of all bombs" in Afghanistan, marking weapon's first use|publisher=CBS News|access-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>
| $3.316
* Extended the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/19/donald-trump-signs-extension-veterans-choice-healt/|title=Trump Turns Focus to Veterans, Signs Extension for Choice in Health Care|last1=Boyer|first1=Dave|date=April 19, 2017|newspaper=] |accessdate=April 21, 2017}}</ref>
| $3.982
* Signed executive order intended to prevent abuse of the ] program and give preference to U.S.-made products.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/fa3f6cc4-246e-11e7-8691-d5f7e0cd0a16|title=Donald Trump signs 'Buy American, Hire American' order|date=April 18, 2017 |newspaper=Financial Times}}</ref>
| – $0.665
* Directed the ] to begin an investigation on whether steel imports are a threat to U.S. national security.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/20/donald-trump-praises-historic-day-american-steel-launches-investigation/|title=Donald Trump Praises 'Historic Day for American Steel' as He Launches Investigation Into Imports|last1=Alexander|first1=Harriet|date=April 20, 2017|newspaper=] |accessdate=April 20, 2017}}</ref>
| $14.7
|-
|-
! 2018
| '''May 2017'''
| 3.9%
|] in ], ]]]
| $20.527
* ] ] from his position as ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/09/trump-fires-comey-mccabe-takes-over-as-fbis-acting-director.html|title=Trump fires Comey: McCabe takes over as FBI's acting director|date=May 9, 2017|publisher=Fox News Channel}}</ref>
| 2.9%
* Ordered an investigation of purported ] in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Investigation to be conducted by a ] led by Vice President Pence.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/11/trump-signs-executive-order-launching-voter-fraud-commission.html|title=Trump signs executive order launching voter fraud commission|date=May 11, 2017 |publisher=]}}</ref>
| $3.330
* At the ] in Riyadh, enjoined Muslim leaders to "drive out extremists" from their countries,<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump hits out at Iran, says region 'held at bay by bloodshed and terror' |url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/donald-trump-hits-out-at-iran-says-region-held-at-bay-by-bloodshed-and-terror-20170521-gw9whd.html |date=May 21, 2017 |work=]}}</ref> and signed ] with Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-signs-110-billion-arms-deal-saudi-arabia/story?id=47531180 |title=Trump signs $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on 'a tremendous day' |publisher=] |date=May 21, 2017}}</ref>
| $4.109
* Attended the ] with world leaders of ] in ], Italy, to discuss world issues such as trade, climate change and the migration crisis.<ref>{{cite news |title=President Trump attends G7 meetings in Italy|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-attend-g7-meetings-italy/story?id=47644029|date=May 26, 2017|publisher=ABC News}}</ref>
| – $0.779
| $15.8
|-
|-
! 2019
| '''June 2017'''
| 3.7%
| ]
| $21.373
*] from the ].<ref name=":69">{{cite news |title=Trump Will Withdraw U.S. From Paris Climate Agreement|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/trump-paris-climate-agreement.html|date=June 1, 2017|work=The New York Times}}</ref>
| 2.3%
* Announced plans to modernize and privatize the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump unveils plans to privatize nation's air traffic control system|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-announcement-speech-privatize-air-traffic-control-system-live-updates/|date=June 5, 2017|publisher=CBS News}}</ref>
| $3.463
* Partially rolled back the ] policy of easing restrictions with Cuba, initiated by the Obama administration.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/politics/trump-cuba-policy/index.html|title=Trump adds restrictions on Cuba travel, business|author=Dan Merica|publisher=CNN|access-date=June 16, 2017}}</ref>
| $4.447
* Reinstated the ] under Vice President Pence.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.channelstv.com/2017/06/30/trump-signs-executive-order-revive-national-space-council/ |title=Trump Signs Executive Order To Revive National Space Council|publisher=Channels TV|date=June 30, 2017}}</ref>
| – $0.984
| $16.8
|-
|-
! 2020
| '''July 2017'''
| 8.1%
| ], July 25, 2017]]
| $20.894
* Retweeted a doctored video of himself performing a professional wrestling maneuver on ] at ], with the ] logo superimposed on McMahon's head.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Grynbaum|first1=Michael M.|title=Trump Tweets a Video of Him Wrestling 'CNN' to the Ground|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/business/media/trump-wrestling-video-cnn-twitter.html|accessdate=July 2, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 2, 2017}}</ref>
| –3.4%
* Attended the ] in Germany, meeting with numerous world leaders including ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dw.com/en/g20-opens-in-hamburg-live-updates/a-39589687|title=G20 opens in Hamburg| publisher=Deutsche Welle|date=July 7, 2017}}</ref>
| $3.421
* Allocated $500 million to support the domestic production of glass pharmaceutical packaging, with representatives from ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/07/20/Trump-injects-500M-into-pharmaceutical-packaging-industry/2081500580462/|title=Trump injects $500M into pharmaceutical packaging industry|date=July 20, 2017| publisher=United Press International}}</ref>
| $6.550
* Commissioned the aircraft carrier ] at ], ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-delivers-remarks-at-uss-gerald-r-ford-commissioning-live-updates/|title=Trump says military "bigger, better, stronger" at USS Gerald R. Ford commissioning|date=July 22, 2017|publisher=CBS News}}</ref>
| – $3.129
| $21.0
|}
Trump's economic policies have centered on cutting taxes, deregulation, and trade protectionism. Trump primarily stuck to or intensified traditional Republican economic policy positions that benefitted corporate interests or the affluent, with the exception of his trade protectionist policies.<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Grumbach |first1 = Jacob M. |chapter = The Political Economies of Red States |date = 2021 |access-date = November 10, 2021 |url = https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/american-political-economy/political-economies-of-red-states/BEE22FE6AAB57A14FF10F807E02116BB |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=N2lHEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA209 |title = The American Political Economy: Politics, Markets, and Power |pages = 209–244 |editor-last = Hertel-Fernandez |editor-first = Alexander |publisher = Cambridge University Press |isbn = 978-1-316-51636-2 |last2 = Hacker |first2 = Jacob S. |last3 = Pierson |first3 = Paul |editor2-last = Hacker |editor2-first = Jacob S. |editor3-last = Thelen |editor3-first = Kathleen |editor4-last = Pierson |editor4-first = Paul |archive-date = November 10, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211110213821/https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/american-political-economy/political-economies-of-red-states/BEE22FE6AAB57A14FF10F807E02116BB |url-status = live }}</ref> ], combined with tax cuts for the wealthy, caused the ] to sharply increase.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump |title=Donald Trump Built a National Debt So Big (Even Before the Pandemic) That It'll Weigh Down the Economy for Years |first1=Allan |last1=Sloan |work=] |first2=Cezary |last2=Podkul |date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/14/trump-legacy-national-debt-increasee/ |title=Trump's most enduring legacy could be the historic rise in the national debt |first1=Allan |last1=Sloan |first2=Cezary |last2=Podkul |newspaper=] |date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.newsweek.com/under-donald-trumps-watch-national-debt-increased-78-trillion-1561627 |first=Jason |last=Lemon |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Under Donald Trump's watch, the national debt increased by $7.8 trillion |website=] |date=January 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.thebalance.com/trump-plans-to-reduce-national-debt-4114401 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=President Trump's Impact on the National Debt |work=] |date=May 10, 2021 |first=Kimberly |last=Amadeo}}</ref>
|-
| '''August 2017'''
|]
* Instructed ] to develop a policy on ] service members, notably considering their individual combat deployability, and curtailing subsidies for medical treatment or operations.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/23/trump-administration-to-set-rules-for-military-transgender-ban.html| title=Trump administration to set rules for military transgender ban|publisher=Fox News Channel| date=August 23, 2017}}</ref>
*] Arizona Sheriff ], who had been convicted for contempt of court.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-26/donald-trump-pardons-ex-arizona-sherrif-joe-arpaio/8845148| title=Donald Trump pardons ex-Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio |publisher=ABC News| date=August 26, 2017}}</ref>
*Barred the U.S. financial system from dealing in new bonds and stocks issued by the Venezuelan government and its state oil company ].<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-moves-to-restrict-venezuelan-access-to-us-financial-system/2017/08/25/18b22a5e-89ad-11e7-a50f-e0d4e6ec070a_story.html| title= Trump tightens Venezuela’s access to U.S. financial system |publisher=The Washington Post| date=August 25, 2017}}</ref>
* Re-allowed the sale of surplus military equipment to local and state police agencies.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-signs-executive-order-on-military-gear/ | title= Trump signs executive order on military gear |publisher=CBS News| date=August 28, 2017}}</ref>
* Donated $1 million of personal funds to recovery efforts in Texas following ].<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/31/politics/trump-donation-harvey-texas/index.html| title=Trump to donate $1 million to Texas recovery |publisher=CNN| date=August 31, 2017}}</ref>
One of Trump's first actions was to indefinitely suspend a cut in fee rates for federally-insured mortgages implemented by the Obama administration which saved individuals with lower credit scores around $500 per year on a typical loan.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-fha-rate-cut-explained-20170123-story.html |date=January 23, 2017 |title=Trump's team suspended a mortgage insurance rate cut. Here's what that means |last=Khouri |first=Andrew |newspaper=] |access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> Upon taking office, Trump halted trade negotiations with the ] on the ], which had been underway since 2013.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump's Trade Truce With Europe Has a Familiar Feel: It Mirrors Obama's Path|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/us/politics/trump-trade-european-union.html |date=July 26, 2018 |first1=Ana |last1=Swanson |first2=Jack |last2=Ewing |access-date=July 28, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| '''September 2017'''
|]
* Ceased to accept applications to the ] (DACA) program. Simultaneously confirmed that current DACA recipients will be unaffected until March 5, 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/us/politics/trump-daca-dreamers-immigration.html|title=Trump Moves to End DACA and Calls on Congress to Act|publisher=The New York Times|date=September 5, 2017}}</ref>
* Signed a $15.25 billion disaster relief bill for Hurricane Harvey and ], which includes raising the federal debt ceiling for the next three months.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-signs-harvey-relief-debt-ceiling-spending-bill/article/2633868|title= Trump signs Harvey relief, debt ceiling, spending bill|publisher=Washington Examiner| date=September 8, 2017}}</ref>
* Gave his maiden speech to the ], in which he threatened U.S. retaliation for any attack committed by ], warned of possible further action against Venezuelan President ] and his regime, denounced ] as a "corrupt dictatorship", and described the ] as an "embarrassment".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/19/world/americas/united-nations-general-assembly.html|title=Trump Threatens to ‘Totally Destroy’ North Korea|publisher=The New York Times|date=September 19, 2017}}</ref>
* Expanded ], targeting individuals and companies trading with North Korea, including foreign banks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09/21/trump-signs-executive-order-targeting-north-koreas-trading-partners.html |title=Trump signs executive order targeting North Korea's trading partners|publisher=Fox News |date=September 21, 2017}}</ref>
* Denounced ] within the ] (NFL), and recommended participating players be fired.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Isenstadt|first1=Alex|last2=Lima|first2=Cristiano|title=Trump, rallying in Alabama, wades into a broad intraparty battle|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/22/trump-alabama-rally-luther-strange-senate-243044|publisher=Politico|date=September 22, 2017|accessdate=November 24, 2017}}</ref>
* Introduced ] on North Korea, Venezuela, and Chad, in addition to Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Libya and Iran listed under ]. Iraq is no longer subject to the travel ban.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-changes-travel-ban-countries/2017/09/24/1fef7cfe-a140-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html|title=White House expands travel ban, restricting visitors from eight countries|publisher=Washington Post|date=September 24, 2017}}</ref>
* Directed the ] to allocate at least $200 million per year in grant funds to the study of science and engineering.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/09/25/trump-to-unveil-stem-focused-jobs-initiative-for-new-generation-american-workers.html|title=Trump unveils STEM-focused jobs initiative for 'new generation of American workers'|publisher=Fox Business|date=September 25, 2017}}</ref>
The administration proposed changes to the ] (food stamps), which if implemented would lead millions to lose access to food stamps and limit the amount of benefits for remaining recipients.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump's proposed SNAP changes could mean millions lose food stamp access|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-administration-proposal-could-cause-millions-lose-food-stamps-n1092866 |first=Phil |last=McCausland |date=November 30, 2019 |website=] |access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref>
|-
| '''October 2017'''
|]
* Announced U.S. withdrawal from the ], citing an "anti-Israel bias".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/us/politics/trump-unesco-withdrawal.html|title=U.S. Will Withdraw From Unesco, Citing Its ‘Anti-Israel Bias’|date=October 12, 2017|publisher=The New York Times|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021190452/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/us/politics/trump-unesco-withdrawal.html|archivedate=October 21, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Declared a nationwide public health emergency about the ], ordering all federal agencies to take measures to prevent related deaths.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump: Opioid 'national shame' a public health emergency |url= http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41756705 | publisher= BBC News |date=October 27, 2017}}</ref>
* Advocated an end to the ] program following ] in New York City committed by a recipient of the program.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://abc7chicago.com/new-york-city-rampage-what-we-know-about-the-suspect/2589184/ |title= New York City rampage: What we know about the suspect |date= October 31, 2017 |publisher= ] |access-date= October 31, 2017 }}</ref>
During his tenure, Trump repeatedly sought to intervene in the economy to affect specific companies and industries.<ref name="Mufson-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/from-electricity-to-steel-trump-becoming-increasingly-active-in-trying-to-shape-the-economy/2018/06/01/c1a0692c-65b3-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html|title=Breaking from GOP orthodoxy, Trump increasingly deciding winners and losers in the economy|last1=Mufson|first1=Steven|last2=Lynch|first2=David J.|date=June 1, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=June 2, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Trump sought to compel power grid operators to buy coal and nuclear energy, and sought tariffs on metals to protect domestic metal producers.<ref name="Mufson-2018" /> Trump also publicly attacked ] and ], sending their stocks tumbling.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/22/lockheed-martin-shares-take-another-tumble-after-trump-tweet.html|title=Lockheed Martin shares take another tumble after Trump tweet|last=Wang|first=Christine|date=December 23, 2016|work=]|access-date=June 2, 2018}}</ref> Trump repeatedly singled out ] for criticism and advocated steps that would harm the company, such as ending an arrangement between Amazon and the ] (USPS) and raising taxes on Amazon.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/31/politics/donald-trump-attacks-amazon-washington-post/index.html |date=April 1, 2018 |title=Trump keeps up attacks on Amazon, WaPo |first=Veronica |last=Stracqualursi |work=] |access-date=June 2, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Rein|first1=Lisa|last2=Bogage|first2=Jacob|date=April 24, 2020|title=Trump says he will block coronavirus aid for U.S. Postal Service if it doesn't hike prices immediately|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/04/24/trump-postal-service-loan-treasury/|access-date=May 18, 2020}}</ref> Trump expressed opposition to the merger between ] (the parent company of CNN) and ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-time-warner-m-a-at-t/att-wins-court-approval-to-buy-time-warner-over-trump-opposition-idUSKBN1J82QX |date=June 12, 2018 |title=AT&T wins court approval to buy Time Warner over Trump opposition|last=Bartz|first=Diane|work=U.S.|access-date=July 15, 2018}}</ref>
|-
| '''November 2017'''
|]
* Signed $250 billion worth of binding and non-binding gas, aviation, communications and food-crop deals with Chinese President ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump does not blame China for 'unfair' trade|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41924797|publisher=BBC|date=November 9, 2017|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110005238/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41924797|archivedate=November 10, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Trump praises China and blames US for trade deficit|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/09/donald-trump-china-act-faster-north-korea-threat|publisher=The Guardian|date=November 9, 2017|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110053616/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/09/donald-trump-china-act-faster-north-korea-threat|archivedate=November 10, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* Reinstated North Korea to the U.S. list of ], from which it had been removed in October 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump puts North Korea back on state sponsors of terrorism list to escalate pressure over nuclear weapons|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/20/trump-puts-north-korea-back-on-state-sponsors-of-terrorism-list-to-escalate-pressure-over-nuclear-weapons/|publisher=Washington Post|date=November 20, 2017}}</ref>
* Retweeted anti-Muslim propaganda posted by ], deputy leader of British far-right organization ] and convicted criminal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald Trump re-tweets anti-Muslim videos from British far-Right group|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/29/trump-shared-muslim-crimes-videos-tweeted-british-far-right/|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=November 29, 2017}}</ref>
The Trump campaign ran on a policy of reducing America's trade deficit, particularly with China.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Navarro|first1=Peter|last2=Ross|first2=Wilbur|date=September 29, 2016|title=Scoring the Trump Economic Plan: Trade, Regulatory, & Energy Policy Impacts|url=https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/Trump_Economic_Plan.pdf|access-date=December 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412025404/https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/Trump_Economic_Plan.pdf|archive-date=April 12, 2022|url-status=dead}}</ref> The overall trade deficit increased during Trump's presidency.<ref>{{cite web |last = Scott |first = Robert E. |url = https://www.epi.org/blog/record-u-s-trade-deficit-in-2018-reflects-failure-of-trumps-trade-policies/ |title = Record U.S. trade deficit in 2018 reflects failure of Trump's trade policies |publisher = ] |date = March 7, 2019 |accessdate = November 27, 2022 |archive-date = November 27, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221127051350/https://www.epi.org/blog/record-u-s-trade-deficit-in-2018-reflects-failure-of-trumps-trade-policies/ |url-status = live }}</ref> The goods deficit with China reached a record high for the second consecutive year in 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=As trade deficit explodes, Trump finds he can't escape the laws of economics|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-promised-to-shrink-the-trade-deficit-instead-it-exploded/2019/03/05/35d3b1e0-3f8f-11e9-a0d3-1210e58a94cf_story.html |date=March 6, 2019 |first=David J. |last=Lynch |newspaper=] |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| '''December 2017'''
|]
* Announced 85% and 50% reductions respectively to ] ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump shrinks Utah monuments angering environmentalists|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42226752|publisher=BBC News|date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>
* Formally endorsed U.S. Senate candidate ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Trump Formally Endorses Roy Moore for Senate Seat|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/politics/roy-moore-donald-trump.html|publisher=The New York Times|date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>
* ] as the ], and will relocate the U.S. embassy there from ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump: Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital is the 'right thing to do' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/06/donald-trump-gives-speech-recognising-jerusalem-israels-capital/ |work=] |date=December 6, 2017}}</ref>
* The Senate passed President Trump's ] shortly after midnight without Democratic votes, 51 to 48. A procedural mistake in the House on December 19 necessitated a second vote in the House, which later passes in favor, 224 to 201.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/u-senate-approves-tax-bill-sends-back-house-054852063--sector.html|title=U.S. Senate adopts Republican tax bill, setting up second House vote|work=Yahoo News|date=December 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/gop-tax-bill-passes-congress-as-trump-prepares-to-sign-it-into-law/2017/12/20/0ba2fd98-e597-11e7-9ec2-518810e7d44d_story.html|title=GOP tax bill passes Congress|work=The Washington Post|date=December 20, 2017}}</ref>
* All ten members of the ] are dismissed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/12/29/trump-administration-fires-all-members-of-hivaids-advisory-council/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_aids-council-445pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory|title=Trump administration fires all members of HIV/AIDS advisory council|work=The Washington Post|date=December 29, 2017}}</ref>
A 2021 study, which used the ], found no evidence Trump had an impact on the U.S. economy during his time in office.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Born|first1=Benjamin|last2=Müller|first2=Gernot J.|last3=Schularick|first3=Moritz|last4=Sedláček|first4=Petr|date=2021|title=The macroeconomic impact of Trump|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2021.1909718|journal=Policy Studies|volume=42|issue=5–6|pages=580–591|doi=10.1080/01442872.2021.1909718|s2cid=201376054|issn=0144-2872}}</ref> Analysis conducted by ] at the end of Trump's second year in office found that his economy ranked sixth among the last seven presidents, based on fourteen metrics of economic activity and financial performance.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Winkler|first=Matthew A.|author-link=Matthew Winkler (journalist)|date=January 28, 2019|title=Ranking the Trump Economy|work=]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-01-28/trump-economy-lags-clinton-s-obama-s-reagan-s-and-even-carter-s|access-date=January 28, 2019}}</ref> Trump repeatedly and falsely characterized the economy during his presidency as the best in American history.<ref>* {{#invoke:Cite news||last=Smialek|first=Jeanna|date=June 7, 2018|title=Trump Says the U.S. Economy Is the 'Greatest' Ever. It's Not|work=]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-07/sorry-mr-president-but-best-economy-was-probably-eisenhower-s|access-date=May 27, 2019}} * {{#invoke:Cite news||last=Kessler|first=Glenn|author-link=Glenn Kessler (journalist)|date=September 7, 2018|title=President Trump's repeated claim: 'The greatest economy in the history of our country'|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/07/president-trumps-repeated-claim-greatest-economy-history-our-country/|access-date=May 27, 2019}} * {{#invoke:Cite news||last=Puzzanghera|first=Jim|date=November 4, 2018|title=The truth about Trump's 'greatest economy' claims|work=]|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-trump-economy-sectors-20181104-story.html|access-date=May 27, 2019}} * {{#invoke:Cite news||last=Schoen|first=John W.|author-link=John W. Schoen|date=November 5, 2018|title=Four charts show why Trump's claims about the US economy just don't add up|work=]|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/03/trumps-campaign-claims-about-his-economic-record-just-dont-add-up.html|access-date=May 27, 2019}}</ref>
|}
] CEO ] at the ] rollout ceremony]]
In February 2020, amid the ], the U.S. entered ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=It's Official: U.S. Economy Is In A Recession|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/08/872336272/its-official-scorekeepers-say-u-s-economy-is-in-a-recession|access-date=June 28, 2020|website=]|date=June 8, 2020|last1=Horsley|first1=Scott}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Determination of the February 2020 Peak in US Economic Activity|url=https://www.nber.org/cycles/june2020.html|access-date=June 28, 2020 |date=June 8, 2020 |website=]}}</ref>
==Leadership style and philosophy==
==== Taxation ====
In April 2017, after Trump was asked if he stood by his unproven allegation that his "sick" and "bad" predecessor Barack Obama had wiretapped him, Trump replied: "I don't stand by anything."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dickerson |first1=John |title=President Trump's interview in the Oval Office: Full Transcript |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-trump-oval-office-interview-cbs-this-morning-full-transcript/ |publisher=] |accessdate=23 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Holmes |first1=Jack |title=Here Are the Five Defining Words of the Trump Presidency |url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/videos/a54827/trump-i-dont-stand-by-anything/ |work=] |accessdate=23 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosza |first1=Matthew |title=“I don’t stand by anything”: Donald Trump gets angry when journalist asks him about wiretapping claims |url=https://www.salon.com/2017/05/01/i-dont-stand-by-anything-donald-trump-gets-angry-when-journalist-asks-him-about-wiretapping-claims/ |website=] |accessdate=23 June 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|Taxation in the United States}}
{{See also|Tax Cuts and Jobs Act}}
In September 2017, Trump proposed the most sweeping federal tax overhaul in many years.<ref name="Davis-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Davis|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|last2=Rappeport|first2=Alan|date=September 27, 2017|title=Trump Proposes the Most Sweeping Tax Overhaul in Decades|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/us/politics/trump-tax-cut-plan-middle-class-deficit.html|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> Trump signed ] on December 22, 2017, after it passed Congress on party-line votes.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=December 20, 2017|title=Republicans pass historic tax cuts without a single Democratic vote |work=]|url=https://www.axios.com/republicans-pass-historic-tax-cuts-without-a-single-democratic-vote-1515110718-8cdf005c-c1c9-481a-975b-72336765ebe4.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref name="KaplanRappeport">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/us/politics/tax-bill-vote-congress.html |access-date=November 10, 2021 |newspaper=]|title=Republican Tax Bill Passes Senate in 51-48 Vote |first1=Thomas |last1=Kaplan |first2=Alan |last2= Rappeport |date=December 19, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Radnofsky">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-signs-sweeping-tax-overhaul-into-law-1513959753 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |newspaper=] |date=December 22, 2017 |title=Trump Signs Sweeping Tax Overhaul Into Law |first=Louise |last=Radnofsky}}</ref> The tax bill was the first major legislation signed by Trump.<ref name="Timm">{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-signs-tax-cut-bill-first-big-legislative-win-n832141 |work=] |title=Trump signs tax cut bill, first big legislative win |date=December 22, 2017 |first=Jane C. |last=Timm}}</ref> The $1.5 trillion bill reduced the corporate federal tax rate from 35% to 21%,<ref name="KaplanRappeport" /> its lowest point since 1939.<ref name="Radnofsky" /> The bill also cut the individual tax rate, reducing the top rate from 39.6% to 37%, although these individual tax cuts expire after 2025;<ref name="KaplanRappeport" /> as a result, "by 2027, every income group making less than $75,000 would see a net tax increase."<ref name="Timm" /> The bill doubled the ] exemption (to $22 million for married couples); and allowed the owners of pass-through businesses to deduct 20% of business income.<ref name="KaplanRappeport" /> The bill doubled the ] while eliminating many ]s,<ref name="Timm" /> including the deduction for state and local taxes.<ref name="KaplanRappeport" /> The bill also repealed the ] contained in the ].<ref name="Timm" />
According to ''The New York Times'', the plan would result in a "huge windfall" for the very wealthy but would not benefit those in the bottom third of the income distribution.<ref name="Davis-2017" /> The nonpartisan ] estimated that the richest 0.1% and 1% would benefit the most in raw dollar amounts and percentage terms from the tax plan, earning 10.2% and 8.5% more income after taxes respectively.<ref name="Matthews-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||title=The numbers are in: Trump's tax plan is a bonanza for the rich, not the middle class|work=]|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/29/16384274/big-six-tax-reform-congress-trump-tax-policy-center |first=Dylan |last=Matthews |date=September 29, 2017 |access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> Middle-class households would on average earn 1.2% more after tax, but 13.5% of middle class households would see their tax burden increase.<ref name="Matthews-2017" /> The poorest fifth of Americans would earn 0.5% more.<ref name="Matthews-2017" /> Treasury Secretary ] argued that the ] cut would benefit workers the most, while the nonpartisan ], the ] and many economists estimated that owners of capital would benefit vastly more than workers.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rubin|first=Richard|date=September 28, 2017|title=Treasury Removes Paper at Odds With Mnuchin's Take on Corporate-Tax Cut's Winners|work=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/treasury-removes-paper-at-odds-with-mnuchins-take-on-corporate-tax-cuts-winners-1506638463|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> A preliminary estimate by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that the tax plan would add more than $2{{spaces}}trillion over the next decade to the federal debt,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Kaplan|first=Thomas|date=September 28, 2017|title=With Tax Cuts on the Table, Once-Mighty Deficit Hawks Hardly Chirp|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/us/politics/trump-tax-cuts-deficit-republicans-congress.html|access-date=September 28, 2017}}</ref> while the Tax Policy Center found that it would add $2.4{{spaces}}trillion to the debt.<ref name="Matthews-2017" /> A 2019 ] analysis found that the tax cuts had "a relatively small (if any) first-year" growth effect on the economy.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Analysis – A new report further undermines Trump's claim that the tax cuts were economic 'rocket fuel'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/05/28/new-report-further-undermines-trumps-claim-that-tax-cuts-were-economic-rocket-fuel/ |first=Philip |last=Bump |newspaper=] |date=May 28, 2019 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> A 2019 analysis by the ] concluded that Trump's policies will add $4.1{{spaces}}trillion to the national debt from 2017 to 2029. Around $1.8{{spaces}}trillion of debt is projected to eventually arise from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Marcellus|first=Sibile|date=July 26, 2019|title=Trump adds $4.1 trillion to national debt. Here's where the money went|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-adds-41-trillion-to-national-debt-heres-where-the-money-went-162238723.html|access-date=July 30, 2019|website=]}}</ref>
=== False and misleading statements ===
==== Trade ====
As president, Trump has made a large number of false statements in public speeches, remarks, and in ].<ref name="Qiu">Linda Qiu, , ''The New York Times'' (April 29, 2017).</ref><ref name="KesslerHee">Glenn Kessler & Michelle Ye Hee Lee, , ''The Washington Post'' (May 1, 2017).</ref><ref>Linda Qiu, . ''The New York Times'' (June 22, 2017).</ref><ref>Sheryl Gay Stolberg, , ''New York Times'' (August 7, 2017).</ref> Trump uttered "at least one false or misleading claim per day on 91 of his first 99 days" in office according to ''The New York Times'',<ref name="Qiu" /> and 1,628 total in his first 298 days in office according to the "Fact Checker" analysis of ''The Washington Post'', or an average of 5.5 per day.<ref>{{cite web|authors=Glenn Kessler, Meg Kelly and Nicole Lewis|title=President Trump has made 1,628 false or misleading claims over 298 days|date=November 14, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/11/14/president-trump-has-made-1628-false-or-misleading-claims-over-298-days/ | access-date=April 1, 2018}}</ref> The ''Post'' fact-checker also wrote, "President Trump is the most fact-challenged politician that The Fact Checker has ever encountered... the pace and volume of the president's misstatements means that we cannot possibly keep up."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ye|first1=Hee Lee Michelle|last2=Kessler|first2=Glenn|last3=Kelly|first3=Meg|title=President Trump has made 1,318 false or misleading claims over 263 days|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/10/10/president-trump-has-made-1318-false-or-misleading-claims-over-263-days|work=]|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref> After 466 days in office, 3,001 false or misleading claims were had been documented, and it had risen to an average of 6.5 per day from 4.9 during Trump's first 100 days in office.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kessler |first1=Glenn|last2=Rizzo|first2=Salvador|last3=Kelly |first3=Meg|title=President Trump has made 3,001 false or misleading claims so far|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2018/05/01/president-trump-has-made-3001-false-or-misleading-claims-so-far/|work=] |date=May 1, 2018 |accessdate=May 14, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|Economic policy of the first Donald Trump administration#Trade}}
] (USMCA) alongside Mexican president ] and Canadian prime minister ] in ], Argentina, November 30, 2018.]]
] sign the Phase One ], January 15, 2020.]]
In March 2018, Trump imposed tariffs on ]s and ]s of 30–50%.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gonzales |first=Richard |date=January 22, 2018 |title=Trump Slaps Tariffs On Imported Solar Panels and Washing Machines |access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/22/579848409/trump-slaps-tariffs-on-imported-solar-panels-and-washing-machines |work=]}}</ref> In March 2018, he imposed tariffs on ] (25%) and ] (10%) from most countries,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Horsley|first=Scott|date=March 8, 2018|title=Trump Formally Orders Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum Imports|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/08/591744195/trump-expected-to-formally-order-tariffs-on-steel-aluminum-imports |access-date=November 10, 2021 |work=]}}</ref><ref name="Long">{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Long|first=Heather|date=May 31, 2018|title=Trump has officially put more tariffs on U.S. allies than on China|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/31/trump-has-officially-put-more-tariffs-on-u-s-allies-than-on-china/ |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> which covered an estimated 4.1% of U.S. imports.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Chance|first=David|date=March 5, 2018|title=Trump's trade tariffs: Long on rhetoric, short on impact?|work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-trump-rhetoric-analysis/trumps-trade-tariffs-long-on-rhetoric-short-on-impact-idUSKBN1GH37N |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> On June 1, 2018, this was extended to the ], ], and ].<ref name="Long" /> In separate moves, the Trump administration has set and escalated tariffs on goods imported from ], leading to ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Danielle |last1=Paquette |first2=David J. |last2=Lynch |first3=Emily |last3=Rauhala |title=As Trump's trade war starts, China retaliates with comparable tariffs of its own|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-fires-back-at-us-tariffs-vows-to-defend-its-core-interests/2018/07/06/f42fc812-8091-11e8-a63f-7b5d2aba7ac5_story.html |date=July 6, 2018 |access-date=July 6, 2018|newspaper=]}}</ref> The tariffs angered trading partners, who implemented retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=June 1, 2018|title=US tariffs a dangerous game, says EU|work=]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44324565 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> and adversely affected real income and GDP.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Amiti|first1=Mary|author1-link=Mary Amiti|last2=Redding|first2=Stephen J.|author2-link=Stephen Redding|last3=Weinstein|first3=David E.|author3-link=David E. Weinstein|year=2019|title=The Impact of the 2018 Tariffs on Prices and Welfare|journal=Journal of Economic Perspectives|volume=33|issue=Fall 2019|pages=187–210|doi=10.1257/jep.33.4.187|doi-access=free}}</ref> A CNBC analysis found that Trump "enacted tariffs equivalent to one of the largest tax increases in decades", while ] and ] analyses found the tariffs could wipe out the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 for many households.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump Tariffs Could Wipe Out Tax Cuts for Many Households|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-tariffs-could-wipe-tax-142911498.html |work=Yahoo! Finance |date=May 16, 2019 |first=Michael |last=Rainey |access-date=November 8, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=May 14, 2019|title=For Many Households, Trump's Tariffs Could Wipe Out The Benefits of the TCJA|url=https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/many-households-trumps-tariffs-could-wipe-out-benefits-tcja |first=Howard |last=Gleckman |access-date=November 10, 2021 |website=Tax Policy Center}}</ref> The two countries reached a "phase one" truce agreement in January 2020. The bulk of the tariffs remained in place until talks were to resume after the 2020 election. Trump provided $28 billion in cash aid to farmers affected by the trade war.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last2=Daly |first1=Hallie |last1=Gu |first2=Tom |date=August 5, 2019 |title=U.S. farmers suffer 'body blow' as China slams door on farm purchases |newspaper=]|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-agriculture-idUSKCN1UV0XJ |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Swanson|first1=Ana|last2=Rappeport|first2=Alan|date=June 23, 2020|title=Trump Signs China Trade Deal, Putting Economic Conflict on Pause|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/business/economy/china-trade-deal.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rappeport|first=Alan|date=February 18, 2020|title=U.S. Watchdog to Investigate Trump's Farm Bailout Program|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/us/politics/trump-farm-bailout-investigation.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> Studies have found that the tariffs also adversely affected Republican candidates in elections.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Blanchard|first1=Emily J|last2=Bown|first2=Chad P|last3=Chor|first3=Davin|date=2019|title=Did Trump's Trade War Impact the 2018 Election?|url=https://www.nber.org/papers/w26434 |publisher=] |journal=NBER Working Paper Series |series=Working Paper Series |doi=10.3386/w26434 |s2cid=207992615 |id=Working Paper 26434 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> An analysis published by ''The Wall Street Journal'' in October 2020 found the trade war did not achieve the primary objective of reviving American manufacturing, nor did it result in the ] of factory production.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Zumbrun|first=Josh|date=October 25, 2020|title=China Trade War Didn't Boost U.S. Manufacturing Might|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-trade-war-didnt-boost-u-s-manufacturing-might-11603618203 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref>
Three weeks after Republican senator ], chairman of the ], wrote an April 2019 ''Wall Street Journal'' op-ed entitled "Trump's Tariffs End or His Trade Deal Dies", stating "Congress won't approve ] while constituents pay the price for Mexican and Canadian retaliation," Trump lifted steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexico and Canada.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Salama|first1=Vivian|last2=Zumbrun|first2=Josh|last3=Mackrael|first3=Kim|date=May 17, 2019|title=U.S. Reaches Deal With Canada, Mexico to End Steel and Aluminum Tariffs|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-close-to-deal-with-canada-mexico-to-end-steel-and-aluminum-tariffs-11558110448 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> Two weeks later, Trump unexpectedly announced he would impose a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico on June 10, increasing to 10% on July 1, and by another 5% each month for three months, "until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Karni|first1=Annie|last2=Swanson|first2=Ana|last3=Shear|first3=Michael D.|date=May 30, 2019|title=Trump Says U.S. Will Hit Mexico With 5% Tariffs on All Goods|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/us/politics/trump-mexico-tariffs.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> Grassley commented the move as a "misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump says U.S. to impose 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports beginning June 10 in dramatic escalation of border clash|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/trump-prepares-to-threaten-mexico-with-new-tariffs-in-attempt-to-force-migrant-crackdown/2019/05/30/0f05f01e-8314-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html |first1=Damian |last1=Paletta |first2=Nick |last2=Miroff |first3=Josh |last3=Dawsey |date=May 30, 2019 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |newspaper=]}}</ref> That same day, the Trump administration formally initiated the process to seek congressional approval of USMCA.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump Pushes USMCA Approval Plan in Move That Irks Pelosi|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-30/trump-plows-ahead-with-usmca-approval-plan-as-democrats-waver |access-date=November 10, 2021 |date=May 30, 2019 |first1=Jenny |last1=Leonard |first2=Erik |last2=Wasson |website=]}}</ref> Trump's top trade advisor, ] ], opposed the new Mexican tariffs on concerns it would jeopardize passage of USMCA.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Salama |first1=Vivian |last2=Mauldin |first2=William |last3=Lucey |first3=Catherine |date=June 1, 2019|title=Trump's Threat of Tariffs on Mexico Prompts Outcry |access-date=November 10, 2021 |newspaper=] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trumps-top-trade-adviser-opposed-mexican-tariffs-11559320692}}</ref> Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump senior advisor Jared Kushner also opposed the action. Grassley, whose committee is instrumental in passing USMCA, was not informed in advance of Trump's surprise announcement.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump defies close advisers in deciding to threaten Mexico with disruptive tariffs|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-defies-close-advisers-in-deciding-to-threaten-mexico-with-disruptive-tariffs/2019/05/31/d87ae82c-83ba-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html |first1=Seung Min |last1=Kim |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |first3=Damian |last3=Paletta |date=May 31, 2021 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |newspaper=]}}</ref> On June 7, Trump announced the tariffs would be "indefinitely suspended" after Mexico agreed to take actions, including deploying its ] throughout the country and along its southern border.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Swanson|first2=Ana|last3=Ahmed|first3=Azam|date=June 7, 2019|title=Trump Calls Off Plan to Impose Tariffs on Mexico|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/us/politics/trump-tariffs-mexico.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' reported the following day that Mexico had actually agreed to most of the actions months earlier.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael D. |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |date=June 8, 2019|title=Mexico Agreed to Take Border Actions Months Before Trump Announced Tariff Deal |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/08/us/politics/trump-mexico-deal-tariffs.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref>
], writing in '']'', wrote: "All Presidents lie.... But Donald Trump is in a different category. The sheer frequency, spontaneity and seeming irrelevance of his lies have no precedent.... Trump seems to lie for the pure joy of it. A whopping 70 percent of Trump’s statements that PolitiFact checked during the campaign were false, while only 4 percent were completely true, and 11 percent mostly true."<ref name="Konnikova_1/20/2017">{{cite web | last=Konnikova | first=Maria | title=Trump's Lies vs. Your Brain | website=Politico Magazine | date=January 20, 2017 | url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658 | access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>
As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump pledged to withdraw from the ], a trade agreement with eleven ] nations which the United States had signed earlier that year. China was not a party to the agreement, which was intended to allow the United States to guide trade relations in the region. He incorrectly asserted the deal was flawed because it contained a "back door" that would allow China to enter the agreement later. Trump announced the American withdrawal from the deal days after taking office. Upon the American withdrawal, the remaining partners renamed it the ]. In September 2021, China formally applied to join that agreement in an effort to replace the United States as its hub; China's state-run '']'' said the move would "cement the country's leadership in global trade" and leave the United States "increasingly isolated."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Ye Hee Lee |first1=Michelle |title=Donald Trump's claim that China 'will enter' the Trans-Pacific Partnership 'at a later date' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/06/30/donald-trumps-claim-that-china-will-enter-the-trans-pacific-partnership-at-a-later-date/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Hopewell |first1=Kristen |title=Would China's move to join this transpacific trade pact push the U.S. to rejoin? It's complicated. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/27/would-chinas-move-join-this-transpacific-trade-pact-push-us-rejoin-its-complicated/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=September 27, 2021}}</ref>
Senior administration officials have also regularly given false, misleading or tortured statements to the media.<ref name=":14">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/15/trump-russia-trust-problem-238422|title=Trump's trust problem|work=Politico|access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> By May 2017, ''Politico'' reported that the repeated untruths by senior officials made it difficult for the media to take official statements seriously.<ref name=":14"/>
=== Education ===
Trump's presidency started out with a series of falsehoods initiated by Trump himself. The day after his inauguration, he falsely accused the media of lying about the size of the inauguration crowd. Then he proceeded to exaggerate the size, and ] backed up his claims.<ref name="Jaffe_1/22/2017" /><ref name="PolitiFact_1/21/2017">{{cite web | title=From the archives: Sean Spicer on Inauguration Day crowds | website=PolitiFact | date=January 21, 2017 | url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/21/sean-spicer/trump-had-biggest-inaugural-crowd-ever-metrics-don/ | access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref><ref name="FactCheck_1/23/2017">{{cite web | title=The Facts on Crowd Size | website=FactCheck | date=January 23, 2017 | url=https://www.factcheck.org/2017/01/the-facts-on-crowd-size/ | access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref> When Spicer was accused of intentionally misstating the figures, ], in an interview with NBC's ], defended Spicer by stating that he merely presented "]".<ref name="Jaffe_1/22/2017">{{cite web | last=Jaffe | first=Alexandra | url=http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/wh-spokesman-gave-alternative-facts-inauguration-crowd-n710466 | title=Kellyanne Conway: WH Spokesman Gave 'Alternative Facts' on Inauguration Crowd | publisher=NBC News | accessdate=January 22, 2017 }}</ref> Other notable claims by Trump which ] rated false include the claim that his electoral college victory was a "landslide"<ref name="PolitiFact_12/11/2016">{{cite web | last= | first= | title=Trump's electoral college victory not a 'massive landslide' | website=PolitiFact | date=December 11, 2016 | url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/dec/12/donald-trump/donald-trumps-electoral-college-victory-was-not-ma/ | access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref><ref name="FactCheck_11/29/2016">{{cite web | title=Trump Landslide? Nope | website=FactCheck | date=November 29, 2016 | url=https://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/trump-landslide-nope/ | access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Seipel_12/11/2016">{{cite web | last=Seipel | first=Arnie | title=FACT CHECK: Trump Falsely Claims A 'Massive Landslide Victory' | website=NPR | date=December 11, 2016 | url=https://www.npr.org/2016/12/11/505182622/fact-check-trump-claims-a-massive-landslide-victory-but-history-differs | access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref> and that Hillary Clinton received 3-5 million illegal votes.<ref name="PolitiFact_11/27/2016">{{cite web | title=Pants on Fire for Trump claim that millions voted illegally | website=PolitiFact | date=November 27, 2016 | url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/nov/28/donald-trump/donald-trumps-pants-fire-claim-millions-illegal-vo/ | access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|Education in the United States}}
]
Trump appointed ] as his secretary of education. Her nomination was confirmed on a 50–50 Senate vote with Vice President Pence called upon to break the tie (the first time a vice president had cast a tie-breaking vote on a Cabinet nomination).<ref name="Brown">{{#invoke:Cite web||first=Emma|last=Brown|title=With historic tiebreaker from Pence, DeVos confirmed as education secretary|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/senate-to-vote-today-on-confirmation-of-betsy-devos/2017/02/06/fd4b7e9c-ec85-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html|newspaper=] |access-date=November 10, 2021 |date=February 6, 2017}}</ref> Democrats opposed DeVos as underqualified, while Republicans supported DeVos because of her strong support of ].<ref name="Brown" />
===Relationship with the media===
]
Early into his presidency, the Trump administration developed a highly contentious relationship with the media, repeatedly describing it as the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bondarenko|first1=Veronika|title=Trump keeps saying 'enemy of the people' — but the phrase has a very ugly history|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-president-trumps-phrase-an-enemy-of-the-people-2017-2|publisher=Business Insider|accessdate=October 25, 2017}}</ref> Trump both privately and publicly mused about taking away critical reporters' White House press credentials (despite, during his campaign, promising not to do so once he became President).<ref name=":17">{{Cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/09/media/president-trump-press-credentials/index.html|title=Trump's latest shot at the press corps: 'Take away credentials?'|last=Collins|first=Brian Stelter and Kaitlan|work=CNNMoney|access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref> At the same time, the Trump White House gave temporary press passes to far-right pro-Trump fringe outlets, such as '']'', '']'', and '']'', which are known for publishing hoaxes and conspiracy theories.<ref name=":17" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://uk.businessinsider.com/infowars-granted-white-house-press-credentials-2017-5?r=US&IR=T|title=Conspiracy outlet InfoWars was granted temporary White House press credentials|work=Business Insider|access-date=May 9, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Grynbaum_2/13/2017">{{cite news | last=Grynbaum | first=Michael M. | title=White House Grants Press Credentials to a Pro-Trump Blog | website=] | date=February 13, 2017 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/business/the-gateway-pundit-trump.html | access-date=June 4, 2018}}</ref>
In 2017, Trump revoked an Obama administration memo which provided protections for people in default on ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=March 17, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/03/17/trump-administration-rolls-back-protections-for-people-in-default-on-student-loans/ |first=Danielle |last=Douglas-Gabriel |title=Trump administration rolls back protections for people in default on student loans |newspaper=]|access-date=March 18, 2017}}</ref> The ] cancelled agreements with the ] (CFPB) to police student loan fraud.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/policy/finance/349223-education-dept-ends-agreement-to-work-with-consumer-bureau-on-student-loan |title=DeVos ends agreement to work on student loan fraud|last=Lane|first=Sylvan|date=September 5, 2017|work=] |access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref> The administration rescinded a regulation restricting federal funding to ] unable to demonstrate that college graduates had a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio after entering the job market.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=DeVos Ends Obama-Era Safeguards Aimed at Abuses by For-Profit Colleges |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/us/politics/betsy-devos-for-profit-colleges.html |date=August 10, 2018 |work=] |first=Erica L. |last=Green |access-date=August 11, 2018}}</ref> Seth Frotman, the CFPB student loan ombudsman, resigned, accusing the Trump administration of undermining the CFPB's work on protecting student borrowers.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/2018/08/27/642199524/student-loan-watchdog-quits-blames-trump-administration |first=Cory |last=Turner |title=Student Loan Watchdog Quits, Says Trump Administration 'Turned Its Back' On Borrowers |work=] |date=August 27, 2018 |access-date=August 27, 2018}}</ref> DeVos marginalized an investigative unit within the Department of Education that under Obama investigated predatory activities by for-profit colleges. An investigation started under Obama into the practices of ], which operates for-profit colleges, was halted in early 2017, and the former dean at DeVry was made into the supervisor for the investigative unit later that summer. DeVry paid a $100{{spaces}}million fine in 2016 for defrauding students.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=May 13, 2018|title=Education Department Unwinds Unit Investigating Fraud at For-Profits|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/education-department-for-profit-colleges.html |first1=Danielle |last1=Ivory |first2=Erica L. |last2=Green |first3=Steve |last3=Eder |access-date=May 13, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
On his first day in office, Trump falsely accused journalists of understating the size of the crowd at his inauguration, and called the media "among the most dishonest human beings on earth". Trump's clams were notably defended by Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, who claimed that the inauguration crowd had been the biggest in history, a claim disproven by photographs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/trump-white-house-briefing-inauguration-crowd-size.html|title=With False Claims, Trump Attacks Media on Turnout and Intelligence Rift|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|last1=Davis|first2=Matthew|last2=Rosenberg|date=January 21, 2017 |accessdate=April 30, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway then defended Sean Spicer when asked about the falsehood, saying t it was an "]", not a falsehood.<ref name="Jaffe_1/22/2017" />
In 2017, the administration reversed an Obama administration guidance on how schools and universities should combat ] and ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/us/devos-colleges-sex-assault.html |newspaper=] |title=Betsy DeVos Reverses Obama-era Policy on Campus Sexual Assault Investigations |first1=Stephanie |last1=Saul |first2=Kate |last2=Taylor |date=September 22, 2017 |access-date=October 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Silva|first=Daniella|title=Betsy DeVos to Overhaul Obama-Era Title IX Guidance on Campus Sex Assault|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/betsy-devos-overhaul-obama-era-guidance-campus-sex-assault-n799471|date=September 7, 2017|website=]|access-date=October 29, 2019}}</ref>
On February 16, less than a month into his presidency, Trump held a press conference claiming that the media was not speaking for the people, but for special interests. He claimed that they were dishonest, out of control and doing a disservice to the American people.<ref>, ''The New York Times'', February 16, 2017.</ref> On February 17, 2017, Trump tweeted, "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!" <ref name="Washington Post 2018">{{cite web | title=Trump makes it explicit: Negative coverage of him is fake coverage | website=Washington Post | date=May 9, 2018 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/09/trump-makes-it-explicit-negative-coverage-of-him-is-fake-coverage/ | access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/02/17/president-donald-trump-twitter-media-enemy-of-the-american-people/|title=Trump Calls Media 'Enemy Of The American People' In Latest Attack|agency=Associated Press|publisher=KPIX |date=February 17, 2017|access-date=February 17, 2017}}</ref> Trump's first press conference was also the last (as of May 2018). For comparison, Barack Obama had held 11 solo press conferences by the end of his first year, George W. Bush held five, and Bill Clinton held 12.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Joyella|first1=Mark|title=Trump Has Abandoned The Press Briefing Room And Reporters Should Too|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/markjoyella/2018/02/15/trump-has-abandoned-the-press-briefing-room-and-reporters-should-too/#13b83bccf69e|website=Forbes|accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref>
=== Election integrity ===
Also in February, Trump objected to news media's reliance on ]s for some of its news. Four days later, a ] report detailed Trump's own request to be quoted only as a "senior administration official" at a "private meeting with national news anchors", with the internet media website citing "attendees at the meeting".<ref>Perlberg, Steven, and Adrian Carrasquillo, , BuzzFeed, February 28, 2017. Including a link to ]; ] and Tal Kopan, , CNN, March 1, 2017. The CNN ] uses the phrase "senior administration official" as a citation in its text. Per BuzzFeed, Tapper and Blitzer were two of the attendees at the meeting. Retrieved March 22, 2017.</ref>
On the eve of the 2018 midterm elections, ''Politico'' described the Trump administration's efforts to combat election propaganda as "rudderless". At the same time, U.S. intelligence agencies warned about "ongoing campaigns" by Russia, China, and Iran to influence American elections.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/31/2018-elections-security-disinformation-trump-administration-response-949703 |first=Eric |last=Geller |date=October 31, 2018 |title=Inside the Trump administration's rudderless fight to counter election propaganda|work=]|access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref>
=== Energy ===
On February 24, the Trump administration blocked reporters from ''The New York Times'', BuzzFeed News, CNN, ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''Politico'' from attending an off-camera briefing with Press Secretary ]. Reporters from ''Time'' magazine and The Associated Press chose not to attend the briefing in protest at the White House’s actions. ''The New York Times'' described the move as "a highly unusual breach of relations between the White House and its press corps", and the ] issued a statement of protest.<ref name=":8">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/us/politics/white-house-sean-spicer-briefing.html|title=White House Bars Times and 2 Other News Outlets From Briefing|last=Grynbaum|first=Michael M.|date=February 24, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=February 24, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/reporters-blocked-white-house-gaggle-235360|title=White House selectively blocks media outlets from briefing with Spicer|last=Gold|first=Hadas|date=February 24, 2017|newspaper=Politico|access-date=February 24, 2017}}</ref>
{{Further|Infrastructure policy of Donald Trump#Energy}}
The administration's "]" did not mention ] and instead focused on ]s.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/business/energy-environment/trump-energy-plan-climate.html|title=Trump Got Nearly $1 Million in Energy-Efficiency Subsidies in 2012|last=Tabuchi|first=Hiroko|author-link=Hiroko Tabuchi|date=March 3, 2017|work=]|access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref> The administration enacted 30% tariffs on imported ]s. The American solar energy industry is highly reliant on foreign parts (80% of parts are made abroad); as a result, the tariffs could raise the costs of ], reduce innovation and reduce jobs in the industry{{snd}}which in 2017 employed nearly four times as many American workers as the coal industry.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/politics/trump-solar-tariffs.html|title=Trump's Solar Tariffs Are Clouding the Industry's Future|last1=Swanson|first1=Ana|last2=Plumer|first2=Brad|date=2018|work=]|access-date=January 24, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-22/trump-taxes-solar-imports-in-biggest-blow-to-clean-energy-yet |first1=Brian |last1=Eckhouse |first2=Ari |last2=Natter |first3=Chris |last3=Martin |title=Trump's Solar Tariffs Mark Biggest Blow to Renewables Yet|date=January 22, 2018|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=January 23, 2018}}</ref> The administration reversed standards put in place to make commonly used lightbulbs more energy-efficient.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757623821/trump-administration-reverses-standards-for-energy-efficient-light-bulbs|title=Trump Administration Reverses Standards For Energy-Efficient Lightbulbs|website=]|date=September 4, 2019|access-date=December 26, 2019|last1=Sant|first1=Shannon Van}}</ref>
In March, all major U.S. television networks declined to air a paid campaign ad placed by the 2020 Trump campaign which included a graphic claiming that mainstream media is "fake news". In a statement, CNN said that they refused the ad per policy because it was false to state that mainstream media is fake news. Lara Trump, daughter-in-law to Trump and adviser for his campaign, called the rejection a "chilling precedent against free speech rights."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yee|first1=Lawrence'|title=All Major TV Networks Block Trump's Fake News' Ad|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/donald-trump-fake-news-ad-1202410560/#!|work=Variety|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref>
Trump rescinded a rule requiring oil, gas and mining firms to disclose how much they paid foreign governments,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/14/trump-and-gop-killed-energy-corruption-rule-for-no-good-reason-advocates-say.html|title=Trump and GOP killed an energy anti-corruption rule for no good reason, advocates say |last=DiChristopher |first=Tom |date=February 14, 2017 |access-date=February 15, 2017 |work=]}}</ref> and withdrew from the international ] (EITI) which required disclosure of payments by oil, gas and mining companies to governments.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-eiti/u-s-withdraws-from-extractive-industries-anti-corruption-effort-idUSKBN1D2290 |date=November 2, 2017 |title=U.S. withdraws from extractive industries anti-corruption effort |last=Simon |first=Julia |access-date=November 3, 2017 |work=]}}</ref>
The relationship between Trump, the media, and ] has been studied. One study found that between October 7 and November 14, 2016, while 1 in 4 Americans visited a fake news website, "Trump supporters visited the most fake news websites, which were overwhelmingly pro-Trump" and "almost 6 in 10 visits to fake news websites came from the 10% of people with the most conservative online information diets".<ref name="Guess_Nyhan_Reifler_1/9/2018">{{cite web | last1=Guess | first1=Andrew | last2=Nyhan | first2=Brendan | last3=Reifler | first3=Jason | date=January 9, 2018 | title=Selective Exposure to Misinformation: Evidence from the consumption of fake news during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign | website=Dartmouth.edu | url=https://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/fake-news-2016.pdf | accessdate=February 4, 2018 }}</ref><ref name="Allcott">{{cite journal | author1=H. Allcott | author2=M.Gentzkow | year=2017 | title=Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 election | journal=Journal of Economic Perspectives | volume=31 | number=2 | pages=211–236 | accessdate=May 3, 2017 | url=https://web.stanford.edu/~gentzkow/research/fakenews.pdf | doi=10.1257/jep.31.2.211 }}</ref> ], one of the authors of the study by researchers from ], ], and the ], stated in an interview on NBC News: "People got vastly more misinformation from Donald Trump than they did from fake news websites".<ref>{{cite web | last=Sarlin | first=Benjy | title='Fake news' went viral in 2016. This professor studied who clicked. | website=NBC News | date=January 14, 2018 | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/fake-news-went-viral-2016-expert-studied-who-clicked-n836581 | access-date=February 4, 2018}}</ref>
In 2017, Trump ordered the reversal of an Obama-era ban on new oil and gas leasing in the ] and ], in the ].<ref name="Davenport">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Coral |last=Davenport |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/30/climate/trump-oil-drilling-arctic.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump's Order to Open Arctic Waters to Oil Drilling Was Unlawful, Federal Judge Finds |work=] |date=March 30, 2019}}</ref> Trump's order was halted by a federal court, which ruled in 2019 that it unlawfully exceeded his authority.<ref name="Davenport" /> Trump also revoked the 2016 Well Control Rule, a safety regulation adopted after the ]; this action is the subject of legal challenges from environmental groups.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Steven |last=Mufson |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/ten-years-after-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-trump-administration-weakens-reforms/2020/04/19/f935ec1c-7ffc-11ea-8013-1b6da0e4a2b7_story.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Ten years after Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Trump administration weakens regulations |newspaper=] |date=April 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Sara |last=Sneath |url=https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_0a8f2f64-e070-11e9-9795-2f80e45ffc1d.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Environmental group sues over exemptions to safety rule put in place after Deepwater Horizon |work=] |date=September 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Laurel |last=Wamsley |access-date=November 11, 2021 |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/05/03/720008093/trump-administration-moves-to-roll-back-offshore-drilling-safety-regulations |title=Trump Administration Moves To Roll Back Offshore Drilling Safety Regulations |work=] |date=May 3, 2019}}</ref>
In May 2018, Trump tweeted that "91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake)." ''The Washington Post'' described this Trump making it "explicit" that negative coverage on him has to be fake.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bump|first1=Philip|title=Trump makes it explicit: Negative coverage of him is fake coverage|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/05/09/trump-makes-it-explicit-negative-coverage-of-him-is-fake-coverage|work=]|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref> Also that month, journalist ] recounted that after Trump won the 2016 presidential election, he had told her that he kept attacking the media to "demean" and "discredit", "so when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Thomsen|first1=Jacqueline|title='60 Minutes' correspondent: Trump said he attacks the press so no one believes negative coverage|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/388855-60-minutes-correspondent-trump-said-he-attacks-the-press-so-no-one|publisher=]|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
]]]
In January 2018, the administration singled out Florida for exemption from the administration's offshore drilling plan. The move stirred controversy because it came after Florida governor ], who was considering a ], complained about the plan. The move raised ethical questions about the appearance of "transactional favoritism" because Trump owns a coastal resort in Florida, and because of the state's status as a crucial "]" in the 2020 presidential election.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/trump-looks-he-s-playing-favorites-florida-offshore-relief-n836381 |first1=Chuck |last1=Todd |first2=Mark |last2=Murray |first3=Carrie |last3=Dann |date=January 10, 2018 |title=Trump looks like he's playing favorites with Florida offshore relief|work=]|access-date=January 10, 2018}}</ref> Other states sought similar offshore drilling exemptions,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Camila |last=Domonoske |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/10/577064733/after-florida-gets-offshore-drilling-exemption-other-states-ask-for-the-same |title=After Florida Gets Offshore Drilling Exemption, Other States Ask For The Same |access-date=November 11, 2021 |work=] |date=January 10, 2018}}</ref> and litigation ensued.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Frank |last=Kummer |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/science/new-jersey-sues-u-s-why-was-florida-exempted-from-offshore-drilling-20181010.html |title=New Jersey sues U.S.: Why was Florida exempted from offshore drilling? |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=October 10, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Caroline |last=Cournoyer |url=https://www.governing.com/archive/tns-jersey-trump-offshore-drilling-florida-lawsuit.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Why Is Only Florida Exempt From Trump's Offshore Drilling Plan? New Jersey Sues to Find Out. |work=Governing |date=October 11, 2018}}</ref>
Despite rhetoric about boosting the coal industry, coal-fueled electricity generating capacity declined faster during Trump's presidency than during any previous presidential term, falling 15% with the idling of 145 coal-burning units at 75 power plants. An estimated 20% of electricity was expected to be generated by coal in 2020, compared to 31% in 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/us/politics/trump-coal-industry.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title='The Coal Industry Is Back,' Trump Proclaimed. It Wasn't. |first=Eric |last=Lipton |newspaper=] |date=October 5, 2020}}</ref>
Also in May 2018, Trump attacked ''The New York Times'' on their coverage of a White House briefing on the ]. Trump claimed that the anonymous "senior White House official" that the newspaper quoted "doesn't exist", instructing: "Use real people, not phony sources". Following Trump's claim, journalists provided audio evidence of the official being introduced as Matt Pottinger of the National Security Council, with White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah insisting that Pottinger's anonymity was required. The White House's invitation for the briefing to journalists also surfaced.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lucey|first1=Catherine|title=Trump’s ‘phony’ source turns out to be White House official|url=https://www.apnews.com/198bbbd69a1349f288b56c1088ac32e1/Trump's-'phony'-source-turns-out-to-be-White-House-official|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Delk|first1=Josh|title=Audio discredits Trump's claim that White House official 'doesn't exist'|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/389526-audio-revealed-from-source-trump-claimed-doesnt-exist|publisher=]|accessdate=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Rolli|first1=Bryan|title=Trump claims reporters’ source doesn’t exist—the media responds by proving Trump dead wrong|url=https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/donald-trump-white-house-source|work=]|accessdate=May 27, 2018}}</ref>
===UseofTwitter===
=== Environment ===
{{Main|Environmental policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}<!--] "Not every image ..."-->
{{Main|Donald Trump on social media|List of nicknames used by Donald Trump}}
Trump continued the use of ] from the ]. Trump has continued to personally tweet from @realDonaldTrump, his personal account, while his staff tweet on his behalf using the official @POTUS account. His use of Twitter has been unconventional for a president, initiating controversy and becoming news in their own right.<ref name="independent1">{{cite news|author=Andrew Buncombe|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-twitter-tweets-no-regrets-interview-financial-times-a7664641.html|title=Donald Trump does not regret sending any of his tweets|date=April 3, 2017|newspaper=The Independent|accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref> The Trump administration has described Trump's tweets as "official statements by the President of the United States".<ref>{{cite news|author=Elizabeth Landers|title=Spicer: Tweets are Trump's official statements|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=June 6, 2017|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720220333/http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-tweets-official-statements/index.html|archivedate=July 20, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref> A federal judge ruled in May 2018 that Trump's blocking of other Twitter users due to opposing political views violated the ] and that he must unblock them; however, according to a plaintiff, Trump has yet to comply with the unblocking order.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Zhao|first1=Christina|title=Trump ignores court ruling that he can’t block Twitter critics: ‘President thinks he’s above the law’|url=http://www.newsweek.com/trump-ignores-court-ruling-he-cant-block-critics-twitter-president-thinks-hes-943315?piano_t=1|work=]|accessdate=May 25, 2018}}</ref> The administration has appealed the court's ruling.<ref>{{cite news|author=Brent D. Griffiths|title=Justice Dept. appeals ruling in Trump Twitter-blocking case|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/04/justice-department-appeals-court-ruling-on-trump-twitter-blocking-case-624160|work=]|accessdate=June 5, 2018}}</ref>
By October 2020, the administration had overturned 72 environmental regulations and was in process of reversing an additional 27.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Popovich|first1=Nadja|last2=Albeck-Ripka|first2=Livia|last3=Pierre-Louis|first3=Kendra|date=2019|title=The Trump Administration Is Reversing 100 Environmental Rules. Here's the Full List.|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html|access-date=August 26, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> A 2018 '']'' study found that in Trump's first six months in office, the ] adopted a pro-business attitude unlike that of any previous administration, as it "moved away from the public interest and explicitly favored the interests of the regulated industries".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Dillon|first1=Lindsey|last2=Sellers|first2=Christopher|last3=Underhill|first3=Vivian|last4=Shapiro|first4=Nicholas|last5=Ohayon|first5=Jennifer Liss|last6=Sullivan|first6=Marianne|last7=Brown|first7=Phil|last8=Harrison|first8=Jill|last9=Wylie|first9=Sara|date=April 2018|title=The Environmental Protection Agency in the Early Trump Administration: Prelude to Regulatory Capture|journal=American Journal of Public Health|volume=108|issue=S2|pages=S89–S94|doi=10.2105/ajph.2018.304360|issn=0090-0036|pmc=5922212|pmid=29698086}}</ref>
]
His tweets have been reported as ill-considered, impulsive, vengeful,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/3/30/15114408/trump-tweets-freedom-caucus-new-york-times|title=Were those Trump tweets impulsive or strategic? The latest in a continuing series.|publisher=Vox|accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/us/politics/freedom-caucus-donald-trump.html|title='We Must Fight Them': Trump Goes After Conservatives of Freedom Caucus|first1=Glenn|last1=Thrush |authorlink=Glenn Thrush |first2=Jonathan|last2=Martin|date=March 30, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref> and ],<ref name="Schwarz_12/11/2017">{{cite web | last=Schwarz | first=Sam | title=Donald Trump bullied CNN anchor Don Lemon, network says after presidential tweet | website=Newsweek | date=December 11, 2017 | url=http://www.newsweek.com/cnn-responds-trumps-tweet-calls-him-bully-744613 | access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Cillizza_11/27/2017">{{cite news | last=Cillizza | first=Chris | title=Bully in Chief: Donald Trump proves it again with his 'Pocahontas' attack | website=CNN | date=November 27, 2017 | url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/27/politics/donald-trump-pocahontas-analysis/index.html | access-date=January 9, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Cillizza_10/10/2017">{{cite news | last=Cillizza | first=Chris | title=Donald Trump is acting like a fifth-grade bully | website=CNN | date=October 10, 2017 | url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/10/politics/trump-corker-liddle/index.html | access-date=January 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kraus|first=Rachel|title=Trump's called Elizabeth Warren 'Pocahontas' at least 26 times—and it's not OK|url=https://mashable.com/2017/11/28/trump-called-warren-pocahontas-at-least-26-times/#RIhOXdqr4sqM|accessdate=April 26, 2018|work=Mashable|date=November 28, 2017|quote=A "nickname" might sound harmless. But as we saw with "Crooked Hillary," Trump's epithetical bullying helps cement lies as truth, painting complicated situations and individuals with one wide, ugly stroke.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Benen|first=Steve|title=Treasury's Mnuchin tries to defend Trump's offensive antics|url=http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/treasurys-mnuchin-tries-defend-trumps-offensive-antics|accessdate=April 26, 2018|work=MSNBC|date=March 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Holden Vacanti Gilroy|first=Rosie|title=Donald Trump's Nicknames For Everybody He Dislikes, Ranked On A Scale He Would Understand|url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/160378-donald-trumps-nicknames-for-everybody-he-dislikes-ranked-on-a-scale-he-would-understand|accessdate=April 26, 2018|work=Bustle|date=May 12, 2016|quote=Just like the common elementary school bully, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is a big fan of nicknames.}}</ref> often being made late at night or in the early hours of the morning. His tweets about a Muslim ban were successfully turned against his administration to halt two versions of travel restrictions from Muslim-majority countries.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2017/03/blocked-immigration-ban-proves-trumps-tweets-will-haunt-presidency/|title=A court just blocked Trump's second immigration ban, proving his tweets will haunt his presidency|first=Issie|last=Lapowsky|work=Wired|accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref> He has used Twitter to threaten and intimidate his political opponents and potential political allies needed to pass bills. While trying to pass the ] of the Affordable Care Act, Trump attacked the conservative ], whose votes he needed.<ref name="nytimes1" /> Trump repeatedly used belittling nicknames such as ], ], and ] for his opponents during his campaign and continued the practice once elected, such as ] and ]. He used the nickname "Rocket Man" for ] of North Korea both in tweets and at a United Nations meeting.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/opinions/trumps-self-inflicted-humiliation-via-twitter-dantonio/index.html|title=Trump's self-inflicted humiliation via Twitter|first=Michael|last=D'Antonio|publisher=CNN|accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Selk|first1=Avi|title=Rocket Man' enters Trump's U.N. speech — and the president's universe of belittling nicknames|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/09/17/from-sleepy-eyes-to-rocket-man-a-compendium-of-belittling-nicknames-trump-has-invented/|publisher=The Washington Post The Fix blog|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref>
Analyses of EPA enforcement data showed that the Trump administration brought fewer cases against polluters, sought a lower total of civil penalties and made fewer requests of companies to retrofit facilities to curb pollution than the Obama and Bush administrations. According to ''The New York Times'', "confidential internal E.P.A. documents show that the enforcement slowdown coincides with major policy changes ordered by Mr. Pruitt's team after pleas from oil and gas industry executives."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/10/us/politics/pollution-epa-regulations.html|title=Under Trump, E.P.A. Has Slowed Actions Against Polluters, and Put Limits on Enforcement Officers|last1=Lipton|first1=Eric|last2=Ivory|first2=Danielle|date=December 10, 2017|work=]|access-date=December 11, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2018, the administration referred the lowest number of pollution cases for criminal prosecution in 30 years.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://apnews.com/d72a4d3dfb584d15949c88917b48ddf9|title=EPA criminal action against polluters hits 30-year low|last=Knickmeyer|first=Ellen|date=January 15, 2019|website=]|access-date=January 20, 2019}}</ref> Two years into Trump's presidency, ''The New York Times'' wrote he had "unleashed a regulatory rollback, lobbied for and cheered on by industry, with little parallel in the past half-century".<ref name="Lipton-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/26/us/politics/donald-trump-environmental-regulation.html|title=President Trump's Retreat on the Environment Is Affecting Communities Across America|last1=Lipton|first1=Eric|last2=Eder|first2=Steve|last3=Branch|first3=John|date=December 26, 2018|work=]|access-date=December 27, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In June 2018, ] and ] of ] estimated conservatively that the Trump administration's modifications to environmental rules could result in more than 80,000 additional U.S. deaths and widespread respiratory ailments.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Cutler|first1=David|author1-link=David Cutler|last2=Dominici|first2=Francesca|author2-link=Francesca Dominici|date=June 12, 2018|title=A Breath of Bad Air: Cost of the Trump Environmental Agenda May Lead to 80 000 Extra Deaths per Decade|journal=JAMA|volume=319|issue=22|pages=2261–2262|doi=10.1001/jama.2018.7351|issn=0098-7484|pmid=29896617|doi-access=free}}</ref> In August 2018, the administration's own analysis showed that loosening coal plant rules could cause up to 1,400 premature deaths and 15,000 new cases of respiratory problems.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/climate/epa-coal-pollution-deaths.html |newspaper=] |first=Lisa |last=Friedman|date=August 21, 2018 |title=Cost of New E.P.A. Coal Rules: Up to 1,400 More Deaths a Year |access-date=September 1, 2018}}</ref> From 2016 to 2018, air pollution increased by 5.5%, reversing a seven-year trend where air pollution had declined by 25%.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/24/climate/air-pollution-increase.html|title=America's Air Quality Worsens, Ending Years of Gains, Study Says|last=Popovich|first=Nadja|date=October 24, 2019|work=]|access-date=October 30, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Many tweets appear to be based on stories that Trump has seen in the media, including far-right news websites such as ], and television shows such as '']''.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-06-04|title=A Trump tweet echoed RT and Breitbart criticisms of the FBI’s Russia distraction|url=https://www.vox.com/world/2018/2/20/17029860/trump-rt-breitbart-fbi-russia|newspaper=Vox}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|accessdate=2018-06-04|title=Trump's Fox News Addiction Is Even Worse Than We Knew|url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a20681265/trump-fox-news-sean-hannity/|newspaper=Esquire|date=14 May 2018}}</ref> One notable example is the ] which appeared to originate in an unsubstantiated claim by ] on Fox News.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-napolitano-fox-news-20170320-story.html|title=Fox News pulls Judge Napolitano over his Trump wiretap claims|last=Battaglio|first=Stephen|website=latimes.com|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref> Despite a lack of evidence for the claims, Trump continued to push the claim in media and through Twitter.<ref name="autogenerated2" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Trump is still live tweeting 'Fox & Friends'|url=http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/18/media/trump-fox-friends-tweet/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=November 5, 2017}}</ref>
All references to climate change were removed from the White House website, with the sole exception of mentioning Trump's intention to eliminate the Obama administration's ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/us/politics/trump-white-house-website.html |date=January 20, 2017 |first=Coral |last=Davenport |title=With Trump in Charge, Climate Change References Purged From Website|newspaper=]|access-date=July 10, 2018}}</ref> The EPA removed climate change material on its website, including detailed ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/28/epa-website-removes-climate-science-site-from-public-view-after-two-decades/ |date=April 29, 2017 |first1=Chris |last1=Mooney |first2=Juliet |last2=Eilperin |title=EPA website removes climate science site from public view after two decades |newspaper=] |access-date=July 10, 2018}}</ref> In June 2017, Trump announced ], a 2015 climate change accord reached by 200 nations to cut ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/trump-paris-climate-agreement.html |first=Michael D. |last=Shear |title=Trump Will Withdraw U.S. From Paris Climate Agreement|date=June 1, 2017|work=]}}</ref> In December 2017, Trump{{snd}}who had repeatedly called ] a "hoax" before becoming president{{snd}}falsely implied that cold weather meant climate change was not occurring.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/28/politics/trump-global-warming-tweet/index.html |date=December 29, 2017 |title=Trump tweets that 'cold' East Coast 'could use a little bit of' global warming|first=Dan|last=Merica|work=]|access-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref> Through executive order, Trump reversed multiple Obama administration policies meant to tackle climate change, such as a moratorium on federal coal leasing, the ], and guidance for federal agencies on taking climate change into account during ] action reviews. Trump also ordered reviews and possibly modifications to several directives, such as the ] (CPP), the estimate for the "]" emissions, ] emission standards for new ], ] standards from ] and ] extraction, as well as any regulations inhibiting domestic energy production.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/3/27/14922516/trump-executive-order-climate|title=Trump's big new executive order to tear up Obama's climate policies, explained|last=Plumer|first=Brad|website=]|date=March 27, 2017|access-date=April 2, 2017}}</ref> The administration rolled back regulations requiring the federal government to account for climate change and ] when building infrastructure.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/climate/flooding-infrastructure-climate-change-trump-obama.html|title=Trump Signs Order Rolling Back Environmental Rules on Infrastructure|last=Friedman|first=Lisa|date=August 15, 2017|work=]|access-date=August 29, 2017}}</ref> The EPA disbanded a 20-expert panel on pollution which advised the EPA on the appropriate threshold levels to set for air quality standards.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/11/climate/epa-disbands-pollution-science-panel.html |first=Lisa |last=Friedman |newspaper=] |date=October 11, 2018 |title=E.P.A. to Disband a Key Scientific Review Panel on Air Pollution|access-date=October 24, 2018}}</ref>
Trump has used Twitter to attack ] who have ruled against him in court cases.<ref>Kristine Phillips, {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103144335/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/04/26/all-the-times-trump-personally-attacked-judges-and-why-his-tirades-are-worse-than-wrong/|date=November 3, 2017}}, ''Washington Post'' (April 26, 2017).</ref> Trump has also used Twitter to criticize officials within his own administration, including then-] ], then-] ], ] ], and at various times ] ].<ref name=":71">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitter-insults.html|title=The 459 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List|last=Lee|first=Jasmine C.|date=2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 14, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Tillerson was eventually fired via a tweet by Trump.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Singletary|first1=Michelle|title=Trump dumped Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a tweet. What’s the worst way you’ve been fired?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2018/03/15/trump-dumped-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-a-tweet-whats-the-worst-way-youve-been-fired/|work=]|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref> Trump has also tweeted that his ] is part of the ];<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump again at war with 'deep state' Justice Department|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/president-donald-trump-deep-state/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref> that "there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the ], Justice & ]" ];<ref name=":71" /> and that the ] is a "]!"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Griffiths|first1=Brent|title=Trump slams Comey, mentions Mueller for first time in tweet|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/17/trump-james-comey-andrew-mccabe-fbi-469008|publisher=]|accessdate=March 18, 2018}}</ref>
]
== Domestic policy ==
{{See also|Social policy of Donald Trump}}
The administration has repeatedly sought to reduce the EPA budget.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Samet|first1=Jonathan M.|last2=Burke|first2=Thomas A.|date=April 1, 2020|title=Deregulation and the Assault on Science and the Environment|journal=Annual Review of Public Health|volume=41|issue=1|pages=annurev–publhealth–040119-094056|doi=10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094056|pmid=31905321|issn=0163-7525|doi-access=free}}</ref> The administration invalidated the ], which limited dumping of toxic wastewater containing metals, such as arsenic and mercury, into public waterways,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/13/trump-administration-halts-obama-era-rule-aimed-at-curbing-toxic-wastewater-from-coal-plants/ |first=Brady |last=Dennis |date=April 13, 2017 |title=Trump administration halts Obama-era rule aimed at curbing toxic wastewater from coal plants|newspaper=] |access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref> regulations on ] (carcinogenic leftover waste produced by coal plants),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/18/health/epa-coal-ash-standards-bn/index.html |date=July 18, 2018 |title=EPA rolls back Obama-era coal ash regulations|first=Nadia|last=Kounang|work=]|access-date=July 24, 2018}}</ref> and an Obama-era executive order on protections for oceans, coastlines and lakes enacted in response to the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/20/trump-just-erased-an-obama-era-policy-to-protect-the-oceans/|title=Trump just erased an Obama-era policy to protect the oceans|last=Fears|first=Darryl|date=June 20, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=June 22, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The administration refused to act on recommendations from EPA scientists urging greater regulation of ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Trump officials reject stricter air quality standards, despite link between air pollution, coronavirus risks|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/14/epa-pollution-coronavirus/ |first1=Juliet |last1=Eilperin |first2=Dino |last2=Grandoni |first3=Brady |last3=Dennis |date=April 14, 2020}}</ref>
=== Abortion ===
The administration rolled back major ] protections, narrowing the definition of the "]" under federal protection.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.eenews.net/stories/1062934329 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425193046/https://www.eenews.net/stories/1062934329 |archive-date=April 25, 2020 |first1=Jeremy P. |last1=Jacobs |first2=Pamela |last2=King |title=Clean Water Act: Trump's rewrite is finalized. What happens now?|website=E&E News |publisher=] |date=April 21, 2020 |access-date=April 23, 2020}}</ref> Studies by the Obama-era EPA suggest that up to two-thirds of California's inland freshwater streams would lose protections under the rule change.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-clean-water-20181211-story.html|title=Trump administration unveils major Clean Water Act rollback|last=Halper|first=Evan|website=]|date=December 11, 2018|access-date=December 14, 2018}}</ref> The EPA sought to repeal a regulation which required oil and gas companies to restrict emissions of ], a potent ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/white-house-pressured-epa-on-changes-to-methane-leak-rule/|title=White House Pressured EPA on Changes to Methane Leak Rule|first=Maxine |last=Joselow |date=October 23, 2018 |work=Scientific American|access-date=October 24, 2018}}</ref> The EPA rolled back automobile fuel efficiency standards introduced in 2012.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump rolled back fuel-economy standards in the US this week to make vehicles 'substantially safer,' but his claims about car safety don't mesh with reality|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-eases-emissions-rules-make-cars-safer-but-ignores-facts-2020-4 |date=April 4, 2020 |last=King |first=Alanis |website=Business Insider |access-date=May 16, 2020}}</ref> The EPA granted a loophole allowing a small set of trucking companies to skirt emissions rules and produce ] that emit 40 to 55 times the air pollutants of other new trucks.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/06/us/glider-trucks-loophole-pruitt.html |newspaper=] |first=Eric |last=Lipton |date=July 6, 2018 |title='Super Polluting' Trucks Receive Loophole on Pruitt's Last Day|access-date=July 7, 2018}}</ref> The EPA rejected a ban on the toxic pesticide ]; a federal court then ordered the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos, because the EPA's own extensive research showed it caused adverse health effects in children.<ref name="Lipton-2018" /> The administration scaled back the ban on the use of the solvent ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/climate/epa-paint-stripper-methylene-chloride.html|title=E.P.A., Scaling Back Proposed Ban, Plans Limits on Deadly Chemical in Paint Strippers|last=Friedman|first=Lisa|date=March 15, 2019|work=]|access-date=March 23, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and lifted a rule requiring major farms to report pollution emitted through animal waste.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/447151-epa-exempts-farms-from-reporting-pollution-tied-to-animal-waste|title=EPA exempts farms from reporting pollution tied to animal waste|last=Beitsch|first=Rebecca|date=June 5, 2019|website=]|access-date=June 16, 2019}}</ref>
{{Main|Abortion policy of Donald Trump}}
Trump, in his first few days in office, signed an executive order reinstating the ] that requires all foreign ]s that receive federal funding to refrain from performing or promoting abortion as a method of family planning in other countries.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/abortion/315652-trump-signs-executive-order-reinstating-global-gag-rule-on|title=Trump reinstates ban on US funds promoting abortion overseas|last=Hellmann|first=Jessie|date=January 23, 2017|newspaper=The Hill|access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref>
The administration suspended funding on several ] studies,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-politics/20170821/trumps-interior-department-moves-to-stop-mountaintop-removal-study |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821171306/http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-politics/20170821/trumps-interior-department-moves-to-stop-mountaintop-removal-study |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |first=Ken Jr. |last=Ward |date=August 21, 2017 |title=Trump's Interior Department moves to stop mountaintop removal study|work=Charleston Gazette-Mail|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/12/21/this-study-aimed-to-make-offshore-drilling-safer-trump-just-put-a-stop-to-it/|title=This study aimed to make offshore drilling safer. Trump just put a stop to it.|last=Fears|first=Darryl|date=December 21, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=January 10, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> a multi-million-dollar program that distributed grants for research the effects of ]<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/375725-major-epa-reorganization-will-end-science-research-program |title=Major EPA reorganization will end science research program|last=Lejeune|first=Tristan|date=February 26, 2018|work=]|access-date=February 27, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Plumer-2019">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/28/climate/trump-administration-war-on-science.html|title=Science Under Attack: How Trump Is Sidelining Researchers and Their Work|last1=Plumer|first1=Brad|last2=Davenport|first2=Coral|date=December 28, 2019|work=]|access-date=December 29, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and $10-million-a-year research line for ]'s Carbon Monitoring System.<ref name="Voosen-2018">{{#invoke:Cite journal||last=Voosen|first=Paul|date=May 11, 2018|title=NASA cancels carbon monitoring research program|journal=Science|volume=360|issue=6389|pages=586–587|bibcode=2018Sci...360..586V|doi=10.1126/science.360.6389.586|issn=0036-8075|pmid=29748262}}</ref> including an unsuccessful attempt to kill aspects of ] program.<ref name="Voosen-2018" />
=== Criminal justice ===
]
In November 2017, the ''New York Times'' summarized the Trump administration's "general approach to law enforcement" as "cracking down on violent crime, not regulating the police departments that fight it. The changes to collaborative reform reflect the administration’s broader effort to overhaul programs that the Obama administration used to ease tensions between communities and the police."<ref name=":44">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/us/trump-justice-department-police.html|title=How Trump’s Hands-Off Approach to Policing Is Frustrating Some Chiefs|last=Eder|first=Steve|date=November 21, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=November 22, 2017|last2=Protess|first2=Ben|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Dewan|first3=Shaila}}</ref> The response from law enforcement to these changes were mixed.<ref name=":44" />
The EPA expedited the process for approving new chemicals and made the process of evaluating the safety of those chemicals less stringent; EPA scientists expressed concerns that the agency's ability to stop hazardous chemicals was being compromised.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/us/trump-epa-chemicals-regulations.html|title=Why Has the E.P.A. Shifted on Toxic Chemicals? An Industry Insider Helps Call the Shots|last=Lipton|first=Eric|date=October 21, 2017|work=]|access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/us/politics/epa-toxic-chemicals.html |first=Eric |last=Lipton |title=The Chemical Industry Scores a Big Win at the E.P.A.|date=June 7, 2018 |newspaper=] |access-date=June 8, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Internal emails showed that Pruitt aides prevented the publication of a health study showing some toxic chemicals endanger humans at far lower levels than the EPA previously characterized as safe.<ref name="Atkin-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://newrepublic.com/article/149280/military-drinking-water-crisis-white-house-tried-hide |first=Emily |last=Atkin |date=June 22, 2018 |title=The Military Drinking-Water Crisis the White House Tried to Hide|magazine=The New Republic|access-date=June 23, 2018}}</ref> One such chemical was present in high quantities around several military bases, including groundwater.<ref name="Atkin-2018" /> The nondisclosure of the study and the delay in public knowledge of the findings may have prevented the government from updating the infrastructure at the bases and individuals who lived near the bases to avoid the tap water.<ref name="Atkin-2018" />
In February 2017, Trump signed 3 executive orders pertaining to criminal justice: one calling for a reduction in crime (particularly ], ] and ]), one calling for the ] to combat ]s, and another prosecuting those who commit crimes against ].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=]|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/09/presidential-executive-order-task-force-crime-reduction-and-public|title=Presidential Executive Order on a Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety|location=]|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=]|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/09/presidential-executive-order-enforcing-federal-law-respect-transnational|title=Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking|location=]|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=]|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/09/presidential-executive-order-task-force-crime-reduction-and-public|title=Presidential Executive Order on Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Law Enforcement Officers|location=]|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref> Critics of the executive orders emphasized that they would disproportionately affect ] by encouraging ] and targeting ].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harden|first1=Casey|url=http://time.com/4679727/donald-trump-executive-orders-police/|title=How 3 of Donald Trump's Executive Orders Target Communities of Color|work=Time|date=February 27, 2017|access-date=August 18, 2017}}</ref>
The administration weakened enforcement the ], making it easier to start mining, drilling and construction projects in areas with endangered and threatened species.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/climate/endangered-species-act-changes.html|title=Trump Administration Weakens Protections for Endangered Species|last=Friedman|first=Lisa|date=August 12, 2019|work=]|access-date=August 12, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Friedman-2019">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/24/climate/trump-bird-deaths.html|title=A Trump Policy 'Clarification' All but Ends Punishment for Bird Deaths|last=Friedman|first=Lisa|date=December 24, 2019|work=]|access-date=December 24, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The administration has actively discouraged local governments and businesses from undertaking preservation efforts.<ref name="Friedman-2019" />
] to fallen police officers, May 15, 2017]]
In July 2017, the Department of Justice announced that it planned to reinstate the use of ], namely to seize the property of crime suspects. This would reintroduce asset forfeiture to 24 states that have banned the practice or limited its use so that it could only be used upon conviction. Local authorities in those states could now seize property from individuals who have not even been charged with a crime if the property is forwarded to the federal government.<ref name=":11">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sessions-signals-more-police-property-seizures-coming-from-justice-department/|title=Sessions reinstates asset forfeiture policy at Justice Department|access-date=July 19, 2017}}</ref> Previously, during a February 2017 meeting with sheriffs, when a sheriff complained about how "a state senator in Texas... was talking about legislation to require conviction before we could receive that forfeiture money", Trump responded to laughter, "Who is the state senator? Do you want to give his name? We'll destroy his career."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2017/02/07/trump-offers-destroy-texas-senator-help-rockwall-sheriff|title=Trump offers to 'destroy' Texas senator to help Rockwall sheriff|date=February 7, 2017|newspaper=Dallas News|access-date=February 7, 2017}}</ref>
The administration sharply reduced the size of two national monuments in ] by approximately two million acres, making it the largest reduction of public land protections in American history.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/trump-bears-ears.html|title=Trump Slashes Size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monuments|last=Turkewitz|first=Julie|date=December 4, 2017|work=]|access-date=December 5, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, Interior Secretary ] advocated for downsizing four additional national monuments and changing the way six additional monuments were managed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/zinke-backs-shrinking-more-national-monuments-shifting-management-of-10-others/2017/12/05/e116344e-d9e5-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html|title=Zinke backs shrinking more national monuments and shifting management of 10|last=Eilperin|first=Juliet|date=December 5, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=December 6, 2017|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 2019, the administration sped up the process for environmental reviews for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic; experts said the speeding up made reviews less comprehensive and reliable.<ref name="Federman-2019">{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2019/trump-science-alaska-drilling-rush/ |first=Adam |last=Federman |date=July 26, 2019 |title=How Science Got Trampled in the Rush to Drill in the Arctic|website=] |access-date=July 26, 2019}}</ref> According to ''Politico'', the administration sped up the process in the event that a Democratic administration was elected in 2020, which would have halted new oil and gas leases in the ].<ref name="Federman-2019" /> The administration sought to open up more than 180,000 acres of the ] in Alaska, the largest in the country, for logging.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/15/politics/alaska-national-forest-logging/index.html|title=Trump administration proposes new logging in nation's largest national forest|first=Gregory|last=Wallace|website=]|date=October 15, 2019|access-date=October 17, 2019}}</ref>
In a July 2017 speech to police officers, Trump appeared to advocate ], stating "And when you see these towns and when you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon — you just see them thrown in, rough — I said, 'Please don’t be too nice'", and, "Like when you guys put somebody in the car, and you're protecting their head, you know, the way you put your hand over. I said, 'You can take the hand away, O.K.?'" His remarks drew loud applause and laughter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Donald Trump seemingly endorses police brutality|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-long-island-brutality-police-suffolk-a7866071.html|accessdate=February 6, 2018|work=Independent|date=July 28, 2017}}</ref> The speech was condemned by law enforcement authorities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/29/nyregion/trump-police-too-nice.html|title=Police Criticize Trump for Urging Officers Not to Be 'Too Nice' With Suspects|last=Rosenthal|first=Brian M.|date=July 29, 2017|access-date=July 19, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
In April 2018, Pruitt announced a policy change prohibiting EPA regulators from considering scientific research unless the raw data of the research was made publicly available. This would limit EPA regulators' use of much environmental research, given that participants in many such studies provide personal health information which is kept confidential.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/climate/epa-science-transparency-pruitt.html |first=Lisa |last=Friedman |title=E.P.A. Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in Policymaking.|date=April 24, 2018|work=]|access-date=April 25, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The EPA cited two bipartisan reports and various nonpartisan studies about the use of science in government to defend the decision. However, the authors of those reports dismissed that the EPA followed their instructions, with one author saying, "They don't adopt any of our recommendations, and they go in a direction that's opposite, completely different. They don't adopt any of the recommendations of ''any'' of the sources they cite."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/how-the-epas-new-secret-science-rule/558878/ |date=April 25, 2018 |title=Scott Pruitt's New Rule Could Completely Transform the EPA|last=Meyer|first=Robinson|work=] |access-date=April 26, 2018}}</ref>
==== Presidential pardons and commutations ====
{{Main|List of people granted executive clemency by Donald Trump}}
Trump has issued a number of ]. In August 2017, he ], who had been convicted of ] for failing to comply with court orders to stop racially profiling Hispanics.<ref name=":73" /> In March 2018 he pardoned ], a sailor convicted for taking pictures aboard a ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Olson |first=Wyatt |url=https://www.stripes.com/news/us/trump-pardons-sailor-convicted-of-photographing-sub-s-nuclear-propulsion-system-1.515957 |title=Trump pardons sailor convicted of photographing sub's nuclear propulsion system |work=Stars and Stripes |date=March 9, 2018 |accessdate=March 10, 2018}}</ref> In April 2018, Trump pardoned ], chief of staff to former Vice President Dick Cheney, who was convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury in the ] of ] officer ].<ref name=":73" /> In May 2018, Trump granted a posthumous pardon to black heavyweight boxer ], who had been convicted in 1913 for taking his white girlfriend across state lines, per the "moral purity" ] of 1910.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44244687|title=Trump pardons black heavyweight champion|date=May 24, 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=May 31, 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> That same month, Trump pardoned conservative pundit ], who was convicted of illegal campaign contributions in a 2012 Senate race.<ref name=":73" /> ''The New York Times'' remarked that Trump took no action on more than 10,000 pending applications and that he solely used his pardon power on "public figures whose cases resonated with him given his own grievances with investigators."<ref name=":73">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/us/politics/dsouza-pardon.html|title=Trump Wields Pardon Pen to Confront Justice System|date=May 31, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 1, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In June 2018, Trump commuted the sentence of Alice Johnson, a 63-year old who was serving a life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense, after Kim Kardashian met Trump to lobby for her cause.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44390737|title=Trump grants Kardashian's clemency plea|date=2018-06-06|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-06-06|language=en-GB}}</ref>
In July 2020, Trump moved to weaken the ] by limiting public review to speed up permitting.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Friedman|first=Lisa|title=Trump Weakens Major Conservation Law to Speed Construction Permits |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/climate/trump-environment-nepa.html|website=]|access-date=July 21, 2020|date=July 15, 2020}}</ref> In August 2020, Trump signed the ] to fully fund the ]. He had intended to oppose the bill and gut the fund until Republican senators afraid of losing their reelection bids and the Senate majority changed his mind.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Maegan|last1=Vazquez|first2=Betsy|last2=Klein|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/04/politics/donald-trump-great-american-outdoors-act/index.html|title=Trump signs conservation funding law that will aid national parks|work=]|date=August 4, 2020 |access-date=September 4, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hulse|first=Carl|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/us/politics/senate-public-lands.html|title=Senate Moves Toward Preserving Public Lands, and Political Careers|work=]|date=June 11, 2020|access-date=September 4, 2023}}</ref>
=== Drug policy ===
{{Main|Cannabis policy of the Donald Trump administration}}In May 2017, ] ] ordered federal prosecutors to seek maximum sentencing for ].<ref name=":9">{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/attorney-general-sessions-orders-tougher-drug-crime-prosecutions-n758111|title=Attorney General Sessions orders federal prosecutors to seek the maximum term for drug offenses|access-date=May 12, 2017|publisher=NBC News}}</ref> This was a departure from policy by Obama's DOJ to reduce long jail sentencing for lower-level drug crimes.<ref name=":9" /> According to ''The New York Times'', the action ran "contrary to the growing bipartisan consensus coursing through Washington and many state capitals in recent years — a view that America was guilty of excessive incarceration and that large prison populations were too costly in tax dollars and the toll on families and communities."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/14/us/politics/jeff-sessions-criminal-sentencing.html|title=Bipartisan View Was Emerging on Sentencing. Then Came Jeff Sessions.|last=Hulse|first=Carl|date=May 14, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 14, 2017}}</ref>
=== Government size and regulations ===
In January 2018, Sessions rescinded federal policy that had barred federal law enforcement officials from aggressively enforcing federal cannabis law in states where the drug is legal.<ref name=":52">{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/19f6bfec15a74733b40eaf0ff9162bfa|title=Sessions ending federal policy that let legal pot flourish|access-date=January 4, 2018|agency=Associated Press|language=en-US}}</ref> The decision created uncertainty as to the legality of recreational and medical marijuana.<ref name=":52" /> The decision was harshly criticized by Cory Gardner, Republican Senator of Colorado, who said that Sessions' decision "directly contradicts" what Sessions told Gardner prior to his confirmation as Attorney General; Gardner threatened to hold up the confirmation of Justice Department nominees unless Sessions backed down.<ref name=":52" /> The Trump administration's decision contradicted then-candidate Trump's statement that marijuana legalization should be "up to the states".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-marijuana/trump-administration-to-end-obama-era-marijuana-policy-source-idUSKBN1ET1MU|title=Trump administration drops Obama-era easing of marijuana prosecutions|last=|first=|date=2018|work=Reuters|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref>
The administration imposed far fewer financial penalties against banks and major companies accused of wrongdoing relative to the Obama administration.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/trump-sec-doj-corporate-penalties.html |newspaper=] |first1=Ben |last1=Protess |first2=Robert |last2=Gebeloff |first3=Danielle |last3=Ivory |date=November 3, 2018 |title=Trump Administration Spares Corporate Wrongdoers Billions in Penalties|access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref>
In the first six weeks of his tenure, Trump suspended{{snd}}or in a few cases, revoked{{snd}}more than 90 regulations.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump-Era Trend: Industries Protest. Regulations Rolled Back. A Dozen Examples|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3480299-10-Examples-Industries-Push-Followed-by-Trump.html#document/p60/a341284|newspaper=] |via=] |access-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> In early 2017, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to slash two existing regulations for every new one (without spending on regulations going up).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump Signs Executive Order to Drastically Cut Federal Regs|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-signs-executive-order-to-drastically-cut-federal-regs |date=January 30, 2017 |work=]|access-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> A September 2017 ] review found that due to unclear wording in the order and the large proportion of regulations it exempts, the order had had little effect since it was signed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Bolen|first=Sheryl|title=Trump's 2-for-1 Regulatory Policy Yields Minimal Results|url=https://www.bna.com/trumps-2for1-regulatory-n73014470324/|date=September 29, 2017|publisher=]|access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref> The Trump ] released an analysis in February 2018 indicating the economic benefits of regulations significantly outweigh the economic costs.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/regulation/administration/375684-wh-quietly-issues-report-to-congress-showing-benefits-of|title=WH quietly issues report to Congress showing benefits of regulations|last=Rowland|first=Geoffrey|date=February 26, 2018|work=]|access-date=October 24, 2018}}</ref> The administration ordered one-third of government advisory committees for federal agencies eliminated, except for committees that evaluate consumer product safety or committees that approve research grants.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=McCausland|first=Phil|title=Trump's order to slash number of science advisory boards blasted by critics as 'nonsensical'|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1017921|website=]|access-date=June 16, 2019|date=June 15, 2019}}</ref>
That same month, the Department of Veterans Affairs said that it would not research cannabis as a potential treatment against PTSD and chronic pain; veterans organizations had pushed for such a study.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://taskandpurpose.com/va-will-not-study-medical-marijuana-ptsd-chronic-pain/|title=VA Says It Will Not Study Effects Of Medical Marijuana On PTSD And Chronic Pain|last=Clark|first=James|date=January 16, 2018|work=Task & Purpose|access-date=January 17, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
Trump ordered a ] of the civilian work force (excluding staff in the military, national security, public safety and offices of new presidential appointees) at the start of his term.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/2017/04/12/523473051/trump-lifting-federal-hiring-freeze|title=Trump Lifting Federal Hiring Freeze|newspaper=]|date=April 12, 2017|access-date=April 3, 2018|last1=Naylor|first1=Brian}}</ref> He said he did not intend to fill many of the governmental positions that were still vacant, as he considered them unnecessary;<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-no-plans-to-fill-unnecessary-appointed-positions |title=Trump: No Plans to Fill 'Unnecessary' Appointed Positions|last=Derespina|first=Cody|date=February 28, 2017 |access-date=March 6, 2017 |work=]}}</ref> there were nearly 2,000 vacant government positions.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/25/politics/donald-trump-cabinet-vacancies/ |title=Trump Still Has to Fill Nearly 2,000 Vacancies |last1=Kessler |first1=Aaron |last2=Kopan |first2=Tal |date=February 25, 2017 |access-date=March 6, 2017 |work=]}}</ref>
===Economy===
{{main|Economic policy of Donald Trump}}
{{see also|2018 United States federal budget|Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017}}
]<!--Replace with updated numbers when he enters office-->
Prior to Trump's election, the American economy had been expanding for over seven years, with steady growth in employment, a declining unemployment rate, and steadily rising home values, stock values and household income/wealth. Trump's economic policies centered around tax cuts, deregulation, trade protectionism and immigration reduction. As candidate and president, Trump has claimed his policies would spur much higher GDP growth, stating in December 2017, "I see no reason why we don’t go to 4, 5, even 6 percent,"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-06/trump-s-picture-of-6-growth-makes-him-rosiest-among-the-rosy|title=Trump Paints Picture of 6% Growth, Passing Even the Rosiest Forecasts|date=December 6, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=May 29, 2018|via=www.bloomberg.com}}</ref> figures that few if any economists consider possible on a sustained basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://money.cnn.com/2016/10/11/news/economy/trump-four-percent-growth-economists/index.html|title=Trump promises 4% growth. Economists say no way.|first=Patrick|last=Gillespie|publisher=|accessdate=May 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/25/economists-dont-buy-trumps-3-percent-gdp-growth-target.html|title=Economists don’t buy Trump’s 3 percent GDP growth target|first=John W.|last=Schoen|date=September 25, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=May 29, 2018}}</ref>
The administration ended the requirement that nonprofits, including political advocacy groups who collect so-called ], disclose the names of large donors to the ]; the Senate voted to overturn the administration's rule change.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-votes-to-overturn-trump-administration-donor-disclosure-rule-for-dark-money-groups/2018/12/12/92d8d93a-fe3d-11e8-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Senate votes to overturn Trump administration donor disclosure rule for 'dark money' groups|first=Michelle|last=Ye Hee Lee|date=2018|newspaper=]}}</ref>
During the 2016 campaign, Trump proposed $1 trillion in investments in infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and airports.<ref name="handicapping1" /> On February 12, 2018, Trump released a $1.5 trillion federal infrastructure plan during a meeting with several governors and mayors at The White House.<ref> ''The Hill'', February 12, 2018</ref> Congress showed little enthusiasm for the plan, with ] reporting, "President Trump's infrastructure plan appears to have crashed and burned in Congress"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/377681-trumps-infrastructure-push-hits-wall-in-congress|title=Trump's infrastructure push hits wall in Congress|first=Dustin|last=Weaver|date=March 10, 2018|publisher=|accessdate=May 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/27/cornyn-trump-infrastructure-might-not-happen-2018-430097|title=Congress punctures Trump’s infrastructure and aviation plans, in one day|publisher=|accessdate=May 12, 2018}}</ref>
=== Guns ===
One of the Trump administration's first actions was to indefinitely suspend a cut in fee rates for mortgages that the ] (HUD) had announced under the Obama administration. The cut in fee rates would have saved individuals with lower credit scores around $500 per year on a typical loan.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-fha-rate-cut-explained-20170123-story.html|title=Trump's team suspended a mortgage insurance rate cut. Here's what that means|last=Khouri|first=Andrew|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref>
{{Main|Gun law in the United States}}
The administration banned ]s after such devices were used by the gunman who perpetrated the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=The US Supreme Court Is Letting The Trump Administration's Bump Stocks Ban Take Effect|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/bump-stocks-ban-nationwide-gun-control-supreme-court |first=Zoe |last=Tillman |date=April 5, 2019 |access-date=July 13, 2019 |website=]}}</ref> In the wake of several ] during the Trump administration, including ], and ], Trump called on states to implement ]s to remove guns from "those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Lawrence|first=Elizabeth|date=August 5, 2019|title=After back to back shootings, Trump called for red flag laws. Here's what they are.|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/05/dayton-el-paso-shootings-what-red-flag-laws/1922428001/|work=]}}</ref> By November 2019, he abandoned the idea of red-flag laws.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Josh |last=Dawsey |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-quietly-abandons-proposing-ideas-to-curb-gun-violence-after-saying-he-would-following-mass-shootings/2019/10/31/8bca030c-fa6e-11e9-9534-e0dbcc9f5683_story.html |title=Trump abandons proposing ideas to curb gun violence after saying he would following mass shootings |newspaper=] |date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> Trump repealed a regulation that barred gun ownership from approximately 75,000 individuals who received ] checks due to mental illness and who were deemed unfit to handle their financial affairs.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Vitali|first=Ali|title=Trump Signs Bill Revoking Obama-Era Gun Checks for People With Mental Illnesses|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-signs-bill-revoking-obama-era-gun-checks-people-mental-n727221 |date=March 1, 2017 |work=]|access-date=February 16, 2018}}</ref> The administration ended U.S. involvement in the UN ] to curb the international trade of conventional arms with countries having poor human rights records.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||first=Bill|last=Chappell|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/26/717547741/trump-moves-to-withdraw-u-s-from-u-n-arms-trade-treaty|title=Trump Moves To Withdraw U.S. From U.N. Arms Trade Treaty|work=]|date=April 26, 2019}}</ref>
=== Health care ===
In September 2017, the Department of Justice said that it would not defend in courts a mandate that would have extended overtime benefits to more than 4 million workers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/349221-justice-department-drops-appeal-to-save-obama-overtime-rule|title=Justice Department drops appeal to save Obama overtime rule|last=Bowden|first=John|date=September 5, 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>
{{Main|Health care in the United States|Healthcare reform debate in the United States}}
{{Further|2017 Affordable Care Act replacement proposals}}
In September 2017, the Trump administration proposed ]. The proposal would reduce the corporate tax rate to 20% (from 35%) and eliminate the estate tax. On individual tax returns it would change the number of tax brackets from seven to three, with tax rates of 12%, 25%, and 35%; apply a 25% tax rate to business income reported on a personal tax return; eliminate the ]; eliminate personal exemptions; double the standard deduction; and eliminate many itemized deductions (specifically retaining the deductions for mortgage interest and charitable contributions).<ref name=":34">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/us/politics/trump-tax-cut-plan-middle-class-deficit.html|title=Trump Proposes the Most Sweeping Tax Overhaul in Decades|last=Davis|first=Julie Hirschfeld|date=September 27, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 27, 2017|last2=Rappeport|first2=Alan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax/trumps-tax-plan-to-propose-deep-u-s-rate-cuts-lacks-revenue-details-idUSKCN1C213M|title=Trump proposal slashes taxes on businesses, the rich; fuels deficit worries|year=2017|publisher=Reuters|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> It was unclear from the details offered whether a middle-class couple with children would have seen a tax increase or decrease.<ref name=":35">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/09/28/fact-checking-president-trumps-tax-speech-in-indianapolis/|title=Analysis {{!}} Fact-checking President Trump's tax speech in Indianapolis|last=Kessler|first=Glenn|date=September 28, 2017|work=The Washington Post|access-date=September 28, 2017|last2=Lee|first2=Michelle Ye Hee}}</ref>
The 2010 Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare" or the ACA) elicited major opposition from the Republican Party from its inception, and Trump called for a repeal of the law during the 2016 election campaign.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Haberkorn |first=Jennifer |title=Trump victory puts Obamacare dismantling within reach |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-victory-obamacare-risk-231090 |newspaper=] |date=November 9, 2016 |access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> On taking office, Trump promised to pass a healthcare bill that would cover everyone and result in better and less expensive insurance.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Handicapping Trump's first 100 days|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-first-100-days-policy-233871 |newspaper=] |date=January 20, 2017|access-date=January 20, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Jacobson" /> Throughout his presidency, Trump repeatedly asserted that his administration and Republicans in Congress supported protections for individuals with preexisting conditions; however, fact-checkers noted the administration supported attempts both in Congress and in the courts to roll back the ACA (and its protections for ]).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/24/trump-pledges-to-protect-obamacare-pre-existing-conditions-as-midterms-loom.html|title=Trump keeps promising to protect pre-existing condition coverage – but his policies say otherwise|last=Pramuk|first=Jacob|date=October 24, 2018|work=]|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Klein-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/18/politics/trump-pre-existing-conditions/index.html |date=October 18, 2018 |title=Trump: 'All Republicans' support pre-existing conditions, but White House policy says otherwise|first=Betsy|last=Klein|work=]|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/21/us/politics/fact-check-trump-pre-existing-health-conditions-.html |first=Linda |last=Qiu |date=September 21, 2018 |title=Trump Claims to Protect Pre-Existing Health Conditions. That's Not What the Government Says.|work=]|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2018/oct/05/donald-trump/donald-trumps-pants-fire-claim-about-democrats-pre/ |first=Louis |last=Jacobson |date=October 5, 2018 |title=Trump's 86th Pants on Fire claim is a health care doozy |work=]|access-date=October 29, 2018}}</ref>
Congressional Republicans made two serious efforts to repeal the ACA. First, in March 2017, Trump endorsed the ], a Republican bill to repeal and replace the ACA.<ref name="Perks-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/other/352587-timeline-the-gop-effort-to-repeal-and-replace-obamacare |title=Timeline: The GOP's failed effort to repeal ObamaCare |last=Perks |first=Ashley |date=September 26, 2017 |work=] |access-date=October 24, 2018}}</ref> Opposition from several House Republicans, both moderate and conservative, led to the defeat of this version of the bill.<ref name="Perks-2017" /> Second in May 2017, the ] narrowly voted in favor of a new version of the AHCA to repeal the ACA, sending the bill to the Senate for deliberation.<ref name="Perks-2017" /> Over the next weeks the Senate made several attempts to create a repeal bill; however, all the proposals were ultimately rejected in a series of Senate votes in late July.<ref name="Perks-2017" /> The individual mandate was repealed in December 2017 by the ]. The ] estimated in May 2018 that repealing the individual mandate would increase the number of uninsured by eight million and that individual healthcare insurance premiums had increased by ten percent between 2017 and 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||title=CBO's Revised View Of Individual Mandate Reflected In Latest Forecast |journal=] |url=https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20180605.966625 |first1=Joseph R. |last1=Antos |first2=James C. |last2=Capretta |date=June 7, 2018 |doi=10.1377/forefront.20180605.966625}}</ref> The administration later sided with a lawsuit to overturn the ACA, including protections for individuals with preexisting conditions.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump administration backs court case to overturn key Obamacare provisions |work=]|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/07/obamacare-trump-administration-court-case-texas-606930 |first=Renuka |last=Rayasam |date=June 7, 2018 |access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref>
] leaders, January 24, 2017]]
According to fact-checkers, Trump's assertion that the plan would not benefit wealthy people such as himself was false, as the elimination of the estate tax (which only applies to inherited wealth greater than $11 million for a married couple) benefits only the heirs of the very rich (such as Trump's children), and there is a reduced tax rate for people who report business income on their individual returns (as Trump does).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-plan-small-business-cut-details-2017-9|title=Trump's 'small business' tax cut is actually for rich people like Trump|last=Barro|first=Josh|date=September 27, 2017|publisher=Businesss Insider|accessdate=September 28, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":35" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-tax-passthrough/wealthy-financiers-could-gain-from-trumps-proposed-tax-cut-for-small-businesses-idUSKCN1C3175|title=Wealthy financiers could gain from Trump's proposed tax cut for small businesses|last=Becker|first=Amanda|date=September 28, 2017|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=September 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/sep/28/donald-trump/donald-trumps-dubious-claim-his-tax-plan-wont-bene/|title=Trump's dubious claim that his tax plan won't benefit him|publisher=Politifact|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> If Trump's tax plan had been in place in 2005 (the one recent year in which his tax returns were leaked), he would have saved $31 million in taxes from the alternative minimum tax cut alone.<ref name=":35" /> If the most recent estimate of the value of Trump's assets is correct, the repeal of the estate tax could save his family about $1.1 billion.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/28/us/politics/trump-tax-benefit.html|title=Trump Could Save More Than $1 Billion Under His New Tax Plan|last=Drucker|first=Jesse|date=September 28, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 29, 2017|last2=Popovich|first2=Nadja}}</ref> Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin argued that the corporate income tax cut will benefit workers the most; however, many economists and the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation and Congressional Budget Office estimate that owners of capital benefit vastly more than workers.<ref name=":36">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/treasury-removes-paper-at-odds-with-mnuchins-take-on-corporate-tax-cuts-winners-1506638463|title=Treasury Removes Paper at Odds With Mnuchin's Take on Corporate-Tax Cut's Winners|last=Rubin|first=Richard|date=September 28, 2017|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref>
Trump repeatedly expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail",<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/18/trump-tweet-obamacare-repeal-failure-240664 |title=Trump says he plans to 'let Obamacare fail' |last=Nelson |first=Louis |date=July 18, 2017 |work=] |access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> and the Trump administration undermined Obamacare through various actions.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-obamacare-sabotage-enrollment-cuts_n_59a87bffe4b0b5e530fd5751 |title=Trump Ramps Up Obamacare Sabotage With Huge Cuts To Enrollment Programs|last=Young|first=Jeffrey|date=August 31, 2017|work=HuffPost|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> The open enrollment period was cut from twelve weeks to six, the advertising budget for enrollment was cut by 90%, and organizations helping people shop for coverage got 39% less money.<ref name="Humer-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-cbo/obamacare-enrollment-to-fall-in-2018-and-beyond-after-cuts-cbo-idUSKCN1BP2Z5 |work=] |date=September 20, 2017 |first=Caroline |last=Humer |title=Obamacare enrollment to fall in 2018 and beyond after cuts: CBO|access-date=September 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/31/trump-obamacare-outreach-cuts-242225 |title=Trump administration slashes Obamacare outreach|last=Pradhan|first=Rachana|date=August 31, 2017|work=]|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katenocera/the-trump-administration-wont-support-state-obamacare |title=The Trump Administration Is Pulling Out Of Obamacare Enrollment Events |last1=Nocera |first1=Kate |last2=McLeod |first2=Paul |date=September 27, 2017 |work=] |access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> The CBO found that ACA enrollment at ] would be lower than its previous forecasts due to the Trump administration's undermining of the ACA.<ref name="Humer-2017" /> A 2019 study found that enrollment into the ACA during the Trump administration's first year was nearly thirty percent lower than during 2016.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Shafer|first1=Paul|last2=Anderson|first2=David|title=The Trump Effect: Postinauguration Changes in Marketplace Enrollment|journal=Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law |volume=44 |issue=5 |pages=715–736 |doi=10.1215/03616878-7611623 |pmid=31199870 |year=2019 |s2cid=189861794}}</ref> The CBO found that insurance premiums would rise sharply in 2018 due to the Trump administration's refusal to commit to continuing paying ACA subsidies, which added uncertainty to the insurance market and led insurers to raise premiums for fear they will not get subsidized.<ref name="Humer-2017" />
According to ''The New York Times'', the plan would result in a "huge windfall" for the very wealthy, it would not benefit those in the bottom third of the income distribution and it lacked sufficient details to ascertain if middle class Americans will see their taxes rise or fall.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/us/politics/trump-tax-plan-wealthy-middle-class-poor.html|title=Trump Tax Plan Benefits Wealthy, Including Trump|first=Binyamin|last=Appelbaum|date=September 27, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name=":34" /> The nonpartisan ] estimated that the richest 0.1% and 1% would benefit the most in raw dollar amounts and percentage terms from the tax plan, earning 10.2% and 8.5% more income after taxes respectively.<ref name=":37">{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/9/29/16384274/big-six-tax-reform-congress-trump-tax-policy-center|title=The numbers are in: Trump's tax plan is a bonanza for the rich, not the middle class|publisher=Vox|access-date=September 29, 2017}}</ref> Middle-class households would on average earn 1.2% more after tax, but 13.5% of middle class households would see their tax burden increase.<ref name=":37" /> The poorest fifth of Americans would earn 0.5% more.<ref name=":37" /> A preliminary estimate by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that the tax plan would add more than $2 trillion over the next decade to the federal debt,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/us/politics/trump-tax-cuts-deficit-republicans-congress.html|title=With Tax Cuts on the Table, Once-Mighty Deficit Hawks Hardly Chirp|last=Kaplan|first=Thomas|date=September 28, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 28, 2017}}</ref> while the Tax Policy Center found that it would add $2.4 trillion to the debt.<ref name=":37" />
], Trump announced an ], May 2017]]
The administration ended subsidy payments to ], in a move expected to raise premiums in 2018 for middle-class families by an average of about twenty percent nationwide and cost the federal government nearly $200{{spaces}}billion more than it saved over a ten-year period.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/13/557541856/halt-in-subsidies-for-health-insurers-expected-to-drive-up-costs-for-middle-clas |date=October 13, 2017 |first=Alison |last=Kodjak |title=Halt In Subsidies For Health Insurers Expected To Drive Up Costs For Middle Class|access-date=October 14, 2017 |work=]}}</ref> The administration made it easier for businesses to use health insurance plans not covered by several of the ACA's protections, including for preexisting conditions,<ref name="Klein-2018" /> and allowed organizations not to cover birth control.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/06/555970210/trump-ends-requirement-that-employer-health-plans-pay-for-birth-control |first=Alison |last=Kodjak |date=October 6, 2017 |title=Trump Guts Requirement That Employer Health Plans Pay For Birth Control|access-date=October 6, 2017|work=]}}</ref> In justifying the action, the administration made false claims about the health harms of contraceptives.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Carroll|first=Aaron E.|date=October 10, 2017|title=Doubtful Science Behind Arguments to Restrict Birth Control Access|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/upshot/doubtful-science-behind-arguments-to-restrict-birth-control-access.html|access-date=October 10, 2017}}</ref>
In October 2017, after the Senate deadlocked 50-50, Vice President Pence cast the ] to reverse a ] (CFPB) rule that placed limits on ] and made it easier for aggrieved consumers to pursue ]s against banks.<ref name=Bloomberg-Dex>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-25/consumer-bureau-s-arbitration-rule-overturned-by-vote-in-senate|title=The Senate Voted to Make It Harder to Sue Banks |publisher=] |last=Dexheimer|first=Elizabeth|date=October 24, 2017}}</ref> Democrats and other supporters of the rule argued that it provided consumer protection against mistreatment by banks; however, under the rules, individuals with individual complaints would still be subject to arbitration.<ref name=Bloomberg-Dex/> Financial firms lobbied for years against the rule and the Associated Press characterized the decision to end the regulation as a victory for Wall Street banks.<ref name=Bloomberg-Dex/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/big-banks-score-win-with-scrapping-of-consumer-dispute-rule/2017/10/25/1c15fc2a-b9a0-11e7-9b93-b97043e57a22_story.html|title=Consumers lose chance to sue banks in win for Wall Street|last=Sweet|first=Ken|date=October 25, 2017|work=The Washington Post|access-date=October 29, 2017}}</ref> The White House said, "By repealing this rule, Congress is standing up for everyday consumers and community banks and credit unions, instead of the trial lawyers, who would have benefited the most from the CFPB's uninformed and ineffective policy."<ref name=Bloomberg-Dex/>
The administration proposed substantial spending cuts to ], ] and ]. Trump had previously vowed to protect Medicare and Medicaid.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/12/trump-2020-budget-proposes-reduced-medicare-and-medicaid-spending.html|title=Trump 2020 budget proposes reduced Medicare and Medicaid spending|last=Pramuk|first=Jacob|date=March 12, 2019|website=www.cnbc.com|access-date=March 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-social-program-fights-some-republicans-fear-being-seen-as-the-party-of-the-1-percent/2019/03/29/9cfc3232-516b-11e9-a3f7-78b7525a8d5f_story.html |first1=Robert |last1=Costa |first2=Mike |last2=DeBonis |title=With social program fights, some Republicans fear being seen as the party of the 1 percent |date=March 29, 2019 |newspaper=]}}</ref> The administration reduced enforcement of penalties against nursing homes that harm residents.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rau|first=Jordan|date=December 24, 2017|title=Trump Administration Eases Nursing Home Fines in Victory for Industry|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/24/business/trump-administration-nursing-home-penalties.html|access-date=December 26, 2017|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> As a candidate and throughout his presidency, Trump said he would cut the ]. During his first seven months in office, there were 96 price hikes for every drug price cut.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Ricardo |last1=Alonso-Zaldivar |first2=Deb |last2=Riechmann|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/health_care/trump-says-new-proposal-will-lower-some-us-drug-prices/2018/10/25/db16c92a-d8ca-11e8-8384-bcc5492fef49_story.html|title=Trump says goal of proposal is to lower some US drug prices |newspaper=] |agency=] |access-date=November 5, 2018|archive-date=November 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106004923/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/health_care/trump-says-new-proposal-will-lower-some-us-drug-prices/2018/10/25/db16c92a-d8ca-11e8-8384-bcc5492fef49_story.html |date=October 26, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Abandoning a promise he made as candidate, Trump announced he would not allow ] to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower drug prices.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trumps-drug-price-retreat-adds-to-list-of-abandoned-populist-promises/2018/05/14/1989ace8-5781-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html|title=Trump's drug price retreat adds to list of abandoned populist promises|last=Paletta|first=Damian|date=May 14, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=May 14, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In December 2017, the Trump administration scrapped a proposed rule from the Obama administration that airlines disclose baggage fees, saying that rule would have "limited public benefit".<ref name=":48">{{Cite news|url=http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/363956-trump-admin-scraps-obama-era-proposal-requiring-airlines-to-disclose|title=Trump admin scraps Obama-era proposal requiring airlines to disclose bag fees|last=Zanona|first=Melanie|date=December 8, 2017|work=TheHill|access-date=December 11, 2017}}</ref> Consumer advocates had said that the lack of transparency among airlines about prices made it difficult for consumers to compare prices and rules.<ref name=":48" /> According to the ], the Trump administration had dramatically reduced enforcement of regulations against airlines; the fines levied by the administration in 2017 were less than half of what the Obama administration did the year before.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/as-airline-rules-relax-under-trump-heres-a-survival-guide-to-flying-in-2018/2017/12/27/693795ee-e444-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html|title=Perspective {{!}} As airline rules relax under Trump, here’s a survival guide to flying in 2018|last=Elliott|first=Christopher|date=December 28, 2017|work=Washington Post|access-date=January 3, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
==== Reproductive rights ====
In January and March 2018, ''ProPublica'' and the ''Associated Press'' reported that the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau had under Mick Mulvaney's tenure reduced enforcement of rules that protected consumers from predatory ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/consumer-financial-protection-bureau-drops-investigation-of-high-cost-lender|title=Newly Defanged, Top Consumer Protection Agency Drops Investigation of High-Cost Lender|date=January 23, 2018|website=ProPublica|language=en-us|others=Paul Kiel|access-date=January 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/8ed9d74512e646ff8449732930323240|title=Payday lenders, watchdog agency exhibit cozier relationship|agency=Associated Press|access-date=March 6, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
Trump reinstated the ], also known as the global gag rule, prohibiting funding to foreign ]s that perform abortions as a method of ] in other countries.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=December 18, 2018|title=U.S. alone in its opposition to parts of a U.N. draft resolution addressing violence against girls|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/12/18/latest-un-draft-resolution-america-has-problem-with-one-condemning-violence-against-girls/ |first=Rick |last=Noack |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219112540/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/12/18/latest-un-draft-resolution-america-has-problem-with-one-condemning-violence-against-girls/|archive-date=December 19, 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=December 19, 2018}}</ref> The administration implemented a policy restricting taxpayer dollars given to family planning facilities that mention abortion to patients, provide abortion referrals, or share space with abortion providers.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Belluck|first=Pam|date=February 22, 2019|title=Trump Administration Blocks Funds for Planned Parenthood and Others Over Abortion Referrals|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/health/trump-defunds-planned-parenthood.html|access-date=June 22, 2019|issn=0362-4331|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=June 22, 2019|title=Trump abortion rules on referrals, clinic locations can take effect during appeals, court rules|work=]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-abortion-rules-referrals-clinic-locations-can-take-effect-during-n1020641 |first1=Carla K. |last1=Johnson |first2=Ricardo |last2=Alonso-Zaldivar |access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref> As a result, ], which provides ] birth control services to 1.5 million women, withdrew from the program.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Chuck|first=Elizabeth|date=August 19, 2019|title=Planned Parenthood withdraws from Title X family planning program|work=]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/planned-parenthood-withdraws-title-x-family-planning-program-n1044041|access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref> Throughout his presidency, Trump pressed for a ban on ] and made frequent false claims about them.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Cameron |first=Chris |date=April 28, 2019|title=Trump Repeats a False Claim That Doctors 'Execute' Newborns|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/28/us/politics/trump-abortion-fact-check.html |access-date=November 12, 2021 |newspaper=]|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Greenberg|first=Jon|date=April 29, 2019|title=Do Democrats not mind 'executing' babies, as Trump said? |access-date=November 12, 2021 |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/feb/28/donald-trump/fact-checking-donald-trumps-tweet-saying-democrats/|website=Politifact}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Buncombe|first=Andrew|date=February 5, 2019|title=Trump says ban late-term abortion to stop babies from being 'ripped from mother's womb' in controversial State of the Union address|work=]|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-abortion-state-union-late-term-execute-baby-virginia-new-york-law-congress-a8765076.html|access-date=August 25, 2019}}</ref>
In 2018, the administration prohibited scientists at the ] (NIH) from acquiring new fetal tissue for research,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Wadm|first=Meredith|date=December 7, 2018|title=Updated: NIH says cancer study also hit by fetal tissue ban|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-administration-has-quietly-barred-nih-scientists-acquiring-fetal-tissue|access-date=December 14, 2018|website=Science {{!}} AAAS}}</ref> and a year later stopped all medical research by government scientists that used fetal tissue.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump halts fetal tissue research by government scientists|url=https://apnews.com/article/39680703a5eb4caf90d55ca75af64e50|date=June 5, 2019|first1=Ricardo|last1=Alonso-Zaldivar|first2=Lauran|last2=Neergaard|access-date=January 24, 2021|work=]}}</ref>
In January 2018, ''ProPublica'' analyzed specific claims made by President Trump about job creation in companies during the first year of his presidency; Trump claimed that 2.4 million jobs had been or would be created as a result of his policies.<ref name=":60">{{Cite news|url=https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/trump-job-promises|title=What Happened to All the Jobs Trump Promised?|work=ProPublica|access-date=January 29, 2018|language=en}}</ref> ''ProPublica'' found that only 136,000 new jobs were created, and that only 63,000 of those jobs could be potentially attributed to Trump's policies.<ref name=":60" />
The administration geared HHS funding towards ] programs for teens rather than the ] programs the Obama administration funded.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Hellmann|first=Jessie|date=April 20, 2018|title=Trump admin announces abstinence-focused overhaul of teen pregnancy program|work=]|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/384208-trump-admin-announces-abstinence-focused-overhaul-of-teen-pregnancy|access-date=October 26, 2018}}</ref>
For the first year when the Trump administration was fully in charge of the budget, the fiscal year of 2018, the federal government was on track to borrow nearly a trillion dollars; "this is the first time borrowing has jumped this much (as a share of GDP) in a non-recession time since Ronald Reagan was president."<ref name=":61">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/03/the-u-s-government-is-set-to-borrow-nearly-1-trillion-this-year/|title=Analysis {{!}} The U.S. government is set to borrow nearly $1 trillion this year, an 84 percent jump from last year|last=Long|first=Heather|date=February 3, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=February 4, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The budget shortfall was primarily due to the GOP tax bill of 2017.<ref name=":61" />
Trump's ] nominees, ], ], and ] voted to overturn ] and ] in ]. Trump took credit for the decision, which threw ] back to the states.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mangan |first=Lauren Feiner,Dan |date=June 24, 2022 |title=Trump takes credit for end of Roe v. Wade after his 3 Supreme Court justice picks vote to void abortion rights |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-decision-trump-takes-credit-for-supreme-court-abortion-ruling.html |access-date=August 31, 2023 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref>
During his tenure, Trump repeatedly sought to intervene in the economy in ways to determine corporate winners and losers.<ref name=":74">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/from-electricity-to-steel-trump-becoming-increasingly-active-in-trying-to-shape-the-economy/2018/06/01/c1a0692c-65b3-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html|title=Breaking from GOP orthodoxy, Trump increasingly deciding winners and losers in the economy|last=Mufson|first=Steven|date=2018-06-01|work=Washington Post|access-date=2018-06-02|last2=Lynch|first2=David J.|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> This was a shift from Republican orthodoxy. Trump, for example, sought to compel power grid operators to buy coal and nuclear energy to prevent those energy producers from shutting down due to competition from cheaper energy sources.<ref name=":74" /> Trump also sought tariffs on metals to protect domestic metal producers.<ref name=":74" /> Trump also publicly attacked Boeing and Lockheed Martin, sending their stocks tumbling.<ref name=":74" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/22/lockheed-martin-shares-take-another-tumble-after-trump-tweet.html|title=Lockheed Martin shares take another tumble after Trump tweet|last=Wang|first=Christine|date=2016-12-23|work=CNBC|access-date=2018-06-02}}</ref> Trump has repeatedly singled out Amazon for criticism and advocated steps that would harm the company, such as ending a mutually lucrative arrangement between Amazon and the US Postal Service and raising taxes on Amazon.<ref name=":74" /><ref name=":75">{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/31/politics/donald-trump-attacks-amazon-washington-post/index.html|title=Trump keeps up attacks on Amazon, WaPo|last=CNN|first=Veronica Stracqualursi,|work=CNN|access-date=2018-06-02}}</ref><ref name=":76">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/business/media/to-trump-its-the-amazon-washington-post-to-its-editor-thats-baloney.html|title=To Trump, It’s the ‘Amazon Washington Post.’ To Its Editor, That’s Baloney.|date=2018-04-02|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-06-02|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Trump has linked his criticism of Amazon to the fact that Amazon is owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns ''The Washington Post'', which Trump has derided as "fake news".<ref name=":75" /><ref name=":76" />
=== Education ===
==== Opioid epidemic ====
{{Main|Opioid epidemic in the United States}}
] and President Trump visit Saint Andrew's Catholic School in ], March 3, 2017]]
]s in the U.S. 1999-2022]]
In March 2017, the Trump administration revoked a memo issued by the Obama administration, which provided protections for people in default on student loans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/03/17/trump-administration-rolls-back-protections-for-people-in-default-on-student-loans/|title=Trump administration rolls back protections for people in default on student loans|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=March 18, 2017}}</ref>
]
Trump nominated ] to become the nation's drug czar but the nomination was withdrawn after an investigation found he had been the chief architect of a bill that crippled the enforcement powers of the ] and worsened the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/17/trump-says-drug-czar-nominee-tom-marino-is-withdrawing-after-washington-post60-minutes-investigation/|title=Trump says drug czar nominee Tom Marino is withdrawing after Washington Post/'60 minutes' investigation|last=Gearan|first=Anne|date=October 17, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=October 17, 2017}}</ref>
In September 2017, the Education Department announced that it would cancel agreements with the ] to police student loan fraud. The Education Department said that the CFPB had over-stepped its boundaries by addressing student loan fraud on its own, without directing the cases to the Education Department: the CFPB said that it was "surprised and disappointed" by the decision, and it had not overstepped its boundaries.<ref name=":27">{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/policy/finance/349223-education-dept-ends-agreement-to-work-with-consumer-bureau-on-student-loan|title=DeVos ends agreement to work on student loan fraud|last=Lane|first=Sylvan|date=September 5, 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>
Kellyanne Conway led White House efforts to combat the ]; Conway had no experience or expertise on matters of ], ], or law enforcement.<ref name="Ehley-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Brianna |last1=Ehley |first2=Sarah |last2=Karlin-Smith |date=February 6, 2018 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/06/kellyanne-conway-opioid-drug-czar-325457|title=Kellyanne Conway's 'opioid cabinet' sidelines drug czar's experts|work=]|access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> Conway sidelined drug experts and opted instead for the use of political staff. ''Politico'' wrote in 2018 that the administration's "main response" to the opioid crisis "so far has been to call for a border wall and to promise a 'just say no' campaign".<ref name="Ehley-2018" />
In September 2017, the Trump administration announced that it would rewrite a guidance by the Obama administration that instructed schools and universities to combat sexual harassment and sexual violence. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had previously criticized the guidance for undermining the rights of those accused of sexual harassment.<ref name=":28">{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/07/betsy-devos-to-revamp-obama-era-schools-sexual-assault-policy-242444|title=DeVos to revamp Obama-era schools sexual assault policy|work=Politico|access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>
In October 2017, the administration declared a 90-day public health emergency over the ] and pledged to urgently mobilize the federal government in response to the crisis. On January 11, 2018, twelve days before the declaration ran out, Politico noted that "beyond drawing more attention to the crisis, virtually nothing of consequence has been done."<ref name="Ehley-2018-2">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/11/opioids-epidemic-trump-addiction-emergency-order-335848 |first=Brianna |last=Ehley |date=January 11, 2018 |title=Trump declared an opioids emergency. Then nothing changed.|work=]|access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> The administration had not proposed any new resources or spending, had not started the promised advertising campaign to spread awareness about addiction, and had yet to fill key public health and drug positions in the administration.<ref name="Ehley-2018-2" /> One of the top officials at the ], which is tasked with multi-billion-dollar anti-drug initiatives and curbing the opioid epidemic, was a 24-year old campaign staffer from the Trump 2016 campaign who lied on his CV and whose stepfather went to jail for manufacturing illegal drugs; after the administration was contacted about the official's qualifications and CV, the administration gave him a job with different tasks.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/meet-the-24-year-old-trump-campaign-worker-appointed-to-help-lead-the-governments-drug-policy-office/2018/01/13/abdada34-f64e-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html|title=Meet the 24-year-old Trump campaign worker appointed to help lead the government's drug policy office|last=O'Harrow|first=Robert Jr.| date=January 13, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=January 14, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In May 2018, an investigation by ''The New York Times'' found that DeVos had marginalized an investigative unit within the Department of Education which under Obama investigated predatory activities by for-profit colleges. The unit had been scaled down from a dozen employees to three, and had been repurposed to process student loan forgiveness applications and focus on smaller compliance cases. An investigation started under Obama into the practices of DeVry Education Group, which operates for-profit colleges, was halted in early 2017, and the former dean at DeVry was made into the supervisor for the investigative unit later that summer. DeVry paid a $100 million fine in 2016 for defrauding students.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/education-department-for-profit-colleges.html|title=Education Department Unwinds Unit Investigating Fraud at For-Profits|date=May 13, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 13, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
=== Environmentand energy ===
==== COVID-19 pandemic ====
{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in the United States}}
{{Further|U.S. federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic#First Trump administration|Communication of the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic}}
].]]
In 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration reorganized the Global Health Security and Biodefense unit at the NSC by merging it with other related units.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/387191-trump-official-overseeing-pandemic-response-suddenly-leaves-admin|title=Trump official overseeing pandemic readiness exits|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|website=]|access-date=February 26, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105175454/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/387191-trump-official-overseeing-pandemic-response-suddenly-leaves-admin |date=May 10, 2018 |archive-date=November 5, 2020}}</ref> Two months prior to the ], the Trump Administration had cut nearly $200 million in funding to Chinese research scientists studying animal ]es.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Baumgaertner|first1=Emily|last2=Rainey|first2=James|date=April 2, 2020|title=Trump administration ended pandemic early-warning program to detect coronaviruses|url=https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-02/coronavirus-trump-pandemic-program-viruses-detection|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103154422/https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-02/coronavirus-trump-pandemic-program-viruses-detection|archive-date=January 3, 2021|access-date=April 3, 2020|website=]}}</ref> Throughout his presidency he also proposed budget cuts to global health.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Finnegan|first=Conor|title=Trump budget proposes cuts to global health amid two global health crises|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-budget-proposes-cuts-global-health-amid-global/story?id=68911515 |date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=February 26, 2020|website=]}}</ref> The Trump administration ignored detailed plans on how to mass-produce ] under a program that had been launched by the Obama administration to alleviate a mask shortage for a future pandemic.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/federal-government-spent-millions-to-ramp-up-mask-readiness-but-that-isnt-helping-now/2020/04/03/d62dda5c-74fa-11ea-a9bd-9f8b593300d0_story.html|title=Federal government spent millions to ramp up mask readiness, but that isn't helping now|last=Swaine|first=Jon|date=April 3, 2020|newspaper=]}}</ref>
From January to mid-March 2020, Trump consistently downplayed the threat posed by COVID-19 to the United States, giving many optimistic public statements.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Blake|first=Aaron|date=March 17, 2020|title=A timeline of Trump playing down the coronavirus threat|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/03/12/trump-coronavirus-timeline/|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> He accused Democrats and media outlets of exaggerating the seriousness of the situation, describing Democrats' criticism of his administration's response as a "hoax".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Mangan|first=Dan|date=March 17, 2019|title=Trump dismissed coronavirus pandemic worry in January – now claims he long warned about it|work=]|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/trump-dissed-coronavirus-pandemic-worry-now-claims-he-warned-about-it.html|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rupar|first=Aaron|date=March 18, 2020|title=Trump spent weeks downplaying the coronavirus. He's now pretending that never happened.|work=]|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/3/18/21184945/trump-coronavirus-comments-then-versus-now|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> By March 2020, however, Trump had adopted a more somber tone on the matter, acknowledging for the first time that COVID-19 was "not under control".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Dale|first=Daniel|date=March 17, 2020|title=Fact check: Trump tries to erase the memory of him downplaying the coronavirus|work=]|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/17/politics/fact-check-trump-always-knew-pandemic-coronavirus/index.html|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=March 18, 2020|title=Analysis: US presidential politics in the time of coronavirus|work=]|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/analysis-presidential-politics-time-coronavirus-200317202843984.html|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> Although the CDC recommended people wear ] in public when ] is not possible, Trump continually refused to wear one.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Lizza |first1=Ryan |last2=Lippman |first2=Daniel |title=Wearing a mask is for smug liberals. Refusing to is for reckless Republicans. |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/01/masks-politics-coronavirus-227765 |date=May 1, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120214749/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/01/masks-politics-coronavirus-227765 |archive-date=November 20, 2020 |access-date=June 8, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> He praised and encouraged protesters who violated ]s in Democratic states, as well as praised Republican governors who violated the White House's own COVID-19 guidelines regarding reopening their economies.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Smith|first=David|date=April 18, 2020|title=Trump calls protesters against stay-at-home orders 'very responsible'|work=]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/17/trump-liberate-tweets-coronavirus-stay-at-home-orders|url-status=live|access-date=May 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107092730/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/17/trump-liberate-tweets-coronavirus-stay-at-home-orders|archive-date=November 7, 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=May 4, 2020 |title=Trump cheers on governors even as they ignore White House coronavirus guidelines in race to reopen |newspaper=] |first1=Toluse |last1=Olorunnipa |first2=Griff |last2=Witte |first3=Lenny |last3=Bernstein |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-cheers-on-governors-as-they-ignore-white-house-coronovirus-guidelines-in-race-to-reopen/2020/05/04/bedc6116-8e18-11ea-a0bc-4e9ad4866d21_story.html |url-status=live |access-date=November 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121225809/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-cheers-on-governors-as-they-ignore-white-house-coronovirus-guidelines-in-race-to-reopen/2020/05/04/bedc6116-8e18-11ea-a0bc-4e9ad4866d21_story.html |archive-date=November 21, 2020}}</ref>
{{Further|Environmental policy of the Trump administration}}
A 2018 study in the '']'' found that that in the first six months of Pruitt's tenure as EPA head that the agency had adopted a pro-business attitude unlike that of any previous administration. The study argued "that the Pruitt-led EPA has moved away from the public interest and explicitly favored the interests of the regulated industries." The study found that the agency was vulnerable to ] and that the consequences for public and environmental health could be far-reaching.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dillon|first=Lindsey|last2=Sellers|first2=Christopher|last3=Underhill|first3=Vivian|last4=Shapiro|first4=Nicholas|last5=Ohayon|first5=Jennifer Liss|last6=Sullivan|first6=Marianne|last7=Brown|first7=Phil|last8=Harrison|first8=Jill|last9=Wylie|first9=Sara|date=2018-04|title=The Environmental Protection Agency in the Early Trump Administration: Prelude to Regulatory Capture|url=https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304360|journal=American Journal of Public Health|language=EN|volume=108|issue=S2|pages=S89–S94|doi=10.2105/ajph.2018.304360|issn=0090-0036|pmc=5922212|pmid=29698086}}</ref> At the end of 2017, ''The Washington Post'' summarized Pruitt's leadership of the EPA in 2017 as follows, "In legal maneuvers and executive actions, in public speeches and closed-door meetings with industry groups, he has moved to shrink the agency’s reach, alter its focus, and pause or reverse numerous environmental rules. The effect has been to steer the EPA in the direction sought by those being regulated. Along the way, Pruitt has begun to dismantle former president Barack Obama’s environmental legacy, halting the agency’s efforts to combat climate change and to shift the nation away from its reliance on fossil fuels."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/under-scott-pruitt-a-year-of-tumult-and-transformation-at-epa/2017/12/26/f93d1262-e017-11e7-8679-a9728984779c_story.html|title=How Scott Pruitt turned the EPA into one of Trump’s most powerful tools|last=Dennis|first=Brady|date=December 31, 2017|work=Washington Post|access-date=January 2, 2018|last2=Eilperin|first2=Juliet|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In December 2017, a ''New York Times'' analysis of EPA enforcement data found that the Trump administration had adopted a far more lenient approach to enforcing federal pollution laws than the Obama and Bush administrations. The Trump administration has brought fewer cases against polluters, sought a lower total of civil penalties and made fewer requests of companies to retrofit facilities to curb pollution. According to the ''New York Times'', "confidential internal E.P.A. documents show that the enforcement slowdown coincides with major policy changes ordered by Mr. Pruitt’s team after pleas from oil and gas industry executives."<ref name=":47">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/10/us/politics/pollution-epa-regulations.html|title=Under Trump, E.P.A. Has Slowed Actions Against Polluters, and Put Limits on Enforcement Officers|last=Lipton|first=Eric|date=December 10, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 11, 2017|last2=Ivory|first2=Danielle|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
The ] was led by Vice President Mike Pence, Coronavirus Response Coordinator ], and Trump's son-in-law ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael|last2=Weiland|first2=Noah|last3=Rogers|first3=Katie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-cdc.html|title=Trump Names Mike Pence to Lead Coronavirus Response|date=February 26, 2020|work=]|access-date=February 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200227003735/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-cdc.html|archive-date=February 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Congress appropriated $8.3{{spaces}}billion in emergency funding, which Trump signed into ] on March 6.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Keith|first=Tamara|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/06/812825943/trump-signs-coronavirus-funding-bill-cancels-trip-to-cdc|title=Trump Visits CDC After Coronavirus Fears Throw Schedule Into Chaos|date=March 6, 2020|work=]|access-date=March 7, 2020}}</ref> During his oval office address on March 11, Trump announced an imminent travel ban between Europe and the U.S. The announcement caused chaos in European and American airports, as Americans abroad scrambled to get flights back to the U.S. The administration later had to clarify that the travel ban applied to foreigners coming from the ], and later added Ireland and the UK to the list.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Specia|first=Megan|date=March 12, 2020|title=What You Need to Know About Trump's European Travel Ban|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/world/europe/trump-travel-ban-coronavirus.html|access-date=March 28, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Snyder |first=Tanya |title=White House adds U.K., Ireland to travel ban, hints at airline aid |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/14/white-house-adds-uk-ireland-to-travel-ban-129470 |date=March 14, 2020 |access-date=March 28, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> Previously, in late January 2020, the administration banned travel to the U.S. from China; prior to the decision, major U.S. carriers had already announced that they would no longer fly to and from China.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Tate|first=Curtis|title=Delta, American, United to suspend all China mainland flights as coronavirus crisis grows|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-flight-ban-delta-cuts-all-flights-white-house/4620989002/ |date=January 31, 2020 |access-date=April 3, 2020|website=]}}</ref> On March 13, Trump designated COVID-19 pandemic as a ], as the number of known cases of COVID-19 in the country exceeded 1,500, while known deaths exceeded 40.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Politi|first1=James|last2=Kuchler|first2=Hannah|date=March 14, 2020|title=Donald Trump declares US national emergency for coronavirus|work=]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/465543fa-655c-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5|access-date=March 18, 2020}}</ref>
In its first few days, the Trump administration instructed the ] (EPA) "to remove the website's climate change page, which contains links to scientific global warming research, as well as detailed data on emissions".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-epa-climatechange-idUSKBN15906G|title=Trump administration tells EPA to cut climate page from website: sources|date=January 25, 2017|access-date=January 25, 2017|publisher=Reuters}}</ref> Anticipating political interference that could result in loss of government data on climate, scientists had already started to source links and copy the data into independent servers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/13/scientists-are-frantically-copying-u-s-climate-data-fearing-it-might-vanish-under-trump/|title=Scientists are frantically copying U.S. climate data, fearing it might vanish under Trump|date=December 13, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> In January 2017, the Trump administration instituted a temporary ] for the EPA, which prevents EPA staff from issuing press releases or blog updates, posting to official EPA social media, or awarding new contracts or grants. The transition team clarified that this was to make sure the messages going out reflect the new administration's priorities.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-trailguide-updates-trump-administration-orders-media-1485281190-htmlstory.html|title=Trump Administration Orders Media Blackout at EPA|date=January 24, 2017|agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.popsci.com/usda-epa-science-gag-order-government|title=What We Actually Lose When the USDA and EPA Can't Talk to the Public|last=Pierre-Louis|first=Kendra|date=January 24, 2017|access-date=January 25, 2017|website=Popular Science}}</ref> In February 2017, the Trump administration ended its earlier freeze on EPA contract and grant approvals, and the appearance of some EPA press releases that week indicated the media blackout was partially lifted.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.wvva.com/story/34421248/2017/02/03/epa-media-blackout-partially-lifted-trump-allows-spending-to-move-forward|title=EPA media blackout partially lifted, Trump allows spending to move forward|agency=Associated Press |publisher=WVVA |accessdate=February 20, 2017}}</ref>
Although the U.S. government was initially quick to develop a diagnostic test for COVID-19, U.S. ] efforts from mid-January to late-February lost pace compared to the rest of the world.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-testing-specialrep-idUSKBN2153BW |first1=Toluse |last1=Olorunnipa |first2=Griff |last2=Witte |first3=Lenny |last3=Bernstein |title=Special Report: How Korea trounced U.S. in race to test people for coronavirus|date=March 18, 2020 |work=] |access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> ABC News described the testing as "shockingly slow".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-responsible-testing-problems-things/story?id=69590286 |date=March 14, 2020 |first=Anne |last=Flaherty |title=Trump says he's not responsible for testing problems: 3 things to know|website=ABC News|access-date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> When the WHO distributed 1.4 million COVID-19 tests in February, the U.S. chose instead to use its own tests. At that time, the CDC had produced 160,000 COVID-19 tests, but many were defective. As a result, fewer than 4,000 tests were done in the U.S. by February 27, with U.S. state laboratories conducting only about 200. In this period, academic laboratories and hospitals had developed their own tests, but were not allowed to use them until February 29, when the ] issued approvals for them and private companies.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Whoriskey|first1=Peter|last2=Satija|first2=Neena|title=How U.S. coronavirus testing stalled: Flawed tests, red tape and resistance to using the millions of tests produced by the WHO|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/16/cdc-who-coronavirus-tests/|access-date=March 18, 2020|newspaper=]|date=March 16, 2020}}</ref> A comprehensive ''New York Times'' investigation concluded that "technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels" contributed to the testing failures.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Goodnough|first2=Abby|last3=Kaplan|first3=Sheila|last4=Fink|first4=Sheri|last5=Thomas|first5=Katie|last6=Weiland|first6=Noah|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/testing-coronavirus-pandemic.html|title=The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19|date=March 28, 2020|work=]|access-date=March 28, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> An Associated Press investigation found the administration made its first bulk orders for vital health care equipment, such as ] masks and ventilators, in mid-March.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-health-us-news-ap-top-news-politics-090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc |title=U.S. 'wasted' months before preparing for virus pandemic |date=April 5, 2020 |last=Biesecker |first=Michael |work=] |access-date=April 5, 2020|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405130007/https://apnews.com/090600c299a8cf07f5b44d92534856bc |archive-date=April 5, 2020}}</ref>
In February 2017, Trump and Congress removed a rule that required oil, gas and mining firms to disclose how much they paid foreign governments. The industries claimed the rule gave global rivals a competitive edge, although EU, Canadian, Russian, Chinese and Brazilian energy firms are bound by similar requirements.<ref name=":4">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/14/trump-and-gop-killed-energy-corruption-rule-for-no-good-reason-advocates-say.html|title=Trump and GOP killed an energy anti-corruption rule for no good reason, advocates say|last=DiChristopher|first=Tom|date=February 14, 2017|access-date=February 15, 2017|publisher=CNBC}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2017/2/14/14617312/trump-transparency-oil|title=Trump signs his first significant bill — killing a transparency rule for oil companies|last=Plumer|first=Brad|date=February 14, 2017|publisher=Vox|access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-usa-resources-transparency-idUKKBN15I0ID|title=U.S. transparency reversal stings Canadian, European oil firms|last=Williams|first=Ernest Scheyder and Nia|publisher=Reuters UK|access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref> In October 2017, the Trump administration withdrew from the international ] (EITI)EITI was aimed at fighting corruption by requiring the disclosure of payments and donations made by oil, gas and mining companies to governments.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-eiti/u-s-withdraws-from-extractive-industries-anti-corruption-effort-idUSKBN1D2290?il=0|title=U.S. withdraws from extractive industries anti-corruption effort|last1=Simon|first1=Julia|accessdate=November 3, 2017|agency=]}}</ref>
]
That same month, Trump invalidated the ] implemented by the Obama administration a few months prior. The regulation was intended to prevent coal mining debris from being dumped into nearby streams, and to lessen the impact of coal mining on groundwater and surface waters. Trump declared the regulation "wasteful".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Trump-signs-repeal-of-rule-to-protect-waterways-from-coal-mining-waste/3691487291556/|title=Trump signs repeal of rule to protect waterways from coal mining waste|work=UPI|access-date=May 2, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
] following his COVID-19 diagnosis on October 3, 2020.]]
In March 2017, Trump issued an executive order aimed at reversing multiple Obama administration policies meant to tackle climate change. Trump said he was "putting an end to the war on coal", removing "job-killing regulations" and "restrictions on American energy" to make "America wealthy again". Trump ended the moratorium on federal coal leasing, revoked several Obama executive orders including the ], and also removed guidance for federal agencies on taking climate change into account during ] action reviews. Trump also ordered reviews and possibly modifications to several directives, such as the ], the estimate for the "social cost of carbon" emissions, carbon dioxide emission standards for new coal plants, ] standards from ] and ] extraction, as well as any regulations inhibiting domestic energy production.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Plumer|first1=Brad|title=Trump's big new executive order to tear up Obama's climate policies, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/3/27/14922516/trump-executive-order-climate|publisher=]|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Carl|first1=Jeremy|title=What President Trump's Energy and Climate Executive Order Does — and Doesn't Do|url=http://www.nationalreview.com/article/446309/trump-energy-climate-executive-order-coal-clean-power-plan|work=]|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Remarks by President Trump at Signing of Executive Order to Create Energy Independence|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/28/remarks-president-trump-signing-executive-order-create-energy|publisher=]|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref>
On March 26, the U.S. became the country with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections, with over 82,000 cases.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Caspani|first1=Maria|last2=Trotta|first2=Daniel|title=As of Thursday, U.S. had most coronavirus cases in world|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/as-of-thursday-u-s-had-most-coronavirus-cases-in-world-idUSKBN21D1ZR|access-date=April 21, 2020|work=]|date=March 26, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107023840/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa/as-of-thursday-u-s-had-most-coronavirus-cases-in-world-idUSKBN21D1ZR|archive-date=November 7, 2020}}</ref> On April 11, the U.S. became the country with the highest official death toll for COVID-19, with over 20,000 deaths.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Shumaker|first=Lisa|title=U.S. coronavirus deaths top 20,000, highest in world exceeding Italy: Reuters tally|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-casualties/u-s-coronavirus-deaths-highest-in-world-exceeding-italy-reuters-tally-idUSKCN21T0NA|access-date=April 21, 2020|work=]|date=April 11, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003232224/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-casualties/u-s-coronavirus-deaths-highest-in-world-exceeding-italy-reuters-tally-idUSKCN21T0NA|archive-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref> The ] released a report in April of its survey of 323 hospitals in late March; reporting severe shortages of test supplies and extended waits for results, widespread shortages of ] (PPE), and other strained resources due to extended patient stays while awaiting test results.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Grimm|first=Christi|title=Hospital Experiences Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a National Pulse Survey March 23–27, 2020|url=https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-20-00300.pdf|access-date=April 21, 2020|publisher=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229211322/https://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-20-00300.pdf |date=April 2020 |archive-date=December 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Robertson |first=Lori |title=The HHS Inspector General Report |date=April 7, 2020 |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/the-hhs-inspector-general-report/ |website=] |access-date=April 21, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022064603/https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/the-hhs-inspector-general-report/ |archive-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> Trump called the IG's report "just wrong", and subsequently Trump replaced the inspector general.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump Moves To Replace Watchdog Who Reported Medical Shortages |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/02/849642036/trump-moves-to-replace-watchdog-who-reported-medical-shortages |last=Slotkin |first=Jason |website=]|date=May 2, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211040928/https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/02/849642036/trump-moves-to-replace-watchdog-who-reported-medical-shortages|archive-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref>
Following a dramatic economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal intervention in providing Governmental aid was heavily lobbied for resulting in the initial signing of a $8 Billion aid package relating to vaccine research and outbreak prevention among states on March 8, 2020<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Hirsch|first1=Lauren|last2=Breuninger|first2=Kevin|date=March 6, 2020|title=Trump signs $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus spending package|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/trump-signs-8point3-billion-emergency-coronavirus-spending-package.html|access-date=October 5, 2020|website=]|language=en|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215175449/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/trump-signs-8point3-billion-emergency-coronavirus-spending-package.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and a secondary $192 billion aid package addressing sick leave for workers, expanding unemployment benefits and increased testing resources.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Grisales|first=Claudia|date=March 18, 2020|title=President Trump Signs Coronavirus Emergency Aid Package|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/817737690/senate-passes-coronavirus-emergency-aid-sending-plan-to-president|access-date=October 5, 2020|newspaper=]|language=en|archive-date=February 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215175451/https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/817737690/senate-passes-coronavirus-emergency-aid-sending-plan-to-president|url-status=live}}</ref> A subsequent $2.2 trillion aid package was later proposed and signed into law March 27, 2020, titled the ] which provided forgivable loans for small businesses, increased unemployment benefits, a temporary ] and further aid towards state and local governments in addressing the pandemic. The CARES Act emerged as the largest economic stimulus bill in American history with limited opposition against it; passing unanimously in the ] and 419–6 in the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hulse |first1=Carl |last2=Cochrane |first2=Emily |title=As Coronavirus Spread, Largest Stimulus in History United a Polarized Senate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/us/coronavirus-senate-stimulus-package.html |website=] |date=March 26, 2020 |access-date=July 11, 2020 |archive-date=October 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006070721/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/us/coronavirus-senate-stimulus-package.html/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/27/822062909/house-aims-to-send-2-trillion-rescue-package-to-president-to-stem-coronavirus-cr | title= President Trump Signs $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Package Into Law | work=] | date=March 27, 2020}}</ref> An additional $900 Billion would be further dedicated to the pandemic in the ] that was signed into law December 27, 2020, despite initial opposition by Trump following criticism of the individual stimulus payments as too low and of the bill as having wasteful spending.<ref>{{cite web |last=Seddiq |first=Oma | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-demand-2000-checks-cost-gop-but-shows-his-power-2020-12 | title=Trump's demand for $2,000 stimulus checks could cost the GOP its Senate majority, but reveals his enduring influence within the party | website=] | date=December 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/politics/trump-complaints-spending-bill-graphic/index.html|publisher=CNN|title=Trump's complaints vs. his own budget proposal|date=December 23, 2020|first1=Kevin |last1=Liptak |first2=Christopher |last2=Hickey}}</ref>
In April 2017, the Trump administration halted a rule which limited dumping by power plants of toxic wastewater containing metals like arsenic and mercury into public waterways.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/13/trump-administration-halts-obama-era-rule-aimed-at-curbing-toxic-wastewater-from-coal-plants/|title=Trump administration halts Obama-era rule aimed at curbing toxic wastewater from coal plants|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref>
In May 2020, five months into the pandemic, Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the WHO.<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://time.com/5847505/trump-withdrawal-who/ |title = Trump Said He Would Terminate the U.S. Relationship With the W.H.O. Here's What That Means |last = Wolfson |first = Elijah |date = June 4, 2020 |magazine = ] |access-date = November 22, 2020 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201101011826/https://time.com/5847505/trump-withdrawal-who/ |archive-date = November 1, 2020}}</ref> In July 2020, Trump's secretary of state, ], formally notified the UN of U.S. decision to withdraw from the WHO, to take effect on July 6, 2021.<ref name="Ravelo">{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.devex.com/news/on-his-first-day-in-office-biden-retracts-us-withdrawal-from-who-98961|newspaper=Devex|title=On his first day in office, Biden retracts US withdrawal from WHO|first=Jenny Lei |last=Ravelo |date=January 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |id = R46575 |title = U.S. Withdrawal from the World Health: Organization: Process and Implications |date = October 21, 2020 |publisher = ] |work = ] |url = https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/R46575.pdf |access-date = November 12, 2021 |via = fas.org}}</ref> Biden reversed Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO on January 20, 2021, on his first day in office.<ref name="Ravelo" />
In June 2017, Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the ], a 2015 ] accord reached by 200 nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions, defying broad global backing for the plan.<ref name=":69" /> The agreement was signed by the ].
On May 15, 2020, Trump announced the public-private partnership ] to fund and accelerate the development, manufacture and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine with $10 billion in funding (later increased to $18 billion). Some of the first companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines, such as ], ], and ] received funding from this program.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Slaoui | first1=Moncef | last2=Hepburn | first2=Matthew | title=Developing safe and effective covid vaccines – Operation Warp Speed's strategy and approach | journal=New England Journal of Medicine | date=August 26, 2020 | volume=383 | issue=18 | pages=1701–1703 | issn=0028-4793 | doi=10.1056/nejmp2027405 | pmid=32846056 | s2cid=221347918 | quote=advancing eight vaccines in parallel will increase the chances of delivering 300 million doses in the first half of 2021{{spaces}}... Of the eight vaccines in OWS's portfolio, six have been announced and partnerships executed with the companies: Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech (both mRNA), AstraZeneca and Janssen (both replication-defective live-vector), and Novavax and Sanofi/GSK (both recombinant-subunit-adjuvanted protein). These candidates cover three of the four platform technologies and are currently in clinical trials. The remaining two candidates will enter trials soon. | doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Noah Higgins-Dunn |title=The U.S. has already invested billions in potential coronavirus vaccines. Here's where the deals stand |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/14/the-us-has-already-invested-billions-on-potential-coronavirus-vaccines-heres-where-the-deals-stand.html |access-date=September 24, 2020 |work=CNBC |date=August 14, 2020 |archive-date=December 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208220048/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/14/the-us-has-already-invested-billions-on-potential-coronavirus-vaccines-heres-where-the-deals-stand.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
In August 2017, the Trump administration ordered the ] to stop conducting a study on the public health effects of ]. The study began in 2016, with the Interior Department committing more than $1 million to the study. The study was launched at the request of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the state Bureau for Public Health to better understand the health effects of mountaintop removal coal-mining in Appalachia.<ref name=":24">{{cite news|url=http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-politics/20170821/trumps-interior-department-moves-to-stop-mountaintop-removal-study|title=Trump's Interior Department moves to stop mountaintop removal study|work=Charleston Gazette-Mail|access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref> In December 2017, the Interior Department suspended a $580,000 study by the National Academy intended to make offshore drilling safer.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/12/21/this-study-aimed-to-make-offshore-drilling-safer-trump-just-put-a-stop-to-it/|title=This study aimed to make offshore drilling safer. Trump just put a stop to it.|last=Fears|first=Darryl|date=December 21, 2017|work=Washington Post|access-date=January 10, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In February 2018, the EPA ended a multimillion-dollar program that distributed grants for research the effects of ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/375725-major-epa-reorganization-will-end-science-research-program|title=Major EPA reorganization will end science research program|last=Lejeune|first=Tristan|date=February 26, 2018|work=TheHill|access-date=February 27, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
In June 2020, amid surges in COVID-19 case numbers, Trump administration officials falsely claimed that the steep rise was due to increased testing; public health experts disputed the administration's claims, noting that the positivity rate of tests was increasing.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Feuer|first=William|date=June 23, 2020|title=Trump blames rise in coronavirus cases on increased testing, despite evidence of more spread|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/23/trump-blames-rise-in-coronavirus-cases-on-testing-despite-signs-of-spread.html|access-date=June 28, 2020|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Cameron|first1=Chris|last2=Kaplan|first2=Sheila|date=June 28, 2020|title=White House Blames Rise in Virus Cases on More Testing, as Experts Dispute the Claim|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/us/politics/coronavirus-sunday-talk-shows.html|access-date=June 28, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
In August 2017, the Trump administration rolled back regulations that required the federal government to account for climate change and sea-level rise when building infrastructure.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/climate/flooding-infrastructure-climate-change-trump-obama.html|title=Trump Signs Order Rolling Back Environmental Rules on Infrastructure|last=Friedman|first=Lisa|date=August 15, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 29, 2017}}</ref>
In October 2020, after a ], Trump announced that he and ] had tested positive for ] and would begin quarantining at the White House.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Edelman|first=Adam|date=October 2, 2020|title=Trump to be transported to Walter Reed hospital after Covid-19 diagnosis|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-be-transported-walter-reed-medical-center-marine-one-helicopter-n1241899}}</ref> Despite having the virus, Trump did not self-isolate and did not abstain from unnecessary risky behaviors. Trump was criticized for leaving his hospital room at ] to go on a joyride to greet his supporters, thus exposing ] agents to the disease.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=October 5, 2020|title=Trump Covid: President criticised over drive-past|work=]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54415532|access-date=January 31, 2021}}</ref>
In October 2017, the EPA announced that it would begin the process of repealing the ] which curbs greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/09/climate/clean-power-plan.html|title=E.P.A. Announces Repeal of Major Obama-Era Carbon Emissions Rule|last=Friedman|first=Lisa|date=October 9, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 10, 2017|last2=Plumer|first2=Brad}}</ref>
According to sources in the Biden administration, the Trump administration left no plan for ] to the Biden administration, however, ] rejected this, stating that they were "certainly not starting from scratch, because there is activity going on in the distribution," and that the new administration was improving upon existing distribution efforts.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=MJ |last=Lee|title=Biden inheriting nonexistent coronavirus vaccine distribution plan and must start 'from scratch,' sources say |date=January 21, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/biden-covid-vaccination-trump/index.html|access-date=January 21, 2021|work=]}}</ref> In the last quarter of 2020, Trump administration officials lobbied Congress not to provide extra funding to states for vaccine rollout, thus hindering the vaccination rollout. One of those officials, Paul Mango, the deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services, claimed that states did not need extra money because they hadn't spent all the previously allocated money for vaccines given by the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=January 31, 2021|title=Trump officials lobbied to deny states money for vaccine rollout last fall|url=https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/31/trump-officials-lobbied-to-deny-states-money-for-vaccine-rollout/ |first=Nicholas |last=Florko |access-date=January 31, 2021|website=STAT}}</ref>
In October 2017, ''The New York Times'' reported that the chemical industry was satisfied with changes done at the EPA which expedited the process for approving new chemicals and made the process of evaluating the safety of those chemicals less stringent. Officials and longtime scientists at the EPA expressed concerns that the agency's ability to stop hazardous chemicals was being compromised.<ref name="NYT 2018-10-21">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/21/us/trump-epa-chemicals-regulations.html|title=Why Has the E.P.A. Shifted on Toxic Chemicals? An Industry Insider Helps Call the Shots|last=Lipton|first=Eric|date=October 21, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref> In May 2018, ''Politico'' reported on internal emails showing that Pruitt's aides in early 2018 prevented the publication of a health study showing that some toxic chemicals endanger humans at far lower levels than the EPA previously characterized as safe.<ref name=":77">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/14/emails-white-house-interfered-with-science-study-536950|title=White House, EPA headed off chemical pollution study|work=POLITICO|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref> The aides said that the study would be a "potential public relations nightmare" and would attract the attention of the public, media and Congress.<ref name=":77" /> The chemical in question was present in high quantities around a number of military bases, including in the ground water.<ref name=":80">{{Cite news|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/149280/military-drinking-water-crisis-white-house-tried-hide|title=The Military Drinking-Water Crisis the White House Tried to Hide|work=The New Republic|access-date=2018-06-23|language=en-US}}</ref> The non-disclosure of the the study and the delay in public knowledge of the findings may have prevented the government from updating the infrastructure at the bases and individuals who lived near the bases from avoiding the tap water.<ref name=":80" /> In June 2018, the EPA scaled back its health and safety risk assessments of chemicals.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/us/politics/epa-toxic-chemicals.html|title=The Chemical Industry Scores a Big Win at the E.P.A.|date=2018-06-07|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-06-08|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
=== Housing and urban policy ===
] and ]s. January 24, 2017]]
{{Main|Housing in the United States|Urban planning in the United States}}
In December 2017, the Trump administration sharply reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah by approximately two million acres, making it the largest reduction of public land protections in American history.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-scales-back-two-huge-national-monuments-in-utah-drawing-praise-and-protests/2017/12/04/758c85c6-d908-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html|title=Trump shrinks two huge national monuments in Utah, drawing praise and protests|last=Dawsey|first=Josh|date=December 4, 2017|work=Washington Post|access-date=December 5, 2017|last2=Eilperin|first2=Juliet|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/trump-bears-ears.html|title=Trump Slashes Size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monuments|last=Turkewitz|first=Julie|date=December 4, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 5, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke advocated for downsizing four additional national monuments and change the way that six additional monuments were managed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/zinke-backs-shrinking-more-national-monuments-shifting-management-of-10-others/2017/12/05/e116344e-d9e5-11e7-b1a8-62589434a581_story.html|title=Zinke backs shrinking more national monuments and shifting management of 10|last=Eilperin|first=Juliet|date=December 5, 2017|work=Washington Post|access-date=December 6, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
], ]]]
In December 2017, ''The Economist'' described the ] (HUD), led by Carson, as "directionless". Most of the top HUD positions were unfilled and Carson's leadership was "inconspicuous and inscrutable". Of the policies HUD was enacting, ''The Economist'' wrote, "it is hard not to conclude that the governing principle at HUD is to take whatever the Obama administration was doing, and do the opposite."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.economist.com/united-states/2017/11/29/hud-embodies-the-pathologies-afflicting-the-white-house |date=November 30, 2017 |title=HUD embodies the pathologies afflicting the White House|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=December 5, 2017}}</ref> HUD scaled back the enforcement of fair housing laws, halted several fair housing investigations started by the Obama administration and removed the words "inclusive" and "free from discrimination" from its mission statement.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/us/ben-carson-hud-fair-housing-discrimination.html|title=Under Ben Carson, HUD Scales Back Fair Housing Enforcement|last=Thrush|first=Glenn|date=March 28, 2018|work=]|access-date=March 29, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The administration designated ], an event planner who had worked on the Trump campaign and planned Eric Trump's wedding, to lead HUD's New York and New Jersey office (which oversees billions of federal dollars).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/us/politics/lynne-patton-hud.html|title='Give Me a Chance,' Trump Associate-Turned-Housing-Official Says|last=Alcindor|first=Yamiche|date=June 26, 2017|work=]|access-date=January 25, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
=== Immigration ===
In December 2017, the ''New York Times'' reported that the EPA had in a ] hired an opposition research firm associated with the Republican Party for $120,000 to investigate EPA employees who had expressed criticism of the management of the EPA under Pruitt's tenure or the Trump administration.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/us/politics/epa-scott-pruitt-foia.html|title=Executive at Consultancy Hired by E.P.A. Scrutinized Agency Employees Critical of Trump|last=Lipton|first=Eric|date=December 15, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 16, 2017|last2=Friedman|first2=Lisa|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
{{Main|Immigration policy of the first Donald Trump administration|Mexico–United States border crisis#First Trump administration (2017–2021)}}
{{See also|Immigration reform|Mexico–United States border wall#First Trump administration (2017–2021)}}
], acting ]]]
Trump has repeatedly characterized ] as criminals, although some studies have found they have lower crime and incarceration rates than native-born Americans.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/us/politics/trump-immigration-borders-family-separation.html |first=Katie |last=Rogers |date=June 22, 2018 |title=Trump Highlights Immigrant Crime to Defend His Border Policy. Statistics Don't Back Him Up.|work=]|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref> Prior to taking office, Trump promised to deport the estimated eleven million illegal immigrants living in the United States and to build a ] along the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Tareen|first=Sophia|title=Trump's election triggers flood of immigration questions|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2016/1118/Trump-s-election-triggers-flood-of-immigration-questions |newspaper=] |date=November 18, 2016|access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> During his presidency, Trump reduced legal immigration substantially while the illegal immigrant population remained the same.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=January 20, 2021|title=President Trump Reduced Legal Immigration. He Did Not Reduce Illegal Immigration|url=https://www.cato.org/blog/president-trump-reduced-legal-immigration-he-did-not-reduce-illegal-immigration |first=Alex |last=Nowrasteh |access-date=January 21, 2021|website=Cato Institute}}</ref> The administration took several steps to limit the rights of legal immigrants, which included attempted revocations of ] for Central American refugees,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Nakamura|first=David|date=August 16, 2017|title=Trump administration ends Obama-era protection program for Central American minors|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-administration-ends-obama-era-protection-program-for-central-american-minors/2017/08/16/8101507e-82b6-11e7-ab27-1a21a8e006ab_story.html |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> 60,000 Haitians (who emigrated following the ]),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Miroff|first=Nick|date=January 8, 2018|title=200,000 Salvadorans may be forced to leave the U.S. as Trump ends immigration protection|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-to-end-provisional-residency-for-200000-salvadorans/2018/01/08/badfde90-f481-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html|access-date=January 8, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> and 200,000 Salvadorans (who emigrated following a series of devastating earthquakes in 2001)<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Jordan |first=Miriam |date=January 8, 2018 |title=Trump Administration Says That Nearly 200,000 Salvadorans Must Leave |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/us/salvadorans-tps-end.html |access-date=January 8, 2018 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> as well as making it illegal for refugees and asylum seekers,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Thomsen |first=Jacqueline |date=July 3, 2018 |title=Sessions rescinds DOJ guidance on refugees, asylum seekers' right to work |work=] |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/international/395440-sessions-rescinds-guidance-on-refugees-asylum-seekers-right-to-work |access-date=July 4, 2018}}</ref> and spouses of ] holders to work in the U.S.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Mullen|first=Jethro|title=Trump will stop spouses of H-1B visa holders from working |work=] |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/12/15/technology/h1b-visa-spouses-h4-trump/index.html |date=December 15, 2017 |access-date=December 15, 2017}}</ref> A federal judge blocked the administration's attempt to deport the TPS recipients, citing what the judge said was Trump's racial "animus against non-white, non-European immigrants".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Federal judge blocks Trump from deporting hundreds of thousands of immigrants under TPS|work=]|url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/10/03/judge-blocks-trump-administration-deporting-immigrants-under-tps/1517268002/ |date=October 3, 2018 |first=Alan |last=Gomez |access-date=October 4, 2018}}</ref> The administration slashed refugee admissions to record low levels (since the modern program began in 1980).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=September 27, 2019|title=US slashes refugee limit to all-time low of 18,000|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49847906 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |work=]}}</ref> The administration made it harder noncitizens who served in the military to receive necessary paperwork to pursue U.S. citizenship.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Copp|first=Tara|date=May 3, 2018|title=Naturalizations drop 65 percent for service members seeking citizenship after Mattis memo|work=Military Times|url=https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/05/03/naturalizations-drop-65-percent-for-service-members-seeking-citizenship-after-mattis-memo|access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref> The administration's key legislative proposal on immigration was the 2017 ], a proposal to reduce legal immigration levels to the U.S. by fifty percent by halving the number of ] issued, capping ] admissions at 50,000 a year and ending the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Harold |last=Brubaker |date=August 10, 2017 |title=Wharton study: Immigration proposal will lead to less economic growth and fewer jobs |work=Philadelphia Daily News |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/business/wharton-study-immigration-proposal-will-lead-to-less-economic-growth-and-fewer-jobs-20170810.html |access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref> In 2020, the Trump administration set the lowest cap for refugees in the modern history of the United States for the subsequent year: 15,000 refugees.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Susan |last1=Heavey |first2=Ted |last2=Hesson |first3=Kristina |last3=Cooke |first4=Mimi |last4=Dwyer |first5=Mica |last5=Rosenberg |date=October 28, 2020|title=Trump administration sets record low limit for new U.S. refugees|work=] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-refugees-idUSKBN27D1TS|access-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref> The administration increased fees for citizen applications, as well as caused delays in the processing of citizen applications.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=May 25, 2021|title=Citizenship agency eyes improved service without plan to pay|url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-voter-registration-lifestyle-travel-immigration-1c0554d5d141776722c64f5deadbad8d |first1=Elliot |last1=Spagat |first2=Sophia |last2=Tareen |access-date=June 20, 2021|website=]}}</ref>
In December 2017, President Trump - who had repeatedly called ] a "hoax" before becoming President - for the first time as President called into question climate change by falsely implying that cold weather at the end of December meant that climate change was not occurring.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/28/politics/trump-global-warming-tweet/index.html|title=Trump tweets that 'cold' East Coast 'could use a little bit of' global warming|author=Dan Merica|work=CNN|access-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref>
By February 2018, arrests of undocumented immigrants by ICE increased by forty percent during Trump's tenure. Arrests of noncriminal undocumented immigrants were twice as high as during Obama's final year in office. Arrests of undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions increased only slightly.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Miroff|first1=Nick|last2=Sacchetti|first2=Maria|date=February 11, 2018|title=Trump takes 'shackles' off ICE, which is slapping them on immigrants who thought they were safe|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-takes-shackles-off-ice-which-is-slapping-them-on-immigrants-who-thought-they-were-safe/2018/02/11/4bd5c164-083a-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html|access-date=February 12, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 2018, experts noted that the Trump administration's immigration policies had led to an increase in criminality and lawlessness along the U.S.–Mexico border, as asylum seekers prevented by U.S. authorities from filing for asylum had been preyed upon by human smugglers, organized crime and corrupt local law enforcement.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Ray |last1=Sanchez |first2=Nick |last2=Valencia |first3=Tal |last3=Kopan |title=Trump's immigration policies were supposed to make the border safer. Experts say the opposite is happening. |date=July 20, 2018 |work=]|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/19/americas/trump-migration-border-smuggling/index.html|access-date=July 24, 2018}}</ref> To defend administration policies on immigration, the administration fudged data and presented intentionally misleading analyses of the costs associated with refugees (omitting data that showed net positive fiscal effects),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump Administration Rejects Study Showing Positive Impact of Refugees|website=]|date=September 19, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/us/politics/refugees-revenue-cost-report-trump.html|access-date=June 25, 2018|last1=Davis|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|last2=Sengupta|first2=Somini}}</ref> as well as created the ] to highlight crimes committed by undocumented immigrants (there is no evidence undocumented immigrants increase the U.S. crime rate).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Lee|first=Michelle|date=March 1, 2017|title=Fact check: Trump claim on murders by unauthorized immigrants|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2017/live-updates/trump-white-house/real-time-fact-checking-and-analysis-of-trumps-address-to-congress/fact-check-trump-claim-on-murders-by-unauthorized-immigrants/|access-date=March 3, 2017}}</ref> In January 2018, Trump was widely criticized after referring to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations in general as "shithole countries" at a bipartisan meeting on immigration. Multiple international leaders condemned his remarks as racist.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=African nations slam Trump's vulgar remarks as "racist"|work=]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/african-nations-slam-trump-s-vulgar-remarks-reprehensible-racist-n837486 |first=Erik |last=Ortiz |date=January 13, 2018 |access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref>
In January 2018, the Trump administration singled out the state of Florida as an exemption from the administration's offshore drilling plan. The move stirred controversy because it came after the Governor of Florida, Republican Rick Scott (who is considering a 2018 Senate run), complained about the offshore drilling plan. The move raised ethical questions because Trump owns a resort in Florida and because Florida is a swing state that Trump would like to win in the 2020 presidential election. ''NBC News'' said that the decision had the appearance of "transactional favoritism" and that it was likely to lead to lawsuits.<ref name=":57">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/trump-looks-he-s-playing-favorites-florida-offshore-relief-n836381|title=Trump looks like he’s playing favorites with Florida offshore relief|work=NBC News|access-date=January 10, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
Upon taking office, Trump directed the DHS to begin work on a wall.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/25/donald-trump-sign-mexico-border-executive-order |first=David |last=Smith |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Trump signs order to begin Mexico border wall in immigration crackdown|newspaper=] |date=January 25, 2017}}</ref> An internal DHS report estimated Trump's wall would cost $21.6{{spaces}}billion and take 3.5 years to build (far higher than the Trump 2016 campaign's estimate ($12{{spaces}}billion) and the $15{{spaces}}billion estimate from Republican congressional leaders).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-trump-immigration-wall-idINKBN15O2ZZ |date=February 9, 2017 |title=Trump border 'wall' to cost $21.6 billion, take 3.5 years to build: Homeland Security internal report|last=Ainsley|first=Julia Edwards|access-date=February 10, 2017|work=]}}</ref> In a January 2017 phone call between Trump and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, Trump conceded that the U.S. would pay for the border wall, not Mexico as he promised during the campaign, and implored Nieto to stop saying publicly the Mexican government would not pay for the border wall.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/you-cannot-say-that-to-the-press-trump-urged-mexican-president-to-end-his-public-defiance-on-border-wall-transcript-reveals/2017/08/03/0c2c0a4e-7610-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html |first=Greg |last=Miller |date=November 10, 2021 |title=Trump urged Mexican president to end his public defiance on border wall, transcript reveals|newspaper=]|access-date=August 3, 2017}}</ref> In January 2018, the administration proposed spending $18{{spaces}}billion over the next ten years on the wall, more than half of the $33{{spaces}}billion spending blueprint for border security.<ref name="Nixon-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/us/politics/trump-border-wall-funding-surveillance.html |title=To Pay for Wall, Trump Would Cut Proven Border Security Measures |last=Nixon |first=Ron |date=January 8, 2018 |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 9, 2018 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Trump's plan would reduce funding for border surveillance, radar technology, patrol boats and customs agents; experts and officials say these are more effective at curbing illegal immigration and preventing terrorism and smuggling than a border wall.<ref name="Nixon-2018" />
That same month, the Trump administration enacted 30% tariffs on solar panels. The American solar energy industry is highly reliant on foreign parts (80% of parts are made abroad); as a result, the tariffs could raise the costs of solar energy, reduce innovation and reduce jobs in the industry.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/politics/trump-solar-tariffs.html|title=Trump’s Solar Tariffs Are Clouding the Industry’s Future|last=Swanson|first=Ana|date=2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 24, 2018|last2=Plumer|first2=Brad|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":59">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-22/trump-taxes-solar-imports-in-biggest-blow-to-clean-energy-yet|title=Trump's Solar Tariffs Mark Biggest Blow to Renewables Yet|date=January 22, 2018|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=January 23, 2018}}</ref> ''Bloomberg News'' described the move as the Trump administration "most targeted strike on the industry" in a series of actions taken to undermine renewables.<ref name=":59" />
The administration sought to add a citizenship question to the ], which experts warned would likely result in severe undercounting of the population and faulty data,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/us/politics/census-citizenship-question-trump.html|title=Despite Concerns, Census Will Ask Respondents if They Are U.S. Citizens|last=Baumgaertner|first=Emily|date=March 26, 2018|work=]|access-date=March 27, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> with naturalized U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, and undocumented immigrants all being less likely to respond to the census.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Holly |last=Straut-Eppsteiner |access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.nilc.org/2019/04/22/citizenship-question-would-undermine-census-reliability/ |publisher=National Immigration Law Center |title=Research Shows a Citizenship Question Would Suppress Participation among Latinxs and Immigrants in the 2020 Census, Undermining Its Reliability |date=April 22, 2019 |quote=Researchers uncovered a significant and troubling finding from this survey research: Fewer Latinx immigrant households will participate in the 2020 census if the question is implemented, which will result in an undercount. Without the citizenship question, 84 percent of respondents were willing to participate in the census; after including the citizenship question, however, willingness to participate dropped by almost half, to 46 percent. Willingness dropped among individuals across legal status: naturalized citizens, legal residents, and undocumented individuals.}}</ref> ] were estimated to get fewer congressional seats and lower congressional appropriations than they would otherwise get, because they have larger noncitizen populations.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/27/politics/blue-states-lose-citizenship-question-census/index.html |date=March 27, 2018 |title=Blue states are far more likely to lose money and power over Census citizenship question|last=Enten|first=Harry|work=]|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> ], an architect of Republican gerrymandering, had found adding the census question would help to gerrymander maps that "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites" and that Hofeller had later written the key portion of a letter from the Trump administration's Justice Department justifying the addition of a citizenship question by claiming it was needed to enforce the 1965 Voting Rights Act.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/us/census-citizenship-question-hofeller.html |title=Deceased G.O.P. Strategist's Hard Drives Reveal New Details on the Census Citizenship Question |first=Michael |last=Wines |date=May 30, 2019 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> In July 2019, the Supreme Court in '']'' blocked the administration from including the citizenship question on the census form.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump abandons effort to add citizenship question to census |work=] |first1=Anita |last1=Kumar |first2=Caitlin |last2=Oprysko |date=July 11, 2019 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/trump-expected-to-take-executive-action-to-add-citizenship-question-to-census-1405893 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref>
In February 2018, it was reported that Pruitt had, as head of the EPA, fought to retain a loophole which allowed one trucking company to skirt emissions rules, allowing the firm to produce trucks that emit 40 to 55 times the air pollutants of other new trucks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/15/us/politics/epa-pollution-loophole-glider-trucks.html|title=How $225,000 Can Help Secure a Pollution Loophole at Trump’s E.P.A.|last=Lipton|first=Eric|date=February 15, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 15, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
During the 2018 midterm election campaign, Trump sent nearly 5,600 troops to the U.S.–Mexico border for the stated purpose of protecting the United States against a caravan of Central American migrants.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/us/deployed-inside-the-united-states-the-military-waits-for-the-migrant-caravan.html |newspaper=] |first1=Thomas |last1=Gibbons-Neff |first2=Helene |last2=Cooper |date=November 10, 2018 |title=Deployed Inside the United States: The Military Waits for the Migrant Caravan|access-date=November 10, 2018}}</ref> The Pentagon had previously concluded the caravan posed no threat to the U.S. The border deployment was estimated to cost as much as $220{{spaces}}million by the end of the year.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/05/trump-border-deployments-could-cost-220-million-pentagon-sees-no-caravan-threat.html|title=Trump's border deployments could cost $220 million as Pentagon sees no threat from migrant caravan|last=Macias|first=Amanda|date=November 5, 2018 |work=] |access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref> With daily warnings from Trump about the dangers of the caravan during the midterm election campaign, the frequency and intensity of the caravan rhetoric nearly stopped after election day.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-38870e6a25d5469292253b4b716ecc17 |first1=Jonathan |last1=Lemire |first2=Catherine |last2=Lucey|access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Remember the caravan? After vote, focus on migrants fades|date=November 13, 2018|work=]}}</ref>
That same month, the EPA sought to repeal a regulation which required oil and gas companies to restrict emissions of ], a potent ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/climate/trump-methane-rule-repeal.html|title=Trump Administration Targets Obama-Era Effort to Limit Methane|access-date=2018-06-21|language=en}}</ref>
==== Family separation policy ====
In March 2018, leaked memos showed that the EPA's Office of Public Affairs sent guidelines to EPA employees to use ] talking points in official communications about climate change. The guidelines noted that "Human activity impacts our changing climate in ''some manner,''" but that the degree of the impact was uncertain and that there are "clear gaps" in science on the topic.<ref name=":67">{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/epa-climate-adaptation_us_5abbb5e3e4b04a59a31387d7|title=Leaked Memo: EPA Issues Approved Talking Points Downplaying Climate Change|last=Kaufman|first=Alexander C.|date=March 28, 2018|work=Huffington Post|access-date=March 28, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
{{Main|Trump administration family separation policy}}
{{See also|Protests against the Trump administration family separation policy}}
], in Chicago, Illinois{{POV statement|date=June 2024}}]]
In May 2018, the administration announced it would separate children from parents caught unlawfully crossing the southern border into the United States. Parents were routinely charged with a ] and jailed; their children were placed in separate detention centers with no established procedure to track them or reunite them with their parent after they had served time for their offence, generally only a few hours or days.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Jarrett|first=Laura|title=Federal judge orders reunification of parents and children, end to most family separations at border|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/26/politics/federal-court-order-family-separations/index.html|website=]|date=June 27, 2018|access-date=July 24, 2018}}</ref> Later that month, Trump falsely accused Democrats of creating that policy, despite it originating from his own administration, and urged Congress to "get together" and pass an immigration bill.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/us/trump-immigrant-children-lost.html |first=Amy |last=Harmon |title=Did the Trump Administration Separate Immigrant Children From Parents and Lose Them? |date=May 28, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref> Members of Congress from both parties condemned the practice and pointed out that the White House could end the separations on its own.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.vox.com/2018/6/19/17478350/republicans-family-separations-trump-midterms|title=Republicans are starting to worry that voters will punish them for family separations|last=Zhou|first=Li|date=June 19, 2018|work=]|access-date=June 20, 2018}}</ref> '']'' quoted a White House official as saying Trump's decision to separate migrant families was to gain political leverage to force Democrats and moderate Republicans to accept hardline immigration legislation.<ref name="Scherer-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Scherer |first1=Michael |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |title=Trump cites as a negotiating tool his policy of separating immigrant children from their parents |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-cites-as-a-negotiating-tool-his-policy-of-separating-immigrant-children-from-their-parents/2018/06/15/ade82b80-70b3-11e8-bf86-a2351b5ece99_story.html |date=June 15, 2018 |newspaper=] |access-date=June 17, 2018}}</ref>
In April 2018, Pruitt announced a policy change within the EPA whereby EPA regulators would be prohibited from considering scientific research unless the raw data of the research was made publicly available. This would limit EPA regulators' use of much environmental research, given that participants in many such studies provide personal health information which is kept confidential.<ref name=":65">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/climate/epa-science-transparency-pruitt.html|title=E.P.A. Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in Policymaking.|date=April 24, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 25, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The EPA cited two bipartisan reports and various nonpartisan studies about the use of science in government to defend the decision. However, the authors of those reports dismissed that the EPA followed their rejections, with one author saying, "They don’t adopt any of our recommendations, and they go in a direction that’s completely opposite, completely different. They don’t adopt any of the recommendations of ''any'' of the sources they cite. I’m not sure why they cited them."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/how-the-epas-new-secret-science-rule/558878/|title=Scott Pruitt’s New Rule Could Completely Transform the EPA|last=Meyer|first=Robinson|work=The Atlantic|access-date=April 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
Six weeks into the implementation of the "zero tolerance" policy, at least 2,300 migrant children had been separated from their families.<ref name="Shear-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-immigration-children-executive-order.html |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |first2=Abby |last2=Goodnough |first3=Maggie |last3=Haberman |date=June 20, 2018 |newspaper=] |title=Trump Retreats on Separating Families, Signing Order to Detain Them Together |access-date=June 20, 2018}}</ref> The ], the ] and the ] condemned the policy, with the American Academy of Pediatrics saying the policy was causing "irreparable harm" to the children.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/14/health/immigrant-family-separation-doctors/index.html |date=June 14, 2018 |title=Doctors saw immigrant kids separated from their parents. Now they're trying to stop it. |first=Catherine E. |last=Shoichet |work=] |access-date=June 15, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Scherer-2018" /> The policy was extremely unpopular, more so than any major piece of legislation in recent memory.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/06/19/the-extraordinary-unpopularity-of-trumps-family-separation-policy-in-one-graph/|title=Analysis {{!}} The extraordinary unpopularity of Trump's family separation policy (in one graph)|last=Sides|first=John|author1-link=John M. Sides|date=June 19, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=June 20, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Videos and images of children held in cage-like detention centers, distraught parents separated from their children, and sobbing children caused an outcry.<ref name="Shear-2018" /> ] and other survivors of ] have also criticized the conditions in these centers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Bryan |date=June 19, 2018 |title=George Takei slams Trump's border policy, 'worse' than Japanese internment camp |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/06/19/george-takei-trumps-border-policy-worse-than-interment-camp/716478002/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chen |first=Stacy |date=March 30, 2019 |title=Coalition of WWII Japanese American internment camp survivors stage peaceful protest at immigrant detention facility on Texas border |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/coalition-wwii-japanese-american-internment-camp-survivors-stage/story?id=62039367 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kang |first1=Inyoung |last2=Stevens |first2=Matt |date=June 22, 2018 |title=California Today: Recalling Japanese Internment in the Era of Trump |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/us/japanese-internment-manzanar-trump.html |work=New York Times}}</ref> After criticism, ] secretary ] falsely claimed that "We do not have a policy of separating families at the border."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.factcheck.org/2018/06/nielsens-rhetoric-on-family-separations/ |first=D'Angelo |last=Gore |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Nielsen's Rhetoric on Family Separations|date=June 20, 2018|publisher=Fact Check}}</ref>
In May 2018, ''Science'' reported that the Trump administration pulled a $10-million-a-year research line for NASA's Carbon Monitoring System.<ref name=":53">{{Cite journal|last=Voosen|first=Paul|date=May 11, 2018|title=NASA cancels carbon monitoring research program|url=http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6389/586|journal=Science|language=en|volume=360|issue=6389|pages=586–587|doi=10.1126/science.360.6389.586|issn=0036-8075}}</ref> ''Science'' reported that the Trump administration had unsuccessfully sought to kill other aspects of ] program.<ref name=":53" />
On June 20, 2018, amid worldwide outrage and enormous political pressure to roll back his policy, Trump reversed the family-separation policy by signing an executive order,<ref name="Shear-2018" /> despite earlier having said "you can't do it through an executive order."<ref name="Shear-2018" /> Six days later, as the result of a class-action lawsuit filed by the ], U.S. District Judge ] issued a nationwide ] against the family-separation policy, and required the government to reunite separated families within 30 days.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |first2=Julie Hirschfeld |last2=Davis |first3=Thomas |last3=Kaplan |first4=Robert |last4=Pear |access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/us/politics/family-separations-congress-states.html |title=Federal Judge in California Issues Injunction Halting Government From Separating Families |work=] |date=June 26, 2018}}</ref> By November 2020, the parents of 666 children still had not been found.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Lawyers can't find parents of another 100-plus migrant kids|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/lawyers-can-t-find-parents-666-migrant-kids-higher-number-n1247144 |date=November 9, 2020 |first1=Jacob |last1=Soboroff |first2=Julia |last2=Ainsley |access-date=November 10, 2020|website=]}}</ref> The administration refused to provide funds to cover the expenses of reuniting families, and volunteer organizations continue to provide both volunteers and funding.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=transcript|title=Why hundreds of migrant children remain separated from their parents|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-hundreds-of-migrant-children-remain-separated-from-their-parents#transcript|access-date=October 22, 2020|website=]|date=October 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Lawyers: We can't find parents of 545 kids separated by Trump administration |first1=Julia |last1=Ainsley |first2=Jacob |last2=Soboroff |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/lawyers-say-they-can-t-find-parents-545-migrant-children-n1244066 |date=October 21, 2020 |access-date=October 21, 2020|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Dickerson|first=Caitlin|date=October 21, 2020|title=Parents of 545 Children Separated at the Border Cannot Be Found|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/us/migrant-children-separated.html|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> The administration also refused to pay for mental health services for the families and orphaned children traumatized by the separations.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=White House nixed deal to pay for mental health care for separated families|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/white-house-killed-deal-pay-mental-health-care-migrant-families-n1248158 |date=November 19, 2020 |first1=Jacob |last1=Soboroff |first2=Julia |last2=Ainsley |first3=Geoff |last3=Bennett |access-date=December 20, 2020|website=]}}</ref>
In June 2018, Trump revoked an Obama-era executive order on protections for oceans, coastlines and lakes which was enacted after the ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/20/trump-just-erased-an-obama-era-policy-to-protect-the-oceans/|title=Trump just erased an Obama-era policy to protect the oceans|last=Fears|first=Darryl|date=2018-06-20|work=Washington Post|access-date=2018-06-22|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
=== Governmentsize and deregulation ===
==== Travel bans ====
{{See also|Executive Order 13769|Executive Order 13780|s:Proclamation 9645}}
In the first six weeks of his tenure, Trump suspended — or in a few cases, revoked — over 90 regulations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump-Era Trend: Industries Protest. Regulations Rolled Back. A Dozen Examples|url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3480299-10-Examples-Industries-Push-Followed-by-Trump.html#document/p60/a341284|publisher='']'' (via ])|accessdate=March 7, 2017}}</ref>
] at the ]. Vice President ] (left) and Secretary of Defense ] look on, January 27, 2017.]]
In January 2017, Trump signed an ] which indefinitely suspended admission of asylum seekers fleeing the ], suspended admission of all other refugees for 120 days, and denied entry to citizens of ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] for 90 days. The order also established a religious test for refugees from Muslim nations by giving priority to refugees of other religions over Muslim refugees.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/trump-syrian-refugees.html|title=Trump Bars Refugees and Citizens of 7 Muslim Countries|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Cooper|first2=Helene|date=January 27, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=January 28, 2017}}</ref> Later, the administration seemed to reverse a portion of part of the order, effectively exempting visitors with a ].<ref name="Shear">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Peter |last=Baker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/us/politics/white-house-official-in-reversal-says-green-card-holders-wont-be-barred.html |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=White House Official, in Reversal, Says Green Card Holders Won't Be Barred |work=] |date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> After the order was challenged in the federal courts, several federal judges issued rulings ] the government from enforcing the order.<ref name="Shear" /> Trump ] acting attorney general ] after she said she would not defend the order in court; Yates was replaced by ], who said the Department of Justice would defend the order.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/dana-boente-acting-attorney-general/|title=New acting attorney general set for brief tenure|last=Schleifer|first=Theodore|date=January 31, 2017|access-date=January 31, 2017|work=]}}</ref>
On January 23, 2017, Trump ordered a ] of the civilian work force in the executive branch. This prevented federal agencies, except for the offices of the new presidential appointees, national security, the military and public safety, from filling vacant positions.<ref name="NYT_federal-hiring-freeze_2017">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/us/politics/federal-hiring-freeze.html|title=Trump Orders Broad Hiring Freeze for Federal Government|author=Michael D. Shear|date=January 23, 2017|accessdate=January 23, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> The hiring freeze was lifted on April 12, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/04/12/523473051/trump-lifting-federal-hiring-freeze|title=Trump Lifting Federal Hiring Freeze|publisher=|accessdate=April 3, 2018}}</ref>
A ] was signed in March which limited travel to the U.S. from six different countries for 90 days, and by all refugees who do not possess either a visa or valid travel documents for 120 days.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/06/donald-trump-travel-ban-nigeria-executive-order/|title=Donald Trump's travel ban: President facing new legal threat as FBI investigate 300 refugees for links to Isil|last=Alexander|first=Harriet|date=March 7, 2017|access-date=June 26, 2017|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> The new executive order revoked and replaced the executive order issued in January.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/06/politics/trump-new-travel-ban-executive-order-full-text/index.html |title=Trump travel ban: Read the full executive order|date=March 6, 2017|access-date=June 26, 2017|work=]}}</ref>
In January 2017, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to repeal two existing regulations for every one new regulation, and to do so in such a way that the total cost of regulations does not increase.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump Signs Executive Order to Drastically Cut Federal Regs|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/30/trump-signs-executive-order-to-drastically-cut-federal-regs.html|date=January 30, 2017|publisher=]|accessdate=March 6, 2017}}</ref> In February 2017, Trump signed an order requiring all federal agencies to create task forces to look at and determine which regulations hurt the U.S. economy.<ref name="Reuters2/24/17">{{cite news |last1=Shepardson|first1=David|last2=Holland|first2=Steve|title=In Sweeping Move, Trump Puts Regulation Monitors in U.S. Agencies|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-regulations-idUSKBN1631NV|date=February 24, 2017|publisher=Reuters| accessdate=March 6, 2017}}</ref> A September 2017 ] review of the effects of the executive order found that due to unclear wording in the order and the large proportion of regulations that it exempts, the order had had little effect since it was signed.<ref name="Bloomberg 2-for-1">{{cite news |last1=Bolen|first1=Sheryl|title=Trump's 2-for-1 Regulatory Policy Yields Minimal Results|url=https://www.bna.com/trumps-2for1-regulatory-n73014470324/ |date=September 29, 2017|publisher=] |accessdate=October 31, 2017}}</ref> The Trump ] released an analysis on February 23, 2018 indicating that the economic benefits of regulations significantly outweigh the economic costs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2018/02/white-house-quietly-releases-report-highlighting-benefits-regulations/146234/|title=White House Quietly Releases Report Highlighting Benefits of Regulations|publisher=|accessdate=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/draft_2017_cost_benefit_report.pdf |title=2017 Draft Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations and Agency Compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act |publisher= |date= |accessdate=2018-06-12}}</ref>
In June, the ] partially ] certain injunctions that were put on the order by two federal appeals courts earlier, allowing the executive order to mostly go into effect. In October, the Court dismissed the case, saying the orders had been replaced by a new proclamation, so challenges to the previous executive orders are moot.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/10/victory-trump-supreme-court-dismisses-travel-ban-case/752401001/|title=In victory for Trump, Supreme Court dismisses travel ban case|last1=Wolf|first1=Richard|last2=Korte|first2=Gregory|work=]|date=October 10, 2017|access-date=October 20, 2017}}</ref>
On February 28, 2017, Trump announced he did not intend on filling many of the governmental positions that were still vacant, as he considered them unnecessary.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Derespina|first1=Cody|title=Trump: No Plans to Fill 'Unnecessary' Appointed Positions|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/28/trump-no-plans-to-fill-unnecessary-appointed-positions.html|date=February 28, 2017|publisher=]|accessdate=March 6, 2017}}</ref> According to ] on February 25, nearly 2,000 vacant governmental positions existed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kessler|first1=Aaron|last2=Kopan|first2=Tal|title=Trump Still Has to Fill Nearly 2,000 Vacancies|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/25/politics/donald-trump-cabinet-vacancies/|date=February 25, 2017|publisher=CNN|accessdate=March 6, 2017}}</ref>
In September, Trump signed a proclamation placing limits on the six countries in the second executive order and added ], ], and ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/white-house-updates-travel-ban-summary|title=White House Updates to the Travel Ban: A Summary|first=Russell|last=Spivak|publisher=]|location=]|date=September 25, 2017|access-date=October 19, 2017}}</ref> In October 2017, Judge ], of the ] issued another temporary ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-third-travel-ban/2017/10/17/e73293fc-ae90-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html|title=Federal judge blocks Trump's third travel ban|first=Matt|last=Zapotosky|newspaper=]|location=]|date=October 17, 2017|access-date=October 19, 2017}}</ref> In December 2017, the Supreme Court allowed the September 2017 travel restrictions to go into effect while legal challenges in Hawaii and Maryland are heard. The decision effectively barred most citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea from entry into the United States along with some government officials from Venezuela and their families.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/politics/trump-travel-ban-supreme-court.html|newspaper=]|title=Supreme Court Allows Trump Travel Ban to Take Effect|last=Liptak|first=Adam|date=December 4, 2017|access-date=December 5, 2017}}</ref>
=== Guns ===
{{see also|Repeal of the Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007}}
In February 2017, the Trump administration rolled back a regulation implemented by the Obama administration, which would have prohibited approximately 75,000 individuals who received Social Security checks due to mental illness and who were deemed unfit to handle their financial affairs from owning guns.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Vitali|first1=Ali|title=Trump Signs Bill Revoking Obama-Era Gun Checks for People With Mental Illnesses|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-signs-bill-revoking-obama-era-gun-checks-people-mental-n727221|publisher=]|accessdate=February 16, 2018}}</ref>
In January 2020, Trump added ], ], ], ], ], and ] to the visa ban list.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/trump-admin-expands-travel-ban-new-restrictions-six-countries-n1127841 |first1=Adiel |last1=Kaplan |first2=Daniella |last2=Silva |title=Trump admin expands travel ban with new restrictions for six countries |website=] |date=January 31, 2020 |access-date=March 2, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/31/trump-expands-controversial-travel-ban-six-new-countries/4620473002/ |first=David |last=Jackson |title=Trump expands controversial travel ban restrictions to six new countries |website=] |date=January 31, 2020 |access-date=March 2, 2020}}</ref>
In March 2018, Trump ordered the Department of Justice to issue a regulation to regulate ] as machine guns, which would effectively make them illegal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2018/04/atf-rulings-on-bump-stocks/|title=ATF Rulings on 'Bump Stocks' - FactCheck.org|date=April 3, 2018|work=FactCheck.org|access-date=May 2, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Trump further restricted travel from Iran on February 29, 2020, and advised American citizens not to travel to specific regions in Italy and South Korea in response to COVID-19.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Vella|first=Lauren|title=Trump announces new travel restrictions amid spread of coronavirus|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/485295-trump-administration-announces-new-travel-restrictions-amid-spread-of|website=]|access-date=April 26, 2020|date=February 29, 2020}}</ref> In March 2020, the Trump administration later issued a ban on entrants from all ] countries, eventually including ] and the UK.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Haltiwanger|first=John|title=Trump's coronavirus travel ban initially excluded countries where he has golf courses struggling for business|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-trump-europe-travel-ban-exclude-uk-ireland-golf-courses-2020-3 |access-date=March 22, 2020|work=]|date=March 14, 2020}}</ref>
In April 2017, Trump told a crowd of ] members: "You are my friends ... I will never, ever infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms." The association spent $30 million to support Trump's presidential campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/04/politics/trump-nra-convention-dallas/index.html|title=Trump reassures NRA: 'We will protect your Second Amendment'|first=Betsy Klein and Jeremy Diamond,|last=CNN|publisher=|accessdate=May 27, 2018}}</ref>
==== 2018–2019 federal government shutdown ====
=== Health care ===
{{Main|2018–2019 United States federal government shutdown}}
The federal government was partially shut down from December 22, 2018, until January 25, 2019, (the longest shutdown in U.S. history) over Trump's demand that Congress provide $5.7{{spaces}}billion in federal funds for a U.S.–Mexico border wall.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/09/us/politics/longest-government-shutdown.html|title=This Government Shutdown Is One of the Longest Ever|last=Gates|first=Guilbert|date=January 9, 2019|work=]|access-date=January 10, 2019}}</ref> The House and Senate lacked votes necessary to support his funding demand and to overcome Trump's refusal to sign the appropriations last passed by Congress into law.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Julie Hirschfeld|last1=Davis|first2=Michael|last2=Tackett|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/us/politics/trump-congress-shutdown.html|title=Trump and Democrats Dig In After Talks to Reopen Government Go Nowhere|newspaper=]|date=January 2, 2019|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> In negotiations with Democratic leaders leading up to the shutdown, Trump commented he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/11/trump-border-wall-congress-budget-1055433|title=Trump says he's 'proud' to shut down government during fight with Pelosi and Schumer|work=]|date=December 11, 2018|access-date=January 10, 2019|first1=Burgess|last1=Everett|first2=Sarah|last2=Ferris|first3=Caitlin|last3=Oprysko}}</ref> By mid-January 2019, the White House ] estimated that each week of the shutdown reduced GDP by 0.1 percentage points, the equivalent of 1.2 points per quarter.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/us/politics/government-shutdown-economy.html|title=Shutdown's Economic Damage Starts to Pile Up, Threatening an End to Growth |first=Jim |last=Tankersley |newspaper=] |access-date=November 10, 2021 |date=January 15, 2019}}</ref>
]
{{Further|2017 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act replacement proposals}}
The 2010 ] (also known as "Obamacare" or the ACA) elicited major opposition from the Republican Party from its inception, and Trump called for a repeal of the law during the 2016 election campaign.<ref name="haberkorn1">{{cite news|last1=Haberkorn|first1=Jennifer|title=Trump victory puts Obamacare dismantling within reach|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-victory-obamacare-risk-231090|newspaper=Politico|date=November 9, 2016|accessdate=November 18, 2016}}</ref> On taking office, Trump promised to pass a healthcare bill that would result in better and less expensive insurance that would cover everyone.<ref name="handicapping1">{{cite news|title=Handicapping Trump's first 100 days|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-first-100-days-policy-233871|newspaper=Politico|date=January 20, 2017|accessdate=January 20, 2017}}</ref>
]
In March 2017, Trump endorsed the ], a bill proposed by House Republicans that would repeal the ] and make several other major changes to the ACA.<ref name="lfox1">{{cite news | last1=Fox|first1=Lauren|last2=Walsh|first2=Deirdre|title=Republicans unveil bill to repeal and replace Obamacare|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/06/politics/republicans-public-obamacare-plan/|accessdate=March 7, 2017|publisher=CNN|date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> Opposition from several House Republicans, including members of the conservative ] and the centrist ], led to the defeat of this version of the bill on March 24, 2017.<ref name="wandrews1">{{cite news | last1=Andrews|first1=Wilson|last2=Bloch|first2=Matthew|last3=Park|first3=Haeyoun|title=Who Stopped the Republican Health Bill?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/24/us/politics/republicans-opposed-health-care-bill.html |accessdate=March 25, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=March 24, 2017}}</ref> After Trump and Speaker Ryan canceled a House vote on the AHCA, Trump stated that the "best thing politically is to let Obamacare explode".<ref name="lawofland1">{{cite news | last1=Goldstein|first1=Amy|last2=Eilperin|first2=Juliet|title=Affordable Care Act remains 'law of the land,' but Trump vows to explode it|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/affordable-care-act-remains-law-of-the-land-but-trump-vows-to-explode-it/2017/03/24/4b7a2530-10c3-11e7-ab07-07d9f521f6b5_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 24, 2016}}</ref> Several weeks later on May 4, the ] voted in favor of a new version of the AHCA which would have repealed the ACA, sending the bill to the ] for deliberation.<ref>, Reuters. Retrieved May 13, 2017.</ref> Over the next months the Senate made several attempts to create a repeal bill; however, all the proposals were ultimately rejected in a series of Senate votes in late July.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/politics/health-care-debate-thursday/index.html|title=GOP Obamacare repeal bill fails in dramatic late-night vote|date=July 28, 2017|publisher=CNN|accessdate=July 31, 2017}}</ref> Trump reacted by alternately urging Congress to keep trying and threatening to "let Obamacare implode".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-obamacare-implode-health-secretary-tom-price/story?id=48925529|title=President Trump won't let Obamacare 'implode,' Health Secretary Tom Price says|last=Zink|first=Nicki|date=July 30, 2017|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=July 31, 2017}}</ref> The individual mandate was ultimately repealed in December 2017 by the ]. The ] released an analysis on May 23, 2018 indicating that through 2019 repeal of the individual mandate would increase the number of uninsured by 3 million — on top of the estimated 3.2 million who became uninsured during 2017<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.gallup.com/poll/225383/uninsured-rate-steady-fourth-quarter-2017.aspx|title=U.S. Uninsured Rate Steady at 12.2% in Fourth Quarter of 2017|first=Gallup,|last=Inc.|publisher=|accessdate=May 28, 2018}}</ref> — and increase individual healthcare insurance premiums by 10%. The CBO projected that another 3 million would become uninsured over the following two years due to repeal of the mandate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbo.gov/publication/53826|title=Federal Subsidies for Health Insurance Coverage for People Under Age 65: 2018 to 2028|date=May 23, 2018|publisher=|accessdate=May 23, 2018}}</ref>
In September 2020, ]{{snd}}who until August 2020 was the ]{{snd}}asserted in a whistleblower complaint<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Murphy|first=Brian|date=September 8, 2020|url=https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/murphy_wb_dhs_oig_complaint9.8.20.pdf|title=In the Matter of Murphy, Brian Principal Deputy Under Secretary Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence & Analysis Complaint|publisher=United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence|access-date=September 10, 2020}}</ref> that during the shutdown senior ] officials sought to inflate the number of known or suspected terrorists who had been apprehended at the border, to increase support for funding the wall. ''NBC News'' reported that in early 2019 a DHS spokeswoman, ], pushed the network to retract a story that correctly cited only six such apprehensions in the first half of 2018, compared to the nearly four thousand a year the administration was publicly claiming. The story was not retracted, and Waldman later became the press secretary for Vice President Pence and wife of Trump advisor ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/dhs-spokeswoman-pushed-nbc-news-retract-accurate-story-about-terrorists-n1239702 |date=September 10, 2020 |first=Julia |last=Ainsley |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=DHS official pushed NBC News to retract story on terrorists at border|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/whistleblower-says-top-dhs-officials-distorted-intel-match-trump-statements-n1239685 |date=September 9, 2020 |first=Ken |last=Dilanian |title=Whistleblower: DHS officials distorted intelligence to match Trump rhetoric |website=]}}</ref>
Trump repeatedly expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail", and the Trump administration has been accused of trying to "sabotage Obamacare" by various actions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/18/trump-tweet-obamacare-repeal-failure-240664|title=Trump says he plans to 'let Obamacare fail'|last=Nelson|first=Louis|date=July 18, 2017|work=Politico|accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Jeffrey">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/trump-obamacare-sabotage-enrollment-cuts_us_59a87bffe4b0b5e530fd5751|title=Trump Ramps Up Obamacare Sabotage With Huge Cuts To Enrollment Programs|last=Young|first=Jeffrey|date=August 31, 2017|publisher=HuffPost|accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref> The open enrollment period was cut from 12 weeks to 6, and the advertising budget for enrollment was cut by 90%. Organizations helping people shop for coverage, known as navigators, will get 39% less money.<ref name=":25">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-cbo/obamacare-enrollment-to-fall-in-2018-and-beyond-after-cuts-cbo-idUSKCN1BP2Z5|title=Obamacare enrollment to fall in 2018 and beyond after cuts: CBO|accessdate=September 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/31/trump-obamacare-outreach-cuts-242225|title=Trump administration slashes Obamacare outreach|last=Pradhan|first=Rachana|date=August 31, 2017|work=Politico|accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref> In September 2017, the administration ordered HHS regional directors not to participate in state open enrollment events, as they had in previous years.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/katenocera/the-trump-administration-wont-support-state-obamacare|title=The Trump Administration Is Pulling Out Of Obamacare Enrollment Events|last1=Nocera|first1=Kate|last2=McLeod|first2=Paul|date=September 27, 2017|publisher=Buzzfeed|accessdate=September 29, 2017}}</ref> A September 2017 report by ] found that enrollment in the Affordable Care Act health care exchanges would be lower in 2018 and future years than its previous forecasts, due to the Trump administration's cuts to advertisement spending for enrollment, a smaller enrollment window, and less outreach. The CBO also found that insurance premiums would rise sharply in 2018 due to the Trump administration's refusal to commit to continuing paying Affordable Care Act subsidies, which added uncertainty to the insurance market and led insurers to raise premiums for fear they will not get subsidized.<ref name=":25" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/overnights/350745-overnight-health-care-cbo-obamacare-uncertainty-will-lead-to-15|title=Overnight Health Care: CBO predicts 15 percent ObamaCare premium hike {{!}} Trump calls Sanders single-payer plan 'curse on the US' {{!}} Republican seeks score of Sanders's bill|last=Hellmann|first=Jessie|date=September 14, 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=September 14, 2017}}</ref>
=== LGBT rights ===
In October 2017, the Trump administration ended subsidy payments to health insurance companies, saying that they are "moving toward lower costs and more options in the health care market".<ref name=NYT-Pear>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/us/politics/trump-obamacare-executive-order-health-insurance.html|title=Trump to Scrap Critical Health Care Subsidies, Hitting Obamacare Again|newspaper=The New York Times| last=Pear|first=Robert|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author2link=Maggie Haberman |last3=Abelson|first3=Reed|date=October 12, 2017|accessdate=October 14, 2017}}</ref> The decision was expected to raise premiums in 2018 for middle-class families by an average of about 20 percent nationwide and cost the federal government nearly $200 billion more than it saved over a ten-year period.<ref name=":43">{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/13/557541856/halt-in-subsidies-for-health-insurers-expected-to-drive-up-costs-for-middle-clas|title=Halt In Subsidies For Health Insurers Expected To Drive Up Costs For Middle Class|access-date=October 14, 2017|publisher=NPR}}</ref> People with lower incomes would be unaffected because the Affordable Care Act provides government subsidies — in the form of tax credits — that ensure their out-of-pocket insurance costs remain stable.<ref name=":43" />
{{Main|Social policy of the first Donald Trump administration#LGBT rights}}
{{See also|LGBT rights in the United States}}
The administration rolled back numerous LGBT protections, in particular those implemented during the Obama administration, covering issues such as health care, education, employment, housing, military, and criminal justice, as well as foster care and adoption.<ref name="Berg-2019">{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/lgbtq-rights-rollback|title=Under Trump, LGBTQ Progress Is Being Reversed in Plain Sight|last1=Berg|first1=Kirsten|last2=Syed|first2=Moiz|website=ProPublica|access-date=December 24, 2019|date=November 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/03/trump-attack-lgbt-rights-supreme-court|title='A critical point in history': how Trump's attack on LGBT rights is escalating|last=Levin|first=Sam|date=September 3, 2019|work=]|access-date=December 24, 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The administration rescinded rules prohibiting taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies from discriminating against LGBT adoption and foster parents.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=In 'nasty parting shot,' HHS finalizes rule axing LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/nasty-parting-shot-hhs-finalizes-rule-axing-lgbtq-nondiscrimination-protections-n1253959 |first=Dan |last=Avery |date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=January 20, 2021|website=]}}</ref> The Department of Justice reversed its position on whether the ]'s workplace protections covered LGBT individuals and argued in state and federal courts for a constitutional right for businesses to discriminate on the basis of ] and ].<ref name="Berg-2019" /> The administration exempted government contractors from following federal workplace discrimination rules, as long as they could cite religious reasons for doing so.<ref name="Berg-2019" />
In October 2017, the Trump administration modified a requirement that employer-provided health insurance policies had to cover birth control methods free of charge to women.<ref name=":40">{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/06/555970210/trump-ends-requirement-that-employer-health-plans-pay-for-birth-control|title=Trump Guts Requirement That Employer Health Plans Pay For Birth Control|publisher=NPR |access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> Any company or nonprofit could opt out of the requirement if they had religious or moral objections to birth control.<ref name=":40" /> Survey results indicate that more than 10% of companies with more than 200 employees would opt out of birth control coverage if they had the option to whereas the Trump administration said that no more than 120,000 women would be affected.<ref name=":41">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/upshot/doubtful-science-behind-arguments-to-restrict-birth-control-access.html|title=Doubtful Science Behind Arguments to Restrict Birth Control Access|last=Carroll|first=Aaron E.|date=October 10, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 10, 2017}}</ref> The Trump administration in justifying the action said that contraceptive use caused harms, such as risky sex behavior, cited the potential side effects of contraceptives, and asserted that the relationship between contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy was uncertain and complex.<ref name=":41" /> Indiana University professor of pediatrics Aaron E. Carroll noted "there is ample evidence that contraception works, that reducing its expense leads to more women who use it appropriately, and that using it doesn't lead to riskier sexual behavior."<ref name=":41" />
The administration rescinded a directive that public schools treat students according to their gender identity.<ref name="Berg-2019" /> The administration rescinded a federal policy that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity, and dropped a lawsuit against ]'s "bathroom bill".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/us/politics/devos-sessions-transgender-students-rights.html |first1=Jeremy W. |last1=Peters |first2=Jo |last2=Becker |first3=Julie Hirschfeld |last3=Davis |title=Trump Rescinds Rules on Bathrooms for Transgender Students|date=February 22, 2017|website=]|access-date=March 16, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315213910/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/us/politics/devos-sessions-transgender-students-rights.html|archive-date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> The administration rescinded rules that prohibited discrimination against LGBT patients by health care providers.<ref name="Berg-2019" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/24/transgender-patients-protections-health-care-1343005 |date=May 24, 2019 |title=Trump administration rolls back health care protections for LGBTQ patients|last1=Diamond|first1=Dan|last2=Pradhan|first2=Rachana|website=]|access-date=May 31, 2019}}</ref> Rules were rescinded to give transgender homeless people equal access to homeless shelters, and to house transgender prison inmates according to their gender identity "when appropriate".<ref name="Berg-2019" /> HHS stopped collecting information on LGBT participants in its national survey of older adults,<ref name="TrumpRecordAgainstTrans">{{citation |url = https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration |title = Trump's record of action against transgender people |date = April 20, 2017 |publisher = transequality.org |access-date = February 20, 2019 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190220231746/https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration |archive-date = February 20, 2019}}</ref> and the ] removed "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as proposed subjects for possible inclusion on the decennial census or ].<ref name="TrumpRecordAgainstTrans" /> The Justice Department and ] cancelled quarterly conference calls with LGBT organizations.<ref name="TrumpRecordAgainstTrans" />
In December 2017, the Trump administration reduced the enforcement of penalties against nursing homes that harm residents. The nursing home industry had called for the change whereas advocates for nursing home residents said that the Trump administration had weakened a valuable patient-safety tool.<ref name=":50">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/24/business/trump-administration-nursing-home-penalties.html|title=Trump Administration Eases Nursing Home Fines in Victory for Industry|last=Rau|first=Jordan|date=December 24, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 26, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Trump said he would not allow "]", citing disruptions and medical costs.<ref name="Berg-2019" /> In March 2018, he signed a ] to prohibit ], whether transitioned or not, with a history or diagnosis of ] from military service, except for individuals who have had 36 consecutive months of stability "in their biological sex before accession" and currently serving transgender persons in military service.<ref name="Berg-2019" /> Studies have found that allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military has "little or no impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness"<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/7/26/16034040/trump-transgender-military-study |date=July 26, 2017 |first=German |last=Lopez |title=Trump: allowing transgender military service would hurt combat readiness. Actual research: nope.|access-date=July 26, 2017|work=]}}</ref> and that medical costs associated with transgender service members would be "minimal".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cost-of-medical-care-for-transgender-service-members-would-be-minimal-studies-show/ |date=July 26, 2017 |title=Cost of Medical Care for Transgender Service Members Would Be Minimal, Studies Show|last=Joseph|first=Andrew|work=Scientific American|access-date=July 26, 2017}}</ref>
In February 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it would cut 80% of its efforts to stop infectious-disease epidemics worldwide due to budget cuts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/02/01/cdc-to-cut-by-80-percent-efforts-to-prevent-global-disease-outbreak/|title=CDC to cut by 80 percent efforts to prevent global disease outbreak|last=Sun|first=Lena H.|date=February 1, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=February 4, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In 2017, the ] imposed sanctions on Chechen president ] and a Chechen law enforcement official, citing ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.advocate.com/world/2017/12/20/us-sanctions-chechen-leader-over-antigay-persecution|title=U.S. Sanctions Chechen Leader Over Antigay Persecution|last=Ring|first=Trudy|date=December 20, 2017|work=] |access-date=December 21, 2017}}</ref> In February 2019, the administration launched a global campaign to end the ]; the initiative was pushed by ], the U.S. ambassador to Germany. Asked about the administration's campaign, Trump appeared to be unaware of it.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/i-don-t-know-trump-draws-blank-homosexuality-decriminalization-push-n974161 |first=Tim |last=Fitzsimons |date=February 21, 2019 |title='I don't know': Trump draws blank on homosexuality decriminalization push|website=]|access-date=March 1, 2019}}</ref>
In May 2018, Trump announced that he would not allow Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower drug prices from pharmaceutical companies, abandoning a promise he made as candidate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trumps-drug-price-retreat-adds-to-list-of-abandoned-populist-promises/2018/05/14/1989ace8-5781-11e8-858f-12becb4d6067_story.html|title=Trump’s drug price retreat adds to list of abandoned populist promises|last=Paletta|first=Damian|date=May 14, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=May 14, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In February 2020, Trump appointed Grenell acting ] (DNI), marking the first time in history an openly gay official served in a Cabinet Level position.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web|| last1=Coleman | first1=Justine | title=Trump gives Grenell his Cabinet chair after he steps down |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/500788-trump-gives-grenell-his-cabinet-chair-after-he-steps-down | date=June 2, 2020 | work=] | access-date=September 27, 2021}}</ref>
=== George Floyd protests ===
In June 2018, the Trump administration sided with a lawsuit to overturn key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/07/obamacare-trump-administration-court-case-texas-606930|title=Trump administration backs court case to overturn key Obamacare provisions|work=POLITICO|access-date=2018-06-08|language=en}}</ref>
{{Further|Reactions to the George Floyd protests#Federal}}
{{Tweet
| replyto = realDonaldTrump
| name = ]
| width = 350px
| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped 2).jpg
| username = realDonaldTrump
| date = May 29, 2020
| text = ....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor ] and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, ]. Thank you!
| ID = 1266231100780744704
| reference = <ref>{{Cite tweet |number = 1266231100780744704 |user = realDonaldTrump |title = ....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you! |author = ] |date = May 29, 2020 |link = no |archive-date = May 29, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200529062744/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704 |access-date = November 10, 2021}}</ref>
}}
In response to the 2020 rioting and looting amid ] against racism and police brutality after a white ] officer ] an African American man named ], Trump tweeted a quote, "]", coined in 1967 by a Miami police chief that has been widely condemned by civil rights groups.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Wines|first=Michael|date=May 29, 2020|title='Looting' Comment From Trump Dates Back to Racial Unrest of the 1960s|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/us/looting-starts-shooting-starts.html|access-date=May 30, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Milman-2020">{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump praises Secret Service and threatens protesters with 'vicious dogs'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/30/trump-secret-service-george-floyd-protesters-white-house |first1=Oliver |last1=Milman |first2=Martin |last2=Pengelly |first3=Richard |last3=Luscombe |first4=David |last4=Smith |date=May 30, 2020|website=]|access-date=May 30, 2020}}</ref> Trump later addressed protestors outside the White House by saying they "would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen" if they breached the White House fence.<ref name="Milman-2020" />
==== Opioid epidemic ====
]
In September 2017, Trump nominated Tom Marino to lead the ] and become the nation's drug czar.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/white-house-announces-picks-for-drug-czar-nasa-administrator/2017/09/01/737477ee-8f8e-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html|title=White House announces picks for drug czar, NASA administrator|date=September 1, 2017|work=The Washington Post|access-date=October 17, 2017|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> In October 2017, Marino withdrew his name from consideration after a joint ''Washington Post'' and 60 Minutes investigation found that Marino had been the chief architect of a bill that crippled the enforcement powers of the DEA and worsened the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/10/17/trump-says-drug-czar-nominee-tom-marino-is-withdrawing-after-washington-post60-minutes-investigation/|title=Trump says drug czar nominee Tom Marino is withdrawing after Washington Post/'60 minutes' investigation|last=Gearan|first=Anne|date=October 17, 2017|work=The Washington Post|access-date=October 17, 2017}}</ref> By November 2017, the White House had yet to name another person to head its Office of National Drug Control Policy and had not released a strategy to combat the opioid epidemic.<ref name=":45">{{Cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/danvergano/kellyanne-conway-is-opioids-czar|title=Trump's Counselor Kellyanne Conway Is Now Leading His Opioids Strategy|work=BuzzFeed|access-date=November 30, 2017|language=en}}</ref>
==== Photo-op at St. John's Episcopal Church ====
In November 2017, it was announced that Kellyanne Conway would lead White House efforts to combat the ]; Conway had no experience or expertise on matters of public health, substance abuse, or law enforcement.<ref name=":62">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/06/kellyanne-conway-opioid-drug-czar-325457|title=Kellyanne Conway’s 'opioid cabinet' sidelines drug czar’s experts|work=POLITICO|access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> Conway sidelined drug experts and opted instead for the use of political staff. Politico wrote that the Trump administration's "main response" to the opioid crisis had "so far has been to call for a border wall and to promise a "just say no” campaign."<ref name=":62" />
{{Main|Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church}}
], June 2020.]]
On June 1, 2020, hundreds of police officers, members of the ] and other forces, in riot gear used smoke canisters, rubber bullets, batons and shields to disperse a crowd of peaceful protesters outside ] across ] from the White House.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rogers|first=Katie|date=June 1, 2020|title=Protesters Dispersed With Tear Gas So Trump Could Pose at Church|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/us/politics/trump-st-johns-church-bible.html|access-date=June 2, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Beauchamp|first=Zack|date=June 1, 2020|title=Officers fire tear gas on peaceful protesters to clear the way for Trump's photo op|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/1/21277530/trump-speech-police-violence-dc-tear-gas|website=]|access-date=June 2, 2020}}</ref> A news crew from Australia was attacked by these forces<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Hume|first=Tim|title=Australian Journalists Covering DC Protests Were Assaulted by Cops on Live Morning Television|url=https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/akzvzz/australian-journalists-covering-dc-protests-were-assaulted-by-cops-on-live-morning-television|work=]|date=June 3, 2020|access-date=June 3, 2020}}</ref> and clergy on the church's porch suffered effects of the gas and were dispersed along with the others.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=June 1, 2020|title=Police Fire Tear Gas Outside White House Before Trump Speech|url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-police-fire-tear-gas-at-protesters-gathered-outside-the-white-house-as-trump-prepares-to-address-the-nation/ |first=KJ |last=Edelman |website=Mediaite|access-date=June 2, 2020}}</ref> Trump, accompanied by other officials including the secretary of defense, then walked across Lafayette Square and posed for pictures while he was holding a Bible up for the cameras, outside the church which had suffered minor damage from a fire started by arsonists the night before.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=McCreesh |first=Shawn |title=Protests Near White House Spiral Out of Control Again |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/politics/washington-dc-george-floyd-protests.html |work=] |date=June 1, 2020|access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/historic-church-near-white-house-damaged-amid-unrest-leaders-pray-for-healing/2318673/|title=Historic Church Near White House Damaged Amid Unrest; Leaders Pray for Healing|first=Sophia|last=Barnes|date=June 1, 2020|work=NBC 4 Washington|access-date=June 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Zoellner |first=Danielle |title='Here in New York, we read the Bible': Cuomo condemns Trump for his church photo op |website=] |date=June 3, 2020 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cuomo-trump-bible-photo-new-york-coronavirus-a9547481.html |access-date=November 10, 2021 |quote='Is that your Bible?' a reporter is heard asking Mr Trump during the moment. He responded: 'It's a Bible.'}}</ref> ], Bishop of the ] said she was "outraged" by Trump's actions,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title='He Did Not Pray': Fallout Grows From Trump's Photo-Op At St. John's Church |newspaper=] |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/02/867705160/he-did-not-pray-fallout-grows-from-trump-s-photo-op-at-st-john-s-church |date=June 2, 2020 |first=Bill |last=Chappell |access-date=June 2, 2020}}</ref> which also received widespread condemnation from other religious leaders.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Jackson|first1=David|last2=Collins|first2=Michael|last3=Wu|first3=Nicholas|title=Washington archbishop denounces Trump visit to Catholic shrine as 'baffling' and 'reprehensible'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/02/george-floyd-trump-visit-catholic-shrine-amid-photo-op-criticism/3122549001/|access-date=June 2, 2020|work=]|publisher=]|date=June 2, 2020|location=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=George Floyd death: Archbishop attacks Trump as US unrest continues|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52897303|access-date=June 2, 2020|work=]|publisher=]|date=June 2, 2020|location=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Outraged Episcopal leaders condemn tear-gassing clergy, protesters for Trump photo op at Washington church |url=https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2020/06/02/episcopal-leaders-express-outrage-condemn-tear-gassing-protesters-for-trump-photo-op-at-washington-church/ |first=Egan |last=Millard |website=Episcopal News Service |access-date=June 3, 2020 |date=June 2, 2020}}</ref> However, the reaction from the religious right and evangelicals generally praised the visit.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/trumps-biblical-spectacle-outside-st-johns-church/612529/ |last=Coppins |first=McKay |title=The Christians Who Loved Trump's Stunt |website=] |date=June 2, 2020|access-date=June 4, 2020|quote="I thought it was completely appropriate for the president to stand in front of that church," Jeffress told me. "And by holding up the Bible, he was showing us that it teaches that, yes, God hates racism, it's despicable{{snd}}but God also hates lawlessness."}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/christian-right-leaders-loved-trumps-bible-photo-op.html|title=Christian Right Leaders Loved Trump's Bible Photo Op|website=] |last=Kilgore|first=Ed|date=June 2, 2020|access-date=June 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/03/donald-trump-church-photo-op-evangelicals|title='He wears the armor of God': evangelicals hail Trump's church photo op |website=] |last=Teague |first=Matthew |date=June 3, 2020|access-date=June 4, 2020}}</ref>
==== Deployment of federal law enforcement to cities ====
In October 2017, the Trump administration declared a 90-day public health emergency over the ] and pledged to urgently mobilize the federal government in response to the crisis. On January 11, 2018, 12 days before the declaration ran out, ''Politico'' noted that "beyond drawing more attention to the crisis, virtually nothing of consequence has been done."<ref name=":58">{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/11/opioids-epidemic-trump-addiction-emergency-order-335848|title=Trump declared an opioids emergency. Then nothing changed.|work=POLITICO|access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> The administration had not proposed any new resources or spending, had not started the promised advertising campaign to spread awareness about addiction, and had yet to fill key public health and drug positions in the administration.<ref name=":58" /> In January 2018, ''The Washington Post'' reported that one of the top officials at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which is tasked with multibillion-dollar anti-drug initiatives and curbing the opioid epidemic, was a 24-year old campaign staffer from the Trump 2016 campaign who lied on his CV and whose stepfather went to jail for manufacturing illegal drugs; after the administration was contacted about the official's qualifications and CV, the administration gave him a job with different tasks in the ONDCP.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/meet-the-24-year-old-trump-campaign-worker-appointed-to-help-lead-the-governments-drug-policy-office/2018/01/13/abdada34-f64e-11e7-91af-31ac729add94_story.html|title=Meet the 24-year-old Trump campaign worker appointed to help lead the government’s drug policy office|last=Jr|first=Robert O'Harrow|date=January 13, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=January 14, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
{{Main|2020 deployment of federal forces in the United States}}
In July 2020, federal forces were deployed to ], in response to rioting during ] against police brutality, which had resulted in vandalism to ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/07/01/DHS-forms-task-force-to-protect-monuments-over-July-4th-weekend/7901593624821/ |access-date=November 10, 2021 |date=July 1, 2020 |title=DHS forms task force to protect monuments over July 4th weekend|website=UPI}}</ref> The Department of Homeland Security cited Trump's June 26 executive order to protect statues and monuments as allowing federal officers to be deployed without the permission of individual states.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=July 21, 2020|title=Trump threatens to send officers to more US cities|work=] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53481383|access-date=July 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53201784|title=Trump orders statues be protected from 'mob rule'|date=June 27, 2020|work=] |access-date=July 28, 2020}}</ref> Federal agents fired pepper spray or tear gas at protesters who got too close to the U.S. courthouse.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Victoria Lozano|first=Alicia|title=Federal agents, Portland protesters in standoff as chaos envelops parts of city|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/federal-agents-portland-protesters-standoff-chaos-envelopes-portions-city-n1234520|date=July 21, 2020|access-date=July 22, 2020|work=]}}</ref> The heavily armed officers were dressed in military camouflage uniforms (without identification) and used unmarked vans to arrest protestors, some of whom were nowhere near the federal courthouse.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Levinson|first1=Jonathan|last2=Wilson|first2=Conrad|title=Federal Law Enforcement Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab Protesters Off Portland Streets|work=Oregon Public Broadcasting|date=July 17, 2020|url=https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/|access-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Olmos|first1=Sergio|last2=Baker|first2=Mike|last3=Kanno-Youngs|first3=Zolan|date=July 17, 2020|title=Federal Agents Unleash Militarized Crackdown on Portland|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/portland-protests.html|access-date=July 18, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shepherd|first1=Katie|last2=Berman|first2=Mark|date=July 17, 2020|title='It was like being preyed upon': Portland protesters say federal officers in unmarked vans are detaining them|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/17/portland-protests-federal-arrests/|access-date=July 17, 2020|newspaper=]}}</ref>
=== Housing and urban policy ===
], ], on the first day of the job.]]
In December 2017, ''The Economist'' described the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) led by Ben Carson as "directionless".<ref name=":46">{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21731792-whatever-barack-obama-did-current-policy-do-opposite-hud-embodies?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ed/|title=HUD embodies the pathologies afflicting the White House|work=The Economist|access-date=December 5, 2017|language=en}}</ref> Most of the top HUD positions were unfilled and Carson's leadership was "inconspicuous and inscrutable".<ref name=":46" /> Of the policies that HUD was enacting, ''The Economist'' wrote, "it is hard not to conclude that the governing principle at HUD is to take whatever the Obama administration was doing, and do the opposite."<ref name=":46" /> Under Carson's tenure, HUD scaled back the enforcement of fair housing laws, and halted several fair housing investigations started by the Obama administration.<ref name=":68">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/us/ben-carson-hud-fair-housing-discrimination.html|title=Under Ben Carson, HUD Scales Back Fair Housing Enforcement|last=Thrush|first=Glenn|date=March 28, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 29, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In March 2018, HUD removed the words “inclusive” and “free from discrimination” from its mission statement.<ref name=":68" />
The presence and tactics of the officers drew widespread condemnation. Oregon officials including the governor, the mayor of Portland, and multiple members of Congress asked the DHS to remove federal agents from the city.<ref name="mayor">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=July 15, 2020|title=Portland mayor wants federal agents gone as rioters create 'autonomous zone' amid city takeover |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716164218/https://www.lawofficer.com/portland-mayor-wants-federal-agents-gone-as-rioters-create-autonomous-zone-amid-city-takeover/ |archive-date=July 16, 2020 |url-status=dead |url=https://www.lawofficer.com/portland-mayor-wants-federal-agents-gone-as-rioters-create-autonomous-zone-amid-city-takeover/ |access-date=July 18, 2020|website=Law Officer}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Flanigan |first=Kaitlin |date=July 15, 2020 |title='Intolerable': Lawmakers blast federal response to Portland protests: Federal authorities have repeatedly used tear gas on protesters in downtown Portland |work=KOIN |url=https://www.koin.com/news/protests/intolerable-lawmakers-blast-federal-response-to-portland-protests/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715204110/https://www.koin.com/news/protests/intolerable-lawmakers-blast-federal-response-to-portland-protests/ |access-date=November 10, 2021 |archive-date=July 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Pitofsky|first=Marina|date=July 17, 2020|title=Oregon governor criticizes Trump for sending federal officers to Portland|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/507841-oregon-governor-criticizes-trump-sending-federal-officers-to |access-date=November 10, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> The mayor said the officers were causing violence and "we do not need or want their help."<ref name="mayor" /> Multiple Congressional committees asked for an investigation, saying "Citizens are concerned that the Administration has deployed a secret police force."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||first1=Jerrold|last1=Nadler|first2=Bennie G.|last2=Thompson|first3=Carolyn B.|last3=Maloney|title=Letter to the DHS and DOJ|url=https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2020/07/19/2020-07-19_letter_to_doj_dhs_ig_regarding_special_deputations_portland.pdf |date=July 19, 2020 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||agency=]|title=House Democrats Demand Investigation Into Use of Force at Portland Protests|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-global-race-protests-portland-investi-idUKKCN24K0Q0 |date=July 19, 2020 |first=Sarah N. |last=Lynch |access-date=July 21, 2020 |work=]}}</ref> Lawsuits against the administration were filed by the American Civil Liberties Union<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Axelrod |first=Tal |date=July 17, 2020 |title=ACLU files lawsuit over federal agents in Portland |url=https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/507922-aclu-files-lawsuit-over-federal-agents-in-portland |access-date=November 10, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> and the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gillespie|first=Emily|title=Oregon attorney general sues federal agencies for allegedly violating protesters' civil rights|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/18/portland-oreland-ag-lawsuit/|access-date=July 21, 2020|date=July 18, 2020|newspaper=]}}</ref> The inspectors general for the Justice Department and Homeland Security announced investigations into the deployment.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Cohen|first=Max|date=July 23, 2020|title=DOJ IG launches probe into law enforcement actions in Portland and Washington, D.C.|work=]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/23/doj-ig-probe-law-enforcement-portland-washington-dc-380383|access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref>
In June 2017, the Trump administration designated ], an event planner, who had worked on the Trump campaign and planned Eric Trump's wedding to lead HUD’s New York and New Jersey office (which oversees billions of federal dollars).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/us/politics/lynne-patton-hud.html|title=‘Give Me a Chance,’ Trump Associate-Turned-Housing-Official Says|last=Alcindor|first=Yamiche|date=June 26, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 25, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Trump said he was pleased with the way things were going in Portland and said that he might send federal law enforcement to many more cities, including ], ], ], ], ], and ]{{snd}}"all run by liberal Democrats".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Martin|first=Jeffrey|date=July 20, 2020|title=What is Operation Legend? Trump May Use Federal Forces in U.S. Cities|work=Newsweek|url=https://www.newsweek.com/what-operation-legend-trump-may-use-federal-forces-us-cities-1519219|access-date=July 22, 2020}}</ref> ] and ] were also named as potential targets.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Davis|first=Bella|title=Trump considers sending federal officers to Albuquerque|url=https://www.dailylobo.com/article/2020/07/trump-considers-sending-federal-officers-to-albuquerque |date=July 22, 2020 |access-date=July 22, 2020|website=New Mexico Daily Lobo}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/07/19/could-milwaukee-see-federal-agents-white-house-chief-staff-hints-possibility/5469867002/ |first1=Molly |last1=Beck |first2=Meg |last2=Jones |title=Trump plans to deploy federal agents to Chicago, hints at Milwaukee|publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=July 19, 2020|access-date=July 21, 2020}}</ref>
=== Hurricane relief ===
Under a deal worked out between Governor ] and the Trump administration, federal agents withdrew to standby locations on July 30, while state and local law enforcement forces took over responsibility for protecting the courthouse; they made no arrests and mostly stayed out of sight. Protests that night were peaceful. A DHS spokesperson said federal officers would remain in the area at least until the following Monday.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/calm-returns-to-portland-as-federal-agents-withdraw/2020/07/31/3606b35a-d364-11ea-9038-af089b63ac21_story.html|title=Calm returns to Portland as federal agents withdraw|last1=Taylor|first1=Adam|last2=Miroff|first2=Nick|last3=Farenthold|first3=David A.|date=July 31, 2020|newspaper=]|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref>
], September 8, 2017]]
On August 28, 2017, the ] ] made landfall in southeastern ], and caused 40-60 inch rainfall and massive flooding in the ] area. The next day, Trump visited ] near where Harvey made landfall, and then visited the ] Emergency Operations Center.<ref>{{cite news
| title = Trump visits Corpus Christi, Austin to see Harvey recovery
|accessdate = September 30, 2017}}</ref> During the Corpus Chritsti visit he praised the work of ] administrator ], Texas Senators ] and ], and Texas Governor ], and praised the crowd size.<ref name=":26">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/29/trump-texas-hurricane-harvey-242148|title=Trump relishes role as chief executive of Harvey response|work=Politico|access-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/us/trump-texas-harvey.html|title=Trump, in Texas, Calls Harvey Recovery Response Effort a 'Real Team'|last=Thrush|first=Glenn |authorlink=Glenn Thrush |date=August 29, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref> ''Politico'' wrote that during his visit, "the president didn't meet a single storm victim, see an inch of rain or get near a flooded street."<ref name=":26" /> In September, Trump personally donated $1 million designated for hurricane relief to twelve organizations, in what ] called "one of the largest financial commitments made by a sitting president to a charitable cause".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/31/us/trump-harvey-donation.html?mcubz=3|title=Trump Pledges $1 Million Donation to Harvey's Victims|last=Thrush|first=Glenn|authorlink=Glenn Thrush|date=August 31, 2017|work=]|accessdate=September 2, 2017}}</ref> On September 8 President ] signed into law H.R. 601, which among other spending actions designated $15 billion for Hurricane Harvey relief.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/news-wrap-trump-signs-15-billion-hurricane-harvey-relief-bill/|title=News Wrap: Trump signs $15 billion Hurricane Harvey relief bill|date=September 8, 2017|work=PBS Newshour|accessdate=September 27, 2017}}</ref>
=== Science ===
On September 10, two weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and Louisiana, the ] ] hit the southwestern tip of Florida and then moved up Florida Gulf coast causing extensive damage and prolonged power outages. Trump visited the damage area and relief efforts on September 14, promising full financial backing for the state's recovery.<ref>Olorunnipa, Toluse. , ] (September 14, 2017).</ref>
{{Main|Political interference with science agencies by the first Trump administration}}
{{See also|Politicization of science#First Trump administration}}
The administration marginalized the role of science in policymaking, halted numerous research projects, and saw the departure of scientists who said their work was marginalized or suppressed.<ref name="Plumer-2019" /> In 2018, 19 months after Trump took office, meteorologist ] became the ]; this was the longest period without a science advisor since the 1976 administration.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||title=The wait is over: Trump taps meteorologist as White House science adviser |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05862-y |journal=Nature |year=2018 |doi=10.1038/d41586-018-05862-y |access-date=June 27, 2021|last1=Reardon |first1=Sara |last2=Witze |first2=Alexandra |volume=560 |issue=7717 |pages=150–151 |pmid=30087470 |bibcode=2018Natur.560..150R |s2cid=51934499}}</ref> While preparing for talks with ], the White House did not do so with the assistance of a White House science adviser or senior counselor trained in ]. The position of chief scientist in the State Department or the Department of Agriculture was not filled. The administration nominated ] to be chief scientist in the ], but he had no scientific background and the White House later withdrew the nomination. The administration successfully nominated ], who had no background in science and rejected the ], to lead ]. The ], the ], and the ] (FDA) disbanded advisory committees,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/climate/trump-administration-science.html |first=Coral |last=Davenport |title=In the Trump Administration, Science Is Unwelcome. So Is Advice.|date=June 9, 2018|work=]|access-date=June 9, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> while the ] prohibited use of the term "climate change".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/energy-department-climate-change-phrases-banned-236655 |first=Eric |last=Wolff |date=March 29, 2017 |title=Energy Department climate office bans use of phrase 'climate change'|work=]|access-date=December 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/cdc-director-says-there-are-no-banned-words-at-the-agency|title=CDC director says there are 'no banned words' at the agency|work=] |first=Michael D. |last=Regan |date=December 17, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2018}}</ref> In March 2020, '']'' reported that an official at the Interior Department has repeatedly inserted climate change-denying language into the agency's scientific reports, such as those that affect water and mineral rights.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/climate/goks-uncertainty-language-interior.html|title=A Trump Insider Embeds Climate Denial in Scientific Research|last=Tabuchi|first=Hiroko|date=March 2, 2020|work=]|access-date=March 7, 2020}}</ref>
On September 20, Puerto Rico was struck by ] ], causing widespread devastation, knocking out the power system and phone towers, destroying buildings, and causing widespread flooding.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://time.com/4949393/hurricane-maria-category-4-puerto-rico-landfall/|title=Hurricane Maria Slams Into Puerto Rico With Life-Threatening Winds of Up to 155 Miles Per Hour|accessdate=September 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/hurricane-maria-hits-puerto-rico/4036529.html|title=Hurricane Maria Hits Puerto Rico, Leaving 3.4M People Without Power|accessdate=September 30, 2017}}</ref> The Trump administration came under criticism for a delayed response to the humanitarian crisis on the island.<ref name=":31">{{cite news |url=http://uk.businessinsider.com/trump-puerto-rico-atlantic-ocean-2017-9?r=US&IR=T|title=Trump addresses criticism over Puerto Rico disaster response: 'It's out in the ocean — you can't just drive your trucks there'|publisher=Business Insider|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":33">{{cite news |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-visit-hurricane-ravaged-puerto-rico-amid-criticism/story?id=50101038|title=Trump to visit hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, says he is 'very proud' of response |date=September 27, 2017|publisher=ABC News|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-maria/put-people-above-debt-puerto-rico-official-urges-amid-marias-devastation-idUSKCN1C11ZP|title=Trump praises disaster relief in Puerto Rico, discounting complaints |year=2017|publisher=Reuters|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> Politicians on both sides of the aisle had called for immediate aid for Puerto Rico, and criticized Trump for focusing on a feud with the NFL instead.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/26/politics/trump-puerto-rico-response/index.html|title=Trump ramps up Puerto Rico response amid criticism|author=Jeremy Diamond |author2=Kevin Liptak|publisher=CNN|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> Trump did not comment on Puerto Rico for several days while the crisis was unfolding.<ref name=":31" /> According to ''The Washington Post'', the White House did not feel a sense of urgency until "images of the utter destruction and desperation — and criticism of the administration's response — began to appear on television."<ref name=":30" /> Trump later dismissed the criticism, saying he was "very proud" of an "amazing" response<ref name=":33" /> and that efforts to distribute necessary supplies and services were "doing well". ''The Washington Post'' noted, "on the ground in Puerto Rico, nothing could be further from the truth."<ref name=":30">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/politics/lost-weekend-how-trumps-time-at-his-golf-club-hurt-the-response-to-maria/2017/09/29/ce92ed0a-a522-11e7-8c37-e1d99ad6aa22_story.html|title=Lost weekend: How Trump’s time at his golf club hurt the response to Maria|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 30, 2017}}</ref> ], the mayor of Puerto Rico's capital ], repeatedly criticized US relief efforts, saying that they were not reaching the people who needed the aid; on September 29 she made a desperate plea for help, saying that people are "dying, starving, thirsty".<ref name=":38">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/30/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-recovery/index.html|title=Puerto Rico: Mayor pleads for better response; Trump hits back|publisher=CNN|access-date=September 30, 2017}}</ref> Trump responded by criticizing Puerto Rico officials, saying that they had "poor leadership ability" and "want everything to be done for them", and repeatedly pointing out Puerto Rico's debt crisis.<ref name=":38" /> On September 28 the Army dispatched Lt.Gen. ] to Puerto Rico to assess the situation and see how the military could be more effective in helping.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/28/aid-trickling-into-puerto-rico-but-thousands-supplies-still-stuck-port/711894001/|title=U.S. military dispatches three-star general to Puerto Rico amid charges of supply snafus|last=Stanglin|first=Doug|work=USA Today|accessdate=September 30, 2017}}</ref> In January 2018, FEMA officially ended its humanitarian mission in Puerto Rico; at the time of FEMA's departure, one third of Puerto Rico residents still lacked electricity and some places lacked running water.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/29/581511023/fema-to-end-food-and-water-aid-for-puerto-rico|title=FEMA To End Food And Water Aid For Puerto Rico|work=NPR.org|access-date=January 30, 2018|language=en}}</ref> A March 2018 ''Politico'' analysis of the Trump administration's response indicated that the administration and Trump himself showed far more attention to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and that the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was slower and weaker.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/27/donald-trump-fema-hurricane-maria-response-480557|title=How Trump favored Texas over Puerto Rico|work=POLITICO|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> The official death rate reported by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is 64; the Commonwealth has commissioned ] to assess the death toll and is awaiting that report.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/29/us/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-death-toll/index.html|title=Hurricane Maria death toll may be more than 4,600 in Puerto Rico|last1=Sutter|first1=John D.|last2=Santiago|first2=Leyla|date=May 29, 2018|work=CNN|accessdate=2 June 2018}}</ref> An academic study based on household surveys and reported in the ] estimated that the number of hurricane-related deaths during the period September 20, 2017 to December 31, 2017 was around 4,600 (range 793-8,498)<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kishore|first=Nishant ''et al.''|date=May 29, 2018|title=Mortality in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria|url=https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1803972|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|language=en|doi=10.1056/nejmsa1803972|issn=0028-4793}}</ref>
During the 2020 ], the Trump administration replaced career public affairs staff at the ] with political appointees, including ], who interfered with weekly Centers for Disease Control scientific reports and attempted to silence the government's most senior infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, "sowing distrust of the FDA at a time when health leaders desperately need people to accept a vaccine in order to create the immunity necessary to defeat the novel coronavirus".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title='It just created a public relations nightmare': Inside Michael Caputo's time at HHS|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/16/how-michael-caputo-shook-up-hhs-416632 |first1=Dan |last1=Diamond |first2=Adam |last2=Cancryn |first3=Sarah |last3=Owermohle |date=September 16, 2020 |access-date=September 25, 2020 |website=]}}</ref> One day after Trump noted that he might dismiss an FDA proposal to improve standards for emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine, the presidents of the ] of Sciences and Medicine issued a statement expressing alarm at political interference in science during a pandemic, "particularly the overriding of evidence and advice from public health officials and derision of government scientists".<ref>{{Cite press release |date = September 24, 2020 |title = NAS and NAM Presidents Alarmed By Political Interference in Science Amid Pandemic |url = https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2020/09/nas-and-nam-presidents-alarmed-by-political-interference-in-science-amid-pandemic |first1 = Marcia |last1 = McNutt |first2 = Victor J. |last2 = Dzau |access-date = September 25, 2020 |website = National Academies}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Owermohle|first=Sarah|title=Science academies sound alarm on political interference|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/24/national-academy-sciences-coronavirus-political-interference-421118|access-date=September 25, 2020 |date=September 24, 2020 |website=]}}</ref>
=== Immigration ===
=== Space ===
{{Main|Immigration policy of Donald Trump}}
{{Main|Space policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}
{{see also|Immigration reform}}
], Second Lady ] and President ] watch the Crew Dragon Demo-2 Falcon 9 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center.]]
] began the ] in December 2017, with its initial focus on returning humans to the ] for commercial mining and research, aiming to secure the leading position in the emerging commercial ]. Trump also promoted the ]. On December 20, 2019, the Space Force Act, developed by Democratic representative ] and Republican representative ], was signed as part of the ]. The act reorganized the ] into the United States Space Force, and created the first new independent military service since the ] were reorganized as the ] in 1947.
=== Surveillance ===
Trump has repeatedly characterized ] as criminals, although multiple studies have found they have lower crime and incarceration rates than native-born Americans.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/us/politics/trump-immigration-borders-family-separation.html|title=Trump Highlights Immigrant Crime to Defend His Border Policy. Statistics Don’t Back Him Up.|publisher=|accessdate=June 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.governing.com/topics/public-justice-safety/gov-undocumented-immigrants-crime-pew.html|title=The Mythical Link Between Immigrants and High Crime Rates|website=www.governing.com|accessdate=June 24, 2018}}</ref> Prior to taking office, Trump promised to deport the 11 million illegal immigrants living in the United States and to build a ] along the ].<ref name="stareen18november2016">{{cite news |last1=Tareen|first1=Sophia|title=Trump's election triggers flood of immigration questions|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2016/1118/Trump-s-election-triggers-flood-of-immigration-questions|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|date=November 18, 2016|accessdate=November 18, 2016}}</ref> Trump later stated that in certain areas fencing would be acceptable.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-14/donald-trump-says-parts-of-border-wall-fence/8022188|title=Donald Trump says parts of border wall could be fence instead|date=November 14, 2016|publisher=]}}</ref> On January 25, 2017, Trump signed ] which directed the Secretary of ] to begin work on a wall.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/25/donald-trump-sign-mexico-border-executive-order|title=Trump signs order to begin Mexico border wall in immigration crackdown|newspaper=The Guardian|date=January 25, 2017}}</ref> In February 2017, an internal DHS report estimated that Trump's proposed border wall would cost $21.6 billion and take 3.5 years to build (far higher than estimates by the Trump 2016 campaign ($12 billion) and the $15 billion estimate from Republican congressional leaders).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/usa-trump-immigration-wall-idINKBN15O2ZZ|title=Exclusive - Trump border 'wall' to cost $21.6 billion, take 3.5 years to build: Homeland Security internal report|last=Ainsley|first=Julia Edwards|publisher=Reuters India|access-date=February 10, 2017}}</ref> Other analyses estimated a total cost of up to $25 billion, with the cost of private land acquisitions and fence maintenance pushing the total cost up further.<ref name="Loiaconi">Stephen Loiaconi, , ] (August 18, 2015).</ref> In August 2017, the transcript of the January 2017 phone call between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto was leaked; in the phone call, Trump conceded that he would fund the border wall, not by charging Mexico as he promised during the campaign, but through other ways and implored the Mexican President to stop saying publicly that the Mexican government would not pay for the border wall.<ref name=":19">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/you-cannot-say-that-to-the-press-trump-urged-mexican-president-to-end-his-public-defiance-on-border-wall-transcript-reveals/2017/08/03/0c2c0a4e-7610-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html|title=Trump urged Mexican president to end his public defiance on border wall, transcript reveals|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=August 3, 2017}}</ref> ] is sworn in at a hearing on her nomination to become the 6th ].]]
In 2019, Trump signed into law a six-year extension of Section 702 of the ], allowing the NSA to conduct searches of foreigners' communications without any warrant. The process incidentally collects information from Americans.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Volz|first=Dustin|date=January 20, 2018|title=Trump signs bill renewing NSA's internet surveillance program|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-cyber-surveillance/trump-signs-bill-renewing-nsas-internet-surveillance-program-idUSKBN1F82MK|access-date=June 27, 2019|website=]}}</ref>
The Trump administration embraced the ] in August 2017. The RAISE Act sought to reduce levels of legal ] by 50% by halving the number of ] issued. The bill would also impose a cap of 50,000 ] admissions a year and would end the ]. A study by Penn Wharton economists found that the legislation would by 2027 "reduce GDP by 0.7 percent relative to current law, and reduce jobs by 1.3 million. By 2040, GDP will be about 2 percent lower and jobs will fall by 4.6 million. Despite changes to population size, jobs and GDP, there is very little change to per capita GDP, increasing slightly in the short run and then eventually falling."<ref name=":110">{{cite news|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/business/wharton-study-immigration-proposal-will-lead-to-less-economic-growth-and-fewer-jobs-20170810.html|title=Wharton study: Immigration proposal will lead to less economic growth and fewer jobs|work=Philadelphia Daily News|access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":23">{{cite web|url=http://www.budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2017/8/8/the-raise-act-effect-on-economic-growth-and-jobs|title=The RAISE Act: Effect on Economic Growth and Jobs|publisher=Penn Wharton Budget Model|access-date=August 11, 2017}}</ref>
=== Veterans affairs ===
In August 2017, the Trump administration terminated a program that granted temporary legal residence to unaccompanied Central American minors. 2,714 individuals would have to renew their legal residence status through other more difficult immigrant channels.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-administration-ends-obama-era-protection-program-for-central-american-minors/2017/08/16/8101507e-82b6-11e7-ab27-1a21a8e006ab_story.html|title=Trump administration ends Obama-era protection program for Central American minors|first1=David|last1=Nakamura|work=The Washington Post|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> In November 2017, the ] of 60,000 Haitians after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which gave them temporary residency permits, was revoked.<ref name=":55">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-to-end-provisional-residency-for-200000-salvadorans/2018/01/08/badfde90-f481-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html|title=200,000 Salvadorans may be forced to leave the U.S. as Trump ends immigration protection|last=Miroff|first=Nick|date=January 8, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=January 8, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In January 2018, the Trump administration announced that approximately 200,000 Salvadorans, who were given Temporary Protected Status in the U.S. after a series of devastating earthquakes in 2001, would have their residency permits revoked; which means that they would have to leave the country, seek new permits or stay as undocumented immigrants.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/us/salvadorans-tps-end.html|title=Trump Administration Says That Nearly 200,000 Salvadorans Must Leave|last=Jordan|first=Miriam|date=2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 8, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The Salvadorans are parents to an estimated 190,000 U.S.-born children.<ref name=":55" />
Prior to ]'s firing in April 2018, ''The New York Times'' described the ] (VA) as a "rare spot of calm in the Trump administration". Shulkin built upon changes started under the Obama administration to do a long-term overhaul of the VA system.<ref name="Philipps-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/va-medical-system-chaos.html|title=V.A. Medical System Staggers as Chaos Engulfs Its Leadership|last1=Philipps|first1=Dave|last2=Fandos|first2=Nicholas|date=May 4, 2018|work=]|access-date=May 4, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In May 2018, legislation to increase veterans' access to private care was stalled, as was a VA overhaul which sought to synchronize medical records.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/who-wants-to-work-there-now-trumps-ronny-jackson-fiasco-may-be-the-least-of-vas-worries/2018/05/02/e1c64af0-44cf-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html|title=Exodus from Trump's VA: When the mission of caring for veterans 'is no longer a reason for people to stay'|last=Rein|first=Lisa|date=May 3, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=May 4, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In May 2018, there were reports of a large number of resignations of senior staffers and a major reshuffling.<ref name="Philipps-2018" />
In August 2018, ''ProPublica'' reported that three wealthy patrons of Trump's ] club, formed an "informal council" that strongly influenced VA policy, including reviewing a confidential $10{{spaces}}billion contract to modernize the VA's records.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.propublica.org/article/ike-perlmutter-bruce-moskowitz-marc-sherman-shadow-rulers-of-the-va|title=The Shadow Rulers of the VA|last=Arnsdorf|first=Isaac|date=August 7, 2018|website=ProPublica|access-date=August 10, 2018}}</ref> The ] announced in November 2018 that it would investigate the matter.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/26/mar-a-lago-trump-investigation-va-contracts-1015803 |first=Lorraine |last=Woellert |title=Watchdog office to probe Mar-a-Lago members' influence at VA |work=] |date=November 26, 2018 |access-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref>
In October 2017, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis added additional background checks for non-citizens who served in the military and extended the time that the service members had to serve before they could receive necessary paperwork to pursue US citizenship. As a result of these changes, the number of service members who applied for citizenship through their service declined by 65% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/05/03/naturalizations-drop-65-percent-for-service-members-seeking-citizenship-after-mattis-memo|title=Naturalizations drop 65 percent for service members seeking citizenship after Mattis memo|last=Copp|first=Tara|date=May 3, 2018|work=Military Times|access-date=May 4, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2018, Trump signed into law the VA MISSION Act, which expanded eligibility for the ] program, allowing veterans greater access to private sector healthcare.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Slack |first=Donovan |title=Trump signs VA law to provide veterans more private health care choices. |work=] |date=June 6, 2018 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/06/trump-signs-law-expanding-vets-healthcare-choices/673906002/ |access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> Trump falsely asserted more than 150 times that he created the Veterans Choice program, which has in fact existed since being signed into law by president Obama in 2014.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/politics/trump-veterans-choice-paula-reid/index.html |date=August 9, 2020 |title=Trump walks out of news conference after reporter asks him about Veterans Choice lie he's told more than 150 times |first=Daniel |last=Dale |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=March 7, 2021 |title=Spin, hyperbole and deception: How Trump claimed credit for an Obama veterans achievement|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/23/trump-obama-veterans-choice-act/ |first=Ashley |last=Parker |date=October 23, 2020 |newspaper=]}}</ref>
In October 2017, the Trump administration began to separate undocumented immigrant families charged for crossing the border illegally. In May 2018, the administration announced that it would increase the practice of family separation. Past administrations had historically not separated children from their parents, except in few cases. Between October 2017 and May 2018, approximately 700 children were separated from their parents. Research shows that children separated from their parents are more likely to suffer from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as develop behavioral problems and suffer worse education outcomes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/12/us/immigrants-family-separation.html|title=Breaking Up Immigrant Families: A Look at the Latest Border Tactic|date=May 12, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 14, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The administration defended the policy of family separation, arguing that it deterred illegal border crossings and asylum seeking.<ref name=":70">{{Cite news|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/387309-kelly-its-not-cruel-to-separate-undocumented-immigrant-families|title=Kelly: It’s not cruel to separate undocumented immigrant families|last=Anapol|first=Avery|date=May 11, 2018|work=TheHill|access-date=May 14, 2018|language=en}}</ref> White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said the policy was not cruel, and said that the "children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever."<ref name=":70" />
=== Voting rights ===
In December 2017, the Trump administration announced that it would make it illegal for spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/15/technology/h1b-visa-spouses-h4-trump/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom|title=Trump will stop spouses of H-1B visa holders from working|last=Mullen|first=Jethro|work=CNNMoney|access-date=December 15, 2017}}</ref>
{{Main|Voting rights in the United States}}
Under the Trump administration, the Justice Department limited enforcement actions to protect ], and in fact often defended restrictions on voting rights imposed by various states that have been challenged as ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Michael|last=Wines|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/12/us/voting-rights-voter-id-suppression.html |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Voting Rights Advocates Used to Have an Ally in the Government. That's Changing.|newspaper=]|date=August 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="LevineVoting">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Sam|last=Levine|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/23/us-justice-department-voting-rights-2020-election |access-date=November 10, 2021 |newspaper=] |title='An embarrassment': Trump's justice department goes quiet on voting rights|date=June 23, 2020}}</ref> The Justice Department under Trump has filed only a single new case under the ].<ref name="LevineVoting" /> Trump's Justice Department opposed minority voters' interests in all of the major voting litigation since 2017 in which the ] Voting Section has been involved.<ref name="LevineVoting" />
Trump has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, there was widespread voter fraud.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/09/666018707/trump-scott-spread-claims-of-voter-fraud-as-florida-race-narrows |date=November 9, 2018 |first1=Miles |last1=Parks |first2=Emily |last2=Sullivan |first3=Brian |last3=Naylor |title=As Florida Races Narrow, Trump And Scott Spread Claims of Fraud Without Evidence|work=]|access-date=November 10, 2018}}</ref> The administration created a ] with the stated purpose to review the extent of voter fraud in the wake of Trump's false claim that millions of unauthorized votes cost him the popular vote in the 2016 election. It was chaired by Vice President Pence, while the day-to-day administrator was ], best known for promoting restrictions on access to voting. The commission began its work by requesting each state to turn over detailed information about all registered voters in their database. Most states rejected the request, citing privacy concerns or state laws.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Liz |last1=Stark |first2=Grace |last2=Hauck |date=July 5, 2017 |work=] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/politics/kris-kobach-letter-voter-fraud-commission-information/index.html |title=Forty-four states and DC have refused to give certain voter information to Trump commission |access-date=July 11, 2017}}</ref> Multiple lawsuits were filed against the commission. ] ] said Kobach was refusing to share working documents and scheduling information with him and the other Democrats on the commission. A federal judge ordered the commission to hand over the documents.<ref name="Woodward-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/06/trump-administration-resists-turning-over-documents-to-dunlap/ |first=Colin |last=Woodward |title=Trump refuses to release documents to Maine secretary of state despite judge's order|date=January 6, 2018|work=Portland Press Herald|access-date=January 7, 2018}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, Trump disbanded the commission, and informed Dunlap that it would not obey the court order to provide the documents because the commission no longer existed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/politics/trump-voter-fraud-commission.html|title=Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud|last=Haag|first=Matthew|date=January 3, 2018|work=]|access-date=January 4, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Election integrity experts argued that the commission was disbanded because of the lawsuits, which would have led to greater transparency and accountability and thus prevented the Republican members of the commission from producing a sham report to justify restrictions on voting rights.<ref name="Woodward-2018" /> It was later revealed the commission had, in its requests for Texas voter data, specifically asked for data that identifies voters with Hispanic surnames.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/trump-election-fraud-commission-bought-texas-election-data-flagging-hispanic-voters/2018/01/22/2791934a-fd55-11e7-ad8c-ecbb62019393_story.html|title=Trump voting commission bought Texas election data flagging Hispanic voters|last1=Hsu|first1=Spencer S.|last2=Wagner|first2=John|date=January 22, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=January 22, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In January 2018, the Trump administration proposed spending $18 billion over the next 10 years on a wall on the Mexican border, more than half of the $33 billion spending blueprint for border security.<ref name=":56">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/us/politics/trump-border-wall-funding-surveillance.html|title=To Pay for Wall, Trump Would Cut Proven Border Security Measures|last=Nixon|first=Ron|date=2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 9, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Trump's plan would reduce funding for border surveillance, radar technology, patrol boats and customs agents; experts and officials say that these are more effective at curbing illegal immigration and preventing terrorism and smuggling than a border wall.<ref name=":56" />
=== White nationalists and Charlottesville rally ===
Later that month, Trump was widely criticized after referring to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations in general as "shithole countries" at a bipartisan meeting on immigration. Multiple international leaders condemned his remarks as racist.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/african-nations-slam-trump-s-vulgar-remarks-reprehensible-racist-n837486|title=African nations slam Trump's vulgar remarks as "racist"|work=NBC News|access-date=January 15, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
{{See also|Unite the Right rally|Racial views of Donald Trump}}On August 13, 2017, Trump condemned violence "on many sides" after a gathering of hundreds of ] in ], the previous day (August 12) turned deadly. A white supremacist drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman and injuring 19 others. According to Sessions, that action met the definition of ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-white-nationalists-charlottesville-20170814-story.html|title=Emboldened white nationalists say Charlottesville is just the beginning |last=Reeves |first=Jay |date=August 14, 2017 |agency=] |newspaper=] |access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref> During the rally there had been other violence, as some counter-protesters charged at the white nationalists with swinging clubs and mace, throwing bottles, rocks, and paint.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Costello |first=Tom |url=https://www.today.com/video/charlottesville-fact-check-were-both-sides-to-blame-for-violence-1025759299536 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Charlottesville Fact Check: Were Both Sides To Blame For Violence? |work=] |date=August 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gunter |first=Joel |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-40952796 |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=What Trump Said Versus What I Saw |work=] |date=August 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Alexander |first=Harriet |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/15/alt-left-donald-trump-said-violent-charlottesville/ |access-date=August 16, 2017 |title=What is the 'alt Left' that Donald Trump said was 'very violent' in Charlottesville? |work=] |date=August 16, 2017 |quote=photos and videos from Saturday's riot does show people dressed in black, their faces covered, engaging the neo-Nazis in violent confrontation.}}</ref> Trump did not expressly mention neo-Nazis, white supremacists, or the ] movement in his remarks on August 13,<ref name="Merica-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/politics/trump-statement-alt-right-protests/index.html |date=August 13, 2017 |title=Trump condemns 'hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides' in Charlottesville |first=Dan |last=Merica |work=] |access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> but the following day condemned "the ], ], ], and other ]s".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump decries KKK, neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/8/14/trump-decries-kkk-neo-nazi-violence-in-charlottesville |date=August 14, 2017|access-date=August 15, 2017|work=]}}</ref> On August 15, he again blamed "both sides".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author2-link=Maggie Haberman|title=Trump Defends Initial Remarks on Charlottesville; Again Blames 'Both Sides'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-press-conference-charlottesville.html|date=August 15, 2017|work=]|access-date=August 15, 2017}}</ref>
Many Republican and Democratic elected officials condemned the violence and hatred of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and alt-right activists. Trump came under criticism from world leaders<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Toosi|first=Nahal|title=World leaders condemn Trump's remarks on neo-Nazis|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/world-leaders-condemn-trumps-remarks-on-neo-nazis/|work=] |access-date=August 17, 2017|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> and politicians,<ref name="Thrush-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/us/trump-charlottesville-protest-nationalist-riot.html|title=Trump's Remarks on Charlottesville Violence Are Criticized as Insufficient|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|author1-link=Glenn Thrush|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author2-link=Maggie Haberman|date=August 12, 2017|work=]|access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Merica-2017" /> as well as a variety of religious groups<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Pink|first=Aiden|title=Orthodox Rabbinical Group Condemns Trump Over Charlottesville|url=https://forward.com/fast-forward/380204/orthodox-rabbinical-group-condemns-trump-over-charlottesville/ |work=] |access-date=August 17, 2017|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> and anti-hate organizations<ref>{{cite press release |title = ADL Condemns President Trump's Remarks |url = https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-condemns-president-trumps-remarks |publisher = ] |access-date = August 17, 2017 |date = August 15, 2017}}</ref> for his remarks, which were seen as muted and equivocal.<ref name="Thrush-2017" /> '']'' reported Trump "was the only national political figure to spread blame for the 'hatred, bigotry and violence' that resulted in the death of one person to 'many sides'",<ref name="Thrush-2017" /> and said Trump had "buoyed the white nationalist movement on Tuesday as no president has done in generations".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-charlottesville-white-nationalists.html |title=Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|author1-link=Glenn Thrush|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie|author2-link=Maggie Haberman|date=August 15, 2017|work=]|access-date=September 27, 2017}}</ref>
By February 2018, arrests of undocumented immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased by 40% during Trump's tenure. Arrests of noncriminal undocumented immigrants were twice as high as during Obama's final year in office. Arrests of undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions only increased slightly.<ref name=":63">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-takes-shackles-off-ice-which-is-slapping-them-on-immigrants-who-thought-they-were-safe/2018/02/11/4bd5c164-083a-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html|title=Trump takes ‘shackles’ off ICE, which is slapping them on immigrants who thought they were safe|last=Miroff|first=Nick|date=February 11, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=February 12, 2018|last2=Sacchetti|first2=Maria|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
== Foreign affairs ==
In March 2018, the Commerce Department announced that it would add a citizenship question to the ]. Experts noted that the inclusion of such a question would likely result in severe undercounting of the population and faulty data, as undocumented immigrants would be less likely to respond to the census.<ref name=":66">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/us/politics/census-citizenship-question-trump.html|title=Despite Concerns, Census Will Ask Respondents if They Are U.S. Citizens|last=Baumgaertner|first=Emily|date=March 26, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 27, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Blue states, especially California, are therefore likely to get less congressional apportionment and fund apportionment than they would otherwise get, because they have larger undocumented populations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/27/politics/blue-states-lose-citizenship-question-census/index.html|title=Blue states are far more likely to lose money and power over Census citizenship question|last=CNN|first=Analysis by Harry Enten,|work=CNN|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> In response, ], California’s attorney general, announced his attention to sue the Trump administration over the decision.<ref name=":66" /> Similar suits were filed in New York, Washington D.C., and several cities. The ] (ACLU) and immigrants rights organizations sued in June 2018.<ref name=Bahrampour>{{cite web | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/aclu-sues-us-government-over-census-citizenship-question/2018/06/06/119f629c-69ac-11e8-9e38-24e693b38637_story.html?noredirect=on | title=ACLU sues U.S. government over census citizenship question | work=] | date=June 6, 2018 | accessdate=June 20, 2018 | last=Bahrampour | first=Tara}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-aclu-census-lawsuit-20180606-story.html | title=ACLU sues over plans for citizenship question on 2020 census forms | work=] | date=June 6, 2018 | accessdate=June 20, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|Foreign policy of the first Donald Trump administration}}
] to 24 different countries during his first presidency.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/trump-donald-j|title= Travels of President Donald Trump|publisher= U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian|access-date= 2023-12-15|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230623112422/https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/travels/president/trump-donald-j|archive-date= 2023-06-23|url-status= live}}</ref>]]
]'s ] leader ] shake hands at the ], June 30, 2019]]
The ] changed frequently, so it was "difficult to glean a political agenda, or even a set of clear, core policy values ahead of his presidency".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||first=Jane C.|last=Timm|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/full-list-donald-trump-s-rapidly-changing-policy-positions-n547801 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=The 141 Stances Donald Trump Took During His White House Bid |work=] |date=March 30, 2016}}</ref> Under a banner of "America First", the Trump administration distinguished itself from past administrations with frequent open admiration of authoritarian rulers and rhetorical rejections of key human rights norms.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite journal||last1=Mills|first1=Kurt|last2=Payne|first2=Rodger A.|date=August 7, 2020|title=America First and the human rights regime|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2020.1809362|journal=Journal of Human Rights|volume=19|issue=4|pages=399–424|doi=10.1080/14754835.2020.1809362|s2cid=221865662|issn=1475-4835}}</ref>
In May 2018, the Trump administration announced it would ] caught unlawfully crossing the southern border into the United States. Later that month, Trump falsely accused Democrats of creating that policy, despite it originating from his own administration, and urged Congress to "get together" and pass an immigration bill.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/us/trump-immigrant-children-lost.html|title=Did the Trump Administration Separate Immigrant Children From Parents and Lose Them?|date=May 28, 2018|publisher=|accessdate=May 28, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Members of Congress from both parties condemned the practice and pointed out that the White House could end the separations on its own; Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said, "President Trump could stop this policy with a phone call."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/6/19/17478350/republicans-family-separations-trump-midterms|title=Republicans are starting to worry that voters will punish them for family separations|last=Zhou|first=Li|date=June 19, 2018|work=Vox|accessdate=20 June 2018}}</ref> Six weeks into the implementation of the "no tolerance" policy, at least 2,300 migrant children had been separated from their families.<ref name=":79" /> The ], the ] and the ] condemned the policy, with the American Academy of Pediatrics saying that the policy was causing “irreparable harm” to the children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/14/health/immigrant-family-separation-doctors/index.html|title=Doctors saw immigrant kids separated from their parents. Now they're trying to stop it.|last=CNN|first=Catherine E. Shoichet,|work=CNN|access-date=2018-06-15}}</ref><ref name=":78" /> The policy was extremely unpopular, more so than any major piece of legislation in recent memory.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/06/19/the-extraordinary-unpopularity-of-trumps-family-separation-policy-in-one-graph/|title=Analysis {{!}} The extraordinary unpopularity of Trump’s family separation policy (in one graph)|last=Sides|first=John|date=2018-06-19|work=Washington Post|access-date=2018-06-20|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> '']'' quoted a White House official as saying that Trump's decision to separate migrant families was to gain political leverage to force Democrats and moderate Republicans to accept hardline immigration legislation.<ref name=":78">{{cite web |last1=Scherer |first1=Michael |last2=Dawsey |first2=Josh |title=Trump cites as a negotiating tool his policy of separating immigrant children from their parents |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-cites-as-a-negotiating-tool-his-policy-of-separating-immigrant-children-from-their-parents/2018/06/15/ade82b80-70b3-11e8-bf86-a2351b5ece99_story.html?noredirect=on |work=] |accessdate=17 June 2018}}</ref> On June 20, 2018, amid worldwide outrage and enormous political pressure to roll back his policy, Trump signed an executive order to end family separations at the the U.S. border, unilaterally reversing his policy.<ref name=":79">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/politics/trump-immigration-children-executive-order.html|title=Trump Retreats on Separating Families, Signing Order to Detain Them Together|access-date=2018-06-20|language=en}}</ref> He had earlier said that "you can’t do it through an executive order."<ref name=":79" /> A HHS official said the more than 2,300 migrant children who had already been separated from their parents would not be immediately reunited with them.<ref name=":79" /> The order required that families be detained together, but that they can be detained indefinitely. The legality of indefinite detention was disputed.<ref name=":79" />
====Immigration order====
Despite pledges to reduce the number of active duty U.S. military personnel deployed overseas, the number was essentially the same three years into Trump's presidency as they were at the end of Obama's.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2019-12-03/trump-didnt-shrink-us-military-commitments-abroad-he-expanded-them|title=Trump Didn't Shrink U.S. Military Commitments Abroad – He Expanded Them|last1=MacDonald|first1=Paul K.|last2=Parent|first2=Joseph M.|date=December 5, 2019|work=Foreign Affairs|access-date=January 11, 2020|issn=0015-7120}}</ref>
{{see also|Executive Order 13769|Executive Order 13780|s:Proclamation 9645}}
] at the ] as the Vice President ] and Secretary of Defense ] look on, January 27, 2017]]
During his first nine months in office, Trump issued several directives aimed at restricting entry of certain people into the United States. After each of those directives there have been ].
In August 2019, Trump cancelled a state visit to ] by invitation of ] due to ] ] having called Trump's ] ], a territory within the ], "an absurd discussion".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=August 21, 2019 |title=Trump cancels Denmark trip after PM says Greenland is not for sale |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/20/trump-greenland-denmark-mette-frederiksen |access-date=April 4, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 21, 2019 |title=Trump cancels Denmark visit amid spat over sale of Greenland |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49416740 |access-date=April 4, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 21, 2019 |title=Trump aflyser dansk statsbesøg |url=https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/trump-aflyser-dansk-statsbesog |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=DR |language=da-DK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Trump cancels Denmark trip after PM says Greenland isn't for sale |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-postpones-meeting-danish-pm-after-she-says-greenland-isn-n1044651 |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=NBC News |date=August 21, 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Karni |first=Annie |date=August 21, 2019 |title=Trump Scraps Trip to Denmark, as Greenland Is Not for Sale |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/us/politics/trump-cancels-greenland-trip.html |access-date=April 4, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jensen |first=Signe From |date=August 21, 2019 |title=Trumps aflysning går verden rundt:"Sådan behandler man ikke en allieret"|url=https://jyllands-posten.dk/international/ECE11564178/trumps-aflysning-af-besoeg-i-danmark-gaar-verden-rundt/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=Jyllands-Posten |language=da}}</ref>
On January 27, 2017, Trump signed an ] which indefinitely suspended admission of asylum seekers fleeing the ], suspended admission of all other refugees for 120 days, and denied entry to citizens of ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] for 90 days. The order also established a religious test for refugees from Muslim nations by giving priority to refugees of other religions over Muslim refugees.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/trump-syrian-refugees.html|title=Trump Bars Refugees and Citizens of 7 Muslim Countries|last=Shear|first=Michael D.|date=January 27, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 28, 2017|last2=Cooper|first2=Helene}}</ref> Later, the administration seemed to reverse a portion of part of the order, effectively exempting visitors with a ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/trump-syrian-refugees.html|title=Trump Bars Refugees and Citizens of 7 Muslim Countries|last1=D. Shear|first1=Michael|date=January 27, 2017|accessdate=January 28, 2017|last2=Cooper|first2=Helene|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="Shear">Peter Baker, , '']'' (January 29, 2017).</ref> After the order was challenged in the federal courts, several federal judges issued rulings ] the government from enforcing the order.<ref name="Shear" /> On January 30, Trump ] acting Attorney General ] after she stated she would not defend the order in court; Yates was replaced by ], who stated the Justice Department would defend the order.<ref name="tschleifer1">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/dana-boente-acting-attorney-general/|title=New acting attorney general set for brief tenure|last1=Schleifer|first1=Theodore|date=January 31, 2017|accessdate=January 31, 2017|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
On October 27, 2019, ISIS leader ] killed himself and three children by detonating a ] during the ] conducted by the U.S. ] in Syria's northwestern ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/27/world/middleeast/al-baghdadi-dead.html|title=Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS Leader Known for His Brutality, Is Dead at 48|last1=Callimachi|first1=Rukmini|last2=Hassan|first2=Falih|date=October 27, 2019|work=]|access-date=October 27, 2019|location=New York City|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
A ] was signed in March which places limits on travel to the U.S. from six different countries for 90 days, and by all refugees who do not possess either a visa or valid travel documents for 120 days.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/06/donald-trump-travel-ban-nigeria-executive-order/|title=Donald Trump's travel ban: President facing new legal threat as FBI investigate 300 refugees for links to Isil|last1=Alexander|first1=Harriet|date=March 7, 2017|accessdate=June 26, 2017|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> The new executive order revoked and replaced the former Executive Order 13769 issued in January.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/06/politics/trump-new-travel-ban-executive-order-full-text/index.html|title=Trump travel ban: Read the full executive order|date=March 6, 2017|accessdate=June 26, 2017|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
Trump withdrew from the ], a nearly three-decade old agreement promoting transparency of military forces and activities.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gordon|first=Michael R.|date=November 22, 2020|title=Trump Exits Open Skies Treaty, Moves to Discard Observation Planes|work=]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-exits-open-skies-treaty-moves-to-discard-observation-planes-11606055371|access-date=December 20, 2020|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>
On June 26, the ] partially ] certain injunctions that were put on the order by two federal appeals courts earlier, allowing the executive order to mostly go into effect. ] concerning the legality of the order were scheduled to be held in October 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://time.com/4832729/supreme-court-travel-ban-case-argument/?xid=homepage|title=Supreme Court Allows Travel Ban to Go Into Effect While It Hears Case|last1=Berenson|first1=Tessa|date=June 26, 2017|work=Time|accessdate=June 26, 2017}}</ref> However, on October 10 the Court dismissed the case, saying that the orders had been replaced by a new proclamation, so challenges to the previous executive orders are moot.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/10/victory-trump-supreme-court-dismisses-travel-ban-case/752401001/|title=In victory for Trump, Supreme Court dismisses travel ban case|last1=Wolf|first1=Richard|last2=Korte|first2=Gregory|work=] |date=October 10, 2017|accessdate=October 20, 2017}}</ref>
=== Defense ===
On September 24, 2017, Trump signed a ] that placed limits on the six countries in the second executive order and added ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lawfareblog.com/white-house-updates-travel-ban-summary|title=White House Updates to the Travel Ban: A Summary|first=Russell|last=Spivak|publisher=] |location=]|date=September 25, 2017|accessdate=October 19, 2017}}</ref> On October 17, 2017, Judge ], of the ] issued another temporary ] in response to a ] by the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/federal-judge-blocks-trumps-third-travel-ban/2017/10/17/e73293fc-ae90-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html|title=Federal judge blocks Trump's third travel ban|first=Matt|last=Zapotosky|work=] |location=]|date=October 17, 2017|accessdate=October 19, 2017}}</ref> On December 4, 2017, the Supreme Court allowed the September 2017 travel restrictions to go into effect while legal challenges in Hawaii and Maryland are heard. The decision effectively bars most citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea from entry into the United States along with some groups of people from Venezuela.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/us/politics/trump-travel-ban-supreme-court.html|publisher=The New York Times|title=Supreme Court Allows Trump Travel Ban to Take Effect|author=Liptak, Adam|date=December 4, 2017|access-date=December 5, 2017}}</ref>
{{Further|Foreign policy of the first Donald Trump administration#Military}}
] at the welcoming ceremony for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ] (left) on September 30, 2019. Outgoing chairman General ] (right) and Secretary of Defense ] (center-right) are present]]
As a candidate and as president, Trump called for a major build-up of American military capabilities. Trump announced in October 2018 that the United States would withdraw from the ] with Russia. The goal was to enable the United States to counter increasing Chinese intermediate nuclear missile capabilities in the Pacific.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/us/politics/russia-nuclear-arms-treaty-trump-administration.html|title=U.S. to Tell Russia It Is Leaving Landmark I.N.F. Treaty|last1=Sanger|first1=David E.|last2=Broad|first2=William J.|date=October 19, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref> In December 2018, Trump complained about the amount the United States spends on an "uncontrollable ]" with Russia and China. Trump said that the $716{{spaces}}billion which the United States was spending on the "arms race" was "Crazy!". He had previously praised his own increased defense spending, five months earlier. The total fiscal 2019 defense budget authorization was $716{{spaces}}billion, although missile defense and nuclear programs made up about $10{{spaces}}billion of the total.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/08/us/politics/donald-trump-speech.html|title=Donald Trump Vows to Bolster Nation's Military Capacities|last1=Parker|first1=Ashley|last2=Rosenberg|first2=Matthew|date=September 7, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/02/world/middleeast/obama-nuclear-security-summit-iran.html|title=Obama Rebukes Donald Trump's Comments on Nuclear Weapons|last=Landler|first=Mark|date=April 1, 2016|newspaper=]|access-date=December 5, 2018}}</ref>
=== LGBT policy ===
{{Main|Social policy of Donald Trump#LGBT issues}}
{{see also|LGBT rights in the United States}}
During 2018, Trump falsely asserted that he had secured the largest defense budget authorization ever, the first military pay raise in ten years, and that ] was at least 4.0% of GDP, "which got a lot bigger since I became your president".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=3 False Claims From Trump's Naval Academy Speech|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/25/us/politics/fact-check-trump-naval-academy-speech.html |first=Linda |last=Qiu |date=May 15, 2018 |access-date=November 25, 2018}}</ref>
On January 31, 2017, Trump announced that his administration would keep intact the ] that protects employees from anti-LGBTQ workplace discrimination while working for federal contractors.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/trump-keep-the-lgbt-workplace-protections|title=Trump Says He'll Uphold Obama's Order Protecting LGBT Federal Workers|last=Holden|first=Dominic|date=January 31, 2017|access-date=August 1, 2017|publisher=Buzzfeed}}</ref> However, in March 2017, the Trump administration rolled back key components of the Obama administration's workplace protections for LGBT people.<ref name=":22">{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lgbtq-advocates-say-trump-s-news-executive-order-makes-them-n740301|title=LGBTQ advocates say Trump's new executive order removes protections against job discrimination|publisher=NBC News|access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref> The Trump administration rescinded requirements that federal contractors prove that they are complying with the LGBT workplace protections, which makes it difficult to tell if a contractor had refrained from discriminatory practices against LGBT individuals.<ref name=":22" /> LGBT advocates argued that this was a signal that the Trump administration would not enforce workplace violations against LGBT people.<ref name=":42">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/30/lgbt-rights-under-trump|title='Death by a thousand cuts': LGBT rights fading under Trump, advocates say|last=Siddiqui|first=Sabrina|date=March 30, 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name=":22" /><ref name=":32">{{cite news|url=https://www.advocate.com/politics/2017/3/29/trump-covertly-dismantles-obama-era-lgbt-protections|title=Trump Covertly Dismantles Obama-Era LGBT Protections|date=March 29, 2017|access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref>
Controversy arose in November 2019 after Trump pardoned or promoted three soldiers accused or convicted of ]s.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-announces-review-green-beret-murder-case-we-train-our-n1065421 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |first=Phil |last=McCausland |date=October 12, 2019 |title=Trump announces 'review' of Green Beret murder case: 'We train our boys to be killing machines' |website=]}}</ref> The most prominent case involved ], a Navy SEAL team chief who had been reported to Navy authorities by his own team members for ] at an unarmed civilian girl and an elderly man. Gallagher faced ] for the murder of a wounded teenage combatant, among other charges. The medic of his SEAL team was granted immunity to testify against him, but on the witness stand the medic reversed what he had previously told investigators and testified that he himself had murdered the teenage combatant. Gallagher was subsequently acquitted of the murder charge against him, and the Navy demoted him to the lowest possible rank due to his conviction on another charge. The Navy later moved to strip Gallagher of his ] and to eject him from the Navy. Trump intervened to restore Gallagher's rank and pin. Many military officers were enraged by Trump's intervention, as they felt it disrupted principles of military discipline and justice. ] ] protested Trump's intervention and was forced to resign; in his resignation letter, he sharply rebuked Trump for his judgment in the matter. Trump told a rally audience days later, "I stuck up for three great warriors against the ]."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/us/navy-seals-edward-gallagher-trident.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Navy Wants to Eject From SEALs a Sailor Cleared by Trump, Officials Say |first=Dave |last=Philipps |date=November 19, 2019|newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/us/trump-seals-eddie-gallagher.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump Reverses Navy Decision to Oust Edward Gallagher From SEALs |first=Dave |last=Philipps |date=November 21, 2019 |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/472201-trump-says-he-stood-up-to-the-deep-state-by-intervening-in-war-crime-cases |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump says he stood up to the 'deep state' by intervening in war crime cases |first=Brett |last=Samuels |date=November 26, 2019 |website=]}}</ref>
In February 2017, the Trump administration rescinded an Obama directive (interpreting ]) that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Trotta|first1=Daniel|title=Trump revokes Obama guidelines on transgender bathrooms|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-lgbt-idUSKBN161243|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=March 5, 2017}}</ref>
The Trump administration sharply increased the frequency of ] compared to the preceding Obama administration, in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria and Yemen,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Cupp|first=S. E.|title=Under Donald Trump, drone strikes far exceed Obama's numbers|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2019/5/8/18619206/under-donald-trump-drone-strikes-far-exceed-obama-s-numbers|access-date=June 14, 2020|work=]|date=May 8, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Ackerman|first=Spencer|title=Trump Ramped Up Drone Strikes in America's Shadow Wars|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-ramped-up-drone-strikes-in-americas-shadow-wars|access-date=June 14, 2020|work=]|date=November 26, 2018}}</ref> rollbacked transparency in reporting drone strike deaths,<ref name="crawford" /> and reduced accountability.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Atherton|first=Kelsey D.|title=Trump Inherited the Drone War but Ditched Accountability|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/22/obama-drones-trump-killings-count/ |date=May 22, 2020 |access-date=December 20, 2020|website=Foreign Policy}}</ref> In March 2019, Trump ended the Obama policy of reporting the number of civilian deaths caused by U.S. drone strikes, claiming that this policy was unnecessary.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump revokes Obama rule on reporting drone strike deaths|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47480207|access-date=June 14, 2020|work=]|date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>
In March 2017, the Trump administration rolled back efforts to collect data on LGBT Americans.<ref name=":42" /> The Health and Human Services removed a question about sexual orientation in a survey of the elderly.<ref name=":42" /> The U.S. Census Bureau, which had planned to ask about sexual orientation and gender identity in the 2020 Census and the American Community Survey, scrapped those plans in March 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/29/521921287/u-s-census-to-leave-sexual-orientation-gender-identity-questions-off-new-surveys|title=U.S. Census To Leave Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Questions Off New Surveys|publisher=NPR |access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref> In December 2017, the Center for Disease Control was prohibited from using the term "transgender".<ref name=":49">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-gets-list-of-forbidden-words-fetus-transgender-diversity/2017/12/15/f503837a-e1cf-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html|title=CDC gets list of forbidden words: fetus, transgender, diversity|last=Sun|first=Lena H.|date=December 15, 2017|work=Washington Post|access-date=December 16, 2017|last2=Eilperin|first2=Juliet|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The Director of the CDC denied these reports.<ref name="autogenerated3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/cdc-director-says-there-are-no-banned-words-at-the-agency|title=CDC director says there are ‘no banned words’ at the agency |work=PBS|access-date=June 10, 2018}}</ref>
=== Afghanistan ===
On July 26, 2017, Trump tweeted that transgender individuals would not be allowed "to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military", citing the alleged "disruption" and "tremendous medical costs" of having transgender service members.<ref name=":16">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40729996|title=Trump: Transgender people 'can't serve' US military|date=July 26, 2017|access-date=July 26, 2017|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> However, a RAND study of 18 countries that allow transgender individuals to serve in the military found "little or no impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/7/26/16034040/trump-transgender-military-study|title=Trump: allowing transgender military service would hurt combat readiness. Actual research: nope.|publisher=Vox|access-date=July 26, 2017}}</ref> Also, according to '']'', studies have shown that the medical costs for transgender service members would be "minimal".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cost-of-medical-care-for-transgender-service-members-would-be-minimal-studies-show/|title=Cost of Medical Care for Transgender Service Members Would Be Minimal, Studies Show|last=Joseph |first=Andrew|work=Scientific American|access-date=July 26, 2017}}</ref> According to the Rand Corporation, about 4,000 active-duty and reserve service members were transgender in 2016.<ref name=":16" /> The ban was blocked by a federal court.<ref>{{cite web|author=W.J. Hennigan |url=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-trump-transgender-20171030-story.html |title=Federal court blocks Trump's ban on transgender people in the military |publisher=Latimes.com |date=October 30, 2017 |accessdate=May 4, 2018}}</ref> In March 2018, Trump announced a new policy on transgender service members, namely a ban on those with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, which would effectively be a ban on most transgender service members.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-announces-ban-on-most-transgender-service-members/|title=White House announces ban on most transgender service members|access-date=March 24, 2018|language=en}}</ref> The policy was ] in '']'' (Western District of Washington) on April 13, 2018, when the court ruled that the 2018 memorandum essentially repeated the same issues as its predecessor order from 2017, that transgender service members (and transgender individuals as a class) were a ] entitled to ] of adverse laws (or at worst, a ]), and ordered that matter continue to a full trial hearing on the legality of the proposed policy.<ref>{{cite web|author=1917 GMT (0317 HKT) October 30, 2017 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/30/politics/judge-blocks-trump-transgender-military-ban/index.html |title=Judge blocks enforcement of transgender military ban - CNNPolitics |publisher=Edition.cnn.com |date=October 30, 2017 |accessdate=May 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Robson |first=Ruthann |url=http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2018/04/district-judge-holds-transgender-military-ban-subject-to-strict-scrutiny.html |title=Constitutional Law Prof Blog |publisher=Lawprofessors.typepad.com |date= |accessdate=May 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/files/karnoskivtrump.pdf|title=District Court, West District Washington, Karnoski v Trump, 13 April 2018|publisher=|accessdate=May 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Robson |first=Ruthann |url=http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2017/12/another-district-judge-issues-preliminary-injunction-against-transgender-military-ban-.html |title=Constitutional Law Prof Blog |publisher=Lawprofessors.typepad.com |date= |accessdate=May 4, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)}}
The number of U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan decreased significantly during Trump's presidency. By the end of Trump's term in office troop levels in Afghanistan were at the lowest levels since the early days of the war in 2001.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=US troop numbers in Afghanistan drop to lowest level since 2001 |first=Phillip Walter |last=Wellman |work=Stars and Stripes |date=January 15, 2021 |url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/us-troop-numbers-in-afghanistan-drop-to-lowest-level-since-2001-1.658621 |access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> Trump's presidency saw an expansion of drone warfare and a massive increase in civilian casualties from airstrikes in Afghanistan relative to the Obama administration.<ref name="crawford">{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Crawford|first=Neta|date=2020|title=Afghanistan's Rising Civilian Death Toll Due to Airstrikes, 2017–2020|url=https://www.carnegie.org/publications/afghanistans-rising-civilian-death-toll-due-airstrikes-2017-2020/|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=Carnegie Corporation of New York}}</ref>
In February 2020, ], which if upheld by the Taliban, would result in the ] by May 2021 (Trump's successor Joe Biden later extended the deadline to September 2021).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Afghan conflict: US and Taliban sign deal to end 18-year war |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51689443 |access-date=August 16, 2021 |work=] |date=February 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Brown |first1=Matthew |title=A timeline of the US withdrawal and Taliban recapture of Afghanistan |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/15/timeline-afghanistans-history-and-us-involvement/8143131002/ |access-date=August 16, 2021 |work=] |date=August 15, 2021}}</ref> As part of the deal, the U.S. agreed to the release of 5,000 Taliban members who were imprisoned by the Afghan government; some of these ex-prisoners went on to join the ] that felled the Afghan government.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Mashal |first1=Mujib |last2=Faizi |first2=Fatima |title=Afghanistan to Release Last Taliban Prisoners, Removing Final Hurdle to Talks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-prisoners-peace-talks.html |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=] |date=September 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Weissert |first1=Will |last2=Fram |first2=Alan |title=GOP hits Biden despite divides over Afghanistan withdrawal |url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-afghanistan-036874ebcb40acb404ac1a7f3db11f1a |access-date=August 18, 2021 |work=]|date=August 17, 2021}}</ref>
That same day, the DOJ argued in court that federal civil rights law did not ban employers from discriminating against employees based on sexual orientation. The Obama administration had decided that it did.<ref name=":18">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/27/nyregion/justice-department-gays-workplace.html|title=Justice Department Says Rights Law Doesn't Protect Gays|last=Feuer|first=Alan|date=July 27, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 28, 2017}}</ref>
In 2020, US casualties in Afghanistan reached their lowest level for the entire war.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=http://icasualties.org/App/AfghanFatalities |website=icasualties.org |title= Afghanistan Fatalities Total: 3557 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201231041605/http://icasualties.org/App/AfghanFatalities |access-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-date=December 31, 2020}}</ref> In Iraq, casualties increased, being significantly higher in Trump's term than Obama's second term.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=http://www.icasualties.org/App/Fatalities |title= Iraq Fatalities Total: 4902 |website=icasualties.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028103153/http://www.icasualties.org/App/Fatalities |access-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-date= October 28, 2021}}</ref>
In September 2017, the DOJ filed a brief on behalf of a baker who was found to have violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act by refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex couple. ''The Washington Post'' described the decision as part of "a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to rescind Obama administration positions favorable to gay rights".<ref name=":29">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/in-major-supreme-court-case-justice-dept-sides-with-baker-who-refused-to-make-wedding-cake-for-gay-couple/2017/09/07/fb84f116-93f0-11e7-89fa-bb822a46da5b_story.html|title=In major Supreme Court case, Justice Dept. sides with baker who refused to make wedding cake for gay couple|date=September 7, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref>
Following the collapse of the Afghan government and the ] in August 2021, accusations by ] surfaced on ] of the Trump Administration deliberately obstructing the visa process for Afghans who had helped U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Former Pence aide says Trump and Stephen Miller fought against taking Afghan refugees with 'racist hysteria'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-visas-afghan-refugees-troye-b1906190.html |first=Helen |last=Elfer |access-date=August 20, 2021|website=Independent|date=August 20, 2021|language=en}}</ref>
In October 2017, Attorney General Sessions ordered the DOJ to no longer side with transgender plaintiffs in workplace discrimination lawsuits invoking the Civil Rights Act.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/politics/transgender-civil-rights-act-justice-department-sessions.html|title=In Shift, Justice Dept. Says Law Doesn't Bar Transgender Discrimination|last=Savage|first=Charlie |authorlink=Charlie Savage |date=October 5, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref>
=== Science ===
=== China ===
{{Main|United States foreign policy toward the People's Republic of China}}
The Trump administration marginalized the role of science in policymaking. It was the first administration since 1941 not to name a White House science advisor. While preparing for talks with Kim Jong Un, the White House did not do so with the assistance of a White House science adviser or senior counselor trained in nuclear physics. The position of chief scientist in the State Department or the Department of Agriculture were not filled. The administration nominated Sam Clovis to be chief scientist in the Agriculture Department but he had no scientific background and the White House later withdrew the nomination. The administration successfully nominated Jim Bridenstine, who had no background in science and rejected the scientific consensus on climate change, to lead NASA. The Interior Department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Food and Drug Administration disbanded advisory committees.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/climate/trump-administration-science.html|title=In the Trump Administration, Science Is Unwelcome. So Is Advice.|date=2018-06-09|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-06-09|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
On January 19, 2021, Secretary of State ] announced that the Department of State had determined that "genocide and crimes against humanity" had been ] the ] ] and other ] in ].<ref name="wsj._U.S._says">{{#invoke:Cite web||title=U.S. Says China Is Committing 'Genocide' Against Uighur Muslims|last=Gordon|first=Michael R.|newspaper=]|date=January 19, 2021|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-declares-chinas-treatment-of-uighur-muslims-to-be-genocide-11611081555 |access-date=November 11, 2021}}</ref> The announcement was made on the last day of Trump's presidency. The incoming president, ], had already declared during his ], that such a determination should be made.<ref name="wsj._U.S._says" /> On January 20, 2021, Pompeo along with other Trump administration officials were sanctioned by China.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=January 20, 2021 |last=McEvoy |first=Jemima |title=China Sanctions Top Trump Officials, Including Pompeo, Navarro And Azar |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/01/20/china-sanctions-top-trump-officials-including-pompeo-navarro-and-azar/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=Forbes}}</ref>
=== North Korea ===
March 2017, the Energy Department prohibited the use of the term "climate change".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/energy-department-climate-change-phrases-banned-236655|title=Energy Department climate office bans use of phrase ‘climate change’|work=POLITICO|access-date=December 16, 2017}}</ref> In December 2017, the Trump administration sent a list to the ] on words that the agency that was prohibited from using in its official communications.<ref name=":49" /> These words included “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based,” “science-based,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” and “diversity.”<ref name=":49" /> The Director of the CDC denied these reports.<ref name="autogenerated3"/>
{{Main|North Korea–United States relations}}
{{See also|2017–2018 North Korea crisis|2018–19 Korean peace process}}
After initially adopting a verbally hostile posture<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Clark|first=Dartunorro|date=May 10, 2018|title=Trump says he will hold summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-north-korea-leader-kim-jong-un-will-meet-singapore-n872966|url-status=live|work=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614135459/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-north-korea-leader-kim-jong-un-will-meet-singapore-n872966|archive-date=June 14, 2020|access-date=June 17, 2020|quote=Trump promising "fire and fury" towards the "little rocket man".}}</ref> toward ] and its leader, ], Trump quickly pivoted to embrace the regime, saying he and Kim "fell in love".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-45696420 |access-date=November 9, 2021 |date=September 30, 2018 |title=Trump on Kim Jong-un: 'We fell in love'|website=]}}</ref> Trump engaged Kim by meeting him at two summits, ] and ], an unprecedented move by an American president, as previous policy had been that a president's simply meeting with the North Korean leader would legitimize the regime on the world stage. During the June 2018 summit, the leaders signed a vague agreement to pursue denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, with Trump immediately declaring "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/13/politics/trump-north-korea-nuclear-threat/index.html |date=June 13, 2018 |title=Trump declares North Korea 'no longer a nuclear threat' |first1=Veronica |last1=Stracqualursi |first2=Stephen |last2=Collinson |website=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608125827/https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/13/politics/trump-north-korea-nuclear-threat/index.html |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2021}}</ref> Little progress was made toward that goal during the months before the February 2019 summit, which ended abruptly without an agreement, hours after the White House announced a signing ceremony was imminent.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/27/trump-schedules-joint-agreement-signing-ceremony-with-north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-un.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump schedules joint agreement signing ceremony with North Korea's Kim|first=Carmin|last=Chappell|date=February 27, 2019|website=]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228115237/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/27/trump-schedules-joint-agreement-signing-ceremony-with-north-korean-dictator-kim-jong-un.html|archive-date=February 28, 2019}}</ref> During the months between the summits, a growing body of evidence indicated North Korea was continuing its nuclear fuel, bomb and missile development, including by redeveloping an ] site it was previously appearing to dismantle{{snd}}even while the second summit was underway.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/16/world/asia/trump-north-korea-nuclear.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=North Korea's Trump-Era Strategy: Keep Making A-Bombs, but Quietly|first=David E.|last=Sanger|newspaper=]|date=September 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/us/politics/north-korea-missile-bases.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=In North Korea, Missile Bases Suggest a Great Deception|first1=David E.|last1=Sanger|first2=William J.|last2=Broad|newspaper=]|date=November 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/world/asia/north-korea-missile-site.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=North Korea Has Started Rebuilding Key Missile-Test Facilities, Analysts Say|first=Choe|last=Sang-Hun|newspaper=] |date=March 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-completes-work-on-missile-facility-images-show-11551967478 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=U.S. Seeks Access to North Korean Missile Base|first=Michael R.|last=Gordon|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> In the aftermath of the February 2019 failed summit, the Treasury department imposed additional sanctions on North Korea. The following day, Trump tweeted, "It was announced today by the U.S. Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!"<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/world/asia/north-korea-sanctions.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump Reverses North Korea Sanctions That U.S. Imposed Yesterday|first=Alan|last=Rappeport|newspaper=]|date=March 22, 2019}}</ref> On December 31, 2019, the ] announced that Kim had abandoned his moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, quoting Kim as saying, "the world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/31/world/asia/north-korea-kim-speech.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=North Korea Is No Longer Bound by Nuclear Test Moratorium, Kim Says|first=Choe|last=Sang-Hun |newspaper=]|date=December 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://news.yahoo.com/kim-jong-un-north-korea-ending-test-moratoriums-221240994.html |agency=AFP |access-date=November 8, 2021 |date=December 31, 2019 |title=Kim Jong Un: North Korea ending test moratoriums|website=]}}</ref> Two years after the Singapore summit, the North Korean nuclear arsenal had significantly expanded.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/world/asia/korea-nuclear-trump-kim.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Two Years After Trump-Kim Meeting, Little to Show for Personal Diplomacy |first1=David E. |last1=Sanger |first2=Choe |last2=Sang-Hun |newspaper=] |date=June 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/24/world/asia/kim-jong-un-nuclear-north-korea.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Kim Jong-un Moves to Increase North Korea's Nuclear Strength |first=Choe |last=Sang-Hun |newspaper=] |date=June 16, 2020}}</ref>
During a ], Trump visited the ] and invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet him there, which he did, and Trump became the first sitting president to step inside North Korea.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/30/world/asia/trump-north-korea-dmz.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump Steps Into North Korea and Agrees With Kim Jong-un to Resume Talks|first1=Peter|last1=Baker|first2=Michael|last2=Crowley|newspaper=]|date=June 30, 2019}}</ref>{{efn|Trump later falsely asserted, "President Obama wanted to meet and chairman Kim would not meet him. The Obama administration was begging for a meeting."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/02/no-obama-didnt-beg-kim-jong-un-meeting/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |first=Salvador |last=Rizzo |title=No, Obama didn't beg Kim Jong Un for a meeting|date=July 2, 2019|newspaper=]}}</ref>}}
=== Transportation ===
=== Turkey ===
Trump proposed privatizing air traffic control in June 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/us/politics/trump-privatize-air-traffic-control.html|title=Trump Backs Air Traffic Control Privatization|date=June 5, 2017|publisher=|accessdate=May 29, 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> In February 2018 ], the chairman of the ], announced there was not enough support in Congress for the plan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/28/trumps-plan-to-privatize-u-s-air-traffic-control-lacks-support-congressman.html|title=Trump's plan to privatize U.S. air traffic control lacks support: Congressman|first=|last=CNBC|date=February 28, 2018|publisher=|accessdate=May 29, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|Turkey–United States relations}}
], May 16, 2017]]
In October 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president ], the White House acknowledged that Turkey would be carrying out a ]; as such, ] were withdrawn from the area to avoid interference with that operation. The statement also passed responsibility for the area's captured ] fighters to Turkey.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Chappell|first1=Bill|last2=Neuman|first2=Scott|title=In Major Policy Shift, U.S. Will Stand Aside As Turkish Forces Extend Reach In Syria|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/10/07/767777899/in-major-policy-shift-u-s-will-stand-aside-as-turkish-forces-extend-reach-in-syr|access-date=October 11, 2019|work=]|date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> Congress members of both parties denounced the move, including Republican allies of Trump like Senator ]. They argued that the move betrayed the American-allied Kurds, and would benefit ISIS, Russia, Iran and Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/07/trump-turkey-syria-invasion-037052|title=Republicans unload on Trump for Syria shift when he needs them most|last=Forgey|first=Quint|date=October 7, 2019|work=]|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> Trump defended the move, citing the high cost of supporting the Kurds, and the lack of support from the Kurds in past U.S. wars.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Singh|first=Maanvi|title=Trump defends Syria decision by saying Kurds 'didn't help us with Normandy'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/09/trump-syria-kurds-normandy|access-date=October 10, 2019|work=]|date=October 9, 2019}}</ref> Within a week of the U.S. pullout, Turkey proceeded to attack Kurdish-controlled areas in northeast Syria.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Turkey Syria offensive: Tens of thousands flee homes|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50008418 |access-date=October 11, 2019|work=]|date=October 10, 2019}}</ref> Kurdish forces then announced an alliance with the Syrian government and its Russian allies, in a united effort to repel Turkey.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Cornish|first1=Chloe|last2=Pitel|first2=Laura|last3=Fedor|first3=Lauren|title=Kurds strike deal with Russia and Syria to stem Turkish assault|url=https://www.ft.com/content/8139b25e-eda6-11e9-ad1e-4367d8281195|access-date=October 14, 2019|work=]|date=October 13, 2019}}</ref>
=== Veterans affairs ===
=== Iran ===
{{Main|Iran–United States relations|United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action}}
Prior to David Shulkin's firing in April 2018, ''The New York Times'' described the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as "rare spot of calm in the Trump administration". Shulkin built upon changes started under the Obama administration to do a long-term overhaul of the VA system.<ref name=":15">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/va-medical-system-chaos.html|title=V.A. Medical System Staggers as Chaos Engulfs Its Leadership|last=Philipps|first=Dave|date=May 4, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 4, 2018|last2=Fandos|first2=Nicholas|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In May 2018, legislation to increase vets' access to private care was stalled, as was a VA overhaul which sought to synchronize medical records.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/who-wants-to-work-there-now-trumps-ronny-jackson-fiasco-may-be-the-least-of-vas-worries/2018/05/02/e1c64af0-44cf-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html|title=Exodus from Trump’s VA: When the mission of caring for veterans ‘is no longer a reason for people to stay’|last=Rein|first=Lisa|date=May 3, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=May 4, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In May 2018, there were reports of a large number of resignations of senior staffers and a major re-shuffling.<ref name=":15" />
After an Iranian missile test on January 29, 2017, and Houthi attacks on Saudi warships, the Trump administration sanctioned 12 companies and 13 individuals suspected of being involved in Iran's missile program.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Borger|first1=Julian|author-link1=Julian Borger|last2=Smith|first2=David|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/03/trump-administration-iran-sanctions|title=Trump administration imposes new sanctions on Iran|work=]|date=February 3, 2017|access-date=November 9, 2018}}</ref> In May 2018, Trump ] from the ] (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement between Iran, the U.S., and five other countries that lifted most economic sanctions against Iran in return for Iran agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear program.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lederman|first1=Josh|last2=Lucey|first2=Catherine|date=May 8, 2018|title=Trump declares US leaving 'horrible' Iran nuclear accord|work=]|url=https://apnews.com/article/cead755353a1455bbef08ef289448994/Trump-decides-to-exit-nuclear-accord-with-Iran|access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html|title=Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned|first=Mark|last=Landler|author-link=Mark Landler|date=May 8, 2018|access-date=October 4, 2021|work=]}}</ref> Analysts determined that, after the United States's withdrawal, Iran moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon.<ref name="close">{{cite web|last=Hennigan|first=W.J.|title='They're Very Close.' U.S. General Says Iran Is Nearly Able to Build a Nuclear Weapon|url=https://time.com/6123380/iran-near-nuclear-weapon-capability/|magazine=]|date=November 24, 2021 |access-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref>
=== Voting rights ===
In May 2017, the Trump administration created the ] (commonly referred to as the Voter Fraud Commission), with the stated purpose to review the extent of voter fraud. The commission was created in the wake of Trump's false claim that millions of unauthorized votes cost him the popular vote in the ]. It was chaired by Vice President ], while the vice chair and day-to-day administrator was ] ], best known for promoting restrictions on access to voting. The commission began its work by requesting each state to turn over detailed information about all registered voters in their database. Most states rejected the request, citing privacy concerns or state laws.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news| author1= Liz Stark| author2=Grace Hauck| date= July 5, 2017| publisher= CNN| url= http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/politics/kris-kobach-letter-voter-fraud-commission-information/index.html| title= Forty-four states and DC have refused to give certain voter information to Trump commission| accessdate= July 11, 2017}}</ref>
In January 2020, Trump ordered ] that killed Iranian general ], who had planned nearly every significant operation by Iranian forces over the past two decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html|title=U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces|last1=Crowley|first1=Michael|author-link1=Michael Crowley (journalist)|last2=Hassan|first2=Falih|last3=Schmitt|first3=Eric|author-link3=Eric P. Schmitt|date=January 2, 2020|work=]|access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref> Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites, including some "important to Iran & the Iranian culture", if Iran retaliated.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Daniel|first1=Douglas K.|last2=Lemire|first2=Jonathan|url=https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-international-news-75944e42ccc66ac08ee5122e080d7f33|title=Trump says 52 targets already lined up if Iran retaliates|work=]|date=January 5, 2020 |access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref> The threat to hit cultural sites was seen as illegal and both Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would not attack such sites, but would "follow the laws of armed conflict" and "behave inside the system".<ref name="Wamsley_1/6/2020">{{cite web|last=Wamsley|first=Laurel|title=Trump Says He'll Target Iran's Cultural Sites. That's Illegal|website=]|date=January 6, 2020|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/06/794006073/trump-says-hell-target-iran-s-cultural-sites-that-s-illegal | access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> Iran did retaliate with ] in Iraq.<ref name="close" /> On the same day, amid the heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, Iran accidentally<ref name="Ward_1/9/2020" /> shot down ] after takeoff from Tehran airport.<ref name="Baker_et al_1/11/2020">{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Bergman|first2=Ronen|last3=Kirkpatrick|first3=David D.|last4=Barnes|first4=Julian E.|last5=Rubin|first5=Alissa J.|date=January 11, 2020|title=Seven Days in January: How Trump Pushed U.S. and Iran to the Brink of War|website=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/us/politics/iran-trump.html |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Ward_1/9/2020">{{cite web|last=Ward|first=Alex|title=Evidence is mounting that Iran accidentally shot down the Ukraine flight|website=]|date=January 9, 2020|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/1/9/21059004/iran-plane-crash-missile-video-trump-ukraine | access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Motamedi_4/17/2021">{{cite web|last=Motamedi|first=Maziar|title=Iran rejects claim Ukraine's plane shot down intentionally|website=]|date=April 17, 2021|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/17/iran-rejects-claim-ukraines-plane-was-shot-down-intentionally | access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref>
Multiple lawsuits were filed against the commission. In November 2017, ] ], a Democratic member of the commission, said that Kobach was refusing to share working documents and scheduling information with him and the other Democrats on the commission. He filed suit, and in December a federal judge ordered the commission to hand over the documents.<ref name=":54">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/06/trump-administration-resists-turning-over-documents-to-dunlap/|title=Trump refuses to release documents to Maine secretary of state despite judge’s order|date=January 6, 2018|work=Portland Press Herald|access-date=January 7, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> In January 2018, the Trump administration disbanded the commission, and informed Dunlap that it would not obey the court order to provide the documents because the commission no longer existed. In the announcement disbanding the commission, Trump blamed states for not handing over requested voter information to the commission, while still maintaining that there was "substantial evidence of voter fraud", an assertion which is contrary to existing research and expert assessments, which have shown voter fraud to be extremely rare.<ref name=":51">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/politics/trump-voter-fraud-commission.html|title=Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud|last=Haag|first=Matthew|date=2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 4, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://time.com/5087064/donald-trump-voter-fraud-commission-dissolved/|title=President Trump Dissolves His Voter Fraud Commission|website=Time|access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> Election integrity experts argued that the commission was disbanded because of the lawsuits, which would have led to greater transparency and accountability in the commission and thus prevented the Republican members of the commission from producing a sham report to justify restrictions on voting rights.<ref name=":54" /> In January 2018, it was revealed that the Commission had, in its requests for Texas voter data, specifically asked for data that identifies voters with Hispanic surnames.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/trump-election-fraud-commission-bought-texas-election-data-flagging-hispanic-voters/2018/01/22/2791934a-fd55-11e7-ad8c-ecbb62019393_story.html|title=Trump voting commission bought Texas election data flagging Hispanic voters|last=Hsu|first=Spencer S.|date=January 22, 2018|work=Washington Post|access-date=January 22, 2018|last2=Wagner|first2=John|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>
In August 2020, the Trump administration unsuccessfully attempted to trigger a mechanism that was part of the agreement and would have led to the return of U.N. sanctions against Iran.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nichols|first=Michelle|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-un-idUSKBN2AI2Y9|title=U.S. rescinds Trump White House claim that all U.N. sanctions had been reimposed on Iran|work=]|date=February 18, 2021 |access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref> The Trump administration asserted that the U.S. remained a "participant" in the ] to persuade the ] to reimpose pre-agreement sanctions on Iran for its breaches of the deal after the U.S. withdrawal. The agreement provided for a resolution process among signatories in the event of a breach, but that process had not yet played out. The Security Council voted on the administration's proposal in August, with only the ] joining the U.S. to vote in favor.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/26/world/middleeast/us-iran-nuclear-deal-pompeo.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=To Pressure Iran, Pompeo Turns to the Deal Trump Renounced|first=David E.|last=Sanger|newspaper=]|date=April 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/us/politics/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Instead of Isolating Iran, U.S. Finds Itself on the Outside Over Nuclear Deal |first1=Lara |last1=Jakes |first2=David E. |last2=Sanger |newspaper=] |date=August 20, 2020}}</ref>
=== White nationalists and Charlottesville rally ===
{{See also|Unite the Right rally}}
=== Saudi Arabia ===
] in Greensboro by ] group]]
{{Main|Saudi Arabia–United States relations}}
On August 13, 2017, Trump condemned violence "on many sides" after ] of hundreds of ] in ], the previous day (August 12) turned deadly. A white supremacist drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman and injuring 19 others.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/13/republicans-and-democrats-speak-out-after-trump-faults-many-sides-at-white-nationalist-rally.html|title=Republicans and Democrats speak out after Trump faults 'many sides' at white nationalist rally|publisher=CNBC|date=August 13, 2017|access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> According to Attorney General Sessions, that action met the definition of domestic terrorism.<ref name="Reeves">{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-white-nationalists-charlottesville-20170814-story.html|title=Emboldened white nationalists say Charlottesville is just the beginning|last=Reeves|first=Jay|date=August 14, 2017|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=September 27, 2017}}</ref> During the rally there had been other violence, as some counter-protesters charged at the white nationalists with swinging clubs and mace, throwing bottles, rocks, and paint.<ref>Costello, Tom. ] (August 16, 2016).</ref><ref>Gunter, Joel. , ] (August 16, 2017).</ref><ref>Alexander, Harriet. , '']'' (August 16, 2017): "photos and videos from Saturday's riot does show people dressed in black, their faces covered, engaging the neo-Nazis in violent confrontation."</ref> Trump did not expressly mention Neo-Nazis, ], or the ] movement in his remarks on August 13,<ref name=":20">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/politics/trump-statement-alt-right-protests/index.html|title=Trump condemns 'hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides' in Charlottesville|author=Dan Merica|publisher=CNN|access-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> but the following day (August 14) he did denounce white supremacists.<ref>Nakamura, David. , '']'' (August 14, 2017).</ref> He condemned "the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups".<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump decries KKK, neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/trump-decries-kkk-neo-nazi-violence-charlottesville-170814194807356.html|date=August 14, 2017|accessdate=August 15, 2017|publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Then the next day (August 15), he again blamed "both sides".<ref name="NYT-20170815">{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author2link=Maggie Haberman |title=Trump Defends Initial Remarks on Charlottesville; Again Blames 'Both Sides' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-press-conference-charlottesville.html |date=August 15, 2017 |work=] |accessdate=August 15, 2017 }}</ref>
{{See also|2017 United States–Saudi Arabia arms deal}}
], Washington, D.C., March 14, 2017]]
Many Republican and Democratic elected officials condemned the violence and hatred of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and alt-right activists. Trump came under criticism from world leaders<ref>{{cite news |last1=Toosi |first1=Nahal |title=World leaders condemn Trump's remarks on neo-Nazis|url=http://www.politico.eu/article/world-leaders-condemn-trumps-remarks-on-neo-nazis/|publisher=Politico|accessdate=August 17, 2017|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> and politicians,<ref name=":21">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/12/us/trump-charlottesville-protest-nationalist-riot.html|title=Trump's Remarks on Charlottesville Violence Are Criticized as Insufficient|last=Thrush|first=Glenn |authorlink=Glenn Thrush |date=August 12, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=August 13, 2017|last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie |author2link=Maggie Haberman}}</ref><ref name=":20" /> as well as a variety of religious groups<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pink|first1=Aiden|title=Orthodox Rabbinical Group Condemns Trump Over Charlottesville|url=http://forward.com/fast-forward/380204/orthodox-rabbinical-group-condemns-trump-over-charlottesville/|work=The Forward|accessdate=August 17, 2017|date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> and anti-hate organizations<ref>{{cite web |title=ADL Condemns President Trump's Remarks|url=https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-condemns-president-trumps-remarks|publisher=ADL|accessdate=August 17, 2017|date=August 15, 2017}}</ref> for his remarks, which were seen as muted and equivocal.<ref name=":21" /> '']'' reported that Trump "was the only national political figure to spread blame for the 'hatred, bigotry and violence' that resulted in the death of one person to 'many sides{{' "}},<ref name=":21" /> and said that Trump had "buoyed the white nationalist movement on Tuesday as no president has done in generations".<ref name="Glenn">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/us/politics/trump-charlottesville-white-nationalists.html?mcubz=0&_r=0|title=Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|authorlink=Glenn Thrush |last2=Haberman|first2=Maggie |author2link=Maggie Haberman |date=August 15, 2017|work=The New York Times|accessdate=September 27, 2017}}</ref> White nationalist groups felt "emboldened" after the rally and planned additional demonstrations.<ref name = "Reeves" />
Trump actively supported the ] against the ].<ref name="prince">{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump praises arms sales as he meets Saudi crown prince|url=https://www.ft.com/content/94204940-2c47-11e8-9b4b-bc4b9f08f381 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |work=]|date=March 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Senate rejects bid to end U.S. support for Saudi campaign in Yemen |access-date=November 8, 2021 |first=Patricia |last=Zengerle |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-senate-idUSKBN1GW2BA |work=]|date=May 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump signs $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia on 'a tremendous day'|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-signs-110-billion-arms-deal-saudi-arabia/story?id=47531180|work=]|date=May 20, 2017|access-date=July 6, 2018|first1=Jordyn|last1=Phelps|first2=Ryan|last2=Struyk}}</ref> Trump also praised his relationship with ]'s powerful Crown Prince ].<ref name="prince" /> On May 20, 2017, Trump and ]'s ] signed a series of letters of intent for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to purchase arms from the United States totaling $110{{spaces}}billion immediately,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/truth-president-trumps-110-billion-saudi-arms-deal/story?id=47874726 |date=June 7, 2017 |first1=Elizabeth |last1=McLaughlin |first2=Conor |last2=Finnegan |title=The truth about President Trump's $110 billion Saudi arms deal|website=ABC News|access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref> and $350{{spaces}}billion over ten years.<ref name="cnbc-20170520">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/20/us-saudi-arabia-seal-weapons-deal-worth-nearly-110-billion-as-trump-begins-visit.html|title=US–Saudi Arabia ink historic 10-year weapons deal worth $350 billion as Trump begins visit|last=David|first=Javier E.|date=May 20, 2017|website=] |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-saudi-arabia-arms-deal-sale-arab-nato-gulf-states-a7741836.html |first=Mythili |last=Sampathkumar |title=Donald Trump to announce $380bn arms deal to Saudi Arabia – one of the largest in history|date=May 17, 2017 |work=] |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref> The transfer was widely seen as a counterbalance against the influence of Iran in the region<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-21/what-do-we-know-about-saudi-arabias-arms-deal-with-america/8544892 |title=What's the goal of America's arms deal with Saudi Arabia?|date=May 21, 2017 |work=] |publisher=] |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/president-donald-trump-arrives-in-saudi-arabia-as-overseas-trip-starts-1495263979|title=Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia Sign Agreements in Move to Counterbalance Iran|last1=Lee|first1=Carol E.|last2=Stancati|first2=Margherita|date=May 20, 2017|work=]|access-date=May 21, 2017|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> and a "significant" and "historic" expansion of ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-latest-saudi-arabia-billions-arms-deal-military-sales-a7746601.html |first=Alexandra |last=Wilts |title=Trump signs $110bn arms deal with Saudi Arabia|date=May 20, 2017|work=]|access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.vox.com/2017/5/20/15626638/trump-saudi-arabia-arms-deal |first=Alex |last=Ward |title=What America's new arms deal with Saudi Arabia says about the Trump administration|date=May 20, 2017|website=]|access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/20/rex-tillerson-saudi-arabia-arms-deal-investment-historic-moment-238637 |title=Tillerson hails 'historic moment' in U.S.-Saudi relations |work=] |date=May 20, 2017 |first=Hanna |last=Trudo |access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref><ref name="cnbc-20170520" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/05/20/Trump-signs-110B-defense-deal-receives-warm-welcome-in-Saudi-Arabia/8291495280862/ |date=May 20, 2017 |title=Trump signs $110B defense deal, receives warm welcome in Saudi Arabia|work=UPI|access-date=May 21, 2017}}</ref> By July 2019, two of Trump's three vetoes were to overturn bipartisan congressional action related to Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/24/us/politics/trump-veto-arms-saudi-arabia.html|title=Trump Vetoes Bipartisan Resolutions Blocking Arms Sales to Gulf Nations|last1=Shear|first1=Michael D.|last2=Edmondson|first2=Catie|date=July 24, 2019|work=]|access-date=July 25, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==Foreign policy==
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Donald Trump administration}}
{{see also|List of international presidential trips made by Donald Trump}}
] in Italy, May 2017]]A controversial hiring freeze was in place at the State Department from April 2017<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thehill.com/policy/international/363523-democrats-demand-tillerson-end-state-department-hiring-freeze-consult|title=Dems demand Tillerson end State hiring freeze, consult with Congress|last=Bowden|first=John|date=December 6, 2017|work=TheHill|access-date=May 15, 2018|language=en}}</ref> to May 2018.<ref name=":72">{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/15/pompeo-lifts-hiring-freeze-on-state-department-diplomacy-tillerson-restore-diplomats-swagger-tackle-low-morale/|title=Pompeo Lifts Hiring Freeze at State Department|website=Foreign Policy|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2018}}</ref> During Rex Tillerson's tenure as Secretary of State (February 2017–March 2018), he implemented drastic budget cuts, pushed out a large amount of ] officers, and left many senior positions in the State Department and ambassador postings vacant.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/us/politics/state-department-tillerson.html|title=Diplomats Sound the Alarm as They Are Pushed Out in Droves|date=November 24, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 15, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":72" />
In October 2018, amid widespread condemnation of Saudi Arabia for the murder of prominent Saudi journalist and dissident ], the Trump administration pushed back on the condemnation.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/world/middleeast/pompeo-saudi-arabia-turkey.html |date=October 16, 2018 |first1=Ben |last1=Hubbard |first2=Rick |last2=Gladstone |first3=Mark |last3=Landler |newspaper=]|title=Trump Jumps to the Defense of Saudi Arabia in Khashoggi Case|access-date=October 17, 2018}}</ref> After the CIA assessed that Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the ], Trump rejected the assessment and said the CIA only had "feelings" on the matter.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-brushes-aside-cia-assertion-that-crown-prince-ordered-killing-defends-him-and-saudi-arabia/2018/11/22/d3bdf23c-ee70-11e8-96d4-0d23f2aaad09_story.html |first=Josh |last=Dawsey |date=November 22, 2018 |title=Trump brushes aside CIA assertion that crown prince ordered killing, defends him and Saudi Arabia|newspaper=]|access-date=November 23, 2018}}</ref>
===East Asia and Oceania===
==== Australia ====
{{See also|Australia–United States relations}}
], May 4, 2017]]
Trump's first phone call as President with the Australian Prime Minister, ], took place in February and lasted around twenty-five minutes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/03/big-personality-australian-pm-puts-brave-face-on-phone-call-with-trump|title='Big personality': Australian PM puts brave face on phone call with Trump|last=Karp|first=Paul|date=February 3, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=February 7, 2017}}</ref> During the call, Trump disagreed with Turnbull about a deal made during Barack Obama's presidency. The agreement called for the United States to review approximately 1,250 asylum seekers for entry into the United States. The refugees are currently held on ] and ] by Australian authorities.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/politics/malcolm-turnbull-donald-trump-pena-nieto/index.html|title=Trump has heated exchange with Australian leader, sources say|author1=]|author2=Eli Watkins|author3=Jim Acosta|author4=Euan McKirdy|publisher=CNN|access-date=February 7, 2017}}</ref> On February 2, 2017, Trump tweeted that the refugee agreement was a "dumb deal".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/02/australia-struggling-to-save-refugee-agreement-after-trumps-fury-at-dumb-deal|title=Australia struggles to save refugee agreement after Trump's fury at 'dumb deal'|last=Murphy |first=Katharine |last2=Doherty |first2=Ben |date=February 2, 2017 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=February 7, 2017}}</ref> Notwithstanding the disagreement, Vice President Mike Pence, while on a visit to Australia in April 2017, stated the United States will abide by the deal.<ref>. Retrieved April 29, 2017.</ref>
Trump and Turnbull met on May 4 in New York City aboard {{USS|Intrepid|CV-11|6}} to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ]. This was their first face-to-face meeting.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-05/donald-trump-plays-down-malcolm-turnbull-tension-in-ny-meeting/8499146|title=Donald Trump, Malcolm Turnbull meet after initial delay, President says reported testy relationship 'fake news'|author=<!--no by-line-->|date=May 5, 2017|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>
==== China====
=== Israel / Palestine ===
{{Main|Israel–United States relations|Palestine–United States relations|Israeli–Palestinian conflict|Gaza–Israel conflict|Israeli–Palestinian peace process}}
{{see also|China–United States relations|Trump–Tsai call}}
], February 15, 2017]]
During the transition phase, Trump became the first president or president-elect since 1979 to speak directly to the ]. This called into question whether Trump would continue to follow the long-standing ] of the United States regarding the ].<ref name="crowleytaiwan1">{{cite news |last1=Crowley|first1=Michael|title=Bull in a China shop: Trump risks diplomatic blowup in Asia|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trumps-call-with-taiwan-president-risks-diplomatic-dispute-232146|newspaper=Politico|date=December 2, 2016|accessdate=December 3, 2016}}</ref> ] with their spouses, April 2017|left]]At the end of January 2017, China moved its long-range nuclear-capable missiles closer to the Russian border, where they would be in reach of the United States. '']'' wrote that the action was "apparently in response to President Donald Trump's 'aggression.'"<ref name=":3">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/china-deploys-long-range-nuclear-cpable-missiles-russian-coast-us-president-donald-trump-a7548296.html|title=China 'deploys nuclear-capable missiles' in response to Trump|date=January 26, 2017|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=February 7, 2017}}</ref>
Since the ] in 1967, the United States had considered ]s in the occupied ] to be "illegitimate". This status changed in November 2019 when the Trump administration shifted U.S. policy and<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50468025 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Jewish settlements no longer illegal – US|date=November 18, 2019|work=]}}</ref> declared "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not ''per se'' inconsistent with international law."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/secretary-of-state-mike-pompeo-announces-reversal-on-west-bank-settlements/ |access-date=November 8, 2021 |title=Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces reversal of Obama-era stance on Israeli settlements|website=] |date=November 18, 2019}}</ref>
Trump unveiled his own ] to resolve the ] on January 28, 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.dw.com/en/trump-reveals-israeli-palestinian-peace-plan/a-52179629|title=Trump reveals Israeli-Palestinian peace plan|date=January 28, 2020|publisher=]|access-date=January 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129053628/https://www.dw.com/en/trump-reveals-israeli-palestinian-peace-plan/a-52179629|archive-date=January 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A step toward improved relations in the region occurred in August 2020 with the first of the ], when Israel and the ] agreed to begin normalizing relations in ] brokered by ], an accomplishment described by '']'' as "arguably his administration's first unqualified diplomatic success".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=The Israel-UAE Deal Is Trump's First Unambiguous Diplomatic Success|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/14/israel-uae-peace-trump-success/ |first=Josh |last=Hannah |access-date=November 8, 2020 |work=Foreign Policy|date=August 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=UAE and Israel announce they're establishing ties; Israel suspending annexation|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-august-13-2020/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |first=Joshua |last=Davidovich |work=The Times of Israel|date=August 13, 2020}}</ref> The following month, Israel and ] agreed to ] in another deal mediated and brokered by the Trump administration.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump announces 'peace deal' between Bahrain and Israel|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-54124996 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |work=] |date=September 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/world/middleeast/israel-uae-annexation.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Netanyahu Drops Troubled Annexation Plan for Diplomatic Gain |first=David M. |last=Halbfinger |newspaper=] |date=August 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/world/middleeast/trump-peace-plan-explained.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=What to Know About Trump's Middle East Plan |first=Megan |last=Specia |newspaper=] |date=January 29, 2020}}</ref> A month later, Israel and ] ] in a third such agreement in as many months. On December 10, 2020, Trump announced that Israel and ] had agreed to ], while also announcing that the United States recognized Morocco's claim over the ] of ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Levine|first=Marianne|title=Inhofe slams Trump administration on Western Sahara policy|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/10/inhofe-slams-trump-administration-on-western-sahara-policy-444459 |date=December 10, 2020 |website=] |access-date=November 11, 2021}}</ref>
On August 14, 2017, Trump directed U.S. Trade Representative ] to investigate whether China was stealing U.S. technology and intellectual property. The investigation would look at Chinese practices that force American companies to disclose their proprietary intellectual information so they can do business in China. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying suggested prospects of a trade war would emerge if the U.S. decided to pursue the case, stating, "There is no future and no winner in a trade war and both sides will be the losers".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/12/news/economy/trump-xi-us-china-trade/index.html|title=Trump White House to look into China's trade practices|author=Jeremy Diamond|date=August 13, 2017|publisher=CNNMoney|accessdate=September 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-china-trade-investigation/3984823.html|title=Trump Orders China Trade Investigation|author=Ken Bredemeier|date=August 14, 2017|publisher=VOA News|accessdate=September 2, 2017}}</ref>
=== United Arab Emirates ===
In May 2018, Trump announced that he was working with China's leader Xi Jinping to prevent the collapse of the Chinese social media firm ZTE, with Trump saying "too many jobs in China lost." ZTE had been fined $1.2 billion and sanctioned by the United States after the firm traded with Iran and North Korea when those countries were under sanctions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/trump-vows-to-save-jobs-at-chinas-zte-lost-after-us-sanctions.html|title=In About-Face on Trade, Trump Vows to Protect ZTE Jobs in China|date=May 13, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 13, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Trump's move came within two days of an Agence France-Presse report that the Chinese government had invested $500 million in MNC Lido City, a planned theme park in Indonesia that since 2015 had plans to feature a hotel and golf course developed by The Trump Organization, and since 2016 had been receiving loans from the Chinese state-owned company Sinosure.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Palma |first1=Bethania |title=Did Trump Vow to Help a Chinese Phone Maker After China Approved Money for a Trump Project? |url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/05/16/did-trump-help-china-phone-maker/ |publisher=] |accessdate=May 31, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|United Arab Emirates–United States relations}}
As Donald Trump lost the election bid against Joe Biden, the U.S. State Department notified Congress about its plans to sell 18 sophisticated armed ] to the ], under a deal worth $2.9 billion. The drones were expected to be equipped with maritime radar, and the delivery was being estimated by 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-emirates-drones-exclusive/exclusive-trump-administration-advances-29-billion-drone-sale-to-uae-sources-idUSKBN27M06L |date=November 5, 2020 |title= Trump administration advances $2.9 billion drone sale to UAE – sources|access-date=November 5, 2020|website=] |first2=Patricia |last2=Zengerle |first1=Mike |last1=Stone}}</ref> Besides, another informal notification was sent to the Congress regarding the plans of providing the UAE with $10 billion of defense equipment, including precision-guided munitions, non-precision bombs and missiles.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-emirates-ordnance/trump-administration-advances-10-billion-defense-sale-to-uae-source-idINL1N2HT026 |date=November 6, 2020 |first1=Patricia |last1=Zengerle |first2=Mike |last2=Stone |title=Trump administration advances $10 billion defense sale to UAE – source|access-date=November 6, 2020 |website=]}}</ref>
== Russia and related investigations ==
==== North Korea ====
{{See also|Links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies|Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|Operation Crossfire Hurricane}}
{{see also|North Korea–United States relations}}
]
] officials at ] in ], November 2, 2017]]
] first ] in 2006, further straining U.S. and North Korean relations. Shortly after Trump took office, North Korea launched five ballistic missiles towards ], and North Korea claimed that the launches were practice strikes against U.S. bases in Japan.<ref name="mwinsor1">{{cite news |last1=Winsor |first1=Morgan|title=Why North Korea may be President Trump's greatest foreign policy challenge |url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/north-korea-president-trumps-greatest-foreign-policy-challenge/story?id=45961780 |accessdate=March 8, 2017|publisher=ABC News|date=March 8, 2017}}</ref> After the missile launches, the U.S. began installing a missile defense system in ].<ref name="mspetalnick1">{{cite news |last1=Spetalnick|first1=Matt |last2=Brunnstrom |first2=David|title=Facing test of resolve, Trump pushes ahead with North Korea review|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-trump-analysis-idUSKBN16F08O?il=0|accessdate=March 8, 2017|publisher=Reuters|date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> During the campaign and the early days of his presidency, Trump advocated getting China to rein in its ally North Korea.<ref name="MeetKim">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/17/politics/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-north-korea/index.html|title=Donald Trump would meet North Korea's Kim Jong Un|last=Kopan|first=Tal|publisher=CNN|date=May 17, 2016}}</ref> In April 2017 he said, "If China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you."<ref name="BBC News 3 April 2017">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-39475178|title= Trump ready to 'solve' North Korea problem without China |date= April 3, 2017|publisher=BBC News |accessdate=April 19, 2017 }}</ref>
American intelligence sources found the ] ] in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=U.S. government officially accuses Russia of hacking campaign to interfere with elections|newspaper=]|first=Ellen|last=Nakashima|date=October 7, 2016|access-date=January 25, 2017|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-government-officially-accuses-russia-of-hacking-campaign-to-influence-elections/2016/10/07/4e0b9654-8cbf-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html}}</ref> and that members of Trump's campaign were in contact with Russian government officials both before and after the election.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael S.|author1-link=Michael S. Schmidt|last2=Mazzetti|first2=Mark|author2-link=Mark Mazzetti|last3=Apuzzo|first3=Matt|author3-link=Matt Apuzzo|title=Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/politics/russia-intelligence-communications-trump.html |access-date=November 13, 2021 |newspaper=]|date=February 14, 2017}}</ref> In May 2017, the Department of Justice appointed ] as special counsel to ] "any links and/or coordination between Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/17/us/politics/document-Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.html|title=Rod Rosenstein's Letter Appointing Mueller Special Counsel|last=Rosenstein|first=Rod|author-link=Rod Rosenstein|date=May 17, 2017|newspaper=]|url-status=live|access-date=May 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518015032/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/17/us/politics/document-Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.html|archive-date=May 18, 2017}}</ref>
In July 2017, North Korea tested two long-range missiles, identified by observers as ]s potentially capable of reaching Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. mainland.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/29/asia/north-korea-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-test/index.html|title=US slams North Korea missile test as Kim claims 'whole US mainland' in reach|last=Lendon|first=Brad|date=July 30, 2017|publisher=CNN|accessdate=August 11, 2017}}</ref> In August Trump significantly escalated his rhetoric against North Korea, saying that further provocation against the U.S. will be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen".<ref name="philly">{{cite news |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/presidential/trump-escalates-rhetoric-on-threat-from-north-korea-20170810.html|title=Trump escalates rhetoric on threat from North Korea|last1=Rucker |first1=Philip|last2=Deyoung|first2=Karen|date=August 10, 2017|work=The Washington Post|accessdate=August 11, 2017}}</ref> In response ] threatened to direct its next missile test toward Guam. Trump doubled down on his "fire and fury" warning, saying, "maybe that statement wasn't tough enough" and adding that if North Korea took steps to attack Guam, "Things will happen to them like they never thought possible."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-08-10/north-korea-details-plan-to-fire-missile-salvo-toward-guam |title=Trump doubles down on 'fire and fury' vow as wargames near |last1=Talmadge |first1=Eric |last2=Lemire |first2=Jonathan |date=August 10, 2017 |agency=Associated Press |work=U.S. News & World Report |accessdate=November 7, 2017}}</ref>
During his January 2017 confirmation hearings as the attorney general nominee before the Senate, then-Senator Jeff Sessions appeared to deliberately omit two meetings he had in 2016 with Russian ambassador ], when asked if he had meetings involving the 2016 election with Russian government officials. Sessions later amended his testimony saying he "never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Entous|first1=Adam|last2=Nakashima|first2=Ellen|last3=Miller|first3=Greg|date=March 1, 2017|title=Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-spoke-twice-with-russian-ambassador-during-trumps-presidential-campaign-justice-officials-say/2017/03/01/77205eda-feac-11e6-99b4-9e613afeb09f_story.html|access-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> Following his amended statement, Sessions recused himself from any investigation regarding connections between Trump and Russia.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Jarrett|first=Laura|title=Sessions recusal: What's next?|url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/02/politics/special-counsel-jeff-sessions-recusal/|access-date=March 7, 2017|work=]|date=March 3, 2017}}</ref>
In June 2017, ] announced that North Korea had released ], an American university student who had been detained by North Korea for 17 months prior.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/otto-warmbier-profile/index.html |title=Who was Otto Warmbier?|author=Paul LeBlanc|accessdate=September 2, 2017|publisher=CNN|date=June 19, 2017}}</ref> Secretary of State ] issued a statement saying that the State Department secured Warmbier's release at the direction of Trump.<ref>{{cite news |title=US university student medically evacuated in a coma as Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-releases-american-otto-warmbier-as-dennis-rodman-arrives-2017-6|accessdate=June 13, 2017|agency=]|date=June 13, 2017}}</ref> When he was returned to the United States, Warmbier was unresponsive and had suffered from extensive ] that he has sustained while in North Korea captivity; he died days later.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/21/how-did-otto-warmbier-die|title=How did Otto Warmbier die?|author=Justin McCurry |accessdate=September 2, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|date=June 23, 2017}}</ref>
In May 2017, Trump discussed ] in an ] meeting with the Russian foreign minister ] and ambassador ], providing details that could expose the source of the information and how it was collected.<ref name="NYRosenberg">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Rosenberg|first1=Matthew|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|title=Trump Revealed Highly Classified Intelligence to Russia, in Break With Ally, Officials Say|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/trump-russia-classified-information-isis.html|newspaper=]|access-date=May 15, 2017|date=May 15, 2017|archive-date=May 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515224247/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/trump-russia-classified-information-isis.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> A Middle Eastern ally{{efn|Revealed to be Israel the day after publication in the press.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/world/middleeast/israel-trump-classified-intelligence-russia.html?_r=0 |title=Israel Said to Be Source of Secret Intelligence Trump Gave to Russians |last1=Goldman |first1=Adam |date=May 16, 2017 |work=] |last2=Rosenberg |first2=Matthew |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |last4=Schmitt |first4=Eric |author-link=Adam Goldman |author-link2=Matthew Rosenberg |author-link3=Matt Apuzzo |author-link4=Eric P. Schmitt |archive-date=May 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517045515/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/world/middleeast/israel-trump-classified-intelligence-russia.html?_r=0}}</ref>}} provided the intelligence which had the highest level of classification and was not intended to be shared widely.<ref name="NYRosenberg" /> ''The New York Times'' reported, "sharing the information without the express permission of the ally who provided it was a major breach of espionage etiquette, and could jeopardize a crucial ] relationship."<ref name="NYRosenberg" /> The White House, through ] ], issued a limited denial, saying the story "as reported" was incorrect<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Jack |last1=Goldsmith |author-link=Jack Goldsmith |first2=Susan |last2=Hennessey |first3=Quinta |last3=Jurecic |first4=Matthew |last4=Kahn |first5=Benjamin |last5=Wittes |author-link5=Benjamin Wittes |first6=Elishe Julian |last6=Wittes |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/bombshell-initial-thoughts-washington-posts-game-changing-story |access-date=November 13, 2021 |title=Bombshell: Initial Thoughts on the Washington Post's Game-Changing Story |work=] |date=May 15, 2017}}</ref> and that no "intelligence sources or methods" were discussed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Mason |first1=Jeff |last2=Zengerle |first2=Patricia |title=Trump revealed intelligence secrets to Russians in Oval Office: officials |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKCN18B2MX |access-date=November 13, 2021 |work=]|date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> McMaster did not deny that information had been disclosed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Aaron |last=Blake |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/15/the-white-house-isnt-denying-that-trump-gave-russia-classified-information-not-really/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |title=The White House isn't denying that Trump gave Russia classified information{{snd}}not really |newspaper=] |date=May 15, 2017}}</ref> The following day Trump said on Twitter that Russia is an important ally against terrorism and that he had an "absolute right" to share classified information with Russia.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/333550-trump-i-had-absolute-right-to-share-facts-with-russia |title=Trump: I have 'absolute right' to share facts with Russia |last=Savransky |first=Rebecca |date=May 16, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> Soon after the meeting, American intelligence extracted a high-level covert source from within the Russian government, on concerns the individual could be at risk due, in part, to Trump and his administration repeatedly mishandling classified intelligence.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/politics/russia-us-spy-extracted/index.html|title=US extracted top spy from inside Russia in 2017 |first=Jim |last=Sciutto |access-date=November 13, 2021 |website=]|date=September 9, 2019}}</ref>
In March 2018, Trump accepted an invitation to a face-to-face summit with Kim Jong Un; the date and location for the encounter was set on June 12 and in Singapore.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44074257|title=Trump-Kim summit set for Singapore |date=May 10, 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=May 24, 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> In April 2018, ] was sent to North Korea to meet with Kim Jong Un.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Macias|first1=Amanda|title=Trump: At first, Mike Pompeo wasn't supposed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/26/president-trump-reveals-that-pompeo-wasnt-supposed-to-meet-with-kim-jong-un.html|accessdate=April 27, 2018|work=CNBC|date=April 26, 2018}}</ref> South Korean president Moon Jae-in credited President Trump with facilitating rapproachment on the Korean peninsula. Moon also stated that Trump should be awarded the ] for his efforts and "maximum pressure" approach to North Korean missile tests.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sang-hun|first1=Choe|title=A Trump Nobel Peace Prize? South Korea’s Leader Likes the Idea|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/world/asia/trump-nobel-peace-prize-korea.html|accessdate=April 30, 2018|publisher=The New York Times|date=April 30, 2018}}</ref>
In October 2017, former Trump campaign advisor ] pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI regarding his contacts with Russian agents. During the campaign he had tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to set up meetings in Russia between Trump campaign representatives and Russian officials.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Matt|last1=Apuzzo|author1-link=Matt Apuzzo|first2=Michael S.|last2=Schmidt|author2-link=Michael S. Schmidt|title=Trump Campaign Adviser Met With Russian to Discuss 'Dirt' on Clinton|work=]|date=October 30, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/us/politics/george-papadopoulos-russia.html |access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref>
In May 2018, Trump cancelled the Singapore face-to-face. The cancellation came amid a recent return of bellicose rhetoric from North Korea and expressions of disapproval by the North Korean government of denuclearization demands made by the Trump administration. The cancellation took the South Korean government by surprise.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/24/trump-says-singapore-summit-with-north-korea-leader-kim-is-cancelled-.html|title=Trump cancels Singapore nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un|last=Calia|first=Mike|date=May 24, 2018|work=CNBC|access-date=May 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/24/politics/trump-north-korea/index.html|title=Trump cancels Singapore summit in letter to Kim Jong Un|last=CNN|first=Jeremy Diamond, Kevin Liptak and Elise Labott,|work=CNN|access-date=May 24, 2018}}</ref> On June 1, 2018, Trump announced that the ] was "back on" for June 12 in Singapore.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-says-u-s-north-korea-summit-back-on-for-june-12-in-singapore|title=Trump says U.S.-North Korea summit back on for June 12 in Singapore|website=PBS NewsHour|accessdate=June 1, 2018}}</ref> At its conclusion the two leaders signed a joint statement, agreeing to security guarantees for North Korea, new peaceful relations, reaffirmation of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, recovery of soldiers' remains, and follow-up negotiations between high-level officials. In addition, immediately following the summit, Trump unilaterally announced that the US would discontinue "provocative" joint military exercises with South Korea and would "eventually" withdraw troops stationed there.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://usahint.com/world/trump-praises-north-korea-620/ | title=Trump Kim summit: Trump praises North Korea and promises to end “war games” | work=USAHint.com | date=June 12, 2018 | accessdate=June 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-military/trump-surprises-with-pledge-to-end-military-exercises-in-south-korea-idUSKBN1J812W|title=Trump surprises with pledge to end military exercises in South Korea|last=Smith|first=Josh|last2=Stewart|first2=Phil|date=June 12, 2018|agency=]|dead-url=|access-date=June 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Stavridis TIME">{{cite news |last1=STAVRIDIS |first1=JAMES |title=I Was a Navy Admiral. Here's Why Ending 'War Games' With South Korea Would Be a Grave Mistake |url=http://time.com/5310534/donald-trump-north-korea-war-games-military-exercises/ |accessdate=18 June 2018 |work=Time |date=12 June 2019}}</ref>
Trump went to great lengths to keep details of his private conversations with Russian president ] secret, including in one case by retaining his interpreter's notes and instructing the linguist to not share the contents of the discussions with anyone in the administration. As a result, there were no detailed records, even in classified files, of Trump's conversations with Putin on five occasions.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-has-concealed-details-of-his-face-to-face-encounters-with-putin-from-senior-officials-in-administration/2019/01/12/65f6686c-1434-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html |title=Trump has concealed details of his face-to-face encounters with Putin from senior officials in administration |newspaper=] |last=Miller |first=Greg |date=January 13, 2019|access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Samuels |first=Brett |date=January 29, 2019 |title=Trump, Putin talked at G20 without US translator, note-taker: report |access-date=November 13, 2021 |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/427505-trump-putin-talked-at-g20-without-us-translator-note-taker-report |website=]}}</ref>
Upon returning from the Singapore summit, Trump made a number of exaggerated and premature statements about what was achieved.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/world/asia/trump-north-korea-kim-jong-un.html|title=Fact Check: Is There Truth to Trump’s Bold Claims about North Korean Denuclearization?|access-date=2018-06-23|language=en}}</ref> On June 13, 2018, Trump tweeted that "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea" and that Americans can "sleep well tonight!"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/us/politics/trump-north-korea-nuclear-threat-.html|title=Trump Says ‘There Is No Longer a Nuclear Threat’ After Kim Jong-un Meeting|publisher=|accessdate=June 22, 2018}}</ref> Nine days later, Trump provided a "Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to North Korea," which extended the Executive Order 13466 of 2008 by one year, reaffirming "the current existence and risk of the proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/notice-regarding-continuation-national-emergency-respect-north-korea/|title=Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to North Korea|publisher=|accessdate=June 22, 2018}}</ref><ref>https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=487152</ref>
Of Trump's campaign advisors and staff, six of them were indicted by the special counsel's office; five of them (], ], ], ], ]) pleaded guilty, while one has pleaded not guilty (]).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Yourish|first1=Karen|last2=Buchanan|first2=Larry|last3=Parlapiano|first3=Alicia|title=Everyone Who's Been Charged in Investigations Related to the 2016 Election|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/21/us/mueller-trump-charges.html |work=]|access-date=March 23, 2019|date=March 13, 2019}}</ref> As of December 2020, Stone, Papadopoulos, Manafort, and Flynn have been pardoned by Trump, but not Cohen or Gates.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Brown |first=Pamela |title=Trump issues 26 new pardons, including for Stone, Manafort and Charles Kushner |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/politics/trump-pardons-stone-manafort-kushner/index.html |date=December 24, 2020 |website=] |access-date=December 28, 2020}}</ref>
===Europe===
] Secretary General ], April 2017]]
On June 12, 2019, Trump asserted he saw nothing wrong in accepting intelligence on his political adversaries from foreign powers, such as Russia, and he could see no reason to contact the ] about it. Responding to a reporter who told him FBI director ] had said such activities should be reported to the FBI, Trump said, "the FBI director is wrong." Trump elaborated, "there's nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, 'we have information on your opponent'{{snd}}oh, I think I'd want to hear it." Both Democrats and Republicans repudiated the remarks.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Baker |first=Peter |date=June 12, 2019 |title=Trump Says 'I'd Take It' if Russia Again Offered Dirt on Opponent |newspaper=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/us/politics/trump-russia-fbi.html |access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Fandos|first2=Nicholas|date=June 13, 2019|title=Trump Assailed for Saying He Would Take Campaign Help From Russia|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/us/politics/trump-russia-campaign-help.html |access-date=November 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Everett|first1=Burgess|last2=Levine|first2=Marianne|title=Republicans lash Trump for being open to foreign oppo|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/republicans-trump-foreign-interference-remarks-1364220 |date=June 13, 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title='Absolutely unprecedented': Trump upends long-held views with openness to foreign assistance|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/absolutely-unprecedented-trump-upends-long-held-views-with-openness-to-foreign-assistance/2019/06/13/13f94f66-8df6-11e9-b08e-cfd89bd36d4e_story.html |first1=Rosalind S. |last1=Helderman |first2=Tom |last2=Hamburger |first3=Josh |last3=Dawsey |date=June 13, 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |newspaper=]}}</ref>
====Russia====
{{see also|Russia–United States relations}}
''The New York Times'' reported in June 2021 that in 2017 and 2018 the Justice Department subpoenaed ] from the ] accounts of at least a dozen individuals associated with the ], including that of ranking Democratic member ] and ], and family members, to investigate leaks to the press about contacts between Trump associates and Russia. Records of the inquiry did not implicate anyone associated with the committee, but upon becoming attorney general ] revived the effort, including by appointing a federal prosecutor and about six others in February 2020. ''The Times'' reported that, apart from corruption investigations, subpoenaing communications information of members of Congress is nearly unheard-of, and that some in the Justice Department saw Barr's approach as politically motivated.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/us/politics/justice-department-leaks-trump-administration.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/10/us/politics/justice-department-leaks-trump-administration.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=November 13, 2021 |title=Hunting Leaks, Trump Officials Focused on Democrats in Congress|first1=Katie|last1=Benner|first2=Nicholas|last2=Fandos|first3=Michael S.|last3=Schmidt|first4=Adam|last4=Goldman|newspaper=]|date=June 11, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-donald-trump-5b6f6bf0daf8bccf106a90d2ff52686c |access-date=November 13, 2021 |first1=Mary Clare |last1=Jalonick |first2=Michael |last2=Balsamo |title=Trump DOJ seized data from House Democrats in leaks probe|website=]|date=June 11, 2021}}</ref> Justice Department Inspector General ] announced an inquiry into the matter the day after the ''Times'' report.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.axios.com/deputy-ag-doj-watchdog-trump-house-subpoenas-8306e261-456d-4adb-827e-3770130c9efc.html |date=June 11, 2021 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |title=Justice Department watchdog opens internal probe into House Dems data subpoenas |first=Jacob |last=Knutson |website=]}}</ref>
President-elect Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone on November 14, 2017, to discuss future efforts to improve the U.S.-Russia ties and the settlement of Syrian crisis among others.<ref>, ], November 14, 2016.</ref> In January 2017, a week after his inauguration, President Trump had a 50-minute telephone conversation with Putin that was hailed by both governments as a step towards improvement of relations between the two countries; the presidents agreed to arrange a face-to-face meeting for a later date.<ref name="holdsummit">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/28/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-hold-historic-telephone-call/ |newspaper=The Telegraph |title=Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ready to hold summit following historic phone call |date=January 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38786199 |agency=BBC |title=Trump and Putin make counter-terror top priority in first call |date=January 28, 2017}}</ref>
=== Special counsel's report ===
On June 8, 2018, Trump called for Russia to be readmitted to the ], from which it was expelled after the ] in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last1=DeYoung |first1=Karen |title=In Trump, some fear the end of the world order |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-trump-some-fear-the-end-of-the-world-order/2018/06/08/d6026dde-6b44-11e8-bf8c-f9ed2e672adf_story.html |accessdate=9 June 2018 |publisher=The Washington Post |date=June 9, 2018}}</ref>
{{Main|Mueller report}}In February 2018, when Mueller indicted more than a dozen Russians and three entities for interference in the 2016 election, Trump asserted the indictment was proof his campaign did not collude with the Russians. ''The New York Times'' noted Trump "voiced no concern that a foreign power had been trying for nearly four years to upend American democracy, much less resolve to stop it from continuing to do so this year".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Baker|first=Peter|date=February 17, 2018|title=Trump's Conspicuous Silence Leaves a Struggle Against Russia Without a Leader|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/us/politics/trump-russia.html|access-date=February 18, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
In July 2018, the special counsel indicted twelve Russian intelligence operatives and accused them of conspiring to interfere in the 2016 U.S. elections, by hacking servers and emails of the Democratic Party and the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Read: Mueller indictment against twelve Russian spies for DNC hack|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/7/13/17568806/mueller-russia-intelligence-indictment-full-text |first=Alex |last=Ward |access-date=July 28, 2018|website=]|date=July 13, 2018}}</ref> The indictments were made before ], in which Trump supported Putin's denial that Russia was involved and criticized American law enforcement and intelligence community (subsequently Trump partially walked back some of his comments). A few days later, it was reported that Trump had actually been briefed on the veracity and extent of Russian cyber-attacks two weeks before his inauguration, back in December 2016, including the fact that these were ordered by Putin himself. The evidence presented to him at the time included text and email conversations between Russian military officers as well as information from a source close to Putin.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Sanger|first1=David E.|last2=Rosenberg|first2=Matthew|date=July 18, 2018|title=From the Start, Trump Has Muddied a Clear Message: Putin Interfered|newspaper=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/18/world/europe/trump-intelligence-russian-election-meddling-.html|access-date=July 28, 2018}}</ref>
====Germany====
{{see also|Germany–United States relations}}
] version of the Mueller report was released to the public by the ] on April 18, 2019]]
In May 2017, German chancellor ] said that Europeans cannot rely on United States' help anymore.<ref>{{cite news |title=How a single sentence from Angela Merkel showed what Trump means to the world|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/29/politics/merkel-trump-europe/|last=Cillizza|first=Chris |authorlink=Chris Cillizza |accessdate=May 29, 2017|publisher=CNN|date=May 29, 2017}}</ref> This came after Trump had said the Germans were "bad, very bad" and threatened to stop all car trade with Germany.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trumpian diplomacy at its most refined: "The Germans are bad, very bad"|url=https://www.vox.com/world/2017/5/26/15698824/trump-germany-bad-trade-cars|last=Aleem|first=Zeeshan|accessdate=May 29, 2017|publisher=]|date=May 26, 2017}}</ref>
On March 22, 2019, Mueller submitted the final report to Attorney General William Barr. Two days later, Barr sent Congress a ], describing what he said were the special counsel's principal conclusions in the report. Barr added that, since the special counsel "did not draw a conclusion" on obstruction,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/mueller-told-barr-weeks-ago-he-wouldnt-reach-conclusion-on-obstruction-charge-11553548191|title=Mueller Told Barr Weeks Ago He Wouldn't Reach Conclusion on Obstruction Charge|last=Gurman|first=Sadie|date=March 25, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 18, 2019|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> this "leaves it to the Attorney General to determine whether the conduct described in the report constitutes a crime".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/24/us/politics/barr-letter-mueller-report.html|title=Read Attorney General William Barr's Summary of the Mueller Report|date=March 24, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 22, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Barr continued: "Deputy Attorney General ] and I have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel's investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/17/attorney-general-william-barr-will-hold-a-press-conference-to-discuss-mueller-report-at-930-am-et-thursday.html|title=Attorney General William Barr will hold a press conference to discuss Mueller report at 9:30 am ET Thursday|last1=Calia|first1=Mike|last2=El-Bawab|first2=Nadine|date=April 17, 2019|access-date=April 18, 2019|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/03/mueller-concludes-investigation/ |date=March 2019 |title=Mueller finds no collusion with Russia, leaves obstruction question open|website=]|access-date=April 18, 2019}}</ref>
On April 18, 2019, a two-volume ] version of the special counsel's report titled '']'' was released to Congress and to the public. About one-eighth of the lines in the public version were redacted.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/mueller-report-recounts-10-episodes-involving-trump-and-questions-of-obstruction.html|title=Mueller report recounts 10 episodes involving Trump and questions of obstruction|last=Pramuk|first=Jacob|date=April 18, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.justice.gov/sco|title=Special Counsel's Office|date=October 16, 2017|publisher=]|access-date=April 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/mueller-report-release-latest-news/card/1555613011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418230152/https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/mueller-report-release-latest-news/card/1555613011 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |archive-date=April 18, 2019 |url-status=dead |title=The Mueller Report by the Numbers |work=]|date=April 18, 2019}}</ref>
====United Kingdom====
{{see also|United Kingdom–United States relations}}
] meet at the White House, January 27, 2017]]
In January 2018, a ] spokesperson said that the "strong and deep" relationship with the United States would continue despite Trump's cancellation of a visit to the UK in February 2018, where he was widely expected to open the new United States embassy in ]. President Trump claimed that the reason he cancelled his trip to London was because he was not a "big fan of the ]" selling the previous embassy complex.<ref>{{cite news |title=Donald Trump cancels February visit to UK|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42657954|accessdate=January 19, 2018|publisher=]|date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> However many sources claim that the real reason for the cancellation was because the ] was worried about the possibility of public protests, as the decision to move to the new location was actually made under the ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump UK visit: who really sold the US embassy?|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42663977|accessdate=January 19, 2018|publisher=]|date=January 12, 2018}}</ref>
] discusses about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, concluding that interference occurred "in sweeping and systematic fashion" and "violated U.S. criminal law".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Inskeep|first1=Steve|last2=Detrow|first2=Scott|last3=Johnson|first3=Carrie|last4=Davis|first4=Susan|last5=Greene|first5=David|title=Redacted Mueller Report Released; Congress, Trump React |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/714667960/redacted-mueller-report-is-released |date=April 18, 2019 |work=]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=The Mueller Report|url=https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/mueller-report |work=YaleGlobal Online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422030201/https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/mueller-report |archive-date=April 22, 2019 |date=May 19, 2021 |publisher=] |access-date=November 11, 2021}}</ref> The report detailed activities by the ], a Kremlin-linked Russian troll farm, to create a "social media campaign that favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton",<ref name="AFPpoints">{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Main points of Mueller report|url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1|agency=]|access-date=April 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420143436/https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/main-points-mueller-report-doc-1fr5vv1|archive-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> and to "provoke and amplify political and social discord in the United States".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Harris |first1=Shane |last2=Nakashima |first2=Ellen |last3=Timberg |first3=Craig |title=Through email leaks and propaganda, Russians sought to elect Trump, Mueller finds |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/through-email-leaks-and-propaganda-russians-sought-to-elect-trump-mueller-finds/2019/04/18/109ddf74-571b-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_storyy.html|date=April 18, 2019|newspaper=]|access-date=April 23, 2019|archive-date=May 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506074701/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/through-email-leaks-and-propaganda-russians-sought-to-elect-trump-mueller-finds/2019/04/18/109ddf74-571b-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_storyy.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> The report also described how the Russian intelligence service, the ], performed ] and strategic releasing of damaging material from the Clinton campaign and ] organizations.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Mackey|first1=Robert|last2=Risen|first2=James|last3=Aaronson|first3=Trevor|title=Annotating special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report|url=https://theintercept.com/2019/04/18/annotating-special-counsel-robert-muellers-redacted-report/|work=]|date=April 18, 2019|access-date=April 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>'''', vol. I, p. 4: At the same time the IRA operation began to focus on supporting candidate Trump in early 2016, the Russian government employed a second form of interference: cyber intrusions (hacking) and releases of hacked materials damaging to the Clinton Campaign. The Russian intelligence service known as the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Army (GRU) carried out these operations. In March 2016, the GRU began hacking the email accounts of Clinton Campaign volunteers and employees, including campaign chairman John Podesta. In April 2016, the GRU hacked into the computer networks of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The GRU stole hundreds of thousands of documents from the compromised email accounts and networks. Around the time the DNC announced in mid-June 2016 the Russian government's role in hacking its network, the GRU began disseminating stolen materials through the fictitious online personas "DCLeaks" and "Guccifer 2.0". The GRU later released additional materials through the organization WikiLeaks.</ref> To establish whether a crime was committed by members of the Trump campaign with regard to Russian interference, investigators used the legal standard for criminal ] rather than the popular concept of "collusion", because a crime of "collusion" is not found in criminal law or the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Morais|first=Betsy|title=Collusion by any other name|url=https://www.cjr.org/first_person/trump-mueller-collusion.php|date=April 18, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>'''', vol. I, p. 2: In evaluating whether evidence about collective action of multiple individuals constituted a crime, we applied the framework of conspiracy law, not the concept of "collusion". In so doing, the Office recognized that the word "collud" was used in communications with the Acting Attorney General confirming certain aspects of the investigation's scope and that the term has frequently been invoked in public reporting about the investigation. But collusion is not a specific offense or theory of liability found in the United States Code, nor is it a term of art in federal criminal law. For those reasons, the Office's focus in analyzing questions of joint criminal liability was on conspiracy as defined in federal law.</ref>
===North America===
====Cuba====
{{see also|Cuba–United States relations}}
On June 16, 2017, President ] announced that he was cancelling the Obama administrations deals with ], while also expressing that a new deal could be negotiated between Cuba and United States.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/15/politics/trump-cuba-obama/index.html|title=Trump chips away at Obama's legacy on Cuba|authors=Dan Merica and Jim Acosta|publisher=CNN|access-date=June 16, 2017}}</ref>
According to the report, the investigation "identified numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign", and found that Russia had "perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency" and the 2016 Trump presidential campaign "expected it would benefit electorally" from Russian hacking efforts. Ultimately, "the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Ostriker|first1=Rebecca|last2=Puzzanghera|first2=Jim|last3=Finucane|first3=Martin|last4=Datar|first4=Saurabh|last5=Uraizee|first5=Irfan|last6=Garvin|first6=Patrick|title=What the Mueller report says about Trump and more|url=https://apps.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/graphics/2019/03/mueller-report/ |date=April 18, 2019 |website=]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last = Law |first = Tara |title = Here Are the Biggest Takeaways From the Mueller Report |url = https://time.com/5567077/mueller-report-release/ |date = April 19, 2019 |magazine = ] |access-date = April 22, 2019}}</ref> However, investigators had an incomplete picture of what had really occurred during the 2016 campaign, due to some associates of the Trump campaign providing false or incomplete testimony, exercising the ], and having deleted, unsaved, or encrypted communications. As such, the Mueller report "cannot rule out the possibility" that information then unavailable to investigators would have presented different findings.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Yen|first=Hope|title=AP Fact Check: Trump, Barr distort Mueller report findings|url=https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-lindsey-graham-politics-russia-f9c0ab20229140f18ea34e1f15a9f597 |date=May 1, 2019 |website=] |access-date=May 2, 2019}}</ref>
====Mexico====
{{see also|Mexico–United States relations}}
] at the ]]]
On January 26, 2017, Mexican President ] cancelled a meeting with Trump in Washington. Trump had tweeted earlier that morning that it would be better to skip the meeting if the Mexican government continued to insist that Mexico would not pay for a proposed ] Trump promised to build. This came amid existing tensions over the proposed wall.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-mexico-border-wall-warning-234211|title=Mexican President Cancels Trump Meeting in Washington|last=Nelson|first=Louis|date=January 26, 2017|newspaper=Politico|access-date=January 26, 2017}}</ref>
] covered obstruction of justice. The report described ] where Trump may have obstructed justice as president, plus one instance before he was elected.<ref name="FactCheck11">{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.factcheck.org/2019/04/what-the-mueller-report-says-about-obstruction/|title=What the Mueller Report Says About Obstruction|last1=Farley|first1=Robert|last2=Robertson|first2=Lori|last3=Gore|first3=D'Angelo|last4=Spencer|first4=Saranac Hale|last5=Fichera|first5=Angelo|last6=McDonald|first6=Jessica|date=April 19, 2019|website=]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Desjardins|first=Lisa|title=11 moments Mueller investigated for obstruction of justice|date=April 18, 2019|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/11-moments-mueller-investigated-for-obstruction-of-justice |work=]|access-date=April 22, 2019}}</ref> The report said that in addition to Trump's public attacks on the investigation and its subjects, he had also privately tried to "control the investigation" in multiple ways, but mostly failed to influence it because his subordinates or associates refused to carry out his instructions.<ref name="NYTview">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Schmidt|first1=Michael|last2=Savage|first2=Charlie|title=Mueller Rejects View That Presidents Can't Obstruct Justice|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/us/politics/special-counsel-trump-obstruction.html |date=April 18, 2019 |work=]|access-date=April 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/trump-barely-disrupted-russia-investigation-mueller-report-says.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump barely disrupted Russia investigation, Mueller report says|first=Jacob|last=Pramuk|date=April 18, 2019 |work=]}}</ref> For that reason, no charges against the Trump's aides and associates were recommended "beyond those already filed".<ref name="FactCheck11" /> The special counsel could not charge Trump himself once investigators decided to abide by an ] (OLC) opinion that a sitting president cannot stand trial,<ref name="APnocall">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Day|first1=Chad|last2=Gresko|first2=Jessica|title=How Mueller made his no-call on Trump and obstruction|url=https://www.apnews.com/d7830de6911b44d2afb3b180a6b54ad2|date=April 19, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 19, 2019}}</ref><ref name="TimeSay">{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gajanan|first=Mahita|title=Despite Evidence, Robert Mueller Would Not Say Whether Trump Obstructed Justice. Here's Why|url=https://time.com/5573289/robert-mueller-trump-obstruction-charges/ |date=April 18, 2019 |magazine=]|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> and they feared charges would affect Trump's governing and possibly preempt his impeachment.<ref name="TimeSay" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mueller-s-report-trump-sections-blacked-out-released-public-n990191|date=April 18, 2019|title=Mueller report found Trump directed White House lawyer to 'do crazy s|work=]|access-date=April 19, 2019|first1=Dareh|last1=Gregorian|first2=Julia|last2=Ainsley}}</ref> In addition, investigators felt it would be unfair to accuse Trump of a crime without charges and without a trial in which he could clear his name,<ref name="APnocall" /><ref name="TimeSay" /><ref name="NYTview" /> hence investigators "determined not to apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgment that the President committed crimes".<ref name="TimeSay" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Barrett|first1=Devlin|last2=Zapotosky|first2=Matt|title=Mueller report lays out obstruction evidence against the president|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/attorney-general-to-provide-overview-of-mueller-report-at-news-conference-before-its-release/2019/04/17/8dcc9440-54b9-11e9-814f-e2f46684196e_story.html|newspaper=]|date=April 17, 2019|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref name="APdilemma">{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |title=Mueller drops obstruction dilemma on Congress |date=April 19, 2019|url=https://www.apnews.com/35829a2b010248f193d1efd00c4de7e5 |work=]|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>'''', vol. II, p. 2: "Third, we considered whether to evaluate the conduct we investigated under the Justice Manual standards governing prosecution and declination decisions, but we determined not to apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgment that the President committed crimes."</ref>
In August 2017, Trump stated that he is "not going to rule out a military option" to confront the autocratic government of ] and the deepening crisis in Venezuela.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump won't 'rule out a military option' in Venezuela|accessdate=August 12, 2017|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/08/11/trump-wont-rule-out-a-military-option-in-venezuela/|work=]|date=August 11, 2017}}</ref> Venezuela's Defense Minister ] immediately criticized Trump for his statement, calling it "an act of supreme extremism" and "an act of madness".<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump's Threat to Invade Venezuela Boosts Embattled Leader Maduro|accessdate=August 12, 2017|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/08/12/trump_s_threat_to_invade_venezuela_amounts_to_a_big_gift_for_embattled_leader.html|publisher=]|date=August 12, 2017}}</ref> President Maduro's son, ], stated during the 5th ] session that if the United States were to attack Venezuela, "the rifles would arrive in New York, Mr. Trump, we would arrive and take the White House".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Uzcátegui|first1=Ruth|title=Nicolás Maduro Guerra sobre intervención de Trump: Llegaríamos a tomar la Casa Blanca|url=http://www.panorama.com.ve/politicayeconomia/Nicolas-Maduro-Guerra-sobre-intervencion-de-Trump-Llegariamos-a-tomar-la-Casa-Blanca-20170812-0027.html|accessdate=August 13, 2017|work=]|date=August 12, 2017|language=es}}</ref>
Since the special counsel's office had decided "not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment" on whether to "initiate or decline a prosecution", they "did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President's conduct". The report "does not conclude that the president committed a crime",<ref name="AFPpoints" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Neuhauser|first=Alan|title=The Mueller Report: Obstruction or Exoneration?|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2019-04-18/the-mueller-report-obstruction-or-exoneration|access-date=May 6, 2019|work=]|date=April 18, 2019}}</ref> but specifically did not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice, because investigators were not confident that Trump was innocent after examining his intent and actions.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Blake|first=Aaron|title=The 10 Trump actions Mueller spotlighted for potential obstruction|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/18/trump-actions-mueller-spotlighted-potential-obstruction/|date=April 18, 2019|newspaper=]|access-date=April 19, 2019|archive-date=April 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418205553/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/18/trump-actions-mueller-spotlighted-potential-obstruction/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="BBCeight">{{#invoke:Cite news||date=April 18, 2019|title=Mueller report: Eight things we only just learned|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47983775|work=]|access-date=April 18, 2019}}</ref> The report concluded "that Congress has authority to prohibit a President's corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice" and "that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the president's corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law".<ref name="APdilemma" /><ref name="BBCeight" /><ref name="NYTview" />
=== West Asia ===
==== Afghanistan ====
{{see also|War in Afghanistan (2001–present)#Donald Trump’s Afghanistan policy|War in Afghanistan (1978–present)}}
] of Afghanistan, October 2, 2017]]
When Trump took office in January 2017, the United States were involved in the ] since 2001, the longest ].<ref name="dwelna1">{{cite news |last1=Welna|first1=David|title=New President Will Inherit The War In Afghanistan|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/12/493573608/afghan-war-has-become-the-forgotten-war-for-many-americans|publisher=NPR|date=September 12, 2016|accessdate=November 16, 2016}}</ref> The US then had 8,400 American troops in Afghanistan. Most of them participated in the NATO mission ], intended to train and advise the Afghan government troops (in their (civil) war against ], ] and ]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rosenberg|first1=Matthew|title=In Reversal, Obama Says U.S. Soldiers Will Stay in Afghanistan to 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/world/asia/obama-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan.html|accessdate=September 1, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=October 15, 2015}}</ref>); 2,000 American troops were charged with fighting against terror groups such as ].<ref>{{nl}} . '']'', August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.</ref><ref name="atilghman1">{{cite news |last1=Tilghman|first1=Andrew|title=New in 2017: Big decisions for the wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan|url=http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/donald-trump-iraq-syria-afghanistan-james-mattis|accessdate=January 2, 2017|work=Military Times|date=December 26, 2016}}</ref>
By August 2017, the American force in Afghanistan was estimated at 10,000 troops.<ref>. '']'', August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.</ref> On August 21, 2017, Trump announced expansion of the American presence in Afghanistan, without giving details on how.<ref>. CNN, August 24, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.</ref>
On May 1, 2019, following publication of the special counsel's report, Barr testified before the ], during which Barr said he "didn't exonerate" Trump on obstruction as that was not the role of the Justice Department.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Day|first=Chad|title=Key takeaways from AG Barr's testimony, Mueller's letter|url=https://apnews.com/ec455a7ba1c846deaf8a2616f7754698|date=May 2, 2019|website=]|access-date=May 2, 2019}}</ref> He declined to testify before the ] the following day because he objected to the committee's plan to use staff lawyers during questioning.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/us/politics/william-barr-hearing.html|title=William Barr Hearing: Highlights of His Testimony|work=]|date=May 1, 2019|access-date=May 7, 2019|first1=Katie|last1=Benner|first2=Nicholas|last2=Fandos}}</ref> Barr also repeatedly<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2019-05-08/president-donald-trump-asserts-executive-privilege-over-mueller-report|title=Trump Asserts Executive Privilege Over Mueller Report|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=May 8, 2019|access-date=May 8, 2019|first=Alan|last=Neuhauser}}</ref> failed to give the unredacted special counsel's report to the Judiciary Committee by its deadline of May 6, 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/us/politics/house-contempt-attorney-general-barr.html|title=Democrats Threaten to Hold Barr in Contempt as White House Guards Tax Returns|work=]|date=May 6, 2019|access-date=May 7, 2019|first1=Nicholas|last1=Fandos|first2=Alan|last2=Rappeport}}</ref> On May 8, 2019, the committee voted to hold Barr in ], which refers the matter to entire House for resolution.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/840197/house-judiciary-committee-just-voted-hold-barr-contempt-heres-what-happens-next| title=The House Judiciary Committee just voted to hold Barr in contempt. Here's what happens next.| work=]| date=May 8, 2019| access-date=May 8, 2019| first=Brendan| last=Morrow}}</ref> Concurrently, Trump asserted ] via the Department of Justice in an effort to prevent the redacted portions of the special counsel's report and the underlying evidence from being disclosed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/08/us/politics/congress-contempt-barr.html| title=Trump Asserts Executive Privilege Over Full Mueller Report| work=]| date=May 8, 2019| access-date=May 8, 2019| first=Nicholas| last=Fandos}}</ref> Committee chairman ] said the U.S. is in a ], "because the President is disobeying the law, is refusing all information to Congress".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Mary Clare |last1=Jalonick |first2=Lisa |last2=Mascaro |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/nadler-constitutional-crisis-over-mueller-report-dispute |title=Nadler: 'Constitutional crisis' over Mueller report dispute |work=] |date=May 8, 2019 |access-date=May 8, 2019}}</ref> Speaker ] said Trump was "self-impeaching" by stonewalling Congress.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/politics/mueller-testify.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump Suggests Mueller May Testify; Pelosi Declares 'Constitutional Crisis'|first1=Annie|last1=Karni|first2=Sheryl Gay|last2=Stolberg|newspaper=]|date=May 9, 2019}}</ref>
==== Iraq and Syria ====
{{see also|Syrian Civil War|Timber Sycamore|Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)}}
], March 20, 2017]]
Trump took office while the United States remained involved in a ] against the ] (ISIL, also known as ISIS, the Islamic State or Daesh), a ] ] that gained control of parts of ] and ] following the outbreak of the ].<ref name="bbcisis">{{cite news |title=What is 'Islamic State'?|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144|publisher=BBC News|date=December 2, 2015|accessdate=November 16, 2016}}</ref> There were roughly 4,500 American soldiers in Iraq as of February 2016.<ref name="youssef">{{cite news |last1=Youssef|first1=Nancy A.|title=Pentagon Won't Say How Many Troops Are Fighting ISIS|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/02/pentagon-won-t-say-how-many-troops-are-fighting-isis.html|website=The Daily Beast|date=February 2, 2016|accessdate=May 15, 2016|quote="Officially, there are now 3,650 U.S. troops in Iraq, there primarily to help train the Iraqi national army. But in reality, there are already about 4,450 U.S. troops in Iraq, plus another nearly 7,000 contractors supporting the American government's operations."}}</ref> Under Obama, the United States also ] the ] against the ] of ].<ref name="assad1">{{cite news |last1=Chan|first1=Sewell|last2=Saad|first2=Hwaida|title=Syrian President Calls Donald Trump a 'Natural Ally' in Fight Against Terrorism|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/17/world/middleeast/assad-donald-trump-syria-natural-ally.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 16, 2016|accessdate=November 16, 2016}}</ref>
Following release of the Mueller report, Trump and his allies turned their attention toward "investigating the investigators".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/investigate-the-investigators-is-new-trump-rallying-cry-to-counter-mueller-report/2019/05/04/9319b520-6db6-11e9-be3a-33217240a539_story.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=May 4, 2019 |first=Toluse |last=Olorunnipa |title='Investigate the investigators' is new Trump rallying cry to counter Mueller report|newspaper=]}}</ref> On May 23, 2019, Trump ordered the ] to cooperate with Barr's investigation of the origins of the investigation, granting Barr full authority to declassify any intelligence information related to the matter. Some analysts expressed concerns that the order could create a conflict between the Justice Department and the intelligence community over closely guarded intelligence sources and methods, as well as open the possibility Barr could cherrypick intelligence for public release to help Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/us/politics/trump-barr-intelligence.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Trump Gives Attorney General Sweeping Power in Review of 2016 Campaign Inquiry |first1=Maggie |last1=Haberman |first2=Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |newspaper=] |date=May 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 11, 2021 |url=https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-russia-ap-top-news-europe-eb4c8e7b1a8c4a5d9d618464249a8be8 |title=Critics worry AG will reveal Russia probe info to help Trump |first=Deb |last=Riechmann |date=May 24, 2019 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||access-date=November 11, 2021 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/24/trump-justice-department-intelligence-1344958 |date=May 24, 2019 |title=Trump puts DOJ on crash course with intelligence agencies |first=Natasha |last=Bertrand |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/barr-could-expose-secrets-politicize-intelligence-with-review-of-russia-probe-current-and-former-officials-fear/2019/05/24/58f822f8-7e2f-11e9-8bb7-0fc796cf2ec0_story.html |first=Shane |last=Harris |date=May 24, 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2019 |title=Barr could expose secrets, politicize intelligence with review of Russia probe, current and former officials fear|newspaper=]}}</ref>
In the first unilateral military action by the United States targeting ] ] forces during the ],<ref name="wapo-1">{{cite news |last1=Lamothe|first1=Dan|last2=Ryan|first2=Missy|last3=Gibbons-Neff|first3=Thomas|title=U.S. strikes Syrian military airfield in first direct assault on Bashar al-Assad's government|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-weighing-military-options-following-chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria/2017/04/06/0c59603a-1ae8-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=April 7, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407024143/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-weighing-military-options-following-chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria/2017/04/06/0c59603a-1ae8-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html|archivedate=April 7, 2017|date=April 6, 2017}}</ref> Trump authorizes a missile strike against ] in direct response to the ].<ref name="wapo-1" />
Upon announcing the formal closure of the investigation and his resignation from the Justice Department on May 29, Mueller said, "If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, decide as to whether the president did commit a crime."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/us/politics/mueller-special-counsel.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |title=Mueller, in First Comments on Russia Inquiry, Declines to Clear Trump |first1=Sharon |last1=LaFraniere |first2=Eileen |last2=Sullivan |newspaper=] |date=May 29, 2019 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126135207/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/us/politics/mueller-special-counsel.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> During his testimony to Congress on July 24, 2019, Mueller said that a president could be charged with obstruction of justice (or other crimes) after the president left office.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Thomsen |first=Jacqueline |title=Mueller: Trump could be charged with obstruction of justice after leaving office|url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/454502-mueller-trump-could-be-charged-with-obstruction-of-justice-after |website=] |date=July 24, 2019 |access-date=July 24, 2019}}</ref>
It was reported in July 2017 that Trump had ordered a "phasing out" of the ] (CIA)'s support for anti-Assad Syrian rebels.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jaffe|first1=Greg|last2=Entous|first2=Adam|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-ends-covert-cia-program-to-arm-anti-assad-rebels-in-syria-a-move-sought-by-moscow/2017/07/19/b6821a62-6beb-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html|title=Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow|work=]|date=July 19, 2017|accessdate=July 21, 2017}}</ref>
=== Counter-investigations ===
In August 2017, senior ] official ] stated that the Trump administration had "dramatically accelerated" the ], citing estimates that almost one-third of the territory taken from ISIL "has been won in the last six months". McGurk favorably cited "steps President Trump has taken, including delegating decision–making authority from the White House to commanders in the field".<ref>{{cite news |last=DeYoung |first=Karen |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/under-trump-gains-against-isis-have-dramatically-accelerated/2017/08/04/8ad29d40-7958-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html|title=Under Trump, gains against ISIS have 'dramatically accelerated'|work=]|date=August 4, 2017|accessdate=August 8, 2017}}</ref> According to ''Airwars'',<ref>"". ''The Sydney Morning Herald.'' January 18, 2018.</ref> the strikes of US-led coalition killed as many as 6,000 civilians in Iraq and Syria in 2017.<ref>"". ''The Washington Post.'' January 18, 2018.</ref>
Amid accusations by Trump and his supporters that he had been subjected to an illegitimate investigation, in May 2019, Barr appointed federal prosecutor ] to review the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/us/politics/russia-investigation-justice-department-review.html |title=Barr Assigns U.S. Attorney in Connecticut to Review Origins of Russia Inquiry |first1=Adam |last1=Goldman |first2=Charlie |last2=Savage |first3=Michael S. |last3=Schmidt |newspaper=] |date=May 13, 2019 |access-date=November 13, 2019}}</ref> By September 2020, Durham's inquiry had expanded to include the FBI's investigation of the Clinton Foundation during the 2016 campaign.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/us/politics/durham-clinton-foundation-investigation.html |access-date=November 13, 2021 |title=In Politically Charged Inquiry, Durham Sought Details About Scrutiny of Clintons|first1=Adam|last1=Goldman|first2=William K.|last2=Rashbaum|first3=Nicole|last3=Hong|newspaper=]|date=September 24, 2020}}</ref>
=====Military action in Syria=====
{{further|2017 Shayrat missile strike|2018 missile strikes against Syria}}
In November 2017, Sessions appointed U.S. Attorney ] to investigate the FBI's surveillance of ] and ] between the ] and ], starting in November 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Burr |first1=Thomas |last2=Manson |first2=Pamela |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/03/29/us-attorney-for-utah-huber-probing-gop-raised-concerns-about-the-fbi-surveilling-trump-aide-ignoring-clinton-uranium-ties/ |title=U.S. Attorney for Utah is investigating GOP-raised concerns about the FBI surveilling Trump aide and ignoring Clinton uranium ties |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref> The investigation ended in January 2020 after no evidence was found to warrant the opening of a criminal investigation.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||date=January 9, 2020 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/justice-dept-winds-down-clinton-related-inquiry-once-championed-by-trump-it-found-nothing-of-consequence/2020/01/09/ca83932e-32f9-11ea-a053-dc6d944ba776_story.html |access-date=November 10, 2021 |title=Justice Dept. winds down Clinton-related inquiry once championed by Trump. It found nothing of consequence. |first=Devlin |last=Barrett |newspaper=]}}</ref> Special Counsel Robert Mueller's April 2019 report documented that Trump pressured Sessions and the Department of Justice to reopen the investigation into Clinton's emails.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/us/politics/jeff-sessions-hillary-clinton-donald-trump.html|title=Mueller Report Reveals Trump's Fixation on Targeting Hillary Clinton|last=Schmidt|first=Michael S.|date=April 24, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 25, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
]
It was first reported on April 4, 2017, that the Syrian government led by President ] had launched a chemical attack on civilians in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun, in the rebel-held territory of Idlib Province. The Trump administration initially responded by saying the attacks were "not something that any civilized nation should sit back and accept or tolerate".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/syria-strike-trump-timeline.html|title=63 Hours: From Chemical Attack to Trump’s Strike in Syria|date=April 4, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> The following day, April 5, Trump held a press conference with ] of Jordan in the ] of the ] where he stated his "attitude toward Syria and Assad, has changed very much". Trump also said "It crossed a lot of lines for me. When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, little babies, with a chemical gas that was so lethal," then that "crosses many lines, beyond a red line, many many lines" referencing President Obama's ultimatum to the Syrian regime in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/06/trump-syria-red-line-what-trump-has-said/100147916/|title=Analysis: Trump just ordered the kind of attack against Syria that he warned Obama against|date=April 6, 2017|work=USA Today}}</ref> On Thursday April 6, Trump ordered the launch of 59 ] toward ] where the chemical attacks are believed to have been launched. Shortly after giving the order, Trump addressed the nation saying, "It is in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread or use of deadly chemical weapons."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/donald-trump-syria-military/index.html|title=Trump launches military strike against Syria|date=April 7, 2017|publisher=CNN}}</ref> Although the attacks were met with praise and support by the most of the international community, several protests were held in the United States demonstrating against the attack.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/us-protests-syria-attack_us_58e845cee4b058f0a02f777c|title=Syria Protest Turns Violent in Florida As Hundreds Hit The Streets In U.S. Cities|last=Papenfuss|first=Mary|date=April 8, 2017|accessdate=April 9, 2017|publisher=HuffPost}}</ref>
==== Iran====
== Ethics ==
{{See also|Lobbying in the United States|Legal affairs of Donald Trump as president|Trump–Ukraine scandal|Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations}}
{{see also|Iran–United States relations}}
], around ] in Tehran, May 8, 2018]]
Trump took office after ] signed the ] (JCPOA or "Iran nuclear deal"), which Trump described as one of the "worst deals ever made".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/16/iran-nuclear-deal-anniversary-trump-warning|title=Obama warns against ditching Iran nuclear deal on first anniversary|first=Martin|last=Pengelly|date=January 16, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=January 26, 2017}}</ref>
The Trump administration was characterized by a departure from ethical norms.<ref name="FloutNorms">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Michael |last=Crowley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/us/politics/trump-goya-ivanka.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=As Election Nears, Trump's White House Grows Bolder in Flouting Ethical Norms |newspaper=] |date=July 16, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Tom |last=Scheck |url=https://www.marketplace.org/2018/02/16/ethics-be-damned-more-half-trumps-20-person-cabinet-has-engaged-questionable-or/ |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Ethics Be Damned: More than half of Trump's 20-person Cabinet has engaged in questionable or unethical conduct |work=Marketplace |publisher=] |date=February 16, 2018 |quote=every ethics professional interviewed for this story thinks the Trump administration has significantly undermined decades of ethical norms and standards.}}</ref> Unlike previous administrations of both parties, the Trump White House did not observe a strict boundary between official government activities and personal, political, or campaign activities.<ref name="FloutNorms" /><ref name="Gomez">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Melissa |last=Gomez |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-07-23/trump-hatch-act-ethics-campaign |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Trump is 'hijacking' White House events for 'partisan, political' gain, experts say |work=Los Angeles Times |date=July 23, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Annie |last1=Karni |first2=Maggie |last2=Haberman |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/us/politics/trump-campaign-rallies.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=As Campaign Season Heats, Trump Has Turned the Official Into the Political |newspaper=] |date=November 8, 2019}}</ref> Some critics went so far as to describe Trump as bringing ] to America.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beauchamp |first=Zack |date=2017-07-31 |title=How Donald Trump's kleptocracy is undermining American democracy |url=https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/31/15959970/donald-trump-authoritarian-children-corruption |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Vox |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Cassidy |first=John |date=2017-04-04 |title=Trump Kleptocracy Watch: An Update |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/trump-kleptocracy-watch-an-update |access-date=2024-09-28 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Telnaes |first=Ann |date=2021-10-23 |title=Opinion {{!}} The Trump kleptocracy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2018/05/30/the-trump-kleptocracy/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=David |date=2017-07-31 |title=Trump risks US being seen as 'kleptocracy', says ex-ethics chief Walter Shaub |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/31/trump-ethics-chief-walter-shaub-kleptocracy |access-date=2024-09-28 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Foer |first=Franklin |date=2019-02-07 |title=Russian-Style Kleptocracy Is Infiltrating America |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/03/how-kleptocracy-came-to-america/580471/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |work=The Atlantic |language=en |issn=2151-9463}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-05-22 |title=Trump and the Path Toward Kleptocracy |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-05-22/trump-and-the-path-toward-kleptocracy |access-date=2024-09-28 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref>
On February 3, Trump and the Iranian foreign minister, ], "sparred on Twitter" over sanctions and ]. Trump tweeted that Iran was "playing with fire" after the country conducted a ballistic missile test earlier in the week.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-iran-is-playing-with-fire-after-missile-test/|title=Trump says Iran is 'playing with fire' after missile test|last=Flores|first=Reena|date=February 3, 2017|access-date=February 3, 2017}}</ref>
=== Role of lobbyists ===
The Trump administration stated that Trump personally lobbied dozens of European officials against doing business with Iran during the May ]; this likely violated the terms of the JCPOA, which expressly states that the U.S. may not pursue "any policy specifically intended to directly and adversely affect the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran". The Trump administration certified in July 2017 that Iran had upheld its end of the agreement.<ref>{{cite news |last=Aleem|first=Zeeshan|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/7/21/16003746/trump-iran-deal-zarif|title=Iran says the US is violating the nuclear deal. It has a point.|publisher=]|date=July 21, 2017|accessdate=July 22, 2017}}</ref>
During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised to "]"{{snd}}a phrase that usually refers to entrenched corruption and lobbying in Washington, D.C.{{snd}}and he proposed a series of ethics reforms.<ref name="bschrekinger11182016">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-proposes-ethics-reform-229911 |title=Trump proposes ethics reforms|date=October 17, 2016|newspaper=]|last=Schrekinger|first=Ben|access-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> However, according to federal records and interviews, there was a dramatic increase in lobbying by corporations and hired interests during Trump's tenure, particularly through Pence's office.<ref name="wapopence">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-turns-vps-office-into-gateway-for-lobbyists-to-influence-the-trump-administration/2018/06/14/75675bfa-6424-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html|title=Pence turns VP's office into gateway for lobbyists to influence the Trump administration|first1=Michael|last1=Scherer|first2=Josh|last2=Dawsey|first3=Anu|last3=Narayanswamy|date=June 15, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=June 22, 2018}}</ref> About twice as many lobbying firms contacted Pence, compared to previous presidencies, among them representatives of major energy firms and drug companies.<ref name="wapopence" /> In many cases, the lobbyists charged their clients millions of dollars for access to the vice president, then donated the money to Pence's political causes.<ref name="wapopence" />
Among the administration's first policies was a five-year ban on serving as a lobbyist after working in the executive branch.<ref name="bschrekinger11182016" /> However, as one of his final acts of office, Trump rolled back that policy, thus allowing administration staff to work as lobbyists.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump Revokes Administration Ethics Rules On His Way Out The Door|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/inauguration-day-live-updates/2021/01/20/958710562/trump-revokes-administration-ethics-rules-on-his-way-out-the-door|access-date=January 20, 2021|website=]|date=January 20, 2021|last1=Keith|first1=Tamara}}</ref>
In May 2018, Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the ], the signature foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration. Trump said that he would reimpose the economic sanctions on Iran that were lifted in 2015 as part of the agreement. In response, Iran announced that it would restart uranium enrichment. Trump had long expressed hostility towards the agreement and had on several previous occasions been persuaded by White House aides not to withdraw. However, by May 2018, Trump faced less internal resistance, as more hawkish advisors, such as Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, had come to play a more prominent role in the administration. Trump's withdrawal was supported by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu but widely condemned by European leaders.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html|title=Trump Withdraws U.S. From ‘One-Sided’ Iran Nuclear Deal|date=May 8, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 8, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Prior to Trump's withdrawal, European leaders had in principle agreed to the toughest of Trump's demands to "fix" the Iran deal; Trump walked away from the deal anyway.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/c8553592cda046238d9fa08273b102df|title='Defective at its core': How Trump opted to scrap Iran deal|agency=Associated Press|access-date=May 10, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Potential conflicts of interest ===
==== Israel and the Palestinian Authority ====
]}}</ref> that are operating in each country:{{legend|#FD9BA0|1-3}}{{legend|#E0161F|4-8}}{{legend|#A50F16|9-15}}{{legend|#710006|Over 15}}]]
{{see also|Israel–United States relations|Arab–Israeli conflict}}
], then the ], attended the opening of the ] AVM in 2012]]
], February 15, 2017]]
During the transition phase, Trump designated ], a strong supporter of ]s and a skeptic of the ], as his nominee for ].<ref name="jlederman1">{{cite news |last1=Lederman|first1=Josh|title=Trumps pick for ambassador to Israel sparks hot debate|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/trumps-pick-for-ambassador-to-israel-has-all-sides-on-edge/2016/12/26/817a8728-cb46-11e6-85cd-e66532e35a44_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 26, 2016|accessdate=December 29, 2016}}</ref>
Trump's presidency was marked by significant public concern about ] stemming from his diverse business ventures. In the lead up to his inauguration, Trump promised to remove himself from the day-to-day operations of his businesses.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trump-press-conference-transcript.html|title=Donald Trump's News Conference: Full Transcript and Video|date=January 11, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref> Trump placed his sons ] and ] at the head of his businesses claiming they would not communicate with him regarding his interests. However, critics noted that this would not prevent him from having input into his businesses and knowing how to benefit himself, and Trump continued to receive quarterly updates on his businesses.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/24/eric-trump-business-conflicts-of-interest|title=Eric Trump says he will keep father updated on business despite 'pact'|first=Alan|last=Yuhas|date=March 24, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref> As his presidency progressed, he failed to take steps or show interest in further distancing himself from his business interests resulting in numerous potential conflicts.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/08/donald-trump-conflicts-of-interests/508382/ |date=August 9, 2017 |title=Donald Trump's Conflicts of Interest: A Crib Sheet|first=Jeremy|last=Venook |work=] |access-date=April 30, 2017}}</ref> Ethics experts found Trump's plan to address conflicts of interest between his position as president and his private business interests to be entirely inadequate.<ref name="YourishBuchanan">{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Karen |last1=Yourish |first2=Larry |last2=Buchanan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/12/us/politics/ethics-experts-trumps-conflicts-of-interest.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=It 'Falls Short in Every Respect': Ethics Experts Pan Trump's Conflicts Plan |newspaper=] |date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> Unlike every other president in the last 40 years, Trump did not put his business interests in a ] or equivalent arrangement "to cleanly sever himself from his business interests".<ref name="YourishBuchanan" /> In January 2018, a year into his presidency, Trump owned stakes in hundreds of businesses.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump Ethics Monitor: Has The President Kept His Promises?|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/02/17/513724796/trump-ethics-monitor-has-the-president-kept-his-promises|newspaper=]|date=February 17, 2017|access-date=January 20, 2018|last1=Selyukh|first1=Alina|last2=Sullivan|first2=Emily|last3=Maffei|first3=Lucia}}</ref> ] noted how Trump properties, including Trump Tower, has been used for ] by ] around the world (though there is no evidence Trump knew that was going on) and that two-thirds of the sales in Trump-owned properties went to anonymous buyers in 2017, raising potential ] with a sitting president of the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Applebaum |first=Anne |date=August 30, 2024 |title=The kleptocrats aren't just stealing money. They're stealing democracy |url=https://www.ft.com/content/0876ef7a-bf88-463e-b8ca-bd9b4a11665c |work=Financial Times}}</ref>
On December 6, 2017, Trump recognized ] as the capital of Israel and promised to relocate the ] from ] to Jersusalem, a move considered too risky by his predecessors.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/07/politics/donald-trump-promises-kept/index.html|title=Donald Trump -- keeper of promises|author=Collinson, Stephen|website=CNN|date=December 7, 2017}}</ref> On May 14, 2018, the embassy was opened in Jerusalem; the move gave rise to clashes on the border of Gaza and Israel, leading to 58 deaths in what was the deadliest day since the ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/world/middleeast/gaza-israel-deadly-protest-scene.html|title=Waves of Gazans vs. Israeli Tear Gas and Bullets: Deadliest Mayhem in Years|date=May 14, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 15, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
After Trump took office, the ] ], represented by a number of constitutional scholars, sued him<ref name="Riback">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/23/why-trumps-business-conflicts-cant-and-wont-just-be-swept-aside-commentary.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Why Trump's business conflicts can't – and won't – just be swept aside|first=Chris|last=Riback|date=January 23, 2017|work=]}}</ref> for violations of the ] (a ] provision that bars the president or any other federal official from taking gifts or payments from foreign governments), because his hotels and other businesses accept payment from foreign governments.<ref name="Riback" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/liberal-watchdog-group-sues-trump-alleging-he-violated-constitutional-ban/2017/01/22/5e8b35c2-e113-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html |access-date=November 7, 2021|title=Liberal watchdog group sues Trump, alleging he violated constitutional ban|first1=David A.|last1=Fahrenthold|author1-link=David Fahrenthold|first2=Jonathan|last2=O'Connell|newspaper=]|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=David A.|last1=Fahrenthold|author1-link=David Fahrenthold|first2=Jonathan|last2=O'Connell|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-is-the-emoluments-clause-does-it-apply-to-president-trump/2017/01/23/12aa7808-e185-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=What is the 'Emoluments Clause'? Does it apply to President Trump?|newspaper=]|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> CREW separately filed a complaint with the ] (GSA) over ]; the 2013 lease that Trump and the GSA signed "explicitly forbids any elected government official from holding the lease or benefiting from it".<ref name="Horowitz">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Julia |last=Horowitz |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/20/news/trump-conflicts-inauguration/ |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=President Trump hit immediately with ethics complaint |work=] |date=January 20, 2017}}</ref> The GSA said it was "reviewing the situation".<ref name="Horowitz" /> By May 2017, the '']'' lawsuit had grown with additional plaintiffs and alleged violations of the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/us/politics/trump-crew-lawsuit-constitution.html |title=Watchdog Group Expands Lawsuit Against Trump |date=April 18, 2017|last=LaFraniere|first=Sharon |newspaper=]|access-date=June 11, 2017}}</ref> In June 2017, attorneys from the Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no right to sue<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/09/532302106/trump-administration-calls-for-lawsuit-about-his-businesses-to-be-dismissed|title=Trump Administration Calls For Lawsuit About His Businesses To Be Dismissed|first=Marilyn|last=Geewax|date=June 9, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2017|work=]}}</ref> and that the described conduct was not illegal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-emoluments-foreign-government-payments-2017-6 |title=Justice Department argues it's fine for Trump to take payments from foreign governments, citing George Washington |website=Business Insider |date=June 10, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2017 |first=Allan |last=Smith}}</ref> Also in June 2017, two more lawsuits were filed based on the ]: '']'',<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=LaFrainere|first=Sharon|title=Maryland and D.C. Sue Trump Over His Private Businesses|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/us/trump-lawsuit-private-businesses.html|access-date=June 12, 2017|newspaper=]|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Davis|first=Aaron C.|title=D.C. and Maryland sue President Trump, alleging breach of constitutional oath|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-and-maryland-to-sue-president-trump-alleging-breach-of-constitutional-oath/2017/06/11/0059e1f0-4f19-11e7-91eb-9611861a988f_story.html|access-date=June 12, 2017|newspaper=]|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref> and '']'', which was signed by more than one-third of the voting members of ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Bykowicz|first=Julie|title=Democrats in Congress are the latest to sue President Trump|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/06/13/democrats-congress-are-latest-sue-president-trump/1tG7Mqk5tO4kxjHDh94ABO/story.html|access-date=June 14, 2017|agency=]|newspaper=]|date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=June 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614054544/http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/06/13/democrats-congress-are-latest-sue-president-trump/1tG7Mqk5tO4kxjHDh94ABO/story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ] ] dismissed the CREW case on December 21, 2017, holding that plaintiffs lacked ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-alleging-trump-violated-constitution/2017/12/21/31011510-e697-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |first2=Jonathan |last2=O'Connell |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging Trump violated Constitution|newspaper=]|date=December 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/EmolumentsDismissal.pdf |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Trump |quote=17 Civ. 458 |publisher=S.D.N.Y. |date=December 21, 2017 |via=courthousenews.com}}</ref> ''D.C. and Maryland v. Trump'' cleared three judicial hurdles to proceed to the ] phase during 2018,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/us/trump-emoluments-lawsuit.html|title=Lawsuit Over Trump's Ties to His Businesses Is Allowed to Advance|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=March 28, 2018|newspaper=] |access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit.html|title=In Ruling Against Trump, Judge Defines Anticorruption Clauses in Constitution for First Time|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=July 25, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/us/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit-evidence.html|title=Judge Orders Evidence to Be Gathered in Emoluments Case Against Trump|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=November 2, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> with prosecutors issuing 38 subpoenas to Trump's businesses and cabinet departments in December before the ] issued a ] days later at the behest of the Justice Department, pending hearings in March 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-attorneys-general-subpoena-trump-irs-20181204-story.html|title=2 attorneys general issue subpoenas to Trump entities in Washington hotel case|first1=Jonathan |last1=O'Connell |first2=Ann E. |last2=Marimow |date=December 4, 2018 |first3=David A. |last3=Fahrenthold |newspaper=] |access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/us/politics/justice-department-trump-emoluments.html|title=Justice Department Asks Court to Halt Emoluments Case Against Trump|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=December 17, 2018|newspaper=]|access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-emoluments-idUSKCN1OJ30R |first=Jan |last=Wolfe |title=U.S. appeals court grants Trump request for halt to emoluments case|date=December 21, 2018|work=]|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> NBC News reported that by June 2019 representatives of 22 governments had spent money at Trump properties.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/reps-22-foreign-governments-have-spent-money-trump-properties-n1015806 |access-date=November 7, 2021 |date=June 12, 2019 |first1=Shelby |last1=Hanssen |first2=Ken |last2=Dilanian |title=Reps of 22 foreign governments have spent money at Trump properties|website=]}}</ref> In January 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuits as Trump was no longer president.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/25/politics/emoluments-supreme-court-donald-trump-case/index.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Supreme Court dismisses emoluments cases against Trump|first1=Ariane|last1=de Vogue|first2=Devan|last2=Cole |work=]|date=January 25, 2021}}</ref>
==== Yemen ====
{{See also|United States–Yemen relations|List of drone strikes in Yemen|Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen}}
], Riyadh, May 20, 2017]]
In 2015, a multi-sided ] commenced, and the Obama administration supported the government of ] and launched drone strikes against ], the branch of ] active in Yemen.<ref name="wjhennigan1">{{cite news |last1=Hennigan|first1=W. J.|title=Trump steps up airstrikes against Al Qaeda in Yemen; more ground raids could follow|url=http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-trump-yemen-20170304-story.html|accessdate=March 5, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 4, 2017}}</ref> On January 29, 2017, the U.S. military conducted the ] against AQAP leaders stationed in Yemen. After the raid resulted in several civilian casualties, the Yemeni government asked that the United States do a reassessment of the raid and asked that Yemen be more involved in future military operations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/world/middleeast/yemen-raid-american-military.html|title=Yemen Backtracks on Suspending U.S. Raids After Civilian Casualties|last=Schmitt|first=Eric|date=February 8, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref> A week-long bombing blitz by the United States in Yemen in March 2017 surpassed the annual bombing total for any year during Obama's presidency.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/09/trumps-ramped-up-bombing-in-yemen-signals-more-aggressive-use-of-military/|title=Trump's Ramped-Up Bombing in Yemen Signals More Aggressive Use of Military|work=Foreign Policy|access-date=March 10, 2017}}</ref>
=== Saudi Arabia ===
Trump administration voiced support for the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-weighs-deeper-involvement-in-yemen-war/2017/03/26/b81eecd8-0e49-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html |title=Trump administration weighs deeper involvement in Yemen war |date=March 26, 2017|work=]}}</ref> U.S. Secretary of Defense ] asked President Trump to remove restrictions on U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/26/pentagon-weighs-more-support-for-saudi-led-war-in-yemen/|title=Pentagon Weighs More Support for Saudi-led War in Yemen|date=March 26, 2017|work=]}}</ref>
{{See also|Saudi Arabia lobby in the United States}}
In March 2018, ''The New York Times'' reported that ] had turned Trump's major fundraiser ] "into an instrument of influence at the White House for the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates{{spaces}}... High on the agenda of the two men{{spaces}}... was pushing the White House to remove Secretary of State ]," a top defender of the ] in Donald Trump's administration, and "backing confrontational approaches to Iran and Qatar".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/politics/george-nader-elliott-broidy-uae-saudi-arabia-white-house-influence.html |first1=David D. |last1=Kirkpatrick |first2=Mark |last2=Mazzetti |author-link2=Mark Mazzetti |title=How 2 Gulf Monarchies Sought to Influence the White House |newspaper=] |date=March 21, 2018 |access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>
=== Trade ===
{{see also|Foreign trade of the United States|United States free-trade agreements|Economic policy of Donald Trump|Trump tariffs}}
]
=== Transparency, data availability, and record keeping ===
During the 2016 campaign, Trump called for a re-negotiation of ]s, including ], a free trade agreement among the United States, Canada, and ] that entered into force in 1994. Trump also strongly opposed the ] (TPP), a proposed free trade agreement among several nations that border the Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blake|first1=Paul|title=Trump and Trade: How the President-Elect Could Tear Up TPP and Nix NAFTA|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Business/trump-trade-president-elect-tear-tpp-nix-nafta/story?id=43467294|publisher=ABC News|date=November 11, 2016|accessdate=November 18, 2016}}</ref> Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the TPP.<ref name="diamondbash1" /> The Trump administration created the ] to advise the president regarding trade negotiations, and Trump named professor ] as the first Director of the ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mui|first1=Ylan|last2=Mufson|first2=Steven|title=Trump recruits controversial advisers to help shape administrationgs trade, regulatory strategy|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/21/trump-appointments-signal-he-might-stick-with-hard-line-stances-on-trade-regulations/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 21, 2016|accessdate=December 26, 2016}}</ref> In April 2017, Trump imposed a tariff on Canada's softwood lumber industry, following complaints from dairy farmers in Wisconsin about Canada's dairy pricing policy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dewey|first1=Caitlin|title=President Trump's sudden preoccupation with milk, explained|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-trump-canada-milk-softwood-tariff-20170425-story.html|newspaper=The Chicago Tribune|date=April 25, 2017|accessdate=August 18, 2017}}</ref>
''The Washington Post'' reported in May 2017, "a wide variety of information that until recently was provided to the public, limiting access, for instance, to disclosures about workplace violations, energy efficiency, and animal welfare abuses" had been removed or tucked away. The Obama administration had used the publication of enforcement actions taken by federal agencies against companies as a way to name and shame companies that engaged in unethical and illegal behaviors.<ref name="Eilperin-2017">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/under-trump-inconvenient-data-is-being-sidelined/2017/05/14/3ae22c28-3106-11e7-8674-437ddb6e813e_story.html |first=Juliet |last=Eilperin |date=May 14, 2017 |title=Under Trump, inconvenient data is being sidelined|newspaper=]|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref>
The Trump administration stopped the longstanding practice of logging visitors to the White House, making it difficult to tell who had visited the White House.<ref name="Eilperin-2017" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-on-taxes-and-visitor-logs-white-house-1492471167-htmlstory.html|title=On taxes and visitor logs, White House grapples with transparency questions|last=Memoli|first=Michael A.|date=April 17, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref> In July 2018, ] reported that the White House had suspended the practice of publishing public summaries of Trump's phone calls with world leaders, bringing an end to a common exercise from previous administrations.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Collins |first1=Kaitlan |title=Exclusive: White House stops announcing calls with foreign leaders |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/24/politics/foreign-leaders-call-white-house/index.html |website=CNN |date=July 24, 2018 |accessdate=July 25, 2018}}</ref>
The Trump administration announced a deal with China in May 2017 where China would increase imports of US beef, speed up its approvals of genetically modified products and allow foreign-owned financial groups to offer credit rating services in China while the United States would allow imports of cooked poultry meat from China, encourage exports of liquid natural gas to China, and tacitly endorse Beijing's geopolitical and economic “Silk Road” plan.<ref name=":12">{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/9a5ee6b8-36c0-11e7-bce4-9023f8c0fd2e|title=Subscribe to read|newspaper=Financial Times |access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref> The deal was seen as evidence of a de-escalatory approach to China, unlike the rhetoric of the Trump 2016 presidential campaign.<ref name=":12" /> The Trump administration described the deal as "gigantic" and "Herculean".<ref name=":13">{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/16a9b978-3766-11e7-bce4-9023f8c0fd2e|title=Subscribe to read |newspaper=Financial Times |access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref> However, according to ''Financial Times'', "Close watchers of the US-China relationship quickly raised questions about the deal, pointing out that most of Beijing's key promises had been made before or were in line with China's existing international commitments."<ref name=":12" /> ''Financial Times'' noted, "To some former US officials, Trump advisers, business executives and other close watchers of the US-China relationship, however, this was a poor deal in which Beijing had simply reheated old promises. They say it raises questions about the Trump administration's strategic wherewithal and the very negotiating muscle the president has so often touted."<ref name=":13" /> Other experts criticized the deal for giving away too many concessions to China than what the United States got in return.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/05/15/donald-trump-desperate-dealmaker/|title=Perspective {{!}} President Trump, desperate dealmaker|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/china-to-end-ban-on-u-s-beef-imports-2403867782.html|title=U.S. and China make 'initial commitments' on trade|date=May 12, 2017|publisher=Axios|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/05/11/trump-china-reach-preliminary-trade-agreements-on-beef-poultry/|title=Trump, China reach preliminary trade agreements on beef, poultry|publisher=The Washington Post Wonk blog|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2017/05/14/trumps-new-china-deal-may-increase-u-s-trade-deficit/ |title=Trump's New China Deal May Increase U.S. Trade Deficit|last=Chang|first=Gordon G.|work=Forbes|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref>
In January 2024, the ] and its pharmacy caught the media's attention when the ] issued an ] focused on prescription drug records and care between 2017 and 2019, describing improper recording of prescriptions, disposal of controlled substances, and verification of identities, among other problems. The pharmacy dispensed expensive brand-name products for free, and the Unit spent considerable amounts of money on healthcare for numerous ineligible White House staff members, employees, and contractors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/01/16/ineligible-white-house-staffers-got-free-care-military-hospitals-free-prescription-drugs-watchdog.html |title=Free Surgeries and Prescriptions: White House Staff Got Access to Military Health Care Despite Being Ineligible |last=Kime |first=Patricia |publication-date=January 16, 2024 |publisher=] |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/24/health/white-house-medical-unit-report/index.html |title=White House clinic handed out medications with little oversight during past administrations, new investigation shows |last=Goodman |first=Brenda |publication-date=January 24, 2024 |publisher=] |access-date=January 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-white-house-pharmacy-improperly-provided-drugs-misused-funds-pentagon-2024-01-28/ |title=Trump White House pharmacy improperly provided drugs and misused funds, Pentagon report says |last=Aboulenein |first=Ahmed |publication-date=January 28, 2024 |publisher=] |access-date=January 30, 2024}}</ref>
In March 2018 Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminum imports from most countries. At first he suggested Canada, Mexico, and the European Union could be exempt, but on June 1 he said the tariffs would apply to them also.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/31/news/economy/united-states-steel-aluminum-tariffs/index.html|title=Trump hits allies with metal tariffs; Mexico, EU and Canada vow to retaliate|last1=Diamond|first1=Jeremy|last2=Horowitz|first2=Julia|date=May 31, 2018|work=CNN|accessdate=17 June 2018}}</ref> The EU immediately announced retaliatory tariffs, and Canada and Mexico said they would do the same.<ref name="calls for end">{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Trump+at+G7%3A+US+president+calls+for+end+to+tariffs+and+trade+barriers%22&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS568US570&oq=%22Trump+at+G7%3A+US+president+calls+for+end+to+tariffs+and+trade+barriers%22&aqs=chrome..69i57.1335j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8|title=Trump at G7: US president calls for end to tariffs and trade barriers|date=June 9, 2018|work=BBC|accessdate=17 June 2018}}</ref> In the lead-up to the ] in Quebec, Trump surprised allies by suggesting that Russia should be readmitted to the group; Russian had been expelled in 2014 following its invasion of Crimea.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/world/2018/6/8/17441338/trump-russia-g7-summit|title=Trump wants Russia invited back into the G7|last=Aleem|first=Zeeshan|date=June 8, 2018|work=Vox|accessdate=17 June 2018}}</ref> Trump's posture at the G7 conference was contentious, with the possibility of a trade war looming in response to the steel and aluminum tariffs.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-g7-summit/trade-war-turns-canadas-g7-summit-into-six-plus-trump-idUSKCN1J01UE|title=Trade war turns Canada's G7 summit into six-plus-Trump|last=Ljunggren|first=David|date=June 4, 2018|work=Reuters|accessdate=17 June 2018}}</ref> In a press conference, Trump said his goal was the elimination of all tariffs between the member nations, and he threatened to end all trade with countries that do not dramatically reduce tariffs and other trade barriers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2018/06/09/donald-trump-threatens-stop-trade/|title=President Trump Threatens to Stop All Trade With Countries That Don't Drop Tariffs on U.S. Goods|last=Corbett|first=Erin|date=June 9, 2018|work=Fortune|accessdate=17 June 2018}}</ref> ], President of the ], voiced concern that Trump was undermining the rules-based international order.<ref name="FT Quebec G-7">{{cite news |last1=Jim Pickard and Sam Fleming |title=Trump stuns allies with call for tariff-free G7 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ba0aa2c4-6bf6-11e8-92d3-6c13e5c92914 |accessdate=9 June 2018 |publisher=Financial Times |date=9 June 2018}}</ref> At the end of the conference Trump refused to sign the joint communique, blaming his decision on negative comments made by Canadian prime minister ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/391516-trump-refuses-to-endorse-g7-communique|title=Trump refuses to endorse G-7 communique, threatens Canada with more tariffs|last=Sanchez|first=Luis|date=June 9, 2018|work=The Hill|accessdate=17 June 2018}}</ref>
Trump refused to follow the rules of the ], which requires presidents and their administrations to preserve all official documents and turn them over to the National Archives. Trump habitually tore up papers after reading them, and White House staffers were assigned to collect the scraps and tape them back together for the archives.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Karni |first1=Annie |title=Meet the guys who tape Trump's papers back together |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/10/trump-papers-filing-system-635164 |work=] |date=June 10, 2018 |accessdate=June 13, 2018}}</ref> He also took boxes of documents and other items with him when he left the White House; the National Archives later retrieved them.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/07/trump-records-mar-a-lago/|title=National Archives had to retrieve Trump White House records from Mar-a-Lago|newspaper=Washington Post|date=February 7, 2022|accessdate=February 8, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Amiri |first=Farnoush |date=April 12, 2022 |title=DOJ Denies Jan. 6 Panel Details In Trump Records Probe |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/doj-jan-6-panel-trump-records-probe_n_625609bde4b052d2bd5b76a5 |access-date=April 13, 2022 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> Some of the documents he took with him were discovered to be classified, including some at the "top secret" level.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/10/trump-records-classified/|title=Some Trump records taken to Mar-a-Lago clearly marked as classified, including documents at 'top secret' level|date=February 10, 2022|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=February 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Some records taken by Trump so sensitive they may not be described in public |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/25/trump-oversight-records/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 25, 2022|first1=Jacqueline|last1=Alemany|first2=Tom|last2=Hamburger}}</ref> Trump sometimes used his personal cellphone to converse with world leaders so that there would be no record of the conversation.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Choi |first1=David |title=Trump reportedly gave out his personal cell phone number to world leaders and US officials 'had no idea' he was making calls |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-personal-cellphone-call-canada-justin-trudeau-2018-7 |work=] |accessdate=July 7, 2018}}</ref> By May 2022, federal prosecutors had empaneled a grand jury to investigate possible mishandling of documents by Trump and other officials in his White House.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Prosecutors Pursue Inquiry Into Trump's Handling of Classified Material |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/us/politics/justice-department-trump-classified.html |work=The New York Times |date=May 12, 2022|first1=Maggie|last1=Haberman|first2=Michael S.|last2=Schmidt}}</ref>
== Ethics ==
{{see also|Lobbying in the United States}}
=== Hatch Act violations ===
During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised to "drain the swamp in Washington D.C.", and he proposed a series of ethics reforms.<ref name="bschrekinger11182016">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/trump-proposes-ethics-reform-229911|title=Trump proposes ethics reforms|date=October 17, 2016|newspaper=Politico|last1=Schrekinger|first1=Ben|accessdate=November 18, 2016}}</ref> However, according to federal records and interviews, there has been a dramatic increase in lobbying by corporations and hired interests during Trump's tenure, particularly through the office of the Vice-President Mike Pence.<ref name=wapopence>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-turns-vps-office-into-gateway-for-lobbyists-to-influence-the-trump-administration/2018/06/14/75675bfa-6424-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html|title=Pence turns VP’s office into gateway for lobbyists to influence the Trump administration|first1=Michael|last1=Scherer|first2=Josh|last2=Dawsey|first3=Anu|last3=Narayanswamy|date=June 15, 2018|publisher=|accessdate=June 22, 2018|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> About twice as many lobbying firms contacted Pence, compared to previous presidencies, among them representatives of major energy firms and drug companies.<ref name=wapopence/> In many cases, the lobbyists have charged their clients millions of dollars for access to the vice president, and then have turned around and donated the money to Pence's political causes.<ref name=wapopence/>
In the first three and a half years of Trump's term, the ], an independent federal government ethics agency, found 13 senior Trump administration officials in violation of the ], which restricts the government employees' (other than the president's and vice president's) involvement in politics; 11 of the complaints were filed by the activist group ] (CREW).<ref name="FloutNorms" /><ref name="Gomez" /> By comparison, CREW stated that it was aware of only two findings of ] violations during the eight years of the Obama administration.<ref name="FloutNorms" />
], head of the ], found in a report released in November 2021 that at least 13 administration officials demonstrated "willful disregard" for the Hatch Act, including "especially pernicious" behavior in the days before the 2020 election.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Rein |first1=Lisa |title=At least 13 Trump officials illegally campaigned while in office, federal investigation finds |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-violations-hatch-act/2021/11/09/b3d4c764-4108-11ec-a88e-2aa4632af69b_story.html |newspaper=] |date=November 9, 2021 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |url = https://osc.gov/Documents/Hatch%20Act/Reports/Investigation%20of%20Political%20Activities%20by%20Senior%20Trump%20Administration%20Officials%20During%20the%202020%20Presidential%20Election.pdf |title = Investigation of Political Activities by Senior Trump Administration Officials During the 2020 Presidential Election |work = ] |date = November 9, 2021 |access-date = November 10, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211109192325/https://osc.gov/Documents/Hatch%20Act/Reports/Investigation%20of%20Political%20Activities%20by%20Senior%20Trump%20Administration%20Officials%20During%20the%202020%20Presidential%20Election.pdf |archive-date = November 9, 2021 |url-status = live}}</ref>
Among his proposals was a five-year ban on serving as a lobbyist after working in the executive branch.<ref name="bschrekinger11182016" /> Trump's transition team also announced that registered lobbyists would be barred from serving in the Trump administration.<ref name="cho18november2016">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/11/16/trump-administration-will-ban-lobbyists-enact-five-year-lobbying-ban-after-leaving-government/|title=Trump administration will ban lobbyists, enact five-year lobbying ban after leaving government|date=November 16, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|last1=Ho|first1=Catherine|accessdate=November 18, 2016}}</ref> However, an Obama era ban on lobbyists taking administrative jobs was lifted<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gidda|first1=Mirren|title=Trump Transition Team Members Turn to Lobbying, Despite Six-month Ban|url=http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-lobbying-drain-swamp-transition-team-michael-flynn-594026|accessdate=May 20, 2017|work=Newsweek|date=May 3, 2017}}</ref> and at least nine transition officials became lobbyists within the first 100 days.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump transition staffers head to K Street despite lobbying ban|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/03/trump-lobbying-ban-transition-237850|accessdate=May 20, 2017}}</ref>
=== Security clearances ===
One of Trump's campaign promises was that he would not accept a presidential salary. In keeping with this pledge, Trump donated the entirety of his first two quarterly salaries as president to government agencies.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1341/take-no-salary/|title=Trump-O-Meter: Take no salary|publisher=]|accessdate=September 7, 2017}}</ref>
In March 2019, ], a White House employee working on security clearances, privately told the ] that at least 25 Trump administration officials had been granted security clearances over the objections of career staffers. Newbold also asserted that some of these officials had previously had their applications rejected for "disqualifying issues", only for those rejections to be overturned with inadequate explanation.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-panel-interviews-whistleblower-tricia-newbold-about-white-house-security-clearances/|title=Whistleblower says 25 people given White House clearance despite rejections|last=Kaplan|first=Rebecca|date=April 1, 2019|work=CBS News|access-date=April 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-whistleblower-says-she-felt-humiliated-after-retaliation-boss-n990171|title=White House whistleblower says she felt humiliated after retaliation from boss|last1=Strickler|first1=Laura|last2=Alexander|first2=Peter|last3=Schapiro|first3=Rich|date=April 2, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/us/politics/tricia-newbold-whistle-blower-white-house.html|title=White House Whistle-Blower Did the Unexpected: She Returned to Work|last=Rogers|first=Katie|date=April 1, 2019|work=]|access-date=April 3, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
After the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed former head of White House security clearances ] to give testimony, the administration instructed Kline not to comply with the subpoena, asserting that the subpoena "unconstitutionally encroaches on fundamental executive branch interests".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=White House instructs official to ignore Democratic subpoena over security clearances|newspaper=]|access-date=April 23, 2019|date=April 22, 2019|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/23/white-house-instructs-official-ignore-democratic-subpoena-over-security-clearances/|first=Tom|last=Hamburger|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423070501/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/04/23/white-house-instructs-official-ignore-democratic-subpoena-over-security-clearances/| archive-date=April 23, 2019| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=White House tells official not to comply with Democratic subpoena over security clearances|work=] Politics|access-date=April 23, 2019|date=April 22, 2019|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/22/politics/carl-kline-subpoena/index.html|first1=Manu|last1=Raju|first2=Sara|last2=Murray|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423032920/https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/22/politics/carl-kline-subpoena/index.html|archive-date=April 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Kline eventually gave closed-door testimony before the committee in May 2019, but House Democrats said he did not "provide specific details to their questions".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Caldwell|first=Leigh|title=House Democrats not satisfied with Kline answers on security clearances|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-democrats-not-satisfied-kline-answers-security-clearances-n1000911 |date=May 2, 2019 |work=]|access-date=May 2, 2019}}</ref>
=== Potential conflicts of interest===
Donald Trump's presidency has been marked by significant public concern about ] stemming from Trump's diverse business interests. In the lead up to his inauguration, Trump sought to address this concern by promising to remove himself from the day-to-day operations of his businesses.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trump-press-conference-transcript.html|title=Donald Trump's News Conference: Full Transcript and Video|date=January 11, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref> Trump placed his sons ] and ] at the head of this businesses claiming that they would not communicate with him regarding his interests. However critics noted that this would not prevent him from having input into his businesses and knowing how to benefit himself, and Trump continued to receive quarterly updates on his businesses.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/24/eric-trump-business-conflicts-of-interest|title=Eric Trump says he will keep father updated on business despite 'pact'|first=Alan|last=Yuhas|date=March 24, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref> As his presidency progressed, he failed to take steps or show interest in further distancing himself from his business interests resulting in numerous potential conflicts.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/donald-trump-conflicts-of-interests/508382/|title=Donald Trump's Conflicts of Interest: A Crib Sheet|first=Jeremy|last=Venook|work=The Atlantic |accessdate=April 30, 2017}}</ref>
=== Impeachment inquiry ===
Many ethics experts found Trump's plan to address conflicts of interest between his position as president and his private business interests to be entirely inadequate; ] and ], who served as the chief White House ethics lawyers for Barack Obama and ], respectively, stated that the plan "falls short in every respect".<ref name="YourishBuchanan">Karen Yourish & Larry Buchanan, , ''The New York Times'' (January 12, 2017).</ref> Unlike every other president in last 40 years, Trump did not put his business interests in a ] or equivalent arrangement "to cleanly sever himself from his business interests". Eisen stated that Trump's case is "an even more problematic situation because he's receiving foreign government payments and other benefits and things of value thats expressly prohibited by the Constitution of the United States" in the ].<ref name="YourishBuchanan" />
{{Main|Impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump|First impeachment of Donald Trump}}
In January 2018, a year into his presidency, a survey found that he "continues to own stakes in hundreds of businesses, both in this country and abroad."<ref>{{cite web|title=Trump Ethics Monitor: Has The President Kept His Promises?|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/02/17/513724796/trump-ethics-monitor-has-the-president-kept-his-promises|website=npr politics|accessdate=January 20, 2018}}</ref>
{{See also|Trump–Ukraine scandal}}
On August 12, 2019, an unnamed intelligence official privately filed a whistleblower complaint with ], the ] (ICIG), under the provisions of the ] (ICWPA).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Esteban|first1=Chiqui|last2=Rabinowitz|first2=Kate|last3=Meko|first3=Tim|last4=Uhrmacher|first4=Kevin|title=Who's who in the whistleblower complaint|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/27/whos-who-whistleblower-complaint/|access-date=October 1, 2019|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref> The whistleblower alleged that Trump had abused his office in soliciting foreign interference to improve his own electoral chances in 2020. The complaint reports that in a July 2019 call, Trump had asked Ukrainian president ] to investigate potential 2020 rival presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son ], as well as matters pertaining to whether Russian interference occurred in the 2016 U.S. election with regard to Democratic National Committee servers and the company Crowdstrike. Trump allegedly nominated his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr to work with Ukraine on these matters. Additionally, the whistleblower alleged that the White House attempted to "lock down" the call records in a cover-up, and that the call was part of a wider pressure campaign by Giuliani and the Trump administration to urge Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The whistleblower posits that the pressure campaign may have included Trump cancelling Vice President Mike Pence's May 2019 Ukraine trip, and Trump withholding financial aid from Ukraine in July 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Korte|first=Gregory|title=The Whistle-Blower Complaint Against Trump, Annotated|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-trump-ukraine-whistleblower-complaint-transcript/|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=]|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.apnews.com/cdd0d1da48e045c39c383d589ad919f6|title=6 takeaways from the whistleblower complaint, including Rudy Giuliani's central role|work=]|date=September 27, 2019|access-date=October 1, 2019|first1=Michael|last1=Balsamo|first2=Colleen|last2=Long}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/politics/whistleblower-complaint-released/index.html|title=Whistleblower says White House tried to cover up Trump's abuse of power |work=]|date=September 26, 2019|access-date=September 26, 2019|first1=Marshall|last1=Cohen|first2=Katelyn|last2=Polantz|first3=David|last3=Shortell}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Olorunnipa|first1=Toluse|last2=Parker|first2=Ashley|title=Pence seeks to dodge impeachment spotlight as his Ukrainian moves attract notice|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-seeks-to-dodge-impeachment-spotlight-as-his-ukrainian-moves-attract-notice/2019/09/26/d397bdea-e07a-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html|access-date=October 1, 2019|newspaper=]|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref>
Upon taking office, the ] ] sued Trump. In the pending case of '']'', the group, represented by a number of constitutional scholars,<ref name="Riback">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/23/why-trumps-business-conflicts-cant-and-wont-just-be-swept-aside-commentary.html|title=Why Trump’s business conflicts can't—and won't—just be swept aside|author=Chris Riback|date=January 23, 2017|publisher=CNBC}}</ref> alleges that Trump is in violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause (a ] provision that bars the president or any other federal official from taking gifts or payments from foreign governments), because his hotels and other businesses accept payment from foreign governments.<ref name="FahrentholdJan22">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/liberal-watchdog-group-sues-trump-alleging-he-violated-constitutional-ban/2017/01/22/5e8b35c2-e113-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html|title=Liberal watchdog group sues Trump, alleging he violated constitutional ban |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |authorlink=David Fahrenthold |first2=Jonathan |last2=O'Connell |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=] |author2=Jonathan O'Connell|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-is-the-emoluments-clause-does-it-apply-to-president-trump/2017/01/23/12aa7808-e185-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html|title=What is the 'Emoluments Clause'? Does it apply to President Trump?|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> CREW separately filed a complaint with the ] (GSA) over ]; the 2013 lease that Trump and the GSA signed "explicitly forbids any elected government official from holding the lease or benefiting from it".<ref name="Horowitz">Julia Horowitz, , CNN (January 20, 2017).</ref> The GSA said that it was "reviewing the situation".<ref name="Horowitz" />
Inspector General Atkinson found the whistleblower's complaint both urgent and credible, so he transmitted the complaint on August 26 to ], the acting ] (DNI). Under the law, Maguire was supposed to forward the complaint to the Senate and House Intelligence Committees within a week. Maguire refused, so Atkinson informed the congressional committees of the existence of the complaint, but not its content.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Kiely|first1=Eugene|last2=Roberston|first2=Lori|last3=Gore|first3=D'Angelo|title=The Whistleblower Complaint Timeline|url=https://www.factcheck.org/2019/09/the-whistleblower-complaint-timeline/|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=]|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref><ref name="wapotut">{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Bump|first1=Philip|last2=Blake|first2=Aaron|title=The full Trump-Ukraine timeline – as of now|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/24/full-trump-ukraine-timeline-now/|newspaper=]|access-date=October 1, 2019|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref> The general counsel for Maguire's office said that since the complaint was not about someone in the intelligence community, it was not an "urgent concern" and thus there was no need to pass it to Congress. Later testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on September 26, Maguire said he had consulted with the White House Counsel and the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, of which the latter office gave him the rationale to withhold the complaint.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Harris|first1=Shane|last2=Demirjian|first2=Karoun|last3=Nakashima|first3=Ellen|title=Acting intelligence chief Maguire defends his handling of whistleblower complaint in testimony before Congress|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/intelligence-chief-maguire-will-testify-to-congress-about-whistleblower-complaint/2019/09/25/ee98ae7c-dfb4-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html|access-date=October 1, 2019|newspaper=]|date=September 26, 2019}}</ref> Maguire also testified: "I think the whistleblower did the right thing. I think he followed the law every step of the way."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Knutson|first=Jacob|title=Acting DNI Joseph Maguire: Whistleblower "did the right thing"|url=https://www.axios.com/joseph-maguire-whistleblower-complaint-house-hearing-6434fe93-a19e-421a-8db5-8992ca5319ab.html|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=]|date=September 26, 2019}}</ref>
In February 2017, Trump senior advisor ], in an appearance from the White House briefing room to '']'', promoted the "wonderful" clothing line of ], saying: "I'm going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today, everybody. You can find it online." ] director ], in a letter to the ]'s office, wrote, "there is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of Conduct and that disciplinary action is warranted.... Therefore, I recommend that the White House investigate Ms. Conway's actions and consider taking disciplinary action against her."<ref name="Gold">Matea Gold, , ''The Washington Post'' (February 14, 2017).</ref> Under federal ethics regulations, federal employees are barred from using their public office to endorse products.<ref name="Gold" /> Conway's promotion of Ivanka Trump's product line was criticized by ] Chairman ], Republican of Utah (who said Conway's conduct was "absolutely wrong, wrong, wrong"), and the House Oversight Committee ] ] of Maryland (who said the conduct was "a textbook violation of federal ethics rules").<ref name="Gold" />
On September 22, Trump confirmed that he had discussed with Zelensky how "we don't want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Baker|first=Peter|title=Trump Acknowledges Discussing Biden in Call With Ukrainian Leader|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/22/us/politics/trump-ukraine-biden.html|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=]|date=September 23, 2019}}</ref> Trump also confirmed that he had indeed temporarily withheld military aid from Ukraine, offering contradicting reasons for his decision on September 23 and 24.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Forgey|first=Quint|title=Trump changes story on withholding Ukraine aid|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/24/donald-trump-ukraine-military-aid-1509070|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=]|date=September 24, 2019}}</ref>
Since 2006, before he became president, Trump repeatedly lost cases in Chinese courts seeking to ] his name, so as to brand it for construction services. Beginning in 2016, however, Trump's fortunes within the Chinese bureaucracy turned, and the Chinese Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, which had previously denied Trump's claim, granted it. In February 2017, the Associated Press reported, "Ethics lawyers from across the political spectrum say the trademarks present conflicts of interest for Trump and may violate the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars public servants from accepting anything of value from foreign governments unless explicitly approved by Congress."<ref>, Associated Press (February 14, 2017).</ref>
] and ] on November 21, 2019]]
By May 2017, the '']'' lawsuit had grown with additional plaintiffs and alleged violations of the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/18/lawsuit-against-trump-over-foreign-payments-expands.html|title=Lawsuit accusing Trump of violating the Constitution just expanded|date=April 18, 2017|agency=Reuters|dead-url=yes|archive-date=April 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421030442/http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/18/lawsuit-against-trump-over-foreign-payments-expands.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/us/politics/trump-crew-lawsuit-constitution.html|title=Watchdog Group Expands Lawsuit Against Trump|date=April 18, 2017|last1=LaFraniere|first1=Sharon|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=June 11, 2017}}</ref><ref name="CREW201705">{{cite press release|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|url=https://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/crew-v-trump-adds-new-plaintiff/|title=CREW v. Trump Adds New Plaintiff|publisher=Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington|date=May 10, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2017}}</ref> In June 2017, attorneys from the ] filed a pending motion to dismiss on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no right to sue<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/09/532302106/trump-administration-calls-for-lawsuit-about-his-businesses-to-be-dismissed|title=Trump Administration Calls For Lawsuit About His Businesses To Be Dismissed|first1=Marilyn|last1=Geewax|date=June 9, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2017|publisher=NPR}}</ref> and that the described conduct was not illegal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-emoluments-foreign-government-payments-2017-6|title=Justice Department argues it's fine for Trump to take payments from foreign governments, citing George Washington|publisher=Business Insider|date=June 10, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2017|first1=Allan|last1=Smith}}</ref> Also in June 2017, two more lawsuits, '']'' and '']'', were filed based on the ], by state and local governments,<ref name="nytimes-12jun2017">{{cite news |last1=LaFrainere|first1=Sharon|title=Maryland and D.C. Sue Trump Over His Private Businesses|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/us/trump-lawsuit-private-businesses.html|accessdate=June 12, 2017|newspaper=]|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref><ref name="wapo-12jun2017">{{cite news |last1=Davis|first1=Aaron C.|title=D.C. and Maryland sue President Trump, alleging breach of constitutional oath|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-and-maryland-to-sue-president-trump-alleging-breach-of-constitutional-oath/2017/06/11/0059e1f0-4f19-11e7-91eb-9611861a988f_story.html|accessdate=June 12, 2017|newspaper=]|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref><ref name="guardian-12jun2017">{{cite news |last1=Gambino|first1=Lauren|title='Unprecedented violations': states sue Trump for not separating business ties|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/12/trump-sued-maryland-washington-business-lawsuits|accessdate=June 12, 2017|newspaper=]|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref> and by more than one-third of the voting members of ],<ref name="globe-14jun2017">{{cite news |last1=Bykowicz|first1=Julie|title=Democrats in Congress are the latest to sue President Trump|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/06/13/democrats-congress-are-latest-sue-president-trump/1tG7Mqk5tO4kxjHDh94ABO/story.html|accessdate=June 14, 2017|agency=]|newspaper=]|date=June 14, 2017}}</ref> respectively.
On September 24, House Speaker ] announced the start of a formal ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||work=]|date=September 24, 2019|first=Nicholas|last=Fandos|author-link=Nicholas Fandos|title=Nancy Pelosi Announces Formal Impeachment Inquiry of Trump|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/us/politics/democrats-impeachment-trump.html |access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref> On September 25, the White House released a non-verbatim transcript of the call between Trump and Zelensky; while the members and staff of congressional intelligence committees were allowed to read the whistleblower complaint.<ref name="wapotut" /> On September 26, the White House declassified the whistleblower's complaint, so Schiff released the complaint to the public.<ref name="wapotut" /> The non-verbatim transcript corroborated the main allegations of the whistleblower's report about the Trump–Zelensky call.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Hope |last1=Yen |first2=Calvin |last2=Woodward |url=https://apnews.com/article/ap-fact-check-donald-trump-ca-state-wire-politics-impeachments-817c0c285bc9485d88608635e0fef3e3|title=AP Fact Check: Trump's flawed 'read the transcript' defense|date=November 11, 2019|website=]|access-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref> The non-verbatim transcript stated that after Zelensky discussed the possibility of buying American anti-tank missiles to defend Ukraine, Trump instead asked for a favor, suggesting an investigation of the company Crowdstrike, while later in the call he also called for an investigation of the Bidens and cooperation with Giuliani and Barr.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Bump|first=Philip|title=Trump wanted Russia's main geopolitical adversary to help undermine the Russian interference story|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/09/25/trump-wanted-russias-main-geopolitical-adversary-help-him-undermine-russian-interference-story/|access-date=October 1, 2019|newspaper=]|date=September 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Santucci|first1=John|last2=Mallin|first2=Alexander|last3=Thomas|first3=Pierre|last4=Faulders|first4=Katherine|title=Trump urged Ukraine to work with Barr and Giuliani to probe Biden: Call transcript|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-trump-call-ukraine-includes-talk-giuliani-barr/story?id=65848768|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=]|date=September 25, 2019}}</ref> On September 27, the White House confirmed the whistleblower's allegation that the Trump administration had stored the Trump–Zelensky transcript in a highly classified system.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Brown|first=Pamela|title=White House says lawyers directed moving Ukraine transcript to highly secure system|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/27/politics/donald-trump-ukraine-transcript-white-house/index.html|access-date=October 1, 2019|work=]|date=September 27, 2019}}</ref>
Following these revelations, members of congress largely divided along party lines, with Democrats generally in favor of impeachment proceedings and Republicans defending the president.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/23/politics/senate-republicans-ukraine-whistleblower-reaction/index.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |first1=Ted |last1=Barrett |first2=Manu |last2=Raju |first3=Lauren |last3=Fox |first4=Ellie |last4=Kaufman |first5=Clare |last5=Foran |title=Senate Republicans skip criticizing Trump over handling of whistleblower: 'It's a lot of hysteria over very little'|website=] |date=September 27, 2019}}</ref> Ukraine envoy ] resigned and three House committees issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to schedule depositions for Volker and four other State Department employees, and to compel the release of documents.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/27/trump-ukraine-kurt-volker-rudy-giuliani-007212|title=Ukraine envoy resigns amid scandal consuming Trump's presidency|work=]|date=September 27, 2019|access-date=September 28, 2019|first=Nahal|last=Toosi}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/463436-pompeo-subpoenaed-by-house-committees-over-ukraine-documents|title=Democrats subpoena Pompeo for Ukraine documents|work=]|date=September 27, 2019|access-date=September 28, 2019|first1=Rachel|last1=Frazin|first2=Scott|last2=Wong|first3=Mike|last3=Lillis}}</ref> Attention to the issue also led to further revelations by anonymous sources. These included the misuse of classification systems to hide records of conversations with Ukrainian, Russian, and Saudi Arabian leaders, and statements made to ] and ] in May 2017 expressing a lack of concern about Russian interference in U.S. elections.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/27/politics/white-house-restricted-trump-calls-putin-saudi/index.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |first1=Pamela |last1=Brown |first2=Jim |last2=Sciutto |first3=Kevin |last3=Liptak |title=White House restricted access to Trump's calls with Putin and Saudi crown prince|website=] |date=September 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-told-russian-officials-in-2017-he-wasnt-concerned-about-moscows-interference-in-us-election/2019/09/27/b20a8bc8-e159-11e9-b199-f638bf2c340f_story.html |first1=Shane |last1=Harris |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |first3=Ellen |last3=Nakashima |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Trump told Russian officials in 2017 he wasn't concerned about Moscow's interference in U.S. election|newspaper=]|date=September 26, 2019}}</ref>
===Saudi Arabia===
{{See also|Saudi Arabia lobby in the United States|2017 United States–Saudi Arabia arms deal}}
], New York City, 2017]]
The ] since spring 2017 is threatening over 17 million people.<ref>"". ''The Intercept''. March 22, 2017.</ref> After November 5, 2017, the famine in Yemen worsened because the Saudi Arabia, with the help of the United States, tightened the ].<ref>"". ''The Intercept''. November 20, 2017.</ref><ref>"". ''Al-Jazeera.'' April 18, 2018.</ref> In November 2017, Senator ] accused the U.S. government of complicity in the ] by the Saudi-led military coalition, saying: "Thousands and thousands inside Yemen today are dying. ... This horror is caused in part by our decision to facilitate a bombing campaign that is murdering children and to endorse a Saudi strategy inside Yemen that is deliberately using disease and starvation and the withdrawal of humanitarian support as a tactic."<ref>"". ''The Intercept.'' November 14, 2017.</ref>
=== Use of the Office of President ===
Special counsel ] is investigating a meeting between ] and an emissary for two ]. In August 2016, Trump Jr. had a meeting with envoy representing ]'s Crown Prince and ''de facto'' ruler ] and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince ], the ''de facto'' ruler of the ]. The envoy offered help to the Trump presidential campaign.<ref name="nytimes">"". ''The New York Times.'' May 19, 2018.</ref> The meeting included Lebanese-American businessman ], Joel Zamel, an ]i specialist in social media manipulation, and ] founder ].<ref>"". Reuters. May 19, 2018.</ref><ref name="nytimes"/> Donald Trump also registered eight new businesses in Saudi Arabia during the election campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/306990-trump-appeared-to-register-eight-companies-in-saudi-arabia|title=Trump registered eight companies in Saudi Arabia during campaign: report|last=Savransky|first=Rebecca|date=November 21, 2016|work=TheHill|language=en}}</ref>
Trump often sought to use the office of the presidency for his own interest. Under his leadership, the Justice Department, which is traditionally independent from the president, became highly partisan and acted in Trump's interest.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = If Trump Is Allowed to Turn the Justice Department Into a Political Weapon, No One Is Safe |access-date = November 7, 2021 |url = https://time.com/5783007/donald-trump-doj-resignations/ |magazine = ] |first = Joyce White |last = Vance |date = February 12, 2020 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201221160526/https://time.com/5783007/donald-trump-doj-resignations/ |archive-date = December 21, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Chong|first=Jane|title=The Justice Department Has Had to Twist Itself in Knots to Defend Trump on Emoluments|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/dojs-about-face-emoluments/612004/|work=]|date=May 26, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209183624/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/dojs-about-face-emoluments/612004/ |access-date=November 7, 2021 |archive-date=December 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Mazzetti|first1=Mark|last2=Benner|first2=Katie|title=Trump Pressed Australian Leader to Help Barr Investigate Mueller Inquiry's Origins|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/us/politics/trump-australia-barr-mueller.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |work=]|date=September 30, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107224640/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/us/politics/trump-australia-barr-mueller.html|archive-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Rohde|first=David|title=William Barr, Trump's Sword and Shield|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/william-barr-trumps-sword-and-shield|magazine=]|date=January 13, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219020714/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/william-barr-trumps-sword-and-shield |access-date=November 7, 2021 |archive-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>
''Bloomberg News'' reported in October 2019 that during a 2017 Oval Office meeting, Trump had asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to pressure the Justice Department to drop a criminal investigation of ], an Iranian-Turkish gold trader who was a client of Trump associate Rudy Giuliani. Tillerson reportedly refused.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Trump Urged Top Aide to Help Giuliani Client Facing DOJ Charges|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-09/trump-urged-top-aide-to-help-giuliani-client-facing-doj-charges|last1=Wadhams|first1=Nick|last2=Mohsin|first2=Saleha|last3=Baker|first3=Stephanie|last4=Jacobs|first4=Jennifer|publisher=Bloomberg News|date=October 9, 2019|access-date=December 18, 2019}}</ref>
Trump attempted to host the ] at his ], from which he could have made significant profits.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump Florida golf course to host next G7 summit|access-date=November 7, 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50087836 |work=]|date=October 17, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101000009/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50087836|archive-date=November 1, 2020}}</ref> Trump ] 274 times during his presidency. Government officials were charged as much as $650 per night to stay at Trump's properties.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Fahrenthold |first1=David A. |last2=Dawsey|first2=Josh|date=September 17, 2020|title=Trump's businesses charged Secret Service more than $1.1 million, including for rooms in club shuttered for pandemic |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-spending-bedminster/2020/09/17/9e11e1c2-f6a0-11ea-be57-d00bb9bc632d_story.html |url-status=live |newspaper=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109083253/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-service-spending-bedminster/2020/09/17/9e11e1c2-f6a0-11ea-be57-d00bb9bc632d_story.html|archive-date=January 9, 2021|access-date=January 10, 2021}}</ref>
In March 2018, ''The New York Times'' reported that ] turned Trump's major fundraiser ] "into an instrument of influence at the White House for the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates...High on the agenda of the two men...was pushing the White House to remove Secretary of State ]", a top defender of the ] in Donald Trump's administration, and "backing confrontational approaches to Iran and Qatar".<ref>"". ''The New York Times.'' March 21, 2018.</ref>
In the lead up to the 2020 election, Trump and ] ], a close ally of Trump, sought to hamper the ] by cutting funding and services, a move which would prevent postal votes from being counted during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Baker|first=Jean H.|title=Trump just admitted he's stalling pandemic relief to make it harder to vote|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-14/donald-trump-hampers-us-postal-service-2020-election-coronavirus/12554960 |access-date=August 14, 2020 |work=] |publisher=] |date=August 13, 2020|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030212920/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-14/donald-trump-hampers-us-postal-service-2020-election-coronavirus/12554960|archive-date=October 30, 2020}}</ref>
===Russia===
{{See also|Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections}}
]
American intelligence sources have stated with "high confidence" that the Russian government ] in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump,<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. government officially accuses Russia of hacking campaign to interfere with elections |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Ellen |last=Nakashima |date=October 7, 2016 |accessdate=January 25, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-government-officially-accuses-russia-of-hacking-campaign-to-influence-elections/2016/10/07/4e0b9654-8cbf-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html}}</ref> and that members of Trump's campaign were in contact with Russian government officials both before and after the presidential election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schmidt |first1=Michael S. |authorlink=Michael S. Schmidt |last2=Mazzetti |first2=Mark |author2link=Mark Mazzetti |last3=Apuzzo |first3=Matt |author3link=Matt Apuzzo |title=Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/politics/russia-intelligence-communications-trump.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 14, 2017}}</ref> In May 2017, the ] appointed ] as special counsel to ] "any links and/or coordination between Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/17/us/politics/document-Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.html |title=Rod Rosenstein's Letter Appointing Mueller Special Counsel |last1=Rosenstein |first1=Rod |authorlink=Rod Rosenstein |date=May 17, 2017 |website=The New York Times |dead-url=no |accessdate=May 18, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518015032/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/05/17/us/politics/document-Robert-Mueller-Special-Counsel-Russia.html |archivedate=May 18, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Because of the Russian interference and subsequent investigation, many members of Trump's administration have come under special scrutiny regarding past ties to Russia or actions during the campaign. Several of Trump's top advisers, including ] and ], who had official positions before Trump replaced them, have strong ties to Russia.<ref name="Black" /> Several others had meetings with Russians during the campaign which they did not initially disclose.<ref name=npr071117>{{cite web |title=Donald Trump Jr.'s Emails About Meeting With Russian Lawyer, Annotated |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/07/11/536670194/donald-trump-jr-s-emails-about-meeting-with-russian-lawyer-annotated |publisher=] |date=July 11, 2017 |accessdate=July 12, 2017}}</ref><ref name="KnewofOutreach">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-campaign-adviser-pleaded-guilty-to-lying-about-russian-contacts/2017/10/30/d525e712-bd7d-11e7-97d9-bdab5a0ab381_story.html |work= The Washington Post | accessdate= October 30, 2017 | date=October 30, 2017| title=Top campaign officials knew of Trump adviser’s outreach to Russia|first1= Rosalind S. |last1=Helderman |first2= Tom |last2=Hamburger}}</ref><ref name="aentous1">{{cite news |last1=Entous|first1=Adam|last2=Nakashima|first2=Ellen|last3=Miller|first3=Greg|title=Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/sessions-spoke-twice-with-russian-ambassador-during-trumps-presidential-campaign-justice-officials-say/2017/03/01/77205eda-feac-11e6-99b4-9e613afeb09f_story.html|accessdate=March 7, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 1, 2017}}</ref>
Trump fired, demoted, or withdrew nominations of numerous government officials in retaliation for actions that projected negatively on his public image or harmed his personal or political interests, including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=James Comey's Attacks on Trump May Hurt a Carefully Cultivated Image |access-date=November 7, 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-book.html |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last1=Davis |first2=Jonathan |last2=Martin |work=]|date=April 16, 2018}}</ref> Deputy FBI Director ], U.S. Attorney General ],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Benner|first2=Katie|last3=Shear|first3=Michael D.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/sessions-resigns.html|title=Jeff Sessions Is Forced Out as Attorney General as Trump Installs Loyalist|date=November 7, 2018|work=]|access-date=April 25, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and Director of National Intelligence ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||author=Editorial Board |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-is-trumps-vilest-act-of-retribution-yet/2020/04/06/c685cb0a-781f-11ea-b6ff-597f170df8f8_story.html|title=This is Trump's vilest act of retribution yet|date=April 7, 2020|newspaper=]|access-date=April 25, 2020}}</ref>
Trump himself hosted the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, in partnership with Russian-Azerbaijani billionaire ]. On many occasions since 1987, Trump and his children and other associates have traveled to Moscow to explore potential business opportunities, such as a failed attempt to build a Trump Tower Moscow. Between 1996 and 2008 Trump's company submitted at least eight trademark applications for potential real estate development deals in Russia. However, as of 2017 he has no known investments or businesses in Russia.<ref name="Meagan">{{cite news |last1=Twohey|first1=Megan|last2=Eder|first2=Steve|title=For Trump, Three Decades of Chasing Deals in Russia|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 16, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/us/politics/donald-trump-russia-business.html|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref><ref name="abcnews">{{cite news |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/russia-trump-political-conflict-zone/story?id=42263092|title=From Russia With Trump: A Political Conflict Zone|last1=Mosk|first1=Matthew|last2=Ross|first2=Brian |author2link=Brian Ross (journalist) |last3=Reevell|first3=Patrick|date=September 22, 2016|publisher=ABC news|accessdate=February 27, 2017}}</ref> Trump said in 2017, "I can tell you, speaking for myself, I own nothing in Russia. I have no loans in Russia. I don't have any deals in Russia."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN15V2PK|title=Trump dismisses Russia controversy as 'scam' by hostile media|date=February 16, 2017|last1=Holland|first1=Steve|last2=Rampton|first2=Roberta |publisher=Reuters|accessdate=February 23, 2017}}</ref> In 2008, his son Donald Trump Jr. said "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets" and "we see a lot of money pouring in from Russia".<ref name="Black">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/11/politics/trump-ties-with-russia/|title=These are Trump's ties to Russia|last1=Black|first1=Nelli|first2=Curt|last2=Devine|date=January 12, 2017|publisher=CNN|accessdate=February 27, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nesbit|first1=Jeff |authorlink=Jeffrey A. Nesbit |title=Donald Trump's Many, Many, Many, Many Ties to Russia|url=http://time.com/4433880/donald-trump-ties-to-russia/|work=Time|accessdate=February 28, 2017|ref=August 15, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Helderman|first1=Rosalind|title=Here's what we know about Donald Trump and his ties to Russia|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/heres-what-we-know-about-donald-trump-and-his-ties-to-russia/2016/07/29/1268b5ec-54e7-11e6-88eb-7dda4e2f2aec_story.html|date=July 29, 2016|accessdate=February 28, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>
In December 2020, shortly before Christmas and in his last month in office, Trump granted 26 people full pardons and commuted the sentences of three others convicted of federal crimes. Those who benefitted included his former campaign advisor Paul Manafort, advisor and personal friend Roger Stone and ], father of Trump's son-in-law and confidant Jared Kushner.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump pardons Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and Charles Kushner |work=] |date=December 24, 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55433522 |access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> In the final hours of his presidency, ] pardoned nearly 74 people, including rappers, financiers, and former members of congress. Those pardoned include his former senior adviser ], ]'s friend charged with cyberstalking, ]; a real estate lawyer, Albert Pirro; and rappers prosecuted on federal weapons offenses, ] and ]. Trump also pardoned his former fundraiser ], who worked for China, the ], and ] at the White House. Broidy also lobbied the US government to end the investigations in the ].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/20/donald-trump-pardons-steve-bannon-amid-last-acts-of-presidency-report |first1=Martin |last1=Pengelly |first2=Julian |last2=Borger |title=Donald Trump pardons Steve Bannon amid last acts of presidency|access-date=January 20, 2021|website=]|date=January 20, 2021}}</ref>
During his January 2017 confirmation hearings as the attorney general nominee before the Senate, then-Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) was asked by Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) if he had been "in contact with anyone connected to any part of the Russian government about the 2016 election, either before or after election day?" Sessions' single word response was "No", which raised questions about what appeared to be deliberate omission of two meetings he had in 2016 with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Sessions later amended his testimony saying he "never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign".<ref name="aentous1"/> He said that in March 2016, he had twice met with Russian ambassador ], and "stood by his earlier remarks as an honest and correct answer to a question".<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Sessions clarifies Russia testimony, insists he was honest|url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/06/sessions-clarifies-russia-testimony-insists-was-honest.html|accessdate=March 7, 2017|publisher=Fox News Channel |date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> Officials with the DOJ stated that when Sessions met with Kislyak, it was not as a Trump campaign surrogate, rather it was "in his capacity as a member of the armed services panel".<ref name="aentous1"/> Following his amended statement, Sessions recused himself from any investigation regarding connections between Trump and Russia.<ref name="ljarrett1">{{cite news |last1=Jarrett|first1=Laura|title=Sessions recusal: What's next?|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/02/politics/special-counsel-jeff-sessions-recusal/|accessdate=March 7, 2017|publisher=CNN|date=March 3, 2017}}</ref>
According to several reports, Trump's and his family's trips in the first month of his presidency cost U.S. taxpayers nearly as much as President Obama's travel expenses for an entire year. When Obama was president, Trump frequently criticized him for taking vacations which were paid for with public funds.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-costs-trips-security-taxpayer-barack-obama-month-year-a7586261.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |first=Peter |last=Walker |title=In a month, the Trump family has cost taxpayers almost as much as the Obamas did in a year|date=February 17, 2017|newspaper=]}}</ref> ''The Washington Post'' reported that Trump's atypically lavish lifestyle is far more expensive to the taxpayers than what was typical of previous presidents and could end up in the hundreds of millions of dollars over the whole of Trump's term.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-familys-elaborate-lifestyle-a-logistical-nightmare--at-taxpayer-expense/2017/02/16/763cce8e-f2ce-11e6-a9b0-ecee7ce475fc_story.html |first1=Drew |last1=Harwell |first2=Amy |last2=Brittain |first3=Jonathan |last3=O'Connell |date=February 16, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Trump family's elaborate lifestyle is a 'logistical nightmare' – at taxpayer expense|newspaper=]}}</ref>
In May 2017, ] discussed ] in an ] meeting with the Russian foreign minister ] and ambassador ], providing details that could expose the source of the information and the manner in which it was collected.<ref name="NYRosenberg">{{cite news |last1=Rosenberg|first1=Matthew|last2=Schmitt|first2=Eric|title=Trump Revealed Highly Classified Intelligence to Russia, in Break With Ally, Officials Say|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/trump-russia-classified-information-isis.html|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=May 15, 2017|date=May 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee|first1=Carol E.|last2=Harris|first2=Shane|title=Trump Shared Intelligence Secrets With Russians in Oval Office Meeting|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-denies-trump-gave-classified-information-to-russian-officials-1494890345|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author1=Dan Merica |author2=] |author3=] |title=Sources: Trump shared classified info with Russians|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/15/politics/trump-russia-classified-information/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=May 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://lawfareblog.com/bombshell-initial-thoughts-washington-posts-game-changing-story|title=Bombshell: Initial Thoughts on the Washington Post's Game-Changing Story|date=May 15, 2017|publisher=Lawfare}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/national-security-experts-consequence-of-trump-russia-classified-info-2017-5|title=National security experts: Trump's sharing classified info with Russia 'may breach his oath of office'|publisher=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Harriet Agerholm |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-russia-classified-information-breach-oath-of-office-us-president-national-security-a7737866.html|title=National security lawyers say there is now a 'clear legal basis' to impeach Trump|date=May 16, 2017|newspaper=The Independent }}</ref>
The intelligence was about an ] plot. A Middle Eastern ally provided the intelligence which had the highest level of classification and was not intended to be shared widely.<ref name="NYRosenberg" /> ''The New York Times'' reported that "Mr. Trump's disclosure does not appear to have been illegal - the president has the power to declassify almost anything. But sharing the information without the express permission of the ally who provided it was a major breach of espionage etiquette, and could jeopardize a crucial ] relationship".<ref name="NYRosenberg" /> The White House, through ] ], issued a limited denial, saying that the story "as reported" was not correct,<ref name="Goldsmith">], Susan Hennessey, Quinta Jurecic, Matthew Kahn, ], Elishe Julian Wittes, , ] (May 15, 2017).</ref> and stated that no "intelligence sources or methods" were discussed.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |last1=Mason|first1=Jeff|last2=Zengerle|first2=Patricia|title=Trump revealed intelligence secrets to Russians in Oval Office: officials|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKCN18B2MX|publisher=Reuters|date=May 16, 2017}}</ref> McMaster did not deny that information had been disclosed.<ref name="Goldsmith" /><ref>Aaron Blake, , ''The Washington Post'' (May 15, 2017).</ref> The following day Trump stated on Twitter that Russia is an important ally against terrorism and that he had an "absolute right" to share classified information with Russia.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/333550-trump-i-had-absolute-right-to-share-facts-with-russia|title=Trump: I have 'absolute right' to share facts with Russia|last=Savransky|first=Rebecca|date=May 16, 2017|newspaper=The Hill|access-date=May 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/16/trump-acknowledges-facts-shared-with-russian-envoys-during-white-house-meeting/|title=McMaster: Trump's sharing of sensitive intelligence with Russia was 'wholly appropriate'|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>
A June 2019 analysis by the ''Washington Post'' found that federal officials and GOP campaigns had spent at least $1.6{{spaces}}million at businesses owned by Trump during his presidency.<ref name="Fahrenthold-2019">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/when-trump-visits-his-clubs-government-agencies-and-republicans-pay-to-be-where-he-is/2019/06/20/a4c13c36-8ed0-11e9-adf3-f70f78c156e8_story.html |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |first2=Josh |last2=Dawsey |first3=Jonathan |last3=O'Connell |first4=Michelle Ye Hee |last4=Lee |date=June 20, 2019 |title=When Trump visits his clubs, government agencies and Republicans pay to be where he is|access-date=November 7, 2021 |newspaper=]}}</ref> This was an undercount, as most of the data on spending by government officials covered only the first few months of Trump's presidency.<ref name="Fahrenthold-2019" />
In October 2017, former Trump campaign advisor ] pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI regarding his contacts with Russian agents. During the campaign he had tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to set up meetings in Russia between Trump campaign representatives and Russian officials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/file/1007341/download|title=Plea Offer and Defendant's Acceptance|work=United States v. George Papadopoulos|date=October 5, 2017|publisher=United States Department of Justice}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/file/1007346/download|title=Statement of Facts of Guilt|work=United States v. George Papadopoulos|publisher=United States Department of Justice|date=October 5, 2017}}</ref> The guilty plea was part of a plea bargain whereby Papadopoulos cooperates with the Mueller investigation.<ref name=NYTGuilty>{{cite news |first1=Matt |last1=Apuzzo | first2= Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |authorlink1=Matt Apuzzo |authorlink2=Michael S. Schmidt |title=Trump Campaign Adviser Met With Russian to Discuss ‘Dirt’ on Clinton|work=The New York Times |date=October 30, 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/us/politics/george-papadopoulos-russia.html }}</ref>
== Elections during the first Trump presidency ==
In February 2018, when Special Counsel Mueller indicted more than a dozen Russians and three entities for interference in the 2016 election, Trump's response was to assert that the indictment was proof that his campaign did not collude with the Russians.<ref name=":64">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/us/politics/trump-russia.html|title=Trump’s Conspicuous Silence Leaves a Struggle Against Russia Without a Leader|last=Baker|first=Peter|date=February 17, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 18, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' noted that Trump "voiced no concern that a foreign power had been trying for nearly four years to upend American democracy, much less resolve to stop it from continuing to do so this year."<ref name=":64" /> A day after the indictment, Trump used the FBI's alleged failure to stop the ] to call for the end to investigations of Russian interference in the 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-blasts-fbi-over-parkland-shooting-says-too-much-time-n849121|title=Trump blasts FBI over school shooting, says "too much time" on Russia|work=NBC News|access-date=February 18, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
''The Washington Post'' reported in May 2017, "a wide variety of information that until recently was provided to the public, limiting access, for instance, to disclosures about workplace violations, energy efficiency, and animal welfare abuses" had been removed or tucked away. The Obama administration had used the publication of enforcement actions taken by federal agencies against companies as a way to name and shame companies that engaged in unethical and illegal behaviors.<ref name=":10">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/under-trump-inconvenient-data-is-being-sidelined/2017/05/14/3ae22c28-3106-11e7-8674-437ddb6e813e_story.html|title=Under Trump, inconvenient data is being sidelined|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref>
|-
! Congress
! Senate
! House
|-
! ]{{efn|name="Congress"|17 days of the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 – January 19, 2017) took place under President Obama, and 17 days of the 117th Congress (January 3, 2021 – January 19, 2021) took place during Trump's first presidency, with the Republicans also briefly have held a majority in the Senate until January 20, 2021.}}
| '''52'''
| '''241'''
|-
! ]
| '''53'''
| 200
|-
! ]{{efn|name="Congress"}}
| '''51'''{{efn|name=McConnell2021|The Congress began with 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats (including 2 independents who caucus with the Democrats) and 1 vacancy in the Senate. Georgia's class 2 seat was vacant from the start until Democrat ] was seated January 20, 2021. Georgia's class 3 Republican interim appointee ] served until Democrat ] was also seated on January 20, 2021. The Republicans also briefly have held a majority in the Senate until January 20, 2021.}}
| 211{{efn|name=Congress2|The Congress began with 211 Republicans, 222 Democrats and 2 vacancies in the House. ] seat was vacant due to the death of Republican member elect ] before the term started. ] seat was also vacant due to the disputed election until Republican ] would later be declared a winner and sworn in February 11, 2021.}}
|}
===2018 midterm elections===
The Trump administration stopped the Obama administration policy of logging visitors to the White House, making it difficult to tell who has visited the White House.<ref name=":10" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-on-taxes-and-visitor-logs-white-house-1492471167-htmlstory.html|title=On taxes and visitor logs, White House grapples with transparency questions|last=Memoli|first=Michael A.|date=April 17, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref> Nathan Cortez of the ]'s ], who studies the handling of public data, said that the Trump administration, unlike the Obama administration, was taking transparency "in the opposite direction".<ref name=":10" />
{{Main|2018 United States elections}}
In the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats had a ], winning control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Cillizza|first=Chris|date=November 10, 2018|title=2018 was a WAY better election for Democrats than most people seem to think|work=]|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/09/politics/2018-democrats-midterms/index.html|access-date=November 12, 2018}}</ref>
===Cost of trips===
According to several reports, Trump's and his family's trips in the first month of his presidency cost the US taxpayers nearly as much as former President Obama's travel expenses for an entire year. By mid-February, since his inauguration, the Trumps' trips have cost about $11.3 million, while Obama's average yearly expenses spent on travel was $12.1 million, according to the conservative group Judicial Watch{{Citation needed|date=April 2018}}. When Obama was president, Trump frequently criticized him for taking vacations which were paid for with public funds.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-costs-trips-security-taxpayer-barack-obama-month-year-a7586261.html|title=In a month, the Trump family has cost taxpayers almost as much as the Obamas did in a year|date=February 17, 2017 |newspaper=The Independent}}</ref> Former Secret Service employees have described the task of protecting the Trump family's business and private travels as a "logistical nightmare".<ref name="trump family travels">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-familys-elaborate-lifestyle-a-logistical-nightmare--at-taxpayer-expense/2017/02/16/763cce8e-f2ce-11e6-a9b0-ecee7ce475fc_story.html|title=Trump family's elaborate lifestyle is a 'logistical nightmare' — at taxpayer expense}}</ref>
''The Washington Post'' reported that Trump's atypically lavish lifestyle is far more expensive to the taxpayers than what was typical of former presidents and could end up in the hundreds of millions of dollars over the whole of Trump's term.<ref name="trump family travels"/>
{{Main|Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign|2020 United States presidential election}}
{{Further|2020 United States elections|2020 Republican Party presidential primaries|2020 Republican National Convention}}
Trump officially announced his ] for the ] in the ] on June 18, 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Donald Trump formally launches 2020 re-election bid|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48681573|last=Staff|work=] |date=June 19, 2019|access-date=August 10, 2020}}</ref> Trump did not face any significant rivals for the 2020 Republican nomination, with some state Republican parties cancelling the presidential primaries in the states.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/republicans-cancel-primaries-trump-challengers-1483126 |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Republicans to scrap primaries and caucuses as Trump challengers cry foul |date=September 6, 2019 |first=Alex |last=Isenstadt |work=]}}</ref> Trump's Democratic opponent in the general election was former vice president ] of Delaware. The election on November 3 was not called for either candidate for several days. On November 7, the Associated Press along with mainstream media called the race for Joe Biden.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/business/media/presidential-election-tv-networks-call.html|title=Tension, Then Some Tears, as TV News Narrates a Moment for History|last1=Koblin|first1=John|last2=Grynbaum|first2=Michael M.|last3=Hsu|first3=Tiffany|date=November 7, 2020|work=]|access-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref>
It was the first presidency since that of ] in 1932 in which a sitting president was defeated and his party lost its majorities in both chambers of Congress.<ref>Blake, Aaron (January 6, 2021). . '']''. Retrieved November 11, 2021.</ref>
==Approval ratings==
{{Main|Opinion polling on the Donald Trump administration}}
==== Lost reelection and transition period <span class="anchor" id="Lost re-election and transition period"></span> ====
{{See also|United States presidential approval rating}}
{{main|Presidential transition of Joe Biden|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election|Trump fake electors plot}}
] defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election]]
Trump refused to concede, and the administration did not begin cooperating with president-elect Biden's transition team until November 23.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-transition-agencies-biden/2020/11/09/ad9f2ba2-22b7-11eb-952e-0c475972cfc0_story.html|title=White House, escalating tensions, orders agencies to rebuff Biden transition team|last1=Rein|first1=Lisa|last2=Viser|first2=Matt|last3=Miller|first3=Greg|last4=Dawsey|first4=Josh|date=November 9, 2020|newspaper=]|access-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Holmes|first1=Kristen|last2=Herb|first2=Jeremy|date=November 23, 2020|title=First on CNN: Key government agency acknowledges Biden's win and begins formal transition|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/politics/transition-biden-gsa-begin/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123232709/https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/politics/transition-biden-gsa-begin/index.html|archive-date=November 23, 2020|access-date=November 24, 2020|website=]}}</ref> In late December 2020, Biden and his transition team criticized Trump administration political appointees for hampering the transition and failing to cooperate with the Biden transition team on national security areas, such as the Defense and State departments, as well as on the economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that many of the agencies that are critical to their security have incurred enormous damage and have been hollowed out{{snd}}in personnel, capacity and in morale.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Kaplan|first=Thomas|date=December 28, 2020|title=Biden Admonishes Trump Administration Over 'Obstruction'|work=]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/us/politics/biden-trump-transition.html|access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Forgey|first=Quint|date=December 30, 2020|title=Biden transition chief blasts 'obstruction' by political appointees at OMB, Pentagon|work=]|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/30/abraham-blasts-trump-omb-pentagon-452354|access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref> Throughout December and January, Trump continued to insist that he had won the election. He filed numerous lawsuits alleging election fraud, tried to ] and federal officials to ], and urged his supporters to rally on his behalf.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-01-06/trump-supporters-crowd-into-washington-to-protest-congress-certifying-bidens-victory|title=Trump Summoned Supporters to 'Wild' Protest, and Told Them to Fight. They Did|last1=Holland|first1=Steve|last2=Mason|first2=Jeff|last3=Landay|first3=Jonathan|date=January 6, 2021|agency=]|publisher=U.S. News|access-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref> Although most resulting lawsuits were either dismissed or ruled against by numerous courts,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Borter |first=Brad Brooks, Gabriella |date=2021-01-19 |title=Trump fraud claims open Republican rift in Texas and other red states |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-texas-republicans-insigh-idUSKBN29O1XV |access-date=2021-01-19 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Carney |first1=Jordain |last2=Chalfant |first2=Morgan |date=January 13, 2021 |title=Security concerns mount ahead of Biden inauguration |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/533938-security-concerns-mount-ahead-of-biden-inauguration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114194247/https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/533938-security-concerns-mount-ahead-of-biden-inauguration |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |website=The Hill}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Fandos |first1=Nicholas |last2=Shear |first2=Michael D. |date=2019-12-18 |title=Trump Impeached for Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress (Published 2019) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/us/politics/trump-impeached.html |access-date=2021-01-19 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Trump nonetheless ] with his ] team to ] (all of which had been won by Biden) which ] to be legitimate electoral certificates for President Trump and Vice President ].<ref name="Breuninger_6/22/2022">{{Cite web |last=Breuninger |first=Kevin |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Trump had a direct role in plan to install fake electors. Key takeaways from the fourth Jan. 6 hearing |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/22/jan-6-probe-takeaways-trump-had-a-direct-role-in-plan-to-install-fake-electors.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622151510/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/22/jan-6-probe-takeaways-trump-had-a-direct-role-in-plan-to-install-fake-electors.html |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |access-date=July 29, 2022 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump campaign officials, led by Rudy Giuliani, oversaw fake electors plot in 7 states|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/politics/trump-campaign-officials-rudy-giuliani-fake-electors/index.html|publisher=CNN|date=January 20, 2022|first1=Marshall|last1=Cohen|first2=Zachary|last2=Cohen|first3=Dan|last3=Merica}}</ref> After the submission of these documents, the Trump campaign intended that the ], either ] Pence or ] ], would claim to have the unilateral power to reject ] during the ]; the presiding officer would reject all electors from the several states in which the Trump campaign had submitted false documents, leaving 232 votes for Trump and 222 votes for Biden, thereby overturning the election results in favour of Trump.<ref name="NYT-20230808">{{cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Savage |first2=Charlie |last3=Broadwater |first3=Luke |date=August 8, 2023 |title=Previously Secret Memo Laid Out Strategy for Trump to Overturn Biden's Win - The House Jan. 6 committee's investigation did not uncover the memo, whose existence first came to light in last week's indictment. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/us/politics/trump-indictment-fake-electors-memo.html |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20230809142035/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/08/us/politics/trump-indictment-fake-electors-memo.html |archivedate=August 9, 2023 |accessdate=August 10, 2023 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chesebro |first=Kenneth |date=December 13, 2020 |title=Brief notes on 'President of the Senate' strategy |url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000189-db0d-d1b8-adff-fb4f5ae70000 |access-date=September 29, 2023 |website=Politico}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=John Eastman's second memo on 'January 6 scenario' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/john-eastman-s-second-memo-on-january-6-scenario/b3fd2b0a-f931-4e0c-8bac-c82f13c2dd6f/ |access-date=2024-07-03 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Memos Show Roots of Trump's Focus on Jan. 6 and Alternate Electors|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/us/politics/trump-jan-6-memos.html|work=The New York Times|date=February 2, 2022|first1=Alan|last1=Feuer|first2=Maggie|last2=Haberman|first3=Luke|last3=Broadwater}}</ref> The plans for January 6 failed to come to fruition after Pence refused to follow the campaign's proposals.<ref name="Showdown">{{Cite web |last1=Swan |first1=Betsy Woodruff |last2=Cheney |first2=Kyle |date=March 30, 2022 |title=Inside Pence-world's preparation for a Jan. 6 legal showdown |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/30/pence-jan-6-legal-showdown-00021864 |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Glantz, Aaron |last2=The Center for Investigative Reporting |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Read Pence's full letter saying he can't claim 'unilateral authority' to reject electoral votes |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-pences-full-letter-saying-he-cant-claim-unilateral-authority-to-reject-electoral-votes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106190245/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-pences-full-letter-saying-he-cant-claim-unilateral-authority-to-reject-electoral-votes |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |work=] |agency=]}}</ref>
==== Electoral vote count and U.S. Capitol attack ====
{{Main|2021 United States Electoral College vote count|January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
]
On January 6, 2021, rioters supporting Trump ] the ] in an effort to thwart a ] during which the ] vote was to be certified, affirming the election of former vice president ] as president and Senator ] as vice president.
During an initial rally earlier that morning, Trump encouraged his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/jan/06/georgia-election-latest-news-senate-ossoff-warnock-democrats-republicans-trump-biden|title=Schumer calls pro-Trump mob 'domestic terrorists' as Senate resumes election certification{{snd}}live|last1=McCarthy|first1=Tom|last2=Ho|first2=Vivian|last3=Greve|first3=Joan E.|date=January 7, 2021|newspaper=] |access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106230506/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/jan/06/georgia-election-latest-news-senate-ossoff-warnock-democrats-republicans-trump-biden|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Blake|first=Aaron|title=Analysis {{!}} 'Let's have trial by combat': How Trump and allies egged on the violent scenes Wednesday|newspaper=]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/06/lets-have-trial-by-combat-how-trump-allies-egged-violent-scenes-wednesday/ |date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107013645/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/06/lets-have-trial-by-combat-how-trump-allies-egged-violent-scenes-wednesday/|url-status=live}}</ref> Subsequently, pro-Trump attendees marched to the Capitol building, joined other protesters, and stormed the building.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||first1=Ted|last1=Barrett|first2=Manu|last2=Raju|first3=Peter|last3=Nickeas|title=Pro-Trump mob storms US Capitol as armed standoff takes place outside House chamber|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/06/politics/us-capitol-lockdown/index.html |date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 6, 2021|website=]|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106211203/https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/06/politics/us-capitol-lockdown/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Congress was in session at the time, conducting the ] and debating the results of the vote. As the protesters arrived, Capitol security evacuated the Senate and House of Representatives chambers and locked down several other buildings on the Capitol campus.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/buildings-in-us-capitol-complex-evacuated-amid-pro-trump-protests.html|title=U.S. Capitol secured hours after pro-Trump rioters invade Congress|first=Amanda Macias, Dan|last=Mangan|date=January 6, 2021|website=CNBC|access-date=January 7, 2021|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107030000/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/buildings-in-us-capitol-complex-evacuated-amid-pro-trump-protests.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that evening, after the Capitol was secured, Congress went back into session to discuss the Electoral College vote, finally affirming at 3:41{{spaces}}a.m. that Biden had won the election.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=King, Ledyard |last2=Groppe, Maureen |last3=Wu, Nicholas |last4=Jansen, Bart |last5=Subramanian, Courtney |last6=Garrison, Joey |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Pence confirms Biden as winner, officially ending electoral count after day of violence at Capitol |work=] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/06/congress-count-electoral-college-votes-biden-win/6556555002/ |url-status=live |access-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107100543/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/06/congress-count-electoral-college-votes-biden-win/6556555002/ |archive-date=January 7, 2021}}</ref>
Five casualties occurred during the event: one Capitol Police officer, and four stormers or protesters at the Capitol, including one rioter shot by police inside the building.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Safdar |first1=Khadeeja |last2=Ailworth |first2=Erin |last3=Seetharaman |first3=Deepa |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Police Identify Five Dead After Capitol Riot |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/police-identify-those-killed-in-capitol-riot-11610133560 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112023512/https://www.wsj.com/articles/police-identify-those-killed-in-capitol-riot-11610133560 |archive-date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> At least 138 police officers were injured.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Schmidt |first1=Michael S. |last2=Broadwater |first2=Luke |title=Officers' Injuries, Including Concussions, Show Scope of Violence at Capitol Riot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/us/politics/capitol-riot-police-officer-injuries.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/us/politics/capitol-riot-police-officer-injuries.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=February 12, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=February 12, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Three ]s were reported to have been found: one each on Capitol grounds, at the ] and ] offices.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Shallwani|first=Pervaiz|date=January 6, 2021|title=At least two real explosive devices in DC rendered safe by law enforcement|work=]|url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/congress-electoral-college-vote-count-2021/h_a8427f16f5c09d46e0dcff011e3d48c0|url-status=live|access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106224546/https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/congress-electoral-college-vote-count-2021/h_a8427f16f5c09d46e0dcff011e3d48c0}}</ref>
==== Aftermath ====
{{Main|Aftermath of the January 6 United States Capitol attack}}
Following the Capitol attack, several cabinet-level officials and White House staff resigned, citing the incident and Trump's behavior.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Chamlee|first=Virginia|title=All the Trump Administration Officials Who Have Resigned Following the Capitol Riot He Incited|url=https://people.com/politics/trump-administration-officials-resign-following-riot-capitol/ |access-date=January 7, 2021|work=PEOPLE.com|date=January 7, 2021}}</ref>
On January 7, the day after the Electoral College results were certified by Congress, Trump tweeted a video in which he stated, "A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Knowles|first=David|date=January 7, 2021|title=Trump finally admits defeat: 'A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20'|url=https://news.yahoo.com/trump-finally-admits-defeat-a-new-administration-will-be-inaugurated-on-january-20-011501284.html|access-date=January 8, 2021|website=]}}</ref> The ] subsequently told diplomats to affirm Biden's victory.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||access-date=November 7, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/state-department-social-media-biden/index.html|title=State Department tells diplomats to affirm Biden's victory after Capitol riot|first1=Kylie|last1=Atwood|first2=Jennifer|last2=Hansler|website=] |date=January 7, 2021}}</ref>
On January 12, the House voted in favor of requesting that the vice president remove Trump from office per the ]; hours earlier, Pence had indicated that he opposed such a measure.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Gambino|first=Lauren|date=January 13, 2021|title=Stage set for impeachment after Pence dismisses House call to invoke 25th amendment|work=]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/12/house-vote-resolution-pence-invoke-25th-amendment-remove-trump|access-date=January 13, 2021|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The next day, the House voted 232–197 to ] on a charge of "incitement of insurrection". Ten Republican representatives joined all Democratic representatives in voting to impeach Trump. Trump is the first and only president to be impeached twice.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Wagner|first1=Meg|last2=Macaya|first2=Melissa|last3=Hayes|first3=Mike|display-authors=etal|date=January 13, 2021|title=House votes on Trump impeachment|url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/house-trump-impeachment-vote-01-13-21/|access-date=January 13, 2021|website=]}}</ref> On February 13, the Senate voted 57–43 to ] on a charge of inciting insurrection, ten votes short of the required two-thirds majority, and he was acquitted. Seven Republican senators joined all Democratic and independent senators in voting to convict Trump.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Fandos|first1=Nicholas|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/us/politics/trump-impeachment.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/us/politics/trump-impeachment.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2021 |newspaper=] |date=February 13, 2021|title=Trump Acquitted of Inciting Insurrection, Even as Bipartisan Majority Votes 'Guilty'}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-56054136|title=Donald Trump impeachment trial: Ex-president acquitted of inciting insurrection|website=] |access-date=February 14, 2021|archive-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214225754/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-us-canada-56054136|url-status=live}}</ref>
]
Trump gave a ] the day prior to the ]. In it he stressed his economic and foreign policy record, and said the country can never tolerate "]".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/19/trump-stresses-economy-foreign-policy-farewell-address-nation/4217614001/|title=Farewell address: Trump stresses record, condemns Capitol riot, does not name Biden|last1=Jackson|first1=David|last2=Collins|first2=Michael|date=January 19, 2021|work=]|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref> Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration, becoming the first departing president in 152 years to refuse to attend his elected successor's inauguration,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/presidents-who-skipped-inaugurations.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/presidents-who-skipped-inaugurations.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Trump Is Not the First President to Snub an Inauguration|newspaper=]|date=January 20, 2021|first=Jacey|last=Fortin}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Joey|last=Garrison|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/08/trump-first-outgoing-president-skip-inauguration-152-years/6596286002/ |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=A president hasn't refused to attend the inauguration of his successor in 152 years. Donald Trump will change that|newspaper=]|date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> but he did honor another tradition by leaving Biden a letter on the ] in the White House.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||access-date=November 7, 2021 |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-farewell-address-nation/ |date=January 19, 2021 |title=Remarks by President Trump In Farewell Address to the Nation |website=trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Jackson|first1=David|last2=Fritze|first2=John|date=January 20, 2021|title=Donald Trump leaves letter for Joe Biden ahead of inauguration|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/20/donald-trump-leaves-letter-joe-biden-inauguration-day/4228139001/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120152944/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/20/donald-trump-leaves-letter-joe-biden-inauguration-day/4228139001/|archive-date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 20, 2021|website=]}}</ref>
== Historical evaluations and public opinion ==
=== Historical evaluations ===
{{Main|Historical rankings of presidents of the United States#2018–present|}}
In the 2018 presidential rankings by the Siena College Research Institute, Trump ranked as the third-worst president in history.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Cummings |first1=William |title=Survey of scholars places Trump as third worst president of all time |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/02/13/siena-presidential-ranking-survey/2857075002/ |access-date=October 19, 2021 |work=] |date=February 13, 2019}}</ref> ]'s 2021 President Historians Survey ranked Trump as the fourth-worst president overall and the worst in the leadership characteristics of Moral Authority and ]. Trump's best rated leadership characteristic was Public Persuasion, where he ranked 32nd out of the 44 presidents.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Choi |first1=Joseph |title= Trump ranked fourth from worst in C-SPAN's 2021 presidential rankings |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/560926-trump-ranked-fourth-from-worst-in-c-spans-2021-presidential-rankings |access-date=July 1, 2021 |work=] |date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> Trump ranked last in both the 2018 and 2024 surveys of the ] Presidents and Executive Politics section, with self-identified Republican historians ranking Trump in their bottom five presidents.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chappell |first=Bill |date=February 19, 2024 |title=In historians' Presidents Day survey, Biden vs. Trump is not a close call |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/02/19/1232447088/historians-presidents-survey-trump-last-biden-14th |work=NPR}}</ref>
=== Opinion polling ===
{{Main article|Opinion polling on the first Donald Trump administration|United States presidential approval rating}}
At the time of the ], polls by ] found Trump had a favorable rating around 35% and an unfavorable rating around 60%, while Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton held a favorable rating of 40% and an unfavorable rating of 57%.<ref name="gallup1">{{cite web |title=Presidential Election 2016: Key Indicators|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/189299/presidential-election-2016-key-indicators.aspx|publisher=Gallup|accessdate=November 15, 2016}}</ref> 2016 was the first election cycle in modern presidential polling in which both major-party candidates were viewed so unfavorably.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/03/us/elections/trump-and-clinton-favorability.html|title=Clinton and Trump Have Terrible Approval Ratings. Does It Matter?|date=June 3, 2016|website=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-distaste-for-both-trump-and-clinton-is-record-breaking/|title=Americans' Distaste For Both Trump And Clinton Is Record-Breaking|date=May 5, 2016|publisher=FiveThirtyEight}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Aaron Blake|date=August 31, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/31/a-record-number-of-americans-now-dislike-hillary-clinton/|title=A record number of Americans now dislike Hillary Clinton|publisher=The Washington Post The Fix blog}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_US_082916/|title=Clinton Holds Lead Amid Record High Dislike of Both Nominees|publisher=Monmouth University}}</ref> By January 20, 2017, ], Trump's approval rating average was 42%, the lowest rating average for an incoming president in the history of modern polling.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/us/politics/donald-trump-obama-approval-rating.html|title=Trump Entering White House Unbent and Unpopular|last=Baker|first=Peter|authorlink=Peter Baker (author)|date=January 17, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 20, 2017}}</ref> After one week in office, ] gave Trump a polling average of 44 percent approval and 45 percent disapproval.<ref name="shepardoneweek">{{cite news|last1=Shepard|first1=Steven|title=5 numbers that mattered this week|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/5-political-numbers-to-watch/2017/01/5-numbers-trump-approval-ratings-234289|accessdate=January 31, 2017|publisher=Politico|date=January 29, 2017}}</ref>
At the time of the 2016 election, polls by ] found Trump had a favorable rating around 35 percent and an unfavorable rating around 60 percent, while Clinton held a favorable rating of 40 percent and an unfavorable rating of 57 percent.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Presidential Election 2016: Key Indicators|date=March 6, 2016|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/189299/presidential-election-2016-key-indicators.aspx |work=Gallup|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref> 2016 was the first election cycle in modern presidential polling in which both major-party candidates were viewed so unfavorably.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/03/us/elections/trump-and-clinton-favorability.html |first=Karen |last=Yourish |title=Clinton and Trump Have Terrible Approval Ratings. Does It Matter? |access-date=November 13, 2021 |date=June 3, 2016|website=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-distaste-for-both-trump-and-clinton-is-record-breaking/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |first=Harry |last=Enten |title=Americans' Distaste For Both Trump And Clinton Is Record-Breaking|date=May 5, 2016|work=FiveThirtyEight}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Aaron|last=Blake|date=August 31, 2016|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/31/a-record-number-of-americans-now-dislike-hillary-clinton/ |access-date=November 13, 2021 |title=A record number of Americans now dislike Hillary Clinton |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_US_082916/ |date=August 29, 2016 |title=Clinton Holds Lead Amid Record High Dislike of Both Nominees |access-date=November 7, 2021 |work=Monmouth University}}</ref> By January 20, 2017, ], Trump's approval rating average was 42 percent, the lowest rating average for an incoming president in the history of modern polling;<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/us/politics/donald-trump-obama-approval-rating.html|title=Trump Entering White House Unbent and Unpopular|last=Baker|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Baker (author)|date=January 17, 2017|newspaper=]|access-date=January 20, 2017}}</ref> during his term it was an "incredibly stable (and also historically low)" 36 percent to 40 percent.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html |title=President Trump Job Approval |work=]|access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/21/politics/family-separation-midterms-analysis/index.html |access-date=November 8, 2021 |title=Separated immigrant children move people's hearts, but will it move their votes?|last=Enten|first=Harry|date=June 21, 2018|website=]}}</ref> According to Gallup, Trump's approval rating peaked at 49 percent in several polls in early 2020; this makes him the only president to never reach a 50 percent approval rating in the Gallup poll dating to 1938.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||first=Jeffrey M.|last=Jones|title=Last Trump Job Approval 34%; Average Is Record-Low 41%|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/328637/last-trump-job-approval-average-record-low.aspx|work=]|date=January 18, 2021|access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Commons category|Presidency of Donald Trump}}
=== Democratic backsliding ===
{{Misplaced Pages books
{{Main article|Democratic backsliding in the United States#Indicators}}
|1=Presidency of Donald Trump
Since the beginning of Trump's presidency, ratings of how well U.S. democracy is functioning has dropped significantly according to the 2018 ] Annual Democracy Report, which cites "a significant ] ]]{{spaces}}... attributable to weakening constraints on the executive."<ref name="Varieties of Democracy Project VDEM-2018">{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/3f/19/3f19efc9-e25f-4356-b159-b5c0ec894115/v-dem_democracy_report_2018.pdf|title=Democracy for All? V-Dem Annual Democracy Report 2018|date=May 28, 2018|website=Varieties of Democracy Project (V-DEM)|pages=5–6, 16, 19–22, 27–32, 36, 46, 48, 54, and 56|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-date=January 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117202642/https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/3f/19/3f19efc9-e25f-4356-b159-b5c0ec894115/v-dem_democracy_report_2018.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> ] also attributed a 2019 decrease in its US rankings to Trump, as did ] in downgrading the United States in its ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morello |first=Carol |date=2019-02-05 |title=Freedom House downgrades U.S. on its freedom index, rebukes Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/freedom-house-downgrades-us-on-its-freedom-index-rebukes-trump/2019/02/04/9637a27c-2648-11e9-ad53-824486280311_story.html |access-date=2024-06-18 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> ] labeled the US a "backsliding democracy" after evaluating 2020 and 2021 events, noting ] as a historic turning point and the ] as raising alarm bells.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sundaresan |first1=Mano |last2=Isackson |first2=Amy |date=December 1, 2021 |title=Democracy is declining in the U.S. but it's not all bad news, a report finds |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/12/01/1059896434/united-states-backsliding-democracy-donald-trump-january-6-capitol-attack |work=NPR}}</ref>
* {{section link|List of United States presidential vetoes|Donald Trump}}
* ], Trump's 2016 campaign slogan
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* '']'' (a controversial book by ] which details the first year of the Trump presidency)
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==Notes==
== References ==
'''Footnotes'''
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'''Citations'''
==References==
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== Further reading ==
{{Trump presidency|state=expanded}}
* Albrecht, Don E. "Donald Trump and changing rural/urban voting patterns." ''Journal of Rural Studies'' 91 (2022): 148–156.
* Zelizer, Julian E. ed. ''The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment'' (2022)
* Locatelli, Andrea, and Andrea Carati. "Trump's Legacy and the Liberal International Order: Why Trump Failed to Institutionalise an Anti-global Agenda." '' International Spectator'' (2022): 1–17.
* Löfflmann, Georg. "'Enemies of the people': Donald Trump and the security imaginary of America First." ''British Journal of Politics and International Relations'' 24.3 (2022): 543–560.
* Alexandre, Ilo, Joseph Jai-sung Yoo, and Dhiraj Murthy. "Make Tweets Great Again: Who Are Opinion Leaders, and What Did They Tweet About Donald Trump?." ''Social Science Computer Review'' 40.6 (2022): 1456–1477.
* Baker, Joseph O., and Christopher D. Bader. "Xenophobia, Partisanship, and Support for Donald Trump and the Republican Party." ''Race and Social Problems'' 14.1 (2022): 69–83.
* Pfiffner, James P. "President Trump and the Shallow State: Disloyalty at the Highest Levels." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 52.3 (2022): 573–595.
* Baker, Peter, and Susan Glasser. ''The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017–2021'' (2022)
* Phipps, E. Brooke, and Fielding Montgomery. "'Only YOU Can Prevent This Nightmare, America': Nancy Pelosi As the Monstrous-Feminine in Donald Trump's YouTube Attacks." ''Women's Studies in Communication'' 45.3 (2022): 316–337.
* Ruisch, Benjamin C., and Melissa J. Ferguson. "Changes in Americans' prejudices during the presidency of Donald Trump." ''Nature Human Behaviour'' 6.5 (2022): 656–665.
* Dubinsky, Yoav. "Sports, Brand America and US public diplomacy during the presidency of Donald Trump." in ''Place Branding and Public Diplomacy'' (2021) pp: 1–14.
* Pfiffner, James P. "Donald Trump and the Norms of the Presidency." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 51.1 (2021): 96–124.
* Holzer, Harold. ''The Presidents vs. the Press: The Endless Battle Between the White House and the Media – from the Founding Fathers to Fake News'' (Dutton, 2020) pp. 402–443.
* Mercieca, Jennifer. ''Demagogue for president: The rhetorical genius of Donald Trump'' (Texas A&M University Press, 2020).
* Barrett-Fox, Rebecca. "A King Cyrus president: How Donald Trump's presidency reasserts conservative Christians' right to hegemony." ''Humanity & Society'' 42.4 (2018): 502–522.
* Jacobs, Nicholas; Milkis, Sidney. ''Subverting the Republic: Donald J. Trump and the Perils of Presidentialism''. (University Press of Kansas, 2025)
===Historiography, memory and teaching===
* Conway III, Lucian G., and Alivia Zubrod. "Are US Presidents becoming less rhetorically complex? Evaluating the integrative complexity of Joe Biden and Donald Trump in historical context." ''Journal of Language and Social Psychology'' 41.5 (2022): 613–625.
* Fischer, Fritz. "Teaching Trump in the History Classroom." ''Journal of American History'' 108.4 (2022): 772–778; in college courses
* Karpman, Hannah E., and Rory Crath. "Teaching Note – Teaching Trumpism." ''Journal of Social Work Education'' (2022): 1–8.
* Bauer, A. J. "The alternative historiography of the Alt-Right: Conservative historical subjectivity from the tea party to Trump." in ''Far-right revisionism and the end of history'' (Routledge, 2020) pp. 120–137.
* {{cite book |last = Lozada |first = Carlos |date = 2020 |title = What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era |location = New York |publisher = Simon & Schuster |isbn = 978-1-982145-62-0 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Nl4BEAAAQBAJ }} Pulitzer Prize winning critic evaluates 150 recent books on Trump Administration.
==External links==
{{Commons category|First presidency of Donald Trump}}
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First presidency of Donald Trump January 20, 2017 – January 20, 2021
Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation (2017–2019) concluded that Russia interfered to favor Trump's candidacy and that while the prevailing evidence "did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government", possible obstructions of justice occurred during the course of that investigation. Trump attempted to pressure Ukraine to announce investigations into his political rival Joe Biden, triggering his first impeachment by the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019, but he was acquitted by the Senate on February 5, 2020. Trump reacted slowly to the COVID-19 pandemic, ignored or contradicted many recommendations from health officials in his messaging, and promoted misinformation about unproven treatments and the availability of testing.
With Democratic president Barack Obama term-limited, the Democrats nominated former secretary of state Hillary Clinton of New York for president and Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia for vice president.
Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, succeeding Barack Obama as president. He was sworn in by Chief JusticeJohn Roberts. In his seventeen-minute inaugural address, Trump painted a dark picture of contemporary America, pledging to end "American carnage" caused by urban crime and saying America's "wealth, strength, and confidence has dissipated" by jobs lost overseas. He declared his strategy would be "America First." The largest single-day protest in U.S. history, the Women's March, took place the day after his inauguration and was driven by opposition to Trump and his policies and views.
The Trump administration was characterized by record turnover, particularly among White House staff. By early 2018, 43% of senior White House positions had turned over. The administration had a higher turnover rate in the first two and a half years than the five previous presidents did over their entire terms.
By October 2019, one in 14 of Trump's political appointees were former lobbyists; less than three years into his presidency, Trump had appointed more than four times as many lobbyists than his predecessor Barack Obama did over the course of his first six years in office.
Days after the presidential election, Trump selected RNC Chairman Reince Priebus as his chief of staff. Trump chose Sessions for the position of attorney general.
In July 2017, John F. Kelly, who had served as secretary of Homeland Security, replaced Priebus as chief of staff. In September 2017, Tom Price resigned as Secretary of HHS amid criticism over his use of private charter jets for personal travel. Kirstjen Nielsen succeeded Kelly as secretary in December 2017. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was fired via a tweet in March 2018; Trump appointed Mike Pompeo to replace Tillerson and Gina Haspel to succeed Pompeo as the director of the CIA. In the wake of a series of scandals, Scott Pruitt resigned as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in July 2018. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis informed Trump of his resignation following Trump's abrupt December 19, 2018, announcement that the remaining 2,000 American troops in Syria would be withdrawn, against the recommendations of his military and civilian advisors.
Trump fired numerous inspectors general of agencies, including those who were probing the Trump administration and close Trump associates. In 2020, he fired five inspectors general in two months. The Washington Post wrote, "For the first time since the system was created in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, inspectors general find themselves under systematic attack from the president, putting independent oversight of federal spending and operations at risk."
Trump dismissed FBI DirectorJames Comey on May 9, 2017, saying he had accepted the recommendations of Attorney General Sessions and Deputy Attorney GeneralRod Rosenstein to dismiss Comey. Sessions's recommendation was based on Rosenstein's, while Rosenstein wrote that Comey should be dismissed for his handling of the conclusion of the FBI investigation into the Hillary Clinton email controversy. On May 10, Trump met Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Based on White House notes of the meeting, Trump told the Russians, "I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job ... I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off." On May 11, Trump said in a videoed interview, "... regardless of recommendation, I was going to fire Comey ... in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story." On May 18, Rosenstein told members of the U.S. Senate that he recommended Comey's dismissal while knowing Trump had already decided to fire Comey. In the aftermath of Comey's firing, the events were compared with those of the "Saturday Night Massacre" during Richard Nixon's administration and there was debate over whether Trump had provoked a constitutional crisis, as he had dismissed the man leading an investigation into Trump's associates. Trump's statements raised concerns of potential obstruction of justice. In Comey's memo about a February 2017 meeting with Trump, Comey said Trump attempted to persuade him to abort the investigation into Flynn.
After Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate in 2014, only 28.6 percent of judicial nominees were confirmed, "the lowest percentage of confirmations from 1977 to 2018". At the end of the Obama presidency, 105 judgeships were vacant. Senate Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, prioritized confirming Trump's judicial appointees, doing so rapidly. By November 2018, Trump had appointed 29 judges to the U.S. courts of appeals, more than any modern president in the first two years of a presidential term.
Trump ultimately appointed 226 Article III federal judges and 260 federal judges in total. His appointees, who were usually affiliated with the conservative Federalist Society, shifted the judiciary to the right. A third of Trump's appointees were under 45 years old when appointed, far higher than under previous presidents. Trump's judicial nominees were less likely to be female or ethnic minority than those of the previous administration. Of Trump's judicial appointments to the U.S. courts of appeals (circuit courts), two-thirds were white men, compared to 31% of Obama nominees and 63% of George W. Bush nominees.
Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch in January 2017 to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, which had not been filled by Obama because the Republican-majority Senate did not consider the nomination of Merrick Garland. The Senate confirmed Gorsuch in a mostly party-line vote of 54–45 in April 2017. Gorsuch's confirmation was one of Trump's major first year accomplishments, made as part of a "100‑day pledge".
Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh in July 2018 to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was considered a key swing vote on the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh in a mostly party-line vote of 50–48 in October 2018 after allegations that Kavanaugh had attempted to rape another student when they were both in high school, which Kavanaugh denied.
Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett in September 2020 to fill the vacancy left by the death of JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg was considered part of the Court's liberal wing and her replacement with a conservative jurist substantially changed the ideological composition of the Supreme Court. Democrats opposed the nomination, arguing that the court vacancy should not be filled until after the 2020 presidential election. On October 26, 2020, the Senate confirmed Barrett by a mostly party-line vote of 52–48, with all Democrats opposing her confirmation.
Trump's own staffers, subordinates, and allies frequently characterized Trump as infantile. Trump reportedly eschewed reading detailed briefing documents, including the President's Daily Brief, in favor of receiving oral briefings. Intelligence briefers reportedly repeated the President's name and title in order to keep his attention. He was also known to acquire information by watching up to eight hours of television each day, most notably Fox News programs such as Fox & Friends and Hannity, whose broadcast talking points Trump sometimes repeated in public statements, particularly in early morning tweets. Trump reportedly expressed anger if intelligence analyses contradicted his beliefs or public statements, with two briefers stating they had been instructed by superiors to not provide Trump with information that contradicted his public statements.
Trump had reportedly fostered chaos as a management technique, resulting in low morale and policy confusion among his staff. Trump proved unable to effectively compromise during the 115th U.S. Congress, which led to significant governmental gridlock and few notable legislative accomplishments despite Republican control of both houses of Congress. Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin found Trump lacked several traits of an effective leader, including "humility, acknowledging errors, shouldering blame and learning from mistakes, empathy, resilience, collaboration, connecting with people and controlling unproductive emotions."
In January 2018, Axios reported Trump's working hours were typically around 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (a later start and an earlier end compared to the beginning of his presidency) and that he was holding fewer meetings during his working hours in order to accommodate Trump's desire for more unstructured free time (labelled as "executive time"). In 2019, Axios published Trump's schedule from November 7, 2018, to February 1, 2019, and calculated that around sixty percent of the time between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. was "executive time."
The number and scale of Trump's statements in public speeches, remarks, and tweets identified as false by scholars, fact-checkers, and commentators were characterized as unprecedented for an American president, and even unprecedented in U.S. politics. The New Yorker called falsehoods a distinctive part of his political identity, and they have also been described by Republican political advisor Amanda Carpenter as a gaslighting tactic. His White House had dismissed the idea of objective truth, and his campaign and presidency have been described as being "post-truth", as well as hyper-Orwellian. Trump's rhetorical signature included disregarding data from federal institutions that was incompatible to his arguments; quoting hearsay, anecdotal evidence, and questionable claims in partisan media; denying reality (including his own statements); and distracting when falsehoods were exposed.
During the first year of Trump's presidency, The Washington Post's fact-checking team wrote that Trump was "the most fact-challenged politician" it had "ever encountered ... the pace and volume of the president's misstatements means that we cannot possibly keep up." The Post found that as president, Trump made more than 30,000 false or misleading claims, increasing from an average of six a day in his first year as president to 39 claims a day in his final year. The most common false or misleading claims by Trump involved the economy and jobs, his border wall proposal, and his tax legislation; he had also made false statements regarding prior administrations, as well as other topics, including crime, terrorism, immigration, Russia and the Mueller probe, the Ukraine probe, immigration, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior administration officials had also regularly given false, misleading, or tortured statements to the news media, which made it difficult for the news media to take official statements seriously.
Rule of law
Shortly before Trump secured the 2016 Republican nomination, The New York Times reported "legal experts across the political spectrum say" Trump's rhetoric reflected "a constitutional worldview that shows contempt for the First Amendment, the separation of powers, and the rule of law," adding "many conservative and libertarian legal scholars warn that electing Mr. Trump is a recipe for a constitutional crisis." Political scientists warned that candidate Trump's rhetoric and actions mimicked those of other politicians who ultimately turned authoritarian once in office. Some scholars have concluded that during Trump's tenure as president and largely due to his actions and rhetoric, the U.S. has experienced democratic backsliding. Many prominent Republicans have expressed similar concerns that Trump's perceived disregard for the rule of law betrayed conservative principles.
During the first two years of his presidency, Trump repeatedly sought to influence the Department of Justice to investigate Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and Comey. He persistently repeated a variety of allegations, at least some of which had already been investigated or debunked. In spring 2018, Trump told White House counsel Don McGahn he wanted to order the Department of Justice to prosecute Clinton and Comey, but McGahn advised Trump such action would constitute abuse of power and invite possible impeachment. In May 2018, Trump demanded that the Department of Justice investigate "whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes," which the Department of Justice referred to its inspector general. Although it is not unlawful for a president to exert influence on the Department of Justice to open an investigation, presidents have assiduously avoided doing so to prevent perceptions of political interference.
Sessions resisted several demands by Trump and his allies for investigations of political opponents, causing Trump to repeatedly express frustration, saying at one point, "I don't have an attorney general." While criticizing the special counsel investigation in July 2019, Trump falsely claimed that the Constitution ensures that "I have to the right to do whatever I want as president." Trump had on multiple occasions either suggested or promoted views of extending his presidency beyond normal term limits.
Trump frequently criticized the independence of the judiciary for unfairly interfering in his administration's ability to decide policy. In November 2018, in an extraordinary rebuke of a sitting president, Roberts criticized Trump's characterization of a judge who had ruled against his policies as an "Obama judge", adding "That's not law." In October 2020, twenty Republican former U.S. attorneys, among them appointees by each Republican president since Eisenhower, characterized Trump as "a threat to the rule of law in our country." Greg Brower, who worked in the Trump administration, asserted, "It's clear that President Trump views the Justice Department and the FBI as his own personal law firm and investigative agency."
Relationship with the news media
Trump talks to the press in the Oval Office on March 21, 2017, before signing S.422 (the NASA Transition Authorization Act).Trump speaks to reporters on the White House South Lawn in June 2019.
Early into his presidency, Trump developed a highly contentious relationship with the news media, repeatedly referring to them as the "fake news media" and "the enemy of the people." As a candidate, Trump had refused press credentials for offending publications but said he would not do so if elected. Trump both privately and publicly mused about taking away critical reporters' White House press credentials. At the same time, the Trump White House gave temporary press passes to far-right pro-Trump fringe outlets, such as InfoWars and The Gateway Pundit, which are known for publishing hoaxes and conspiracy theories.
On his first day in office, Trump falsely accused journalists of understating the size of the crowd at his inauguration and called the news media "among the most dishonest human beings on earth." Trump's claims were notably defended by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who claimed the inauguration crowd had been the biggest in history, a claim disproven by photographs. Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway then defended Spicer when asked about the falsehood, saying it was an "alternative fact", not a falsehood.
The administration frequently sought to punish and block access for reporters who broke stories about the administration. Trump frequently criticized right-wing media outlet Fox News for being insufficiently supportive of him, threatening to lend his support for alternatives to Fox News on the right. On August 16, 2018, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution affirming that "the press is not the enemy of the people."
The relationship between Trump, the news media, and fake news has been studied. One study found that between October 7 and November 14, 2016, while one in four Americans visited a fake news website, "Trump supporters visited the most fake news websites, which were overwhelmingly pro-Trump" and "almost 6 in 10 visits to fake news websites came from the 10% of people with the most conservative online information diets." Brendan Nyhan, one of the authors of the study, said in an interview, "People got vastly more misinformation from Donald Trump than they did from fake news websites."
During a joint news conference, Trump said he was "very proud" to hear Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro use the term "fake news."
In October 2018, Trump praised U.S. representative Greg Gianforte for assaulting political reporter Ben Jacobs in 2017. According to analysts, the incident marked the first time the president has "openly and directly praised a violent act against a journalist on American soil." Later that month, as CNN and prominent Democrats were targeted with mail bombs, Trump initially condemned the bomb attempts but shortly thereafter blamed the "Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News" for causing "a very big part of the anger we see today in our society."
The Trump Justice Department obtained by court order the 2017 phone logs or email metadata of reporters from CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, and Politico as part of investigations into leaks of classified information.
Trump continued his use of Twitter following the presidential campaign. He continued to personally tweet from @realDonaldTrump, his personal account, while his staff tweet on his behalf using the official @POTUS account. His use of Twitter was unconventional for a president, with his tweets initiating controversy and becoming news in their own right. Some scholars have referred to his time in office as the "first true Twitter presidency." The Trump administration described Trump's tweets as "official statements by the President of the United States." The federal judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled in 2018 that Trump's blocking of other Twitter users due to opposing political views violated the First Amendment and he must unblock them. The ruling was upheld on appeal.
Twitter activity of Donald Trump from his first tweet in May 2009 to September 2017. Retweets are not included.
His tweets have been reported as ill-considered, impulsive, vengeful, and bullying, often being made late at night or in the early hours of the morning. His tweets about a Muslim ban were successfully turned against his administration to halt two versions of travel restrictions from some Muslim-majority countries. He has used Twitter to threaten and intimidate his political opponents and potential political allies needed to pass bills. Many tweets appear to be based on stories Trump has seen in the media, including far-right news websites such as Breitbart and television shows such as Fox & Friends.
After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.
January 8, 2021
In February 2020, Trump tweeted criticism of the prosecutors' proposed sentence for Trump's former aide Roger Stone. A few hours later, the Justice Department replaced the prosecutors' proposed sentence with a lighter proposal. This gave the appearance of presidential interference in a criminal case and caused a strong negative reaction. All four of the original prosecutors withdrew from the case; more than a thousand former Department of Justice lawyers signed a letter condemning the action. On July 10, Trump commuted the sentence of Stone days before he was due to report to prison.
In response to the mid-2020 George Floyd protests, some of which resulted in looting, Trump tweeted on May 25 that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Not long after, Twitter restricted the tweet for violating the company's policy on promoting violence. On May 28, Trump signed an executive order which sought to limit legal protections of social media companies.
On January 8, 2021, Twitter announced that they had permanently suspended Trump's personal account "due to the risk of further incitement of violence" following the Capitol attack. Trump announced in his final tweet before the suspension that he would not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden. Other social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and others also suspended the official handles of Donald Trump.
Due to Trump's trade tariffs combined with depressed commodities prices, American farmers faced the worst crisis in decades. Trump provided farmers $12 billion in direct payments in July 2018 to mitigate the negative impacts of his tariffs, increasing the payments by $14.5 billion in May 2019 after trade talks with China ended without agreement. Most of the administration's aid went to the largest farms. Politico reported in May 2019 that some economists in the United States Department of Agriculture were being punished for presenting analyses showing farmers were being harmed by Trump's trade and tax policies, with six economists having more than 50 years of combined experience at the Service resigning on the same day. Trump's fiscal 2020 budget proposed a 15% funding cut for the Agriculture Department, calling farm subsidies "overly generous".
Consumer protections
The administration reversed a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that had made it easier for aggrieved consumers to pursue class actions against banks; the Associated Press characterized the reversal as a victory for Wall Street banks. Under Mick Mulvaney's tenure, the CFPB reduced enforcement of rules that protected consumers from predatory payday lenders. Trump scrapped a proposed rule from the Obama administration that airlines disclose baggage fees. Trump reduced enforcement of regulations against airlines; fines levied by the administration in 2017 were less than half of what the Obama administration did the year before.
The New York Times summarized the Trump administration's "general approach to law enforcement" as "cracking down on violent crime", "not regulating the police departments that fight it", and overhauling "programs that the Obama administration used to ease tensions between communities and the police". Trump reversed a ban on providing federal military equipment to local police departments and reinstated the use of civil asset forfeiture. The administration stated that it would no longer investigate police departments and publicize their shortcomings in reports, a policy previously enacted under the Obama administration. Later, Trump falsely claimed that the Obama administration never tried to reform the police.
In December 2017, Sessions and the Department of Justice rescinded a 2016 guideline advising courts against imposing large fines and fees on poor defendants.
Despite Trump's pro-police rhetoric, his 2019 budget plan proposed nearly fifty percent cuts to the COPS Hiring Program which provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to help hire community policing officers. Trump appeared to advocate police brutality in a July 2017 speech to police officers, prompting criticism from law enforcement agencies. In 2020, the inspector general of the Department of Justice criticized the Trump administration for reducing police oversight and eroding public confidence in law enforcement.
In December 2018, Trump signed the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill which sought to rehabilitate prisoners and reduce recidivism, notably by expanding job training and early-release programs, and lowering mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.
The number of prosecutions of child-sex traffickers has showed a decreasing trend under the Trump administration relative to the 2nd term of Obama administration. Under the Trump administration, the SEC charged the fewest number of insider trading cases since the Reagan administration.
During his presidency, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of 237 individuals. Most of those pardoned had personal or political connections to Trump. A significant number had been convicted of fraud or public corruption. Trump circumvented the typical clemency process, taking no action on more than ten thousand pending applications, using the pardon power primarily on "public figures whose cases resonated with him given his own grievances with investigators".
In a May 2017 departure from the policy of the Department of Justice under Obama to reduce long jail sentencing for minor drug offenses and contrary to a growing bipartisan consensus, the administration ordered federal prosecutors to seek maximum sentencing for drug offenses. In a January 2018 move that created uncertainty regarding the legality of recreational and medical marijuana, Sessions rescinded a federal policy that had barred federal law enforcement officials from aggressively enforcing federal cannabis law in states where the drug is legal. The administration's decision contradicted then-candidate Trump's statement that marijuana legalization should be "up to the states". That same month, the VA said it would not research cannabis as a potential treatment against PTSD and chronic pain; veterans organizations had pushed for such a study. In December 2018, Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which included de-scheduling certain cannabis products, leading to a rise in legal Delta-8—a step which resembled legalization.
Capital punishment
Between July 2020 and the end of Trump's term, the federal government executed thirteen people; the first executions since 2002. In this time period, Trump oversaw more federal executions than any president in the preceding 120 years.
Disaster relief
Trump signs the Hurricane Harvey relief bill at Camp David, September 8, 2017.
Three hurricanes hit the U.S. in August and September 2017: Harvey in southeastern Texas, Irma on the Florida Gulf coast, and Maria in Puerto Rico. Trump signed into law $15 billion in relief for Harvey and Irma, and later $18.67 billion for all three. The administration came under criticism for its delayed response to the humanitarian crisis on Puerto Rico. Politicians of both parties had called for immediate aid for Puerto Rico, and criticized Trump for focusing on a feud with the National Football League instead. Trump did not comment on Puerto Rico for several days while the crisis was unfolding. According to The Washington Post, the White House did not feel a sense of urgency until "images of the utter destruction and desperation – and criticism of the administration's response – began to appear on television." Trump dismissed the criticism, saying distribution of necessary supplies was "doing well". The Washington Post noted, "on the ground in Puerto Rico, nothing could be further from the truth." Trump cited Puerto Rico’s remote location as an impediment to providing prompt relief, saying "This is an island surrounded by water. Big water. Ocean water." Trump also criticized Puerto Rico officials. A BMJ analysis found the federal government responded much more quickly and on a larger scale to the hurricane in Texas and Florida than in Puerto Rico, despite the fact that the hurricane in Puerto Rico was more severe. A 2021 HUD Inspector General investigation found that the Trump administration erected bureaucratic hurdles which stalled approximately $20 billion in hurricane relief for Puerto Rico.
At the time of FEMA's departure from Puerto Rico, one third of Puerto Rico residents still lacked electricity and some places lacked running water. A New England Journal of Medicine study estimated the number of hurricane-related deaths during the period September 20 to December 31, 2017, to be around 4,600 (range 793–8,498) The official death rate due to Maria reported by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is 2,975; the figure was based on an independent investigation by George Washington University commissioned by the governor of Puerto Rico. Trump falsely claimed the official death rate was wrong, and said the Democrats were trying to make him "look as bad as possible".
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló wrote that as he and Trump were in a helicopter surveying damage from the hurricane, Trump said, "Nature has a way of coming back. Well, it does until it does not. Who knows with nuclear warfare what will happen. But I tell you what. If nuclear war happens, we won't be second in line pressing the button." Axios reported that Trump suggested that they explore the possibility of bombing and nuking hurricanes to stop their arrival, that these suggestions were recorded in National Security Council memos, that Trump denied making the suggestions, and that a senior official defended Trump's suggestion by saying, "It takes strong people to respond to him in the right way when stuff like this comes up."
Trump misleadingly blamed the destructive wildfires in 2018 in California, on "gross" and "poor" "mismanagement" of forests by California, saying there was no other reason for these wildfires. The fires in question were not "forest fires"; most of the forest was owned by federal agencies; and climate change in part contributed to the fires. Trump mentioned Finland as a model, saying, "they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don't have any problem. And when it is, it is a very small problem. So I know everybody is looking at that—to that end. And it's going to work out. It's going to work out well."
In September 2020, California's worst wildfires in history prompted Trump to visit the state. In a briefing to state officials, Trump said that federal assistance was necessary, and again baselessly asserted that the lack of forestry, not climate change, is the underlying cause of the fires.
Trump's economic policies have centered on cutting taxes, deregulation, and trade protectionism. Trump primarily stuck to or intensified traditional Republican economic policy positions that benefitted corporate interests or the affluent, with the exception of his trade protectionist policies. Deficit spending, combined with tax cuts for the wealthy, caused the U.S. national debt to sharply increase.
One of Trump's first actions was to indefinitely suspend a cut in fee rates for federally-insured mortgages implemented by the Obama administration which saved individuals with lower credit scores around $500 per year on a typical loan. Upon taking office, Trump halted trade negotiations with the European Union on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which had been underway since 2013.
The administration proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), which if implemented would lead millions to lose access to food stamps and limit the amount of benefits for remaining recipients.
During his tenure, Trump repeatedly sought to intervene in the economy to affect specific companies and industries. Trump sought to compel power grid operators to buy coal and nuclear energy, and sought tariffs on metals to protect domestic metal producers. Trump also publicly attacked Boeing and Lockheed Martin, sending their stocks tumbling. Trump repeatedly singled out Amazon for criticism and advocated steps that would harm the company, such as ending an arrangement between Amazon and the United States Postal Service (USPS) and raising taxes on Amazon. Trump expressed opposition to the merger between Time Warner (the parent company of CNN) and AT&T.
The Trump campaign ran on a policy of reducing America's trade deficit, particularly with China. The overall trade deficit increased during Trump's presidency. The goods deficit with China reached a record high for the second consecutive year in 2018.
A 2021 study, which used the synthetic control method, found no evidence Trump had an impact on the U.S. economy during his time in office. Analysis conducted by Bloomberg News at the end of Trump's second year in office found that his economy ranked sixth among the last seven presidents, based on fourteen metrics of economic activity and financial performance. Trump repeatedly and falsely characterized the economy during his presidency as the best in American history.
In September 2017, Trump proposed the most sweeping federal tax overhaul in many years. Trump signed the tax legislation on December 22, 2017, after it passed Congress on party-line votes. The tax bill was the first major legislation signed by Trump. The $1.5 trillion bill reduced the corporate federal tax rate from 35% to 21%, its lowest point since 1939. The bill also cut the individual tax rate, reducing the top rate from 39.6% to 37%, although these individual tax cuts expire after 2025; as a result, "by 2027, every income group making less than $75,000 would see a net tax increase." The bill doubled the estate tax exemption (to $22 million for married couples); and allowed the owners of pass-through businesses to deduct 20% of business income. The bill doubled the standard deduction while eliminating many itemized deductions, including the deduction for state and local taxes. The bill also repealed the individual health insurance mandate contained in the Affordable Care Act.
According to The New York Times, the plan would result in a "huge windfall" for the very wealthy but would not benefit those in the bottom third of the income distribution. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated that the richest 0.1% and 1% would benefit the most in raw dollar amounts and percentage terms from the tax plan, earning 10.2% and 8.5% more income after taxes respectively. Middle-class households would on average earn 1.2% more after tax, but 13.5% of middle class households would see their tax burden increase. The poorest fifth of Americans would earn 0.5% more. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin argued that the corporate income tax cut would benefit workers the most, while the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, the Congressional Budget Office and many economists estimated that owners of capital would benefit vastly more than workers. A preliminary estimate by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that the tax plan would add more than $2 trillion over the next decade to the federal debt, while the Tax Policy Center found that it would add $2.4 trillion to the debt. A 2019 Congressional Research Service analysis found that the tax cuts had "a relatively small (if any) first-year" growth effect on the economy. A 2019 analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget concluded that Trump's policies will add $4.1 trillion to the national debt from 2017 to 2029. Around $1.8 trillion of debt is projected to eventually arise from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
In March 2018, Trump imposed tariffs on solar panels and washing machines of 30–50%. In March 2018, he imposed tariffs on steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) from most countries, which covered an estimated 4.1% of U.S. imports. On June 1, 2018, this was extended to the European Union, Canada, and Mexico. In separate moves, the Trump administration has set and escalated tariffs on goods imported from China, leading to a trade war. The tariffs angered trading partners, who implemented retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, and adversely affected real income and GDP. A CNBC analysis found that Trump "enacted tariffs equivalent to one of the largest tax increases in decades", while Tax Foundation and Tax Policy Center analyses found the tariffs could wipe out the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 for many households. The two countries reached a "phase one" truce agreement in January 2020. The bulk of the tariffs remained in place until talks were to resume after the 2020 election. Trump provided $28 billion in cash aid to farmers affected by the trade war. Studies have found that the tariffs also adversely affected Republican candidates in elections. An analysis published by The Wall Street Journal in October 2020 found the trade war did not achieve the primary objective of reviving American manufacturing, nor did it result in the reshoring of factory production.
Three weeks after Republican senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote an April 2019 Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled "Trump's Tariffs End or His Trade Deal Dies", stating "Congress won't approve USMCA while constituents pay the price for Mexican and Canadian retaliation," Trump lifted steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Two weeks later, Trump unexpectedly announced he would impose a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico on June 10, increasing to 10% on July 1, and by another 5% each month for three months, "until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP". Grassley commented the move as a "misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent". That same day, the Trump administration formally initiated the process to seek congressional approval of USMCA. Trump's top trade advisor, U.S. Trade RepresentativeRobert Lighthizer, opposed the new Mexican tariffs on concerns it would jeopardize passage of USMCA. Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump senior advisor Jared Kushner also opposed the action. Grassley, whose committee is instrumental in passing USMCA, was not informed in advance of Trump's surprise announcement. On June 7, Trump announced the tariffs would be "indefinitely suspended" after Mexico agreed to take actions, including deploying its National Guard throughout the country and along its southern border. The New York Times reported the following day that Mexico had actually agreed to most of the actions months earlier.
As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump pledged to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement with eleven Pacific Rim nations which the United States had signed earlier that year. China was not a party to the agreement, which was intended to allow the United States to guide trade relations in the region. He incorrectly asserted the deal was flawed because it contained a "back door" that would allow China to enter the agreement later. Trump announced the American withdrawal from the deal days after taking office. Upon the American withdrawal, the remaining partners renamed it the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In September 2021, China formally applied to join that agreement in an effort to replace the United States as its hub; China's state-run Global Times said the move would "cement the country's leadership in global trade" and leave the United States "increasingly isolated."
Education
Main article: Education in the United StatesTrump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visit Saint Andrew's Catholic School in Orlando, Florida, March 3, 2017.
Trump appointed Betsy DeVos as his secretary of education. Her nomination was confirmed on a 50–50 Senate vote with Vice President Pence called upon to break the tie (the first time a vice president had cast a tie-breaking vote on a Cabinet nomination). Democrats opposed DeVos as underqualified, while Republicans supported DeVos because of her strong support of school choice.
In 2017, Trump revoked an Obama administration memo which provided protections for people in default on student loans. The United States Department of Education cancelled agreements with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to police student loan fraud. The administration rescinded a regulation restricting federal funding to for-profit colleges unable to demonstrate that college graduates had a reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio after entering the job market. Seth Frotman, the CFPB student loan ombudsman, resigned, accusing the Trump administration of undermining the CFPB's work on protecting student borrowers. DeVos marginalized an investigative unit within the Department of Education that under Obama investigated predatory activities by for-profit colleges. An investigation started under Obama into the practices of DeVry Education Group, which operates for-profit colleges, was halted in early 2017, and the former dean at DeVry was made into the supervisor for the investigative unit later that summer. DeVry paid a $100 million fine in 2016 for defrauding students.
In 2017, the administration reversed an Obama administration guidance on how schools and universities should combat sexual harassment and sexual violence.
Election integrity
On the eve of the 2018 midterm elections, Politico described the Trump administration's efforts to combat election propaganda as "rudderless". At the same time, U.S. intelligence agencies warned about "ongoing campaigns" by Russia, China, and Iran to influence American elections.
The administration's "America First Energy Plan" did not mention renewable energy and instead focused on fossil fuels. The administration enacted 30% tariffs on imported solar panels. The American solar energy industry is highly reliant on foreign parts (80% of parts are made abroad); as a result, the tariffs could raise the costs of solar energy, reduce innovation and reduce jobs in the industry – which in 2017 employed nearly four times as many American workers as the coal industry. The administration reversed standards put in place to make commonly used lightbulbs more energy-efficient.
Trump rescinded a rule requiring oil, gas and mining firms to disclose how much they paid foreign governments, and withdrew from the international Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) which required disclosure of payments by oil, gas and mining companies to governments.
In 2017, Trump ordered the reversal of an Obama-era ban on new oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Ocean and environmentally sensitive areas of the North Atlantic coast, in the Outer Continental Shelf. Trump's order was halted by a federal court, which ruled in 2019 that it unlawfully exceeded his authority. Trump also revoked the 2016 Well Control Rule, a safety regulation adopted after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; this action is the subject of legal challenges from environmental groups.
In January 2018, the administration singled out Florida for exemption from the administration's offshore drilling plan. The move stirred controversy because it came after Florida governor Rick Scott, who was considering a 2018 Senate run, complained about the plan. The move raised ethical questions about the appearance of "transactional favoritism" because Trump owns a coastal resort in Florida, and because of the state's status as a crucial "swing state" in the 2020 presidential election. Other states sought similar offshore drilling exemptions, and litigation ensued.
Despite rhetoric about boosting the coal industry, coal-fueled electricity generating capacity declined faster during Trump's presidency than during any previous presidential term, falling 15% with the idling of 145 coal-burning units at 75 power plants. An estimated 20% of electricity was expected to be generated by coal in 2020, compared to 31% in 2017.
By October 2020, the administration had overturned 72 environmental regulations and was in process of reversing an additional 27. A 2018 American Journal of Public Health study found that in Trump's first six months in office, the United States Environmental Protection Agency adopted a pro-business attitude unlike that of any previous administration, as it "moved away from the public interest and explicitly favored the interests of the regulated industries".
Analyses of EPA enforcement data showed that the Trump administration brought fewer cases against polluters, sought a lower total of civil penalties and made fewer requests of companies to retrofit facilities to curb pollution than the Obama and Bush administrations. According to The New York Times, "confidential internal E.P.A. documents show that the enforcement slowdown coincides with major policy changes ordered by Mr. Pruitt's team after pleas from oil and gas industry executives." In 2018, the administration referred the lowest number of pollution cases for criminal prosecution in 30 years. Two years into Trump's presidency, The New York Times wrote he had "unleashed a regulatory rollback, lobbied for and cheered on by industry, with little parallel in the past half-century". In June 2018, David Cutler and Francesca Dominici of Harvard University estimated conservatively that the Trump administration's modifications to environmental rules could result in more than 80,000 additional U.S. deaths and widespread respiratory ailments. In August 2018, the administration's own analysis showed that loosening coal plant rules could cause up to 1,400 premature deaths and 15,000 new cases of respiratory problems. From 2016 to 2018, air pollution increased by 5.5%, reversing a seven-year trend where air pollution had declined by 25%.
All references to climate change were removed from the White House website, with the sole exception of mentioning Trump's intention to eliminate the Obama administration's climate change policies. The EPA removed climate change material on its website, including detailed climate data. In June 2017, Trump announced U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a 2015 climate change accord reached by 200 nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions. In December 2017, Trump – who had repeatedly called scientific consensus on climate a "hoax" before becoming president – falsely implied that cold weather meant climate change was not occurring. Through executive order, Trump reversed multiple Obama administration policies meant to tackle climate change, such as a moratorium on federal coal leasing, the Presidential Climate Action Plan, and guidance for federal agencies on taking climate change into account during National Environmental Policy Act action reviews. Trump also ordered reviews and possibly modifications to several directives, such as the Clean Power Plan (CPP), the estimate for the "social cost of carbon" emissions, carbon dioxide emission standards for new coal plants, methane emissions standards from oil and natural gas extraction, as well as any regulations inhibiting domestic energy production. The administration rolled back regulations requiring the federal government to account for climate change and sea-level rise when building infrastructure. The EPA disbanded a 20-expert panel on pollution which advised the EPA on the appropriate threshold levels to set for air quality standards.
Official portrait of Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator
The administration has repeatedly sought to reduce the EPA budget. The administration invalidated the Stream Protection Rule, which limited dumping of toxic wastewater containing metals, such as arsenic and mercury, into public waterways, regulations on coal ash (carcinogenic leftover waste produced by coal plants), and an Obama-era executive order on protections for oceans, coastlines and lakes enacted in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The administration refused to act on recommendations from EPA scientists urging greater regulation of particulate pollution.
The administration rolled back major Clean Water Act protections, narrowing the definition of the "waters of the United States" under federal protection. Studies by the Obama-era EPA suggest that up to two-thirds of California's inland freshwater streams would lose protections under the rule change. The EPA sought to repeal a regulation which required oil and gas companies to restrict emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The EPA rolled back automobile fuel efficiency standards introduced in 2012. The EPA granted a loophole allowing a small set of trucking companies to skirt emissions rules and produce glider trucks that emit 40 to 55 times the air pollutants of other new trucks. The EPA rejected a ban on the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos; a federal court then ordered the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos, because the EPA's own extensive research showed it caused adverse health effects in children. The administration scaled back the ban on the use of the solvent methylene chloride, and lifted a rule requiring major farms to report pollution emitted through animal waste.
The administration suspended funding on several environmental research studies, a multi-million-dollar program that distributed grants for research the effects of chemical exposure on children and $10-million-a-year research line for NASA's Carbon Monitoring System. including an unsuccessful attempt to kill aspects of NASA's climate science program.
The EPA expedited the process for approving new chemicals and made the process of evaluating the safety of those chemicals less stringent; EPA scientists expressed concerns that the agency's ability to stop hazardous chemicals was being compromised. Internal emails showed that Pruitt aides prevented the publication of a health study showing some toxic chemicals endanger humans at far lower levels than the EPA previously characterized as safe. One such chemical was present in high quantities around several military bases, including groundwater. The nondisclosure of the study and the delay in public knowledge of the findings may have prevented the government from updating the infrastructure at the bases and individuals who lived near the bases to avoid the tap water.
The administration weakened enforcement the Endangered Species Act, making it easier to start mining, drilling and construction projects in areas with endangered and threatened species. The administration has actively discouraged local governments and businesses from undertaking preservation efforts.
The administration sharply reduced the size of two national monuments in Utah by approximately two million acres, making it the largest reduction of public land protections in American history. Shortly afterwards, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke advocated for downsizing four additional national monuments and changing the way six additional monuments were managed. In 2019, the administration sped up the process for environmental reviews for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic; experts said the speeding up made reviews less comprehensive and reliable. According to Politico, the administration sped up the process in the event that a Democratic administration was elected in 2020, which would have halted new oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The administration sought to open up more than 180,000 acres of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the largest in the country, for logging.
In April 2018, Pruitt announced a policy change prohibiting EPA regulators from considering scientific research unless the raw data of the research was made publicly available. This would limit EPA regulators' use of much environmental research, given that participants in many such studies provide personal health information which is kept confidential. The EPA cited two bipartisan reports and various nonpartisan studies about the use of science in government to defend the decision. However, the authors of those reports dismissed that the EPA followed their instructions, with one author saying, "They don't adopt any of our recommendations, and they go in a direction that's opposite, completely different. They don't adopt any of the recommendations of any of the sources they cite."
In July 2020, Trump moved to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act by limiting public review to speed up permitting. In August 2020, Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He had intended to oppose the bill and gut the fund until Republican senators afraid of losing their reelection bids and the Senate majority changed his mind.
Government size and regulations
The administration imposed far fewer financial penalties against banks and major companies accused of wrongdoing relative to the Obama administration.
In the first six weeks of his tenure, Trump suspended – or in a few cases, revoked – more than 90 regulations. In early 2017, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to slash two existing regulations for every new one (without spending on regulations going up). A September 2017 Bloomberg BNA review found that due to unclear wording in the order and the large proportion of regulations it exempts, the order had had little effect since it was signed. The Trump OMB released an analysis in February 2018 indicating the economic benefits of regulations significantly outweigh the economic costs. The administration ordered one-third of government advisory committees for federal agencies eliminated, except for committees that evaluate consumer product safety or committees that approve research grants.
Trump ordered a four-month government-wide hiring freeze of the civilian work force (excluding staff in the military, national security, public safety and offices of new presidential appointees) at the start of his term. He said he did not intend to fill many of the governmental positions that were still vacant, as he considered them unnecessary; there were nearly 2,000 vacant government positions.
The administration ended the requirement that nonprofits, including political advocacy groups who collect so-called dark money, disclose the names of large donors to the IRS; the Senate voted to overturn the administration's rule change.
The administration banned bump stocks after such devices were used by the gunman who perpetrated the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. In the wake of several mass shootings during the Trump administration, including August 2019 shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, Trump called on states to implement red flag laws to remove guns from "those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety". By November 2019, he abandoned the idea of red-flag laws. Trump repealed a regulation that barred gun ownership from approximately 75,000 individuals who received Social Security checks due to mental illness and who were deemed unfit to handle their financial affairs. The administration ended U.S. involvement in the UN Arms Trade Treaty to curb the international trade of conventional arms with countries having poor human rights records.
The 2010 Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare" or the ACA) elicited major opposition from the Republican Party from its inception, and Trump called for a repeal of the law during the 2016 election campaign. On taking office, Trump promised to pass a healthcare bill that would cover everyone and result in better and less expensive insurance. Throughout his presidency, Trump repeatedly asserted that his administration and Republicans in Congress supported protections for individuals with preexisting conditions; however, fact-checkers noted the administration supported attempts both in Congress and in the courts to roll back the ACA (and its protections for preexisting conditions).
Congressional Republicans made two serious efforts to repeal the ACA. First, in March 2017, Trump endorsed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a Republican bill to repeal and replace the ACA. Opposition from several House Republicans, both moderate and conservative, led to the defeat of this version of the bill. Second in May 2017, the House narrowly voted in favor of a new version of the AHCA to repeal the ACA, sending the bill to the Senate for deliberation. Over the next weeks the Senate made several attempts to create a repeal bill; however, all the proposals were ultimately rejected in a series of Senate votes in late July. The individual mandate was repealed in December 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimated in May 2018 that repealing the individual mandate would increase the number of uninsured by eight million and that individual healthcare insurance premiums had increased by ten percent between 2017 and 2018. The administration later sided with a lawsuit to overturn the ACA, including protections for individuals with preexisting conditions.
Trump repeatedly expressed a desire to "let Obamacare fail", and the Trump administration undermined Obamacare through various actions. The open enrollment period was cut from twelve weeks to six, the advertising budget for enrollment was cut by 90%, and organizations helping people shop for coverage got 39% less money. The CBO found that ACA enrollment at health care exchanges would be lower than its previous forecasts due to the Trump administration's undermining of the ACA. A 2019 study found that enrollment into the ACA during the Trump administration's first year was nearly thirty percent lower than during 2016. The CBO found that insurance premiums would rise sharply in 2018 due to the Trump administration's refusal to commit to continuing paying ACA subsidies, which added uncertainty to the insurance market and led insurers to raise premiums for fear they will not get subsidized.
The administration ended subsidy payments to health insurance companies, in a move expected to raise premiums in 2018 for middle-class families by an average of about twenty percent nationwide and cost the federal government nearly $200 billion more than it saved over a ten-year period. The administration made it easier for businesses to use health insurance plans not covered by several of the ACA's protections, including for preexisting conditions, and allowed organizations not to cover birth control. In justifying the action, the administration made false claims about the health harms of contraceptives.
The administration proposed substantial spending cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security Disability Insurance. Trump had previously vowed to protect Medicare and Medicaid. The administration reduced enforcement of penalties against nursing homes that harm residents. As a candidate and throughout his presidency, Trump said he would cut the costs of pharmaceuticals. During his first seven months in office, there were 96 price hikes for every drug price cut. Abandoning a promise he made as candidate, Trump announced he would not allow Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower drug prices.
Reproductive rights
Trump reinstated the Mexico City policy, also known as the global gag rule, prohibiting funding to foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform abortions as a method of family planning in other countries. The administration implemented a policy restricting taxpayer dollars given to family planning facilities that mention abortion to patients, provide abortion referrals, or share space with abortion providers. As a result, Planned Parenthood, which provides Title X birth control services to 1.5 million women, withdrew from the program. Throughout his presidency, Trump pressed for a ban on late-term abortions and made frequent false claims about them.
In 2018, the administration prohibited scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from acquiring new fetal tissue for research, and a year later stopped all medical research by government scientists that used fetal tissue.
Trump nominated Tom Marino to become the nation's drug czar but the nomination was withdrawn after an investigation found he had been the chief architect of a bill that crippled the enforcement powers of the Drug Enforcement Administration and worsened the opioid crisis.
Kellyanne Conway led White House efforts to combat the opioid epidemic; Conway had no experience or expertise on matters of public health, substance abuse, or law enforcement. Conway sidelined drug experts and opted instead for the use of political staff. Politico wrote in 2018 that the administration's "main response" to the opioid crisis "so far has been to call for a border wall and to promise a 'just say no' campaign".
In October 2017, the administration declared a 90-day public health emergency over the opioid epidemic and pledged to urgently mobilize the federal government in response to the crisis. On January 11, 2018, twelve days before the declaration ran out, Politico noted that "beyond drawing more attention to the crisis, virtually nothing of consequence has been done." The administration had not proposed any new resources or spending, had not started the promised advertising campaign to spread awareness about addiction, and had yet to fill key public health and drug positions in the administration. One of the top officials at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which is tasked with multi-billion-dollar anti-drug initiatives and curbing the opioid epidemic, was a 24-year old campaign staffer from the Trump 2016 campaign who lied on his CV and whose stepfather went to jail for manufacturing illegal drugs; after the administration was contacted about the official's qualifications and CV, the administration gave him a job with different tasks.
In 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration reorganized the Global Health Security and Biodefense unit at the NSC by merging it with other related units. Two months prior to the outbreak in Wuhan China, the Trump Administration had cut nearly $200 million in funding to Chinese research scientists studying animal coronaviruses. Throughout his presidency he also proposed budget cuts to global health. The Trump administration ignored detailed plans on how to mass-produce protective respirator masks under a program that had been launched by the Obama administration to alleviate a mask shortage for a future pandemic.
From January to mid-March 2020, Trump consistently downplayed the threat posed by COVID-19 to the United States, giving many optimistic public statements. He accused Democrats and media outlets of exaggerating the seriousness of the situation, describing Democrats' criticism of his administration's response as a "hoax". By March 2020, however, Trump had adopted a more somber tone on the matter, acknowledging for the first time that COVID-19 was "not under control". Although the CDC recommended people wear face masks in public when social distancing is not possible, Trump continually refused to wear one. He praised and encouraged protesters who violated stay-at-home orders in Democratic states, as well as praised Republican governors who violated the White House's own COVID-19 guidelines regarding reopening their economies.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force was led by Vice President Mike Pence, Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Congress appropriated $8.3 billion in emergency funding, which Trump signed into law on March 6. During his oval office address on March 11, Trump announced an imminent travel ban between Europe and the U.S. The announcement caused chaos in European and American airports, as Americans abroad scrambled to get flights back to the U.S. The administration later had to clarify that the travel ban applied to foreigners coming from the Schengen Area, and later added Ireland and the UK to the list. Previously, in late January 2020, the administration banned travel to the U.S. from China; prior to the decision, major U.S. carriers had already announced that they would no longer fly to and from China. On March 13, Trump designated COVID-19 pandemic as a national emergency, as the number of known cases of COVID-19 in the country exceeded 1,500, while known deaths exceeded 40.
Although the U.S. government was initially quick to develop a diagnostic test for COVID-19, U.S. COVID-19 testing efforts from mid-January to late-February lost pace compared to the rest of the world. ABC News described the testing as "shockingly slow". When the WHO distributed 1.4 million COVID-19 tests in February, the U.S. chose instead to use its own tests. At that time, the CDC had produced 160,000 COVID-19 tests, but many were defective. As a result, fewer than 4,000 tests were done in the U.S. by February 27, with U.S. state laboratories conducting only about 200. In this period, academic laboratories and hospitals had developed their own tests, but were not allowed to use them until February 29, when the Food and Drug Administration issued approvals for them and private companies. A comprehensive New York Times investigation concluded that "technical flaws, regulatory hurdles, business-as-usual bureaucracies and lack of leadership at multiple levels" contributed to the testing failures. An Associated Press investigation found the administration made its first bulk orders for vital health care equipment, such as N95 respirator masks and ventilators, in mid-March.
On March 26, the U.S. became the country with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections, with over 82,000 cases. On April 11, the U.S. became the country with the highest official death toll for COVID-19, with over 20,000 deaths. The HHS Inspector General released a report in April of its survey of 323 hospitals in late March; reporting severe shortages of test supplies and extended waits for results, widespread shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), and other strained resources due to extended patient stays while awaiting test results. Trump called the IG's report "just wrong", and subsequently Trump replaced the inspector general.
Following a dramatic economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal intervention in providing Governmental aid was heavily lobbied for resulting in the initial signing of a $8 Billion aid package relating to vaccine research and outbreak prevention among states on March 8, 2020 and a secondary $192 billion aid package addressing sick leave for workers, expanding unemployment benefits and increased testing resources. A subsequent $2.2 trillion aid package was later proposed and signed into law March 27, 2020, titled the CARES Act which provided forgivable loans for small businesses, increased unemployment benefits, a temporary child tax credit and further aid towards state and local governments in addressing the pandemic. The CARES Act emerged as the largest economic stimulus bill in American history with limited opposition against it; passing unanimously in the Senate and 419–6 in the House. An additional $900 Billion would be further dedicated to the pandemic in the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act that was signed into law December 27, 2020, despite initial opposition by Trump following criticism of the individual stimulus payments as too low and of the bill as having wasteful spending.
In May 2020, five months into the pandemic, Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the WHO. In July 2020, Trump's secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, formally notified the UN of U.S. decision to withdraw from the WHO, to take effect on July 6, 2021. Biden reversed Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO on January 20, 2021, on his first day in office.
On May 15, 2020, Trump announced the public-private partnership Operation Warp Speed to fund and accelerate the development, manufacture and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine with $10 billion in funding (later increased to $18 billion). Some of the first companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines, such as AZD1222, mRNA-1273, and Ad26.COV2-S received funding from this program.
In June 2020, amid surges in COVID-19 case numbers, Trump administration officials falsely claimed that the steep rise was due to increased testing; public health experts disputed the administration's claims, noting that the positivity rate of tests was increasing.
According to sources in the Biden administration, the Trump administration left no plan for vaccine distribution to the Biden administration, however, Anthony Fauci rejected this, stating that they were "certainly not starting from scratch, because there is activity going on in the distribution," and that the new administration was improving upon existing distribution efforts. In the last quarter of 2020, Trump administration officials lobbied Congress not to provide extra funding to states for vaccine rollout, thus hindering the vaccination rollout. One of those officials, Paul Mango, the deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services, claimed that states did not need extra money because they hadn't spent all the previously allocated money for vaccines given by the CDC.
In December 2017, The Economist described the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), led by Carson, as "directionless". Most of the top HUD positions were unfilled and Carson's leadership was "inconspicuous and inscrutable". Of the policies HUD was enacting, The Economist wrote, "it is hard not to conclude that the governing principle at HUD is to take whatever the Obama administration was doing, and do the opposite." HUD scaled back the enforcement of fair housing laws, halted several fair housing investigations started by the Obama administration and removed the words "inclusive" and "free from discrimination" from its mission statement. The administration designated Lynne Patton, an event planner who had worked on the Trump campaign and planned Eric Trump's wedding, to lead HUD's New York and New Jersey office (which oversees billions of federal dollars).
Trump has repeatedly characterized illegal immigrants as criminals, although some studies have found they have lower crime and incarceration rates than native-born Americans. Prior to taking office, Trump promised to deport the estimated eleven million illegal immigrants living in the United States and to build a wall along the Mexico–U.S. border. During his presidency, Trump reduced legal immigration substantially while the illegal immigrant population remained the same. The administration took several steps to limit the rights of legal immigrants, which included attempted revocations of Temporary Protected Status for Central American refugees, 60,000 Haitians (who emigrated following the 2010 Haiti earthquake), and 200,000 Salvadorans (who emigrated following a series of devastating earthquakes in 2001) as well as making it illegal for refugees and asylum seekers, and spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the U.S. A federal judge blocked the administration's attempt to deport the TPS recipients, citing what the judge said was Trump's racial "animus against non-white, non-European immigrants". The administration slashed refugee admissions to record low levels (since the modern program began in 1980). The administration made it harder noncitizens who served in the military to receive necessary paperwork to pursue U.S. citizenship. The administration's key legislative proposal on immigration was the 2017 RAISE Act, a proposal to reduce legal immigration levels to the U.S. by fifty percent by halving the number of green cards issued, capping refugee admissions at 50,000 a year and ending the visa diversity lottery. In 2020, the Trump administration set the lowest cap for refugees in the modern history of the United States for the subsequent year: 15,000 refugees. The administration increased fees for citizen applications, as well as caused delays in the processing of citizen applications.
By February 2018, arrests of undocumented immigrants by ICE increased by forty percent during Trump's tenure. Arrests of noncriminal undocumented immigrants were twice as high as during Obama's final year in office. Arrests of undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions increased only slightly. In 2018, experts noted that the Trump administration's immigration policies had led to an increase in criminality and lawlessness along the U.S.–Mexico border, as asylum seekers prevented by U.S. authorities from filing for asylum had been preyed upon by human smugglers, organized crime and corrupt local law enforcement. To defend administration policies on immigration, the administration fudged data and presented intentionally misleading analyses of the costs associated with refugees (omitting data that showed net positive fiscal effects), as well as created the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement to highlight crimes committed by undocumented immigrants (there is no evidence undocumented immigrants increase the U.S. crime rate). In January 2018, Trump was widely criticized after referring to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations in general as "shithole countries" at a bipartisan meeting on immigration. Multiple international leaders condemned his remarks as racist.
Upon taking office, Trump directed the DHS to begin work on a wall. An internal DHS report estimated Trump's wall would cost $21.6 billion and take 3.5 years to build (far higher than the Trump 2016 campaign's estimate ($12 billion) and the $15 billion estimate from Republican congressional leaders). In a January 2017 phone call between Trump and Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, Trump conceded that the U.S. would pay for the border wall, not Mexico as he promised during the campaign, and implored Nieto to stop saying publicly the Mexican government would not pay for the border wall. In January 2018, the administration proposed spending $18 billion over the next ten years on the wall, more than half of the $33 billion spending blueprint for border security. Trump's plan would reduce funding for border surveillance, radar technology, patrol boats and customs agents; experts and officials say these are more effective at curbing illegal immigration and preventing terrorism and smuggling than a border wall.
The administration sought to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, which experts warned would likely result in severe undercounting of the population and faulty data, with naturalized U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, and undocumented immigrants all being less likely to respond to the census. Blue states were estimated to get fewer congressional seats and lower congressional appropriations than they would otherwise get, because they have larger noncitizen populations. Thomas B. Hofeller, an architect of Republican gerrymandering, had found adding the census question would help to gerrymander maps that "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites" and that Hofeller had later written the key portion of a letter from the Trump administration's Justice Department justifying the addition of a citizenship question by claiming it was needed to enforce the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In July 2019, the Supreme Court in Department of Commerce v. New York blocked the administration from including the citizenship question on the census form.
During the 2018 midterm election campaign, Trump sent nearly 5,600 troops to the U.S.–Mexico border for the stated purpose of protecting the United States against a caravan of Central American migrants. The Pentagon had previously concluded the caravan posed no threat to the U.S. The border deployment was estimated to cost as much as $220 million by the end of the year. With daily warnings from Trump about the dangers of the caravan during the midterm election campaign, the frequency and intensity of the caravan rhetoric nearly stopped after election day.
In May 2018, the administration announced it would separate children from parents caught unlawfully crossing the southern border into the United States. Parents were routinely charged with a misdemeanor and jailed; their children were placed in separate detention centers with no established procedure to track them or reunite them with their parent after they had served time for their offence, generally only a few hours or days. Later that month, Trump falsely accused Democrats of creating that policy, despite it originating from his own administration, and urged Congress to "get together" and pass an immigration bill. Members of Congress from both parties condemned the practice and pointed out that the White House could end the separations on its own. The Washington Post quoted a White House official as saying Trump's decision to separate migrant families was to gain political leverage to force Democrats and moderate Republicans to accept hardline immigration legislation.
Six weeks into the implementation of the "zero tolerance" policy, at least 2,300 migrant children had been separated from their families. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association condemned the policy, with the American Academy of Pediatrics saying the policy was causing "irreparable harm" to the children. The policy was extremely unpopular, more so than any major piece of legislation in recent memory. Videos and images of children held in cage-like detention centers, distraught parents separated from their children, and sobbing children caused an outcry. George Takei and other survivors of Japanese internment camps have also criticized the conditions in these centers. After criticism, DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen falsely claimed that "We do not have a policy of separating families at the border."
On June 20, 2018, amid worldwide outrage and enormous political pressure to roll back his policy, Trump reversed the family-separation policy by signing an executive order, despite earlier having said "you can't do it through an executive order." Six days later, as the result of a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the family-separation policy, and required the government to reunite separated families within 30 days. By November 2020, the parents of 666 children still had not been found. The administration refused to provide funds to cover the expenses of reuniting families, and volunteer organizations continue to provide both volunteers and funding. The administration also refused to pay for mental health services for the families and orphaned children traumatized by the separations.
In January 2017, Trump signed an executive order which indefinitely suspended admission of asylum seekers fleeing the Syrian Civil War, suspended admission of all other refugees for 120 days, and denied entry to citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. The order also established a religious test for refugees from Muslim nations by giving priority to refugees of other religions over Muslim refugees. Later, the administration seemed to reverse a portion of part of the order, effectively exempting visitors with a green card. After the order was challenged in the federal courts, several federal judges issued rulings enjoining the government from enforcing the order. Trump fired acting attorney general Sally Yates after she said she would not defend the order in court; Yates was replaced by Dana Boente, who said the Department of Justice would defend the order.
A new executive order was signed in March which limited travel to the U.S. from six different countries for 90 days, and by all refugees who do not possess either a visa or valid travel documents for 120 days. The new executive order revoked and replaced the executive order issued in January.
In June, the Supreme Court partially stayed certain injunctions that were put on the order by two federal appeals courts earlier, allowing the executive order to mostly go into effect. In October, the Court dismissed the case, saying the orders had been replaced by a new proclamation, so challenges to the previous executive orders are moot.
In September, Trump signed a proclamation placing limits on the six countries in the second executive order and added Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela. In October 2017, Judge Derrick Watson, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii issued another temporary restraining order. In December 2017, the Supreme Court allowed the September 2017 travel restrictions to go into effect while legal challenges in Hawaii and Maryland are heard. The decision effectively barred most citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea from entry into the United States along with some government officials from Venezuela and their families.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Trump further restricted travel from Iran on February 29, 2020, and advised American citizens not to travel to specific regions in Italy and South Korea in response to COVID-19. In March 2020, the Trump administration later issued a ban on entrants from all Schengen Area countries, eventually including Ireland and the UK.
The federal government was partially shut down from December 22, 2018, until January 25, 2019, (the longest shutdown in U.S. history) over Trump's demand that Congress provide $5.7 billion in federal funds for a U.S.–Mexico border wall. The House and Senate lacked votes necessary to support his funding demand and to overcome Trump's refusal to sign the appropriations last passed by Congress into law. In negotiations with Democratic leaders leading up to the shutdown, Trump commented he would be "proud to shut down the government for border security". By mid-January 2019, the White House Council of Economic Advisors estimated that each week of the shutdown reduced GDP by 0.1 percentage points, the equivalent of 1.2 points per quarter.
In September 2020, Brian Murphy – who until August 2020 was the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis – asserted in a whistleblower complaint that during the shutdown senior DHS officials sought to inflate the number of known or suspected terrorists who had been apprehended at the border, to increase support for funding the wall. NBC News reported that in early 2019 a DHS spokeswoman, Katie Waldman, pushed the network to retract a story that correctly cited only six such apprehensions in the first half of 2018, compared to the nearly four thousand a year the administration was publicly claiming. The story was not retracted, and Waldman later became the press secretary for Vice President Pence and wife of Trump advisor Stephen Miller.
The administration rolled back numerous LGBT protections, in particular those implemented during the Obama administration, covering issues such as health care, education, employment, housing, military, and criminal justice, as well as foster care and adoption. The administration rescinded rules prohibiting taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies from discriminating against LGBT adoption and foster parents. The Department of Justice reversed its position on whether the Civil Rights Act's workplace protections covered LGBT individuals and argued in state and federal courts for a constitutional right for businesses to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The administration exempted government contractors from following federal workplace discrimination rules, as long as they could cite religious reasons for doing so.
The administration rescinded a directive that public schools treat students according to their gender identity. The administration rescinded a federal policy that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity, and dropped a lawsuit against North Carolina's "bathroom bill". The administration rescinded rules that prohibited discrimination against LGBT patients by health care providers. Rules were rescinded to give transgender homeless people equal access to homeless shelters, and to house transgender prison inmates according to their gender identity "when appropriate". HHS stopped collecting information on LGBT participants in its national survey of older adults, and the Census Bureau removed "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as proposed subjects for possible inclusion on the decennial census or American Community Survey. The Justice Department and Labor Department cancelled quarterly conference calls with LGBT organizations.
Trump said he would not allow "transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military", citing disruptions and medical costs. In March 2018, he signed a Presidential Memorandum to prohibit transgender persons, whether transitioned or not, with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria from military service, except for individuals who have had 36 consecutive months of stability "in their biological sex before accession" and currently serving transgender persons in military service. Studies have found that allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military has "little or no impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness" and that medical costs associated with transgender service members would be "minimal".
In 2017, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov and a Chechen law enforcement official, citing anti-gay purges in Chechnya. In February 2019, the administration launched a global campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality; the initiative was pushed by Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany. Asked about the administration's campaign, Trump appeared to be unaware of it.
In February 2020, Trump appointed Grenell acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), marking the first time in history an openly gay official served in a Cabinet Level position.
....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
May 29, 2020
In response to the 2020 rioting and looting amid nationwide protests against racism and police brutality after a white Minneapolis Police Department officer murdered an African American man named George Floyd, Trump tweeted a quote, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts", coined in 1967 by a Miami police chief that has been widely condemned by civil rights groups. Trump later addressed protestors outside the White House by saying they "would have been greeted with the most vicious dogs, and most ominous weapons, I have ever seen" if they breached the White House fence.
On June 1, 2020, hundreds of police officers, members of the National Guard and other forces, in riot gear used smoke canisters, rubber bullets, batons and shields to disperse a crowd of peaceful protesters outside St. John's Episcopal Church across Lafayette Square from the White House. A news crew from Australia was attacked by these forces and clergy on the church's porch suffered effects of the gas and were dispersed along with the others. Trump, accompanied by other officials including the secretary of defense, then walked across Lafayette Square and posed for pictures while he was holding a Bible up for the cameras, outside the church which had suffered minor damage from a fire started by arsonists the night before. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington said she was "outraged" by Trump's actions, which also received widespread condemnation from other religious leaders. However, the reaction from the religious right and evangelicals generally praised the visit.
In July 2020, federal forces were deployed to Portland, Oregon, in response to rioting during protests against police brutality, which had resulted in vandalism to the city's federal courthouse. The Department of Homeland Security cited Trump's June 26 executive order to protect statues and monuments as allowing federal officers to be deployed without the permission of individual states. Federal agents fired pepper spray or tear gas at protesters who got too close to the U.S. courthouse. The heavily armed officers were dressed in military camouflage uniforms (without identification) and used unmarked vans to arrest protestors, some of whom were nowhere near the federal courthouse.
The presence and tactics of the officers drew widespread condemnation. Oregon officials including the governor, the mayor of Portland, and multiple members of Congress asked the DHS to remove federal agents from the city. The mayor said the officers were causing violence and "we do not need or want their help." Multiple Congressional committees asked for an investigation, saying "Citizens are concerned that the Administration has deployed a secret police force." Lawsuits against the administration were filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the attorney general of Oregon. The inspectors general for the Justice Department and Homeland Security announced investigations into the deployment.
Trump said he was pleased with the way things were going in Portland and said that he might send federal law enforcement to many more cities, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, and Oakland – "all run by liberal Democrats". Albuquerque and Milwaukee were also named as potential targets.
Under a deal worked out between Governor Kate Brown and the Trump administration, federal agents withdrew to standby locations on July 30, while state and local law enforcement forces took over responsibility for protecting the courthouse; they made no arrests and mostly stayed out of sight. Protests that night were peaceful. A DHS spokesperson said federal officers would remain in the area at least until the following Monday.
The administration marginalized the role of science in policymaking, halted numerous research projects, and saw the departure of scientists who said their work was marginalized or suppressed. In 2018, 19 months after Trump took office, meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier became the Science Advisor to the President; this was the longest period without a science advisor since the 1976 administration. While preparing for talks with Kim Jong-un, the White House did not do so with the assistance of a White House science adviser or senior counselor trained in nuclear physics. The position of chief scientist in the State Department or the Department of Agriculture was not filled. The administration nominated Sam Clovis to be chief scientist in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but he had no scientific background and the White House later withdrew the nomination. The administration successfully nominated Jim Bridenstine, who had no background in science and rejected the scientific consensus on climate change, to lead NASA. The U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) disbanded advisory committees, while the Department of Energy prohibited use of the term "climate change". In March 2020, The New York Times reported that an official at the Interior Department has repeatedly inserted climate change-denying language into the agency's scientific reports, such as those that affect water and mineral rights.
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration replaced career public affairs staff at the Department of Health and Human Services with political appointees, including Michael Caputo, who interfered with weekly Centers for Disease Control scientific reports and attempted to silence the government's most senior infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, "sowing distrust of the FDA at a time when health leaders desperately need people to accept a vaccine in order to create the immunity necessary to defeat the novel coronavirus". One day after Trump noted that he might dismiss an FDA proposal to improve standards for emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine, the presidents of the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine issued a statement expressing alarm at political interference in science during a pandemic, "particularly the overriding of evidence and advice from public health officials and derision of government scientists".
NASA began the Artemis program in December 2017, with its initial focus on returning humans to the Moon for commercial mining and research, aiming to secure the leading position in the emerging commercial space race. Trump also promoted the United States Space Force. On December 20, 2019, the Space Force Act, developed by Democratic representative Jim Cooper and Republican representative Mike Rogers, was signed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The act reorganized the Air Force Space Command into the United States Space Force, and created the first new independent military service since the Army Air Forces were reorganized as the U.S. Air Force in 1947.
Surveillance
In 2019, Trump signed into law a six-year extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allowing the NSA to conduct searches of foreigners' communications without any warrant. The process incidentally collects information from Americans.
Veterans affairs
Prior to David Shulkin's firing in April 2018, The New York Times described the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a "rare spot of calm in the Trump administration". Shulkin built upon changes started under the Obama administration to do a long-term overhaul of the VA system. In May 2018, legislation to increase veterans' access to private care was stalled, as was a VA overhaul which sought to synchronize medical records. In May 2018, there were reports of a large number of resignations of senior staffers and a major reshuffling.
In August 2018, ProPublica reported that three wealthy patrons of Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, formed an "informal council" that strongly influenced VA policy, including reviewing a confidential $10 billion contract to modernize the VA's records. The Government Accountability Office announced in November 2018 that it would investigate the matter.
In 2018, Trump signed into law the VA MISSION Act, which expanded eligibility for the Veterans Choice program, allowing veterans greater access to private sector healthcare. Trump falsely asserted more than 150 times that he created the Veterans Choice program, which has in fact existed since being signed into law by president Obama in 2014.
Under the Trump administration, the Justice Department limited enforcement actions to protect voting rights, and in fact often defended restrictions on voting rights imposed by various states that have been challenged as voter suppression. The Justice Department under Trump has filed only a single new case under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Trump's Justice Department opposed minority voters' interests in all of the major voting litigation since 2017 in which the Justice Department Civil Rights Division Voting Section has been involved.
Trump has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, there was widespread voter fraud. The administration created a commission with the stated purpose to review the extent of voter fraud in the wake of Trump's false claim that millions of unauthorized votes cost him the popular vote in the 2016 election. It was chaired by Vice President Pence, while the day-to-day administrator was Kris Kobach, best known for promoting restrictions on access to voting. The commission began its work by requesting each state to turn over detailed information about all registered voters in their database. Most states rejected the request, citing privacy concerns or state laws. Multiple lawsuits were filed against the commission. Maine Secretary of StateMatthew Dunlap said Kobach was refusing to share working documents and scheduling information with him and the other Democrats on the commission. A federal judge ordered the commission to hand over the documents. Shortly thereafter, Trump disbanded the commission, and informed Dunlap that it would not obey the court order to provide the documents because the commission no longer existed. Election integrity experts argued that the commission was disbanded because of the lawsuits, which would have led to greater transparency and accountability and thus prevented the Republican members of the commission from producing a sham report to justify restrictions on voting rights. It was later revealed the commission had, in its requests for Texas voter data, specifically asked for data that identifies voters with Hispanic surnames.
On August 13, 2017, Trump condemned violence "on many sides" after a gathering of hundreds of white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, the previous day (August 12) turned deadly. A white supremacist drove a car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman and injuring 19 others. According to Sessions, that action met the definition of domestic terrorism. During the rally there had been other violence, as some counter-protesters charged at the white nationalists with swinging clubs and mace, throwing bottles, rocks, and paint. Trump did not expressly mention neo-Nazis, white supremacists, or the alt-right movement in his remarks on August 13, but the following day condemned "the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups". On August 15, he again blamed "both sides".
Many Republican and Democratic elected officials condemned the violence and hatred of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and alt-right activists. Trump came under criticism from world leaders and politicians, as well as a variety of religious groups and anti-hate organizations for his remarks, which were seen as muted and equivocal. The New York Times reported Trump "was the only national political figure to spread blame for the 'hatred, bigotry and violence' that resulted in the death of one person to 'many sides'", and said Trump had "buoyed the white nationalist movement on Tuesday as no president has done in generations".
The foreign policy positions expressed by Trump during his presidential campaign changed frequently, so it was "difficult to glean a political agenda, or even a set of clear, core policy values ahead of his presidency". Under a banner of "America First", the Trump administration distinguished itself from past administrations with frequent open admiration of authoritarian rulers and rhetorical rejections of key human rights norms.
Despite pledges to reduce the number of active duty U.S. military personnel deployed overseas, the number was essentially the same three years into Trump's presidency as they were at the end of Obama's.
As a candidate and as president, Trump called for a major build-up of American military capabilities. Trump announced in October 2018 that the United States would withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia. The goal was to enable the United States to counter increasing Chinese intermediate nuclear missile capabilities in the Pacific. In December 2018, Trump complained about the amount the United States spends on an "uncontrollable arms race" with Russia and China. Trump said that the $716 billion which the United States was spending on the "arms race" was "Crazy!". He had previously praised his own increased defense spending, five months earlier. The total fiscal 2019 defense budget authorization was $716 billion, although missile defense and nuclear programs made up about $10 billion of the total.
During 2018, Trump falsely asserted that he had secured the largest defense budget authorization ever, the first military pay raise in ten years, and that military spending was at least 4.0% of GDP, "which got a lot bigger since I became your president".
Controversy arose in November 2019 after Trump pardoned or promoted three soldiers accused or convicted of war crimes. The most prominent case involved Eddie Gallagher, a Navy SEAL team chief who had been reported to Navy authorities by his own team members for sniping at an unarmed civilian girl and an elderly man. Gallagher faced court martial for the murder of a wounded teenage combatant, among other charges. The medic of his SEAL team was granted immunity to testify against him, but on the witness stand the medic reversed what he had previously told investigators and testified that he himself had murdered the teenage combatant. Gallagher was subsequently acquitted of the murder charge against him, and the Navy demoted him to the lowest possible rank due to his conviction on another charge. The Navy later moved to strip Gallagher of his Trident pin and to eject him from the Navy. Trump intervened to restore Gallagher's rank and pin. Many military officers were enraged by Trump's intervention, as they felt it disrupted principles of military discipline and justice. Secretary of the NavyRichard Spencer protested Trump's intervention and was forced to resign; in his resignation letter, he sharply rebuked Trump for his judgment in the matter. Trump told a rally audience days later, "I stuck up for three great warriors against the deep state."
The Trump administration sharply increased the frequency of drone strikes compared to the preceding Obama administration, in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, rollbacked transparency in reporting drone strike deaths, and reduced accountability. In March 2019, Trump ended the Obama policy of reporting the number of civilian deaths caused by U.S. drone strikes, claiming that this policy was unnecessary.
The number of U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan decreased significantly during Trump's presidency. By the end of Trump's term in office troop levels in Afghanistan were at the lowest levels since the early days of the war in 2001. Trump's presidency saw an expansion of drone warfare and a massive increase in civilian casualties from airstrikes in Afghanistan relative to the Obama administration.
In 2020, US casualties in Afghanistan reached their lowest level for the entire war. In Iraq, casualties increased, being significantly higher in Trump's term than Obama's second term.
Following the collapse of the Afghan government and the fall of Kabul in August 2021, accusations by Olivia Troye surfaced on Twitter of the Trump Administration deliberately obstructing the visa process for Afghans who had helped U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.
On January 19, 2021, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Department of State had determined that "genocide and crimes against humanity" had been perpetrated by China against the UyghurMuslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. The announcement was made on the last day of Trump's presidency. The incoming president, Joe Biden, had already declared during his presidential campaign, that such a determination should be made. On January 20, 2021, Pompeo along with other Trump administration officials were sanctioned by China.
After initially adopting a verbally hostile posture toward North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, Trump quickly pivoted to embrace the regime, saying he and Kim "fell in love". Trump engaged Kim by meeting him at two summits, in June 2018 and February 2019, an unprecedented move by an American president, as previous policy had been that a president's simply meeting with the North Korean leader would legitimize the regime on the world stage. During the June 2018 summit, the leaders signed a vague agreement to pursue denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, with Trump immediately declaring "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea." Little progress was made toward that goal during the months before the February 2019 summit, which ended abruptly without an agreement, hours after the White House announced a signing ceremony was imminent. During the months between the summits, a growing body of evidence indicated North Korea was continuing its nuclear fuel, bomb and missile development, including by redeveloping an ICBM site it was previously appearing to dismantle – even while the second summit was underway. In the aftermath of the February 2019 failed summit, the Treasury department imposed additional sanctions on North Korea. The following day, Trump tweeted, "It was announced today by the U.S. Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!" On December 31, 2019, the Korean Central News Agency announced that Kim had abandoned his moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, quoting Kim as saying, "the world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future." Two years after the Singapore summit, the North Korean nuclear arsenal had significantly expanded.
During a June 2019 visit to South Korea, Trump visited the Korean Demilitarized Zone and invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet him there, which he did, and Trump became the first sitting president to step inside North Korea.
In October 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the White House acknowledged that Turkey would be carrying out a planned military offensive into northern Syria; as such, U.S. troops in northern Syria were withdrawn from the area to avoid interference with that operation. The statement also passed responsibility for the area's captured ISIS fighters to Turkey. Congress members of both parties denounced the move, including Republican allies of Trump like Senator Lindsey Graham. They argued that the move betrayed the American-allied Kurds, and would benefit ISIS, Russia, Iran and Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime. Trump defended the move, citing the high cost of supporting the Kurds, and the lack of support from the Kurds in past U.S. wars. Within a week of the U.S. pullout, Turkey proceeded to attack Kurdish-controlled areas in northeast Syria. Kurdish forces then announced an alliance with the Syrian government and its Russian allies, in a united effort to repel Turkey.
After an Iranian missile test on January 29, 2017, and Houthi attacks on Saudi warships, the Trump administration sanctioned 12 companies and 13 individuals suspected of being involved in Iran's missile program. In May 2018, Trump withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement between Iran, the U.S., and five other countries that lifted most economic sanctions against Iran in return for Iran agreeing to restrictions on its nuclear program. Analysts determined that, after the United States's withdrawal, Iran moved closer to developing a nuclear weapon.
In January 2020, Trump ordered a U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who had planned nearly every significant operation by Iranian forces over the past two decades. Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites, including some "important to Iran & the Iranian culture", if Iran retaliated. The threat to hit cultural sites was seen as illegal and both Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would not attack such sites, but would "follow the laws of armed conflict" and "behave inside the system". Iran did retaliate with ballistic missile strikes against two U.S. airbases in Iraq. On the same day, amid the heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, Iran accidentally shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 after takeoff from Tehran airport.
In August 2020, the Trump administration unsuccessfully attempted to trigger a mechanism that was part of the agreement and would have led to the return of U.N. sanctions against Iran. The Trump administration asserted that the U.S. remained a "participant" in the Iran Deal to persuade the United Nations Security Council to reimpose pre-agreement sanctions on Iran for its breaches of the deal after the U.S. withdrawal. The agreement provided for a resolution process among signatories in the event of a breach, but that process had not yet played out. The Security Council voted on the administration's proposal in August, with only the Dominican Republic joining the U.S. to vote in favor.
Trump actively supported the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Houthis. Trump also praised his relationship with Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. On May 20, 2017, Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud signed a series of letters of intent for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to purchase arms from the United States totaling $110 billion immediately, and $350 billion over ten years. The transfer was widely seen as a counterbalance against the influence of Iran in the region and a "significant" and "historic" expansion of United States relations with Saudi Arabia. By July 2019, two of Trump's three vetoes were to overturn bipartisan congressional action related to Saudi Arabia.
In October 2018, amid widespread condemnation of Saudi Arabia for the murder of prominent Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump administration pushed back on the condemnation. After the CIA assessed that Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the murder of Khashoggi, Trump rejected the assessment and said the CIA only had "feelings" on the matter.
Since the Six Day War in 1967, the United States had considered Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank to be "illegitimate". This status changed in November 2019 when the Trump administration shifted U.S. policy and declared "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law."
As Donald Trump lost the election bid against Joe Biden, the U.S. State Department notified Congress about its plans to sell 18 sophisticated armed MQ-9B aerial drones to the United Arab Emirates, under a deal worth $2.9 billion. The drones were expected to be equipped with maritime radar, and the delivery was being estimated by 2024. Besides, another informal notification was sent to the Congress regarding the plans of providing the UAE with $10 billion of defense equipment, including precision-guided munitions, non-precision bombs and missiles.
American intelligence sources found the Russian governmentattempted to intervene in the 2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump, and that members of Trump's campaign were in contact with Russian government officials both before and after the election. In May 2017, the Department of Justice appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate "any links and/or coordination between Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation".
During his January 2017 confirmation hearings as the attorney general nominee before the Senate, then-Senator Jeff Sessions appeared to deliberately omit two meetings he had in 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, when asked if he had meetings involving the 2016 election with Russian government officials. Sessions later amended his testimony saying he "never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign". Following his amended statement, Sessions recused himself from any investigation regarding connections between Trump and Russia.
In May 2017, Trump discussed highly classified intelligence in an Oval Office meeting with the Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak, providing details that could expose the source of the information and how it was collected. A Middle Eastern ally provided the intelligence which had the highest level of classification and was not intended to be shared widely. The New York Times reported, "sharing the information without the express permission of the ally who provided it was a major breach of espionage etiquette, and could jeopardize a crucial intelligence-sharing relationship." The White House, through National Security AdvisorH. R. McMaster, issued a limited denial, saying the story "as reported" was incorrect and that no "intelligence sources or methods" were discussed. McMaster did not deny that information had been disclosed. The following day Trump said on Twitter that Russia is an important ally against terrorism and that he had an "absolute right" to share classified information with Russia. Soon after the meeting, American intelligence extracted a high-level covert source from within the Russian government, on concerns the individual could be at risk due, in part, to Trump and his administration repeatedly mishandling classified intelligence.
In October 2017, former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI regarding his contacts with Russian agents. During the campaign he had tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to set up meetings in Russia between Trump campaign representatives and Russian officials.
Trump went to great lengths to keep details of his private conversations with Russian president Putin secret, including in one case by retaining his interpreter's notes and instructing the linguist to not share the contents of the discussions with anyone in the administration. As a result, there were no detailed records, even in classified files, of Trump's conversations with Putin on five occasions.
Of Trump's campaign advisors and staff, six of them were indicted by the special counsel's office; five of them (Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos) pleaded guilty, while one has pleaded not guilty (Roger Stone). As of December 2020, Stone, Papadopoulos, Manafort, and Flynn have been pardoned by Trump, but not Cohen or Gates.
On June 12, 2019, Trump asserted he saw nothing wrong in accepting intelligence on his political adversaries from foreign powers, such as Russia, and he could see no reason to contact the FBI about it. Responding to a reporter who told him FBI director Christopher Wray had said such activities should be reported to the FBI, Trump said, "the FBI director is wrong." Trump elaborated, "there's nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, 'we have information on your opponent' – oh, I think I'd want to hear it." Both Democrats and Republicans repudiated the remarks.
The New York Times reported in June 2021 that in 2017 and 2018 the Justice Department subpoenaed metadata from the iCloud accounts of at least a dozen individuals associated with the House Intelligence Committee, including that of ranking Democratic member Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell, and family members, to investigate leaks to the press about contacts between Trump associates and Russia. Records of the inquiry did not implicate anyone associated with the committee, but upon becoming attorney general Bill Barr revived the effort, including by appointing a federal prosecutor and about six others in February 2020. The Times reported that, apart from corruption investigations, subpoenaing communications information of members of Congress is nearly unheard-of, and that some in the Justice Department saw Barr's approach as politically motivated. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced an inquiry into the matter the day after the Times report.
In February 2018, when Mueller indicted more than a dozen Russians and three entities for interference in the 2016 election, Trump asserted the indictment was proof his campaign did not collude with the Russians. The New York Times noted Trump "voiced no concern that a foreign power had been trying for nearly four years to upend American democracy, much less resolve to stop it from continuing to do so this year".
In July 2018, the special counsel indicted twelve Russian intelligence operatives and accused them of conspiring to interfere in the 2016 U.S. elections, by hacking servers and emails of the Democratic Party and the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign. The indictments were made before Trump's meeting with Putin in Helsinki, in which Trump supported Putin's denial that Russia was involved and criticized American law enforcement and intelligence community (subsequently Trump partially walked back some of his comments). A few days later, it was reported that Trump had actually been briefed on the veracity and extent of Russian cyber-attacks two weeks before his inauguration, back in December 2016, including the fact that these were ordered by Putin himself. The evidence presented to him at the time included text and email conversations between Russian military officers as well as information from a source close to Putin.
The redacted version of the Mueller report was released to the public by the Department of Justice on April 18, 2019
On March 22, 2019, Mueller submitted the final report to Attorney General William Barr. Two days later, Barr sent Congress a four-page letter, describing what he said were the special counsel's principal conclusions in the report. Barr added that, since the special counsel "did not draw a conclusion" on obstruction, this "leaves it to the Attorney General to determine whether the conduct described in the report constitutes a crime". Barr continued: "Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and I have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel's investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense."
Volume I discusses about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, concluding that interference occurred "in sweeping and systematic fashion" and "violated U.S. criminal law". The report detailed activities by the Internet Research Agency, a Kremlin-linked Russian troll farm, to create a "social media campaign that favored presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaged presidential candidate Hillary Clinton", and to "provoke and amplify political and social discord in the United States". The report also described how the Russian intelligence service, the GRU, performed computer hacking and strategic releasing of damaging material from the Clinton campaign and Democratic Party organizations. To establish whether a crime was committed by members of the Trump campaign with regard to Russian interference, investigators used the legal standard for criminal conspiracy rather than the popular concept of "collusion", because a crime of "collusion" is not found in criminal law or the United States Code.
According to the report, the investigation "identified numerous links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign", and found that Russia had "perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency" and the 2016 Trump presidential campaign "expected it would benefit electorally" from Russian hacking efforts. Ultimately, "the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." However, investigators had an incomplete picture of what had really occurred during the 2016 campaign, due to some associates of the Trump campaign providing false or incomplete testimony, exercising the privilege against self-incrimination, and having deleted, unsaved, or encrypted communications. As such, the Mueller report "cannot rule out the possibility" that information then unavailable to investigators would have presented different findings.
Volume II covered obstruction of justice. The report described ten episodes where Trump may have obstructed justice as president, plus one instance before he was elected. The report said that in addition to Trump's public attacks on the investigation and its subjects, he had also privately tried to "control the investigation" in multiple ways, but mostly failed to influence it because his subordinates or associates refused to carry out his instructions. For that reason, no charges against the Trump's aides and associates were recommended "beyond those already filed". The special counsel could not charge Trump himself once investigators decided to abide by an Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion that a sitting president cannot stand trial, and they feared charges would affect Trump's governing and possibly preempt his impeachment. In addition, investigators felt it would be unfair to accuse Trump of a crime without charges and without a trial in which he could clear his name, hence investigators "determined not to apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgment that the President committed crimes".
Since the special counsel's office had decided "not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment" on whether to "initiate or decline a prosecution", they "did not draw ultimate conclusions about the President's conduct". The report "does not conclude that the president committed a crime", but specifically did not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice, because investigators were not confident that Trump was innocent after examining his intent and actions. The report concluded "that Congress has authority to prohibit a President's corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice" and "that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the president's corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law".
On May 1, 2019, following publication of the special counsel's report, Barr testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, during which Barr said he "didn't exonerate" Trump on obstruction as that was not the role of the Justice Department. He declined to testify before the House Judiciary Committee the following day because he objected to the committee's plan to use staff lawyers during questioning. Barr also repeatedly failed to give the unredacted special counsel's report to the Judiciary Committee by its deadline of May 6, 2019. On May 8, 2019, the committee voted to hold Barr in contempt of Congress, which refers the matter to entire House for resolution. Concurrently, Trump asserted executive privilege via the Department of Justice in an effort to prevent the redacted portions of the special counsel's report and the underlying evidence from being disclosed. Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said the U.S. is in a constitutional crisis, "because the President is disobeying the law, is refusing all information to Congress". Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump was "self-impeaching" by stonewalling Congress.
Following release of the Mueller report, Trump and his allies turned their attention toward "investigating the investigators". On May 23, 2019, Trump ordered the intelligence community to cooperate with Barr's investigation of the origins of the investigation, granting Barr full authority to declassify any intelligence information related to the matter. Some analysts expressed concerns that the order could create a conflict between the Justice Department and the intelligence community over closely guarded intelligence sources and methods, as well as open the possibility Barr could cherrypick intelligence for public release to help Trump.
Upon announcing the formal closure of the investigation and his resignation from the Justice Department on May 29, Mueller said, "If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, decide as to whether the president did commit a crime." During his testimony to Congress on July 24, 2019, Mueller said that a president could be charged with obstruction of justice (or other crimes) after the president left office.
Amid accusations by Trump and his supporters that he had been subjected to an illegitimate investigation, in May 2019, Barr appointed federal prosecutor John Durham to review the origins of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. By September 2020, Durham's inquiry had expanded to include the FBI's investigation of the Clinton Foundation during the 2016 campaign.
In November 2017, Sessions appointed U.S. Attorney John Huber to investigate the FBI's surveillance of Carter Page and connections between the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One, starting in November 2017. The investigation ended in January 2020 after no evidence was found to warrant the opening of a criminal investigation. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's April 2019 report documented that Trump pressured Sessions and the Department of Justice to reopen the investigation into Clinton's emails.
The Trump administration was characterized by a departure from ethical norms. Unlike previous administrations of both parties, the Trump White House did not observe a strict boundary between official government activities and personal, political, or campaign activities. Some critics went so far as to describe Trump as bringing kleptocracy to America.
Role of lobbyists
During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised to "drain the swamp" – a phrase that usually refers to entrenched corruption and lobbying in Washington, D.C. – and he proposed a series of ethics reforms. However, according to federal records and interviews, there was a dramatic increase in lobbying by corporations and hired interests during Trump's tenure, particularly through Pence's office. About twice as many lobbying firms contacted Pence, compared to previous presidencies, among them representatives of major energy firms and drug companies. In many cases, the lobbyists charged their clients millions of dollars for access to the vice president, then donated the money to Pence's political causes.
Among the administration's first policies was a five-year ban on serving as a lobbyist after working in the executive branch. However, as one of his final acts of office, Trump rolled back that policy, thus allowing administration staff to work as lobbyists.
Trump's presidency was marked by significant public concern about conflict of interest stemming from his diverse business ventures. In the lead up to his inauguration, Trump promised to remove himself from the day-to-day operations of his businesses. Trump placed his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. at the head of his businesses claiming they would not communicate with him regarding his interests. However, critics noted that this would not prevent him from having input into his businesses and knowing how to benefit himself, and Trump continued to receive quarterly updates on his businesses. As his presidency progressed, he failed to take steps or show interest in further distancing himself from his business interests resulting in numerous potential conflicts. Ethics experts found Trump's plan to address conflicts of interest between his position as president and his private business interests to be entirely inadequate. Unlike every other president in the last 40 years, Trump did not put his business interests in a blind trust or equivalent arrangement "to cleanly sever himself from his business interests". In January 2018, a year into his presidency, Trump owned stakes in hundreds of businesses. Anne Applebaum noted how Trump properties, including Trump Tower, has been used for laundering money by kleptocrats around the world (though there is no evidence Trump knew that was going on) and that two-thirds of the sales in Trump-owned properties went to anonymous buyers in 2017, raising potential conflicts-of-interest with a sitting president of the United States.
After Trump took office, the watchdog groupCitizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, represented by a number of constitutional scholars, sued him for violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause (a constitutional provision that bars the president or any other federal official from taking gifts or payments from foreign governments), because his hotels and other businesses accept payment from foreign governments. CREW separately filed a complaint with the General Services Administration (GSA) over Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.; the 2013 lease that Trump and the GSA signed "explicitly forbids any elected government official from holding the lease or benefiting from it". The GSA said it was "reviewing the situation". By May 2017, the CREW v. Trump lawsuit had grown with additional plaintiffs and alleged violations of the Domestic Emoluments Clause. In June 2017, attorneys from the Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no right to sue and that the described conduct was not illegal. Also in June 2017, two more lawsuits were filed based on the Foreign Emoluments Clause: D.C. and Maryland v. Trump, and Blumenthal v. Trump, which was signed by more than one-third of the voting members of Congress. United States District JudgeGeorge B. Daniels dismissed the CREW case on December 21, 2017, holding that plaintiffs lacked standing. D.C. and Maryland v. Trump cleared three judicial hurdles to proceed to the discovery phase during 2018, with prosecutors issuing 38 subpoenas to Trump's businesses and cabinet departments in December before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay days later at the behest of the Justice Department, pending hearings in March 2019. NBC News reported that by June 2019 representatives of 22 governments had spent money at Trump properties. In January 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuits as Trump was no longer president.
In March 2018, The New York Times reported that George Nader had turned Trump's major fundraiser Elliott Broidy "into an instrument of influence at the White House for the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ... High on the agenda of the two men ... was pushing the White House to remove Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson," a top defender of the Iran nuclear deal in Donald Trump's administration, and "backing confrontational approaches to Iran and Qatar".
Transparency, data availability, and record keeping
The Washington Post reported in May 2017, "a wide variety of information that until recently was provided to the public, limiting access, for instance, to disclosures about workplace violations, energy efficiency, and animal welfare abuses" had been removed or tucked away. The Obama administration had used the publication of enforcement actions taken by federal agencies against companies as a way to name and shame companies that engaged in unethical and illegal behaviors.
The Trump administration stopped the longstanding practice of logging visitors to the White House, making it difficult to tell who had visited the White House. In July 2018, CNN reported that the White House had suspended the practice of publishing public summaries of Trump's phone calls with world leaders, bringing an end to a common exercise from previous administrations.
In January 2024, the White House Medical Unit and its pharmacy caught the media's attention when the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General issued an investigation report focused on prescription drug records and care between 2017 and 2019, describing improper recording of prescriptions, disposal of controlled substances, and verification of identities, among other problems. The pharmacy dispensed expensive brand-name products for free, and the Unit spent considerable amounts of money on healthcare for numerous ineligible White House staff members, employees, and contractors.
Trump refused to follow the rules of the Presidential Records Act, which requires presidents and their administrations to preserve all official documents and turn them over to the National Archives. Trump habitually tore up papers after reading them, and White House staffers were assigned to collect the scraps and tape them back together for the archives. He also took boxes of documents and other items with him when he left the White House; the National Archives later retrieved them. Some of the documents he took with him were discovered to be classified, including some at the "top secret" level. Trump sometimes used his personal cellphone to converse with world leaders so that there would be no record of the conversation. By May 2022, federal prosecutors had empaneled a grand jury to investigate possible mishandling of documents by Trump and other officials in his White House.
Hatch Act violations
In the first three and a half years of Trump's term, the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal government ethics agency, found 13 senior Trump administration officials in violation of the Hatch Act of 1939, which restricts the government employees' (other than the president's and vice president's) involvement in politics; 11 of the complaints were filed by the activist group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). By comparison, CREW stated that it was aware of only two findings of Hatch Act violations during the eight years of the Obama administration.
Henry Kerner, head of the Office of Special Counsel, found in a report released in November 2021 that at least 13 administration officials demonstrated "willful disregard" for the Hatch Act, including "especially pernicious" behavior in the days before the 2020 election.
Security clearances
In March 2019, Tricia Newbold, a White House employee working on security clearances, privately told the House Oversight Committee that at least 25 Trump administration officials had been granted security clearances over the objections of career staffers. Newbold also asserted that some of these officials had previously had their applications rejected for "disqualifying issues", only for those rejections to be overturned with inadequate explanation.
After the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed former head of White House security clearances Carl Kline to give testimony, the administration instructed Kline not to comply with the subpoena, asserting that the subpoena "unconstitutionally encroaches on fundamental executive branch interests". Kline eventually gave closed-door testimony before the committee in May 2019, but House Democrats said he did not "provide specific details to their questions".
On August 12, 2019, an unnamed intelligence official privately filed a whistleblower complaint with Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the Intelligence Community (ICIG), under the provisions of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act (ICWPA). The whistleblower alleged that Trump had abused his office in soliciting foreign interference to improve his own electoral chances in 2020. The complaint reports that in a July 2019 call, Trump had asked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate potential 2020 rival presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as matters pertaining to whether Russian interference occurred in the 2016 U.S. election with regard to Democratic National Committee servers and the company Crowdstrike. Trump allegedly nominated his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr to work with Ukraine on these matters. Additionally, the whistleblower alleged that the White House attempted to "lock down" the call records in a cover-up, and that the call was part of a wider pressure campaign by Giuliani and the Trump administration to urge Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The whistleblower posits that the pressure campaign may have included Trump cancelling Vice President Mike Pence's May 2019 Ukraine trip, and Trump withholding financial aid from Ukraine in July 2019.
Inspector General Atkinson found the whistleblower's complaint both urgent and credible, so he transmitted the complaint on August 26 to Joseph Maguire, the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Under the law, Maguire was supposed to forward the complaint to the Senate and House Intelligence Committees within a week. Maguire refused, so Atkinson informed the congressional committees of the existence of the complaint, but not its content. The general counsel for Maguire's office said that since the complaint was not about someone in the intelligence community, it was not an "urgent concern" and thus there was no need to pass it to Congress. Later testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on September 26, Maguire said he had consulted with the White House Counsel and the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, of which the latter office gave him the rationale to withhold the complaint. Maguire also testified: "I think the whistleblower did the right thing. I think he followed the law every step of the way."
On September 22, Trump confirmed that he had discussed with Zelensky how "we don't want our people like Vice President Biden and his son creating to the corruption already in the Ukraine." Trump also confirmed that he had indeed temporarily withheld military aid from Ukraine, offering contradicting reasons for his decision on September 23 and 24.
On September 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the start of a formal impeachment inquiry. On September 25, the White House released a non-verbatim transcript of the call between Trump and Zelensky; while the members and staff of congressional intelligence committees were allowed to read the whistleblower complaint. On September 26, the White House declassified the whistleblower's complaint, so Schiff released the complaint to the public. The non-verbatim transcript corroborated the main allegations of the whistleblower's report about the Trump–Zelensky call. The non-verbatim transcript stated that after Zelensky discussed the possibility of buying American anti-tank missiles to defend Ukraine, Trump instead asked for a favor, suggesting an investigation of the company Crowdstrike, while later in the call he also called for an investigation of the Bidens and cooperation with Giuliani and Barr. On September 27, the White House confirmed the whistleblower's allegation that the Trump administration had stored the Trump–Zelensky transcript in a highly classified system.
Following these revelations, members of congress largely divided along party lines, with Democrats generally in favor of impeachment proceedings and Republicans defending the president. Ukraine envoy Kurt Volker resigned and three House committees issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to schedule depositions for Volker and four other State Department employees, and to compel the release of documents. Attention to the issue also led to further revelations by anonymous sources. These included the misuse of classification systems to hide records of conversations with Ukrainian, Russian, and Saudi Arabian leaders, and statements made to Sergei Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak in May 2017 expressing a lack of concern about Russian interference in U.S. elections.
Use of the Office of President
Trump often sought to use the office of the presidency for his own interest. Under his leadership, the Justice Department, which is traditionally independent from the president, became highly partisan and acted in Trump's interest.
Bloomberg News reported in October 2019 that during a 2017 Oval Office meeting, Trump had asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to pressure the Justice Department to drop a criminal investigation of Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-Turkish gold trader who was a client of Trump associate Rudy Giuliani. Tillerson reportedly refused.
Trump attempted to host the 2020 G7 Summit at his Doral Golf Resort, from which he could have made significant profits. Trump visited his properties 274 times during his presidency. Government officials were charged as much as $650 per night to stay at Trump's properties.
In the lead up to the 2020 election, Trump and Postmaster GeneralLouis DeJoy, a close ally of Trump, sought to hamper the US postal service by cutting funding and services, a move which would prevent postal votes from being counted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump fired, demoted, or withdrew nominations of numerous government officials in retaliation for actions that projected negatively on his public image or harmed his personal or political interests, including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire.
In December 2020, shortly before Christmas and in his last month in office, Trump granted 26 people full pardons and commuted the sentences of three others convicted of federal crimes. Those who benefitted included his former campaign advisor Paul Manafort, advisor and personal friend Roger Stone and Charles Kushner, father of Trump's son-in-law and confidant Jared Kushner. In the final hours of his presidency, Donald Trump pardoned nearly 74 people, including rappers, financiers, and former members of congress. Those pardoned include his former senior adviser Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner's friend charged with cyberstalking, Ken Kurson; a real estate lawyer, Albert Pirro; and rappers prosecuted on federal weapons offenses, Lil Wayne and Kodak Black. Trump also pardoned his former fundraiser Elliott Broidy, who worked for China, the UAE, and Russia at the White House. Broidy also lobbied the US government to end the investigations in the 1MDB scandal.
According to several reports, Trump's and his family's trips in the first month of his presidency cost U.S. taxpayers nearly as much as President Obama's travel expenses for an entire year. When Obama was president, Trump frequently criticized him for taking vacations which were paid for with public funds. The Washington Post reported that Trump's atypically lavish lifestyle is far more expensive to the taxpayers than what was typical of previous presidents and could end up in the hundreds of millions of dollars over the whole of Trump's term.
A June 2019 analysis by the Washington Post found that federal officials and GOP campaigns had spent at least $1.6 million at businesses owned by Trump during his presidency. This was an undercount, as most of the data on spending by government officials covered only the first few months of Trump's presidency.
In the 2018 midterm elections, Democrats had a blue wave, winning control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans expanded their majority in the Senate.
Trump officially announced his reelection campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2020 presidential election on June 18, 2019. Trump did not face any significant rivals for the 2020 Republican nomination, with some state Republican parties cancelling the presidential primaries in the states. Trump's Democratic opponent in the general election was former vice president Joe Biden of Delaware. The election on November 3 was not called for either candidate for several days. On November 7, the Associated Press along with mainstream media called the race for Joe Biden.
It was the first presidency since that of Herbert Hoover in 1932 in which a sitting president was defeated and his party lost its majorities in both chambers of Congress.
Trump refused to concede, and the administration did not begin cooperating with president-elect Biden's transition team until November 23. In late December 2020, Biden and his transition team criticized Trump administration political appointees for hampering the transition and failing to cooperate with the Biden transition team on national security areas, such as the Defense and State departments, as well as on the economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that many of the agencies that are critical to their security have incurred enormous damage and have been hollowed out – in personnel, capacity and in morale. Throughout December and January, Trump continued to insist that he had won the election. He filed numerous lawsuits alleging election fraud, tried to persuade state and federal officials to overturn the results, and urged his supporters to rally on his behalf. Although most resulting lawsuits were either dismissed or ruled against by numerous courts, Trump nonetheless conspired with his campaign team to submit documents in several states (all of which had been won by Biden) which falsely claimed to be legitimate electoral certificates for President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. After the submission of these documents, the Trump campaign intended that the presiding officer of the United States Senate, either President of the Senate Pence or President pro temporeChuck Grassley, would claim to have the unilateral power to reject electors during the January 6, 2021 vote counting session; the presiding officer would reject all electors from the several states in which the Trump campaign had submitted false documents, leaving 232 votes for Trump and 222 votes for Biden, thereby overturning the election results in favour of Trump. The plans for January 6 failed to come to fruition after Pence refused to follow the campaign's proposals.
During an initial rally earlier that morning, Trump encouraged his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol. Subsequently, pro-Trump attendees marched to the Capitol building, joined other protesters, and stormed the building. Congress was in session at the time, conducting the Electoral College vote count and debating the results of the vote. As the protesters arrived, Capitol security evacuated the Senate and House of Representatives chambers and locked down several other buildings on the Capitol campus. Later that evening, after the Capitol was secured, Congress went back into session to discuss the Electoral College vote, finally affirming at 3:41 a.m. that Biden had won the election.
Five casualties occurred during the event: one Capitol Police officer, and four stormers or protesters at the Capitol, including one rioter shot by police inside the building. At least 138 police officers were injured. Three improvised explosive devices were reported to have been found: one each on Capitol grounds, at the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee offices.
Following the Capitol attack, several cabinet-level officials and White House staff resigned, citing the incident and Trump's behavior.
On January 7, the day after the Electoral College results were certified by Congress, Trump tweeted a video in which he stated, "A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power." The State Department subsequently told diplomats to affirm Biden's victory.
On January 12, the House voted in favor of requesting that the vice president remove Trump from office per the Twenty-fifth Amendment; hours earlier, Pence had indicated that he opposed such a measure. The next day, the House voted 232–197 to impeach Trump on a charge of "incitement of insurrection". Ten Republican representatives joined all Democratic representatives in voting to impeach Trump. Trump is the first and only president to be impeached twice. On February 13, the Senate voted 57–43 to convict Trump on a charge of inciting insurrection, ten votes short of the required two-thirds majority, and he was acquitted. Seven Republican senators joined all Democratic and independent senators in voting to convict Trump.
President Trump's first farewell address on January 19, 2021
Trump gave a first farewell address the day prior to the inauguration of Joe Biden. In it he stressed his economic and foreign policy record, and said the country can never tolerate "political violence". Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration, becoming the first departing president in 152 years to refuse to attend his elected successor's inauguration, but he did honor another tradition by leaving Biden a letter on the Resolute desk in the White House.
In the 2018 presidential rankings by the Siena College Research Institute, Trump ranked as the third-worst president in history. C-SPAN's 2021 President Historians Survey ranked Trump as the fourth-worst president overall and the worst in the leadership characteristics of Moral Authority and Administrative Skills. Trump's best rated leadership characteristic was Public Persuasion, where he ranked 32nd out of the 44 presidents. Trump ranked last in both the 2018 and 2024 surveys of the American Political Science Association Presidents and Executive Politics section, with self-identified Republican historians ranking Trump in their bottom five presidents.
At the time of the 2016 election, polls by Gallup found Trump had a favorable rating around 35 percent and an unfavorable rating around 60 percent, while Clinton held a favorable rating of 40 percent and an unfavorable rating of 57 percent. 2016 was the first election cycle in modern presidential polling in which both major-party candidates were viewed so unfavorably. By January 20, 2017, Inauguration Day, Trump's approval rating average was 42 percent, the lowest rating average for an incoming president in the history of modern polling; during his term it was an "incredibly stable (and also historically low)" 36 percent to 40 percent. According to Gallup, Trump's approval rating peaked at 49 percent in several polls in early 2020; this makes him the only president to never reach a 50 percent approval rating in the Gallup poll dating to 1938.
Trump later falsely asserted, "President Obama wanted to meet and chairman Kim would not meet him. The Obama administration was begging for a meeting."
Revealed to be Israel the day after publication in the press.
^ 17 days of the 115th Congress (January 3, 2017 – January 19, 2017) took place under President Obama, and 17 days of the 117th Congress (January 3, 2021 – January 19, 2021) took place during Trump's first presidency, with the Republicans also briefly have held a majority in the Senate until January 20, 2021.
^ The Congress began with 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats (including 2 independents who caucus with the Democrats) and 1 vacancy in the Senate. Georgia's class 2 seat was vacant from the start until Democrat Jon Ossoff was seated January 20, 2021. Georgia's class 3 Republican interim appointee Kelly Loeffler served until Democrat Raphael Warnock was also seated on January 20, 2021. The Republicans also briefly have held a majority in the Senate until January 20, 2021.
The Congress began with 211 Republicans, 222 Democrats and 2 vacancies in the House. Louisiana's 5th district seat was vacant due to the death of Republican member elect Luke Letlow before the term started. New York's 22nd district seat was also vacant due to the disputed election until Republican Claudia Tenney would later be declared a winner and sworn in February 11, 2021.
Segers, Grace (June 12, 2020). "Washington Post fact checker talks about Trump and the truth". CBS News. Retrieved November 11, 2021. Glenn Kessler, the chief writer for the "Fact Checker" feature of The Washington Post, says that 'every president lies,' but President Trump is unique in the sheer scale and number of his falsehoods. ... 'What is unique about Trump is that he misleads and says false things and lies about just about everything on a regular basis.'
Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (August 7, 2017). "Many Politicians Lie. But Trump Has Elevated the Art of Fabrication". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2019. President Trump, historians and consultants in both political parties agree, appears to have taken what the writer Hannah Arendt once called 'the conflict between truth and politics' to an entirely new level.
Glasser, Susan (August 3, 2018). "It's True: Trump Is Lying More, and He's Doing It on Purpose". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 10, 2019. for the President's unprecedented record of untruths ... the previous gold standard in Presidential lying was, of course, Richard Nixon ... the falsehoods are as much a part of his political identity as his floppy orange hair and the "Make America Great Again" slogan.
Shafer, Paul; Anderson, David (2019). "The Trump Effect: Postinauguration Changes in Marketplace Enrollment". Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 44 (5): 715–736. doi:10.1215/03616878-7611623. PMID31199870. S2CID189861794.
Slaoui, Moncef; Hepburn, Matthew (August 26, 2020). "Developing safe and effective covid vaccines – Operation Warp Speed's strategy and approach". New England Journal of Medicine. 383 (18): 1701–1703. doi:10.1056/nejmp2027405. ISSN0028-4793. PMID32846056. S2CID221347918. advancing eight vaccines in parallel will increase the chances of delivering 300 million doses in the first half of 2021 ... Of the eight vaccines in OWS's portfolio, six have been announced and partnerships executed with the companies: Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech (both mRNA), AstraZeneca and Janssen (both replication-defective live-vector), and Novavax and Sanofi/GSK (both recombinant-subunit-adjuvanted protein). These candidates cover three of the four platform technologies and are currently in clinical trials. The remaining two candidates will enter trials soon.
Straut-Eppsteiner, Holly (April 22, 2019). "Research Shows a Citizenship Question Would Suppress Participation among Latinxs and Immigrants in the 2020 Census, Undermining Its Reliability". National Immigration Law Center. Retrieved November 10, 2021. Researchers uncovered a significant and troubling finding from this survey research: Fewer Latinx immigrant households will participate in the 2020 census if the question is implemented, which will result in an undercount. Without the citizenship question, 84 percent of respondents were willing to participate in the census; after including the citizenship question, however, willingness to participate dropped by almost half, to 46 percent. Willingness dropped among individuals across legal status: naturalized citizens, legal residents, and undocumented individuals.
Coppins, McKay (June 2, 2020). "The Christians Who Loved Trump's Stunt". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 4, 2020. I thought it was completely appropriate for the president to stand in front of that church," Jeffress told me. "And by holding up the Bible, he was showing us that it teaches that, yes, God hates racism, it's despicable – but God also hates lawlessness.
Mueller Report, vol. I, p. 4: At the same time the IRA operation began to focus on supporting candidate Trump in early 2016, the Russian government employed a second form of interference: cyber intrusions (hacking) and releases of hacked materials damaging to the Clinton Campaign. The Russian intelligence service known as the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Army (GRU) carried out these operations. In March 2016, the GRU began hacking the email accounts of Clinton Campaign volunteers and employees, including campaign chairman John Podesta. In April 2016, the GRU hacked into the computer networks of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The GRU stole hundreds of thousands of documents from the compromised email accounts and networks. Around the time the DNC announced in mid-June 2016 the Russian government's role in hacking its network, the GRU began disseminating stolen materials through the fictitious online personas "DCLeaks" and "Guccifer 2.0". The GRU later released additional materials through the organization WikiLeaks.
Mueller Report, vol. I, p. 2: In evaluating whether evidence about collective action of multiple individuals constituted a crime, we applied the framework of conspiracy law, not the concept of "collusion". In so doing, the Office recognized that the word "collud" was used in communications with the Acting Attorney General confirming certain aspects of the investigation's scope and that the term has frequently been invoked in public reporting about the investigation. But collusion is not a specific offense or theory of liability found in the United States Code, nor is it a term of art in federal criminal law. For those reasons, the Office's focus in analyzing questions of joint criminal liability was on conspiracy as defined in federal law.
Mueller Report, vol. II, p. 2: "Third, we considered whether to evaluate the conduct we investigated under the Justice Manual standards governing prosecution and declination decisions, but we determined not to apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgment that the President committed crimes."
Safdar, Khadeeja; Ailworth, Erin; Seetharaman, Deepa (January 8, 2021). "Police Identify Five Dead After Capitol Riot". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
Albrecht, Don E. "Donald Trump and changing rural/urban voting patterns." Journal of Rural Studies 91 (2022): 148–156.
Zelizer, Julian E. ed. The Presidency of Donald J. Trump: A First Historical Assessment (2022) excerpt
Locatelli, Andrea, and Andrea Carati. "Trump's Legacy and the Liberal International Order: Why Trump Failed to Institutionalise an Anti-global Agenda." International Spectator (2022): 1–17.
Löfflmann, Georg. "'Enemies of the people': Donald Trump and the security imaginary of America First." British Journal of Politics and International Relations 24.3 (2022): 543–560. online
Alexandre, Ilo, Joseph Jai-sung Yoo, and Dhiraj Murthy. "Make Tweets Great Again: Who Are Opinion Leaders, and What Did They Tweet About Donald Trump?." Social Science Computer Review 40.6 (2022): 1456–1477. online
Baker, Joseph O., and Christopher D. Bader. "Xenophobia, Partisanship, and Support for Donald Trump and the Republican Party." Race and Social Problems 14.1 (2022): 69–83.
Pfiffner, James P. "President Trump and the Shallow State: Disloyalty at the Highest Levels." Presidential Studies Quarterly 52.3 (2022): 573–595. online
Baker, Peter, and Susan Glasser. The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017–2021 (2022) excerpt
Phipps, E. Brooke, and Fielding Montgomery. "'Only YOU Can Prevent This Nightmare, America': Nancy Pelosi As the Monstrous-Feminine in Donald Trump's YouTube Attacks." Women's Studies in Communication 45.3 (2022): 316–337.
Ruisch, Benjamin C., and Melissa J. Ferguson. "Changes in Americans' prejudices during the presidency of Donald Trump." Nature Human Behaviour 6.5 (2022): 656–665. online
Dubinsky, Yoav. "Sports, Brand America and US public diplomacy during the presidency of Donald Trump." in Place Branding and Public Diplomacy (2021) pp: 1–14.
Pfiffner, James P. "Donald Trump and the Norms of the Presidency." Presidential Studies Quarterly 51.1 (2021): 96–124. online
Holzer, Harold. The Presidents vs. the Press: The Endless Battle Between the White House and the Media – from the Founding Fathers to Fake News (Dutton, 2020) pp. 402–443. online
Mercieca, Jennifer. Demagogue for president: The rhetorical genius of Donald Trump (Texas A&M University Press, 2020).
Barrett-Fox, Rebecca. "A King Cyrus president: How Donald Trump's presidency reasserts conservative Christians' right to hegemony." Humanity & Society 42.4 (2018): 502–522.
Jacobs, Nicholas; Milkis, Sidney. Subverting the Republic: Donald J. Trump and the Perils of Presidentialism. (University Press of Kansas, 2025)
Historiography, memory and teaching
Conway III, Lucian G., and Alivia Zubrod. "Are US Presidents becoming less rhetorically complex? Evaluating the integrative complexity of Joe Biden and Donald Trump in historical context." Journal of Language and Social Psychology 41.5 (2022): 613–625.
Fischer, Fritz. "Teaching Trump in the History Classroom." Journal of American History 108.4 (2022): 772–778; in college courses online
Karpman, Hannah E., and Rory Crath. "Teaching Note – Teaching Trumpism." Journal of Social Work Education (2022): 1–8. online
Bauer, A. J. "The alternative historiography of the Alt-Right: Conservative historical subjectivity from the tea party to Trump." in Far-right revisionism and the end of history (Routledge, 2020) pp. 120–137.
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Fact-checkers from The Washington Post (orange), the Toronto Star and CNN (blue) compiled data on "false or misleading claims", and "false claims", respectively. The peaks corresponded in late 2018 to the midterm elections, in late 2019 to his impeachment inquiry, and in late 2020 to the presidential election. The Post reported 30,573 false or misleading claims in four years, an average of more than 20.9 per day.
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