Writings: President Trumps Accomlishments

As of July 1st 2017 - Halfway point of first year in office
Itemized by Conservapedia.com

Social Policy

Legislation signed

March 27, 2017—One of the four Congressional Review bills that Trump signed into law that day repealed Obama's Blacklisting Rule, which would have required firms contracted by federal agencies to disclose every claim of unfair labor practices concerning them – something which would have given unionized contractors an upper-hand. On the same day, President Trump signed an executive order repealing the contracting rule.[1]

Executive actions

January 20, 2017—On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order that would lessen Obamacare's burden while Republicans work to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[2][3]
February 22, 2017—President Trump rescinded former President Obama's pro-transgender guidelines for schools receiving federal aid that are subject to Title IX.[4] A day earlier, the Trump Administration announced it would discontinue Obama's pro-transgender policies.[5]
March 27, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order repealing Obama-era labor law compliance requirements[1] for federal contractors, along with signing a resolution of disapproval that day on the same topic.[6]
April 14, 2017—President Trump appointed Roger Severino, a strong defender of religious liberty, to the HHS Office for Civil Rights.[7][8]
April 14, 2017—The Justice Department dropped its discrimination lawsuit against North Carolina for its "bathroom bill" (filed under the Obama Administration) after North Carolina passed a compromise bill. Homosexual activists still opposed the new bill.[9]
May 1, 2017—The Agriculture Department took steps to give schools more flexibility in their school meal plans.[10]
May 4, 2017—On the annual National Day of Prayer,[11] President Trump signed an executive order on religious liberty. Among its provisions, it loosened IRS restrictions against political activities by tax-exempt religious organizations, effectively weakening the Johnson Amendment; and it attempted to make it easier for employers not to provide contraceptives if they had religious objections.[12] The order gave conservative Attorney General Jeff Sessions greater authority regarding religious liberty policy.[13] Although well received by some Christians and conservatives,[14] others criticized it for being ineffective and easy to repeal.[15] Other members of the Trump Administration have shown strong support for religious liberty.[16]
In May 2017, the Trump Administration began to undo Section 1557 of ObamaCare, which would have helped liberals gain transexual "rights" through the courts.[17]
June 6, 2017—The Trump Administration appointed Valerie Huber, an abstinence education advocate, to the position of chief of staff to the assistant secretary for health at the HHS.[18]
President Trump did not proclaim June 2017 as LGBT Pride Month, unlike former presidents Clinton and Obama.[19]

Veterans

Legislation signed

April 19, 2017—President Trump signed an extension of the Veterans Choice Act of 2014, which allowed veterans to seek medical care outside the VA system due to serious VA problems.[4][5]
June 2, 2017—President Trump signed a bill into law giving preference in federal grants to "federal and state law enforcement agencies that hire and train veterans".[6]
June 23, 2017—President Trump signed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act into law (Trump described the law as "one of the largest reforms to the VA in its history"[7]), which expanded protections for VA whistleblowers, gave the VA the authority to end bonuses to convicted employees, made quicker and easier the process for firing, suspending, and demoting employees.[8]

Executive actions

April 27, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order creating an office in the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate obstacles preventing the VA from firing incompetent employees, and to protect those who reveal cases of incompetence in the department.[9]
June 5, 2017—The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it would adopt the same medical records system as the Defense Department in order to bring better care for veterans.[10][11]

Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, and DOJ

Legislation signed

June 2, 2017—President Trump signed a bill into law to reduce the backlog of families of fallen police officers waiting to receive benefits due to their status.[5]

Executive actions

February 2017—Attorney General Sessions rescinded an Obama Administration memo that directed the Bureau of Prisons to begin phasing out private prisons.[6]
February 9, 2017—President Trump signed three executive orders pertaining to law enforcement. The first cracked down and strengthens the law against international crime organizations, the second deals with anti-law enforcement crimes, and third with finding a strategy for reducing crime in general, "including, in particular, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and violent crime."[7]
March 10, 2017—Attorney General Sessions asked the 46 remaining U.S. attorneys appointed by Obama, arguably the most left-wing president in U.S. history, to resign.[8][9] One of those U.S. attorneys was the failed Zachary Fardon, who was lax in his prosecution of gun crimes (Sessions directed the Justice Department to increase prosecutions on gun-law violations and to reinforce harsh sentences for such).[10] When one of those attorneys, Preet Bharara, refused to resign (likely for political gain), he was fired.[11] Later, in May 2017, more Obama holdovers left the Justice Department.[12]
April 3, 2017—Attorney General Sessions ordered the Department of Justice to review Obama's agreements with local police departments. Sessions made this order to give back local control to police departments.[13]
April 13, 2017—The Justice Department prosecuted two doctors and one other for practicing female genital mutilation – the first such prosecutions under a federal law passed by Congress in 1996 prohibiting the practice.[14]
May 9, 2017—Although he previously stated he was not planning on asking him to resign,[15] President Trump, at the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, fired Obama-appointed FBI director James Comey for being unfit to serve in the position.[16] Democrats and liberals were dismayed at the decision,[17] but it showed that Trump was serious about shaking up D.C. and "draining the swamp."[18]
May 11, 2017—Attorney General Sessions ended Obama and Eric Holder's policy of pursuing light sentences for criminals when he ordered federal prosecutors to pursue "the most serious and readily provable offense" committed by those under prosecution.[19]
June 7, 2017—Attorney General Sessions ended a policy begun by Eric Holder where the Justice Department would reach settlements with companies that required them to pay third-party groups, many of which were left-wing organizations.[20]
June 20, 2017—Attorney General Sessions launched the National Public Safety Partnership as part of a wider DOJ effort at countering violent crime.[21]
June 30, 2017—The Trump Administration sent 20 ATF agents to Chicago to help the city fight gun violence.[22] The local US Attorney said the same day that his office had already prosecuted more Chicago gun cases in 2017 than it had done throughout the entire year 2016.[23]

Abortion

Legislation signed

April 13, 2017—President Trump signed a Congressional Review bill into law annulling a recent Obama Administration regulation that would have prohibited states from discriminating in awarding Title X family planning funds based on whether the local clinic also performs abortions (some states adopted rules which distribute federal family planning funds on the condition that the organizations do not perform abortions).[2] The Act was "the first major national pro-life bill in more than a decade."[3]

Executive actions

January 23, 2017—President Trump signed an order reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which defunded International Planned Parenthood and other organizations that promote foreign abortions.[4][5] However, unlike previous administrations, the Trump Administration expanded the policy to include all global health assistance funding.[1]Multiple references:
April 4, 2017—The Trump Administration halted U.S. funding of the United Nations Population Fund, which has links to inhumane abortion programs such as China'sone-child policy. Instead, the $32.5 million was shifted to the U.S. Agency for International Development.[6]
President Trump appointed several pro-life advocates to Department of Health and Human Services positions. On April 28, 2017, in an apparent victory for the pro-life movement,[7] President Trump appointed Dr. Charmaine Yoest, a strong pro-life advocate and the former president of Americans United for Life, to the position of assistant secretary of public affairs for the Department of Health and Human Services, replacing a strong Planned Parenthood supporter.[8] The position did not require Senate confirmation.[9] In late May, Trump appointed Shannon Royce, who formerly served in the Family Research Council and the Southern Baptists' Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, to the HHS Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.[10] Around May 1, 2017, President Trump appointed Teresa Manning, a pro-life advocate who worked for the Family Research Council and the National Right to Life, to be the HHS deputy assistant secretary for population affairs.[11]
May 15, 2017—The Trump Administration massively broadened the scope of the Mexico City Policy to restrict funding to any international health organization that performs or gives information about abortions, expanding the amount of money affected from $600,000 to nearly $9 billion.[12]

Gun Rights

Legislation signed

February 28, 2017—President Trump signed a bill into law (Public Law 115-8)[1] repealing a Social Security Administration rule adding mental disability determinations to the background check registry, subject to a person applying to be removed from the list.[2][3][4] Congress had passed a law requiring federal agencies to search their records for people who were "mentally defective", and the Social Security Administration had published their method of gathering names on December 16, 2016. The regulation would have added the names of disability beneficiaries who have a mental illness or are not competent to manage their own finances, potentially leading to the removal of Second Amendment rights to many perfectly competent, mentally healthy citizens.[3][5] By signing the resolution of disapproval, as with other CRA acts, the Social Security Administration cannot come up with different criteria for supplying names to the background check registry for 10 years.

Executive actions

Starting early in his presidency, the Trump Administration has undone Obama-era executive branch gun regulations.[6]

Immigration, Illegal Immigration, and Border Security

Legislation signed

H.R. 244, which was signed into law by President Trump on May 5, 2017, and funded the government through September 30, 2017, did not include funding for several of President Trump's priorities, such as defunding sanctuary cities and building new sections of the border wall. However, it did include an additional $1.5 billion in border security funding, including money to repair 40 miles of existing border barrier sections and to increase funding for ICE and CBP, among other conservative achievements.[5]

Executive actions

January 25, 2017—Trump signed two executive orders. The first one included ordering the "immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border," the hiring of 5,000 additional border control agents, and ending "catch-and-release" policies for illegal immigrants. The second order called for hiring an additional 10,000 federal immigration officers, re-establishing the Secure Communities Program and other local partnerships, making the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants a priority, directing the State Department to use leverage to ensure countries-of-origin take back illegal immigrants, and stripping federal grant money from sanctuary cities and states.[6]
January 27, 2017—Trump signed an executive order indefinitely banning the admission of Syrian refugees, suspending the overall refugee program for 120 days, suspending entry and the issuing of visas from seven failed Middle Eastern countries[7] for at least 90 days, and reducing the number of refugees allowed into the nation during the fiscal year from 110,000 to 50,000.[8][9][10]Additionally, Trump made clear that he would help Christian refugees, a reversal from the Obama Administration.[11] Despite criticism from leftists and non-conservatives, 49 percent of the American public supported the decision compared to 41 percent opposed, according to the "mainstream" Reuters,[12] and 57% percent of likely American voters supported the ban according to Rasmussen.[13] Additionally, while the leftist establishment European leaders opposed the ban, a strong majority – 55% average – of Europeans supported the ban, according to a poll in 10 European Union nations.[14][15]
January 30, 2017—President Trump appointed Thomas Homan, someone with a reputation for enforcing immigration laws, as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[16] As the head of ICE, Homan took a strong stance on illegal immigration enforcement,[17] even though some conservatives criticized him for his role in the Obama Administration and its lax illegal immigration policies.[18] On January 31, President Trump appointed Ronald Vitiello, who was endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council which also endorsed Trump in the 2016 election, to lead U.S. Border Patrol.[19] On April 25, 2017, Vitiello was appointed as Deputy Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.[20]
March 6, 2017—President Trump signed a second executive order regarding the temporary suspension of refugees and others from certain high-risk countries after the first one was blocked by the courts. The second order made some clarifications and minor improvements over the first, such as exempting green card holders from the ban and excluding Iraq from it as it had developed an acceptable vetting process.[21][22] (after being blocked in federal courts,[23] the Supreme Court on June 26, 2017, partially reinstated the ban and allowed key portions of it to continue pending a hearing on the ban's constitutionality in October[24])
On March 31, 2017, after talking tough against "sanctuary cities" and illegal immigration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a plan to speed up the deportation of imprisoned illegals.[25] On April 11, 2017, Sessions issued a memorandum to U.S. attorneys, instructing them to enforce much stricter guidelines against immigration crimes,[26] and he announced the Justice Department would hire 125 immigration judges in the next two years.[27] As a result of Session's decision, the DOJ resumed the criminal prosecution of first-time illegal border crossers, something which the Obama Administration stopped.[28]
In late March/early April 2017, the Trump Administration cracked down on H-1B visas in a series of actions, making it much more difficult for entry-level programmers to enter the U.S., combating corruption in the program, and making sure that Americans were not discriminated against.[29] On April 18, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order restricting the H-1B visa to give the hiring preference to American workers and enacting stronger enforcement of laws requiring the use of American-made materials in federal projects.[30] Experts on the H-1B visa supported his order.[31]
April 14, 2017—President Trump appointed two conservatives on immigration issues to senior positions in the Department of Homeland Security.[32] Like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly (with the full support of President Trump[33]) also adopted a strong position against illegal immigration.[34]
April 26, 2017—The Department of Homeland Security established the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE), created to help support victims of illegal immigrant crime, and it established the DHS-Victim Information and Notification Exchange, which was created to help those victims track the custody status of those criminal illegal immigrants.[35]
It was reported in May 2017 that the Trump Administration, due to his previous executive orders, had ended Obama's "home free magnet" policy, where illegal immigrants who did not commit a serious crime (other than crossing the border illegally) did not need to fear deportation because ICE needed to gain permission from the Field Office Director before deporting them; and the Trump Administration expanded the use of expedited removal proceedings, which is the deportation of illegals without a hearing unless they request one.[36] Thus, illegal immigrants "without violent criminal histories" could be arrested and deported.[37]
May 5, 2017—ICE established a policy that would give illegal immigrants stays of removal only if the chairs the House and Senate Judiciary Committees or the relevant subcommittees requested them, as opposed to the earlier policy of issuing stays of removal whenever a private bill to legalize illegals was introduced in Congress.[38][39][40] This would allow ICE to deport illegals without having members of Congress obstruct deportations.[39]
May 9, 2017—The Department of Homeland Security reported that it had implemented tougher vetting policies at U.S. border crossings.[41]
Early in Trump's presidency, it was clear the U.S. government was cracking down on criminal illegal immigrants and gangs.[42] For example, between March 26 and May 6, 2017, ICE conducted a crackdown on gangs, including MS-13 and other illegal immigrant gangs, that arrested nearly 1,400 people – the largest such operation conducted up to that point.[43] The Trump Administration also cooperated with Central American countries in order to combat MS-13 recruitment in the region.[44]
May 2017—In order to avoid misreporting and distortions by the media, ICE established a Spanish media presence.[45][46]
Despite the large drop in illegal immigrant apprehensions, the amount of illegal drugs seized by Customs and Border Protection saw large increases in the beginning of Trump's presidency.[47] In addition, the number of immigration arrests increased, with a 38% increase in Trump's first 100 days.[48][49] The DHS had arrested 66,000 illegal immigrants by late June 2017,[50] and it was reported in early July that arrests had doubled from the Obama Administration.[51] By May 2017, the Trump Administration also was able to reduce the number of countries "that habitually refuse to take back immigrants whom the U.S. is trying to deport" from 20 to 12.[52] In one widely-reported incident on June 15, U.S. Border Patrol agents had to obtain a warrant[53] and raided an Arizona desert camp to arrest four illegal immigrants.[54]
President Trump worked to eliminate Obama's legacy of giving privileges to illegal immigrants in detention centers.[55] At the same time, the Trump Administration expanded immigration enforcement efforts, such as through building additional detention centers.[56] (The inspector general reported on June 7, 2017, but based on July 2016 inspections, that the facilities used by the DHS to detain illegal families were overall in good shape and met federal standards[57])
Late May 2017—The State Department introduced new and much stricter rules for vetting all people seeking a visa to enter the U.S., with the introduction of social media vetting being among the changes.[58]
It was reported in June 2017 that the Trump Administration began repatriating illegal immigrants given "administrative closure" by the Obama Administration, a form of "quasi-amnesty."[59]
June 2017—The Department of Homeland Security ended a program where 21 officials cooperated with anti-deportation and pro-amnesty organizations, and reassigned those officials to the new VOICE office which helps victims of illegal immigrant crimes.[60]
June 15, 2017—The DHS canceled the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program created by the Obama Administration in November 2014 that would have given amnesty to about 4 million illegal immigrants but was blocked by federal courts before its full implementation.[61]
June 21, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order, rescinding a guideline signed by former President Obama to speed up vetting times for people seeking visas, in order to improve vetting standards.[62]
June 23, 2017—The DOJ threw its support behind Texas's sanctuary city ban that was challenged in court.[63]
June 30, 2017—It was reported that the Trump Administration was cracking down on illegal immigrant parents who paid to have their children smuggled into the United States.[64]

Education

Executive actions

April 7, 2017—A Presidential proclamation celebrated this day as "Education and Sharing Day USA" recognizing the conservative principles of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, to use values-based education to drive our Nation's children toward the American Dream.[2]
April 26, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order ordering Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to review Department of Education regulations, with the intention of returning power to the states and local governments.[3][4]
May 22, 2017—Although Education Secretary Betsy DeVos supported school choice and stated the Administration would create a school choice plan, she stated she would not force the states to expand school choice and would let them decide their own policies – this showed the Trump Administration's respect for state sovereignty.[5] It was a wise decision, considering the ability of liberal and Democrats to hijack such a federal program.[6]
Adam Kissel, a noted critic of the 2011 Title IX "Dear colleague letter" was hired as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs, and the staff of the Title IX enforcement office was reduced in the 2018 budget.[7]

Energy and Environmental Policy

Legislation signed

February 14, 2017—Trump signed H.J.Res.41 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to "Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers".[6]

Executive actions

January 24, 2017—Trump signed two orders reviving consideration for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline projects, which Obama halted due to supposed environmental concerns.[7] On March 24, 2017, the Trump Administration approved the Keystone XL Pipeline.[8] The Dakota Access Pipeline went into service by June 1, 2017.[9]
January 24, 2017—In addition to the above, Trump signed three other orders, one requiring the United States Secretary of Commerce make a plan within six months mandating all new or improved pipelines be made with American steel, another order requiring every federal agency to streamline manufacturing regulations, and the third allowing fast-track approval for important infrastructure projects.[10]
March 18, 2017—The Trump Administration forced the G-20 to remove any mention of climate change from its joint statement.[11]
March 28, 2017—President Trump signed a major executive order repealing several Obama-era environmental regulations unfavorable to coal. In addition to this, the order started an immediate review of Obama's Clean Power Plan, help create American energy jobs, bring American energy independence by stimulating domestic energy production, and giving authority back to the states.[12][13]
April 28, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order repealing a ban on offshore drilling signed by President Obama and directing the Interior Secretary to review U.S. drilling policy and regulations.[14][15] Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke began the process of expanding offshore drilling on May 1.[16]
May 2017—The Trump Administration signed agreements as a member of the Arctic Council,[17] and it was later revealed that it successfully weakened the language regarding climate change and environmental policy.[18]
May 31, 2017—Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed an order to open up more land in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska to energy production.[19]
June 1, 2017—To the dismay of world leaders,[20] the media,[21] and other liberals,[22] and in a major blow to Obama's legacy,[23] President Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and immediately stop its implementation,[24][25][26] including by ending payments to the U.N. Green Climate Fund.[27]In his announcement speech, Trump made clear that "I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris," and that "our withdrawal from the agreement represents a reassertion of America’s sovereignty."[25][28][29] (even with U.S. withdrawal, it was still well on its way to deeply reducing admissions[30])
June 12, 2017—The Trump Administration formally rejected a G7 pledge to adhere to the Paris climate agreement.[31]
June 12, 2017—The Trump Administration rejected, on the grounds of being unnecessary and with costs greater than any benefits, a proposed regulation to put a limit on the number of certain endangered marine aminals allowed to be killed on injured in fishing nets.[32][33]
June 15, 2017—The Department of Energy closed its Office of International Climate and Technology in order to improve its organizational structure.[34]
June 30, 2017—Despite a court ruling tha the EPA did not need to take the loss of coal jobs into account when implementing regulations, it chose to follow that policy regardless.[35]
June 30, 2017—In an attempt to please President Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel weakened the G-20 climate plan.[36]
July 6, 2017—Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed an order for his department to hold more lease sales and speed up permitting for oil and gas exploration. he signed the order because of delays in the approval process for federal lands.[37][38]

Economic Policy and Labor

Executive actions

February 3, 2017—President Trump signed an order directing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, upon his confirmation, to plan changes to the Dodd-Frank bank regulatory law in order to cut much of it.[1][2]
April 21, 2017—President Trump signed one executive order and two memorandums. The order directed the Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to look at the U.S. tax code and recommend the removal of unnecessary regulations and the two memorandums directing the Treasury Secretary to conduct a review of portions of the Dodd-Frank law.[3]
June 15, 2017—President Trump signed executive orders to loosen federal regulations on job-training programs and to encourage apprenticeships and vocational learning.[4]
June 16, 2017—The Justice Department under Jeff Sessions officially changed its position on the Supreme Court case NLRB v. Murphy Oil – it is not common for the Justice Department to change its position in court cases.[5]

Trade

Executive actions

January 23, 2017—Trump signed an order which withdrew the United States from the globalist Trans-Pacific Partnership.[1]
March 18, 2017—The Trump Administration forced the G-20 to remove its opposition to protectionism and its support for free tradefrom its joint statement.[2]
March 31, 2017—President Trump signed two orders. The first order instituted a crackdown on violations of anti-dumping laws and help to officials to collect penalties already owed to the U.S. The second order ordered a report by the Department of Commerceand the U.S. Trade Representative on the causes of the U.S. trade deficit due within 90 days.[3][4]
April 20, 2017—President Trump signed a memorandum directing the Department of Commerce to investigate whether steel imports pose a threat to U.S. national security.[5][6]
April 25, 2017—After Canada changed its milk pricing policy, putting U.S. farmers at a severe disadvantage,[7] the Trump Administration imposed tariffs at rates up to 24% on Canadian lumber imports.[8]
April 27, 2017—President Trump signed a memorandum opening a Department of Commerce investigation into whether the high level of aluminum imports constitutes a threat to U.S. national security.[9]
April 29, 2017—President Trump signed two executive orders, one ordering the U.S. to review all of its free trade agreements including NAFTA, and the other establishing a White House trade policy office.[10][11]
May 11, 2017—President Trump approved a trade deal with China which would increase American exports.[12]
May 18, 2017—President Trump began the process of renegotiating NAFTA.[13]
June 12, 2017—The U.S. and China made an agreement that would allow American beef products to be exported to China.[14]

Foreign Policy

Legislation signed

March and April, 2017—President Trump and the U.S. Senate approved Montenegro's accession into NATO, over Russia's objections.[9][10] (Montenegro officially joined NATO on June 5, 2017[11])

Executive actions

February 3, 2017—After Iran tested a ballistic missile in apparent violation of a UN Security Council resolution, the Trump Administration instituted unilateral economic sanctions against 13 Iranian individuals and 12 companies.[12][13] Later, on May 17, 2017, the Trump Administration imposed additional sanctions on an Iranian national, an Iranian company, a Chinese national, and three Chinese companies (because of Chinese dealings related to Iran's nuclear program).[14]
February 2017—Two U.S. government-run media outlets began broadcasting in Russian in an attempt to counter Russian propaganda.[15]
March 2017—After the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia authored a destructive and anti-Semitic [16][17] report against Israel, the report and agency were strongly criticized by the United States and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and the executive director of the commission resigned in response.[18][19]
On March 18, 2017, the Trump Administration successfully forced the G-20 to remove its opposition to protectionism and temper its support for free trade,[20][21] and any mention of climate change [22][23] from its joint statement. Later, in April 2017, the Trump Administration refused to sign the G7 joint statement because the other nations could not agree to include support for nuclear and fossil fuels without support for the Paris climate agreement. The G7, thus, went without a joint statement.[24][25]
April 6, 2017—After the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its people, President Trump ordered a one-time airstrike against a Syrian air base, firing 60 cruise missiles at it.[26] The U.S. destroyed about 20 Syrian jet planes and caused extremely heavy damage on the base.[27] Defense Secretary James Mattis stated the attacks destroyed 20% of Syria's operational aircraft.[28] As even the New York Times reported, Trump's action was a show of U.S. strength, and it was in stark contrast to Obama, as Trump used surprise and speed in the attacks.[29] World leaders supported the strong action.[30] This was the first direct military action the U.S. took against the Assad regime.[31] On April 23, 2017, in response to the chemical attacks, the Trump Administration put sanctions on 271 employees of Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center, which supported the nation's chemical weapons program.[32] On June 18, 2017, the United States shot down a Syrian aircraft for the first time,[33] and in response to Russia's warnings, stated that it would do whatever in its national and military interests.[34]
April 21, 2017—The Trump Administration refused to issue waivers to any companies which wanted to do business with Russia, which was under economic sanctions, including ExxonMobil, which had applied for a waiver.[35][36] The day earlier, the Trump Administration announced, in strong language, it was implementing the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which blacklisted certain Russian citizens.[37][38]
Early in Trump's presidency, he and his administration took a much tougher tone against North Korea than his predecessors.[39] While the deployment was first announced during the Obama Administration, the Trump Administration confirmed it would continue the plans to – and subsequently did – deploy the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea despite China's strong objections.[40] THAAD was first used on May 14, 2017.[41] The Trump Administration chose to include a military option among a list of potential strategies in United States policy towards North Korea.[42]
May 2017—President Trump embarked on an ambitious foreign trip, where he, among other accomplishments, visited the heartlands of the three Abrahamic religions, challenging the Muslim world to get serious about defeating Islamic terrorism, challenging the European leaders to contribute more to NATO, and isolating Iran.[8][43][44][45] While in the Middle East, Trump, unlike Obama, took a strong stance against Iran and strengthened the United States's traditional alliances with Israel and the Arab nations,[46] bringing them closer together.[47] His trip was described as one that "flipped traditional U.S. foreign policy upside down."[48] Here are some highlights and additional achievements of the trip:

May 20–21, 2017—President Trump visited Saudi Arabia, the first country he visited abroad as U.S. President. His trip to the country was a major event that clearly broke from foreign policy set by Barack Obama.[49] He received a very warm welcome[50] – much warmer than what Obama (under whom relations became estranged[51]) received – with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud greeting Trump at the tarmac, something Obama did not receive.[52] Unlike Obama, Trump did not bow to the Saudi king,[52][53] and he did not embark on an "apology tour" like Obama.[54] Trump signed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, with another $350 billion of arms for the following 10 years.[55] American and Saudi businesses signed similar agreements on the same day, with billions of dollars to be invested in the U.S.[56] President Trump also gave a major speech to leaders of 50 Islamic world leaders challenging them to fight Islamic terror.[57] Trump gave a blunt speech, stronger than Obama's,[58] and he did not mention democracy or human rights, rather speaking about "good vs. evil," something his Islamic audience was more receptive to.[59] (despite this, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates agreed to donate $100 million to a women entrepreneurs fund proposed by Ivanka Trump [60]). The U.S. and Saudi Arabia strengthened counterterrorism ties by enacting joint sanctions on two "global terrorists,"[61] and Saudi Arabia opened a center to combat Islamic terrorism.[62] (according to President Trump, the commitment to combating Islamic terrorism was already being seen when several Arab nations cut ties with Qatar due to its support of Islamic terrorism and Iran;[63] later, Saudi Arabia changed its royal succession plan, possibly in an attempt to please President Trump[64]).
May 22–23, 2017—The second country President Trump visited was Israel, and his trip marked the first time a U.S. president visited the country on their first foreign trip.[65] He visited the country on the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War and Israel's capture of Jerusalem.[66] His flight from Saudi Arabia to Israel was one of the rare flights taken between the two countries and the first of a U.S. president to fly from the former to the latter.[67] A major suicide bombing occurred in the United Kingdom during the visit, and Trump denied recognition to the attacker[68] and other Islamic terrorists by calling them "losers."[69] Although not moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem as hoped,[70] President Trump became the first sitting U.S. President to visit the Western Wall,[71] and the Administration stated that the Trump was in "Jerusalem, Israel."[72] President Trump did not mention anything about a Palestinian state, a two-state solution, or about Israeli settlements.[73] It was also reported that the U.S. increased defense funding for Israel by $75 million.[74]
May 25, 2017—At the 2017 NATO summit, President Trump strongly stated his position that the other NATO member states should meet their expected contributions to the organization.[75]
May 26–27, 2017—At the 2017 G7 conference, President Trump focused on terrorism rather than climate change, as the other European leaders wished.[76] Much to the consternation of the G7 world leaders,[77] who lobbied for President Trump to accept the Paris climate agreement, Trump stood firm and refused to pledge commitment to the accords[78] so he could still deliberate over whether to stay in it.[79] (Trump ultimately announced, on June 1, 2017, that the U.S. would leave the agreement and cease implementing it[80]). President Trump was also reported as having refused to sign a declaration that stated the benefits as well as "pitfalls" of immigration.[81][82]
May 27, 2017—President Trump concluded his trip by speaking to U.S. soldiers,[83] as opposed to holding a press conference.[84]

June 16, 2017—During a speech attended by opponents of Cuba's Communist regime,[85] President Trump partially reversed Obama's pro-Cuba policies by restricting U.S. travel to Cuba and prohibit financial transactions that benefit the Cuban military.[86] Additionally, Trump visibly took a much stronger position on Cuba to repatriate American criminal fugitives than Obama had done.[87]
June 20, 2017—On the same day President Trump met with Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 38 Russian individuals and entities involved in the conflict with Ukraine.[88]
The Trump Administration successfully secured the release of several American prisoners held in foreign countries that the Obama Administration did not or could not release. It played a large role in successfully helping prevent CIA officer Sabrina de Sousa from being extradited to Italy, with the decision coming on March 1, 2017.[89]On April 21, 2017, Egypt released an Egyptian-American who had been detained for three years.[90] Additionally, according to the father of Otto Warmbier, who was held hostage in North Korea and then released in June 2017, the Obama Administration did not do enough to secure his release while the Trump Administration did secure his release.[91]
July 6, 2017—Ahead of the G-20 conference, President Trump traveled to Poland and gave a major policy address in front of 15,000 supporters[92][93] in front of the famous Warsaw Uprising monument.[94] Trump took a strong stance against terrorism in his speech, stating that "our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind."[95] He strongly stood up for Western values, stating that "our values will prevail, our people will thrive and our civilization will triumph"[96] and asking "Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the courage to preserve our civilisation in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?"[97] He reaffirmed American NATO duties and backing of Poland against threats, and he spoke highly of Poland for meeting its spending pledge,[95][98][99] and he strongly criticized "destabilizing" Russian activities such as supporting hostile regimes.[98][100] However, Trump took a reasonable stance towards Russia at the same time.[101][102] He took a strong stance against regulations, stating that "This danger is invisible to some but familiar to the Poles — the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people. The West became great not because of paperwork and regulations but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their destinies."[98][100] President Trump's decision to visit Poland before the G-20 summit was seen as a sign of support for its conservative and Eurosceptic government.[92][100][103]

Deregulation and Size of Government

Legislation signed

President Trump successfully made use of Congressional Review to roll back Obama-era regulations—even more than expected.[9][10] Prior to Trump's presidency, the Congressional Review Act had been used only once successfully, sixteen years prior.[11] When the window to use the CRA for the 115th Congress ended, Congress had passed and Trump had signed 14 CRA resolutions repealing Obama regulations[12][13][14] – significantly more than expected.[12][15] These actions were estimated to have saved $3.7 billion in regulatory costs and up to $36.2 billion in compliance costs.[12][16] Some examples of CRA legislation signed by President Trump follow (other examples can be found elsewhere in the article):

February 14, 2017—President Trump signed a bill into law repealing an Obama Era relation requiring energy companies to disclose financial transactions with foreign governments.[17]
February 16, 2017—President Trump signed a bill into law blocking the "Stream Protection Rule," an environmental regulation.[18][19]
March 27, 2017—President Trump signed four bills undoing Obama-era regulations.[9][20] Two of those bills rolled back federal education regulations.[21]
March 31, 2017—President Trump signed another bill undoing an Obama-era regulation, giving the power back to the states to expand drug testing for unemployment benefit applicants.[22]
April 3, 2017—President Trump signed a bill reversing an Obama-era FCC privacy regulation applicable to internet service providers. The FCC had adopted the rule to fill a gap created by a court case which ruled that the FTC did not have jurisdiction to extend its privacy rule over internet service providers because they were regulated by the FCC. The new law repealed the FCC rule and prohibits the FCC from enacting a replacement for 10 years without giving the FTC jurisdiction to regulate internet service providers' privacy practices.[23] Part of yet another series of bills undoing other Obama regulations.[24]

May 12, 2017—President Trump signed Public Law 115-33 (S. 496),[25] which repealed a rule by the Department of Transportation that would have taken power away from local governments on infrastructure planning.[26] The bill did not invoke the CRA.[25]

Executive actions

January 20, 2017—On its first day in office, the Trump Administration ordered a regulatory freeze on all federal governmental agencies.[27]
On Inauguration Day, 2017, the Trump administration instituted a federal hiring freeze.[28] On January 23, 2017, Trump signed an executive order instituting the hiring freeze, from which the military was exempted.[29] On April 12, 2017, the hiring freeze was replaced with a plan to restructure and shrink the executive branch.[30][31]
January 30, 2017—Trump signed an executive order that requires two federal regulations must be eliminated for every regulation created.[32][33][34]
February 3, 2017—President Trump signed a memorandum directing the United States Department of Labor to review a regulation signed by Obama set to go into effect.[35]
February 24, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order requiring every federal agency to create a "regulatory reform task force" to find unnecessary, burdensome regulations to repeal.[36] This order was called "the most far reaching effort to pare back U.S. red tape in recent decades."[37]
February 28, 2017—President Trump announced that he did not plan on filling numerous government positions he considered unnecessary.[38] According to one source, about 2,000 positions were vacant, and most of them were likely included in this list.[39] As of April 4, 2017, President Trump did not make a nomination for nearly 500 positions requiring Senate confirmation.[40]
March 13, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order to perform an audit on every executive branch agency in order to reduce spending and waste and improve services.[41][42][43]
April 25, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order ordering the Department of Agriculture to find and eliminate unnecessary regulations, in an effort to help farmers, particularly in the light of NAFTA and the trade imbalance with Canada.[44]
April 26, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order ordering the Interior Department to review designations of national monuments from as far back as 20 years prior, with the intention of reversing federal overreach in land acquisition and returning power to the states.[45]
June 19, 2017—The Environmental Protection Agency ended a $1 million program where it gave gym memberships to its employees, ending the program due to an abuse of taxpayer money.[46]
The White House 2017 payroll was $5.1 million lower than the Obama Administration's 2015 payroll. Additionally, the Trump White House employed 110 fewer employees than Obama, and it did not employ any policy "czars."[47] In addition, President Trump donated his entire first-quarter 2017 salary to restore the Antietam National Battlefield.[48]

Military, National Security, and Anti-Terrorism

Legislation signed

H.R. 244, which was signed into law by President Trump on May 5, 2017 and funded the government through September 30, 2017, expanded military spending by about $21 billion without an identical increase in domestic spending and fulfilled several of the military's requests.[3]

Executive actions

January 27, 2017—President Trump signed a memorandum to begin the expansion and rebuilding of the U.S. military.[4][5]
February 3, 2017—The Trump Administration and Lockheed Martin reached a tentative deal that would purchase 90 F-35 jets at the lowest price in the program's history.[6][7] The first 90 planes were about $725 million below budget, with billions of more dollars of savings expected, and it saved at least one U.S. ally, Japan, $100 million.[8][9]

April 13, 2017—Under the increased autonomy President Trump gave the Defense Department,[10] the U.S. dropped a GBU-43B(also known as MOAB or the "Mother Of All bombs"), the largest non-nuclear bomb in existence at 21,000 pounds on a complex ofIslamic State tunnels in Afghanistan. Although tested in 2003, the bomb had never been used in combat before.[11] It caused much damage,[12][13] being estimated to have killed at least 94 ISIS fighters, including four commanders – no civilians were killed.[14] It also destroyed several of the tunnels as well as weapon stockpiles.[15][16] The attack was reported as having dealt a heavy blow to ISIS's Afghanistan branch.[17]
May 11, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order to review U.S. cyber security and hold the various federal departments accountable for ensuring the protection of valuable information.[18]
May 11, 2017—President Trump signed an executive order creating a commission, chaired by Vice President Mike Pence and vice-chaired by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, to review the extent of voter fraud and suppression in the United States.[19][20]
Unlike former President Obama, the State Department under President Trump described the Afghanistan Taliban as a terrorist organization without hesitation.[21]
May 26, 2017—President Trump made clear his stance against terrorism in a statement wishing Muslims a joyful Ramadan.[22] President Trump did not hold a Ramadan dinner, breaking the annual tradition held since Bill Clinton's presidency, and instead issued a statement greeting Muslims for Eid al-Fitr on June 24, 2017.[23][24]
June 25, 2017—It was reported that the DHS defunded several Islamic organizations supported by the Obama Administration and that were set to be funded under it.[24]
June 28, 2017—The DHS announced new measures to increase security in international airports an to protect flights to the U.S. from terrorist attacks.[25]
June 30, 2017—The Department of Defense announced it would delay an Obama Administration plan to have the military recruit transgender people for six months in order to ensure the military's readiness would not be affected by the change.[26]
The Trump Administration gave wider powers to the Department of Defense than it had under Obama.[27] In April 2017, President Trump gave Mattis authority to set troop levels in Iraq and Syria for the fight against ISIS,[28] and it gave military commanders authority to perform military actions without approval from Washington.[29]The U.S. military made large advances against ISIS under their autonomy.[30] In June 2017, the Trump Administration authorized the Defense Department to set troop levels in Afghanistan.[31] The expanded authority given to the military could also be seen in U.S. operations in Somalia.[32]

Miscellaneous Achievements

General

On January 5, 2017, the U.S. House passed a motion condemning Obama's allowing a leftist anti-Israel resolution to pass in the UN.[1][2] Additionally, Trump voiced his strong support for Israel during his transition.[3][4] On April 27, 2017, all 100 members of the U.S. Senate sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres demanding an end to the anti-Israel bias in the UN.[5] After that, the U.S. condemned the UN after the organization ignored the letter from the Senate.[6] On June 5, 2017, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution observing the 50th anniversary of the unification ofJerusalem and called for President Trump to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem,[7] and Congress commemorated the event.[8]
January 20, 2017—On the day he took office, Trump returned the bust of UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill to the Oval Office that Obama removed when he took office.[9] He also accepted the United Kingdom's offer to re-loan the second identical bust of Churchill, which Obama removed and returned after the first loan expired.[10]
January 28, 2017—Trump signed an executive order banning administration officials from lobbying their federal agencies for five years, as well as banning them for life from lobbying foreign nations and political parties.[11][12]
March 21, 2017—President Trump signed a bill into law not only funding NASA, but setting a goal of having humans visit Mars "in the 2030s" and potentially colonizing another planet.[13] The bill also funded the agency, the first time such a bill was signed into law in seven years.[14] On June 30, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order re-establishing the National Space Council.[15]
May 5, 2017—President Trump attached a signing statement to a five-month spending bill he signed, ignoring several liberal provisions,[16] such as a statement ordering the administration not to enforce federal marijuana laws in states with medical marijuana.[17]

Political appointments

January 30, 2017—Trump showed he would not tolerate incompetent leftist administration officials when he fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates (a left-wing Obama holdover) when she refused to defend his refugee and immigration ban executive order.[18][19] Trump emulated Ronald Reagan's firing of the striking PATCO workers in 1981 by doing so,[20] contrary to the mainstream media spin.[21] That same night, Trump replaced the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (another Obama holdover) with a more competent official who had a reputation for enforcing immigration laws.[22]
April 21, 2017—President Trump replaced Obama-appointed Vivek Murthy, who was opposed by gun rights groups, as Surgeon General of the United States.[23][24]During the same month, the Trump Administration reassigned two career government officials who had been strongly criticized by conservative organizations.[25]

Proclamations

January 20, 2017—The day he was inaugurated, President Trump instituted a national day of patriotism for the country,[26] and a few days later Trump officially designated his inauguration day the National Day of Patriotic Devotion.[27][28]
May 1, 2017—President Trump proclaimed that day as Loyalty Day, to "recognize and reaffirm our allegiance" to American values, such as "individual liberties, to limited government, and to the inherent dignity of every human being."[29][30]