Did you know that if you Googled “Donald Trump’s Achievement as President” the first thing that pops up is the NME Award for Villain of the Year? Trump has not only been described as the most divisive president in modern US history but has been called out repeatedly for his knack for distorting the truth and for lack of diplomacy. The Trump administration has had its fair share of shortcomings and here are the most impactful:
(Popular Read: Top 5 Achievements of Trump’s Administration)
Black Lives Matter Movement
Known for being obnoxiously opinionated, Trump has frequently incited uprisings with his words or even his laissez-faire attitude. The president widely condemned over his response and his failure to offer swift and forceful condemnation of white supremacist violence. Recently, Black Lives Matter sued President Donald Trump and his administration Thursday, alleging that their civil rights and First Amendment rights were violated when peaceful protesters were forced out of Lafayette Square so Trump could take a photo in front of a nearby church.
Appalling International Relations
America’s global image has significantly depreciated under Trump’s administration. This is because Trump regularly insults key US allies while fraternizing with dictators. The President’s also tends to push important allies away and isolate the US, by pulling out of landmark international agreements like the Paris climate accord, imposing immigration bans and building walls to separate the US from neighbouring countries.
Family separations and the deaths of migrant children
The Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy on illegal border crossings led to the separations of at least 5,500 families and saw children placed in cages. Trump had even falsely blamed his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for the policy that had thousands of children separated from their parents. The death of migrant children in US immigration custody led to widespread condemnation of conditions in detention facilities.
Iran and Syria
Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw the US from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 has set the Middle East for chaos. Till date, it is one of Trump’s most unpopular decisions in the global arena and has been condemned by top US allies who were also signatories to the deal. Furthermore, the president has failed to thwart Iran’s aggressive behaviour in the region and after a series of incidents in the Persian Gulf region over the summer, tensions between Washington and Tehran reached historic heights and sparked fears of war.
Replace the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare)
The late Sen. John McCain’s iconic “thumbs down” vote denied Trump a full Congressional repeal of former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Nevertheless, Trump has had success in undoing parts of the law especially with his tax bill which included a decrease in the tax penalty for those who did not enrol in health care. Despite his efforts to sabotage it, Trump is yet to offer a replacement for the Affordable Care Act.
Impeachment
Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019. The House approved two articles of impeachment against Trump, one for abuse of power over his affairs with Ukraine and one for obstruction of Congress over his efforts to hinder the impeachment inquiry. Trump asked Ukraine to launch investigations into his political rivals while withholding $400 million in congressionally-approved military aid from the country, which is fighting an ongoing war against pro-Russian separatists. Although he was acquitted, he will still go down as just the third president in US history to be impeached.