Wildly unpopular, President Trump went from Hollywood sensation and business tycoon to the 45th president of the United States of America. While many would debate his crass nature, it is difficult to deny the multitude of accomplishments he has achieved in the past two years.
One of the largest accomplishments under the Trump Administration has been an undeniably prosperous economy. President Trump kept his campaign promises and in his first year of presidency managed to lower taxes and dramatically increase job opportunities, creating optimism in the area of business and among the people.
Cutting taxes has been a huge accomplishment for President Trump as he “provided more than $5.5 trillion in gross tax cuts.” (Washington examiner). By cutting taxes and passing laws that ease strangulating regulations on various industries, he has allowed businesses to thrive. Three and a half million jobs have been created since President Trump took office and four million since his election. “Unemployment has reached a 50-year low” which has allowed for economic stimulus across demographic lines (Washington examiner).
For the first time on record, there are more job openings than job seekers. Minority unemployment rates hit record lows. One example of this is the African-Americans unemployment rate. It was down to 5.9% in May 2018. The Hispanic unemployment rate is also down (4.5%). Women’s unemployment, as well as, youth unemployment is at the lowest rate in decades. Veterans were listed at three percent in July of 2018, which is the lowest rate since 2001. Disabled Americans have also seen record-breaking improvements in the unemployment rate.
Blue-collar workers are not only seeing a reduction in the unemployment rate but they are seeing a pay increase. More than 400,000 manufacturing jobs have been added since the election. Not only are more Americans employed, but they are also making more money on average. President Trump signed into law the ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’ creating major changes to the tax law (irs.gov). The standard deduction increased to $12,000 for singles, $18,000 for the head of household, and $24,000 for married couples filing jointly. These changes increased the amount of pay taken home by many Americans, by reducing the amount of federal taxes taken out on each paycheck. The child tax credit also increased to $2,000 for each qualifying child, helping families with children (irs.gov). Poverty rates in the African-American and Hispanic populations have reached the lowest levels ever recorded. Before President Trump was even in the office, he negotiated a deal with Carrier to keep 1,100 jobs by keeping the plant in Indiana, and not moving it to Mexico (fee.org).
President Trump has also made great strides in the area of Foreign Policy. He is unconventional and at times, undiplomatic, in his interactions with other foreign leaders; however, he stands strong in support of American interests while showing support for our allies. He moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. He also withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal and reapplied sanctions that had been lifted under the Obama Administration. Since those sanctions have been in place, Iran’s crude exports have drastically decreased, the value of their currency has plummeted and international companies are moving out of Iran. All nuclear sanctions are set to be in place by November 2018. (washingtonexaminer.com). In a historical summit this summer, President Trump met with the leader of North Korea, President Kim Jong-Un. During this summit, they negotiated the return of the remains of American soldiers from the Korean War. Trump also directed our military to respond to the chemical attacks in Syria with focused airstrikes. These airstrikes targeted areas that were associated with these attacks. President Trump’s Administration empowered military commanders in the fight against ISIS by changing the rules of engagement. Since his presidency began, ISIS has lost almost all of the territories that they took control over. In October 2017, Isis’s self-proclaimed city, Raqqah, was liberated. He also increased military spending to $700 billion for fiscal year 2018, which gives the military the proper funding to stay strong. (washingtonexaminer.com).
President Trump has helped to build and maintain new medical programs. He signed the most comprehensive bill addressing childhood cancer. This bill will advance cancer research and improve treatments for children with cancer. Many Americans did not get to keep their plans or health care providers as promised by President Obama when the Affordable Healthcare Act went into law. Healthcare plans available under the health insurance exchanges, overseen by the Affordable Health Care Act, crippled the middle class with dramatic increases in premium costs and deductibles/co-insurances. To add insult to injury, under the Affordable Healthcare Act, families that did not carry health insurance were accessed a tax penalty for not having health insurance. President Trump removed the tax penalty that people are charged with if they do not have health care coverage, providing some relief to struggling families. Veterans have been at the merciesmercy of limited healthcare for years. The news has covered many stories of veterans dying while waiting to access healthcare at VA institutions. Veterans were also limited to VA healthcare providers. Trump helped to create a program that allows veterans to go to their personal, private sector, doctors so they do not have to wait months to see a healthcare professional at the Veterans Affairs Medical Institutions. Additionally, President Trump has been concerned about the growing opioid epidemic. A multitude of issues ha arisen from the opioid epidemic, including homelessness, child abuse and neglect, and crimes. President Trump has given “$6 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic.” (Washington examiner.)
Immigration reform is a major issue in which President Trump campaigned on and continues to work towards since taking office. He has maintained that the concept of open borders, sanctuary cities, and failing to comply with current immigration laws threaten our security and well-beingSenatebeing senate as a nation. People that are not properly vetted can pose a threat to the communities they live in, which are typically minority communities. Gangs, such as the MS-13, have strengthened their numbers through immigration from South American countries. They prey upon the vulnerable in their communities to increase their numbers and commit violent, senseless crimes. He has worked with Central American partners to arrest and charge about 4,000 MS-13 members so far this year. President Trump believes that a tangible barrier on the southern border is necessary and he is working towards funding this southern border wall. He also called on Congress to pass legislation that will permanently protect the children and young adults living legally in the United States as DREAMERS. He has called for permanent reform in regards to the issue of undocumented children living in the US to prevent the problem from reoccurring over and over again.
Finally, President Trump kept his promise to his base and nominated solid conservative constitutionalists to the Supreme Court. He nominated Justice Neil Gorsuch on February 1st, 2017, and Brett Kavanaugh, on July 10th, 2018. Both were confirmed in the senate by a majority vote (senate.gov)
In conclusion, despite Donald Trump’s unconventional methods and mannerisms, he has shown himself to be a productive president. While most of the media focus their attention and criticism on Trump’s tweets, the types of shoes Melania Trump wears, and the offensiveness of Trump’s comments, they miss many of the positive changes that this atypical president has made for our country. According to the Washington Examiner, he has completed 289 accomplishments in just 20 months. That is not bad for a typical politician, it is nothing short of miraculous for a businessman/entertainer who has never been part of the political community.
Has Trump Been a Beneficial President. (2022, Apr 29). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/has-trump-been-a-beneficial-president/