By Sydney York
Since his inauguration in 2017, Donald Trump was at the helm of one of the most unconventional and eventful presidencies in American history. From the inauguration crowd size controversy, to meeting Kim Jong-un and filling three Supreme Court justice seats, Mr. Trump ploughed ahead with his unique style of leadership, often stumping even the most seasoned of Washington correspondents. Impeachment and the global pandemic in 2020 sums up his term in office. So after 4 long years, is America really great again?
Beginning in April 2017, former president Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch as the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He would succeed Antonin Scalia’s position since he passed away the year before. Less than a month later, Trump makes the decision to fire FBI Director, James Comey. Trump claimed it was due to Comey’s ties to the Russian Investigation, which Trump later affirms, “Trump and Russia is a made up story.”
Not even a year later, Trump is caught up in yet another scandal. The Wall Street Journal reported that in October 2016, just before the 2016 United States presidential election, Donald Trump arranged payment of $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to stop her disclosure of their 2006 affair. In April of 2018, Trump ordered for a targeted missile strike on Shayrat Airfield in Syria. “It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons,” Trump announces. Shortly after in June 2018, Donald Trump meets Kim Jong-un in Singapore…one of the most tense situations to observe as a person back home. During the next month, Trump has a summit with Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. “Don’t meddle in the 2020 election,” former president Donald Trump jokingly tells Putin while on T.V. Later on in September 2018, Brett Kavanaugh is appointed to the Supreme Court. This spewed a good amount of controversy, for it was shortly revealed that Kavanaugh was a part of sexual harassment back in highschool.
Fast-forwarding to September 2019, the democrats begin the proceedings for Trump’s impeachment. “…once again, he is trying to corrupt the election for his own benefit,”SpeakerNancy Pelosi says. Later on in December of 2019, the House passes articles of impeachment. But in January of 2020, the Senate rejected the articles of impeachment. Shortly thereafter, the Covid-19 pandemic hit us in late January of 2020. Initially resisting to take measure, Trump later on supports social distancing, locking down, etc. In March 2020 quarantine was put in place, leading into a semi strict lockdown. In May 2020, Trump addressed the rising protests advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement beginning with the death of George Floyd. In June Trump announces, “…our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists and violent mobs. I am mobilizing all available federal resources, civilian and military.” Protestors continued to be tear-gassed and shot with rubber bullets by law enforcement as a result. October came around soon enough, marking the beginning of election season. Soon enough, Trump contracts COVID-19, and is immediately instated at Walter Reed Hospital. Election campaigns were yet another thing clouding up the media, as well as the controversial presidential debate between current president Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump. Amy Coney Barrett is quickly nominated to the Supreme Court by Trump and confirmed by the senate, leading to controversy around the validity of her responses during her interview.
Soon enough elections came rolling around the corner. The rollercoaster of emotions, suspicion, and debate became familiar to the American people. With Biden winning the presidential elections on November 7th, Trump continued to voice his opinion on voter fraud, and encouraged his followers to voice similar opinions as well. Sparked by dissinormation regarding election fraud promoted by Trump, The Capital riots began on January 6th 2021.This led many people to question the safety of Trump’s effects on the American people, and brought ideas of a second impeachment, as well as forced resignation.
Throughout these four years we have lived under one of the most eventful and controversial presidencies, courtesy of Trump himself. Causing much division on a global scale, Trump had a unique style of leadership no doubt. As we move on we can only reflect on past mistakes, while we focus on improving the future.