MAJOR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

 Filenews 31 October 2020 - by Nikoleta Kourousi

President Donald Trump entered an election year as the third president in U.S. history to face a re-election process for committing criminal offenses and who was eventually acquitted. Although he is perhaps the most controversial and divisive president in the modern history of the United States, the American President is recording a remarkably steady course of acceptance, with fervently loyal supporters.

Even when polls have repeatedly shown that most Americans disapprove of the way Trump handles the COVID-19 pandemic, his overall acceptance rating, according to Business Insider, has not changed.

In the run-up to the presidential election, Donald Trump trails former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls and must defend Republican strongholds like Arizona and Texas to cut the thread first.

Interesting we think is the brief presentation of some of the greatest achievements and failures of his administration, taking into account, among other things, the general response of Congress, the public, but also the wider world.

Trump's Middle East policy -A few questions and successes

One of the most controversial policies of the Trump administration is his policy on Middle East issues.

First, Trump's move to unilaterally withdraw the US from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018caused chaos across the Middle East . It remains one of Trump's most unpopular decisions on the world stage, and has been condemned by top US allies who also signed the deal.

The US President has failed to reverse Iran's aggressive behaviour in the region through a maximum pressure campaign aimed at pushing Tehran to negotiate a stricter version of the pact.

After a series of incidents in the Persian Gulf region in 2019, tensions between Washington and Tehran reached historic heights and sparked fears of war. Iran has effectively abandoned the 2015 nuclear deal, which was designed to prevent the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria in October is also considered by many to be one of the most destructive moves in his foreign policy.

Donald Trump's Middle Eastern diplomacy began its course in a spirit of megalomania, challenged by many, as the US president declared his intention not only to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians, but also to resolve the century-long conflict between Jews and Arabs.

To the surprise of many, however, the Trump formula recorded a series of successes in the peace process. It is certainly not the final 'station' of the course, but it is an important station for the 'train' of peace in the region.

The US president announced that five other Arab countries were ready to join the system of agreements with Israel, specifically mentioning Saudi Arabia. Trump also predicted that there would eventually be a family "reunion" of all Abraham's descendants in the White House garden.

Whether he wins or loses the election, Donald Trump has undoubtedly managed to significantly change the Middle East, restoring American economic and diplomatic credibility, which was an important factor in the peace agreements, for which the US brokered between Israel and the two Gulf states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which in turn , encouraged Sudan to join the same climate.

"After decades of divisions and conflicts, we are witnessing the dawn of a new Middle East," the American president said, when signing the Emirates and Bahraini peace agreements with Israel, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described these agreements as a "turning point in history."

Successes

- Reshaping the Federal Judiciary

The lasting impact of the US President's administration on the country is expected to be the reshaping of the federal judiciary.

So far, Trump has installed three Supreme Court justices and a total of 220 judges on the federal bench.

The courts have the final say in US politics, setting precedents that could shape the country for years to come. Therefore, even if Trump is not re-elected in 2020, his presidency will continue to affect the direction of the US, due to the large number of conservative federal judges he has installed.

- Tax reform

Three years after his presidency, Trump's signature legislative achievement remains the Republican tax bill, which made sweeping changes to the tax code - the Tax Cutsand Jobs Act.

This law is the largest overhaul of the nation's tax code in three decades and the president described it as a "rocket fuel" for the U.S. Economy. It permanently lowered the corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%, while providing temporary benefits for individuals and their families.

Critics of the tax cuts argued that it was an unexpected benefit for large corporations at the expense of the middle class, while supporters argued that it was an economic advantage, as businesses would invest in their operations, resulting in improved worker productivity and higher wages.

Remarkable, however, is the fact that the U.S. Economy grew at an annual rate of 33.1% in the July-September quarter - by far the largest quarterly profit on record - recovering from an epic fall in thespring,when the coronavirus boom shut down businesses and put tens of millions of people out of work.

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Commerce last Thursday, in the third quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 7.4%

The trade ministry's estimate for the third quarter on Thursday shows that the economy has recovered by two-thirds, after losses early in the year, when the Economy effectively "frozen" after the forced closure of restaurants, bars and many retailers.

- Defense - Creation of Space Force)

By signing a $738 billion defense spending bill just days before Christmas, Trump officially established the sixth division of the U.S. armed forces - the Space Force.

The Space Force is the first new military service since the U.S. Air Force was created in 1947.

Despite its name, the new Department is not set up for... protecting the planet from potential alien threats, as one might think, but it is tasked with protecting the us military's possessions in space.

It is noted however that many of the details surrounding the Space Force need to be smoothed out. The new branch is simply a more central version of military missions in space, already existing from the Air Force, Army and Navy. Todd Harrison, who directs the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, recently told NPR: "It will create a centralized, unified chain of command that is responsible for space, because ultimately when responsibility is fragmented, no one is responsible."

- Criminal Justice System Reform – NoDraftFirst Step ACT

Donald Trump signed the First Step Act (FSA) act in December 2018, marking the first legislative victory in years for supporters of criminal justice reform.

The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. While offering relatively modest changes to the federal prison system, it was praised as an important step forward by groups and activists seeking to end mass incarceration.

The bill offers more opportunities for rehabilitation and vocational training and includes provisions intended for the humane treatment of detainees – such as banning the use of handcuffs on pregnant prisoners, stopping the use of solitary confinement for most juvenile inmates and imposing an order to place detainees in facilities within 500 miles of their families.

- Victory of the CALIPHATE of ISIS and the assassination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

The victory of ISIS's caliphate and the assassination of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is considered one of the major achieves of the US President's rule.

ISIS shocked the world in 2014 when it captured a large area of Iraq and Syria and declared a caliphate. Its territorial possessions, held by the terrorist group, formed the basis for its so-called caliphate, an important base of operations, to carry out attacks around the world.

After a five-year U.S.-led effort, ISIS's caliphate was finally defeated in March 2019.

Trump has sometimes falsely claimed that ISIS is a complete loser, embellishing the extent of the U.S. military's success against the terrorist organization during his presidency. Although the terrorist group has lost its territory - the so-called caliphate - it is estimated to have up to 18,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.

A major success is the fact that in late October, a US raid led to the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Baghdadi was the most wanted terrorist in the world until then and his death represented a major blow to the terrorist group.

"His arrest or assassination was the top national security priority of my administration," the US President said at the time.

Failures and challenges

-Charlottesville and George Floyd

Trump's response to a neo-Nazi party in Charlottesville, Virginia, remains one of the most controversial moments of his presidency.

The president was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for his response and his failure to offer a swift and vigorous condemnation of white supremacist violence.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, often one of Trump's fiercest defenders in Congress, at the time said the president's words were "divisive for Americans."

Even after george floyd's violent death at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department and the nationwide protests, Trump is estimated to have failed to live up to the circumstances.

Trump has often used racist rhetoric during his presidency, but especially in times of heightened racial tensions.

A poll shows that the vast majority of Black Americans believe Trump is a racist, with a low acceptance rating among this population group, according to Gallup.

-America's global image is confused

America's global image has diminished significantly under Trump, who has repeatedly insulted key US allies while meeting with dictators.

The President's tendency to remove key allies and isolate the US, including withdrawal from landmark international agreements such as the Paris climate agreement, has had a noticeable impact.

The Pew Research Center, in January 2020, published a survey of 32 countries in which 64% said they had no confidence in Trump in handling global affairs and only 29% expressed confidence in the US President.

Trump's handling of the crowning pandemic has also left the US somewhat exposed on the world stage, and created a vacuum in global leadership that China has rushed to fill.

-Separations of families and deaths of migrant children

Trump campaigned in 2016 to reduce documentless immigration and vowed to take a tough approach. He fulfilled that promise when he took office, but was accused of violations of human rights and international law by the UN.

The Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy of illegal border crossings has led to the separation of at least 5,500 families.

After widespread backlash, Trump issued an executive order in June 2018 to end family separations, and a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reunite all those who had divorced. But the fallout from the splits continues.

The United Nations human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, in July said she was "shocked" by the U.S. government's treatment of child migrants and the conditions they faced in detention facilities after crossing the border from Mexico.

*With information from Business Insider