Trump wall
As a presidential candidate, Trump insisted that along the southern border he would build a wall – not a fence – saying there is a "big difference" and mentioning "concrete going very high". In January2018 he again floated the idea of solid concrete.
In 2017, the Mexico-U.S. border had 654miles of primary fencing, 37 miles of secondary fencing and 14 miles of tertiary fencing. Trump's target, from 2015 to 2017, was 1,000miles of wall. The Trump administration set a target of 450 miles of new or renovated barriers by December 2020, with an ultimate goal of509 miles of new or renovated barriers by August 2021. Even into2020, Trump has repeatedly provided false assertions that Mexico is paying for the Trump wall, although American taxpayers are footing the bill from funds being diverted from the U.S. Department of Defense.
In October 2018, the administration revealed two miles of replacement fences made of steel posts, which it called the first section of Trump's 'wall', although earlier that year Border Patrol had said the project was unrelated to the Trump wall and had been long planned (dating to 2009). In December 2018 and January 2019, Trump tweeted out a design of a steel fence, and a picture of a fence, while declaring "the wall is coming." In February 2019, Trump said his administration had been "restricted to renovating" existing barriers, "and we need new wall."
By November 2019, the Trump administration had replaced around 78 miles of the Mexico–United States barrier along the border; these replacement barriers were not walls, but fences made of bollards. The administration in November2019 said it had "just started breaking ground" to build new barriers in areas where no structure existed. By May 2020, the Trump administration had replaced 172 miles of dilapidated or outdated design barriers, and constructed 15 miles of new border barriers.
Foreign policy
Trump has been described as anon-interventionist and an American nationalist. He has repeatedly said he supports an "America First" foreign policy. He supports increasing United States military defense spending, but favors decreasing United States spending on NATO and in the Pacific region. He says America should look inward, stop "nation building", and re-orient its resources toward domestic needs.
His foreign policy has been marked by repeated praise and support of neo-nationalist and authoritarian strongmen and criticism of democratically-led governments. Trump has cited China's president Xi Jinping, Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkey's president Tayyip Erdoğan, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Italy's prime minister Giuseppe Conte, Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán as examples of good leaders.
ISIS, Syria, and Afghanistan
In April 2017, Trump ordered a missile strike against a Syrian airfield in retaliation for the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack. According to investigative journalist Bob Woodward,Trump had ordered his defense secretary James Mattis to assassinate Syrian president Bashar al-Assad after the chemical attack, but Mattis declined; Trump denied doing so. In April 2018, he announced missile strikes against Assad's regime, following a suspected chemical attack near Damascus.
In December 2018, Trump declared "we have won against ISIS," and ordered the withdrawal of all troops from Syria, contradicting Department of Defense assessments. Mattis resigned the next day over disagreements in foreign policy,calling this decision an abandonment of Kurd allies who had played a key role in fighting ISIS. One week after his announcement, Trump said he would not approve any extension of the American deployment in Syria. On January 6, 2019, national security advisor John Bolton announced America would remain in Syria until ISIS is eradicated and Turkey guarantees it will not strike America's Kurdish allies.
Trump actively supported the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Houthis and signed a$110 billion agreement to sell arms to Saudi Arabia. Trump also praised his relationship with Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown PrinceMohammad bin Salman.
U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan increased from 8,500 to 14,000, as of January 2017, reversing his pre-election position critical of further involvement in Afghanistan. U.S. officials said then that they aimed to "force the Taliban to negotiate a political settlement"; in January2018, however, Trump spoke against talks with the Taliban. On February 29, 2020, the Trump administration signed a conditional peace agreement with the Taliban, which calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops in 14 months if the Taliban uphold the terms of the agreement. Trump said "it is time" to bring U.S.soldiers home from Afghanistan.
In October 2019, after Trump spoke to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the White House acknowledged Turkey would be carrying out a planned military offensive into northern Syria; as such, U.S. troops in northern Syria were with drawnfrom the area to avoid interference with that operation. The statement also passed responsibility for the area's captured ISIS fighters to Turkey. In the following days, Trump suggested the Kurds intentionally released ISIS prisoners in order to gain sympathy,suggested they were fighting only for their own financial interests,suggested some of them were worse than ISIS, and termed them "no angels".
Congress members of both parties denounced the move, including Republican allies of Trump such as Senator Lindsey Graham. They argued that the move betrayed the American-allied Kurds, and would benefit ISIS, Turkey, Russia, Iran,and Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime. Trump defended the move, citing the high cost of supporting the Kurds, and the lack of support from the Kurds in past U.S. Wars. After the U.S. pullout, Turkey proceeded to attack Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria. On October 16, the United States House of Representatives, in a rare bipartisan vote of 354 to 60, "condemned" Trump's withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria for "abandoning U.S.allies, undermining the struggle against ISIS, and spurring a humanitarian catastrophe".
In November 2019, Trump ordered U.S.troops to secure the oil fields in eastern Syria, then said any remaining U.S. troops in Syria were there "only for the oil",and that the U.S. was "keeping the oil". Seizing oil without local government permission would be a war crime of pillage.
Iran
Trump has described the regime in Iran as "the rogue regime", although he has also asserted he does not seek regime change. He has repeatedly criticized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or "Iran nuclear deal") that was negotiated with the United States, Iran, and five other world powers in 2015, calling it "terrible"and saying the Obama administration had negotiated the agreement"from desperation".
Following Iran's missile tests on January 29, 2017, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on 25Iranian individuals and entities in February 2017. Trump reportedly lobbied "dozens" of European officials against doing business with Iran during the May 2017 Brussels summit; this likely violated the terms of the JCPOA, under which the U.S. may not pursue"any policy specifically intended to directly and adversely affect the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran". The Trump administration certified in July 2017 that Iran had upheld its end of the agreement. On August 2, 2017, Trump signed into law the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA)that grouped together sanctions against Iran, Russia, and North Korea. On May 18, 2018, Trump announced the United States' unilateral departure from the JCPOA.
In May 2017, strained relations between the U.S. and Iran escalated when Trump deployed military bombers and a carrier group to the Persian Gulf. Trump hinted at war on social media, provoking a response from Iran for what Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif called "genocidal taunts". Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman are allies in the conflict with Iran. Trump approved the deployment of additional U.S.troops to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following the attack on Saudi oil facilities which the United States has blamed on Iran.
On January 2, 2020, Trump ordered a targeted U.S. airstrike, which killed Iranian Major General and IRGCQ uds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, as well as eight other people. Trump publicly threatened to attack Iranian cultural sites,or react "in a disproportionate manner" if Iran retaliated; though such attacks by the U.S. would violate international law as war crimes. On January 8, Iran retaliated by launching airstrikes on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq; initially the Trump administration claimed no Americans suffered injuries, then Trump said injuries were not "very serious", but by February 2020, more than a hundred traumatic brain injuries were diagnosed in U.S. Troops. Iran issues an arrest warrant for 36 U.S.political and military officials, including Trump, for their role in the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.
Israel
Trump has supported the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on December 6, 2017, despite criticism and warnings from world leaders. He subsequently opened anew U.S. embassy in Jerusalem in May 2018. The United Nations General Assembly condemned the move, adopting a resolution that"calls upon all States to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem". In March 2019, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by recognizing Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, a move condemned by the European Union and the Arab League.
China
Before and during his presidency, Trump has repeatedly accused China of taking unfair advantage of the U.S. During his presidency, Trump has launched a trade war against China,sanctioned Huawei for its alleged ties to Iran, significantly increased visa restrictions on Chinese nationality students and scholars and classified China as a "currency manipulator". In the wake of the significant deterioration of relations, many political observers have warned against a new cold war between China and the U.S.
Trump said he resisted punishing Chinaf or its human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the northwestern Xinjiang region for fear of jeopardizing U.S.-China trade negotiations. On July 9, 2020, Trump imposed sanctions and visa restrictions against senior Chinese officials, including Chen Quanguo, a member of China's powerful Politburo of the Communist Party, who expanded mass detention camps holding more than a million members of the country's Uyghur Muslim minority.
North Korea
In 2017, North Korea's nuclear weapon swere increasingly seen as a serious threat to the United States. In August 2017, Trump escalated his rhetoric, warning that North Korean threats would be met with "fire and fury like the world has never seen". North Korea responded by releasing plans for missile tests that would land near Guam. In September 2017, Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly, saying the U.S. would"totally destroy North Korea" if "forced"to defend itself or its allies. Also in September 2017, Trump increased sanctions on North Korea, declared that he wanted North Korea's "complete denuclearization", and engaged in name-calling with leader Kim Jong-un.
In March 2018, Trump immediately agreed to Kim's proposal for a meeting. On June 12, 2018, Trump and Kim met in Singapore, with Kim affirming his intention "to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula".
A second Trump–Kim summit in Hanoi in February 2019, was terminated abruptly without an agreement; both countries blamed each other and offered differing accounts of the negotiations. On June 30, 2019, Trump, Kim, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held brief talks in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president had set foot on North Korean soil. Trump and Kim agreed to resume negotiations. Bilateral talks began in Stockholm in October 2019, but broke down after one day. North Korea has shown no indication that it is willing to unilaterally denuclearize.
Russia
During his campaign and as president,Trump has repeatedly asserted that he desires better relations with Russia. He also said Russia could help the U.S. in its fight against ISIS. According to Putin and some political experts and diplomats,the U.S.–Russian relations, which were already at the lowest level since the end of the Cold War, have further deteriorated since Trump took office in January 2017.
As president, Trump has criticized Russia about Syria, Ukraine, North Korea, Venezuela, and the Skripal poisoning, but has sent mixed messages regarding Crimea. He forbade U.S. oil companies from drilling in Russia. Businesses involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany have been sanctioned by the Trump administration with the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 on December20, 2019. Trump said the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, owned by Russia's Gazprom, could turn Germany into a "hostage of Russia".
Amidst continuing growth of China's missile forces, Trump announced in October 2018 that he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty due to supposed Russian non-compliance, a move criticized by the former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who signed the treaty in 1987 with U.S. President Ronald Reagan.
Trump has repeatedly praised Russian president Vladimir Putin; criticism of Putin by Trump was uncommon. As a presidential candidate, Trump continually described Putin as astrong leader. When Putin in August 2017 expelled over half of thestaff of the American embassy in Russia in retaliation for SanctionsAct (CAATSA), which imposed new sanctions on Russia, Trump respondedby thanking Putin, saying "We'll save a lot of money,"instead of criticizing him. After Trump met Putin at the HelsinkiSummit on July 16, 2018, Trump drew bipartisan criticism for sidingwith Putin's denial of Russian interference in the 2016 presidentialelection, rather than accepting the findings of the United Statesintelligence community.
Venezuela
On August 11, 2017, Trump said he is"not going to rule out a military option" to confrontthe government of Nicolás Maduro. In September 2018, Trump calledfor "the restoration of democracy in Venezuela" andsaid that "socialism has bankrupted the oil-rich nation anddriven its people into abject poverty." On January 23,2019, Maduro announced that Venezuela was breaking ties with theUnited States following Trump's announcement of recognizing JuanGuaidó, the Venezuelan opposition leader, as the interim presidentof Venezuela.
NATO
As a candidate, Trump questionedwhether he, as president, would automatically extend securityguarantees to NATO members, and suggested he might leave NATO unlesschanges are made to the alliance. As president, he reaffirmed theU.S. commitment to NATO in March 2017; however, he has repeatedlyaccused fellow NATO members of paying less than their fair share ofthe expenses of the alliance.
In January 2019, The New York Timesquoted senior administration officials as saying Trump has privatelysuggested on multiple occasions that the United States shouldwithdraw from NATO. The next day Trump said the United States isgoing to "be with NATO one hundred percent" butrepeated that the other countries have to "step up"and pay more.
Personnel
The Trump administration has beencharacterized by high turnover, particularly among White House staff.By the end of Trump's first year in office, 34 percent of hisoriginal staff had resigned, been fired, or been reassigned. As ofearly July 2018, 61 percent of Trump's senior aides had left and 141staffers had left in the past year. Both figures set a record forrecent presidents – more change in the first 13 months than hisfour immediate predecessors saw in their first two years. Notableearly departures included National Security Advisor Michael Flynn(after just 25 days in office), Chief of Staff Reince Priebus,replaced by retired Marine general John F. Kelly on July 28, 2017,and Press Secretary Sean Spicer. Close personal aides to Trump suchas Steve Bannon, Hope Hicks, John McEntee and Keith Schiller, havequit or been forced out. Some, like Hicks and McEntee, laterreturned to the White House in different posts. Trump has disparagedseveral of his former top officials as incompetent, stupid, or crazy.
Trump's cabinet nominations includedU.S. senator from Alabama Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, financier Steve Mnuchin as Secretary of the Treasury, retired MarineCorps general James Mattis as Secretary of Defense, and ExxonMobilCEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Trump also brought on boardpoliticians who had opposed him during the presidential campaign,such as neurosurgeon Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and UrbanDevelopment, and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as Ambassador tothe United Nations.
Two of Trump's 15 original cabinetmembers were gone within 15 months: Health and Human ServicesSecretary Tom Price was forced to resign in September 2017 due toexcessive use of private charter jets and military aircraft, andTrump replaced Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo inMarch 2018 over disagreements on foreign policy. EPA AdministratorScott Pruitt resigned in July 2018 amidst multiple investigationsinto his conduct, while Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigned fivemonths later as he also faced multiple investigations.
Trump has been slow to appointsecond-tier officials in the executive branch, saying many of thepositions are unnecessary. In October 2017, there were still hundredsof sub-cabinet positions without a nominee. By January 8, 2019, of706 key positions, 433 had been filled (61%) and Trump had no nomineefor 264 (37%).
Dismissal of James Comey
On May 9, 2017, Trump dismissed FBIdirector James Comey. He first attributed this action torecommendations from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy AG RodRosenstein, which criticized Comey's conduct in the investigationabout Hillary Clinton's emails. On May 11, Trump said he wasconcerned with the ongoing "Russia thing" and thathe had intended to fire Comey earlier, regardless of DOJ advice.
According to a Comey memo of a privateconversation on February 14, 2017, Trump said he "hoped"Comey would drop the investigation into National Security AdvisorMichael Flynn. In March and April, Trump had told Comey the ongoingsuspicions formed a "cloud" impairing hispresidency, and asked him to publicly state that he was notpersonally under investigation. He also asked intelligence chiefsDan Coats and Michael Rogers to issue statements saying there was noevidence that his campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016election. Both refused, considering this an inappropriate request,although not illegal. Comey eventually testified on June 8 that,while he was director, the FBI investigations had not targeted Trumphimself.
COVID-19 pandemic
In December 2019, an outbreak ofcoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan,Hubei, China, spreading worldwide within weeks. The first confirmedcase in the United States was reported on January 20, 2020.
Trump was slow to address the pandemic,initially dismissing the imminent threat and ignoring calls foraction from government health experts and Secretary Azar. ThroughoutJanuary and February, he rejected persistent public health warningsfrom officials within his administration, focusing instead oneconomic and political considerations of the outbreak. He continuedto claim that a vaccine was months away, although HHS and CDCofficials had repeatedly told him it would take 12–18 months todevelop a vaccine. Trump also exaggerated the availability oftesting for the virus, falsely claiming "anybody that wants atest can get a test," despite the availability of testsbeing severely limited.
On March 6, Trump signed theCoronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Actinto law, which provided $8.3 billion in emergency funding forfederal agencies. On March 11, he announced partial travelrestrictions for most of Europe, effective March 13. That same day,he gave his first serious assessment of the virus ("horrible")in a nationwide Oval Office address; he also said the outbreak was "atemporary moment" and that there was no financial crisis. On March 13, he declared a national emergency, freeing up federalresources.
Beginning in mid-March, Trump held adaily press conference, joined by medical experts and otheradministration officials, sometimes disagreeing with them bypromoting unproven treatments. Trump was the main speaker at thebriefings, where he praised his own response to the pandemic,frequently criticized rival presidential candidate Joe Biden, anddenounced members of the White House press corps. On March 16, heacknowledged for the first time that the pandemic was not undercontrol and that months of disruption to daily lives and a recessionmight occur. On April 3, Trump announced that the federal governmentwould use funds from the CARES Act to pay hospitals for treatment ofuninsured patients infected with the coronavirus. His repeated useof the terms "Chinese virus" and "Chinavirus" to describe COVID-19 drew criticism from the media,health experts, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Chinesegovernment.
By early April, as the pandemicworsened and amid criticism of his administration's response, Trumprefused to admit any mistakes in his handling of the outbreak,instead blaming the media, Democratic state governors, the previousadministration, China, and the World Health Organization. Bymid-April 2020, some national news agencies began limiting livecoverage of his daily press briefings, with The Washington Postreporting that "propagandistic and false statements fromTrump alternate with newsworthy pronouncements from members of hiscoronavirus task force, particularly coronavirus response coordinatorDeborah Birx and National Institute of Allergy and InfectiousDiseases Director Anthony S. Fauci." The daily coronavirustask force briefings ended in late April, after at one of thebriefings Trump suggested the dangerous idea of using bleachinjections to treat COVID-19; the idea was widely condemned bymedical professionals.
On April 1, 2020, the United StatesAgency for International Development (USAID) extended the PREDICTprogram for six months. In September 2019, the Trump administrationhad ended the 200-million-dollar early-warning program initiated byUSAID in 2009; dozens of epidemiologists and wildlife veterinariansworking for partner organizations were laid off. The program trainedscientists in sixty foreign laboratories, including the Wuhan labthat first identified the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causesCOVID-19, to detect and respond to viruses that have the potential tocause pandemics.
On April 22, Trump signed an executiveorder restricting some forms of immigration to the United States. InApril 2020, Republican-connected groups organized anti-lockdownprotests against the measures state governments were taking to combatthe pandemic; Trump encouraged the protests on Twitter, even thoughthe targeted states did not meet the Trump administration's ownguidelines for reopening. He first supported, then later criticizedGeorgia Governor Brian Kemp's plan to reopen some nonessentialbusinesses, which was a key example of Trump often reversing hisstances in his communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the spring he increasingly pushed for ending therestrictions as a way to reverse the damage to the country's economy.
In early May, Trump proposed that thecoronavirus task force should be phased out, to accommodate anothergroup centered on reopening the economy. Amid a backlash, Trumppublicly said the coronavirus task force would continue on"indefinitely". By the end of May, the coronavirustask force's meetings were sharply reduced.
For months, Trump refused to wear aface mask at press conferences and most public events, contrary tohis own administration's April 2020 guidance that Americans shouldwear masks in public. By June, Trump had stated that masks were a"double-edged sword", ridiculed Biden for wearingone, continually emphasized that mask-wearing was optional, andsuggested that wearing a mask is a political statement against himpersonally. Trump first wore a face mask in public in July 2020, atWalter Reed National Military Medical Center. In late spring andearly summer, with infections and death counts continuing to rise, headopted a strategy of shifting the blame for his administration'sfailure to the states.
In July 2020, Trump announced theformal withdrawal of the United States from the WHO effective July2021, after alleging without evidence that the organization hadenabled the Chinese government's concealment of the origins of thepandemic.
Despite record numbers of COVID-19cases in the U.S. from mid-June onward and an increasing percentageof positive test results, Trump continued to mostly downplay thepandemic, including his claim in early July 2020 that 99% of COVID-19cases are "totally harmless", a claim which contradictshealth officials in the U.S. He also began insisting that all statesshould open schools to in-person education in the fall, despite aJuly spike in reported cases.
In June and July Trump said severaltimes that the U.S. would have fewer cases of coronavirus if it didless testing, that "if we did half the testing we would havehalf the cases," and that having a large number of reportedcases "makes us look bad." He told a June rallythat "I said to my people, 'Slow the testing down please,' "later clarifying he had not actually given such an order. InAugust 2020 the CDC quietly lowered its recommendation for who shouldbe tested, saying that people who have been exposed to the virus butare not showing symptoms "do not necessarily need a test".Their previous recommendation had been that people exposed to thevirus should be "quickly identified and tested" evenif they are not showing symptoms, because asymptomatic people canstill spread the virus. Multiple sources reported that the change inguidelines had been due to pressure from high up in the Trumpadministration – "from the top down".
In a Rose Garden speech on June 1,2020, Trump said he would deploy the U.S. military to stop violenceif a city or state refused to do so, and declared himself the ally ofpeaceful protestors, following the police killing of George Floyd. While he was speaking, federal law enforcement officials used batons,rubber bullets, pepper spray projectiles, stun grenades, and smoke toremove a largely peaceful crowd from Lafayette Square, outside theWhite House. The removal had been ordered by Attorney General WilliamBarr. Trump then walked to St. John's Episcopal Church where thenight before a small fire had been set in the basement nursery of itsparish house. He posed for photographs holding a Bible, with Cabinetmembers and other officials later joining him in photos. Trump, whohad attended services at the church three times since taking office,did not enter the church or inspect the damage to the basement.
Religious leaders condemned thetreatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself. Manyretired military leaders and defense officials condemned Trump'sproposal to use the U.S. military against the protesters. Thechairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark A. Milley, laterapologized for accompanying Trump on the walk and thereby "creat[ing]the perception of the military involved in domestic politics".
Investigations
The Crossfire Hurricane FBIinvestigation into possible links between Russia and the Trumpcampaign was launched in mid-2016 during the campaign season. Sincehe assumed the presidency, Trump has been the subject of increasingJustice Department and congressional scrutiny, with investigationscovering his election campaign, transition and inauguration, actionstaken during his presidency, along with his private businesses,personal taxes, and charitable foundation. The New York Timesreported in May 2019 that there were 29 open investigations of Trump,including ten federal criminal investigations, eight state and localinvestigations, and eleven Congressional investigations. In 2020,Jeffrey Toobin authored a book entitled, True Crimes andMisdemeanors, the Investigation of Donald Trump, which is describedas a condensation of evidence against Trump, as if he were on trial.
Hush payments
American Media, Inc. (AMI) paid$150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal in August 2016, and Trump'sattorney Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to adult film actress StormyDaniels in October 2016. Both women were paid for non-disclosureagreements regarding their alleged affairs with Trump between 2006and 2007. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to breaking campaign financelaws, saying he had arranged both payments at the direction of Trumpin order to influence the presidential election. AMI admitted payingMcDougal to prevent publication of stories that might damage Trump'selectoral chances. Trump denied the affairs, and claimed he was notaware of Cohen's payment to Daniels, but reimbursed him in 2017. Federal prosecutors asserted that Trump had been involved indiscussions regarding non-disclosure payments as early as 2014. Court documents showed that the FBI believed Trump was directlyinvolved in the payment to Daniels, based on calls he had with Cohenin October 2016. In July 2019, a federal judge disclosed thatprosecutors had stated in a court filing they had closed theinvestigation, but days later the Manhattan District Attorneysubpoenaed the Trump Organization and AMI for records related to thehush payments and in August subpoenaed eight years of tax returns forTrump and the Trump Organization.
Russian interference
In January 2017, American intelligenceagencies – the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA, represented by theDirector of National Intelligence – jointly stated with "highconfidence" that the Russian government interfered in the2016 presidential election to favor the election of Trump. In March2017, FBI Director James Comey told Congress "the FBI, aspart of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russiangovernment's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.That includes investigating the nature of any links betweenindividuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russiangovernment, and whether there was any coordination between thecampaign and Russia's efforts."
The connections between Trumpassociates and Russia have been widely reported by the press. One ofTrump's campaign managers, Paul Manafort, had worked from December2004 until February 2010 to help pro-Russian politician ViktorYanukovych win the Ukrainian presidency. Other Trump associates,including former National Security Advisor Michael T. Flynn andpolitical consultant Roger Stone, have been connected to Russianofficials. Russian agents were overheard during the campaign sayingthey could use Manafort and Flynn to influence Trump. Members ofTrump's campaign and later his White House staff, particularly Flynn,were in contact with Russian officials both before and after theNovember election. On December 29, 2016, Flynn talked with RussianAmbassador Sergey Kislyak about sanctions that had been imposed thesame day; Flynn later resigned in the midst of controversy overwhether he misled Pence. The Washington Post reported that Trump hadtold Kislyak and Sergei Lavrov in May 2017 he was unconcerned aboutRussian interference in U.S. elections.
Trump and his allies have promoted aconspiracy theory that Ukraine, rather than Russia, interfered in the2016 election – which has also been promoted by Russia in an effortto frame Ukraine. After the Democratic National Committee washacked, Trump firstly claimed it withheld "its server"from the FBI (in actuality there were more than 140 servers, of whichdigital copies were given to the FBI); secondly that CrowdStrike, thecompany which investigated the servers, was Ukraine-based andUkrainian-owned (in actuality, CrowdStrike is U.S.-based, with thelargest owners being American companies); and thirdly that "theserver" was hidden in Ukraine. Members of the Trumpadministration have spoken out against the conspiracy theories.
Special counsel investigation
On May 17, 2017, former Deputy AttorneyGeneral Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller, a former director ofthe FBI, to serve as special counsel for the United States Departmentof Justice (DOJ) investigating "any links and/or coordinationbetween Russian government and individuals associated with thecampaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or mayarise directly from the investigation", thus taking over theexisting "Crossfire Hurricane" FBI investigationinto the matter. The special counsel also investigated whetherTrump's dismissal of James Comey as FBI director constitutedobstruction of justice, and possible campaign ties to other nationalgovernments. Trump repeatedly denied any collusion between hiscampaign and the Russian government. Mueller also investigated theTrump campaign's possible ties to Saudi Arabia, the United ArabEmirates, Turkey, Qatar, Israel, and China.
Trump sought to fire Mueller on severaloccasions – in June 2017, December 2017, and April 2018 – andclose the investigation but backed down after his staff objected orafter changing his mind. He bemoaned the recusal of his firstAttorney General Jeff Sessions regarding Russia matters, and believedSessions should have stopped the investigation.
On March 22, 2019, Mueller concludedhis investigation and gave his report to Attorney General WilliamBarr. On March 24, Barr sent a four-page letter to Congresssummarizing the "principal conclusions" in the report. Hequoted Mueller as stating "while this report does notconclude that the President committed a crime, it also does notexonerate him." Barr further wrote that he and Rosensteindid not see sufficient evidence to prove obstruction of justice. Trump interpreted Mueller's report as a "completeexoneration", a phrase he repeated multiple times in theensuing weeks. Mueller privately complained to Barr on March 27 thathis summary did not accurately reflect what the report said, and somelegal analysts called the Barr letter misleading.
A redacted version of the report wasreleased to the public on April 18, 2019. The first volume found thatRussia interfered to favor Trump's candidacy and hinder Clinton's. Despite "numerous links between the Russian government andthe Trump campaign", the prevailing evidence "didnot establish" that Trump campaign members conspired orcoordinated with Russian interference. The report states thatRussian interference in the 2016 presidential election was illegaland occurred "in sweeping and systematic fashion",and it details how Trump and his campaign welcomed and encouragedforeign interference believing they would politically benefit.
The second volume of the Mueller reportdealt with possible obstruction of justice by Trump. The report didnot exonerate Trump of obstruction inasmuch as investigators were notconfident of his innocence after examining his intent and actions. Investigators decided they could not "apply an approach thatcould potentially result in a judgment that the President committedcrimes", as they could not indict a sitting president per anOffice of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion, and would not accuse him of acrime when he cannot clear his name in court. The report concludedthat Congress, having the authority to take action against apresident for wrongdoing, "may apply the obstruction laws". Congress subsequently launched an impeachment inquiry following theTrump–Ukraine scandal, albeit it ultimately did not press chargesrelated to the Mueller investigation.
Associates
On August 21, 2018, former Trumpcampaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted on eight felony countsof false tax filing and bank fraud. Trump said he felt very badlyfor Manafort and praised him for resisting the pressure to make adeal with prosecutors, saying "Such respect for a brave man!"According to Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, Trump hadsought advice about pardoning Manafort but was counseled against it.
On November 29, Trump's former attorneyMichael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trump's 2016attempts to reach a deal with Russia to build a Trump Tower inMoscow. Cohen said he had made the false statements on behalf ofTrump, who was identified as "Individual-1" in thecourt documents.
The five Trump associates who havepleaded guilty or have been convicted in Mueller's investigation orrelated cases include Paul Manafort, deputy campaign manager RickGates, foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos, Michael Flynn, andMichael Cohen.
In February 2020, Trump campaignadviser Roger Stone was sentenced to over three years in jail, afterbeing convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering regardinghis attempts to learn more about hacked Democratic emails during the2016 election. The sentencing judge said Stone "wasprosecuted for covering up for the president".
2019 congressional investigation
In March 2019, the House JudiciaryCommittee launched a broad investigation of Trump for possibleobstruction of justice, corruption, and abuse of power. Committeechairman Jerrold Nadler sent letters demanding documents to 81individuals and organizations associated with Trump's presidency,business, and private life, saying it is "very clear that thepresident obstructed justice". Three other committeechairmen wrote the White House and State Department requestingdetails of Trump's communications with Putin, including any effortsto conceal the content of those communications. The White Houserefused to comply, asserting that presidential communications withforeign leaders are protected and confidential.
Impeachment
Impeachment by the House ofRepresentatives
During much of Trump's presidency,Democrats were divided on the question of impeachment. Fewer than 20representatives in the House supported impeachment by January 2019;after the Mueller Report was released in April and special counselRobert Mueller testified in July, this number grew to around 140representatives.
In August 2019, a whistleblower filed acomplaint with the Inspector General of the Intelligence Communityabout a July 25 phone call between Trump and President of UkraineVolodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump had pressured Zelensky toinvestigate CrowdStrike and Democratic presidential primary candidateJoe Biden and his son Hunter, adding that the White House hadattempted to "lock down" the call records in acover-up. The whistleblower further stated that the call was part ofa wider pressure campaign by Giuliani and the Trump administrationwhich may have included withholding financial aid from Ukraine inJuly 2019 and canceling Vice President Pence's May 2019 Ukraine trip. Trump later confirmed having withheld military aid from Ukraine andoffered contradicting reasons for the decision.
After the whistleblower complaintbecame known in September 2019, House speaker Nancy Pelosi initiateda formal impeachment inquiry on September 24. The Trumpadministration subsequently released a memorandum of the July 25phone call, confirming that after Zelensky mentioned purchasingAmerican anti-tank missiles, Trump asked Zelensky to investigate andto discuss these matters with Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giulianiand Attorney General William Barr. According to the testimony ofmultiple administration officials and former officials, the eventswere part of a broader effort to further Trump's personal interestsby giving him an advantage in the upcoming presidential election.
Among several State Departmentemployees testifying to congressional committees in October 2019,William B. Taylor Jr., the chargé d'affaires for Ukraine, testifiedthat soon after arriving in Ukraine in June 2019, he found thatZelensky was being subjected to pressure from a private initiativedirected by Trump and led by Giuliani. According to Taylor andothers, the goal was to coerce Zelensky into making a publiccommitment to investigate the company that employed Hunter Biden, aswell as rumors about Ukrainian involvement in the 2016 U.S.presidential election. He said it was made clear that until Zelenskymade such an announcement, the administration would not releasescheduled military aid for Ukraine and not invite Zelensky to theWhite House. Zelensky denied that he felt pressured by Trump.
On December 3, 2019, the HouseIntelligence Committee published a report authored by Democrats onthe committee, stating that "the impeachment inquiry hasfound that President Trump, personally and acting through agentswithin and outside of the U.S. government, solicited the interferenceof a foreign government, Ukraine, to benefit his reelection."The report said Trump withheld military aid and a White Houseinvitation in order to influence Ukraine to announce investigationsinto Trump's political rivals. Furthermore, the report describedTrump was the only U.S. president thus far to have "openlyand indiscriminately" defied impeachment proceedings bytelling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas fordocuments and testimony. The Republicans of the House Committeeshad released a draft of a countering report the previous day, sayingin part that the evidence "does not prove any of theseDemocrat allegations, and none of the Democrats' witnesses testifiedto having evidence of bribery, extortion, or any high crime ormisdemeanor."
On December 13, 2019, the HouseJudiciary Committee voted along party lines to pass two articles ofimpeachment: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Afterdebate, the House of Representatives impeached Trump with botharticles on December 18.
Impeachment trial in the Senate
The Senate impeachment trial began onJanuary 16, 2020. On January 22, the Republican Senate majorityrejected amendments proposed by the Democratic minority to callwitnesses and subpoena documents; evidence collected during the Houseimpeachment proceedings will be entered into the Senate recordautomatically unless objected to on a case-by-case basis.
For three days, January 22–24, theimpeachment managers for the House presented their case to theSenate. They cited evidence to support charges of abuse of power andobstruction of Congress, and asserted that Trump's actions wereexactly what the founding fathers had in mind when they included animpeachment process in the Constitution.
Responding over the next three days,the Trump legal team did not deny the facts as presented in thecharges but said Trump had not broken any laws or obstructedCongress. They argued that the impeachment was "constitutionallyand legally invalid" because Trump was not charged with acrime and that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense.
On January 31, the Senate voted againstallowing subpoenas to call witnesses or documents; 51 Republicansformed the majority for this vote. Thus, this became the firstimpeachment trial in U.S. history without witness testimony. OnFebruary 5, Trump was acquitted of both charges in a vote nearlyalong party lines, with Republican Mitt Romney being the only senatorin U.S. history to cross party lines by voting to convict on one ofthe charges.
Following his acquittal, Trump beganremoving impeachment witnesses and political appointees and careerofficials he deemed insufficiently loyal.
Public profile
Approval ratings
At the end of his second year, histwo-year average Gallup approval rating was the lowest of anypresident since World War II. As of February 2020, his Gallup ratinghas ranged from a low of 35% approval to a high of 49%. His approvaland disapproval ratings have been unusually stable.
In Gallup's end-of-year poll askingAmericans to name the man they admire the most, Trump placed secondto Obama in 2017 and 2018, and tied with Obama for most admired manin 2019. Since Gallup started conducting the poll in 1948, Trump isthe first elected president not to be named most admired in his firstyear in office.
Social media
Trump's presence on social media hasattracted attention worldwide since he joined Twitter in March 2009.He communicated heavily on Twitter during the 2016 election campaignand has continued to use this channel during his presidency. Theattention on Trump's Twitter activity has significantly increasedsince he was sworn in as president. As of May 2019, he is in the top15 for most Twitter followers at more than 60 million.
By the end of May 2020, Trump hadwritten about 52,000 tweets. These include 22,115 tweets over sevenyears before his presidential candidacy, 8,159 tweets during the 11⁄2 years of his candidacy and transition period, and 14,186 tweetsover the first three years of his presidency.
Trump has frequently used Twitter as adirect means of communication with the public, sidelining the press.Since early in his presidency, his tweets have been consideredofficial statements by the president of the United States, employedfor announcing policy or personnel changes. In March 2018, Trumpfired his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by Twitter.
Many of the assertions he has tweetedhave been proven false. In May 2020, Twitter began tagging someTrump tweets with fact-checking warnings and labels for violations ofTwitter rules. Trump responded by threatening to "stronglyregulate" or even "close down" social mediaplatforms.
Twitter blocked attempts by Trump and his staff to circumvent the ban through the use of others' accounts. The loss of Trump's social media megaphone, including his 88.7 million Twitter followers, diminished his ability to shape events, and prompted a dramatic decrease in the volume of misinformation shared on Twitter.
False statements
As president, Trump has frequently madefalse statements in public speeches and remarks. The misinformationhas been documented by fact-checkers; academics and the media havewidely described the phenomenon as unprecedented in Americanpolitics. This behavior was similarly observed when he was apresidential candidate. His falsehoods have also become adistinctive part of his political identity.
Trump uttered "at least onefalse or misleading claim per day on 91 of his first 99 days"in office, according to The New York Times, and 1,318 total in hisfirst 263 days in office, according to the "Fact Checker"political analysis column of The Washington Post. By the Post'stally, it took Trump 601 days to reach 5,000 false or misleadingstatements and another 226 days to reach the 10,000 mark. For theseven weeks leading up to the midterm elections, it rose to anaverage of thirty per day from 4.9 during his first hundred days inoffice. The Post's reported tally is 20,055 as of July 9, 2020, withthe 2019 total more than double the cumulative total of 2017 and2018.
Some of Trump's falsehoods areinconsequential, such as his claims of a large crowd size during hisinauguration. Others have had more far reaching effects, such asTrump's promotion of unproven antimalarial drugs as a treatment forCOVID 19 in a press conference and on Twitter in March 2020. The claims had consequences worldwide, such as a shortage of thesedrugs in the United States and panic-buying in Africa and South Asia. The state of Florida obtained nearly a million doses for itshospitals, even though most of them did not want the drug. Othermisinformation, such as Trump's retweet of unverified videos of afar-right British nationalist group in November 2017, serves adomestic political purpose, promoting policies on immigration andborder security. As a matter of principle, Trump does not apologizefor his falsehoods.
Despite the frequency of Trump'sfalsehoods, the media have rarely referred to them as "lies". The word suggests an attempt to deceive, hence if used could beconstrued as conveying an opinion as to the intent behind thestatement. The word is fraught with political peril and has usuallybeen avoided out of respect for the presidential office. Nevertheless, in August 2018 The Washington Post declared for thefirst time that some of Trump's misstatements (statements concerninghush money paid to Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal)were lies. Former Secretary of State for George W. Bush, ColinPowell, who had never used the word in reference to any previouspresident, said in June 2020 that Trump "lies all the time".
Some view the nature and frequency ofTrump's falsehoods as having profound and corrosive consequences ondemocracy. James Pfiffner, professor of policy and government atGeorge Mason University, wrote in 2019 that Trump lies differentlyfrom previous presidents, because he offers "egregious falsestatements that are demonstrably contrary to well-known facts";these lies are the "most important" of all Trumplies. By calling facts into question, people will be unable toproperly evaluate their government, with beliefs irrationally settledby "political power"; this erodes liberal democracy,wrote Pfiffner.
Promotion of conspiracy theories
Before and throughout his presidency,Trump has promoted numerous conspiracy theories, including"birtherism", the Clinton Body Count theory, andalleged Ukrainian interference in U.S. Elections. Trump retweeted aJuly 2020 video by Stella Immanuel, a Texas physician, promoting anunproven cure for the coronavirus. Her post was subsequently removedfrom several social networks because it violated their rules onmisinformation.
Relationship with the press
Throughout his career, Trump has soughtmedia attention. His interactions with the press turned into whatsome sources called a "love-hate" relationship. Trump began promoting himself in the press in the 1970s. Fox Newsanchor Bret Baier and former House speaker Paul Ryan havecharacterized Trump as a "troll" who makescontroversial statements to see people's "heads explode".
In the campaign, Trump benefited from arecord amount of free media coverage, elevating his standing in theRepublican primaries. New York Times writer Amy Chozick wrote inSeptember 2018 that one of the reasons for Trump's appeal was hismedia dominance, which enthralls the public. Chozick endorsed theview that with Trump "feeding something every night"there is a "can't miss" nature for media coverage ofhim, akin to a reality show.
Throughout his 2016 presidentialcampaign and his presidency, Trump has repeatedly accused the pressof intentionally misinterpreting his words and of being biased,calling them "fake news media" and "theenemy of the people". After winning the election,journalist Lesley Stahl recounted Trump's saying he intentionallydemeaned and discredited the media "so when you writenegative stories about me no one will believe you."
Trump has privately and publicly musedabout taking away critical reporters' White House press credentials. His administration moved to revoke the press passes of two WhiteHouse reporters, which were restored by the courts. In 2019, amember of the foreign press reported many of the same concerns asthose of media in the U.S., expressing concern that a normalizationprocess by reporters and media results in an inaccuratecharacterization of Trump. The Trump White House held about ahundred formal press briefings in 2017, declining by half during 2018and to two in 2019.
In early 2020, the Trump campaign suedThe New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN for allegeddefamation.
Racial views
Trump has made numerous comments andactions that have been characterized both within the U.S. and abroadas racially charged or racist. He has repeatedly denied he isracist, asserting: "I am the least racist person there isanywhere in the world." Many of his supporters say the wayhe speaks reflects his rejection of political correctness, whileothers accept it because they share such beliefs. Scholars havediscussed Trump's rhetoric in the context of white supremacy.
Several studies and surveys have foundthat racist attitudes fueled Trump's political ascendance and havebeen more important than economic factors in determining theallegiance of Trump voters. Racist and islamophobic attitudes havebeen shown to be a powerful indicator of support for Trump. In aJune 2018 Quinnipiac University poll, 49 percent of respondentsbelieved he was racist, while 47 percent believed he was not. Additionally, 55 percent said he "has emboldened people whohold racist beliefs to express those beliefs publicly".
In 1975, he settled a 1973 Departmentof Justice lawsuit that alleged housing discrimination against blackrenters. He has also been accused of racism for insisting a group ofblack and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the1989 Central Park jogger case, even after they were exonerated by DNAevidence in 2002. He has maintained his position on the matter into2019.
Trump launched his political career in2011 as a leading proponent of "birther" conspiracytheories alleging that Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president,was not born in the United States. In April 2011, Trump claimedcredit for pressuring the White House to publish the "long-form"birth certificate, which he considered fraudulent, and latersaying this made him "very popular". In September2016, amid pressure, he acknowledged that Obama was born in the U.S.and falsely claimed the rumors had been started by Hillary Clintonduring her 2008 presidential campaign. In 2017, he reportedly stillexpressed birther views in private.
According to an analysis in PoliticalScience Quarterly, Trump made "explicitly racist appeals towhites" during his 2016 presidential campaign. Inparticular, his campaign launch speech drew widespread criticism forclaiming Mexican immigrants were "bringing drugs, they'rebringing crime, they're rapists." His later comments abouta Mexican-American judge presiding over a civil suit regarding TrumpUniversity were also criticized as racist.
Trump's comments in reaction to the2017 Charlottesville far-right rally were interpreted, by some, asimplying a moral equivalence between white supremacist demonstratorsand counter-protesters.
In a January 2018 Oval Office meetingto discuss immigration legislation, he reportedly referred to ElSalvador, Haiti, Honduras, and African nations as "shitholecountries". His remarks were condemned as racist worldwide,as well as by many members of Congress.
In July 2019, Trump tweeted that fourDemocratic members of Congress – all four minority women, three ofthem native-born Americans – should "go back" tothe countries they "came from". Two days later theHouse of Representatives voted 240–187, mostly along party lines,to condemn his "racist comments". White nationalistpublications and social media sites praised his remarks, whichcontinued over the following days.
Comments about women
Trump has a history of insulting ordemeaning women through comments on appearance or bodily functions,comparisons to animals, or other sexist language. Trump's behaviorbecame a campaign issue when he was questioned about it during theRepublican Party presidential debate by Fox News journalist anddebate host Megyn Kelly on August 6, 2015. Trump brushed off Kelly'squestion, implying she was treating him unfairly, but then on CNN thefollowing day stated about Kelly, "You could see there wasblood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever." The comment was widely viewed as referring to menstrual blood. Trump denied the comment was about menstruation and insisted thatwhat he said was appropriate. Trump incurred bipartisan condemnationfor his comments.
Allegations of sexual misconduct
At least twenty-three women havepublicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct as of October 2019,including his then-wife Ivana. There were allegations of rape,violence, being kissed and groped without consent, looking underwomen's skirts, and walking in on naked women. In 2016, he deniedall accusations, calling them "false smears", andalleged there was a conspiracy against him.
In October 2016, two days before thesecond presidential debate, a 2005 "hot mic" recordingsurfaced in which Trump was heard bragging about kissing and gropingwomen without their consent, saying "when you're a star, theylet you do it, you can do anything ... grab 'em by the pussy." The incident's widespread media exposure led to Trump's first publicapology during the campaign and caused outrage across the politicalspectrum.
Allegations of inciting violence
Some research suggests Trump's rhetoriccauses an increased incidence of hate crimes. During the 2016campaign, he sometimes urged or praised physical attacks againstprotesters or reporters. Since then, some individuals or theirattorneys have cited Trump's rhetoric as a defense for their hatespeech or violent actions. In August 2019 it was reported that a manwho allegedly assaulted a minor for perceived disrespect toward thenational anthem had cited Trump's rhetoric in his own defense. Itwas also reported in August 2019 that a nationwide review conductedby ABC News had identified at least 36 criminal cases where Trump wasinvoked in direct connection with violence or threats of violence. Ofthese, 29 were based around someone echoing presidential rhetoric,while the other seven were someone protesting it or not having directlinkage.
2020 presidential election
Breaking with precedent, Trump filed to run for a second term with the FEC within a few hours of assuming the presidency. Trump held his first re-election rally less than a month after taking office. In his first two years in office, Trump's reelection committee reported raising $67.5 million, allowing him to begin 2019 with $19.3 million cash on hand. From the beginning of 2019 through July 2020, the Trump campaign and Republican Party raised $1.1 billion but spent $800 million of that amount, losing their cash advantage over the Democratic nominee, former vice president Joe Biden. The cash shortage forced the campaign to scale-back advertising spending.
Starting in spring 2020, Trump began to sow doubts about the election, repeatedly claiming without evidence that the election would be "rigged" and that the expected widespread use of mail balloting would produce "massive election fraud." On July 30, Trump raised the idea of delaying the election. When in August the House of Representatives voted for a US$25 billion grant to the U.S. Postal Service for the expected surge in mail voting, Trump blocked funding, saying he wanted to prevent any increase in voting by mail. Trump became the Republican nominee on August 24, 2020. He repeatedly refused to say whether he would accept the results of the election and commit to a peaceful transition of power if he lost.
Trump campaign advertisements focused on crime, claiming that cities would descend into lawlessness if his opponent, Biden, won the presidency. Trump repeatedly misrepresented Biden's positions during the campaign. Trump's campaign message shifted to appeals to racism in an attempt to reclaim voters lost from his base.
Biden won the election on November 3, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.8 percent) and winning the Electoral College by 306 to 232.
Election aftermath
At 2 a.m. the morning after the election, with the results still unclear, Trump declared victory. After Biden was projected the winner days later, Trump said, "this election is far from over" and baselessly alleged election fraud. Trump and his allies filed many legal challenges to the results, which were rejected by at least 86 judges in both the state and federal courts, including by federal judges appointed by Trump himself, finding no factual or legal basis. Trump's unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voting fraud were also refuted by state election officials. After Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) director Chris Krebs contradicted Trump's fraud allegations, Trump dismissed him on November 17. On December 11, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case from the Texas attorney general which asked the court to overturn the election results in four states won by Biden.
Trump withdrew from public activities in the weeks following the election. He initially blocked government officials from cooperating in Biden's presidential transition. After three weeks, the administrator of the General Services Administration ascertained Biden the "apparent winner" of the election, allowing the disbursement of transition resources to his team. Trump still did not formally concede while claiming he recommended the GSA begin transition protocols.
The Electoral College formalized Biden's victory on December 14. From November to January, Trump repeatedly sought help to overturn the results of the election, personally pressuring various Republican local and state office-holders, Republican state and federal legislators, and Vice President Pence, urging various actions such as replacing presidential electors, or a request for Georgia officials to "find" votes and announce a "recalculated" result. On February 10, 2021, Georgia prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to subvert the election in Georgia.
Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration, leaving Washington for Florida hours before.
Storming of the U.S. Capitol
On January 6, 2021, while congressional certification of the presidential election results was occurring in the Capitol, Trump held a rally nearby, where he called for the election result to be overturned and urged his supporters to "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol to "show strength" and "fight like hell." Thousands of those supporters then stormed the Capitol around 1 pm, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress. During the violence, Trump posted mixed messages on Twitter and Facebook, eventually tweeting to the rioters at 6 pm, "go home with love & in peace," but describing them as "great patriots" and "very special," while still complaining that the election was stolen. After the mob was removed from the Capitol, Congress reconvened and confirmed the Biden election win in the early hours of the following morning. Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died as a consequence of the riot.
Second impeachment (2021)
On January 11, 2021, an article of impeachment charging Trump with incitement of insurrection against the U.S. government was introduced to the House. The House voted 232–197 to impeach Trump on January 13, making him the first U.S. officeholder to be impeached twice. The impeachment, which was the most rapid in history, followed an unsuccessful bipartisan effort to strip Trump of his powers and duties via Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. Ten Republicans voted for impeachment – the most members of a party ever to vote to impeach a president of their own party.
Second impeachment trial in the Senate
Senate Democrats asked to begin the trial immediately, while Trump was still in office, but then-Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell blocked the plan. On February 13, following a five-day Senate trial, Trump was acquitted when the Senate voted 57–43 for conviction, falling ten votes short of the two-thirds majority required to convict; seven Republicans joined every Democrat in voting to convict, the most bipartisan support in any Senate impeachment trial of a president or former president. Most Republicans voted to acquit Trump, though some held him responsible but felt the Senate did not have jurisdiction over former presidents (Trump had left office on January 20; the Senate voted 56–44 the trial was constitutional). Included in the latter group was McConnell, who said Trump was "practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day" but "constitutionally not eligible for conviction."
Popular culture
Trump has been the subject ofcomedians, Flash cartoon artists, and online caricature artists. Hehas been parodied regularly on Saturday Night Live by Phil Hartman,Darrell Hammond, and Alec Baldwin, and in South Park as Mr. Garrison.The Simpsons episode "Bart to the Future", writtenduring his 2000 campaign for the Reform party, anticipated a futureTrump presidency. A dedicated parody series called The President Showdebuted in April 2017 on Comedy Central, while another one called OurCartoon President debuted on Showtime in February 2018.
Trump's wealth and lifestyle had been afixture of hip-hop lyrics since the 1980s, as he was named inhundreds of songs, most often in a positive tone. Mentions of Trumpin hip-hop turned negative and pejorative after he ran for office in2015.
Recognition
In 1983, Trump received the JewishNational Fund Tree of Life Award, after he helped fund twoplaygrounds, a park, and a reservoir in Israel. In 1986, he receivedthe Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of "patriotism,tolerance, brotherhood and diversity", and in 1995 wasawarded the President's Medal from the Freedoms Foundation for hissupport of youth programs. He has been awarded five honorarydoctorates, but one was revoked by Robert Gordon University in 2015after Trump called for a Muslim ban, citing Trump's speech being"wholly incompatible ... with the ethos and values of theuniversity". The remaining awards are Lehigh University'shonorary doctorate of laws in 1988, Wagner College's honorarydoctorate of humane letters in 2004, and Liberty University'shonorary doctorates of business and law in 2012 and 2017respectively.
In December 2016, Time named Trump asits "Person of the Year", but Trump took issue withthe magazine for referring to him as the "President of theDivided States of America". In the same month, he was namedFinancial Times Person of the Year and was ranked by Forbes thesecond most powerful person in the world after Vladimir Putin. Aspresident, Trump received the Collar of The Order of Abdulaziz alSaud from Saudi Arabia in 2017.
Notes
This estimate is by Forbes in theirannual ranking. Bloomberg Billionaires Index listed Trump's net worthas $2.97 billion in June 2019, and Wealth-X listed it as at least$3.2 billion in April 2019.
Presidential elections in the UnitedStates are decided by the Electoral College. Each state names anumber of electors equal to its representation in Congress, and (inmost states) all delegates vote for the winner of the local statevote. Consequently, it is possible for the president-elect to havereceived fewer votes from the country's total population (the popularvote). This situation has occurred five times since 1824.
Ronald Reagan was older upon hissecond-term inauguration.
"In connection with thatanalysis, we addressed the factual question whether members of theTrump Campaign 'coordinat[ed]' – a term that appears in theappointment order – with Russian election interference activities.Like collusion, 'coordination' does not have a settled definition infederal criminal law. We understood coordination to require anagreement – tacit or express – between the Trump Campaign and theRussian government on election interference. That requires more thanthe two parties taking actions that were informed by or responsive tothe other's actions or interests. We applied the term coordination inthat sense when stating in the report that the investigation did notestablish that the Trump Campaign coordinated with the Russiangovernment in its election interference activities." MuellerReport, vol. I, p. 2
Records on this matter date from theyear 1824. The number "five" includes the electionsof 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016. Despite their similarities, someof these five elections had peculiar results; e.g. John Quincy Adamstrailed in both the national popular vote and the electoral collegein 1824 (since no one had a majority in the electoral college, Adamswas chosen by the House of Representatives), and Samuel Tilden in1876 remains the only losing candidate to win an actual majority ofthe popular vote (rather than just a plurality).
Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24thpresident.
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