Wednesday, Nov. 8 marked one year since Donald Trump was elected to be president of the United States. As one of the most controversial politicians in modern America, the world has looked on skeptically as Trump assumed the role of ‘Most Powerful Man on Earth.’ That skepticism shows in Trump’s current approval rating, which, according to the most recent Gallop Poll, sits at 38 percent as per of the week of Oct. 30 to Nov. 5. This approval rating is much lower than any other modern president has experienced in November of their first year (compare to Bill Clinton’s 49% rating in Nov. 1993, George W. Bush’s 87% in 2001, and Barack Obama’s 51% in 2009).
This high opposition to the current administration comes from Trump’s aggressive policies and statements, which are often shared in 140-character tweets. He and Congress have failed multiple times to gut Obamacare, an initiative that Trump promised to get done in the first 100 days of his presidency. He targeted immigration by implementing a travel ban that was largely shot down by federal courts and has overturned the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program without promising any new protections to those who benefitted from it. He also appointed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Gorsuch has since faced criticism by his colleagues on the bench, particularly Elena Kagan, for being arrogant and annoying.
Trump’s administration turned its back on the scientific community by pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His flippant ignorance toward climate change and protecting natural resources has made Trump an enemy to the scientific and academic communities. Trump also allowed the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline to move forward, going against the Obama-era decision to suspend operations on the pipeline amid the high number of protests. The pipeline was completed in April 2017 when national attention was focused on other issues and protesters had lost all faith in having a government that would hear and represent them.
In terms of foreign policy, Trump has threatened North Korea with war more times than can be counted, disavowed the Obama-era Iran Nuclear Agreement, and pulled out of the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These three decisions have turned heads worldwide, and have proved that Trump has a questionable agenda when it comes to peace and prosperity.
Trump targeted the LGBTQ+ community by stating that transgender individuals can no longer serve in the military. He allowed Nazism to manifest itself in the U.S. by not condemning the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville in August, and he has failed to take initiative in helping Puerto Rico rebuild after the effects of Hurricane Maria. Trump has refused to ignore the issue of gun violence in the U.S., despite the most deadly mass shooting in modern US history taking place in early Oct. of his first year as president.
Overall, Donald Trump’s year since being elected has been a failure. His leadership has alienated enormous parts of the world population, and has left little hope for people who still believe the US is the ‘Land of Opportunity.’ Trump’s actions and behaviors are childlike and dangerous. Most importantly, his power has gone unchecked by a wimpy Congress that refuses to stand up against his atrocious behavior.
This is why it is so important to start mobilizing now for the 2018 Midterm Elections. It is more important than ever to start educating your friends, family and peers about who is up for election in 2018, and why it is so important to vote. There are no good excuses for not being educated enough or not caring about the results. These elections are the most immediate way to oppose Trump and his administration. After looking at a year of Donald Trump, it is time we start working on having as few of these years as possible.
