The first year of the Trump Administration proved to be eventful, challenging, and unique. He left us wondering things like, “What is a covfefe?” and “Just how does he keep his bald spot covered?” But jokes aside, there is one other characteristic of President Trump’s first year in office that sets him apart from many past presidents: productive. Agree with his policies or not, it is undeniable that Trump has been busy since taking office last January. Trump’s unconventional style is arguably his most popular (and equally unpopular) characteristic, which contributed to many of his successes thus far. Despite deep division concerning his presidency, Trump does not seem to be fazed by even his most uncharitable critics; rather, he appears to remain focused on his biggest campaign promise to, “Make America Great Again” – a promise which has been kept through a variety of accomplishments:

Confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch

A new Supreme Court Justice to replace Justice Antonin Scalia was an important issue to Trump throughout his campaign. He even released names of individuals he would consider if he were to be elected. A mere 11 days after his January 20^th inauguration, President Trump announced his nominee: Neil Gorsuch. While Trump seems to move fairly quickly on most issues, Congress unfortunately does not. It was not until April 7^th that the senate confirmed Justice Gorsuch with a vote of 54-45. This was a huge win for President Trump, as it occurred extremely early in his administration and validated his dedication to getting the job done.

Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel

A more recent accomplishment of President Trump was his decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Deciding to have the United States recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was an extremely significant move by President Trump for two reasons. First, this demonstrated that President Trump is not intimidated by the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The issue of Jerusalem has always been a complicated factor surrounding this conflict and Trump’s action only solidifies his support for Israel. Secondly, this move was significant because it once again demonstrates Trump’s ability to take action. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is not a new idea – it was talked about by Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. But President Trump is the only one who has acted on the plan.

Tax Reform

In December of 2017, President Trump signed the GOP tax plan, which was more comprehensive than any tax plan since the days of Ronald Reagan. There were those who had their criticisms and doubts, but then corporation after corporation announced their plans to give bonuses and other perks to their employees, citing the tax cuts for their decisions. These announcements have nearly silenced the idea that the tax cuts were only for the wealthy. With nearly doubling the standard deduction for most Americans and doubling the child tax credit, even middle class workers should see a notable decrease in their taxes. Unfortunately, critics of the bill are correct in their analysis that it could potentially add to the deficit. This is an issue that Republicans have yet to address. Nevertheless, the GOP tax plan is a huge success for President Trump, as he made good on yet another campaign promise.

The Economy

While it is irresponsible to credit or discredit a single president for the state of the economy, the economic growth since Trump took office has been impressive. For example, as of January 2018, the unemployment rate hit a 17-year low. Additionally, the stock market continues to climb, also contributing to a booming economy. While all of the credit may not belong to President Trump, there is no doubt that his personal familiarity with business and the economy is certainly a contributing factor.

American Patriotism

President Trump’s campaign was especially patriotic and his presidency has embodied that theme in a unique way. When NFL players knelt during the singing of The Star Spangled Banner, Trump famously pointed out his distaste for this behavior, which sparked a national debate about flag etiquette and patriotism. Something that makes Trump so compelling to his supporters is his willingness to set political correctness aside and say what people are thinking. In this case, Trump passionately held a patriotic view that was widely accepted by his supporters and others who believed that kneeling was disrespectful. This is counted as an accomplishment because through this incident, President Trump reestablished an acceptance for traditional American patriotism.

The Detriment of ISIS

Wondering why we haven’t heard anything about ISIS recently? Well thanks to the unique strategies offered by General Jim “Mad Dog” Mattis (who should be considered a Trump accomplishment himself), ISIS has been routed out of Iraq and Syria and only controls 3% and 5% of those countries, respectfully. While there is still work to be done in order to finish the job, ISIS is now significantly less powerful, which proves to be yet another campaign promise kept by Donald Trump.

Having listed these accomplishments of the Trump Administration thus far, it is exciting to see what he will do in the coming years. Shortly after the recent tragedy in Parkland, Florida, President Trump began to address the issue of gun violence. Instead of just saying, “We need to do something about this”, President Trump offered specific solutions, which are seemingly reasonable compromises. With his track record of getting the job done, there is a strong possibility that the American people will see real solutions put into place. Apart from the issue of guns, President Trump has been pressing on Congress to find a fix for DACA, in addition to finding funds for the big, beautiful wall (which, incidentally, will have a big, beautiful door). All of these things will be interesting to watch unfold in the coming weeks and months as President Trump continues his efforts to, “Make America Great Again.”

Article by Sarah Buxton.