Major Impact: President Donald Trump’s First 50 Days in Office

Trump Presidency 50 Days Getty
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Ben Kew

President Donald Trump has now been in office for 50 days, and his administration has moved swiftly to get America back on the right track.

Since taking office 20th January, Trump has signed 16 executive orders, met with an array of foreign leaders, delivered an unforgettable speech to congress, and made a meaningful impact on restoring the nation to prosperity. Here we look at what Trump has achieved in his first 50 days in office.

National Security

To stop the inflow of unvetted individuals from terrorist states that was taking place under Barack Obama’s refugee resettlement program, Trump signed an executive order suspending Obama’s refugee program and introducing a temporary travel ban from seven terror-prone countries. However, following multiple lawsuits, the U.S. Appeals Court upheld a ruling overturning the ban.

Since that ruling, Trump has signed a revised executive order that blocks the arrival of most travelers from six terror-prone countries for 90 days, and freezes the inflow of refugees from any country for the next 120 days. Iraq has now been dropped from the list of countries and green card holders remain exempt. However, four Democrat-led states are now reopening legal action against the latest order.

Immigration

Trump’s trademark project of building a wall along the Mexican border, which will prevent the flow of illegal immigration into America, is already taking shape. In his first week in office, Trump signed an executive order that seeks to “secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border, monitored and supported by adequate personnel so as to prevent illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and acts of terrorism.”

Although construction of the wall has not yet begun, Trump has begun formulating plans for its construction, adding that the design phase is already in place. Trump’s Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), retired Marine General John Kelly, claimed that the wall will be built in under two years.

However, the greatest impact so far has come from the Trump administration’s guidance to Immigration Enforcement Agencies for stricter enforcement, directing them to hire thousands of new agents to apprehend illegal immigrants, and if necessary, send them back to their country of origin. Illegal border crossings have fallen by 40% in the months of January and February.

Jobs and the economy

Since his election in November, Trump has prioritized bringing jobs back to America, especially those from companies planning to outsource overseas. Having met with a range of business leaders, he has received assurances from companies such as Ford and Carrier Corporations to cancel their overseas plans and instead invest in America. Leading technology firms such as Apple, Amazon, Samsung, and Intel have also pledged to create thousands of new jobs in America over the coming years.

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Reducing levels of regulation has also been a priority for the Trump administration. Following a year of record regulation, Trump has signed two executive orders attempting to slash regulation. His initial order stipulates that for every new regulation created, two other regulations must be cut. His second order will introduce “regulation watchdogs,” which will require federal agencies to dissolve their power as rule makers.

Trump has also promised significant tax breaks for both individuals and companies, although Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week suggested the necessary reform might not be implemented until August.

Current economic trends are proving positive. This week, it emerged that hiring across America is at a three-year high. Amid rising economic confidence, the Dow Jones industrial average also broke record levels in January, reaching 20,000 points on its stock index.

Escalating war on the media

Since assuming the presidency, Trump has escalated his already hostile relationship with the mainstream media. Regularly referring to them as the “fake news media,” he has targeted networks such as ABC, NBC, and CNN for biased reporting, even describing them as the “enemy of the American people.”

These assertions are backed up by data, a recent analysis found that 88 per cent of mainstream media coverage is anti-Trump. Amid the rising tensions, Trump has confirmed he will not be attending this year’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner, becoming the first president to do so in 30 years.

Diplomacy

While in the Oval Office, Trump has met with a range of foreign leaders, such as UK Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

In all the meetings, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to close relations between America and the given country. In a meeting with Theresa May, Trump committed himself “100%” to NATO, while promising a “quick deal” on trade with Britain as it leaves the European Union. With Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump scrapped decades of U.S. policy urging a a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while Netanyahu argued there is “no greater supporter of the Jewish people” than Trump.

Meanwhile on meeting with Justin Trudeau, Trump promised “tweaking” of the current trade settlement between America and Canada, while Japanese Prime Minister said that future trade relations between American and Asia must be both “free and fair.”

Abortion and transgender bathrooms

Although not known to be overtly socially conservative, Trump has taken action to protect the rights of the unborn. In his first week, Trump signed an executive order restoring the Mexico City policy, which bans federal funds from being used to fund abortions at organizations such as Planned Parenthood.

Trump has also revoked Barack Obama’s federal guidelines forcing public institutions to let transgender people use the bathroom of their choice, even if it is not that of their biological sex. This decision will now be left up to the states and school districts.

You can follow Ben Kew on Facebook, on Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com

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