Special Report
50 Notable Events Since Trump Was Elected President
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Donald J. Trump’s path to White House was anything but traditional. While many of the other 43 presidents either previously served in elected positions or had careers in the military before taking office, Trump was a real estate mogul and reality TV star — here is a look at each president’s path to the Oval Office. But as unconventional as Trump’s journey to the White House was, his presidency has been perhaps even more so.
Trump’s presidency has been chaotic and rife with scandal from the start, from insider complaints of dysfunction and discord in the White House to allegations of coverups of extramarital affairs. As president, Trump was also the subject of a multi-year FBI investigation and is currently the fourth president in U.S. history to face an official impeachment inquiry. (Here is a look at 14 presidents from around the world who have already been impeached.)
Under Trump, the United States has also crossed some significant milestones. For example, Trump is presiding over the longest period of economic growth in U.S. history. Trump is also the first American president to meet with a North Korean head of state.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed regulations approved, executive orders signed, laws passed, statements tweeted, and news reports from multiple sources to identify 50 of the most notable events since Donald Trump was elected president on Nov. 8, 2016. To be considered, the event needed to have occurred at least partially as a result of actions by the president and his administration.
Click here to see 50 notable events that happened since Trump was elected president
1. Dec. 22, 2016
Official election recount shows Trump lost the popular vote by almost 2.9 million.
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2. Jan. 20, 2017
Trump becomes the third president in history to refuse to take a salary.
3. Jan. 20, 2017
The term “fake news” enters the lexicon as part of Trump’s ongoing battle with media.
4. Jan. 20, 2017
More women seek elected positions. Emerge America, a group that trains Democratic women to run for office, says it has seen an 87% increase in training session applications since Election Day.
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5. Jan. 21, 2017
The Women’s March the day after the inauguration marks the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history.
6. Jan. 24, 2017
After years of debate, and in the face of mounting protest, the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines are approved.
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7. Jan. 31, 2017
A raid against Al Qaeda in Yemen, the first military the first military counter-terrorism action since Trump took office, leaves one Navy Seal dead.
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8. Feb. 1, 2017
Dodging a filibuster by invoking the 200-year-old nuclear option, Senate Republicans voting in the majority send conservative judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. It is the first new appointment to the court in seven years.
9. Feb. 13, 2017
Trump’s pick for national security adviser Michael Flynn resigns after less than a month for lying about contact with Russians.
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10. April 14, 2017
The United States drops a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb known as “Mother of All Bombs” — the largest non-nuclear bomb in the U.S. military arsenal — on ISIS targets in Afghanistan.
11. May 9, 2017
Trump fires FBI Director James Comey.
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12. June 1, 2017
Trump announces U.S. withdrawal from 2015 Paris climate accord.
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13. Aug. 12, 2017
Violence erupts between white nationalists and counter protesters at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, leaving one person dead and at least 19 injured.
14. Sept. 3, 2017
North Korea says it has detonated its first hydrogen bomb.
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15. Sept. 21, 2017
In a speech at the U.N., Trump threatens to “totally destroy” North Korea. In addressing the situation with North Korea during his trip to Asia in early November, Trump declares the “era of strategic patience is over.”
16. Sept. 24, 2017
Trump tweets objections about NFL players protesting racial inequality during the national anthem.
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17. Oct. 17, 2017
Trump issues an executive order that imposes a travel ban on people coming from mostly Muslim countries. It is blocked by a federal judge in Hawaii for a third time.
18. Oct. 26, 2017
With the opioid drug crisis worsening, Trump declares opioid addiction a public health emergency.
19. Oct. 30, 2017
Trump’s approval rating reaches 33%, the lowest at this stage of any president on record.
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20. Oct. 30, 2017
Former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort is indicted for tax fraud and money laundering.
21. Oct. 31, 2017
The consumer confidence index reaches its highest level in 17 years.
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22. Nov. 2, 2017
Jerome Powell is appointed the next chairman of the Federal Reserve to replace Janet Yellen, breaking with tradition of retaining the current chairman.
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23. Nov. 3, 2017
The administration releases a scientific report detailing the growing threat of climate change. The report’s findings are in contrast to the administration’s efforts to downplay the role of humans in global warming.
24. Dec. 7, 2017
The United State officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a controversial move that breaks with decades of U.S. policy.
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25. Feb. 13, 2018
Michael Cohen acknowledges that the president paid $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to not speak publicly about an alleged affair with Trump when he was a candidate.
26. April 2, 2018
China imposes tariffs as high as 25% on more than 100 U.S. products, its first retaliatory act after the United States had raised tariffs on Chinese goods in a trade war that continues.
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27. April 4, 2018
To reduce illegal immigration, Trump signs a proclamation to deploy the National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border.
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28. April 6, 2018
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy regarding illegal border crossings. As a direct result of the policy, an estimated 2,700 migrant children are separated from their parents.
29. May 8, 2018
Trump announces a withdrawal from the multilateral, Obama-era Iran nuclear deal.
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30. June 12, 2018
Trump and Kim Jong-un meet for a summit in Singapore, making Trump the first U.S. president to meet with a North Korean head of state.
31. July 9, 2018
Trump appoints Brett Kavanaugh to fill Anthony Kennedy’s spot on the Supreme Court.
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32. Aug. 15, 2018
Trump revokes security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan.
33. Oct. 5, 2018
Trump’s pick for Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, is confirmed by a 51-49 Senate vote.
34. Nov. 7, 2018
Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns at the request of Trump.
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35. Nov. 20, 2018
Trump announces support for Saudi Arabia despite evidence indicating that country was involved in the killing of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
36. Jan. 1, 2019
James Mattis resigns as secretary of defense about two months earlier than originally planned.
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37. Jan. 12, 2019
Partial government shutdown over financing of Trump’s border wall becomes longest closure in history after 22 days.
38. Jan. 21, 2019
Trump’s military transgender ban takes effect, supported by five conservative Supreme Court justices.
39. Feb. 1, 2019
Trump announces withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which bans several kinds of missiles.
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40 Feb. 6, 2019
Trump announces that the ISIS caliphate has been decimated.
41. Feb. 15, 2019
Trump declares national emergency to get funding for a southern border wall.
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42. April 18, 2019
After two years of investigation, the Mueller Report that looked into possible Russian interference in 2016 election, and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russians, is released. The report found no collusion or conspiracy, but also did not exonerate the president of wrongdoing.
43. June 24, 2019
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Trump announces sanctions on Iran in response to that country shooting down a U.S. drone
44. June 30, 2019
Trump becomes the first serving president to visit North Korea.
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45. July 1, 2019
U.S. economic expansion becomes the longest in history, hitting its 121st consecutive month.
46. July 25, 2019
Trump speaks with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky about opening an investigation into Hunter Biden.
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47. Sept. 24, 2019
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces formal impeachment inquiry of Trump.
48. Oct. 4, 2019
The unemployment rate falls to 3.5% in September, the lowest it has been in over 50 years.
49. Oct. 23, 2019
Trump announces the ending of sanctions against Turkey amid negotiations of a ceasefire in Syria.
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50. Oct. 26, 2019
Trump announces that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself with a suicide vest in the midst of a U.S. military raid.
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