Please keep in mind that this was written before 2021.

 

We all know that the 45th president of the United States has committed many wrongdoings and has failed in serving the U.S. citizens numerous times in the past, but he did also achieve many goals for America. Even though his failures overshadow his successes, Trump has done many things for the greater good of Americans. I don't agree with his views, but despite all his mistakes and failures, despite how many people hate him, Trump does have a large supporter base, and has done good for the economy, taken action against terrorists, and has, in some ways, improved America.

 

1: The Space Force

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Credit: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, creating the United States Space Force. The United States Space Force’s job is not to defend the U.S. against extraterrestrial threats, but to protect U.S. assets against other nations in space. The Space Force is the first military branch to be created since 1947, when the Air Force was established. I think the USSF was not worth the cost, because the only nations that have the power to destroy US space assets are Russia, North Korea, China, France, Japan, Israel, India, and Iran, and most of these countries would never destroy a US asset due to fear of retaliation. The Space Force faces an uncertain future to prove itself as an effective branch of the United States Armed Forces.

 

2: The First Step Act

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The First Step Act is a bill for the reform of federal prisons, lowering recidivism, decreasing the number of federal inmates, and maintaining public safety. The main objective of the First Step Act was to lower recidivism by giving inmates something to work for, in this case, earlier release. Each year, an inmate can earn up to 54 days of earlier release. For example, if someone served 5 years in prison, they could earn up to 270 days of earlier release, although some inmates cannot earn early release because of which crime(s) they committed. If inmates cannot earn early release, they can earn other rewards. The FSA also aims to lower recidivism by offering rehabilitation and job opportunities to inmates. This act also requires inmates to be placed in a prison within 500 miles from their families, for pregnant inmates not to be shackled, and not to punish juvenile inmates with solitary confinement. I feel like most people agree with these changes to the federal prison system, but I think Trump may be changing the federal prison system to benefit himself. Since he lost the election, and the president is pardoned from certain crimes, he may be convicted of crimes after he leaves office. 

 

3: Defeating ISIS’s caliphate

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Credit: Al Furquan/ ISIS Media wing/ Shutterstock

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In late October of 2019, a US raid on an ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a terrorist organization most active in the Syrian region) facility, US armed forces cornered ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in a tunnel and killed him. His death is a major victory for the US in the war against ISIS’s caliphate. In 2014, ISIS captured a portion of land, creating the basis for its caliphate. The U.S. has been the leader of a global effort to eliminate ISIS’s leader and its caliphate, and after 5 years, with countless lives sacrificed, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi is finally dead


 

4: Reforming the Judicial branch

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Credit: Getty Images

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In my opinion, Trump’s biggest achievement is reforming the judicial branch of the United States government. Trump has appointed 3 new Supreme Court justices and over 220 judges in lower courts. Even though Trump lost the election and is not president anymore, his actions will continue to affect the entire country. All of these appointments are lifetime positions, which means the judges will have that job until they pass away or quit. Since all of these judges are appointed by the Trump administration, most of them are Republicans. This will mean a more Republican interpretation of the law and justice for the next few decades.

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5: Tax cuts and jobs act

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As we all know, tax is a very controversial topic for Americans. The tax cuts and jobs act made the corporate tax rate go down by nearly 15%. This may not seem like a lot, but over time it can add up. This act was the biggest change to the United States’ tax code in three decades. People argued that it would benefit big corporations at the expense of the middle class, but others said businesses would invest in operations, which would make worker productivity and wages go up. Even though the act has not had the effects republicans hoped it would have, it may still help the economy in the future. Though higher-income taxpayers get the most benefits from this act, it still helps lower-income and middle-class families. The tax cuts and jobs act will be in effect until 2025. 

 

In conclusion, Trump has a lot of things to improve on, and not many things to brag about.