Top 10 Wins And Failures Of President Trump’s First 5 Months Many are still seeking to understand this unpredictable president—what he’s accomplished, how he’s failed, and the hard truths both sides refuse to admit.By Josh Shepherd
June 20, 2017 It seems no American is neutral on Donald Trump. The chasm dividing liberals and conservatives grows wider with every tweet and new investigation, only reinforced by partisan media.
The public square has been reduced to a shouting match. From music artists to business leaders, many on the Left mandate strict resistance to the Trump presidency. Meanwhile, some on the Right use war imagery to encourage firm loyalty over any criticism of the administration. Yet many are still seeking to understand this unpredictable president—what he’s accomplished, how he’s failed, and the hard truths both sides refuse to admit.
As facts become harder to determine and issues more complex, citizens’ interest in holding our leaders accountable will wane with summer pursuits. There is no better time to assess the most significant wins and failures—including a couple toss-ups—of the Trump presidency so far.
1. Win: Instituting Several Strong Pro-Life Policies President Trump has taken decisive action to protect vulnerable lives in the womb. On his first Monday in office, he signed the Mexico City policy, halting $600 million in taxpayer funds from groups overseas that provide and promote abortion.
Weeks later, the State and Defense Departments defined the policy to exclude U.S. taxpayers from funding family planning programs that export abortion practices globally. Melanie Israel of The Heritage Foundation explains: “Importantly, the policy does not reduce funding for global health assistance. Rather, it ensures that [over $8 billion in U.S. tax dollars] are not entangled with the abortion industry.”
Of the 37 bills signed into law this year, Congress passed one major pro-life bill: the Title X Congressional Review Act. It enables states to halt funding for health care providers that also provide abortion services (i.e., Planned Parenthood) and redirect it to comprehensive women’s health clinics. Underlining how divided our nation is on abortion, the Senate’s tie on the bill was broken only when Vice President Mike Pence cast a rare deciding vote.
2. Failure: Overly Broad Executive Order on Immigration Knowing that making good on their immigration platform plank would be controversial, the Trump administration followed a path taken often during the Obama presidency: releasing news late on a Friday to avoid public scrutiny. It backfired. With key officials apparently left out of the loop on the January 27 executive order, chaos resulted at airports in America and abroad.
According to State Department figures, approximately 90,000 people were affected by this poorly conceived and executed policy change, including refugee children detained, scholars denied entry, and Iraqi pilots stranded while training with U.S. military units. Human rights advocates note the U.S. refugee program has provided entry to essentially zero terrorists.
Federal courts have also blocked a revised travel ban issued on March 6, though even critics acknowledge the new order adheres to the Constitution. Perhaps as a concession to immigration rights activists, last week the Department of Homeland Security announced that so-called “dreamers” would not be deported.
3. Toss-Up: Can the Capable National Security Team Execute?<..snip..>
http://thefederalist.com/2017/06/20/top-10-wins-failures-president-trumps-first-5-months/
