First Step Act
Signed bipartisan criminal justice reform in December 2018 that shortened some federal sentences and expanded rehabilitation programs.
The Presidential Report Card
Donald Trump’s record as president, the good and the bad. We give credit where it’s due and call out what’s hurt the country, and every item links to its sources.
Credit Where It’s Due
The Good
Operation Warp Speed
His administration’s push to develop COVID-19 vaccines helped deliver authorized vaccines in under a year, by December 2020.
Abraham Accords
Brokered agreements in 2020 that normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, later joined by Morocco and Sudan.
Great American Outdoors Act
Signed the 2020 law that permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund and pays for long-overdue repairs in national parks.
Gaza Ceasefire and Hostages Home
Brokered the October 2025 Israel-Hamas deal under which all 20 living hostages were released on October 13, 2025. The later phases remain unresolved.
Border Crossings at Historic Lows
Border Patrol arrests between ports of entry at the southern border fell to their lowest level since 1970 in fiscal year 2025.
No Tax on Tips or Overtime
The July 2025 tax law lets workers deduct up to $25,000 in tips and up to $12,500 in overtime pay ($25,000 for couples) through 2028.
What’s Hurt the Country
The Bad
Impeached Twice
Impeached by the House in December 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and in January 2021 for incitement of insurrection. The Senate acquitted him both times.
Family Separations
His 2018 “zero tolerance” border policy separated thousands of children from their parents.
January 6 Pardons
On his first day back in office, granted clemency to about 1,500 people charged in the Capitol attack, including people convicted of assaulting police officers.
Millions Lose Health Coverage
The Congressional Budget Office projects his 2025 tax-and-spending law will leave 10 million more Americans uninsured by 2034, mostly through Medicaid cuts, and add $3.4 trillion to deficits.
Longest Shutdown in History
The federal government shut down for 43 days, from October 1 to November 12, 2025, furloughing roughly 900,000 workers.
Tariffs Struck Down
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the emergency-powers law he used does not give a president the power to impose his sweeping tariffs.
Troops in American Cities
Sent the National Guard into Los Angeles and tried to deploy troops to Chicago. A federal judge ruled the Los Angeles deployment illegal, and the Supreme Court kept the Chicago deployment blocked.
Which column an item belongs in is our editorial judgment; the facts in each entry link to their sources. Think we missed something, good or bad? Send us the source.