This story contains mention of sexual violence. Those in need of support can call the Ottawa Distress Centre Crisis Line: 613-238-3311, the Sexual Assault Support Center of Ottawa Crisis Line: 613-234-2266 or the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre Line: 613-562-2333.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump left the Oval Office in 2021 with the lowest approval rating of any president since 2008 — a clear indicator of the widespread public discontent with his leadership.
His disastrous time in office was characterized by brashness, offensive language and relentless rhetoric that fueled societal divisions. Coinciding with a troubling rise in hate crimes, Trump’s presidency marked a deterioration in the fabric of American society that continues to damage the country and the entire world to this day.
If Trump is to win a second term in November, the world would plunge into a state of chaos that may be irreparable.
Inside Trump’s presidency
To fully grasp what Trump could do with four more years, one must remember what he did from 2017 to 2021. For one, the U.S. experienced the largest single-year increase in homicide rates in over a century during his presidency, rising a staggering 30 per cent between 2019 and 2020. While various factors contributed to this surge, Trump’s admission that “we did nothing” to restrict firearm access speaks volumes about his indifference to gun violence.
Trump also affiliated himself with the Proud Boys — a Canada-registered neo-fascist terrorist group that played a major role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. In a 2020 presidential debate with now-President Joe Biden, Trump refused to renounce the Proud Boys, instead telling them to “stand back and stand by.”
The Supreme Court appointments Trump championed during his term led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This triggered abortion bans across numerous states and affected the bodily autonomy rights of one in every three individuals of childbearing age in the U.S., including women and gender-diverse people who can become pregnant.
Additionally, one of Trump’s appointees, Brett Kavanaugh, faced serious allegations of sexual assault, while Trump’s administration interfered with investigations into Kavanaugh.
Moreover, Trump’s presidency is marred by a staggering record of inaction. His handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, deemed disastrous by experts, resulted in thousands of unnecessary deaths and suffering. He threw out a detailed pandemic response playbook left by the Obama administration, disbanded critical pandemic response teams and consistently downplayed the virus’s severity, while stating in private that the virus was in fact “deadly stuff.”
His dangerous suggestions, like injecting disinfectants into one’s bloodstream as a cure, not only reflected total ignorance but also jeopardised public health. Poison control centres in five states recorded a spike in calls following Trump’s reckless announcement.
Economically, Trump presided over an unprecedented increase in national debt, growing by 33.1 per cent — the second-largest spike for a one-term president behind only George H.W. Bush. In contrast, the national debt during Biden’s presidency has increased by just 16.7 per cent.
Trump’s presidency was also tainted by the Ukraine aid scandal, where he illegally withheld $400 million in aid to pressure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Biden — an act that led to Trump’s first impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Not only did Trump try to interfere in the election, he interfered in the inquiry into his actions, instructing his administration officials to ignore subpoenas for testimony and documents. In the midst of the inquiry, Trump also ignorantly called on China to launch an investigation into the Bidens as well, demonstrating that he didn’t learn from his previous mistake.
Trump’s aid pull-out weakened Ukraine greatly, and likely played a role in Russia’s invasion just a handful of years later.
On the topic of international relations, Trump’s cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin has raised eyebrows. Particularly, Trump publicly sided with the Russian president over U.S. intelligence agencies regarding election interference during a 2018 Helsinki summit. It was recently revealed that Trump has stayed in frequent contact with the warmongering Putin since leaving office.
Additionally, Trump’s foreign policy initiatives often alienated important U.S. allies. His decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord isolated the U.S. on the global stage in the fight against climate change, displaying a major disregard for environmental responsibility.
Further to Trump’s disregard, his presidency also witnessed the dismantling of essential environmental protections as his administration rolled back more than 100 environmental regulations. From weakening the Clean Power Plan to gutting the Endangered Species Act, Trump’s environmental policy chose corporate interests over public and world health, directly worsening the climate crisis.
Trump frequently insulted long-time allies, such as NATO members, calling them “delinquent,” “obsolete” and questioning the American commitment to mutual defence.
His abrupt withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal — despite Iran’s compliance — further isolated the U.S. This decision destabilized the Middle East, contributing to escalating tensions that nearly brought the two nations to war in early 2020.
On immigration, Trump’s notorious zero-tolerance policy led to the separation of children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. His administration also slashed the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. to record lows, undermining the nation’s long-standing role as a haven for those fleeing danger in war-torn countries.
Trump’s presidency was also marked by his undermining of democratic norms and institutions. Throughout his term, he relentlessly attacked the integrity of U.S. elections, sowing doubt about the legitimacy of mail-in voting and preemptively declaring fraud before votes were even counted in the 2020 election.
Of course, these baseless claims culminated in the Jan. 6 insurrection, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election results. Trump’s refusal to condemn the rioters and his encouragement of their actions represented a dangerous disregard for the peaceful transfer of power.
Trump’s controversial pardons raised additional ethical concerns. He used his executive power to grant mercy to political allies and people convicted of serious crimes.
Notable examples include the pardoning of former campaign advisor Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying to Congress, and former national security advisor Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia. These actions sent a message that loyalty to Trump negated any crimes committed.
Another aspect of Trump’s presidency that drew significant criticism was his approach to race relations. His administration actively attempted to dismantle policies aimed at addressing systemic racism, including rescinding Obama-era guidelines on racial diversity in schools and rolling back police reforms aimed at eradicating racial bias in law enforcement.
Trump’s administration also led a relentless attack on 2SLGBTQ+ rights. He reinstated the ban on transgender individuals serving openly in the military and rolled back protections for 2SLGBTQ+ workers. These backwards actions marked a sharp reversal from the steady ground made under previous administrations. When discrimination comes from the most powerful figure in the free world, it’s fair to say these policy decisions would make 2SLGBTQ+ people feel like the smallest individuals in the world.
One of the most disturbing aspects of Trump’s legacy was his exploitation of misinformation. According to fact-checkers, Trump made an abhorrent 30,573 false or misleading statements during his presidency, in turn creating a different reality for his supporters and fracturing the information landscape. Promoting conspiracy theories about election fraud and COVID-19, Trump repeatedly used his platform to mislead the public, contributing to a crisis of truth that persists to this day.
Beyond his presidency, Trump has faced allegations of sexual misconduct from 27 women, one of them being his ex-wife Ivana Trump. He also maintained close ties with notorious predator Jeffrey Epstein, and Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of recruiting young girls for abuse. After Maxwell’s arrest, Trump publicly wished her “well.” Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies, in addition to being found liable for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll. He was forced to pay Carroll $88.3 million in damages.
The upcoming election
It is truly shocking that a man like Trump is making this upcoming election against Kamala Harris a nailbiter. He shouldn’t even be outside of a jail cell, let alone considered for office. Not only is Trump a criminal, but the worst American president to ever serve.
I haven’t even mentioned Trump’s plans if he secures a second term. Look no further than “Project 2025,” a blueprint crafted by some of his closest allies and former advisors, including director Paul Dans. Dans served in the Trump administration, with one of his roles being dedicated to the removal of longtime public servants who were not fully loyal to Trump.
Project 2025 plans a sweeping reorganization of the federal government, stripping authority from the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies like the Department of Justice, and instead giving power directly to the president.
In practice, this would streamline decision-making, allowing the president to quickly implement policies across numerous sectors whenever desired.
The plan also calls for stripping job protections from thousands of federal employees, likely replacing them with political appointees. The FBI, labelled a “bloated, arrogant, increasingly lawless organization,” is targeted for massive restructuring, with additional proposals calling for a complete dismantling of the Department of Education.
Not scared yet? Project 2025 recommends withdrawing the abortion pill mifepristone from the market and enforcing laws to prevent the drug’s distribution through the mail.
When it comes to abortion access, the dominos can fall quickly, as demonstrated by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. If one pill is banned, will others be next on the chopping block?
The proposal also advocates slashing federal funding for renewable energy research, urging Trump to “end the war on oil and natural gas.”
This is only the beginning of Trump’s plan. If he committed such egregious acts during his first term, what is he capable of with another four years in the free world’s most powerful position?
Featured image via Unsplash.
