Reality Check: Trump's Accomplishments, So Far
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Republicans in Washington Wednesday delayed the long-awaited release of a major tax overhaul. It signals trouble for another one of President Trump's big campaign promises.
It's another setback for the president's agenda, even though Republicans control Congress and the White House. President Trump and the Republican Congress have not passed a single piece of major legislation, despite White House claims that he's among the most successful Presidents in history.
"I certainly think history is going to look at this President as somebody who helped defeat ISIS," said White House Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, "who built an economy that is stronger than it's been in several decades, who brought unemployment to a 16-year low, created over 1.7 million jobs since being elected."
Quick Fact Check
- "Helped" defeat ISIS? TRUE.
- "Built strongest economy?" TOO SOON TO TELL.
- Created 1.7 million jobs? TRUE, but fewer than the 2.1 million jobs added in President Obama's last 10 months.
PROMISES NOT KEPT
But the President's biggest campaign promises are still unfulfilled. He did not repeal Obamacare, did not build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it, did not impose a Muslim ban and now, there's still no tax reform.
But it's fair to say there's been a lot of activity, especially executive orders -- something he criticized former presidents for doing.
PROMISES KEPT
As promised, President Trump appointed a conservative Supreme Court Justice, abandoned the Paris Climate Accord and canceled the Trans Pacific Partnership treaty.
KICKED TO CONGRESS
The President kicked to Congress some of his biggest promises: walking away from the Iran nuclear deal and threatening with deportation the children of undocumented immigrants.
The President claims credit for a high stock market and low unemployment. As we've noted earlier, economists say these are trends -- good and bad -- that began before Donald Trump was elected president.
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Here are some of the sources we used for this Reality Check:
White House Press Briefing / Oct 24
Barack Obama vs Donald Trump - U.S. Presidents Comparison
Executive Orders - The American Presidency Project