I remember scrolling through Twitter back in 2017 when Trump signed that first travel ban. My neighbor Hassan - brilliant Iranian engineer who built our community garden - suddenly couldn't visit his dying mom in Tehran. That's when I realized we needed a no-BS guide to things Trump has done so far. Not media spin, not political rants. Just cold, hard facts about policy changes affecting real lives.
Economic Moves That Shook Main Street
Let's cut through the noise. Whether you loved or hated his tax plan, you felt it. My accountant friend Sarah saw clients' eyes pop when refunds arrived in 2018. But then came the fine print...
The Tax Cuts That Divided Dinner Parties
Remember the TCJA? (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for normal humans). Here's what actually happened:
| Policy | Who Benefited | Lasting Impact | My Take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax cut | Big businesses (rate slashed from 35% to 21%) | S&P 500 buybacks hit $806B in 2018 | Great for my 401k, terrible for wage growth |
| Pass-through deduction | Small biz owners (20% income deduction) | Created huge loopholes for wealthy | My barber saved $8K - his landlord saved $80k |
| Individual cuts | Middle class (temporary) / Wealthy (permanent) | Set to expire 2025 unless renewed | Classic bait-and-switch |
The kicker? National debt ballooned by $7.8 trillion during his term. My conservative uncle still won't admit that part over Thanksgiving turkey.
Trade Wars: Cheaper TVs or American Jobs?
When tariffs hit Chinese goods in 2018, my local hardware store owner Mike had to choose: raise prices 25% or eat the cost. He did both. Let's break down results:
- Farm bailouts: $28B to compensate soybean growers (China's #1 retaliation target)
- Manufacturing: 300k jobs lost (Fed study) despite "Bring jobs home" promises
- USMCA: NAFTA reboot saved auto jobs but ignored climate protections
A farmer told me at an Iowa diner: "Got $120k in bailouts but lost $240k in markets. Math ain't hard."
Immigration: Beyond the Wall Drama
The wall became political theater. But quietly, other policies changed lives:
Fun fact: Only 452 miles of "new wall" were built - mostly replacing existing barriers. The real game-changer was policy.
| Policy | What Changed | Human Impact | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Remain in Mexico" | 68,000+ asylum seekers forced to wait in dangerous camps | Rape/murder rates spiked (Human Rights First data) | Ended by courts 2021 |
| Travel bans | 13 majority-Muslim countries targeted | Students/researchers stranded (Harvard sued) | Reversed by Biden |
| Family separation | 5,500+ children taken from parents | 628 still not reunited as of 2023 | Policy halted 2018 |
My college roommate's Iranian wife missed her PhD defense because of the ban. Their visa lawyer made a killing though.
Healthcare: The Obamacare Obsession
Remember "Repeal and Replace"? After 70 failed votes, they sabotaged it quietly:
- Individual mandate penalty: Zeroed out (saved families $325 but destabilized markets)
- Short-term plans: Expanded junk insurance (cheap but denied cancer treatments)
- Medicaid work requirements: 18,000+ lost coverage before courts blocked it
Hospital CFOs I interviewed hated the uncertainty. Premiums jumped 26% for bronze plans in Trump states.
Foreign Policy: Breaking All the China
The media obsessed over Kim Jong-un summits (remember Singapore photo op?), but substantial moves happened elsewhere:
| Action | Immediate Effect | Long-Term Fallout |
|---|---|---|
| Paris Agreement exit | Saved $1B in climate funds short-term | US credibility damaged globally |
| Iran Deal withdrawal | Restored sanctions | Iran enriched uranium to near-weapons grade |
| China Phase 1 deal | $200B in Chinese purchases promised | Only 58% fulfilled before deal collapsed |
A State Dept contact told me off-record: "We'd brief him on NATO threats and he'd ask about German car tariffs."
COVID Response: The Elephant in the ER
No sugarcoating: I lost three relatives early pandemic. Operation Warp Speed delivered vaccines miraculously fast. But let's address the chaos:
- Travel bans: Blocked China/Europe early (good) but exempted UK until too late
- PPE distribution: States bid against each other (hospitals paid $7.50 per N95 vs $0.38 pre-pandemic)
- Public messaging: "It'll disappear" vs Fauci's warnings created confusion
The disinfectant injection comment? ER nurses told me poison control calls spiked 300% that week.
Judicial Reshaping: Beyond SCOTUS
Everyone talks about Supreme Court picks Barrett/Kavanaugh/Gorsuch. The stealth revolution happened lower down:
Shocking stat: 30% of all federal judges are now Trump appointees. They'll shape cases for decades.
| Court Level | Appointments | Notable Trends |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court | 3 justices | Overturned Roe v Wade |
| Appellate Courts | 54 judges | Youngest cohort ever (avg age 48) |
| District Courts | 174 judges | 80% rated "unqualified" by ABA |
My lawyer friend jokes: "Want to win an environmental case? Avoid the 5th Circuit."
Tech & Society: Regulating the Wild West
Social media battles dominated headlines, but substantive moves happened:
- Section 230 executive order: Threatened tech immunity (never enforced)
- TikTok bans: Blocked by courts repeatedly
- First Step Act: Bipartisan prison reform freed 7,000+ (his best bipartisan win)
Remember the Space Force launch? Costs $15B annually. Still waiting on those space Marines.
FAQs: Your Top Questions Answered
What's the biggest accomplishment among things Trump has done so far?
Judicial appointments. Three Supreme Court justices and 230+ federal judges will impact law for 40 years. Tax cuts were flashier but temporary.
Did Trump actually build the border wall?
Partially. 452 miles built but only 47 miles were new barriers where none existed. Mostly replaced existing structures. Funding came largely from military budgets after Congress refused.
How did COVID relief packages work under Trump?
Four major bills passed totaling $3.7 trillion. Key elements: $1,200 stimulus checks, PPP loans (fraud reached $200B), boosted unemployment. Debt increased 39% during term.
What environmental policies changed?
Rolled back 125+ regulations. Exited Paris Agreement, weakened Clean Water Act protections, opened Arctic Refuge to drilling. EPA enforcement fines dropped 85%.
Did any policies help working-class Americans directly?
Child tax credit doubled to $2,000. Deregulation boosted factory output temporarily. But wage growth lagged inflation and most tax benefits favored corporations/wealthy.
Legacy Beyond the Headlines
Look, I'm no historian. But having covered DC for 15 years, I see two undeniable impacts from all things Trump has done so far:
- Institutional erosion: 25% turnover at top agency jobs created policy chaos
- Populist playbook: Proven model for bypassing media/government norms
His policy list reads like contradictions: pro-life judge appointments vs LGBTQ workplace protections. Deregulation frenzy alongside TikTok bans. Maybe that's why examining all things Trump has done so far feels like reading two different playbooks.
Final thought? We're still living with the consequences. Those judges aren't going anywhere. The debt won't magically disappear. And my neighbor Hassan still visits his mom's grave via video call. Policy isn't just politics - it's people.
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