The entire world watched with bated breath as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took oath as the President and Vice President of the United States, and Donald Trump ceased to be the President on January 21, 2021.
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Although Trump remained in office for just four years, the former Commander-in-Chief has surely left indelible stains in the landscape of American politics.
Trump, who became the 45th President of the United States after winning the November 2016 elections, had a contentious tenure. Here are some of the most controversial events that occurred during his presidency:
Attack on the US Capitol in 2021
The United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. was mobbed on January 6, 2021, during a riot and vicious act against the US Congress.
A crowd of Trump supporters attempted to reverse President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential elections by obstructing the joint session of Congress that was convened to tally electoral votes to confirm Joe Biden’s win.
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The Capitol complex was closed down, and legislators and personnel were being evacuated for several hours while rioters invaded and trashed the premises.
One person was shot by Capitol Police, one died of a drug overdose, and three died of natural causes immediately before, during, or after the event. During the mobbing, more than 140 individuals were injured.
His impeachment and acquittal
Trump has been impeached twice, making him the first American president to do so. First, he was impeached in December 2019 on two articles connected to his alleged effort to sway Ukraine’s presidential election in 2020. The House impeached him, but the Senate acquitted him.
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He was impeached a second time in January 2021, only weeks before his tenure ended, this time on the charge of inciting insurrection for his part in seeking to alter the results of the 2020 elections, which resulted in the January 6 Capitol riots.
The Russia scandal
The Russia scandal was the most severe of the early-stage problems surrounding Trump’s administration. Aside from the former president, it featured a number of significant actors, including the national security advisor and the FBI director.
The Russia issue began during the general election campaign between Trump, a Republican, and Hillary Clinton, a Democrat and former Secretary of State.
Hackers who attacked the Democratic National Committee and Clinton’s campaign chairman’s personal emails were claimed to be working for Moscow in order to influence the election towards Trump, according to the FBI and CIA.
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Russia was said to be attempting to stir discontent and uncertainty among American voters in order to weaken the country’s democratic institutions, according to 13 US intelligence services.
Withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal
On May 8, 2018, the United States declared its exit from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCOPA), commonly known as the “Iran nuclear deal”. Iran, Germany, and the five permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) had inked the deal on July 14, 2015.
The murder of George Floyd and the BLM protests
The murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American, by Minneapolis police sparked widespread anger. It also revived the ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) protests, which rocked the United States and eventually extended to other nations.
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The killing of Qasem Soleimani
On January 3, 2020, a US drone attack near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq killed senior Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. This heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, sparking events that many said would lead to a “third world war.”
Death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
On October 27, 2019, the ISIS leader detonated a suicide belt during a raid in Barisha, Syria by US Special Forces. At a news conference, Trump would later famously go on to say, “Baghdadi died whimpering, and crying, and screaming.”
The “Muslim Ban”
Protests against the “Muslim ban” erupted after Trump signed Executive Order 13769 on January 27, 2017. On paper, a mere travel restriction, it was dubbed a “Muslim” ban because it prohibited immigration to the United States from nations with large Muslim populations.
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Border wall
One of Trump’s primary campaign pledges was to stop illegal immigration, notably from Mexico. He issued Executive Order 13767, mandating the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border, barely four days after taking office. The project was started in 2019 but has yet to be finished.
Withdrawal from Paris climate accord
Trump declared on June 1, 2017, that the United States would withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement, also known as the Paris Climate Accord, in line with his “America first” approach.
