by Lizzy Hermosilla ’23

Donald J. Trump was one of the worst presidents in American history. Now that the American people have elected Joe Biden as their new president, and Congress has now certified the electoral college, America is free of Trump for the next four years … at least free from him being president. Rather than making strides for the country, Trump unfortunately walked the country right off a cliff. There were so many missteps, but here are the big leaps that tossed the country over the edge. 

• [January 2018] During a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators at the White House, a Democratic aide briefed on Thursday’s meeting tells NBC News that Trump called Haiti, El Salvador, and various African nations “shit-holes.” Then many conservative news outlets chalk the remark up to a part of his “personality.”

• [March 2018] Trump implies that Senator John McCain, a war hero, went to hell after he died. While speaking to the Faith and Freedom coalition about the failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Trump says, “We needed 60 votes and we had 51, and sometimes we had a hard time with a couple. Fortunately, they’re [referring to McCain] gone now. They’ve gone on to greener pastures. Or perhaps far less green, but they’re gone. Very happy they’re gone.” 

• [March – August 2018] Trump is asked whether or not he knew about 130,000 dollar payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump responds that he did not know of these payments. As the story continues to develop it is proven that the money was used to silence Daniels about an affair she had with Trump in 2006. Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen made these payments to Daniels, so that the scandal would not affect Trump’s chances to win the 2016 election. Cohen now faces three years in prison and a 50,000 dollar fine for tax evasion, and campaign finance violations.

• [November 2018] Trump revokes CNN’s Jim Acosta’s press pass. This occurs after a tense exchange in a post-election news conference. After the Trump administration revoked Acosta’s press pass, Kayleigh McEnany then took to Twitter defending the administration’s actions posting a statement saying, “We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the woman that Acosta “placed his hands on,” posts a doctored video of the altercation on Twitter. In the undoctored video, Acosta does not get hostile and maintains his composure as he tries to exercise his right as a member of the press. 

• [April 2020] At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, during a press conference, Trump asks scientists to investigate if people can use bleach/disinfectant to kill the virus within our bodies. After this statement, a 121-percent increase in accidental poisonings occurred in April. The Trump press team then comes out with a statement saying that the president was joking, but the earnest tone of his voice clearly shows otherwise. 

• [June 2020] Trump requests tear-gas to be used on peaceful protestors in order for him to take a picture (holding a bible upside down) at St. John’s Episcopal Church by Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington DC. Every president since James Madison has visited the church since it opened in 1816. 

• [November – December 2020] Trump continues to spread baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, even going as far as to call the Georgia Secretary of State in attempts to persuade him to change the already certified election results. In the call to Brad Rafensenburger, Trump says, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more that we have, because we won the state. And flipping the state is a great testament to our country.”
• [January 6, 2021] Trump stands idly by in the White House watching his supporters take an “unofficial tour” of the Senate and House floors in the U.S. Capital building. In his speech, on Twitter, Trump tells the rioters, “I know your pain, I know your hurt,” then continues with baseless claims saying, “We had an election that was stolen from us.” Nearing the end of Trump’s message he says, “We love you, you’re very special.” He says all of this before even asking the rioters to go home.