In 2016, Donald Trump took up his first ever job for no money. His newest occupation of President of the United States would see him become the first ever leader to do it for free, opting to not take the US$400,000 annual salary.
Since working in the oval office, Trump has reached several milestones that not many pundits saw coming. Unemployment currently sits at 3.7% which is the lowest in almost 50 years, with female unemployment reaching its lowest rate in 65 years. African-American unemployment fell to a record low of 5.9%, with record lows for the Asian and Hispanic-American community. Under President Trump, job openings have outnumbered the unemployed for the first time on record and since the election, a staggering 4.6 million Americans have been lifted off of food stamps.
Trump has also delivered on his promise to bring back manufacturing jobs. In 2018 he added 284,000 jobs, the most added in a year since 1997. He also acquired over 185 companies’ signatures for the ‘Pledge to America’s Workers’ which promises almost 6 and a half million new training and career opportunities. His withdrawal of the dangerous Trans-Pacific Partnership was nothing short of heroic in our world of globalist politicians. He has continued this gallant decision making with his $250 billion tariffs announced as a response to China’s unfair trading practices.
The milestones don’t end there. Trump’s hard stance on controlled boarders has seen positive results. In 2018, a staggering 256,086 aliens were removed, with the majority of them being convicted criminals. His empowerment of the US military has correspondingly resulted in the demise of ISIS. With ISIS losing almost all of its territory in the Middle-East as of 2019 and American troops now being brought home back to their families. This can be linked to his attitude towards NATO, whom he convinced to formally join the coalition to defeat ISIS. The President’s positive work in the Middle-East can be recognised further with the withdrawal of the one-sided Iran nuclear deal.
This restoration of American leadership abroad continues with the historic peace and denuclearisation summits with Chairman Kim Jong-Un. Because of this summit, North Korea has stopped nuclear and missile tests.
Trump’s milestones have continued into the reforming of his own government. In our world of ‘fake news’ and civil unrest, Trump completed the Department of Defence’s first-ever audit in a show of great accountability and transparency. His government transformation was further implemented with his five-year ban on lobbying for White House employees and a lifetime ban on lobbying for overseas nations.
Record jobs, global peace breakthroughs, stronger borders, the reinstallation of tariffs and the transformation towards a more transparent government. All for not a single penny. Although, I don’t think Donald Trump will be regarded as the greatest U.S President anytime soon.
Aidan Green is the editor of The Commentariat.