Donald Trump has stated that he will make good on his promises. But the 45th President has made so many promises that he apparently will never be able to keep, you wonder why anyone would support him. One by one, he is distancing himself from his own party, namely the Republicans in the U.S. Congress. As of October 8th, as will be discussed in detail in a future article, the number of people from his own party that is not supporting him now is rapidly growing.
Five of the promises that Donald Trump has made are listed immediately below, but this article highlights many of his promises that he made, some of them kept, but most of them either not kept or still in pending status.
1) Repeal Obamacare
2) Guarantee – New 6-day work week
3) Build a wall, and make Mexico pay for it
4) Suspend immigration from terror-prone places
5) Stop TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership)
The following is the status of these promises and many more…….
Promise #1 : Change the name of Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley
President Obama changed the name of Mt. McKinley to Denali. But President Trump stated that he wanted to change it back. He did not keep his promise as he backed off his promise to change the name.
Promise #2: Balance the federal budget ‘fairly quickly’ (AN OUTRIGHT LIE!)
As Trump has stated, “It can be done. … It will take place and it will go relatively quickly. … If you have the right people, like, in the agencies and the various people that do the balancing… you can cut the numbers by two pennies and three pennies and balance a budget quickly and have a stronger and better country. ” So what does he do to balance the Federal budget. Absolutely nothing, in matter of fact, Trump cheered the budget plan that wouldn’t balance the budget, that went nowhere in Congress.
Promise #3: Eliminate the Federal debt in 8 years (ANOTHER OUTRIGHT LIE!) Trump supported the House bill that failed the Senate that would only grow the national debt. Besides it is very questionable if Donald Trump could last 2 years, let alone 8 years. There are already talks of impeachment and a possible conviction of collusion.
As Trump has stated, “We’ve got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt. … Well, I would say over a period of eight years. And I’ll tell you why.” So is he keeping his promise. Obviously not, because he celebrated the Senate budget bill, but it busts his promise to eliminate federal debt.
Promise #4: Suspend immigration from terror-prone places
As Trump has stated, “And if people don’t like it, we’ve got to have a country folks. Got to have a country. Countries in which immigration will be suspended would include places like Syria and Libya. And we are going to stop the tens of thousands of people coming in from Syria.” In response to his promise, a Federal judge blocks all three of his travel bans.
Promise #5: Repeal ObamaCare
As Trump has stated, “Real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing the disaster known as Obamacare.” The Congress refused to pass the Republican version of health-care, but then Trump put out a directive ending key subsidy which threatens Obamacare’s viability.
Promise #6: Call for an international conference to defeat ISIS
As Trump has stated, “As president, I will call for an international conference focused on this goal. We will work side-by-side with our friends in the Middle East, including our greatest ally, Israel.”
What is the status of the Asian Conference of November 2017? Trump has visited Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, after his brief stay in Hawaii, but will he talk about defeating ISIS? The news media which Trump calls “fake news” will accurately report their findings on this matter, but during his second foreign trip abroad, I highly doubt if he made headway on anything that involves ISIS. The fact is that it is now well known that Isis is on the run an rapidly shrinking in size in Iraq, and Donald Trump will take full credit for the progress. But noone is talking about the spread of Isis in Africa and in Asia. Will there be any evidence that Trump and President Rodrigo Duterte talked about Isis advances in the Philippines? All you might see or hear about is the infamous toast he had with the President of the Philippines during his stay in Manila, a man who executes his own citizens that are suspected to hold and distribute drugs, without any due process of the law.
Promise #7: Repeal ObamaCare
As Trump has stated, ” Real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing he disaster known as Obamacare.”
The Congress could not get the job done, and was unable to get Obamacare repealed. So President Trump’s executive action could erode the marketplace built under Obamacare. The only way for Donald Trump can get rid of Obamacare is to destroy it, which would also put millions of Americans at risk regarding their health care.
Promise #8: Increase visa fees
As Trump has stated ” Increase fees on all border crossing cards – of which we issue about 1 million to Mexican nationals each year (a major source of visa overstays).”
Trump is all talk and no action… No visa fees have been increased for Mexican nationals. A year has gone by in his presidency and still no action. (ANOTHER LIE!)
Promise #9: Lower the business tax rate
As Trump has stated “The Trump Plan will lower the business tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent, and eliminate the corporate alternative minimum tax.” There has been a proposed corporate and small business tax rate, but it doesn’t fall to 15 percent. If there is any promise that he will definitely attempt to keep, it would be this one, but as of this date he has had no success in doing so. The tax plan that he will support that will pass the House just like the health care bill previously did, will die in the Senate, which means that Donald Trump will definitely not have any major legislation pass in the Republican controlled U.S. Congress his first year in office.
Promise #10: Move U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
As Trump has stated ” We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem”
Presently President Trump has signaled he would step back from the Israeli embassy plan.
Promise #11: Renegotiate NAFTA
As Trump promised ” A Trump administration will renegotiate NAFTA and if we don’t get the deal we want, we will terminate NAFTA and get a much better deal for our workers and our companies, 100 percent.”
At the moment, there has been four tries to renegotiate NAFTA, without success. Donald Trump has many more fires to address than more controversy with Canada and Mexico.
Promise #12: Replace J-1 Visa with Inner City Resume Bank
As Trump promised : “The J-1 visa jobs program for foreign youth will be terminated and replaced with a resume bank for inner city youth provided to all corporate subscribers to the J-1 visa program.”
After making that promise, he decided not to eliminate the J-1 visa program. He says one thing but does another.
Promise #13: Cut taxes for everyone
As trump has stated ” Everybody is getting a tax cut, especially the middle class.”
Donald Trump mentioned the middle class, but the tax plan appears to favor the wealthiest, not the middle class with no guarantee of cuts for all. If his plan passes, it will no longer be his plan, as Congress will have to make concessions to get the bill to pass in both Houses, but most likely will never become law anyway.
Promise #14: Eliminate the carried interest loophole
As Trump has stated ” As part of this reform, we will eliminate the carried interest deduction and other special interest loopholes that have been so good for Wall Street investors, and for people like me, but unfair to American workers.” Actually, Trump favors Wall Street investors, and loves to work around big money. He doesn’t really care about the middle class. If I’m wrong, prove it!
Promise #15: Take no salary
“If I’m elected president, I’m accepting no salary.”
Trump stated it, but it is unknown if he is taking any type of salary or not. Because he has a lucrative realistate business, he is making money as being President while maintaining control of his businesses, as he refuses to divest from his companies, influences foreign leaders and visitors to stay at his hotels and most likely is making private deals with foreign governments like Russia. It’s just my opinion, but I believe the President is making more money on the side than he will ever admit to.
Promise #16: Create a private White House hot-line for veterans
As Trump has statued ” “I will create a private White House hot-line – that is answered by a real person 24 hours a day – to make sure that no valid complaint about the VA ever falls through the cracks. I will instruct my staff that if a valid complaint is not acted upon, then the issue be brought directly to me, and I will pick up the phone and fix it myself, if need be.”
Still, there has been no hot-line created to this date.
Promise #17: Enact term limits
As Trump stated “If I’m elected president, I will push for a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.” With a 35% favorable rating with the American people, do you think that Senators from the House and Senate would ever support term limits on themselves, just because Trump says so.
To date, no constitutional amendment to impose term limits has been made and this amendment would never make it through congress.
Promise #18: Impose death penalty for cop killers
As Trump stated “One of the first things I’d do in terms of executive order, if I win, will be to sign a strong, strong statement that would go out to the country, out to the world, that anybody killing a police man, a police woman, a police officer, anybody killing a police officer, the death penalty is going to happen,”
It’s been almost a year into his presidency, but we have yet to to see an executive order from the president to impose the death penalty for cop killers, although this may be a goal he may eventually keep.
Promise #19: Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton
As Trump stated “I will ask, to appoint a special prosecutor. We have to investigate Hillary Clinton, and we have to investigate the investigation.”
It is against the law to investigate a competitor of his for president. Trump doesn’t know the law. Still Attorney General Jeff Sessions is debating on whether he will investigate Hillary Clinton regarding the ‘Clinton Foundation.
Promise #20: Enact a temporary ban on new regulations
“We’re going to cancel every needless job-killing regulation and put a moratorium on new regulations until our economy gets back on its feet.”
Trump is killing regulations, but who decides besides him whether the regulation is job-killing? He will not be able to kill all regulations by just administering executive actions, but in many instances, he has ended many regulations with a stroke of his pen new or not.
Promise #21: Make no cuts to Medicare
As Trump stated “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid.”
Trump made the statement, but a bill that he supported from the House would drastically cut Medicare and Medicaid. He really didn’t care at the time, as he just wanted to get some legislation passed. The Senate turned down all the cuts, and Obamacare stands with no cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
Promise #22: Invest $550 billion in infrastructure and create an infrastructure fund
As Trump has stated “The Trump Administration seeks to invest $550 billion to ensure we can export our goods and move our people faster and safer.”
No money has been funded by Congress at this time, and may never be.
Promise #23: Make no cuts to Social Security
As Trump has stated “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid.”
It still is unknown if he will keep his promise.
Promise #24: Make no cuts to Medicaid
As Trump promised “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid.”
Promise #25: Eliminate Common Core
As Trump promised “We’re cutting Common Core. We’re getting rid of Common Core. We’re bringing education locally.”
Education is still centralized around a common core, and still is not controlled by the states.
Promise #26: Impose a hiring freeze on federal employees
As Trump has stated “A hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce federal workforce through attrition (exempting military, public safety, and public health).”
Trump thinks is a great idea to put a freeze on all federal employees, thus to eliminate many jobs in government. The only problem is there is not enough people at the moment to help run the White House, as more federal employees are needed.
Promise #27: Slash federal regulations
As Trump has stated “A requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated.”
Wow, finally there is one promise that he has kept. To this point, regulations are being handled as he has stated.
Promise #28: Place lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying for foreign government
As Trump has stated “I’m going to issue a lifetime ban against senior executive branch officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government and I’m going to ask Congress to pass a campaign finance reform that prevents registered foreign lobbyists from raising money in American elections and politics.”
Wow, a promise kept.
Promise #29: Place lifetime ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections
As Trump has stated, “A complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.”
There has been no word on this promise. To this date, there is no lifetime ban on foreign lobbyists.
Promise #30: Defund Planned Parenthood
As Trump stated “I would defund it because of the abortion factor, which they say is 3 percent. I don’t know what percentage it is. They say it’s 3 percent. But I would defund it, because I’m pro-life.”
Because the President says he is “pro-life”, should not give him the ability to take away one of the only places people go to for medical help.
Promise #31: Approve the Keystone XL project and reap the profits
As Trump stated, “I want it built, but I want a piece of the profits.
Trump will not take a salary, so he states, but would rather take money for his own profit.
Promise #32: Achieve energy independence
As Trump has stated, “Under my presidency, we will accomplish a complete American energy independence. Complete. Complete.”
Energy independence? We are dependent for imported oil to make fossil fuels, There still are no regulations regarding imports of oil, so the price of gasoline goes up and down, and the United States has no control over it. Total energy independence will never happen under this president. (This is a TOTAL lie!)
Promise #33: Nominate someone from is list of justices to replace Antonin Scalia
As Trump has stated, “I am looking to appoint judges very much in the mold of Justice Scalia. I’m looking for judges — and I’ve actually picked 20 of them so that people would see.”
Wow, another win for Trump, as he has appointed his first Federal Judge and did it with the help of Vice President Pence with his tie-breaking vote that put him on the bench.
Promise #34: Expand mental health programs
As Trump has stated, “We need to reform our mental health programs and institutions in this country.”
To date, nothing has been done.
President Trump has yet to get any major legislation passed. Presently, the Congress is graveling with proposed tax legislation, which will completely overhaul the tax code as we see it today. But like his other failures, I see no success with this venture, unless the Republicans come together with the help of Democrats to get things done.
The Congress consists of a Republican majority in both the House and Senate. The President is considered a Republican even though for the most part of his adult life, he was a Democrat. All major branches of the Federal government are under Republican control, yet not a single bill of any substance has been passed. Most likely, Donald Trump will have no major legislation passed during his first year in office.
The Decisions and Promises of President #45 is a joke. Not many people have trust in this President, as his job approval rating has hit a new low, under 35%. When do you think that the Republican Congress will wake up and get rid of the cancer in Washington, namely their own President. Vice President Pence can become president under the 25th amendment, as Trump would have to be relieved of office. Will it ever happen? There are calls for impeachment of President Trump, but with the Republican controlled House and Senate, it will never happen unless these lawmakers start thinking about the needs of the country instead of the needs of themselves. They may have a better chance to get legislation passed under Pence than Trump. Unless the Republicans do something soon, they stand the chance of loosing big time in the mid term elections next year.