# Trump haters only: what were his accomplishments? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 10, 2020, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735 "2020-12-10T08:19:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/81 "2020-12-10T23:42:56Z")
This. Trump has shown how easy it is for one individual to manipulate and take advantage of our outdated system of government. Not that it will lead to any meaningful change. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/82 "2020-12-10T23:49:36Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > He declared himself governor of Cuba for a few weeks. Pfft, I’ve done that, it’s not hard. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/83 "2020-12-11T00:09:41Z")
He increased Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, which provided more government funds to nonprofits to address the issue of domestic violence. Practically, this allowed my nonprofit to hire more staff. Republicans in general seem to care a lot about domestic violence unless it infringes on an abuser’s right to own guns. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/84 "2020-12-11T01:51:03Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Just today it was announced that Morocco has joined, formally recognizing Israel and normalizing relations with them. Unfortunately, he did so by [selling out Western Sahara to Morocco](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/10/inhofe-slams-trump-administration-on-western-sahara-policy-444459). I realize that 99.9% of Americans couldn’t find Western Sahara on a map even if you spotted them the “Sahara” part, but the forty-year illegal occupation of the territory by Morocco and it’s record of human rights abuses against the Sahrawi people has led every other democratic nation to refuse to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. We’re also apparently going to sell Morocco military weapons and drones as part of the deal – not hard to guess where they’re going to be used. Senator Jim Inhofe, who (of all people) is a longtime advocate of Western Saharans’ rights, tore into the decision in surprisingly strong terms. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/85 "2020-12-11T02:07:37Z")
It’s soon to know. My wife’s response: He alerted us to the fragility of American democracy. If there are legal changes to reduce the risk of a future, more competent, authoritarian leader from overturning our democracy, we can thank him for that. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/86 "2020-12-11T13:29:16Z")
The recent election was in my view an existential choice for US democracy: which would not have survived a second term. I think the Georgia Senate runoffs may be in the same league in terms of whether US democracy will survive. If he can, McConnell will block any attempt by Biden to pass any reforms. If those reforms are not passed quickly, while the Trump nightmare is still fresh, they won’t be passed at all. That means Biden needs control of the senate. The only things that saved the US this time were Trump’s abject idiocy and crippling narcissism. A competent fascist POTUS will stride through the gaps Trump has exposed in US democracy’s defences unless those gaps are closed pronto. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/87 "2020-12-11T13:46:12Z")
> [@stuccosuperstar2020](#): > > —Operation Warp Speed. Trump and Pence, in the debates, promised he would deliver a COVID vaccine by the end of the year. We can question what he did to make this happen more than any other President, but the fact is under his watch, it will be shortly delivered to our shores, even if not everyone is going to get it right away. Moderna began work on their vaccine [on January 13](https://www.modernatx.com/modernas-work-potential-vaccine-against-covid-19), just days after the Chinese released the genome sequence of the new coronavirus, and [months before](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Warp_Speed) the Trump Administration initiated Operation Warp Speed. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/88 "2020-12-11T14:00:25Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Ended the horrible Iran deal Yeah, that deal really stunk. We shoulda just let Iran have the fucking Bomb. That would have been a _much_ better outcome. 🥵 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/89 "2020-12-11T14:05:12Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > Senator Jim Inhofe, who (of all people) is a longtime advocate of Western Saharans’ rights, tore into the decision in surprisingly strong terms. Without googling him, I’m gonna guess upfront that he’s got some sort of fairly close personal connection here. That’s about the only thing that gets conservatives to care about human rights, let alone for groups that most people don’t even know exist. They can only put themselves in someone else’s shoes if they know that person. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/90 "2020-12-11T15:05:08Z")
Curious, but I don’t see the request for “accomplishments” as value dependent. I’m hard pressed to identify much he did that I favor - possibly some steps to criminal justice refore. But A LOT sure got done under him. -tax reform -ongoing erosion of public unions and weakening of bureaucracies -restriction of all manner of regulations - generally pro business and anti environment -withdrawal from international efforts - TPP, Iran, WHO, etc -tilting the judiciary for years/decades to come It will be interesting to see how much effort is required to undo these, how long it takes, and whether we will get back to where we were before him. ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/91 "2020-12-11T15:39:55Z")
The Pebble Mine project in Alaska was a hugely-controversial attempt to build one of the world’s largest goldmines on top of the best salmon habitat in the world. It was recently killed by the administration. It’s been in the works since at least 2010, and Obama had stopped it, but the election of a Republican brought it back. Now that it’s been [killed by a Republican administration](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/climate/pebble-mine-permit-denied.html), it’s dead as a doornail - it had to be a Republican to do it or it wouldn’t stay dead. There’s some nepotism there, as part of the lobbying to kill was from DJT Junior who likes to fish up there. I won’t hold that against them though - protecting the favorite nature spots of the rich and powerful has driven a lot of environmental protections over the years, an unfortunate reality but I’ll take the wins that come from it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/92 "2020-12-11T18:54:00Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > -tax reform Generally, a tax law that makes the rich even richer is not called 'reform". YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/93 "2020-12-13T23:27:04Z")
We did let them have it, we just asked them to wait ten years…and gave them more access to money with which to finance their projects when the time is up. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/94 "2020-12-14T00:21:59Z")
Trump’s greatest accomplishment was making George Bush seem like a great president. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/95 "2020-12-14T01:57:32Z")
[Citation needed] ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ukulele_ike1/32/4613_2.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike1)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/96 "2020-12-14T02:23:02Z")
“The government…will apparently help in the packaging but not the manufacture of the vaccines.” Swell. I hope they pick blue. I like blue. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ukulele_ike1/32/4613_2.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike1)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/97 "2020-12-14T02:25:10Z")
Trump should get vaccinated on th’ teevee? Hell, Trump’s entire staff is getting the vaccine early. > **[Critics outraged as Trump staff get COVID shots first -- amid 300,000...](https://www.rawstory.com/2020/12/thought-it-was-a-hoax-anger-bubbles-as-trump-staff-get-shots-first-amid-300000-american-s/)** > > Americans are lining up to complain that President Donald Trump and his team should be among the last, not the first, to get the vaccine for the coronavirus.Trump spent months downplaying the virus, saying that it was a hoax and about as serious as... ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/98 "2020-12-14T02:28:50Z")
After Syria used chemical weapons, he actually kept his word and retaliated. When Obama was faced with the same situation he backed down. Made fun of Kim Jong Un to his face [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D-SeJYlZ1ws/hqdefault.jpg "Trump and Kim in 'handsome and thin' photo at Singapore summit") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-SeJYlZ1ws) His administration made some attempts to lower medical costs by making prices transparent. I have no idea if his FDA or HHS actually followed through on all the plans they talked about though (I doubt it honestly). Prison reform And as mentioned before, he exposed how fragile our democracy is. The judiciary and military are protecting us from a fascist coup, but sadly that could easily crumble in a future administration that appoints lackeys to the right positions. He exposed the fragilities of our system and how deranged the American people are so we are forced to actually shore up our defenses to protect and defend democracy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/99 "2020-12-14T04:00:57Z")
W? Yeah, up until the trumpster fire W was solidly running for worst president in living memory. His Dad was by no means a bad president, even tho i disagreed with quite a few things. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735/100 "2020-12-14T04:19:52Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’m not sure what this program had to do with getting the vaccine to us quicker. I’m not sure either. I did listen to a podcast that said the MRNA technology for vaccines has been worked on for at least 10 years, so that’s at least part of why these vaccines have become ready fairly quickly. It’s not like trump singlehandedly willed them into existence with his animal magnetism. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-haters-only-what-were-his-accomplishments/927735.md?page=6)