First presidency of Donald Trump: Difference between revisions

The [[First presidential transition of Donald Trump|presidential transition period]] began following Trump's victory in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 U.S. presidential election]], though Trump had chosen [[Bill Hagerty]] to begin planning for the transition in August 2016. During the transition period, Trump announced nominations for his [[First cabinet of Donald Trump|cabinet]] and [[Executive Office of the President of the United States|administration]].

== Administration ==

[[File:19 03 2019 Declaração à imprensa (47423243351).jpg|thumb|During a joint news conference, Trump said he was "very proud" to hear [[Brazil]]ian president [[Jair Bolsonaro]] use the term "fake news."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump says he's 'very proud' to hear Bolsonaro use the term 'fake news'|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/434762-trump-says-hes-very-proud-to-hear-bolsonaro-use-the-term-fake-news |first=Brett |last=Samuels |access-date=November 7, 2021 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=March 19, 2019}}</ref>]]

The Trump Justice Department obtained by court order the 2017 [[phone log]]s or email [[metadata]] of reporters from CNN, ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', [[BuzzFeed]], and ''Politico'' as part of investigations into leaks of classified information.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/02/politics/trump-administration-phone-records-reporters-new-york-times/index.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=June 3, 2021 |title=New York Times reports Trump administration secretly obtained its reporters' phone records|first=Paul |last=LeBlanc |website=CNN}}</ref>

In response to the mid-2020 [[George Floyd protests]], some of which resulted in looting,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Calamur|first1=Krishnadev|last2=Rascoe|first2=Ayesha|last3=Wise|first3=Alana|date=May 29, 2020|title=Trump Says He Spoke With Floyd's Family, Understands Hurt And Pain Of Community|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/29/864722348/twitter-hides-trumps-tweet-on-minneapolis-saying-it-glorifies-violence|access-date=January 9, 2021|website=[[NPR]]}}</ref> Trump tweeted on May 25 that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Not long after, Twitter restricted the tweet for violating the company's policy on promoting violence.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Porter|first=Jon|date=May 29, 2020|title=Twitter restricts new Trump tweet for 'glorifying violence'|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/29/21274323/trump-twitter-glorifying-violence-minneapolis-shooting-looting-notice-restriction|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=The Verge}}</ref> On May 28, Trump signed an executive order which sought to limit legal protections of social media companies.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Allyn|first=Bobby|date=May 28, 2020|title=Stung By Twitter, Trump Signs Executive Order To Weaken Social Media Companies|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/05/28/863932758/stung-by-twitter-trump-signs-executive-order-to-weaken-social-media-companies|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=[[NPR]]}}</ref>

== Domestic affairs ==

In 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration reorganized the Global Health Security and Biodefense unit at the NSC by merging it with other related units.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/387191-trump-official-overseeing-pandemic-response-suddenly-leaves-admin|title=Trump official overseeing pandemic readiness exits|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=February 26, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105175454/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/387191-trump-official-overseeing-pandemic-response-suddenly-leaves-admin |date=May 10, 2018 |archive-date=November 5, 2020}}</ref> Two months prior to the [[Wuhan outbreak|outbreak in Wuhan China]], the Trump Administration had cut nearly $200 million in funding to Chinese research scientists studying animal [[coronavirus]]es.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Baumgaertner|first1=Emily|last2=Rainey|first2=James|date=April 2, 2020|title=Trump administration ended pandemic early-warning program to detect coronaviruses|url=https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-02/coronavirus-trump-pandemic-program-viruses-detection|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103154422/https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-04-02/coronavirus-trump-pandemic-program-viruses-detection|archive-date=January 3, 2021|access-date=April 3, 2020|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Throughout his presidency he also proposed budget cuts to global health.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Finnegan|first=Conor|title=Trump budget proposes cuts to global health amid two global health crises|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-budget-proposes-cuts-global-health-amid-global/story?id=68911515 |date=February 12, 2020 |access-date=February 26, 2020|website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref> The Trump administration ignored detailed plans on how to mass-produce [[Protective mask|protective respirator masks]] under a program that had been launched by the Obama administration to alleviate a mask shortage for a future pandemic.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/federal-government-spent-millions-to-ramp-up-mask-readiness-but-that-isnt-helping-now/2020/04/03/d62dda5c-74fa-11ea-a9bd-9f8b593300d0_story.html|title=Federal government spent millions to ramp up mask readiness, but that isn't helping now|last=Swaine|first=Jon|date=April 3, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

The [[White House Coronavirus Task Force]] was led by Vice President Mike Pence, Coronavirus Response Coordinator [[Deborah Birx]], and Trump's son-in-law [[Jared Kushner]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Shear|first1=Michael|last2=Weiland|first2=Noah|last3=Rogers|first3=Katie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-cdc.html|title=Trump Names Mike Pence to Lead Coronavirus Response|date=February 26, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200227003735/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-cdc.html|archive-date=February 27, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Congress appropriated $8.3{{spaces}}billion in emergency funding, which Trump signed into [[Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act|law]] on March 6.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Keith|first=Tamara|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/03/06/812825943/trump-signs-coronavirus-funding-bill-cancels-trip-to-cdc|title=Trump Visits CDC After Coronavirus Fears Throw Schedule Into Chaos|date=March 6, 2020|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=March 7, 2020}}</ref> During his oval office address on March 11, Trump announced an imminent travel ban between Europe and the U.S. The announcement caused chaos in European and American airports, as Americans abroad scrambled to get flights back to the U.S. The administration later had to clarify that the travel ban applied to foreigners coming from the [[Schengen Area]], and later added Ireland and the UK to the list.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Specia|first=Megan|date=March 12, 2020|title=What You Need to Know About Trump's European Travel Ban|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/world/europe/trump-travel-ban-coronavirus.html|access-date=March 28, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Snyder |first=Tanya |title=White House adds U.K., Ireland to travel ban, hints at airline aid |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/14/white-house-adds-uk-ireland-to-travel-ban-129470 |date=March 14, 2020 |access-date=March 28, 2020 |website=[[Politico]]}}</ref> Previously, in late January 2020, the administration banned travel to the U.S. from China; prior to the decision, major U.S. carriers had already announced that they would no longer fly to and from China.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Tate|first=Curtis|title=Delta, American, United to suspend all China mainland flights as coronavirus crisis grows|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-flight-ban-delta-cuts-all-flights-white-house/4620989002/ |date=January 31, 2020 |access-date=April 3, 2020|website=USA Today}}</ref> On March 13, Trump designated COVID-19 pandemic as a [[national emergency]], as the number of known cases of COVID-19 in the country exceeded 1,500, while known deaths exceeded 40.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Politi|first1=James|last2=Kuchler|first2=Hannah|date=March 14, 2020|title=Donald Trump declares US national emergency for coronavirus|work=[[Financial Times]]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/465543fa-655c-11ea-b3f3-fe4680ea68b5|access-date=March 18, 2020}}</ref>

By February 2018, arrests of undocumented immigrants by ICE increased by forty percent during Trump's tenure. Arrests of noncriminal undocumented immigrants were twice as high as during Obama's final year in office. Arrests of undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions increased only slightly.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Miroff|first1=Nick|last2=Sacchetti|first2=Maria|date=February 11, 2018|title=Trump takes 'shackles' off ICE, which is slapping them on immigrants who thought they were safe|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-takes-shackles-off-ice-which-is-slapping-them-on-immigrants-who-thought-they-were-safe/2018/02/11/4bd5c164-083a-11e8-b48c-b07fea957bd5_story.html|access-date=February 12, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 2018, experts noted that the Trump administration's immigration policies had led to an increase in criminality and lawlessness along the U.S.–Mexico border, as asylum seekers prevented by U.S. authorities from filing for asylum had been preyed upon by human smugglers, organized crime and corrupt local law enforcement.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Ray |last1=Sanchez |first2=Nick |last2=Valencia |first3=Tal |last3=Kopan |title=Trump's immigration policies were supposed to make the border safer. Experts say the opposite is happening. |date=July 20, 2018 |work=CNN|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/19/americas/trump-migration-border-smuggling/index.html|access-date=July 24, 2018}}</ref> To defend administration policies on immigration, the administration fudged data and presented intentionally misleading analyses of the costs associated with refugees (omitting data that showed net positive fiscal effects),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump Administration Rejects Study Showing Positive Impact of Refugees|website=The New York Times|date=September 19, 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/us/politics/refugees-revenue-cost-report-trump.html|access-date=June 25, 2018|last1=Davis|first1=Julie Hirschfeld|last2=Sengupta|first2=Somini}}</ref> as well as created the [[Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement]] to highlight crimes committed by undocumented immigrants (there is no evidence undocumented immigrants increase the U.S. crime rate).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Lee|first=Michelle|date=March 1, 2017|title=Fact check: Trump claim on murders by unauthorized immigrants|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2017/live-updates/trump-white-house/real-time-fact-checking-and-analysis-of-trumps-address-to-congress/fact-check-trump-claim-on-murders-by-unauthorized-immigrants/|access-date=March 3, 2017}}</ref> In January 2018, Trump was widely criticized after referring to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations in general as "shithole countries" at a bipartisan meeting on immigration. Multiple international leaders condemned his remarks as racist.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=African nations slam Trump's vulgar remarks as "racist"|work=[[NBC News]]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/african-nations-slam-trump-s-vulgar-remarks-reprehensible-racist-n837486 |first=Erik |last=Ortiz |date=January 13, 2018 |access-date=January 15, 2018}}</ref>

The administration sought to add a citizenship question to the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]], which experts warned would likely result in severe undercounting of the population and faulty data,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/us/politics/census-citizenship-question-trump.html|title=Despite Concerns, Census Will Ask Respondents if They Are U.S. Citizens|last=Baumgaertner|first=Emily|date=March 26, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=March 27, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> with naturalized U.S. citizens, legal immigrants, and undocumented immigrants all being less likely to respond to the census.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Holly |last=Straut-Eppsteiner |access-date=November 10, 2021 |url=https://www.nilc.org/2019/04/22/citizenship-question-would-undermine-census-reliability/ |publisher=National Immigration Law Center |title=Research Shows a Citizenship Question Would Suppress Participation among Latinxs and Immigrants in the 2020 Census, Undermining Its Reliability |date=April 22, 2019 |quote=Researchers uncovered a significant and troubling finding from this survey research: Fewer Latinx immigrant households will participate in the 2020 census if the question is implemented, which will result in an undercount. Without the citizenship question, 84 percent of respondents were willing to participate in the census; after including the citizenship question, however, willingness to participate dropped by almost half, to 46 percent. Willingness dropped among individuals across legal status: naturalized citizens, legal residents, and undocumented individuals.}}</ref> [[Blue states]] were estimated to get fewer congressional seats and lower congressional appropriations than they would otherwise get, because they have larger non-citizen populations.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/27/politics/blue-states-lose-citizenship-question-census/index.html |date=March 27, 2018 |title=Blue states are far more likely to lose money and power over Census citizenship question|last=Enten|first=Harry|work=CNN|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> [[Thomas B. Hofeller]], an architect of Republican gerrymandering, had found adding the census question would help to gerrymander maps that "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites" and that Hofeller had later written the key portion of a letter from the Trump administration's Justice Department justifying the addition of a citizenship question by claiming it was needed to enforce the 1965 Voting Rights Act.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/us/census-citizenship-question-hofeller.html |title=Deceased G.O.P. Strategist's Hard Drives Reveal New Details on the Census Citizenship Question |first=Michael |last=Wines |date=May 30, 2019 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref> In July 2019, the Supreme Court in ''[[Department of Commerce v. New York]]'' blocked the administration from including the citizenship question on the census form.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=Trump abandons effort to add citizenship question to census |work=[[Politico]] |first1=Anita |last1=Kumar |first2=Caitlin |last2=Oprysko |date=July 11, 2019 |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/11/trump-expected-to-take-executive-action-to-add-citizenship-question-to-census-1405893 |access-date=November 10, 2021}}</ref>

{{See also|LGBT rights in the United States}}

The administration rescinded a directive that public schools treat students according to their gender identity.<ref name="Berg-2019" /> The administration rescinded a federal policy that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity, and dropped a lawsuit against [[North Carolina]]'s "bathroom bill".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/us/politics/devos-sessions-transgender-students-rights.html |first1=Jeremy W. |last1=Peters |first2=Jo |last2=Becker |first3=Julie Hirschfeld |last3=Davis |title=Trump Rescinds Rules on Bathrooms for Transgender Students|date=February 22, 2017|website=The New York Times|access-date=March 16, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315213910/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/us/politics/devos-sessions-transgender-students-rights.html|archive-date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> The administration rescinded rules that prohibited discrimination against LGBT patients by health care providers.<ref name="Berg-2019" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/24/transgender-patients-protections-health-care-1343005 |date=May 24, 2019 |title=Trump administration rolls back health care protections for LGBTQ patients|last1=Diamond|first1=Dan|last2=Pradhan|first2=Rachana|website=[[Politico]]|access-date=May 31, 2019}}</ref> Rules were rescinded to give transgender homeless people equal access to homeless shelters, and to house transgender prison inmates according to their gender identity "when appropriate".<ref name="Berg-2019" /> HHS stopped collecting information on LGBT participants in its national survey of older adults,<ref name="TrumpRecordAgainstTrans">{{citation |url = https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration |title = Trump's record of action against transgender people |date = April 20, 2017 |publisher = transequality.org |access-date = February 20, 2019 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190220231746/https://transequality.org/the-discrimination-administration |archive-date = February 20, 2019}}</ref> and the [[Census Bureau]] removed "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as proposed subjects for possible inclusion on the decennial census or [[American Community Survey]].<ref name="TrumpRecordAgainstTrans" /> The Justice Department and [[United States Labor Department|Labor Department]] cancelled quarterly conference calls with LGBT organizations.<ref name="TrumpRecordAgainstTrans" />

}}

==== Photo-op at St. John's Episcopal Church ====

{{Main|Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church}}

[[File:President Trump Visits St. John's Episcopal Church (49964436272) (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Trump returns to the White House after posing for a photo op at [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square|St. John's Episcopal Church]], June 2020.]]

==== Deployment of federal law enforcement to cities ====

=== Voting rights ===

{{Main|Voting rights in the United States}}

Trump has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, there was widespread voter fraud.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/09/666018707/trump-scott-spread-claims-of-voter-fraud-as-florida-race-narrows |date=November 9, 2018 |first1=Miles |last1=Parks |first2=Emily |last2=Sullivan |first3=Brian |last3=Naylor |title=As Florida Races Narrow, Trump And Scott Spread Claims of Fraud Without Evidence|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=November 10, 2018}}</ref> The administration created a [[Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity|commission]] with the stated purpose to review the extent of voter fraud in the wake of Trump's false claim that millions of unauthorized votes cost him the popular vote in the 2016 election. It was chaired by Vice President Pence, while the day-to-day administrator was [[Kris Kobach]], best known for promoting restrictions on access to voting. The commission began its work by requesting each state to turn over detailed information about all registered voters in their database. Most states rejected the request, citing privacy concerns or state laws.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=Liz |last1=Stark |first2=Grace |last2=Hauck |date=July 5, 2017 |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/politics/kris-kobach-letter-voter-fraud-commission-information/index.html |title=Forty-four states and DC have refused to give certain voter information to Trump commission |access-date=July 11, 2017}}</ref> Multiple lawsuits were filed against the commission. [[Maine Secretary of State]] [[Matthew Dunlap]] said Kobach was refusing to share working documents and scheduling information with him and the other Democrats on the commission. A federal judge ordered the commission to hand over the documents.<ref name="Woodward-2018">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/06/trump-administration-resists-turning-over-documents-to-dunlap/ |first=Colin |last=Woodward |title=Trump refuses to release documents to Maine secretary of state despite judge's order|date=January 6, 2018|work=Portland Press Herald|access-date=January 7, 2018}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, Trump disbanded the commission, and informed Dunlap that it would not obey the court order to provide the documents because the commission no longer existed.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/politics/trump-voter-fraud-commission.html|title=Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud|last=Haag|first=Matthew|date=January 3, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 4, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Election integrity experts argued that the commission was disbanded because of the lawsuits, which would have led to greater transparency and accountability and thus prevented the Republican members of the commission from producing a sham report to justify restrictions on voting rights.<ref name="Woodward-2018" /> It was later revealed the commission had, in its requests for Texas voter data, specifically asked for data that identifies voters with Hispanic surnames.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/trump-election-fraud-commission-bought-texas-election-data-flagging-hispanic-voters/2018/01/22/2791934a-fd55-11e7-ad8c-ecbb62019393_story.html|title=Trump voting commission bought Texas election data flagging Hispanic voters|last1=Hsu|first1=Spencer S.|last2=Wagner|first2=John|date=January 22, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=January 22, 2018|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

{{Main|Turkey–United States relations}}

[[File:President Trump and President Erdoğan joint statement in the Roosevelt Room, May 16, 2017.jpg|thumb|Trump with Turkish president [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], May 16, 2017]]

=== Iran ===

{{Main|Iran–United States relations|United States withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action}}

In January 2020, Trump ordered [[Assassination of Qasem Soleimani|a U.S. airstrike]] that killed Iranian general [[Qasem Soleimani]], who had planned nearly every significant operation by Iranian forces over the past two decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/world/middleeast/qassem-soleimani-iraq-iran-attack.html|title=U.S. Strike in Iraq Kills Qassim Suleimani, Commander of Iranian Forces|last1=Crowley|first1=Michael|author-link1=Michael Crowley (journalist)|last2=Hassan|first2=Falih|last3=Schmitt|first3=Eric|author-link3=Eric P. Schmitt|date=January 2, 2020|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 3, 2020}}</ref> Trump threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites, including some "important to Iran & the Iranian culture", if Iran retaliated.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Daniel|first1=Douglas K.|last2=Lemire|first2=Jonathan|url=https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-international-news-75944e42ccc66ac08ee5122e080d7f33|title=Trump says 52 targets already lined up if Iran retaliates|work=Associated Press|date=January 5, 2020 |access-date=November 3, 2022}}</ref> The threat to hit cultural sites was seen as illegal and both Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the U.S. would not attack such sites, but would "follow the laws of armed conflict" and "behave inside the system".<ref name="Wamsley_1/6/2020">{{cite web|last=Wamsley|first=Laurel|title=Trump Says He'll Target Iran's Cultural Sites. That's Illegal|website=[[NPR]]|date=January 6, 2020|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/01/06/794006073/trump-says-hell-target-iran-s-cultural-sites-that-s-illegal | access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> Iran did retaliate with [[Operation Martyr Soleimani|ballistic missile strikes against two U.S. airbases]] in Iraq.<ref name="close" /> On the same day, amid the heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, Iran accidentally<ref name="Ward_1/9/2020" /> shot down [[Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752]] after takeoff from Tehran airport.<ref name="Baker_et al_1/11/2020">{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Bergman|first2=Ronen|last3=Kirkpatrick|first3=David D.|last4=Barnes|first4=Julian E.|last5=Rubin|first5=Alissa J.|date=January 11, 2020|title=Seven Days in January: How Trump Pushed U.S. and Iran to the Brink of War|website=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/11/us/politics/iran-trump.html |access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Ward_1/9/2020">{{cite web|last=Ward|first=Alex|title=Evidence is mounting that Iran accidentally shot down the Ukraine flight|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=January 9, 2020|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/1/9/21059004/iran-plane-crash-missile-video-trump-ukraine | access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Motamedi_4/17/2021">{{cite web|last=Motamedi|first=Maziar|title=Iran rejects claim Ukraine's plane shot down intentionally|website=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=April 17, 2021|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/17/iran-rejects-claim-ukraines-plane-was-shot-down-intentionally | access-date=November 8, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Trump AVM opening ceremony.jpg|thumb| [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]], then the [[prime minister of Turkey]], attended the opening of the [[Trump Towers Istanbul]] AVM in 2012.]]

After Trump took office, the [[watchdog group]] [[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]], represented by a number of constitutional scholars, sued him<ref name="Riback">{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/23/why-trumps-business-conflicts-cant-and-wont-just-be-swept-aside-commentary.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Why Trump's business conflicts can't – and won't – just be swept aside|first=Chris|last=Riback|date=January 23, 2017|work=[[CNBC]]}}</ref> for violations of the [[Foreign Emoluments Clause]] (a [[United States Constitution|constitutional]] provision that bars the president or any other federal official from taking gifts or payments from foreign governments), because his hotels and other businesses accept payment from foreign governments.<ref name="Riback" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/liberal-watchdog-group-sues-trump-alleging-he-violated-constitutional-ban/2017/01/22/5e8b35c2-e113-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html |access-date=November 7, 2021|title=Liberal watchdog group sues Trump, alleging he violated constitutional ban|first1=David A.|last1=Fahrenthold|author1-link=David Fahrenthold|first2=Jonathan|last2=O'Connell|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first1=David A.|last1=Fahrenthold|author1-link=David Fahrenthold|first2=Jonathan|last2=O'Connell|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-is-the-emoluments-clause-does-it-apply-to-president-trump/2017/01/23/12aa7808-e185-11e6-a547-5fb9411d332c_story.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=What is the 'Emoluments Clause'? Does it apply to President Trump?|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 23, 2017}}</ref> CREW separately filed a complaint with the [[General Services Administration]] (GSA) over [[Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.]]; the 2013 lease that Trump and the GSA signed "explicitly forbids any elected government official from holding the lease or benefiting from it".<ref name="Horowitz">{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Julia |last=Horowitz |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/20/news/trump-conflicts-inauguration/ |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=President Trump hit immediately with ethics complaint |work=CNN |date=January 20, 2017}}</ref> The GSA said it was "reviewing the situation".<ref name="Horowitz" /> By May 2017, the ''[[CREW v. Trump]]'' lawsuit had grown with additional plaintiffs and alleged violations of the [[Domestic Emoluments Clause]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/us/politics/trump-crew-lawsuit-constitution.html |title=Watchdog Group Expands Lawsuit Against Trump |date=April 18, 2017|last=LaFraniere|first=Sharon |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=June 11, 2017}}</ref> In June 2017, attorneys from the Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no right to sue<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/09/532302106/trump-administration-calls-for-lawsuit-about-his-businesses-to-be-dismissed|title=Trump Administration Calls For Lawsuit About His Businesses To Be Dismissed|first=Marilyn|last=Geewax|date=June 9, 2017|access-date=June 10, 2017|work=[[NPR]]}}</ref> and that the described conduct was not illegal.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-emoluments-foreign-government-payments-2017-6 |title=Justice Department argues it's fine for Trump to take payments from foreign governments, citing George Washington |website=Business Insider |date=June 10, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2017 |first=Allan |last=Smith}}</ref> Also in June 2017, two more lawsuits were filed based on the [[Foreign Emoluments Clause]]: ''[[D.C. and Maryland v. Trump]]'',<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=LaFrainere|first=Sharon|title=Maryland and D.C. Sue Trump Over His Private Businesses|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/us/trump-lawsuit-private-businesses.html|access-date=June 12, 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Davis|first=Aaron C.|title=D.C. and Maryland sue President Trump, alleging breach of constitutional oath|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-and-maryland-to-sue-president-trump-alleging-breach-of-constitutional-oath/2017/06/11/0059e1f0-4f19-11e7-91eb-9611861a988f_story.html|access-date=June 12, 2017|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 12, 2017}}</ref> and ''[[Blumenthal v. Trump]]'', which was signed by more than one-third of the voting members of [[United States Congress|Congress]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Bykowicz|first=Julie|title=Democrats in Congress are the latest to sue President Trump|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/06/13/democrats-congress-are-latest-sue-president-trump/1tG7Mqk5tO4kxjHDh94ABO/story.html|access-date=June 14, 2017|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=[[Boston Globe]]|date=June 14, 2017|archive-date=June 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614054544/http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/06/13/democrats-congress-are-latest-sue-president-trump/1tG7Mqk5tO4kxjHDh94ABO/story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[United States District Judge]] [[George B. Daniels]] dismissed the CREW case on December 21, 2017, holding that plaintiffs lacked [[Standing (law)|standing]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-alleging-trump-violated-constitution/2017/12/21/31011510-e697-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |first2=Jonathan |last2=O'Connell |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging Trump violated Constitution|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/EmolumentsDismissal.pdf |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Trump |quote=17 Civ. 458 |publisher=S.D.N.Y. |date=December 21, 2017 |via=courthousenews.com}}</ref> ''D.C. and Maryland v. Trump'' cleared three judicial hurdles to proceed to the [[Discovery (law)|discovery]] phase during 2018,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/us/trump-emoluments-lawsuit.html|title=Lawsuit Over Trump's Ties to His Businesses Is Allowed to Advance|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=March 28, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit.html|title=In Ruling Against Trump, Judge Defines Anticorruption Clauses in Constitution for First Time|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=July 25, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/us/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit-evidence.html|title=Judge Orders Evidence to Be Gathered in Emoluments Case Against Trump|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=November 2, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> with prosecutors issuing 38 subpoenas to Trump's businesses and cabinet departments in December before the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit|Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals]] issued a [[Stay of proceedings|stay]] days later at the behest of the Justice Department, pending hearings in March 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-attorneys-general-subpoena-trump-irs-20181204-story.html|title=2 attorneys general issue subpoenas to Trump entities in Washington hotel case|first1=Jonathan |last1=O'Connell |first2=Ann E. |last2=Marimow |date=December 4, 2018 |first3=David A. |last3=Fahrenthold |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/17/us/politics/justice-department-trump-emoluments.html|title=Justice Department Asks Court to Halt Emoluments Case Against Trump|first=Sharon|last=LaFraniere|date=December 17, 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-emoluments-idUSKCN1OJ30R |first=Jan |last=Wolfe |title=U.S. appeals court grants Trump request for halt to emoluments case|date=December 21, 2018|work=Reuters|access-date=January 3, 2019}}</ref> NBC News reported that by June 2019 representatives of 22 governments had spent money at Trump properties.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/reps-22-foreign-governments-have-spent-money-trump-properties-n1015806 |access-date=November 7, 2021 |date=June 12, 2019 |first1=Shelby |last1=Hanssen |first2=Ken |last2=Dilanian |title=Reps of 22 foreign governments have spent money at Trump properties|website=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> In January 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuits as Trump was no longer president.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/25/politics/emoluments-supreme-court-donald-trump-case/index.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Supreme Court dismisses emoluments cases against Trump|first1=Ariane|last1=de Vogue|first2=Devan|last2=Cole |work=CNN|date=January 25, 2021}}</ref>

Trump fired, demoted, or withdrew nominations of numerous government officials in retaliation for actions that projected negatively on his public image or harmed his personal or political interests, including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director [[Dismissal of James Comey|James Comey]],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||title=James Comey's Attacks on Trump May Hurt a Carefully Cultivated Image |access-date=November 7, 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/us/politics/james-comey-trump-book.html |first1=Julie Hirschfeld |last1=Davis |first2=Jonathan |last2=Martin |work=The New York Times|date=April 16, 2018}}</ref> Deputy FBI Director [[Andrew McCabe]], U.S. Attorney General [[Jeff Sessions]],<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Baker|first1=Peter|last2=Benner|first2=Katie|last3=Shear|first3=Michael D.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/sessions-resigns.html|title=Jeff Sessions Is Forced Out as Attorney General as Trump Installs Loyalist|date=November 7, 2018|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 25, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and Director of National Intelligence [[Joseph Maguire]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||author=Editorial Board |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/this-is-trumps-vilest-act-of-retribution-yet/2020/04/06/c685cb0a-781f-11ea-b6ff-597f170df8f8_story.html|title=This is Trump's vilest act of retribution yet|date=April 7, 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=April 25, 2020}}</ref>

According to several reports, Trump's and his family's trips in the first month of his presidency cost U.S. taxpayers nearly as much as President Obama's travel expenses for an entire year. When Obama was president, Trump frequently criticized him for taking vacations which were paid for with public funds.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-costs-trips-security-taxpayer-barack-obama-month-year-a7586261.html |access-date=November 7, 2021 |first=Peter |last=Walker |title=In a month, the Trump family has cost taxpayers almost as much as the Obamas did in a year|date=February 17, 2017|newspaper=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> ''The Washington Post'' reported that Trump's atypically lavish lifestyle is far more expensive to the taxpayers than what was typical of previous presidents and could end up in the hundreds of millions of dollars over the whole of Trump's term.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-familys-elaborate-lifestyle-a-logistical-nightmare--at-taxpayer-expense/2017/02/16/763cce8e-f2ce-11e6-a9b0-ecee7ce475fc_story.html |first1=Drew |last1=Harwell |first2=Amy |last2=Brittain |first3=Jonathan |last3=O'Connell |date=February 16, 2017 |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Trump family's elaborate lifestyle is a 'logistical nightmare' – at taxpayer expense|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

On January 6, 2021, rioters supporting Trump [[January 6 United States Capitol attack|stormed]] the [[United States Capitol|U.S. Capitol]] in an effort to thwart a [[joint session of Congress]] during which the [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] vote was to be certified, affirming the election of former vice president [[Joe Biden]] as president and Senator [[Kamala Harris]] as vice president.

Five casualties occurred during the event: one Capitol Police officer, and four stormers or protesters at the Capitol, including one rioter shot by police inside the building.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Safdar |first1=Khadeeja |last2=Ailworth |first2=Erin |last3=Seetharaman |first3=Deepa |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Police Identify Five Dead After Capitol Riot |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/police-identify-those-killed-in-capitol-riot-11610133560 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112023512/https://www.wsj.com/articles/police-identify-those-killed-in-capitol-riot-11610133560 |archive-date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=January 24, 2021 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> At least 138 police officers were injured.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last1=Schmidt |first1=Michael S. |last2=Broadwater |first2=Luke |title=Officers' Injuries, Including Concussions, Show Scope of Violence at Capitol Riot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/us/politics/capitol-riot-police-officer-injuries.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/us/politics/capitol-riot-police-officer-injuries.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=February 12, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=February 12, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Three [[improvised explosive device]]s were reported to have been found: one each on Capitol grounds, at the [[Republican National Committee]] and [[Democratic National Committee]] offices.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||last=Shallwani|first=Pervaiz|date=January 6, 2021|title=At least two real explosive devices in DC rendered safe by law enforcement|work=CNN|url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/congress-electoral-college-vote-count-2021/h_a8427f16f5c09d46e0dcff011e3d48c0|url-status=live|access-date=January 6, 2021|archive-date=January 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106224546/https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/congress-electoral-college-vote-count-2021/h_a8427f16f5c09d46e0dcff011e3d48c0}}</ref>

On January 7, the day after the Electoral College results were certified by Congress, Trump tweeted a video in which he stated, "A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last=Knowles|first=David|date=January 7, 2021|title=Trump finally admits defeat: 'A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20'|url=https://news.yahoo.com/trump-finally-admits-defeat-a-new-administration-will-be-inaugurated-on-january-20-011501284.html|access-date=January 8, 2021|website=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref> The [[State Department]] subsequently told diplomats to affirm Biden's victory.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||access-date=November 7, 2021 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/state-department-social-media-biden/index.html|title=State Department tells diplomats to affirm Biden's victory after Capitol riot|first1=Kylie|last1=Atwood|first2=Jennifer|last2=Hansler|website=CNN |date=January 7, 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Farewell Address of President Donald J. Trump (2021).webm|thumb|President Trump's first farewell address on January 19, 2021]]

Trump gave a [[Donald Trump's first farewell address|first farewell address]] the day prior to the [[inauguration of Joe Biden]]. In it he stressed his economic and foreign policy record, and said the country can never tolerate "[[political violence]]".<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/19/trump-stresses-economy-foreign-policy-farewell-address-nation/4217614001/|title=Farewell address: Trump stresses record, condemns Capitol riot, does not name Biden|last1=Jackson|first1=David|last2=Collins|first2=Michael|date=January 19, 2021|work=USA Today|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref> Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration, becoming the first departing president in 152 years to refuse to attend his elected successor's inauguration,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/presidents-who-skipped-inaugurations.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/presidents-who-skipped-inaugurations.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=Trump Is Not the First President to Snub an Inauguration|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 20, 2021|first=Jacey|last=Fortin}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite news||first=Joey|last=Garrison|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/08/trump-first-outgoing-president-skip-inauguration-152-years/6596286002/ |access-date=November 7, 2021 |title=A president hasn't refused to attend the inauguration of his successor in 152 years. Donald Trump will change that|newspaper=USA Today|date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> but he did honor another tradition by leaving Biden a letter on the [[Resolute desk|''Resolute'' desk]] in the White House.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||access-date=November 7, 2021 |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-farewell-address-nation/ |date=January 19, 2021 |title=Remarks by President Trump In Farewell Address to the Nation |website=trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||last1=Jackson|first1=David|last2=Fritze|first2=John|date=January 20, 2021|title=Donald Trump leaves letter for Joe Biden ahead of inauguration|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/20/donald-trump-leaves-letter-joe-biden-inauguration-day/4228139001/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120152944/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/20/donald-trump-leaves-letter-joe-biden-inauguration-day/4228139001/|archive-date=January 20, 2021|access-date=January 20, 2021|website=USA Today}}</ref>