MEMO: Trump’s Failed First Six Months

MEMORANDUM

To: Interested Parties

From: The Democratic National Committee

Date: July 20, 2017

RE: Trump’s Failed First Six Months

 

“Six months ago, Trump assumed the responsibilities of our nation’s highest office. In the months since, he has broken promise after promise while pursuing an agenda that would devastate the working families he claimed to stand for. Not only has President Trump failed to notch any significant accomplishment, he also continues to enrich himself and his businesses at the expense of American taxpayers. And on the international stage, he has disgraced our nation's standing, compromised our core values, and ceded leadership to countries like China and Russia.

“While Trump has failed to fulfill the oath he took, Democrats have been standing up for working families and fighting this administration's agenda at every turn. And across the country, millions of Americans have organized, made their voices heard, and turned this moment into a movement. Six months ago, we promised to fight back against Donald Trump's attacks on our democracy. And we're just getting started.” – DNC Chair Tom Perez

 

Trump’s Presidency: Void Of Any Accomplishments

Donald Trump has signed no major laws as president.

“Despite Claims To Contrary, Trump Has Signed No Major Laws 5 Months In” – NPR

This week was marked with the failure of Trump’s healthcare repeal bill, that he was “very active” on and “spending as much time as he can” to help ensure its passage.

“‘He’s been very active on the phone. He’s going to continue to meet with senators and he’ll have some … senators over tonight. He’s been very active over the weekend.” – Sean Spicer 

He’s spending as much time as he can having meetings at the White House, on the phone, working with the senators, working with the legislature.” – Gary Cohn 

“We’re focused on plan A, and that is repealing and replacing Obamacare. The President is fully engaged as—along with his administration in working with House and Senate members to make sure that we repeal and replace Obamacare and put in place a healthcare reform system that is sustainable and that works and serves all Americans. And that’s the focus right now, and that’s the only focus.” – Sarah Sanders, White House Daily Briefing, 6/28/17

 

On healthcare, Trump promised not to cut Medicaid, that nobody would lose coverage and nobody would be worse off financially. Every version of the Republicans’ repeal efforts would break those promises, including the most recent repeal-only plan.

“The number of people who are uninsured would increase by 18 million in the first new plan year following enactment of the bill. Later, after the elimination of the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility and of subsidies for insurance purchased through the ACA marketplaces, that number would increase to 27 million, and then to 32 million in 2026.” – CBO

“Premiums in the nongroup market (for individual policies purchased through the marketplaces or directly from insurers) would increase by 20 percent to 25 percent—relative to projections under current law—in the first new plan year following enactment. The increase would reach about 50 percent in the year following the elimination of the Medicaid expansion and the marketplace subsidies, and premiums would about double by 2026.” – CBO

“A repeal bill along the lines of the 2015 bill would end federal funding for Medicaid expansion abruptly on January 1, 2020, with no phase-out period.” – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

 

Trump’s Presidency: No Job Creation Or Economic Growth

After inheriting a strong economy from Obama, job creation and economic growth took a step back under Trump.

“This includes a decrease of 354,000 government workers, so private payroll growth has been slightly higher. The Obama administration loves to tout that the economy has added jobs every month for the past 75 months, the longest streak on record and much higher than the previous record of 48 between 1986 and 1990.” – Business Insider

“But the reality is the pace of job growth is now slightly slower than it was when President Obama left office.” – Politico

“Overall, the 362,000 jobs added from March to May are the fewest during a three-month period since mid-2012.” – Washington Post

“And the economy grew just 1.4 percent in the first quarter, down from 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016.” – Politico

 

Trump failed to deliver on his promises to bring back the auto, manufacturing, construction and coal industries.

After Years Of Growth, Automakers Are Cutting U.S. Jobs” – New York Times

“President Trump’s promises to revive the struggling American manufacturing industry faces new headwinds as the automotive sector, the largest driver of manufacturing jobs, announces thousands of new layoffs.  The layoffs come as the auto industry faces declining growth after a post-recession rebound.” – The Hill

“Homebuilders are building less under Trump than they did during the end of the Obama era… The story began: ‘U.S. homebuilding fell for a third straight month in May to the lowest level in eight months as construction activity declined broadly, suggesting that housing could be a drag on economic growth in the second quarter.’” – Toronto Star

“Amid otherwise decent job growth this year, manufacturing has been a weak spot, with the sector’s share of U.S. employment hitting a record low in June at just under 8.47 percent.” – Washington Post

Indiana Lost 5,000 Manufacturing Jobs Under Trump” – Axios

There is no boom in coal jobs, despite what President Trump and his surrogates say.” – CNNMoney

“President Donald Trump boasted Monday that the nation added 45,000 mining jobs recently — but there’s scant data to back that up. One thing there is evidence for: Only 800 coal mining jobs have been created during his tenure.” – NBC News

 

Despite Trump’s promise that companies would not leave, jobs continued to move overseas.

American Jobs Are Headed To Mexico Once Again” – Bloomberg

“Illinois Tool Works Inc. will close an auto-parts plant in Mazon, Illinois, this month and head to Ciudad Juarez.” – Bloomberg

“Triumph Group Inc. is reducing the Spokane, Washington, workforce that makes fiber-composite parts for Boeing Co. aircraft and moving production to Zacatecas and Baja California.” – Bloomberg

“TE Connectivity Ltd. is shuttering a pressure-sensor plant in Pennsauken, New Jersey, in favor of a facility in Hermosillo.” – Bloomberg

 

Companies including Carrier, Rexnord, Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Ford and General Motors cut American jobs, despite Trump’s specific promises to their workers.

Carrier Corp. plans to eliminate 338 jobs at its Indianapolis furnace factory Thursday — and the timing is likely to raise some eyebrows.  The previously announced layoffs coincide, to the day, with the six-month anniversary of Donald Trump’s presidency. They are part of a deal Trump struck with the company in December to prevent deeper job cuts at the plant.” – Indy Star

“Local union president Chuck Jones says he expects layoffs to start within weeks at a 300-worker Rexnord bearings factory in Indianapolis that is moving to Monterrey. A Trump tweet in December accused Rexnord of ‘viciously firing’ the American workers.” – Associated Press

The South Carolina Boeing plant where President Trump gave a speech promising to protect U.S. jobs says it’s laying off workers. Boeing confirmed to CNNMoney on Thursday that it’s cutting about 200 jobs at its plant in South Carolina. The plant had previously experienced sizable cutbacks in 2013 when Boeing significantly scaled back contract workers.” – CNNMoney

Harley-Davidson Inc., the motorcycle maker President Donald Trump has praised for its U.S. manufacturing presence, is cutting workers… The moves run counter to Trump’s claims he would drive U.S. economic growth by spurring more factories and hiring. The president in February called Harley a 'great example' of successful American manufacturing and said his administration would make it easier for businesses to create jobs and build plants.” — Detroit News

“When Ford announced last year that it would not move production of its Ford Focus to Mexico, Trump hailed the decision as a victory. He didn’t offer a comment this week when Ford said it would move production of its Focus model to China, a decision that could hurt the broader American auto sector.” – The Hill

General Motors is cutting factory jobs again. The automaker will eliminate one of two shifts at its Warren, Michigan plant, which makes transmissions. The company won’t say how many jobs will be affected, but the cuts could eliminate about half of the nearly 600 jobs at the plant.” – CNNMoney

 

Trump claimed trade concessions with China that did not actually amount to anything.

Trump’s China Trade Deal Is Underwhelming” – Washington Post

“When Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced in May the ‘herculean accomplishment’ of extracting Chinese promises to open swiftly long-restricted markets in finance and agriculture, he pronounced the actions ‘more than has been done in the whole history of U.S.-China relations on trade.’  Now, as the two countries mark Sunday’s deadline for completing the agreements, affected American companies say Beijing has met the letter of its pledges, yet fallen short of the spirit. Their assessment: slow, modestly improved access in some sectors, while lingering obstacles in others will continue to stymie foreign firms for years, even as specific targeted barriers have been removed.” – Wall Street Journal

 

Trump did not label China a currency manipulator, despite having pledged to do so on day one.

“President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he no longer believes China manipulates its currency, a complete shift from the position he repeatedly took during his 2016 campaign.  ‘They’re not currency manipulators,’ Trump told the the Wall Street Journal during an Oval Office interview.” – NBC News

 

Trump’s Presidency: A Burden To Taxpayers

Taxpayers have paid more than $3.5 million for White House flights in about half a year.

“The Feb. 5 flight to Houston was part of more than $3.5 million in White House travel that Judicial Watch has reviewed so far under the Freedom of Information Act since the Trump administration took office Jan. 20.” – USA Today

 

Palm Beach County wants to be reimbursed for $4.5 million in taxpayer money for overtime costs related to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago trips.

“Six members of Congress, including four from Palm Beach County, signed a pair of letters Monday to the heads of the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, urging them to reimburse the county for security and roadway management costs associated with Trump’s trips to his Mar-a-Lago mansion on Palm Beach since he was elected. […] While the expenses mentioned in the two letters add up to $3.7 million, sheriff’s spokeswoman Teri Barbera said Tuesday that PBSO’s Trump-related overtime costs now stand at $4.5 million.” – Palm Beach Post

 

The U.S. government signed a lease for space in Trump Tower, costing taxpayers $2.39 million.

“The U.S. government is paying more than $130,000 a month to lease space in Trump Tower for the military office that supports the White House, even though Donald Trump hasn’t spent a night at the New York skyscraper since becoming president. The government signed a $2.39 million lease to rent a 3,475 sq. ft. space in the building for the military from Apr. 11, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2018, nearly 18 months in total, according to lease documents that The Wall Street Journal obtained through a freedom of information request.” ­– Wall Street Journal

 

Trump’s kids’ business trip to Vancouver cost taxpayers more than $53,000.

“Federal documents examined by NBC News outline hotel bills for the U.S. Secret Service and State Department coinciding with other out-of-town visits by Trump's sons and daughters, including: $53,155.25 during Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump's business trip to Vancouver in late February.” –NBC News

 

Eric Trump’s business trip to Uruguay cost taxpayers nearly $100,000.

“This month, The Post reported that Secret Service and U.S. Embassy staffers paid nearly $100,000 in hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay.” – Washington Post

 

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump’s Dubai business trip cost taxpayers more than $16,000.

“Federal documents examined by NBC News outline hotel bills for the U.S. Secret Service and State Department coinciding with other out-of-town visits by Trump's sons and daughters, including: … $16,738.36 during Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump's business trip to Dubai in mid-February.” – NBC News

 

Secret service hotel rooms in advance of Eric Trump’s business trip to the Dominican Republic cost taxpayers more than $5,000.

“Eric Trump and his security detail flew this month to the Dominican Republic, during which the president’s son met with developers proposing a Trump-brand luxury resort. Purchase orders showing government expenditures for that trip are not yet available, but records show that Secret Service officials traveled there in advance to scope out the area — staying at the five-star, oceanfront AlSol Del Mar hotel at a cost of $5,470.” – Washington Post

 

Hotels and limos for Eric Trump’s United Kingdom business trip cost taxpayers more than $15,000.

“The Trump children's trips around the world with Secret Service …

  • Eric Trump’s hotel costs in the U.K. this week: $11,261
  • Eric Trump’s limousine services in Dublin: $4,029.85” – Newsweek

 

Trump’s Presidency: A Foreign Policy Disaster

Donald Trump has caused the world’s opinion of the United States to plummet.

“U.S. Image Suffers as Publics Around World Question Trump’s Leadership” Pew Research Center

 

Trump has isolated the United States from our allies.

Once dominant, the United States finds itself isolated at G-20” – New York Times

 

Under Trump, the United States is no longer leading on the world stage and his G20 trip made clear that China and other countries are ready to fill that void.

“But as Mr. Trump contemplates protectionism, Europe and Japan reached a landmark free trade agreement this week. Mexico and China, two of the United States’ largest trading partners, have been mulling their own deal. The world is moving ahead regardless.” – New York Times

“The United States’ step back has left other nations, especially Germany under veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel, to take up the banner of traditional Western leadership—a stunning scenario given Washington’s decades-long role as the most prominent player in global diplomacy.” – CNN

China sees opening left by Trump in Europe, and quietly steps in” – New York Times

 

World leaders condemned Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and moved forward without the United States.

“World leaders move forward on climate change, without U.S.” – New York Times 

“President Donald Trump faced a chorus of global disapproval Friday in the wake of his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, with allies and rivals uniting to accuse him of failing future generations.” – CNN 

 

Trump trashed our own intelligence agencies on foreign soil, and gave Putin a pass for Russia’s interference in last year’s election.

“President Donald Trump, speaking in Poland July 6, downplayed the strength of the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia meddled in the election to his benefit.” – Politifact

“It could very well have been Russia. But I think it could well have been other countries. And I won’t be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere.” – Remarks By President Trump And President Duda Of Poland In Joint Press Conference, Warsaw Poland, 7/6/17