Presidents (Finale)
The era of Presidents from George W. Bush to Joseph Biden changed the world today. After more than 20 years of this era of Presidents, we have massive changes in America. There is more political polarization with 299 GOP candidates denying the results of the 2020 election (which is disgraceful). We have Qanon extremists openly talking about the civil war in America. We have a racist and sexist like Donald Trump using a racist slur against Mitch McConnell's Asian American wife. You have the racist piece of work Tommy Tuberville (from Alabama) lying saying that Democrats are pro-crime and want criminals to have reparations. We want reparations for black Americans, and we don't want white racists whitewashing history or promoting bigotry in our society (that we built with our blood, sweat, and tears for centuries). So, we have a long way to go in our times in late 2022. Also, in the span of 20+ years, we have witnessed the growth of the progressive movement. More protests for justice have existed in our time since the 1960's and the 1970's. We have witnessed a motivated human population seeking real social change against far-right extremism. President George W. Bush had an opportunity after 9/11 to be one of the greatest Presidents in American history. His 2 term Presidency ended with the Iraq War, the Katrina response disaster, and the recession. President Barack Obama wanted hope and change for everyday people. His Presidency saw economic growth after 2 terms and many historic cultural, social changes. Also, President Obama dealt with police brutality, racial discrimination in America, and other foreign policy issues. President Trump was overt in his hatred of people who disagree with him. He almost ruined America forever with Muslim bans, a lax response to the coronavirus pandemic, his obstruction of a criminal investigation, his lies about the 2020 election, his provocation of hate and violence, and his suppression of other democratic rights. Thankfully, he lost the 2020 election. Today, President Joe Biden had made many historic, progressive legislation a reality, and he has to deal with inflation, foreign policy issues, and other matters that are important. The Presidency may change, but they still have the same office and the same responsibility to improve upon the general welfare of the community of the United States of America.
George W. Bush
President George W. Bush was the first President whose Presidency totally existed during the 21st century. He lived through one of the worst events in human history being the 9/11 attacks. The early part of his Presidency before 9/11 was filled with political divisions and confusion about what his legacy would be. Bush Jr. talked about compassionate "conservativism" being his aim and his opposition to nation-building before 9/11. 9/11 transformed his Presidency forever. Afterward, he led the American response to the war on terror and his foreign policy embraced overt interventionism. His approval rating after 9/11 was over 90 percent, as the nation was united to confront radical terrorism. That would change with the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, warrantless wiretapping from the NSA, torture at Abu Ghraib, and other scandals. The Iraq War caused massive protests not seen since the Vietnam War era. He defeated John Kerry in 2004. The Bush administration's investments to Africa have been underestimated as one of his greatest accomplishments. Yet, the event of Hurricane Katrina in my opinion destroyed the latter half of the Bush Presidency. The federal, state, and local responses to Katrina were very bad, and many people starved to death. Later, services came to help people, but thousands of people (especially black people as let's keep it real) were displaced to places nationwide, and the economic recession hit. The economic recession was not caused by one man. It was created by many complex factors, and it ruined many people's lives. Bush and others passed a bailout for Wall Street, and his Presidency ended in 2009 with President Barack Obama taking power. Afterward, George W. Bush has been a fierce critic of Donald Trump's extremism. Now, here is the story of the Presidency of George W. Bush.
George W. Bush was born on July 6, 1946, at Grace New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut. He was the first child of George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Pierce. He was raised in Midland and Houston, Texas. His siblings are: Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. His younger sister, Robin, died from leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. George W. Bush's paternal grandfather was Prescott Bush (a U.S. Senator from Connecticut). Bush has English and German ancestry. He has distant Dutch, Welsh, Irish, French, and Scottish roots too. George W. Bush attended public schools in Midland, Texas. He lived in Houston by the time when he was in the 7th grade. To prepare for college, he attended the college preparatory school called The Kinkaid School. He played baseball and was the head cheerleader during his senior year at the boarding school of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. George W. Bush attended Yale University from 1964 to 1968. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. At Yale, he joined the Skulls and Bones, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and he was a cheerleader again. Bush played rugby, and he earned a MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1975 after graduation. He is the only American President with a MBA. Bush was engaged to Cathryn Lee Wolfman in 1967, but the engagement did not last. Bush and Wolfman remained on good terms after the end of the relationship. While George W. Bush was at a backyard barbecue in 1977, friends introduced him to Laura Welch, a schoolteacher and librarian. After a three-month courtship, she accepted his marriage proposal and they wed on November 5 of that year. The couple settled in Midland, Texas. Bush left his family's Episcopal Church to join his wife's United Methodist Church. On November 25, 1981, Laura Bush gave birth to fraternal twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna. Bush describes being challenged by Billy Graham to consider faith in Jesus "Christ as the risen Lord", how he began to read the Bible daily, "surrendering" to the "Almighty", that "faith is a walk" and that he was "moved by God's love." It is no secret that George W. Bush had to overcome alcohol and drug addiction. He gave up alcohol in 1986. George W. Bush loves to read biographies and histories. Bush would read the Bible daily when he was President. Shocking to some, he is not a believer in Bible literalism. Bush is also a painter and the author of many books. He read books by F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, and Gore Vidal.
George W. Bush by May of 1968 was in the Texas Air National Guard. He trained for 2 years in active-duty service. He worked in Houston flying Convair F-102s with the 147the Reconnaissance Wing out of the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. He worked in the Arbusto Energy business back in 1977. George W. Bush also worked with the Texas Rangers baseball franchise. He worked in politics for decades. He lost many elections until he was Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. Bush declared his candidacy for the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election at the same time his brother Jeb sought the governorship in Florida. His campaign focused on four themes: welfare reform, tort reform, crime reduction, and education improvement. Bush's campaign advisers were Karen Hughes, Joe Allbaugh, and Karl Rove. After easily winning the Republican primary, Bush faced popular Democratic incumbent Governor Ann Richards. In the course of the campaign, Bush pledged to sign a bill allowing Texans to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons. Richards had vetoed the bill, but Bush signed it into law after he became governor. Bush supporters promoted a rumor about Richards. Bush won the general election with 53.5 percent against Richards' 45.9 percent. Bush used a budget surplus to push through Texas's largest tax cut, $2 billion. He extended government funding for organizations providing education on the dangers of alcohol and drug use and abuse and helping to reduce domestic violence. Critics contended that during his tenure, Texas ranked near the bottom in environmental evaluations. Supporters pointed to his efforts to raise the salaries of teachers and improve educational test scores. We know about Bush and the death penalty controversies too.
As Texas Governor, he won re-election with 69 percent of the vote being the first Texas governor winning 2 consecutive four-year terms. He promoted renewable sources of energy including wind power. George W. Bush wanted to run for President during his first term as Governor. He ran for the Presidency in the year of 2000. His Presidential campaign promoted him as a compassionate conservative being more centrist than other Republicans. He campaigned on a platform that included bringing integrity and honor back to the White House, increasing the size of the military, cutting taxes, improving education, and aiding minorities. By early 2000, the Republican primary race had centered on Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain
Bush won the Iowa caucuses and, although heavily favored to win the New Hampshire primary, trailed McCain by 19 percent and lost. Despite this, he regained momentum and effectively became the front-runner after the South Carolina primary, which according to The Boston Globe made history for his campaign's negativity. The New York Times described it as a smear campaign. In actuality, it was a smear campaign when many Bush campaign people slander John McCain's adopted daughter in racist terms. On July 25, 2000, Bush surprised some observers when he selected Dick Cheney – a former White House chief of staff, representative and secretary of defense – to be his running mate. At the time, Cheney was serving as head of Bush's vice-presidential search committee. Soon after at the 2000 Republican National Convention, Bush and Cheney were officially nominated by the Republican Party.
Bush continued to campaign across the country and touted his record as Governor of Texas. During his campaign, Bush criticized his Democratic opponent, incumbent Vice President Al Gore, over gun control and taxation. When the election returns were tallied on November 7, Bush had won 29 states, including Florida. The closeness of the Florida outcome led to a recount. The initial recount also went to Bush, but the outcome was tied up in lower courts for a month until eventually reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. On December 9, in the controversial Bush v. Gore ruling, the Court reversed a Florida Supreme Court decision that had ordered a third count and stopped an ordered statewide hand recount based on the argument that the use of different standards among Florida's counties violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The machine recount showed that Bush had won the Florida vote by a margin of 537 votes out of six million casts. Although he had received 543,895 fewer individual nationwide votes than Gore, Bush won the election, receiving 271 electoral votes to Gore's 266 (Gore had actually been awarded 267 votes by the states pledged to him plus the District of Columbia, but one D.C. elector abstained). Bush was the first person to win an American presidential election with fewer popular votes than another candidate since Benjamin Harrison in 1888. Greg Palast and other scholars used sources to document voter suppression in Florida back in 2000.
When he was President, George W. Bush saw an economic recession with the dot com bubble. The 9/11 terrorist attacks also impacted the economy. He was inaugurated in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 2001 by Chief Justice Rehnquist. He said that he wants a balance of power and freedom. George W. Bush supported the ban on aid to international groups doing abortions internationally like Reagan did. Bush supported the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to ease regulations on religious charities and promote grassroots efforts to tackle issues like aid to the poor and disadvantaged. Cabinet members were Donald Rumsfeld of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Roderick R. Paige as Secretary of Education head, etc. Vice President Dick Cheney had a powerful role in the Bush administration. President Bush announced a $1.025 billion, five-year plan to assist disabled persons to gain greater independence while seated at a wheelchair-accessible podium and surrounded by an audience of persons with disabilities and their supporters. By 2001, President Bush supported a $1.6 trillion, 10-year tax cut proposal to Congress. By March 6, 2001, President Bush issued a message on the observance of Eid al-Adha, saying in part that those celebrating the holiday will "honor the great sacrifice and devotion of Abraham as recognized by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. By educating others about your religious traditions, you enrich the lives of others in your local communities."
By 2001, the Bush administration supported missile defense, the Kyoto Protocol, and other foreign policy matters. From Sweden, President Bush announces that the U.S. military will cease Vieques bombing exercises due to residents not wanting "us there." That was on June 15, 2001. By August 2001, he supported funding for existing embryonic stem cell lines but not going further. He supports federal funds for adult stem cells. President Bush addresses the 83rd national convention of the American Legion in San Antonio, Texas. In his speech on the nation's defense priorities, the president highlights his administration's commitment to enhancing the delivery of quality health care to veterans and military retirees. President Bush meets with congressional leaders for talk about the previous month's unemployment numbers. The August 2001 unemployment rate is 4.9 percent, up from 4.5 percent in July, and the highest since September 1997. The September 11 attacks occurred, as Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial jets and crash them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. With 2,996 people killed, and over 6,000 others injured, it is the worst attack on American soil since the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. President George W. Bush supported the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. He also passed the Patriot Act and condemned the harassment of Muslim Americans. A global coalition existed to support George W. Bush. The 2001 anthrax attack happened too. By 2002, more changes existed in America.
By January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act. It created federal requirements for state education. It's one of the most consequential legislations of the Bush administration. He gave the controversial Axis of Evil speech during his Annual State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002. He called Iran, Iraq, and North Korea part of the Axis of Evil. By May 16, 2002, there was a press briefing on the events leading up to 9/11 by National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said, "I want to reiterate that during this time, the overwhelming bulk of the evidence was that this was an attack that was likely to take place overseas.” In 2002, President Bush signed the strategic reduction treaty between America and Russia to reduce the nuclear weapons in each nation. He proposed the Department of Homeland Security on June 6, 2002. By October 16, 2002, he signed the Congressional Resolution of Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq. Bush wanted to invade Iraq for many reasons from economic issues to desiring revenge over Saddam wanting to assassinate his father. First, nuclear investigators are in Iraq. The United Nations accused Iraq of violation of Security Council Resolution 1441. In 2003, the Columbia Shuttle exploded in space killing all seven crew members. By March 17, 2003, President George W. Bush addressed the nation to warn Saddam Hussein and his son to leave Iraq within 48 hours.
On March 19, 2003, the Western invasion of Iraq started. He said that "On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance." By April 10, 2003, British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported the Iraq War. On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush did the infamous address to the nation on Iraq from the U.S.S. Lincoln to say that Mission was Accomplished with the banner. He said that major combat operations in Iraq have ended, and the war has begun to end. We know that to be false. Income taxes are reduced by Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act. The Senate Intelligence Report on U.S. pre-war intelligence raised concerns about the administration's lie that Iraq had massive weapons of mass destruction on July 9, 2003. U.S. forces killed Uday and Qusay Hussein or the sons of Saddam Hussein on July 22, 2003. By the end of 2003, the late-term abortion ban is signed and the prescription drug plan in Medicare was signed. Saddam Hussein was captured in Tikrit, Iraq on December 13, 2003. Iraq has a transitional government in 2004, but the Abu Ghraib scandal exists on April 28, 2004, where Iraqi prisoners were abused, tortured, and harmed in perverted ways. We see the Presidential re-election of Bush in 2004. John Ashcroft (an Attorney General) appeared before Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on two leaked documents containing legal arguments for circumventing the US and international bans on torture in the questioning of terrorist subjects. Fallujah, Iraq was invaded on November 8, 2004. It was controversial as allegations of war crimes done by the West have existed. Colin Powell resigned as Secretary of State to be replaced by Condoleezza Rice, who was the first African American woman Secretary of State.
After his State of the Union Address, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was sworn in as the first Hispanic American to serve in that post. The Terri Schiavo ordeal took place in 2005 too. She passed away after her feeding tube was removed on March 31, 2005. President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005; which included tax credits for wind and other alternative energy; identified ocean energy as a renewable technology. By late August 2005, Hurricane Katrina took place on the Gulf Coast. It destroyed many places in the South including New Orleans. A terrible response happened among the federal, state, and local governments. The Hurricane response totally ends the Bush administration as we know it. It was that bad. Many people starved to death, there were poor and black Americans displaced from their homes forever. It was one of the most terrible times in American history. On September 29, 2005, Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was sworn in as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. By 2006, the NSA spying scandal existed when the NSA used warrantless spying. By the end of 2006, Democrats won big in the House and the Senate. They won both houses. Fences on the border go up, and Nancy Pelosi was the first woman speaker of the House in 2007. On December 30, 2006, Saddam Hussein is executed by hanging in Baghdad for his crimes against humanity after a trial. More troops come into Iraq in 2007. On March 6, 2007, Scooter Libby, VP Cheney’s Chief of Staff Convicted of Perjury, Bush later commuted his sentence. By April 16, 2007, the Virginia Tech massacre existed with a student killing 32 people and then committing suicide. Bush vetoed a scheduled troop withdrawal bill. The Iraq war continues. By July 26, 2007, the National Security Act of 2007 was signed. It allowed the screening of air and sea cargo. It gives more money in antiterrorism grants to states with the greatest risks of attacks. Alberto Gonzales leaves office after protracted controversy about the dismissal of U.S. attorneys. President George W. Bush created the Middle East peace Conference with Israel's and Palestine's Presidents. Later, Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act. It forced automobile manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency. 2008 was when the recession hit America bad. Homes were foreclosed, there was massive Wall Street damage, and homelessness increased in America.
The economic crisis continued, and six detainees are charged for 9/11 in Guantanamo Bay. President Bush signed the Economic Stimulus Act on February 13, 2008. Bear Stearns is bailed out by the Federal Reserve. Homeowners never were bailed out. Later, Congress passed the Farm Bill of 2008 over his veto. By 2008, John McCain ran for President on the Republican side. He was defeated by Barack Obama in 2008. He was the first African American President in American history. On September 7, 2008, the US Treasury took over of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Corporations, in order to prevent more than half of Americans’ mortgages from going under. Investment bank Lehman Brothers fails and is not bailed out. Merrill Lynch is acquired by Bank of America. The Federal Reserve takes ownership of American International Group. A nuclear deal took place in 2008 between America and India. Bush signed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, the largest bailout in history, attempting to fight one of the worst recessions in American history. On November 25, 2008, The Treasury and Federal Reserve Agree to Buy Debt to Provide Another $800 Billion in Lending Programs and to Provide More Small Loans to Consumers. Bush promoted the TARP program to fight GM and Chrysler from experiencing bankruptcy.
George W. Bush ended his Presidency on January 20, 2009. Afterwards, he did more activities. Following the inauguration of Barack Obama, Bush and his family flew from Andrews Air Force Base to a homecoming celebration in Midland, Texas, following which they returned to their ranch in Crawford, Texas. They bought a home in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, where they settled down.
Bush made regular appearances at various events throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including the opening coin toss at the Dallas Cowboys' first game in the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and an April 2009 Texas Rangers game, where he thanked the people of Dallas for helping him settle in, which was met with a standing ovation. He also attended every home playoff game during the Rangers' 2010 season and, accompanied by his father, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington for Game 4 of the 2010 World Series on October 31.
On August 6, 2013, Bush was successfully treated for a coronary artery blockage with a stent. The blockage had been found during an annual medical examination.
In reaction to the 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers, Bush said, "Laura and I are heartbroken by the heinous acts of violence in our city last night. Murdering the innocent is always evil, never more so than when the lives taken belong to those who protect our families and communities." George W. Bush condemned the Charlottesville racist rally and violence. In February 2017, Bush released a book of his own portraits of veterans called Portraits of Courage. In August, following the white nationalist Unite the Right rally, Bush and his father released a joint statement condemning the violence and ideologies present there. Subsequently, Bush gave a speech in New York where he noted of the current political climate, "Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication." He continued, "Bigotry in any form is blasphemy against the American creed and it means the very identity of our nation depends on the passing of civic ideals to the next generation," while urging citizens to oppose threats to American democracy and be positive role models for young people. The speech was widely interpreted as a denouncement of Donald Trump and his ideologies, despite Bush not mentioning Trump by name. George W. Bush condemned the January 6, 2021 insurrection. He opposed the Biden Afghanistan withdrawal.
Barack Obama
President Barack Obama made history as the first African American President in American history. Centuries ago, it would seem to be impossible to witness a man with an African father and a mother from Kansas to one day have a child to be President of America. Yet, history teaches us that miracles can happen. Barack Obama is a Baby Boomer who was shaped by many events. He traveled the world as a child, he was educated in some of the best universities on Earth, he is eloquent in his speeches, and he was a community organizer in the South side of Chicago. Also, Barack Obama wouldn't be the man that he is, and he wouldn't be President without marrying his gracious, very intelligent wife Michelle Obama (who is a very inspiring black woman). The Obama family certainly was different than any other Presidential family in our history. Yet, the Obamas want everything that any other family would desire like stability, ethics, and the promotion of justice for all. Barack Obama won 2 terms in his Presidency. President Barack Obama helped us to escape from a vicious recession with many domestic accomplishments like health care legislation, women's equal pay legislation, etc. He also saw Black Lives Matter and other progressive movements grow during the midst of the epidemic of gun violence, police brutality, racism, sexism, etc. President Obama also had a hawkish foreign policy in many cases, but he supported the courageous Iran nuclear deal, despite opposition from people even in his own party. President Barack Obama left the Presidency in 2017 before Trump took office. To this day, Barack Obama supports charities, volunteerism, and progressive candidates.
To start, Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at Honolulu, Hawaii at Kapionali Medical Center for Women and Children. His parents are Barack Obama Sr. (from Kenya) and Ann Dunham (she is of mostly English descent). In 2007, it was discovered her great-great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney emigrated from the village of Moneygall, Ireland to the US in 1850. In July 2012, Ancestry.com found a strong likelihood that Dunham was descended from John Punch, an enslaved African man who lived in the Colony of Virginia during the seventeenth century. Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr. (1934–1982), was a married Luo Kenyan from Nyang'oma Kogelo. Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was a foreign student on a scholarship. The couple married in Wailuku, Hawaii, on February 2, 1961, six months before Obama was born.
In late August 1961, a few weeks after he was born, Barack and his mother moved to the University of Washington in Seattle, where they lived for a year. During that time, Barack's father completed his undergraduate degree in economics in Hawaii, graduating in June 1962. He left to attend graduate school on a scholarship at Harvard University, where he earned an M.A. in economics. Obama's parents divorced in March 1964. Obama Sr. returned to Kenya in 1964, where he married for a third time and worked for the Kenyan government as the Senior Economic Analyst in the Ministry of Finance. He visited his son in Hawaii only once, at Christmas 1971, before he was killed in an automobile accident in 1982, when Obama was 21 years old. Recalling his early childhood, Obama said: "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind." He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. Dunham married Lolo Soetoro (who was from Indonesia) on March 15, 1965. Barck Obama toured the world in South Jakarta and in other places. By 1971, Obama came to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham.
He attended Punahou School—a private college preparatory school—with the aid of a scholarship from fifth grade until he graduated from high school in 1979. In his youth, Obama went by the nickname "Barry." Obama lived with his mother and half-sister, Maya Soetoro, in Hawaii for three years from 1972 to 1975 while his mother was a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Hawaii. Obama chose to stay in Hawaii when his mother and half-sister returned to Indonesia in 1975, so his mother could begin anthropology field work. His mother spent most of the next two decades in Indonesia, divorcing Lolo in 1980 and earning a Ph.D. degree in 1992, before dying in 1995 in Hawaii following unsuccessful treatment for ovarian and uterine cancer. Of his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered — to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect — became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear." Barack Obama studied at Occidental College in 1979 after high school. He fought apartheid. In February of 1981, he gave a speech for Occidental to be involved in the disinvestment movement against South African apartheid. By 1981, he transferred to Columbia University as a junior. He majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and English literature. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 and a 3.7 GPA. After graduating, Obama worked for about a year at the Business International Corporation, where he was a financial researcher and writer, then as a project coordinator for the New York Public Interest Research Group on the City College of New York campus for three months in 1985.
Later, he worked at Harvard Law School and was a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago. He worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, or a community organizing institute. He visited his relatives in Kenya in 1988. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year, president of the journal in his second year, and research assistant to the constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe while at Harvard for two years. During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. After graduating with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago. Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations, which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father. Barack Obama was a professor and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years. He helped to register thousands of black Americans in Illinois to vote. Later, he married Michelle Obama on October 3, 1992. From 1997-2004, Obama was in the Illinois state Senate. He worked to promote tax credits for low-income workers, welfare reform, and higher subsidies for children. He easily defeated Alan Keyes to be the United States Senator from 2005 to 2008.
Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005, becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus. He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction concept to conventional weapons; and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending. Barack Obama held assignments in many Senate positions like Committees of Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs through 2006. By 2007, he visited globally. He met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and gave a speech at the University of Nairobi to condemn corruption in the Kenyan government.
On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858. Obama emphasized issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing energy independence, and reforming the health care system, in a campaign that projected themes of hope and change. It was a cold day in Springfield. From the start, the campaign was hard fought. During the Democratic primary, he had to face Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John Edwards, and other people. By the early part of 2008, it was a campaign between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Barack Obama gained more delegates and won many races. On June 2, 2008, Obama received enough votes to clinch his election. On all previous occasions, the defeated candidate had immediately conceded and endorsed the winner. Clinton however refused to do so. On June 6, 2008, Obama unexpectedly flew to a meeting of AIPAC (The American Israel Public Action Committee) where he made a wildly applauded speech in which he declared that "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided", contrary to his previous views about the Palestinian issue. This opened the door to additional AIPAC funding for his presidential campaign. On June 7, 2008, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama.
On August 23, 2008, Obama announced his selection of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate. Obama selected Biden from a field speculated to include former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and Bill Clinton gave convention speeches in his support. Obama delivered his acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High stadium to a crowd of about eighty-four thousand; the speech was viewed by over three million people worldwide. Barack Obama gave a powerful speech.
During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the number of small donations. On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down public financing in the general election since the system was created in 1976. He faced John McCain and Sarah Palin. After 3 Presidential debates in September and October of 2008, Barack Obama won. Barack Obama even gave a Philadelphia speech on race that was a nuisance commentary, eloquent, and reduced fears of some. On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 electoral votes to 173 received by McCain. Obama won 52.9 percent of the popular vote to McCain's 45.7 percent. He became the first African-American to be elected president. Obama delivered his victory speech before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's Grant Park. Nationwide, people celebrated Barack Obama's victory in Harlem, NYC, Howard University in Washington, D.C., and in other places of America like in Atlanta, Georgia. He is one of the three United States senators who moved directly from the U.S. Senate to the White House, the others are Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy. President Barack Obama gave a historic inaugural address on January 20, 2009. There were parades, celebrities, bands, and other events during the whole day. There were high hopes for America. On January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13491, Ensuring Lawful Interrogations. Directs that detainees in armed conflict shall be treated humanely and not be subject “to violence to life and person” or “outrages to personal dignity.” He wanted to close the Guantanamo Bay center. By January 29, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 to protect workers against pay discrimination based on sex.
On February 4, 2009, the Treasury Department Caps Executive Pay for Businesses Receiving Federal Bailout Funding., and on February 17, 2009, he signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion dollar stimulus package. In his February 24, 2009 Address Before a Joint Session of Congress (In effect a State of the Union Address), he said that, "...we have lived through an era where too often short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity, where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election.” President Obama made the first-ever White House online Livestream discussion. Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court on March 26, 2009. His famous Cairo speech talked about Middle Eastern issues and America. By July of 2009, President Barack Obama defended his friend Professor Henry Louis Gates (who was arrested while trying to get into his own home). Things end with a "beer summit" at the White House on July 30th with Obama, Gates, and Cambridge Police Sergeant Jim Crowley. Barack Obama promotes health care, and one Congressman disrespectfully said "you lie" to him in Congress. He received the Nobel Peace Prize on October 9, 2009. President Barack Obama signed the November 28, 2009, Matthew Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The law extends the Federal hate crimes protections to gender, race, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
By December 2009, Barack Obama wants to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. During the Earthquake in Haiti, he wants Haiti to have $100 million for earthquake relief. By March 23, 2010, he signed a legacy-defining law called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which significantly expands Medicaid and Medicare; guarantees insurance to people with preexisting conditions; provides free preventive care; mandates subscription to health insurance. In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty at the summit with Russian President Medvedev. The April 20, 2010 oil disaster or the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the largest oil spill in American history. Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. In July 2010, Barack Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (it reformed areas of the financial sector thought to be responsible for the 2008 crash). By August 2010, he signed the Fair Sentencing Act of 2013 which reduces the disparity in punishment for the crime of possession of crack vs. powder cocaine. Rosa's Law changed the words people with disabilities to "intellectual disabilities." The 2010 Midterm Election cause Republicans to sin seas in the Senate and the House. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides federal food funding for low-income schools. First Lady Michelle Obama promoted healthy eating and exercise in public schools and schools in general with her health program. In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Tax Relief Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Create Act of 2010 and repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell to allow LGBTQ+ people to openly serve in the military.
/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/opinion/editorials/2013/01/21/us_president_barack_obamas_2013_inaugural_speech_focuses_on_fairness_editorial/barack_obama.jpg)
On January 8, 2011, there was the mass shooting in Tuscon, Arizona where Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot. Barack Obama fights for gun control, but nothing comes about. Later, the Egyptian Revolution occurs part of the Arab Spring. The Libyan Civil War started on February 23, 2011. This comes after the START Treaty existed. The Libyan civil war totally destroys Libya and was unjust for many reasons. As early as 2011, racists lied and say that President Barack Obama wasn't born in America, so the White House released the long-form birth certificate. By May of 2011, Osama Bin Laden is dead. President Barack Obama signed the Budget Control Act of 2011 which resolved in the 2011 debt ceiling crisis. In 2012 , Barack Obama won the election a second time, but it will be much harder. He defeated the Utah Senator Mitt Romney. The Keystone XL pipeline controversy grows. In February of 2012, Trayvon Martin was murdered which culminates in more activism against police brutality and the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement. On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court decides the National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, upholding the central features of the Affordable Care Act. Obama made remarks about the decision later that day. On November 16, 2012, President Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney. The Sandy Hook Shooting in Newton, Connecticut saw 26 people murdered, including 20 first graders. President Barack Obama cries over their deaths. President Obama signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. He fight for immigration reform and signed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.
Terrorism continues with the Boston Marathon terrorist attack where 3 people are killed and 140 people are injured. The Voting Rights Act is gutted of Section 5 in the Shelby County v. Holder decision on June 25, 2013. President Obama fights against climate change. President Barack Obama gave remarks to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. The minimum wage goes up. Crimea is annexed by Russia in 2014. President Barack Obama supports abortion and the LGBTQ+ movement in signing executive orders. By 2014, the ebola virus starts in West Africa. The 2014 midterms cause Democrats to lose seats again. Loretta Lynch became the first African American to be the Attorney General in 2014. In the same year, he signed the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 2014, authorizing funds for education programs and work support for low-income families. In 2015, there was the Paris terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo cartoon company. President Obama was involved in the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery in fighting for voting rights. He gave the eulogy of the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 2014, authorizing funds for education programs and work support for low-income families. On June 26, 2015, the U.S.. Supreme Court rules in Obergefell v. Hodges, that there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. President Barack Obama tries to improve America/Cuba relations, and he promotes the nuclear deal with Iran. President Obama saw Pope Francis visiting the White House and America in September 2015. The President supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In 2016, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died, he visited Cuba, he gave a speech about Flint's water crisis, and the Pulse Nightclub shooting happen (with 49 people died and 53 people were injured).
In 2016, the Supreme Court in the United States v. Texas, an equally-divided Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the 5th circuit that an important Obama initiative, “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents,” could not be implemented. In Fisher v. the University of Texas, the Court upheld the use of race as a factor in university admissions decisions. On September 24, 2016, President Barack Obama gave remarks at the dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. President Obama supported Hillary Clinton in her 2016 campaign, but Trump defeats Clinton. President Barack Obama gave his farewell address to the nation on January 10, 2017. Before, he gave a statement on the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
/arc-anglerfish-tgam-prod-tgam.s3.amazonaws.com/public/QXNDIGRILZEOTFOOWLQ7T2Q3ZY.jpg)
After the Presidency of Barack Obama, Barack Obama continues to write, speak out on democratic issues, supports Democratic candidates, and supports his wife and child (who are First Lady Michelle Obama, Sasha Obama, and Malia Obama). The Obamas are working on finishing the development of their Barack Obama Presidential Library which will come in the near future.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump was the 45th President of America who was President from 2017 to 2021. He is indeed one of the worst Presidents in American history and the most racist President in American history since Woodrow Wilson. Donald Trump is overt in what he is. He is a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe, and a far-right extremist. He is so extreme that even some conservatives reject his views as antithetical to democratic principles of the rule of law or separation of powers. To start, he was born on June 14, 1946, at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York City. He was the fourth child of Fred Trump, a Bronx-born real estate developer whose parents were German immigrants. His mother was Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, an immigrant from Scotland. Trump grew up with older siblings Maryanne, Fred Jr., and Elizabeth, and younger brother Robert in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens and attended the private Kew-Forest School from kindergarten through seventh grade. At age 13, he was enrolled at the New York Military Academy, a private boarding school, and in 1964, he enrolled at Fordham University. Two years later, he transferred to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in May 1968 with a B.S. in economics. In 2015, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen threatened Trump's colleges, high school, and the College Board with legal action if they released Trump's academic records. Now, Michael Cohen is one of Trump's leading critics.
When Trump was in college, he got four student draft deferments during the Vietnam War era. In 1966, he was deemed fit for military service based on a medical examination, and in July 1968, a local draft board classified him as eligible to serve. In October 1968, he was classified 1-Y, a conditional medical deferment, and in 1972, he was reclassified 4-F due to bone spurs, permanently disqualifying him from service. In 1977, Trump married the Czech model Ivana Zelníčková. They had three children: Donald Jr. (born 1977), Ivanka (born 1981), and Eric (born 1984). Ivana became a naturalized United States citizen in 1988. The couple divorced in 1992, following Trump's affair with actress Marla Maples. Trump and Maples married in 1993 and divorced in 1999. They have one daughter, Tiffany (born 1993), who was raised by Marla in California. In 2005, Trump married Slovenian model Melania Knauss. They have one son, Barron (born 2006). Melania gained U.S. citizenship in 2006. Trump joined the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens in 1959. Later, he joined many churches and was influenced by famous pastor Norman Vincent Peale. Later, his personal pastor was Paula White in 2019. By 2020, he said that he is a non-denominational Christian. Forbes estimates his wealth at $2.4 billion in 2021 making him the wealthiest President in American history. As of October 2020, Trump had over $1 billion in debts, secured by his assets. He owed $640 million to banks and trust organizations, including Bank of China, Deutsche Bank, and UBS, and approximately $450 million to unknown creditors. The value of his assets exceeds his debt. Trump has owned wealth in the Trump Organization for decades. He has Manhattan developments too. He has been on TV for decades from being on the Howard Stern Show to having shows like The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice. Trump, who had been a member since 1989, resigned from the Screen Actors Guild in February 2021 rather than face a disciplinary committee hearing for inciting the January 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol and for his "reckless campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting and ultimately threatening the safety of journalists." Two days later, the union permanently barred him from readmission.
He changed parties many times. He was a Republican in 1987. Then, he was part of the Reform Party, a Democrat in 2001, a Republican in 2009, unaffiliated in 2011, and a Republican in 2012. Trump promoted the lie that President Barack Obama wasn't born in America. By 2015, he started his Presidential campaign. He first started his campaign by scapegoating undocumented immigrants as criminals, drug dealers, and other evil people. Donald Trump became the front-runner in March 2016. After a landslide win in Indiana in May, Trump was declared the presumptive Republican nominee.
Hillary Clinton led Trump in national polling averages throughout the 2016 campaign, but in early July her lead narrowed. In mid-July Trump selected Indiana governor Mike Pence as his vice-presidential running mate, and the two were officially nominated at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump and Clinton faced off in three presidential debates in September and October 2016. Trump twice refused to say whether he would accept the result of the election. Trump's abhorrent views are well known. He wants a new wall on the U.S./Mexican border, he wants no climate change regulations like the Paris Agreement, and he advocates repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. He wants low taxes for the super wealthy, and he wanted to ban immigrants from Muslim-majority counties. The racist David Duke supported him. The racist Steve Bannon supports him. The alt-right movement supported him due to the alt right's opposition to multiculturalism and immigration. Hillary Clinton lost the election to Trump on November 8, 2016. Trump received 306 pledged electoral votes versus 232 for Clinton. The official counts were 304 and 227 respectively, after defections on both sides. Trump received nearly 2.9 million fewer popular votes than Clinton, which made him the fifth person to be elected president while losing the popular vote. Hillary Clinton said and wrote that sexism played a part in her political defeat which is true. Trump is the only president who neither served in the military nor held any government office prior to becoming president.
Trump made a huge upset in the 2016 victory, but many people underestimated the racism and sexism in American society in 2016 too. Trump proclaimed himself as a populist, but he wasn't. He is an elite person who exploited the pain of others to gain prestige and profit. Trump won 30 states; included were Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which had been part of what was considered a blue wall of Democratic strongholds since the 1990s. Clinton won 20 states and the District of Columbia. Trump's victory marked the return of an undivided Republican government—a Republican White House combined with Republican control of both chambers of Congress. Trump's election victory sparked protests in major U.S. cities in the days following the election. On the day after Trump's inauguration, an estimated 2.6 million people worldwide, including an estimated half million in Washington, D.C., protested against Trump in the Women's Marches. Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017. Immediately, he signed six executive orders: interim procedures in anticipation of repealing the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, reinstatement of the Mexico City policy, authorizing the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline construction projects, reinforcing border security, and beginning the planning and design process to construct a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner became his assistant and senior advisor, respectively. His cabinet had members with conflicts of interest. He was sued many times. Trump took office at the height of the longest economic expansion in American history, which began in June 2009 and continued until February 2020, when the COVID-19 recession began.
By December of 2017, Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. It has passed by both Republican-controlled chambers of Congress without any Democratic votes. It reduced tax rates for businesses and individuals. It eliminated the ACA's individual requirement to obtain health insurance. Revenues in 2018 were 7.6 percent lower than projected because it also sent tax cuts for the super-wealthy. Trump saw the federal budget deficit increase by almost 50 percent to nearly 1 trillion dollars in 2019. The U.S. national debt increased by 39 percent, reaching $27.75 trillion by the end of his term. He failed to deliver on the one trillion-dollar infrastructure spending plan that he had campaigned on. Trump rejected the scientific consensus on climate change. He reduced the budget for renewable energy research by 40% and reversed Obama-era policies directed at curbing climate change. He ended the Paris Agreement, so he was a very anti-environment, President. Trump rolled back more than 100 federal environmental regulations, including those that curbed greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and the use of toxic substances. He weakened protections for animals and environmental standards for federal infrastructure projects and expanded permitted areas for drilling and resource extraction, such as allowing drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Trump aimed to boost the production and exports of fossil fuels; under Trump, natural gas expanded, but coal continued to decline.
Donald Trump believes in deregulation massively. He ended many federal regulations on health, labor, and the environment. He signed Executive Order 13771, which directed that for every new regulation administrative agency issue "at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination." During his first six weeks in office, he delayed, suspended or reversed ninety federal regulations. One good news is that Donald Trump failed to completely repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He lied and said that he saved the coverage of the pre-existing conditions provided by the ACA, but Trump joined a lawsuit to end the entire ACA. By January 2020, Trump wanted to consider cuts to Medicare and other social safety net programs. In response to the opioid epidemic, Trump signed legislation in 2018 to increase funding for drug treatments but was widely criticized for failing to make a concrete strategy. U.S. opioid overdose deaths declined slightly in 2018 but surged to a record 50,052 deaths in 2019. Trump supported far-right judges in courts across America. Trump had an anti-marijuana approach. Trump pardoned both wicked people and people who paid their debts to society. He pardoned the wicked Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio and the racist hypocrite Dinesh D'Souza. He commuted the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson after a request from Kim Kardashian.
In November and December 2020, Trump pardoned four Blackwater private security contractors convicted of killing Iraqi civilians in the 2007 Nisour Square massacre; white-collar criminals Michael Milken and Bernard Kerik; and daughter Ivanka's father-in-law Charles Kushner. He also pardoned five people convicted as a result of investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections: Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, Alex van der Zwaan, and Stone, whose 40-month sentence for lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstruction he had already commuted in July, and Paul Manafort. Trump is clear that he wants to ban birthright citizenship, deport millions of undocumented immigrants, and form a wall. He abhors legal asylum seekers wanting to escape tyranny. The Trump administration separated more than 5,400 children of migrant families from their parents at the U.S.–Mexico border while attempting to enter the U.S, a sharp increase in the number of family separations at the border starting from the summer of 2017. By April of 2018, Trump wanted a zero-tolerance policy. That means that every adult suspected of "illegal entry" would be criminally prosecuted. This caused massive family separations. Many adults were in criminal detention and children were separated from their parents. This policy caused a public outage as it was cruel. Trump violated a court order to unite families by continuing family separations with more than 1,000 migrant children's separations.
On January 27, 2017, Trump signed Executive Order 13769, which suspended the admission of refugees for 120 days and denied entry to citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days, citing security concerns. The order took effect immediately and without warning, causing confusion and chaos at airports. Protests against the ban began at airports the next day. Legal challenges to the order resulted in nationwide preliminary injunctions. A March 6 revised order, which excluded Iraq and gave other exemptions, again was blocked by federal judges in three states. In a decision in June 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the ban could be enforced on visitors who lack a "credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States."
The far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 resulted in violence and death. Trump made initial comments to make a moral equivalence of Neo-Nazi terrorists and peaceful protests which caused massive resignations and condemnation from people from across the political spectrum. We know that Trump is a racist. He said that one Mexican American judge is biased because of his Mexican heritage. That is racist. He called nations of color like Haiti, etc. in cursing terms.
The temporary order was replaced by Presidential Proclamation 9645 on September 24, 2017, which restricted travel from the originally targeted countries except for Iraq and Sudan, and further banned travelers from North Korea and Chad, along with certain Venezuelan officials. After lower courts partially blocked the new restrictions, the Supreme Court allowed the September version to go into full effect on December 4, 2017, and ultimately upheld the travel ban in a June 2019 ruling. In July 2019, Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen—all minorities, three of whom are native-born Americans—should "go back" to the countries they "came from.' Two days later the House of Representatives voted 240–187, mostly along party lines, to condemn his racist comments. White nationalist publications and social media sites praised his remarks, which continued over the following days. Trump continued to make similar remarks during his 2020 campaign. Trump made sexist comments about women for decades. He has been accused of sexual harassment and rape for years.
In 2018, Trump refused to extend government funding unless Congress allocated $5.6 billion in funds for the border wall, resulting in the federal government partially shutting down for 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, the longest U.S. government shutdown in history. Around 800,000 government employees were furloughed or worked without pay. Trump and Congress ended the shutdown by approving temporary funding that provided delayed payments to government workers but no funds for the wall. The shutdown resulted in an estimated permanent loss of $3 billion to the economy, according to the Congressional Budget Office. About half of those polled blamed Trump for the shutdown, and Trump's approval ratings dropped.
To prevent another imminent shutdown in February 2019, Congress passed and Trump signed a funding bill that included $1.375 billion for 55 miles (89 km) of bollard border fencing. Trump's foreign policy is right-wing nationalist. He has isolationist, non-interventionist, and protectionist views. He has praised the authoritarian governments of Russia including Putin. He questioned the need for NATO too. Following a 2017–2018 renegotiation, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) became effective in July 2020 as the successor to NAFTA. Trump was involved in a trade war against China too. Trump said he resisted punishing China for its human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the northwestern Xinjiang region for fear of jeopardizing trade negotiations. In July 2020, the Trump administration-imposed sanctions and visa restrictions against senior Chinese officials, in response to expanded mass detention camps holding more than a million of the country's Uyghur Muslim ethnic minority. Trump supported Saudi Arabia's war against the Houthis in Yemen. Trump supports Israel and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He even supports Israel controlling the Golan Heights which is very controversial. Trump send missile strikes in Syria, opposed the Iran nuclear deal, supported a surge of troops in Afghanistan, and met with North Korea before. Trump has rarely criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin. After he met Putin at the Helsinki Summit in July 2018, Trump drew bipartisan criticism for accepting Putin's denial of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, rather than accepting the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies. Trump did not discuss alleged Russian bounties offered to Taliban fighters for attacking American soldiers in Afghanistan with Putin, saying both that he doubted the intelligence and that he was not briefed on it.
Many of the Trump cabinet members have been fired, resigned, or prosecuted. Two of Trump's 15 original cabinet members were gone within 15 months. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was forced to resign in September 2017 due to excessive use of private charter jets and military aircraft. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt resigned in 2018 and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke in January 2019 amid multiple investigations into their conduct. Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett as members of the Supreme Court. Trump disparaged the courts when they disagree with his views. Trump played down the COVID-19 pandemic which started in Wuhan, China in December of 2019. America saw it on January 20, 2020. It was an outbreak in America as declared by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar on January 31, 2020. Trump lied to the public and said that the outbreak wasn't too big at first. By mid-March 2020, most of the public saw it as a big deal.
On March 6, Trump signed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act into law, which provided $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic, and Trump announced partial travel restrictions for most of Europe, effective March 13. That same day, he gave his first serious assessment of the virus in a nationwide Oval Office address, calling the outbreak "horrible" but "a temporary moment" and saying there was no financial crisis. On March 13, he declared a national emergency, freeing up federal resources. As early as September of 2019, Trump ended the United States Agency for International Development's PREDICT program, a $200 million epidemiological research program started in 2009 to provide early warning of pandemics abroad. Trump's White House Coronavirus Task Force existed on January 29, 2020. Trump said the racist term of "Chinese virus." From April to May 2020, the virus got worse. I believe that Trump's terrible response to the pandemic contributed him to losing the 2020 election. The COVID-19 virus caused the 2020 recession in America and the world. Trump criticized the WHO constantly. Trump had the virus on October 2, 2020. By the 2020 election, Trump lost it. By November 2020, America saw more than 100,000 cases in a single day for the first time. Many members of the Trump administration or Trump associated had links with Russian officials. That is why Trump was impeached twice. He was first impeached on December 13, 2019, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Starting in the spring of 2020, Trump began to sow doubts about the election, claiming without evidence that the election would be rigged and that the expected widespread use of mail balloting would produce massive election fraud. He refused to say if he would accept the results of the election and have a peaceful transition of power if he lost. Trump accused Biden of causing lawlessness, and Trump supporters used racism. Trump lost. Biden won the election on November 3, receiving 81.3 million votes (51.3 percent) to Trump's 74.2 million (46.8 percent) and 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232. To this day, Trump believes in the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. After multiple investigations, court decisions, and other research, it is proven by Biden won the election. Trump at first blocked government officials from cooperating with Biden's presidential transition team. Trump supporters in Arizona and other places by this time promoted the election lies and harassed people constantly involved in election matters. December 14, 2020, was when the Electoral College formalized Biden's victory. On February 10, 2021, Georgia prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Trump's efforts to subvert the election in Georgia. The Pentagon was on high alert, because of their fears that Trump might declare martial law.
On January 6, 2021, while congressional certification of the presidential election results was taking place in the United States Capitol, Trump held a rally at the Ellipse, Washington, D.C., where he called for the election result to be overturned and urged his supporters to "take back our country" by marching to the Capitol to "show strength" and "fight like h___." Trump's speech started at noon. By 12:30 p.m., rally attendees had gathered outside the Capitol, and at 1 p.m., his supporters pushed past police barriers onto Capitol grounds. Trump's speech ended at 1:10 p.m., and many supporters marched to the Capitol as he had urged, joining the crowd there. Around 2:15 p.m. the mob broke into the building, disrupting certification and causing the evacuation of Congress. During the violence, Trump posted mixed messages on Twitter and Facebook, eventually tweeting to the rioters at 6 p.m., "go home with love & in peace", but describing them as "great patriots" and "very special", while still complaining that the election was stolen. After the mob was removed from the Capitol, Congress reconvened and confirmed the Biden election win in the early hours of the following morning. There were many injuries, and five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died. Trump was impeached a 2nd time too.
On June 1, 2020, federal law enforcement officials used batons, rubber bullets, pepper spray projectiles, stun grenades, and smoke to remove a largely peaceful crowd of protesters from Lafayette Square, outside the White House. This came during the protests of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The summer of 2020 saw many people see a reckoning on race, police brutality, and other important issues that we must confront as part of the human race. Trump then walked to St. John's Episcopal Church, where protesters had set a small fire the night before; he posed for photographs holding a Bible, with senior administration officials later joining him in photos. Trump said on June 3 that the protesters were cleared because "they tried to burn down the church [on May 31] and almost succeeded", describing the church as "badly hurt."
Religious leaders condemned the treatment of protesters and the photo opportunity itself. Many retired military leaders and defense officials condemned Trump's proposal to use the U.S. military against anti-police brutality protesters. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark A. Milley, later apologized for accompanying Trump on the walk and thereby "creat[ing] the perception of the military involved in domestic politics." After his Presidency, Trump still stole classified documents from his home. He supported new voting restrictions, and he has been involved in hate-filled rallies of election deniers. Georgia officials and the Department of Justice investigate him now. The New York Attorney General Letitia James charged Trump and others with fraud and misrepresentation in the form of a lawsuit in September 2022. The FBI is investigating him too. Trump is the only President to never reach a 50% approval rating in the Gallup poll dating to 1938. Therefore, the Presidency of Donald Trump is one of the worst Presidencies of American history filled with scandals, racism, sexism, xenophobia, violent rhetoric, hatred, and demonization of progressive people. The end.
Joe Biden
The Presidency of Joe Biden started on January 20, 2021. President Joe Biden being the current President means that he has old challenges and new challenges that he has to deal with politically. Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on November 20, 1942. He is the son of Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. and Catherine Eugenia Finnegan. He was the first of four siblings. His ancestry is Irish, as he is the descendant of an Irish Catholic family that originated from Derry, Ireland. He has two brothers and a sister. Edward F. Blewitt, his great-grandfather, was once a Pennsylvania State Senate. By September 1, 1957, Joe Biden attended Archmere Academy in Claymont. He was a skilled and popular halfback and wide receiver on the high school's football team. During his final year, Biden helped his team to move from a perennially losing team to an undefeated season. From 1961 to 1965, Biden attended the University of Delaware in Newark. At the university, he was involved in sports and talking to people. He crammed his schoolwork in order for him to graduate. On August 27, 1966, Joe Biden married Neila Hunter. He met her in 1964 when they were on spring break in the Bahamas. Her parent was partly reluctant to Hunter and Biden's relationship. Biden won the parents' confidence. By this time, Joe Biden was a law student, and Niela Hunter came from a wealthy background in Skaneateles, New York. Hunter was a student at Syracuse University.
Because of Joe Biden's hard work, he moved on from the University of Delaware to receive his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. According to Joe Biden, the experience at the university was exceedingly boring. Biden used all-nighters to earn his Juris Doctor. By the early 1970's, Joe Biden practiced law in Wilmington, Delaware. He was a public defender at first and then he started his own firm, Biden and Walsh. Biden decided to run as a Democrat for the New Castle County Council and won by a large margin in the region (which was a typically Republican district). He served from 1970 to 1972 and then won the U.S. Senate election in 1972 by November 7. December 18, 1972 was one of the worst dates in Biden's life. That was when his first wife and daughter died in a car crash. They were shopping for Christmas in Hockessin, Delaware. His daughter was only one year old. Back in January of 1973, Joe Biden was the 6th youngest senator in American history. He served in the Senate by he was 30 years old. That is the minimum age to serve as a U.S. Senator. He worked in the U.S. Senate from January 3, 1973, to January 20, 2009.
.jpg)
January 1, 1981, was the time when Joe Biden was the U.S. Senate Committee Chair on the Judiciary. He was in the committee from 1987 to 1995. He worked in the same capacity from 1995 to 1997. Joe Biden ran his first candidacy for President on June 9, 1987. He was 44 years old. He was in the Democratic party, but his campaign was short-lived. The reason is that the Dukakis campaign revealed that Biden had plagiarized from Neil Kinnock, a British Labour Party leader.
By January 20, 2009, Joe Biden became the 47th Vice President of the United States of America. He served under President Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States of America. Joe Biden supported President Barack Obama throughout his both terms as President. They worked together to defeat Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan during the 2012 Presidential election. Biden's eldest son passed away from brain cancer at age 46, whose name was Beau Biden. As Vice President, Joe Biden was outspoken on many social and foreign policy issues. Joe Biden didn't run for President in 2015. By January 12, 2017, Joe Biden received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award from President Barack Obama. Joe Biden was surprised by the award as it was given out of the blue to him. The medal is the nation's highest civilian honor. The Biden Foundation was launched on February 1, 2017, by Joe and Jill Biden. It focused on many issues like foreign policy, Biden's cancer initiative, community colleges, and the military, families, protecting children, equality, ending violence against women, and strengthening the middle class. Joe Biden is naturally a moderate politician. By April 25, 2019, he ran for President again. This time, he will win. Biden wanted to defeat Donald Trump during the 2020 election, and the terrible events at Charlottesville in 2017 inspired Biden to run for office too. The campaign for Biden was very difficult in the beginning. Many other candidates from Harris to Sanders attacked him as too moderate to stand up against Trump. Later, Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate on September 11, 2020.
Biden and Trump debated each other in some of the most emotionally charged debates in Presidential election history. After a long campaign, Joe Biden won the election in November of 2020. The country rejoiced. We know about how he was inaugurated on January 20, 2021, as President of the United States of America. Vice President Kamala Harris was inaugurated on the same day as the first African American and Asian American Vice President in American history too.
Joe Biden was 78 years old in 2021 being the oldest person to assume the office of the Presidency. The inauguration was filled with security and National Guard troops, only weeks after the January 6, 2021, terrorist insurrection. He is the 2nd Roman Catholic President after President John F. Kennedy and the first president whose home residence is Delaware. Right now, Biden is early in his Presidency. In 2021, Joe Biden has signed some of the most progressive legislation in American history. In his first two days as president, Biden signed 17 executive orders. By his third day, orders had included rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, ending the state of national emergency at the border with Mexico, directing the government to rejoin the World Health Organization, face mask requirements on federal property, measures to combat hunger in the United States, and revoking permits for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. In his first two weeks in office, Biden signed more executive orders than any other president since Franklin D. Roosevelt had in their first month in office.
On February 4, 2021, the Biden administration announced that the United States was ending its support for the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen. Joe Biden had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic too. It would kill over 1 million Americans alone and millions more worldwide. On March 11, the first anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus relief package he proposed and lobbied for that aimed to speed up the United States' recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing recession. The package included direct payments to most Americans, an extension of increased unemployment benefits, funds for vaccine distribution and school reopenings, and expansions of health insurance subsidies and the child tax credit. Biden's initial proposal included an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, but after the Senate parliamentarian determined that including the increase in a budget reconciliation bill would violate Senate rules, Democrats declined to pursue overruling her and removed the increase from the package. The relief law has saved the lives of millions of Americans. More migrants came to America from Mexico by March 2021.
Biden told migrants, "Don't come over." In the meantime, migrant adults "are being sent back", Biden said, in reference to the continuation of the Trump administration's Title 42 policy for quick deportations. Biden earlier announced that his administration would not deport unaccompanied migrant children; the rise in arrivals of such children exceeded the capacity of facilities meant to shelter them (before they were sent to sponsors), leading the Biden administration in March to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help.
On April 14, Biden announced that the United States would delay the withdrawal of all troops from the war in Afghanistan until September 11, signaling an end to the country's direct military involvement in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years. In February 2020, the Trump administration had made a deal with the Taliban to completely withdraw U.S. forces by May 1, 2021. Biden's decision met with a wide range of reactions, from support and relief to trepidation at the possible collapse of the Afghan government without American support. On April 22–23, Biden held an international climate summit at which he announced that the U.S. would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50%–52% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. Other countries also increased their pledges. On April 28, the eve of his 100th day in office, Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress.
Biden said that he supports Israel during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict of May of 2021. He visited the world on June 2021. Biden took his first trip abroad as president. In eight days, he visited Belgium, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. He attended a G7 summit, a NATO summit, and an EU summit, and held one-on-one talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
On June 17, Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which officially declared Juneteenth a federal holiday. Juneteenth is the first new federal holiday since 1986. In July 2021, amid a slowing of the COVID-19 vaccination rate in the country and the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, Biden said that the country has "a pandemic for those who haven't gotten the vaccination" and that it was, therefore "gigantically important" for Americans to be vaccinated. In September 2021, Biden announced AUKUS, a security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to ensure "peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term"; the deal included nuclear-powered submarines built for Australia's use.
By the end of 2021, 40 of Biden's appointed judges to the federal judiciary had been confirmed, more than any president in their first year in office since Ronald Reagan. Biden has prioritized diversity in his judicial appointments more than any president in U.S. history, with the majority of appointments being women and people of color. Most of his appointments have been in blue states, making a limited impact since the courts in these states already traditionally lean liberal.
In the first eight months of his presidency, Biden's approval rating, according to Morning Consult polling, remained above 50%. In August, it began to decline and lowered into the low forties by December. The decline in his approval is attributed to the Afghanistan withdrawal, increasing hospitalizations from the Delta variant, high inflation and gas prices, disarray within the Democratic Party, and a general decline in popularity customary in politics.
Biden entered office nine months into a recovery from the COVID-19 recession and his first year in office was characterized by robust growth in real GDP, employment, wages and stock market returns, amid significantly elevated inflation. Real GDP grew 5.7%, the fastest rate in 37 years. Amid record job creation, the unemployment rate fell at the fastest pace on record during the year. By the end of 2021, inflation reached a nearly 40-year high of 7.1%, which was partially offset by the highest wage and salary growth in at least 20 years. Biden withdrew American military forces from Afghanistan. It was controversial, but it was the right thing to do. The problem was that Biden's withdrawal was rushed, messy, and it wasn't coordinated efficiently. In retrospect, Biden should have withdrawn in stages in a more measured fashion. There was the February 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement with a May 1 deadline. By early July 2021, most American troops were already gone from Afghanistan.
On August 15, the Afghan government collapsed under the Taliban offensive, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Biden reacted by ordering 6,000 American troops to assist in the evacuation of American personnel and Afghan allies. He faced bipartisan criticism for the manner of the withdrawal, with the evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies described as chaotic and botched. On August 16, 2021, Biden addressed the "messy" situation, taking responsibility for it, and admitting that the situation "unfolded more quickly than we had anticipated." He defended his decision to withdraw, saying that Americans should not be "dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves." That comment would be controversial.
On August 26, a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and 169 Afghans. On August 27, an American drone strike killed two ISIS-K targets, who were "planners and facilitators", according to a U.S. Army general. On August 29, another American drone strike killed 10 civilians, including seven children; the Defense Department initially claimed the strike was conducted on an Islamic State suicide bomber threatening Kabul Airport, but admitted the mistake on September 17 and apologized.
The U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, with Biden saying that the evacuation effort was an "extraordinary success", by extracting over 120,000 Americans, Afghans and other allies. He acknowledged that between "100 to 200" Americans who wanted to leave were left in Afghanistan, despite his August 18 pledge to stay in Afghanistan until all Americans who wanted to leave had left. President Joe Biden promoted the Build Back Better agenda in 2021. He wanted the American Jobs Plan too. It was a 2 trillion-dollar package addressing issues including transport infrastructure, utility infrastructure, broadband infrastructure, housing, schools, manufacturing, research and workforce development. After months of negotiations among Biden and lawmakers, in August 2021 the Senate passed a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, while the House, also in a bipartisan manner, approved that bill in early November 2021, covering infrastructure related to transport, utilities, and broadband. Biden signed the bill into law in mid-November 2021.
The other core part of the Build Back Better agenda was the Build Back Better Act, a $3.5 trillion social spending bill that expands the social safety net and includes major provisions on climate change. The bill did not have Republican support, so Democrats attempted to pass it on a party-line vote through budget reconciliation, but struggled to win the support of Senator Joe Manchin, even as the price was lowered to $2.2 trillion. After Manchin rejected the bill, the Build Back Better Act's size was reduced and comprehensively reworked into the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, covering deficit reduction, climate change, healthcare, and tax reform.
Before and during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21), Biden promoted an agreement that the U.S. and the European Union cut methane emissions by a third by 2030 and tried to add dozens of other countries to the effort. He tried to convince China and Australia to do more. He convened an online Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change to press other countries to strengthen their climate policy. Biden pledged to double climate funding to developing countries by 2024. Also, at COP26, the U.S. and China reached a deal on greenhouse gas emission reduction. The two countries are responsible for 40% of global emissions. In early 2022, Biden made efforts to change his public image after entering the year with low approval ratings due to inflation and high gas prices, which continued to fall to approximately 40% in aggregated polls by February. He began the year by endorsing a change to the Senate filibuster to allow for the passing of the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act, on both of which the Senate had failed to invoke cloture. The rules change failed when two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, joined Senate Republicans in opposing it.
In January, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, a moderate liberal nominated by Bill Clinton, announced his intention to retire from the Supreme Court. During his 2020 campaign, Biden vowed to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court if a vacancy occurred, a promise he reiterated after the announcement of Breyer's retirement. On February 25, 2022, Biden nominated federal judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 7 and sworn in on June 30, 2022. This was another Biden campaign promise that was fulfilled.
In early February, Biden ordered the counterterrorism raid in northern Syria that resulted in the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the second leader of the Islamic State. In late July 2022, Biden approved the drone strike that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second leader of Al-Qaida, and an integral member in the planning of the September 11 attacks.
Also in February 2022, after warning for several weeks that an attack was imminent, Biden led the U.S. response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, imposing severe sanctions on Russia and authorizing over $8 billion in weapons shipments to Ukraine. On April 29, Biden asked Congress for $33 billion for Ukraine, but lawmakers later increased it to about $40 billion. Biden blamed Vladimir Putin for the emerging energy and food crises, saying, "Putin's war has raised the price of food because Ukraine and Russia are two of the world's major bread baskets for wheat and corn, the basic product for so many foods around the world."
China's assertiveness, particularly in the Pacific, remained a challenge for Biden. The Solomon Islands-China security pact caused alarm, as China could build military bases across the South Pacific. Biden sought to strengthen ties with Australia and New Zealand in the wake of the deal, as Anthony Albanese succeeded in the premiership of Australia and Jacinda Ardern's government took a firmer line on Chinese influence.
On July 21, 2022, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 with reportedly mild symptoms. According to the White House, he was treated with Paxlovid. He worked in isolation in the White House for five days and returned to isolation when he tested positive again on July 30, 2022. In April 2022, Biden signed into law the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 to revamp the finances and operations of the United States Postal Service agency.
On July 28, 2022, the Biden administration announced it would fill four wide gaps on the Mexico–United States border in Arizona near Yuma, an area with some of the busiest corridors for undocumented crossings. During his presidential campaign, Biden had pledged to cease all future border wall construction. This occurred after both allies and critics of Biden criticized his administration's management of the southern border.
In the summer of 2022, several other pieces of legislation Biden supported passed Congress. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act aimed to address gun reform issues following the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The gun control laws in the bill include extended background checks for gun purchasers under 21, clarification of Federal Firearms License requirements, funding for state red flag laws and other crisis intervention programs, further criminalization of arms trafficking and straw purchases, and partial closure of the boyfriend loophole. Biden signed the bill on June 25, 2022. This new gun control law is historic as it is the first federal gun control law passed in over 20 years.
The Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 was introduced in 2021 and signed into law by Biden on August 10, 2022. The act intends to significantly improve healthcare access and funding for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service, including burn pits. The bill gained significant media coverage due to the activism of comedian Jon Stewart.
Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law on August 9, 2022. The act provides billions of dollars in new funding to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States, to compete economically with China.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was introduced by Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin, resulting from continuing negotiations on Biden's initial Build Back Better agenda, which Manchin had blocked the previous year. The package aimed to raise $739 billion and authorize $370 billion in spending on energy and climate change, $300 billion in deficit reduction, three years of Affordable Care Act subsidies, prescription drug reform to lower prices, and tax reform. According to an analysis by the Rhodium Group, the bill will lower US greenhouse gas emissions between 31% and 44% below 2005 levels by 2030. On August 7, 2022, the Senate passed the bill (as amended) on a 51–50 vote, with all Democrats voting in favor, all Republicans opposed, and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. The bill was passed by the House on August 12 and was signed by Biden on August 16, 2022.
On September 2, 2022, in a nationally broadcast Philadelphia speech, Biden called for a "battle for the soul of the nation." Off camera, he called active Trump supporters "semi-fascists." President Biden continues to work on his Presidency. President Biden is a centrist on most issues, but he has been pushed to the left on stimulus issues. Biden supported the Obama administration's fiscal stimulus in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. That used subsidies in mass transit, Amtrak, bus, and subway. Biden voted for NAFTA and the controversial TPP. He supports the Affordable Care Act (ACA) too. Biden said that he is against regime change but sending non-military support to opposition movements. By 2021, he or President Biden rightly and heroically recognized the Armenian genocide, being the first U.S. President to have done so. President Biden is the type of person who is complex with his gaffes, with his tendency to evolve on issues, and his action of being decisive when he believes that he is right on an issue. As it is early in the Biden Presidency, history and time will detail the story of his total legacy as President of the United States indeed.
Conclusion (The Presidential History Series)
For almost 250 years, the American Presidency has existed in America. They represented some of the most famous, prominent people in human history from professors to lawyers. Some of them were outright racists, and some of them were very progressive human beings. Some were born in urban communities. Others were born in rural locations. Yet, all of them held a powerful office that influenced the lives of the whole nation of the United States of America in a prodigious fashion. It started with George Washington being the first U.S. President to deal with a youthful nation during the late 1700's. The current President is President Joe Biden who is dealing with many complex issues from the war in Ukraine to the situation of inflation (and higher oil prices in certain locations of America). I have lived through the Presidencies of Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, Trump, and Biden. Over the course of almost four decades of me living on this Earth, I have learned that the cause of freedom and justice continues, but we have to fight for the Dream in each subsequent generation. In every generation, there will be evil people who seek to ruin the foundations of a progressive society and good people who desire honor, truth, righteousness, and liberty for all people in the world. That is why we have to be on the right side of history in supporting voting rights, defending black human lives, standing up for our civil liberties, cleaning up the environment (and protecting animal species too), educating people on the truth, and treating fellow human beings as equals not as adversaries. That principle is engrained in our psyche for real. Life will continue in the Universe. At the end of the day, we have to build a foundation and legacy that will inspire and help future generations of people to achieve their goals and aspirations.
By Timothy
No comments:
Post a Comment