Presidents

Economy, crime and health under Donald Trump (1st term)

Republican · Jan 20, 2017 – Jan 20, 2021

Each chart shows the four years before the term and two years after it, with the term highlighted. Use the before-and-after comparison as context, not a verdict. Congress, the Fed, the global economy and the previous administration's policies all move these numbers.

Tracked events during the term

1. Oct 26, 2017 Executive action
   Opioid crisis declared a public health emergency. The administration declares a nationwide public health emergency over opioid overdoses.
2. Dec 22, 2017 Law
   Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Corporate rate cut from 35% to 21%, temporary individual rate cuts, and the ACA's individual-mandate penalty set to zero from 2019.
3. Jul 6, 2018 Trade
   Section 301 tariffs on China begin. First 25% tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese imports; China retaliates and the trade war escalates through 2019.
4. Oct 24, 2018 Law
   SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. Bipartisan opioid package expanding addiction treatment, prevention and Medicaid coverage for recovery.
5. Mar 11, 2020 Shock
   COVID-19 declared a pandemic. Lockdowns push unemployment to 14.8% in April 2020.
6. Mar 27, 2020 Law
   CARES Act. About $2.2 trillion in relief: stimulus checks, expanded unemployment benefits and the Paycheck Protection Program.
7. May 25, 2020 Shock
   Murder of George Floyd and nationwide protests. Followed by the largest one-year rise in murders on record (2020), alongside pandemic disruption.

Policy record