President Donald Trump inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States
On January 20, 2017, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. The inaugural ceremony took place at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. and was attended by dignitaries from across the country. Trump gave an inaugural address in which he outlined his vision for the country and promised to put "America first." He also addressed issues such as immigration, trade, and terrorism. The ceremony was followed by a parade and a series of inaugural balls. Trump's inauguration marked the start of his four-year term as President.
Trump signs executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal
On January 23, 2017, one of President Donald Trump's first actions in office was to sign an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade deal between the U.S. and 11 other countries in the Pacific Rim. The TPP was a key part of the Obama administration's efforts to promote free trade and strengthen economic ties with Asia. However, Trump criticized the deal during his campaign as harmful to American workers and businesses. He argued that the TPP would lead to job losses and lower wages in the U.S., and that it would give other countries an unfair advantage. By withdrawing from the TPP, Trump aimed to protect American industries and negotiate better trade deals for the U.S. individually with other countries.
The U.S. Senate confirms Neil Gorsuch as a Supreme Court justice
Trump announces the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change
Special Counsel Robert Mueller appointed to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election
Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hold a summit in Singapore
On June 12, 2018, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a historic summit in Singapore. It was the first time a sitting U.S. President had met with a North Korean leader. The summit was seen as an opportunity to address the long-standing tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, which had been exacerbated by North Korea's nuclear weapons program and its repeated nuclear and missile tests.
During the summit, Trump and Kim held a series of meetings and signed a joint statement in which they committed to working towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In the statement, North Korea agreed to "work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and the U.S. committed to providing "security guarantees" to North Korea. The summit was seen as a major diplomatic achievement, but the follow-through on the commitments made at the summit has been limited, and tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have continued to flare.
U.S. mid-term elections: Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans maintain control of the Senate
On November 6, 2018, the United States held midterm elections, in which voters elected all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 senators. The elections were seen as a referendum on the first two years of President Donald Trump's administration, and voter turnout was high.
In the House of Representatives, Democrats won a majority of the seats, flipping more than 30 Republican-held districts. This gave Democrats control of the chamber for the first time since 2010. In the Senate, Republicans maintained their majority, flipping several Democratic-held seats and solidifying their control of the chamber.
The election results had significant implications for the balance of power in Washington D.C. With Democrats in control of the House, they would be able to block or modify legislation proposed by the Trump administration and conduct investigations into the administration's actions. However, with Republicans maintaining control of the Senate, they would be able to confirm judicial and executive branch nominations, including potential Supreme Court justices. The midterm elections were widely seen as a split decision, with both parties making gains but neither gaining a clear mandate.
Trump impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress
On December 18, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The impeachment proceedings were sparked by a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump had withheld military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate political rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden.
The House voted to impeach Trump on the charge of abuse of power by a vote of 230-197, and on the charge of obstruction of Congress by a vote of 229-198. The impeachment made Trump the third President in U.S. history to be impeached by the House. The charges against him would now be considered by the Senate, which would hold a trial to determine whether to remove him from office.
The impeachment and trial of Trump were highly controversial and deeply divisive, with Democrats arguing that Trump's actions were a betrayal of his oath of office and a threat to national security, and Republicans arguing that the impeachment was a politically motivated attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election. The Senate ultimately acquitted Trump on both charges on February 5, 2020.
The U.S. and China reach a partial trade agreement
On January 15, 2020, the United States and China reached a partial trade agreement to deescalate their ongoing trade war. The agreement, known as "Phase One," included provisions for China to increase its purchases of U.S. goods and services, provide stronger protections for intellectual property, and open up its financial sector to foreign investment. In return, the U.S. agreed to reduce some of the tariffs it had imposed on Chinese imports.
The Phase One agreement was seen as a step forward in the U.S.-China trade dispute, which had been ongoing since 2018 and had disrupted global supply chains and caused economic uncertainty. However, the agreement did not address many of the underlying issues that had led to the trade war, such as China's industrial policies and state subsidies. The U.S. and China continued to negotiate a comprehensive trade agreement, but talks stalled amid rising tensions over issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in Hong Kong.
The U.S. kills Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani in an air strike in Iraq
On January 3, 2020, the United States conducted a targeted air strike in Iraq that killed Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, was a key figure in Iran's military and foreign policy and was considered a terrorist by the U.S. government. The U.S. strike was ordered by President Donald Trump and was carried out by the U.S. military at the Baghdad International Airport.
The killing of Soleimani was seen as a significant escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which had been strained for years over issues such as the Iranian nuclear program and regional conflicts. The strike prompted outrage in Iran and led to a series of retaliatory measures, including a missile attack on U.S. military bases in Iraq. The U.S. and Iran later deescalated the crisis, but tensions between the two countries remained high.
Trump becomes the third president in U.S. history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. He is later acquitted by the Senate
On December 18, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The impeachment proceedings were sparked by a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump had withheld military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate political rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden.
The House voted to impeach Trump on the charge of abuse of power by a vote of 230-197, and on the charge of obstruction of Congress by a vote of 229-198. The impeachment made Trump the third President in U.S. history to be impeached by the House. The charges against him would now be considered by the Senate, which would hold a trial to determine whether to remove him from office.
The Senate trial began on January 16, 2020, and lasted for several weeks. On February 5, the Senate voted to acquit Trump on both charges, with the vote largely falling along party lines. Trump was therefore not removed from office, and he completed his term as President. The impeachment and trial of Trump were highly controversial and deeply divisive, with Democrats arguing that Trump's actions were a betrayal of his oath of office and a threat to national security, and Republicans arguing that the impeachment was a politically motivated attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election.
The COVID-19 pandemic spreads to the United States and disrupts daily life across the country
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus, spread to the United States in early 2020 and quickly disrupted daily life across the country. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and had spread to multiple countries by the time it reached the U.S. In response to the pandemic, governments at all levels implemented a variety of measures to slow the spread of the virus, including issuing stay-at-home orders, closing non-essential businesses, and imposing travel restrictions.
The pandemic had severe consequences for the U.S. economy, as businesses closed and unemployment rates soared. It also strained the healthcare system, as hospitals struggled to handle the influx of patients and faced shortages of personal protective equipment and ventilators. The pandemic also exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities, as marginalized communities and essential workers were disproportionately affected by the virus.
The U.S. response to the pandemic was highly politicized, with debates over issues such as mask-wearing, vaccine distribution, and reopening guidelines. The pandemic continues to impact the U.S. as of 2021, with multiple vaccines having been developed and distributed, but new variants of the virus emerging and ongoing debates over the appropriate balance between public health measures and economic considerations.
Trump announces the U.S. will withdraw from the World Health Organization
On May 29, 2020, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency that focuses on global health issues. The announcement came amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which had spread to countries around the world and had disrupted daily life in the U.S.
In announcing the withdrawal, Trump criticized the WHO for its handling of the pandemic, alleging that the organization had misled the world about the severity of the virus and had allowed it to spread. He also accused the WHO of being too close to China, where the virus was first identified, and of failing to hold China accountable for its handling of the outbreak. Trump also threatened to withhold U.S. funding from the organization.
Joe Biden elected as the 46th President of the United States, defeating Trump in the presidential election
On November 3, 2020, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was elected as the 46th President of the United States, defeating incumbent President Donald Trump in the presidential election. The election, which was held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saw record turnout and was one of the most closely contested in U.S. history.
Biden, a Democrat and former Vice President, ran on a platform of uniting the country and addressing issues such as healthcare, climate change, and racial inequality. He was seen as a more traditional and experienced candidate compared to Trump, who had upended traditional political norms during his four years in office.
Biden won the election with 306 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win, and with a significant popular vote margin. Trump, a Republican, refused to concede the election and made baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud, but his legal challenges to the election results were unsuccessful. Biden was inaugurated as President on January 20, 2021.
Biden takes office as President.
On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden Jr. took office as the 46th President of the United States. The inauguration ceremony took place at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. and was attended by dignitaries from across the country. Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, taking the oath of office with his hand on a Bible held by his wife, Jill Biden.
Biden's inauguration marked the start of his four-year term as President and marked the end of the Trump administration. In his inaugural address, Biden called for national unity and urged Americans to come together to address the challenges facing the country, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a deeply divided political climate. He also outlined his vision for addressing issues such as healthcare, climate change, and racial inequality.
Biden's inauguration was historic in several ways. He is the oldest person to assume the presidency, and he chose Kamala Harris, a woman of Indian and African American descent, as his Vice President. Harris is the first woman, the first person of color, and the first person of Asian descent to hold the position.
The U.S. Senate holds Trump's impeachment trial, ultimately acquitting him on the charge of incitement of insurrection
On January 13, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection, in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The impeachment made Trump the first President in U.S. history to be impeached twice.
The impeachment proceedings were then transmitted to the Senate for a trial to determine whether to remove Trump from office. The trial began on February 9, 2021 and lasted for several days. Trump was accused of inciting a mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol as Congress was in the process of certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump had lost to President-elect Joe Biden.
On February 13, the Senate voted to acquit Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection, with the vote largely falling along party lines. Trump was therefore not removed from office, and he completed his term as President. The impeachment trial of Trump was highly controversial and deeply divisive, with Democrats arguing that Trump's actions were a betrayal of his oath of office and a threat to national security, and Republicans arguing that the impeachment was a politically motivated attempt to punish Trump and his supporters.
The U.S. re-enters the Paris Agreement on climate change
On February 19, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden signed an executive order directing the United States to re-enter the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Paris Agreement is a global accord signed by nearly 200 countries in 2015 to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under the terms of the agreement, countries set their own emissions reduction targets and work to achieve them through a variety of means, such as increasing the use of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency.
The U.S. had originally signed the Paris Agreement under President Barack Obama, but President Donald Trump had announced in 2017 that the U.S. would withdraw from the agreement, arguing that it was costly for the U.S. economy and unfair to American workers and businesses. Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement was widely criticized by world leaders, environmental groups, and many in the U.S. business community.
Biden's decision to re-enter the Paris Agreement was seen as a significant shift in U.S. climate policy and a signal of the new administration's commitment to addressing climate change. The U.S. officially rejoined the agreement on February 19, 2021.
The U.S. and Afghanistan reach a peace agreement with the Taliban
On February 29, 2020, the United States and Afghanistan announced that they had reached a peace agreement with the Taliban, the militant group that had been fighting against the Afghan government and the U.S. military in Afghanistan for nearly two decades. The agreement, which was signed in Doha, Qatar, was seen as a major step towards ending the long-running conflict in Afghanistan.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Taliban agreed to reduce violence and enter into talks with the Afghan government to negotiate a power-sharing arrangement. The U.S. and Afghanistan agreed to withdraw all troops from the country within 14 months, provided that the Taliban upheld its commitments under the agreement. The deal also included provisions for the release of prisoners and the opening of Taliban political offices in Afghanistan.
The peace agreement was seen as a significant achievement, but it was also met with skepticism, as many doubted that the Taliban would uphold its commitments and feared that the group could take control of the country once foreign troops left. The implementation of the agreement has faced several challenges, and the situation in Afghanistan remains tense.
