Donald Trump caused more harm than good during his presidency

Falsehoods about the 2020 election are perhaps the most consequential of Donald Trump's political career.

He has beat hard on his drum regarding his unfounded claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen through widespread voter fraud. Despite thorough investigations, recounts and more than 60 legal cases, no evidence of significant fraud has been found. Period. Trump’s claims have been widely debunked by election officials, judges and even members of his own administration.

Donald Trump still faces ongoing investigations and controversy over Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and potential links to the Trump campaign.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Donald Trump made misleading statements about the highly contagious virus. He downplayed the severity of the virus, promoted unproven treatments, and gave inaccurate information about the virus' spread and mortality rate.

These statements were contrary to the advice of public health experts and endangered public health. In fact, more than 1.2 million Americans alone died as a result of Trump’s denial of the severity of this disease.

In fact, Donald Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was widely criticized. Critics pointed to delayed responses, mixed messaging on public health guidelines and the overall impact on the U.S., which resulted in the high numbers of cases and deaths.

Even Donald Trump's efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) were unsuccessful. While some changes were made, such as eliminating the individual mandate penalty, a comprehensive replacement plan was never realized.

Donald Trump also made false claims about the border wall. He repeatedly asserted that his administration completed a significant portion of the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and that Mexico would pay for it. In reality, only a fraction of the wall was built, and funding came from U.S. taxpayers, not Mexico.

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Donald Trump’s administration's strict immigration policies, including family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border and the travel ban on several predominantly Muslim countries, faced widespread criticism and legal challenges for their humanitarian and ethical implications.

Then again, Donald Trump often made exaggerated claims about the strength and achievements of the U.S. economy under his administration. While there were periods of economic growth, some of his assertions, such as having the “greatest economy in the history of America,” lacked context, truthfulness and disregarded economic challenges and disparities.

The impact of these and other Donald Trump falsehoods extends far beyond mere factual inaccuracies. His persistent claims about election fraud led to widespread mistrust in the electoral process, culminating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. This event underscored the dangerous consequences of misinformation, and Trump’s masterful usage of misinformation, as it directly threatened the peaceful transfer of power, a cornerstone of our democratic governance.

Moreover, Trump's misleading statements about COVID-19 contributed to public confusion and resistance to public health measures. This misinformation exacerbated the pandemic's impact in the U.S. and hindered effective response strategies.

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And, it is unfortunate that Trump’s false economic and immigration claims influenced wrongful policy decisions and misdirected public opinion. These falsehoods shaped national discourse on crucial issues, often polarizing public opinion and contributing to a divisive political climate.

Donald Trump's approach to foreign policy, which included criticism of NATO allies and withdrawal from international agreements like the Iran Nuclear Deal, led to strained relationships with longstanding U.S. allies. The administration's rollback of environmental protections and withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement were seen as setbacks in the global effort to combat climate change.

Domestically, the Donald Trump administration was marked by heightened political and social divisions. Incidents like the handling of the Charlottesville protests and the rhetoric used by Trump were seen as exacerbating these divisions.

The administration's use of tariffs and trade wars, particularly with China, were criticized for their impact on the global economy and on certain sectors of the U.S. economy, like agriculture and manufacturing.

No other president of the U.S. can boast of being impeached twice by the House of Representatives, first in 2019 and then in 2021. Although acquitted by the Republican majority Senate both times, the impeachments were a significant mark on his presidency.

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Donald Trump was elected to be president and to serve as the CEO of our federal government. The idea is to operate the government efficiently as an experienced professional would operate the largest organization within the United States.

Rather, Donald Trump oversaw the 2018-19 government shutdown. This was the longest shutdown in U.S. history. It occurred over disputes about funding for the border wall which Trump had promised would be paid by Mexico. It resulted in significant disruption and economic impact.

Yes, the perception of these events as failures can vary widely based on political affiliation and personal viewpoints. But when do you recall any president being mired in so many failures, so much controversy and so much misinformation?

Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, Shippensburg University Trustee, and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx provides cloud-software to source and manage print and mail marketing. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Donald Trump caused more harm than good during his presidency