by Andrew Wyshner ’18, Commentary Editor

I’m not going to come out and say it has been perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Trump’s first year has been riddled with scandals, firings and legislative failures. However, Trump’s single greatest success has been the one that voters care about the most: the economy. 84% of voters in the 2016 election said the economy was very important in their decision. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has climbed 31% in Trump’s first year, which is the best it has done in a president’s first year since FDR. Trump has achieved this nearly unprecedented growth through a variety of methods, most notably his execution of a new tax law which includes a sizable tax decrease for both corporations and individuals. While many will be unable to overlook the struggles Trump has had and focus on the positives, it is my opinion that the strength of the economy defines the quality of a president. By this measure, Trump is shaping up to be one of the most successful presidents in American history.

Within the Newark Academy community, there are many different sentiments about Trump’s first year. Senior Ben Leit voiced his opinion bluntly, saying “I think it would be fair to say that Trump might not be my favorite president so far.” Although many within the NA community and in the country may echo these sentiments, I believe that if Trump were up for reelection today, he would be pushing towards 400 out of 538 electoral votes solely because of how strong he has made the economy. In addition to record highs in the stock market and GDP growth of 2.3% in Trump’s first year, his tax plan has allowed companies like Wal-Mart to give some employees up to $1000 bonuses and raise their company’s minimum wage. Many other corporations have raised their company’s minimum wage to $15 because of the additional spending money the tax cut gives employers. With regards to the corporate tax cut, Trump handled the plan brilliantly. He found a way to both cut taxes and provide more for minimum-wage workers at many companies.  

Besides creating a strong and stable American economy, Trump has almost completely defeated ISIS, which was one of his largest campaign promises. In addition, his selection of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court is a victory for the Constitution. Mr. Bitler echoed these victories, outlining why he is happy with Trump’s first year: “I am most pleased with the President’s defeat of ISIS in the Middle East (an organization responsible for brutal torture and mass murders of women, children and men, and for a Christian genocide in parts of that Middle East), that he has brought our economy to growth rates it has not seen in over a decade (along with record low unemployment rates for blacks and Hispanics and women), that he has installed a Supreme Court justice who will abide by the clear words of the Constitution (and thus preserve our freedoms), that he has signaled to North Korea (and Iran) that the US will not allow those countries to threaten the US (and our allies) with nuclear weapons on ICBMs, and that he has brought hundreds of billions of dollars of business and investment back into the United States.” In many ways, Trump’s first year in office has accomplished a great deal. Americans should celebrate and be grateful for the many victories the country has experienced under Trump’s leadership.   

Trump has done what was necessary in order for his first 365 days to be called a success. President Trump has created a booming US economy, eliminated ISIS, and reinvented the tax plan. However, he has not accomplished many of his goals and his presidency has been turbulent at times. He still has (at least) over a thousand days to go, though, and with a strong and ever-growing economy, he has to set up America for years of continued success and profit.