By Julia Schwed ‘21 and Sophia Ludtke ‘20, Commentary Editors
1.) Impeachment
In 2019, Donald Trump became the third president ever to be impeached, joining President Bill Clinton and President Andrew Johnson in the infamous club. While no date has been set, 2020 will likely begin with a trial in the Senate.
The Ukraine scandal that led to the impeachment unfolded rapidly. It began with a whistleblower complaint in August, and the impeachment was completed four months later. At this point, it is clear that the Trump administration withheld military aid that Congress had allocated to Ukraine, and that President Trump asked Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. The testimony of multiple witnesses has drawn a clear link between the two, supporting the contention that President Trump improperly withheld foreign aid in order to assist his 2020 campaign.
Most concerning is that nearly all Republicans have been unwilling to admit that President Trump acted improperly. They ignore basic facts and seem uninterested in the truth. 2019 was the year when many Republicans in the House and Senate seemed to forget that their oath is to the Constitution and not to the President.
2.) The Green New Deal (GND)
Some herald it as a desperately needed solution to our world’s largest threat while others condemn it as an economic tragedy and attack on American values. Some fear that it will “steal our ice cream” while others envision the clean-energy fueled future it could bring about. Since it was released by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey last winter, the Green New Deal, an ambitious non-binding resolution outlining a plan to combat climate change in America, has generated significant media attention and, as a result, public conversation about climate change has skyrocketed.
Since the resolution’s release, the environmental policy stances of the current Democratic presidential candidates have increased in scope significantly. The Green New Deal — which has rightfully been labelled as more of a symbolic gesture than a detailed piece of legislation — has triumphed because it has made the topic of climate change inescapable. With the prospect of a GND looming in the background, politicians are now obliged to stand on stage in front of constituents and explain how they plan to combat climate change on a scale that matches that of the proposed GND.
3.) Brexit
Although the British referendum to leave the European Union passed in 2016, 2019 was the year that it became clear that Brexit was actually going to happen. In July 2019, Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as British Prime Minister. While Boris Johnson, like Theresa May, was initially unable to secure a deal to leave the European Union, his resounding win in the December elections gave him the majority needed to secure an exit from the European Union.
Boris Johnson’s stunning victory and the deal for Brexit helped show that the political climate that exists in the United States extends beyond our borders. Brexit has been fueled by anti-immigrant sentiment, nationalism and racism. According to Business Insider, Johnson said that female Muslim students who look like “bank robber[s]” should take off their burqas. He also stated that “Islam is the problem,” and referred to African people as having “watermelon smiles.” 2019 was the year when it became clear that playing to people’s worst instincts and fears is a strategy that is not limited to the United States.
4.) The Border Crisis
In May 2019, 132,887 immigrants were taken into custody for attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. Democrats and Republicans have described this influx of immigrants a “humanitarian crisis,” while President Trump declared the situation a national emergency. From gang violence to oppressive poverty to a desire to reunite with family in the US, migrants are seeking refuge in America for numerous reasons.
After the media raised significant concerns about conditions at border detention centers, a measure to send humanitarian relief to the centers was approved.
5.) 2020 elections
2019 saw a large field of Democrats campaigning for the presidential nomination. The primary season began with record diversity, but it has become less diverse as the season has progressed. The first debate included six women and two African-Americans. The most recent debate included only two women and no African-Americans. The four candidates leading in the polls are white, and it seems highly likely that the nominee will be white.
Despite the Democratic party’s perceived shift to the left, former Vice President Biden ended the year with a lead in the polls, and Pete Buttigieg is another moderate who is having success in the polls. Look to 2020 as an indicator of whether the Democratic party has actually shifted far to the left, or if the moderates will carry the day.
Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg,
the four candidates leading in polls for the democratic nomination.
Photo Courtesy of Rolling Stone.
6.) The College Admissions Scandal
In 2019 a wide-scale college admissions scandal was exposed when fifty people were criminally charged for participating in a scheme to get students into some of the most competitive colleges in the country, including Yale and Stanford. The people charged included the ringleader, William Singer; parents including wealthy and famous entertainers and executives; and several college coaches. The illegal conduct included parents paying Singer to alter their children’s SAT scores and bribe college coaches to falsely admit their children as top-level athletes. Several defendants have pleaded guilty, including Singer and celebrity parent Felicity Huffman, whose sentence included 14 days in prison. Other defendants have chosen to fight the charges, most notably, celebrity Lori Loughlin who, if convicted, could face up to 45 years in prison.
7.) USWNT Victory
It was a year the UW Women’s National Soccer Team will never forget. The team won its second consecutive World Cup title, beating Netherlands 2-0 in the finals.
However, it is not just the team’s victory that will go down in the history books. The night of the finals, midfielder Megan Rapinoe called out FIFA, claiming that the organization is failing to sufficiently advocate for women’s sports. Specifically, Rapinoe called out unequal prize money between the men’s and women’s teams.
As coach Jim Ellis said to the NY Post, “[the team] put their hearts and souls into this journey. They made history.”
https://nypost.com/2019/07/07/uswnt-shuts-out-netherlands-to-win-another-world-cup/
8.) Mueller Report
2019 saw the long-awaited release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his investigation into claims of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The investigation, which began in March 2017, culminated in a 448-page report that was released to the public in April 2019.
The report found that Russia “consistently and systematically” interfered in the 2016 election. The report also found that there was not enough evidence to charge President Trump with collusion, although it did list a number of contacts between Russian operatives and the Trump campaign. More damaging for President Trump was the list of many instances of potential obstruction of justice. Mueller, however, avoided reaching a conclusion as to whether President Trump obstructed justice, referring to an Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion that a sitting president cannot be criminally indicted.
Although the report did not find evidence of collusion, it highlighted Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Regardless of party, we all should be concerned about interference in the 2020 election.
9.) Rohingya Crisis
Facing persecution, hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya, an ethinic Muslim minority practicing a variation of Sunni Islam, have fled their homes in Myanmar in recent years, seeking refuge in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The most recent wave of migration was caused by attacks carried out by a militant group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army that killed over 6,700 Rohingya. The crisis has been described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as “ethnic cleansing” and “catastrophic.”
Bangladesh is the location of the world’s largest refugee camp, with over 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps where disease is rampant and children lack access to education. President Trump has placed sanctions on military leaders for the role they have played in the genocide.
10.) Father-Son Bonding
Just when it’s beginning to seem like things are becoming a little bleak, something heartwarming comes along. In this case, toddler Deztin and father Shanieke Pryor rose to internet fame by carrying on a heated, minute-long conversation — all without words.
Listen to the conversation yourself here.
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