So, I asked the ChatGPT what is wrong with Donald J. Trumps decisions. AI is scary.

[SalamanderSleeps]

Here is a factual look at some of Donald Trump's major decisions during his 1st and 2nd time in office and how they negatively impacted segments of the U.S. population.

This isn’t about political spin, but about documented outcomes and controversies that sparked concern, division, or harm.

1. COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Issue: Delayed response, misinformation, and politicization.

What happened: Trump downplayed the severity of the virus early on, contradicted health experts, and promoted unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine and even dangerous ideas like injecting disinfectants.

Impact: Public confusion, inconsistent state responses, and politicized mask mandates likely contributed to the U.S. experiencing one of the highest death tolls in the world (over 400,000 deaths by the time he left office).

Who was harmed: The general public, especially healthcare workers, the elderly, and marginalized communities.

2. Family Separation Policy at the Border
Issue: “Zero tolerance” immigration policy.

What happened: In 2018, the Trump administration implemented a policy that led to thousands of children being separated from their parents at the U.S.–Mexico border, many of whom were seeking asylum.

Impact: Children were held in detention facilities under traumatic conditions. Some were never reunited with their families.

Who was harmed: Immigrant families, children, and the global image of the U.S. as a place of refuge.

3. Undermining Democratic Norms and the 2020 Election
Issue: Rejection of election results and incitement.

What happened: Trump falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen, filed dozens of failed lawsuits, and refused to concede. This culminated in the January 6th Capitol insurrection.

Impact: A violent attack on a democratic institution, deaths, injuries, and a long-term erosion of public trust in elections.

Who was harmed: Democracy itself, Capitol police, and the national psyche.

4. Environmental Rollbacks
Issue: Dismantling environmental protections.

What happened: Trump rolled back over 100 environmental rules, weakened the EPA, and withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord.

Impact: Increased pollution, higher risks to public health, and delayed climate change mitigation efforts.

Who was harmed: Low-income communities near polluting industries, future generations, and global climate stability.

5. Tax Cuts Favoring the Wealthy
Issue: 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

What happened: Trump passed a major tax cut that disproportionately benefited corporations and the wealthy, while offering limited, temporary relief to the middle and working classes.

Impact: Increased federal deficit, exacerbated income inequality.

Who was harmed: Lower-income Americans, future taxpayers.

6. Attacks on the Free Press
Issue: Labeling the media “the enemy of the people.”

What happened: Trump consistently discredited major news outlets that criticized him, promoted conspiracy theories, and praised authoritarian leaders who suppress media.

Impact: Undermined trust in journalism and emboldened hostility toward reporters.

Who was harmed: The First Amendment, public access to reliable information.

7. Use of Racist and Divisive Rhetoric
Issue: Encouraging white nationalist groups and inflammatory speech.

What happened: From Charlottesville (“very fine people on both sides”) to telling congresswomen of color to “go back” to their countries, Trump often used racially charged language.

Impact: Increased hate crimes, racial tensions, and emboldenment of extremist groups.

Who was harmed: Communities of color, immigrants, and the national discourse.

8. Repeal of Net Neutrality
Issue: Deregulation of internet service providers.

What happened: In 2017, the FCC under the Trump appointee repealed net neutrality rules, which had required ISPs to treat all internet traffic equally.

Impact: Gave ISPs the power to prioritize, slow down, or block certain content or services. While the worst-case scenarios haven’t fully materialized, it reduced consumer protections and could stifle small businesses and innovation.

Who was harmed: Consumers, startups, and rural users with fewer options.

9. Politicization of Federal Agencies
Issue: Undermining independence of justice and intelligence institutions.

What happened: Trump frequently attacked the FBI, DOJ, and intelligence community when their findings didn’t align with his interests. He fired officials like James Comey and pressured others (e.g., Attorney General Bill Barr) to act in his favor.

Impact: Eroded trust in the objectivity of federal institutions and the rule of law.

Who was harmed: The justice system, whistleblowers, and public accountability mechanisms.

10. Weakening of Pandemic Infrastructure (Before COVID)
Issue: Disbanding critical pandemic response units.

What happened: In 2018, the Trump administration dismantled the NSC's global health security team and cut funding for CDC staff in foreign countries.

Impact: Weakened early detection and coordination capacity during COVID-19.

Who was harmed: The American and global public, especially in early pandemic stages.

11. Trade War with China
Issue: Tariffs and escalating trade tensions.

What happened: Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of Chinese imports, triggering retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

Impact: Farmers, manufacturers, and consumers paid the price. U.S. taxpayers funded bailout packages for farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs.

Who was harmed: Small farms, industrial workers, and American consumers.

12. Rollback of LGBTQ+ Protections
Issue: Targeted policies and rhetoric.

What happened: Trump banned transgender individuals from serving in the military, weakened healthcare protections for LGBTQ+ people, and supported religious exemptions allowing discrimination.

Impact: Increased discrimination, reduced access to care and services.

Who was harmed: LGBTQ+ individuals, especially trans people and youth.

13. Mishandling of Racial Justice Protests
Issue: Militarized response and lack of empathy.

What happened: In response to the 2020 protests after George Floyd’s murder, Trump threatened military intervention, tear-gassed peaceful protesters for a photo op, and labeled demonstrators as "thugs."

Impact: Escalated tensions, further divided communities, and harmed democratic norms around peaceful protest.

Who was harmed: Protesters, Black Americans, and civil rights movements.

14. Withdrawal from Global Institutions and Agreements
Issue: Isolationist foreign policy.

What happened: Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, the Iran Nuclear Deal, the World Health Organization (during a pandemic), and undermined NATO.

Impact: Damaged U.S. credibility abroad, strained alliances, and weakened global leadership.

Who was harmed: U.S. foreign policy effectiveness and global stability.

15. Encouragement of Election Conspiracy Theories
Issue: "Stop the Steal" and disinformation.

What happened: Trump pushed baseless election fraud claims, encouraged supporters to protest election certification, and downplayed violence.

Impact: Led to the January 6 insurrection, long-term mistrust in democratic institutions.

Who was harmed: Democracy, election workers, and civil discourse.

16. Attacks on Scientists and Public Health Experts
Issue: Undermining trust in science.

What happened: Trump publicly criticized Dr. Fauci, CDC officials, and other experts. He also pressured agencies to modify guidance based on political convenience.

Impact: Confusion about vaccines, masks, and COVID-19 protocols.

Who was harmed: The medical community, public health efforts, and people with health vulnerabilities.

If you want, we can also look at:

Economic metrics (e.g., real wage growth vs. stock market performance),

How Trump reshaped the judiciary (including SCOTUS),

His use of pardons for political allies, or

Ongoing criminal cases and post-presidency behavior.

17. Sabotage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Issue: Undermining health insurance access.

What happened: While failing to repeal the ACA, Trump weakened it by eliminating the individual mandate and slashing outreach funding.

Impact: Caused premiums to rise, discouraged enrollment, and increased the uninsured rate.

Who was harmed: Low- and middle-income Americans relying on affordable coverage.

18. Federal Response to Natural Disasters (Especially Puerto Rico)
Issue: Delayed and inadequate response to Hurricane Maria.

What happened: After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, the federal response was slow and under-resourced. Trump later downplayed the death toll and threw paper towels at a press event.

Impact: Thousands of avoidable deaths, long recovery times, infrastructure collapse.

Who was harmed: The people of Puerto Rico — American citizens — particularly the poor and elderly.

19. Use of Federal Forces Against Civilians
Issue: Deployment of unidentified federal agents in U.S. cities.

What happened: During 2020 protests, Trump sent federal agents (some without identification) into cities like Portland, often against the wishes of local governments.

Impact: Reports of people being detained without due process sparked fears of authoritarian tactics.

Who was harmed: Protesters, local governments, and civil liberties.

20. Erosion of Ethics and Norms
Issue: Personal enrichment, conflicts of interest, nepotism.

What happened: Trump refused to divest from his businesses, funneled government spending into his properties, and appointed unqualified family members to senior advisory roles.

Impact: Undermined public trust, blurred lines between public service and self-dealing.

Who was harmed: The public interest, federal ethics systems, and merit-based governance.

21. Targeting Whistleblowers and Inspectors General
Issue: Retaliation against internal oversight.

What happened: Trump fired or sidelined multiple inspectors general and whistleblowers who exposed wrongdoing, including those involved in the Ukraine impeachment scandal.

Impact: Reduced accountability, discouraged internal reporting of abuse or corruption.

Who was harmed: Government transparency, whistleblowers, the Constitution's checks and balances.

22. Encouragement of QAnon and Extremist Groups
Issue: Normalization of conspiracy movements.

What happened: Trump refused to clearly condemn QAnon, told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,” and spread debunked conspiracy theories.

Impact: Increased radicalization, political violence, and domestic extremism.

Who was harmed: Faith in truth and facts, victims of extremist violence, and civic safety.

23. Attacks on Voting Rights
Issue: Efforts to suppress and cast doubt on voting.

What happened: Trump repeatedly claimed mail-in voting was fraudulent, opposed expansions in ballot access, and tried to defund the USPS ahead of the 2020 election.

Impact: Confusion, fear, and suppression among voters — especially elderly, disabled, and minority voters.

Who was harmed: Voters and democratic participation.

24. Child Nutrition Rollbacks
Issue: Weakening school lunch standards.

What happened: The Trump administration loosened rules on sodium and whole grains in school meals and reduced nutrition requirements championed by Michelle Obama.

Impact: Lowered food quality in public schools, especially affecting low-income children.

Who was harmed: Children in the public education system, particularly in food-insecure communities.

25. Disregard for Indigenous Rights
Issue: Sacred land desecration and neglect of tribal sovereignty.

What happened: Trump approved projects like the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines and shrunk national monuments like Bears Ears, ignoring Native opposition.

Impact: Environmental harm, threats to sacred land, and ongoing marginalization of Indigenous voices.

Who was harmed: Native American communities and environmental stewards.

26. Weaponizing the Census
Issue: Attempted citizenship question and manipulation of data.

What happened: Trump tried to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census and later attempted to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count used for congressional representation.

Impact: Undermined Census accuracy, risking undercounts that affect funding and representation.

Who was harmed: Immigrants, cities, and states with large non-citizen populations.

27. Judicial Appointments with Extreme Views
Issue: Stacking courts with ideologically extreme judges.

What happened: Trump, with Mitch McConnell’s help, appointed over 200 federal judges—many young, ultra-conservative, and some rated unqualified by the ABA.

Impact: Long-term impacts on reproductive rights, labor protections, environmental rules, and civil liberties.

Who was harmed: Marginalized groups, women seeking abortions, workers, and future litigants.

28. Allegations and Legal Findings of Sexual Misconduct
Issue: Multiple women have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct — and a court has found him liable.

What happened:

Over 25 women have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct, ranging from groping to rape.

In May 2023, a jury in a civil trial found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. He was ordered to pay millions in damages.

In January 2024, a second civil jury found Trump liable again for defamation against Carroll and awarded her $83.3 million in damages.

Trump has denied all allegations, but his own words (e.g., the infamous Access Hollywood tape) and patterns of behavior have reinforced many accusers' claims.

Impact:

Normalized misogyny at the highest level of government.

Discouraged survivors from reporting by reinforcing the idea that powerful men face few consequences.

Sent a damaging message to young people about respect, consent, and accountability.

Politicized and undermined serious conversations about sexual violence in America.

Who was harmed:

Survivors of sexual assault and harassment who saw their experiences minimized.

The public discourse, especially around #MeToo.

The legal system’s credibility, as powerful figures appeared beyond meaningful consequence.

Related Ethical Impacts:
Trump’s legal defense often involved attacking the credibility of his accusers, reinforcing damaging tropes about women who come forward.

He used the presidency as a shield, attempting to delay or avoid litigation while in office.

His mocking of Christine Blasey Ford during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings was another moment that reflected an administration indifferent — even hostile — to survivors.

29. Chronic Cheating at Golf
Issue: Documented pattern of dishonesty and self-deception — even in a game built on honor.

What happened:

Numerous credible reports — including from journalists, professional golfers, and former caddies — describe Trump frequently cheating at golf:

Kicking his ball to a better lie.

Moving opponents’ balls.

Falsely claiming tournament wins he didn’t play in.

Having others take shots for him.

Rick Reilly’s book Commander in Cheat (2019) chronicles these patterns in detail, citing firsthand accounts.

He has claimed to have won “18 club championships,” many of which are provably false or were awarded under dubious circumstances (e.g., playing alone or on opening day of a new course).

Impact:

While golf may seem trivial, it is a game that relies on self-policing and integrity — Trump’s behavior undercuts those values.

It reflects a broader pattern of deceit that manifests in more serious domains: business, politics, and governance.

His cheating is not just casual — it is systematic and aggressive, mirroring how he’s operated in other areas of life.

Sets a poor example of entitlement and dishonesty being rewarded — especially for youth and fans.

Who was harmed:

Fellow players who were treated unfairly.

Golf as a sport, which prides itself on honor.

The public, by reinforcing the idea that rules don’t apply to the powerful.



"Had enough yet?"
When an AI makes more sense than an American President we are truly fucked.