Donald Trump once said, “I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.” Trump maintained this mindset during the past year. Among the tasks on his agenda, he aimed to eliminate Obamacare subsidies, strengthen the morale of the armed forces, increase jobs and decrease the number of people illegally immigrating into the country. By addressing these issues, Donald Trump’s first year in office has been more productive than many people give him credit for. President Trump has been derided by many, including politicians from both sides of the congressional aisle. I maintain that this reputation is undeserved.

Though some maintain that the president’s initial year has been less than productive, Trump’s successes are tangible. One area of accomplishment has been in his unashamed appreciation of our service men and women. Near Thanksgiving, President Trump gave a speech, recounted in an article published by Business Insider, in which he showed how his treatment of the military has led to palpable results. He said, “We’ve made more progress against ISIS than they did in years of the previous administration, and that’s because I’m letting you do your job.”

Donald Trump has also moved forward on the issue of taxes. In addition to supporting Congress as they re-designed the U.S. tax structure, he has also sought to take the “muck” out of taxes by removing policies like the Obamacare subsidies. Barack Obama enforced subsidies that required money to pay health insurance companies without appropriating the funds legitimately with the approval of Congress, according to Ilya Somin in a Washington Post article from August 2, 2017. David French, a writer for the National Review and an attorney, called the removal of these subsidies a “necessary decision.”

Next on his agenda, President Trump has his sight set on increasing jobs by working directly with business owner and job creators. Fox News commentator Sean Hannity reported on April 11, 2017 that, “President Trump is making phone calls to the CEOs of companies day and night.” By working tirelessly to promote economic growth, the president hopes to add more people to the U.S. workforce. This seems to be working as CNN reported that the U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 4.1 percent, its lowest number in 17 years,

Finally, the number of illegal immigrants residing in the United States has already decreased, due, at least in part, to Mr. Trump’s determination to bring this issue to the forefront of American Politics. Though the number of undocumented citizens can only be estimated, the Center for Migration Studies reported that the U.S. illegal immigrant population fell to 10.9 million by January 2016, the lowest number since 2003. Fox News contributor Sean Hannity attributes this Trump. He said, “The White House is fighting back against sanctuary cities by taking a tough stance against places that shield illegal immigrants.” This will allow legal immigrants and citizens to have a greater availability of jobs.

Though some citizens were appalled by the election of Donald Trump, in reality, Trump has utilized his time successfully. He has fulfilled his obligations as President in his first year in office, and created change to benefit the entire society.