Donald Trump promised Americans that he would make their country great again. He vowed to make the economy stronger and multiply the number of jobs, and to reduce the US trade deficit and illegal immigration, both of which he sees as economic evils dragging the US down.
As Trump prepares to give his first State of the Union on tonight, here’s how the US has fared in those areas.
Economy
The US economy zigzagged somewhat since Trump took office, but it’s been growing faster than it did last year. The pace of growth, though, was slower than in 2014 and 2015.
Jobs
The US economy added more than two million jobs in 2017, a decline from the previous year.
Trade deficit
Even as Trump unrolled his protectionist agenda, the US trade deficit has expanded over the last year. In November 2017, it reached its highest level since 2012.
Immigration
The mere election of Donald Trump appears to have reduced immigrants’ attempts to enter the US. The number of people caught at the border, or barred from entry at legal crossing points plummeted after the 2016 election. It continued to decline sharply into the first months of the Trump presidency.
More recently, though, US Customs and Border Protection officers are finding more people trying to get in.
Dan Kopf contributed to this article.