Trump said ‘never has any President done more’ – here’s why he's so wrong

On Monday 12 June, United States President Donald Trump saw fit to boast about his achievements in government during his first official cabinet meeting.

In itself, quite sad and small.

Anyway, he boasted to his cabinet:

I will say that never has there been a president -- with few exceptions; in the case of FDR, he had a major depression to handle -- who's passed more legislation, who's done more things than what we've done, between the executive orders and the job-killing regulations that have been terminated.

We've achieved tremendous success.

It's not the first time he's made a similar boast, or been called out for it as the utter rubbish it is as a claim.

While it is true he has signed a lot of bills and executive orders, not many of them are actually significant pieces of legislation.

Sarah Binder, a George Washington University political scientist who specialises in Congress, told Politifact:

The absence of significant legislative movement is glaring. Contrary to Trump's statement, this is a Republican government struggling to legislate, despite control of both chambers and the White House.

In the first 100 days former Presidents have:

• Signed a $800 billion stimulus package to combat recession and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Also implemented the Troubled Asset Relief program and Auto industry bailout passed by the previous Presidency (Obama)
• Signed the Family and Medical Leave Act (Clinton)
• Established the Peace Corps (Kennedy)
• Submitted a plan to bail out savings and loans (Bush Snr)
• Ended World War II in Europe and written the UN charter (Truman)

In comparison, the biggest things Trump has done include signing an executive order to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and announcing he will pull out of the Paris Accord.

In the same period of time he's deteriorated relations with the United States' closest allies and heightened tensions with China and North Korea. Studies have shown he's also undermined faith in key institutions in the United States, to the detriment of peace in the country and around the world.

Pretty poor.

The public also remain completely unimpressed with his Presidency.

His approval rating is appalling and he has hit a disapproval rating of 60 per cent.

In context, he's currently making a worse first impression than any President for half a century.

Or to put it another way:

As is to be expected when you elect a reality TV star, he's seems to be all bluster and no substance.

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