Spotlight: Trump's 1st year marked by rifts, feuds and controversies

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- One year into Donald Trump's presidency, the uncertainties and anxieties over his unconventional playbook appear to have not diminished.

As he seeks to implement his campaign promises, which seem controversial and even unacceptable to many, rifts, feuds and controversies dogged the year and 2018 would probably not be any different.

THE FISSURES

Since Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017, the divide between Republicans and Democrats intensified with the two parties seldom trying to meet each other halfway or make any compromise on GOP-led legislative pushes.

The Washington, D.C.-based think tank Pew Research Center said in a report that the divisions between the two sides on fundamental political values, which had reached record levels during the Obama presidency, "have grown even larger" in Trump's first year as president.

What has been more frustrating for the Republican president is that he can't even bridge the gap within his own party, which led successive efforts to repeal Obamacare, the healthcare measure introduced by his predecessor Barack Obama, to fail. Thus one of Trump's core campaign promises could not be fulfilled legislatively.

Though the administration subsequently notched up a victory by pulling off the largest tax overhaul in 30 years, the fact that the bill didn't gain support from a single Democrat was another example of the gaping political divide.

Public opinion remains starkly divided as well. According to a just-released Gallup poll, Trump's first-year job approval rating has averaged 39 percent since his inauguration, lower than that of any of his predecessors. Some 83 percent of Republican voters, however, continue to approve of him, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll.

THE FEUDS

In the past year, "feud" became a keyword to describe some of Trump's interactions with others, especially his ongoing tit-for-tat battle with the U.S. mainstream media. As a result, the expression "fake news" is now a global buzzword.

A frequent Twitter user, the president has routinely labeled negative coverage of him or his presidency as "fake news", casting aspersions on the credentials of the news organizations behind it.

In response, the media has become more critical of Trump's words and deeds while putting his presidency under greater scrutiny, forcing the White House to urge "due attention" to the administration's achievements.

Another source of feud is the ongoing probe into the alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

Trump has repeatedly denied any tieup with Russia, dismissing the probe as a "hoax" and "witch hunt". With the investigation inching toward Trump's inner circle, the feud is expected to continue as Republicans, including the president, raise more questions on the credibility of the probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller while Democrats urge that the special counsel be protected.

THE CONTROVERSIES

Besides divisions and feuds, there has been no shortage of controversies either.

Trump fired former FBI director James Comey amid the Russia investigation, displayed reluctance to condemn white supremacists following violence in Charlottesville, banned transgender recruits, and backed scandal-hit Republican candidate Roy Moore for a Senate seat, to name just a few.

One of the biggest controversies was his hardline stance on immigration. His proposed immigration reform included travel bans and termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protected illegal immigrants who had reached U.S. shores during their childhood from being deported.

He also repeatedly called for the construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to stave off illegal immigrants, blamed Democrats for lack of progress on the immigration deal, and asked for a merit-based immigration system while suggesting an end to chain migration and the Diversity Visa Program.

While Trump's supporters see him as a keeper of promise who seeks to safeguard national interests and the interests of the American people, his critics argue that a visible border wall and an invisible policy wall wouldn't necessarily mean a safer environment for the United States.

Instead, they could sow hatred and discord, shaking the foundation of a nation whose prosperity has relied primarily on the labor of generations of immigrants.

Very recently, Trump's alleged use of profanities when describing Haiti and African countries during a White House meeting with lawmakers on immigration policies sparked international outrage, becoming the first major controversy to engulf him in 2018 and signaling the trend would probably continue. Enditem