Donald Trump begins his first full year as President.
The Trump administration announces it will withhold the scheduled millions of military aid to Pakistan with President Trump declaring it a terrorist "safe haven".[2]
Via Twitter, President Trump threatens to cut off U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority, claiming the Palestinians were no longer willing to negotiate on a peace process with the Israelis—seemingly after his December 2017 decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.[6]
Wednesday, January 3
President Trump disbands his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.[7][8]
President Trump issues a statement describing Steve Bannon, former CEO of the Trump campaign, as having "very little to do with our historic victory" and as having "lost his mind", following the publication of excerpts from a forthcoming book by Michael Wolff in which Bannon is said to describe Donald Trump Jr, Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner'smeeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya as "treasonous" and "unpatriotic". Wolff's book also describes Bannon's confidence that Trump Sr. knew of the meeting at the time.[9][10][11][12]
Wolff's Fire and Fury is published. President Trump describes it on Twitter as a "phony book", "full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don't exist".[18]
President Trump leaves for Camp David for a weekend of meetings with his Cabinet, Republican party leaders, and Vice President Pence. It is reported that a decision is expected concerning whether the administration will move next to welfare reform or infrastructure.[20]
President Trump tweets that he is a "very stable genius", praising his own "mental stability". Also within the tweet, he says he became president "on the first try",[24] despite having run as a Reform Party candidate in 2000.[25]
President Trump declares "everyone found that, after a year of study, there's been absolutely no collusion... between us and the Russians." Meanwhile, the special counsel investigation into such matters are still in progress with no declared findings.[26]
President Trump submits to the Senate 21 re-nominations for judicial posts, including two rated 'not qualified' by the ABA.[29]
Vice President Pence describes Fire and Fury as a "book of fiction", while saying he has not read the book and does not intend to.[30]
Tuesday, January 9
President Trump holds a bipartisan meeting with members of Congress discussing the topic of immigration.[31]
District judge William Alsup rules that the DACA program must remain in place while litigation continues over the Trump administration's September5 decision to end it. The next morning, Trump describes the U.S. court system as "broken and unfair".[32]
Secretary Zinke announces that Florida will be exempted from oil drilling under the new policy announced on January 4.[33]
Wednesday, January 10
President Trump describes Senator Dianne Feinstein as "sneaky" and a "disgrace" following her unilateral publication on January9 of the Simpson testimony of August 2017 concerning research into potential crimes in respect of the 2016 election.[34]
President Trump reiterates that he will be reviewing libel law, describing the current law as "a sham and a disgrace".[35]
The Trump administration announces new state guidelines that Medicaid recipients may be required to work or volunteer, or enroll in education.[37]
The Washington Post reports that President Trump, in a meeting with Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) regarding immigration law reform, referred to Haiti and African countries as "shithole countries" and expressed preference for immigrants from Norway.[38] On the following day, Trump denies using the term, but says he used tough language in regards to the countries;[39] Senator Durbin affirmed that Trump had made those remarks.[40]
President Trump cancels a planned visit to the UK, blaming his predecessor, Barack Obama, for a "bad deal" on the new embassy due to be opened in London, despite the fact it was agreed under George W. Bush.[44]
The Wall Street Journal reports that, in October 2016, President Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, arranged a payment of $130,000 to the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence regarding a 2006 extramarital affair.[45] Cohen denies that Trump had sexual relations with Daniels.[46] Fellow adult-film actress Alana Evans said Daniels told her she had "ended up with Donald in his hotel room".[47]
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson co-hosts with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland the first of two days of talks in Vancouver concerning the North Korea crisis.[50]
The Wall Street Journal reports that Jared Kushner was warned in early 2017 by U.S. intelligence officials that his friend Wendi Deng Murdoch may be a Chinese spy.[52]
President Trump's former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon is questioned at a private sitting of the House Intelligence Committee. He is issued with a subpoena during the meeting upon citing executive privilege to refuse questions about the Trump transition and administration, but maintains his refusal.[54][55]
Wednesday, January 17
In an Oval Office interview for Reuters, President Trump accuses Russia of harming Chinese/American efforts to solve the ongoing North Korean nuclear crisis.[56]
In Touch Weekly publishes excerpts from a 2011 interview with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels alleging a 2006 extramarital affair with Trump. The magazine describes her passing a polygraph and her friend's and ex-husband's both corroborating the interview.[57]
The House passes a short-term government budget in advance of a deadline of midnight January 19–20.[60]
It is widely reported that Hungarian police have an active arrest warrant, issued on September 17, 2016, against former Trump White House advisor Sebastian Gorka. The warrant concerns alleged abuse of firearms.[61][62][63][64]
Friday, January 19
President Trump states on Twitter that Democratic votes will be needed in the Senate to prevent a government shutdown at midnight. He writes, "but they want illegal immigration and weak borders".[60]
German periodical Manager Magazin reports that Deutsche Bank has presented to Germany's financial authority, BaFin, evidence concerning "suspicious money transfers" by White House advisor Jared Kushner. MM reports that this information is due to be handed to Robert Mueller's inquiry.[65] Deutsche Bank on January 22 denies the report, and announces that it is taking legal action.[66]
Saturday, January 20
President Trump completes his first year in office.
A federal government shutdown begins, after the Senate fails to pass a continuing resolution to maintain funding for the government.[67]
Vice President Pence arrives in Cairo, Egypt at the start of a tour of Africa and the Middle East.[68]
Sunday, January 21
Vice President Pence meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman. Abdullah criticizes the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. Pence reaffirms U.S. respect towards Jordan's role as the guardian of Jerusalem's Islamic holy sites.[70]
During the third day of the federal government shutdown, President Trump accuses the Democratic Party of precipitating the shutdown "in the interests of their far left base".[71][72]
Vice President Pence delivers a speech at Israel's Knesset, announcing that the U.S. will relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by the end of 2019. A number of Arab members of Parliament are ejected while protesting.[76][77]
President Trump announces during remarks at the White House that he is willing to testify to Mueller under oath, stating, "I would love to do it, and I would like to do it as soon as possible."[79]
The New York Times first reports that President Trump ordered the dismissal of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, in June 2017, on three alleged pretexts of conflicts of interest, but retreated upon the threatened resignation of White House counsel Don McGahn; this elevated concerns of possible obstruction of justice. The report is confirmed by The Washington Post.[81][82]
The Trump administration submits five reports to Congress as mandated by the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), including two versions (one classified) of the report "regarding senior political figures and oligarchs in the Russian Federation and Russian parastatal entities".[86] The unclassified list published the following day by the Treasury Department contains names of 210 people, including 96 Russian tycoons close to president Vladimir Putin with wealth of $1billion or more, as well as top Russian statespersons and officials, excluding Vladimir Putin, all information having been drawn from public sources.[87]
Deputy FBI DirectorAndrew McCabe resigns from his position, but remained as part of the FIB, after criticism from President Trump in preceding weeks. McCabe had been expected to step down in March.[89][90]
Tuesday, January 30
President Trump delivers his first official State of the Union Address with a wide-ranging speech covering matters of natural disasters, terrorism, immigration, economic growth, patriotism and the U.S. nuclear arsenal. He calls on Congress for a $1.5 trillion infrastructure investment bill and an end to political division.[91][92][93]
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announces that U.S. sanctions against Russian oligarchs will follow the previous day's list, and denies that the administration is "slow-walking" the process.[95]
At a speech in Cincinnati, Ohio, President Trump claims that Congressional Democrats, who "were like death and un-American" in not applauding during his State of the Union speech, were "treasonous" and that "we call that treason".[99][100]
Tuesday, February 6
While Congress was preparing a continuing resolution for a temporary budget, President Trump declared, "I'd love to see a shutdown" if American immigration laws were not tightened. He also said "it's worth it for our country".[101]
President Trump sends his $4.4 trillion 2019 budget proposal to Congress.[108]
President Trump introduces his $1.5 trillion federal infrastructure plan to several governors and mayors at the White House.[109]
Tuesday, February 13
President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen acknowledged that in 2016 he paid $130,000 of his own money to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Cohen further said that The Trump Organization and the Trump campaign were not involved in the payment and did not reimburse him.[110] It was earlier reported that the payment was hush money for Daniels' silence regarding an alleged extramarital affair with Trump in 2006.[111]
Wednesday, February 14
Thursday, February 15
President Trump addresses the nation in regards to the school shooting in Parkland offering his condolences to the victims and their families.[112]
Friday, February 16
The New Yorker reports that President Trump had a nine-month extramarital affair with Playboy model Karen McDougal from June 2006, citing handwritten memoirs by McDougal provided by her friend. The New Yorker also corroborated a 2016 Wall Street Journal report that American Media, Inc (AMI) had paid $150,000 for exclusive rights to McDougal's story, but never published it. AMI has described the story as not credible, and a spokesperson for the White House denied the affair.[113]
A Democratic memo titled Correcting the Record—The Russia Investigation in response to the Nunes memo, is released after redacting by the FBI.[119][120]
Sunday, February 25
President Trump attends the National Governors Association dinner.[citation needed]
In a private speech to Republican donors at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump says "it's great" that Chinese President Xi Jinping was able to become "president for life", and that "maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."[128]
White House Press SecretarySarah Huckabee Sanders says President Trump's personal attorneys have won an arbitration case against adult-film actress Stormy Daniels.[133]NBC News reports that Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, on February 27 initiated a private arbitration case against Daniels and obtained a restraining order that states that Daniels will face penalties if she discusses, in public, her alleged relationship with Trump. Daniels has filed a lawsuit that her non-disclosure agreement regarding her alleged relationship with Trump is invalid because Trump never signed it.[134]
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tooke resigns from his post.[135]
Thursday, March 8
President Trump signs proclamations which will impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from most countries in 15 days. Canada and Mexico are initially exempted from these tariffs while they talk with the U.S. about renegotiating NAFTA.[136]
President Trump meets with video-game executives to discuss how violent video games might contribute to mass shootings.[138]
Friday, March 9
President Trump pardons Kristian Saucier, who was convicted of unauthorized possession and retention of national defense information.[139]
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the White House would need to see "concrete and verifiable steps" toward the denuclearization of North Korea before Trump would meet with Kim Jong-un. An unidentified Trump official tells The Wall Street Journal that Trump has still accepted Jong-un's invitation.[140]
The Trump administration proposes gun and school safety measures, including improving the system of background checks and training school personnel to handle firearms.[142]
John McEntee, a long-time personal assistant to President Trump, is fired and escorted from the White House. McEntee then joins Trump's re-election campaign as a senior adviser, along with Katrina Pierson.[147]
Andrew McCabe, former acting director of the FBI who was due to retire with benefits in two days, was fired from the FBI by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the recommendation of FBI disciplinary officials for "lack of candor".[151]
The Kremlin announces President Trump's call to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his election victory.[152] National security advisers warned Trump against the call.[153]
H.R. McMaster resigns as National Security Adviser and John Bolton, a former ambassador to the United Nations, is named to succeed him.[155]
Friday, March 23
The White House issues a memorandum on Jim Mattis's recommended military policies, which state that transgender personnel are "disqualified from military service except under limited circumstances".[156]
The U.S. charges and sanctions nine Iranians and the Iranian company Mabna Institute for hacking and attempting to hack hundreds of universities on behalf of the Iranian government.[157]
^Min Kim, Seung; Everett, Burgess; Schor, Elana (January 22, 2018). "Congress votes to end shutdown". Politico. Archived from the original on January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
^Prokop, Andrew (February 24, 2018). "Democrats' response to the Nunes memo was just released". Vox. Retrieved February 24, 2018. Here's the full text of the Schiff memo... Democrats on the committee led by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) accused the memo of being misleading, and put together their own memo in response.