With a new decade upon us and the 2020 presidential election just around the corner, President Trump has to make his last year of his first term in office count, for better or for worse. What does 2020 have in store for America’s 45th president?

The Impact of Impeachment

On Dec. 18, 2019, President Donald Trump became the third president (proceeded by Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton) in United States history to be impeached. How will impeachment impact the rest of his presidency?

Even with the “shadow of impeachment” hanging over his campaign, President Trump has been “able to get openings in last-minute budget and bill negotiations that could drive policy gains that Trump wants,” as Democrats do not want the impeachment to slow down the government.

“His campaign has blasted out thousands of social media ads around impeachment that has generated a spike in fundraising in recent weeks,”  Time magazine reporters, Brian Bennett, and Tessa Berenson said. 

While it’s possible that impeachment could give President Trump a “political boost” to help him get reelected, it is not guaranteed. President Trump’s approval ratings are currently hovering in the 40s, which means he may not get as much “post-impeachment sympathy”, like former President Bill Clinton.

Unless he is removed from office, President Trump’s power will not change.

Tensions with Iran

Only a few days into the new year, Twitter and other social media platforms were flooded with panic (and memes) about the possibility of World War III, after it was announced General Qasem Soleimani, an important military figure in Iran, was killed by a United States drone strike on Jan. 3. 

Despite Iran sending missiles to Iraqi bases housing U.S. soldiers (no casualties reported), war does not seem to be on the horizon. President Trump did respond, not with missiles, but with more economic sanctions. As he said in a statement from the White House, President Trump is “holding the Iranian regime responsible for attacks against United States personnel and interests by denying it substantial revenue that may be used to fund and support its nuclear program, missile development, terrorism, and terrorist proxy networks, and malign regional influence.”

“President Trump announced new economic sanctions against Tehran but did not call for more military action against the Iranians during his first formal public remarks about the conflict since ordering the drone strike of Iran’s most important general last week,” The New York Times said.

Both the United States and Iran seem to be backing down from further conflict, but that isn’t a guarantee that the issue will not resurface in the future.

In the words of President Trump, “The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”

The 2020 Presidential Election

With the presidential election less than 42 weeks away, it is crucial that President Trump garner more support to his cause. It is likely that he will be the Republican nominee for the 2020 election, but who is he up against?

Currently, President Trump’s greatest competition is former Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading the Democrats in a national polling average of 27%, Senator Bernie Sanders (VT, I) with a national polling average of 19%, Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA, D) with a national polling average of 16% and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg with a national polling average of 9%, according to an article in The New York Times on Jan. 13.

As the nation is divided almost evenly when it comes to politics, it’s possible for the election to go either way. As a nation, we’ll have to wait and see if President Trump’s actions in the coming months, such as how he handles the situation in Iran as it continues to develop, help or hinder his campaign for reelection.