Any list like this involves judgment calls, so I'll focus on cases where there's either broad consensus that a stated goal went unmet, or where independent bodies (inspectors general, courts, the GAO, nonpartisan analysts) documented problems. I'm covering the first term (2017–21) in detail; my information on the second term is limited by my knowledge cutoff.
**COVID-19 response**
The U.S. recorded roughly 400,000 deaths by January 2021 and had higher per-capita mortality than most wealthy peers. Widely documented problems included a botched initial CDC test rollout, inconsistent public messaging that at times contradicted government scientists, shortages of PPE and reliance on state-level competition for supplies, and reluctance to use federal procurement authorities early. Operation Warp Speed, by contrast, is generally credited as a success.
**The 2020 election and January 6**
Refusing to concede, promoting fraud claims rejected in dozens of courts (including by Trump-appointed judges), pressuring state officials and the Vice President, and the resulting Capitol attack constitute the failure most frequently cited across party lines — it led to a second impeachment, with seven Republican senators voting to convict.
**Unfulfilled signature promises**
- *Repealing the ACA*: failed in the Senate in 2017 despite unified Republican control.
- *The border wall*: about 450 miles were built, mostly replacing existing barriers, and Mexico did not pay for it. Funds were redirected from military construction after Congress declined to appropriate them.
- *Infrastructure*: repeatedly promised, never introduced as serious legislation.
- *Eliminating the national debt*: debt rose by roughly $7–8 trillion.
**Fiscal outcomes**
The 2017 tax law did not generate the growth needed to pay for itself, per CBO, JCT, and most independent estimates. The deficit grew from about $585 billion (FY2016) to nearly $1 trillion in FY2019 — before pandemic spending — which is unusual during an expansion.
**Family separations at the border**
The DHS and HHS inspectors general found the policy was implemented without adequate planning or tracking systems, leaving thousands of children unaccounted for relative to their parents; some remained unreunited years later. Courts ruled key aspects unlawful.
**Trade policy**
China did not meet roughly 40% of its Phase One purchase commitments. Studies from the Fed, NBER, and others found tariff costs were borne largely by U.S. importers and consumers; the administration paid about $28 billion in farm bailouts to offset retaliation. Manufacturing entered a mild recession in 2019.
**North Korea**
Three historic meetings produced no verifiable denuclearization; North Korea expanded its nuclear and missile programs throughout.
**Iran**
Withdrawal from the JCPOA and "maximum pressure" did not produce a new agreement; Iran subsequently enriched uranium to far higher levels than the deal permitted.
**Afghanistan**
The 2020 Doha agreement was negotiated largely without the Afghan government and set a withdrawal timeline widely criticized as undermining Kabul's position — though the 2021 execution was the Biden administration's.
**Governance and process**
Record cabinet and senior-staff turnover, heavy reliance on "acting" officials (which the GAO found violated the Vacancies Act in some cases), and an unusually high rate of court losses on administrative-law grounds — the census citizenship question, the DACA rescission, and many regulatory rollbacks were struck down for procedural inadequacy rather than substance. The Office of Special Counsel also documented multiple Hatch Act violations.
**Other frequently cited items**
Hurricane Maria recovery in Puerto Rico (an estimated ~3,000 excess deaths, slow aid); rising opioid overdose deaths despite a declared emergency; refusal to divest from business interests; and the Charlottesville response.
**Second term (2025– )**
My knowledge here is incomplete, so I'd treat anything I say as provisional. Early flashpoints included tariff policy and market reaction, the scale and legality of executive-branch restructuring, and immigration enforcement litigation — but you'd want current sources for how those developed.
A caveat worth stating: supporters would contest several of these framings and point to pre-pandemic wage growth (especially at the bottom of the distribution), the Abraham Accords, criminal justice reform, judicial appointments, and Warp Speed. If you want, I can do the parallel list of successes, or go deeper on any single item here.