Newswise — As we approach Donald Trump’s one-year mark in office, Virginia Tech political expert Charles Walcott offers this assessment of his presidency.

Ranking Trump’s top three accomplishments

· Tax reform. “Passage was a success, and it fulfilled the GOP agenda, though it did far less for the ‘base’ than Trump had promised.”

· Moving the embassy to Jerusalem. “Advances his pro-Netanyahu and arguably pro-Israel agenda in the Middle East.”

· The Judicial Branch. “The appointment of Neil Gorsuch, and other appointments, clearly allowed him to follow campaign promises to populate the judiciary with conservative judges.”

Ranking Trump’s top three shortcomings

· The facts. “It's hard to tell what is fantasy and what is flat-out lying, but we have never before had a president like this.”

· Governing. “He knows little about policy. This is convenient when he wants to change his mind. But it hurt him in the health care debates and it is continually embarrassing, leaving the impression that he is something close to a puppet of his handlers.”

· North Korea. “It now is a nuclear power. The toothpaste won't go back in the tube. Instead of dealing with that reality, Trump is trying to bully China and Russia while insulting ‘Rocket Man.’ I haven't been this worried since the Cuban Missile Crisis.”

Charles Walcott is a professor emeritus of political science, with extensive research focused principally upon understanding the structural evolution and workings of the White House office.

For secure a print or broadcast interview with Charles Walcott, contact Bill Foy at 540-231-8719 or 540-998-0288.

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