A Year Of Trump: Most Notable Stories of 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — One year ago, Donald Trump was still president-elect, not yet sworn in, and the possibilities for his first year in office were wide open. Would Obamacare be repealed? Would Republicans pass massive tax overhaul? Would Trump even get along with Congress? Would he keep tweeting?

We have learned the answers to those questions even as many more have popped up. It's been a rapid-fire year in political news, and below is a collection — far from comprehensive — of some of the most notable stories of the year that put the White House front and center.

Did we leave out any key stories about President Trump in 2017? Let us know in the comments.

The 'Dossier' Revealed

After BuzzFeed published in early January a document alleging that the Russian government long cultivated Donald Trump and obtained compromising information about him, the then-president-elect called it 'A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE.' Debates about the dossier's origin, its use by the FBI and the truth of its contents, continue to this day.

Donald Trump Sworn In, Makes First Address As President Of United States

After beginning his inauguration speech with a nod toward bringing the country together to "get the job done," Trump criticized many of the politicians sitting behind him during the swearing-in ceremony.

"For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost," Trump said.

Sean Spicer Attacks Media For Coverage Of Inauguration Crowd Size

In his first appearance as White House press secretary, Sean Spicer made the bold claim — contradicted by all available evidence — that President Trump's inauguration crowd was the biggest ever. Comparisons of photographs of previous crowds done by major news outlets like CNN and the Washington Post clearly showed that many more people were in attendance at President Obama's inauguration in 2009.

Trump Orders Missile Strike On Syria After Reports Of Chemical Weapon Use

The United States launched 59 Tomahawk missiles, the first direct U.S. military attack on the government of President Bashar al-Assad since the country's civil war began six years ago. The action was in response to the Syrian government's chemical weapons attack Tuesday that killed at least 80 people, including babies and young children.

FBI Director James Comey Fired

James Comey, the FBI director who ignited fury on both sides of the political spectrum with concurrent investigations into both Hillary Clinton and the Donald Trump campaign while fiercely striving to maintain his independence, was fired in May in what many perceived to be an attack on the ongoing Russia investigation. Trump's decision to terminate Comey led to the appointment of Robert Mueller to head an ongoing special counsel investigation.

Robert Mueller Chosen As Special Counsel In Trump-Russia Probe

Mueller, a former director of the FBI himself, was widely praised as an upstanding choice for the special counsel when Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the decision.

Trump Reveals Sensitive Israeli Intelligence To The Russians

Trump came under fire after the Washington Post, along with several other outlets, reported that he gave Russian officials potentially sensitive classified intelligence. Officials told the Post the decision was "reckless," that it endangered the source of the intelligence and jeopardized the espionage-sharing relationships with allies, but National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said nothing improper happened.

Donald Trump Jr. On Russian Campaign Aid Offer: 'I Love It'

Donald Trump Jr. tweeted emails in July that showed, for the first time, that he and other top-level associates of his father were aware months before votes were cast for president in 2016 that the Russian government intended to sway the election. In response to an offer from someone supposedly offering dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russian government, Trump Jr. wrote: "If it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer."

President Trump's Partisan Boy Scouts Speech Met With Fierce Blowback

Despite an opening promise to "put aside all policy fights in Washington, D.C.," Trump peppered a speech to the Boy Scouts with by taking shots at the "fake news" media, which he joked would underestimate the size of the crowd that "looks like about 45,000 people" and "report it at about 200."

President Trump Calls 'Morning Joe' Hosts 'Psycho,' 'Low IQ'

"I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore)," he wrote. "Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!"

Anthony Scaramucci Out As White House Communications Director

In one of the most high-profile terminations of the Trump administration, Anthony Scaramucci was fired as White House communications director after just a few days on the job. His short tenure included an on-the-record profanity-laced tirade to a New Yorker reporter during which Scaramucci attacked several of his colleagues.

Trump Bashes San Juan Mayor After Hurricane Maria Devastates Puerto Rico

Trump attacked Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz in a series of early morning tweets, saying she had shown "poor leadership." The first in a series of tweets read "The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump."

Michael Flynn Pleads Guilty

Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, whose business dealings put him at the center of the 2016 election investigation into Russian meddling, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his communications with Russia's ambassador during the transition period before Donald Trump's inauguration and indicated top advisors to the president-elect knew of the conversations.

Trump's Accusers Call For Investigating The President

Three women who have accused President Trump of sexual harassment and assault called for a congressional investigation into the allegations against him at a press conference in December. They cited the recent waves of allegations of misconduct against prominent men as the impetus for bringing up allegations that they had previously aired.

President Trump Signs GOP Tax Bill Into Law

President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law this month, the final step in the lawmaking process for the legislation the Republican Party has long fought for. But since the president has not released his personal tax returns, as all other presidents have done during the campaign since President Nixon, it's unclear how the legislation will affect him personally. Most experts, however, say that he is almost certain to reap a windfall from the law.

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