[This story has been optimized for offline reading on our apps. For a richer experience, you can find the full version of this story here. An Internet connection is required.]



An illustration of President Trump. (Robert Carter for The Washington Post)

A year ago, Donald Trump was elected president. We asked you to tell us what he's done right and wrong since. Here are some of your responses.

What Trump got right: He worked with Democrats on the debt ceiling and the budget.

What Trump got wrong: He canceled the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would have promoted U.S. trade at the expense of China. But President Trump thinks everything from the Obama administration is bad.

— Steve Kessler, 61, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

What Trump got right: The nomination of then-Judge Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court. As a Democrat, I'll likely disagree with his decisions, but he seems very well-qualified for the position. President Trump has also motivated millions of Americans to make their voices heard, though, admittedly, not in the direction he would like.

What Trump got wrong: It's a tie between normalizing lying and demonizing the press. Both are unforgivable.

— Maureen Driscoll, 54, Burbank, Calif.

What Trump got right: Firing Michael Flynn as national security adviser.

What Trump got wrong: The worst thing he's done to date is the speech he gave at the United Nations. Does he realize that threatening to destroy North Korea would be a war crime?

— Cathy Carey, 64, Healdsburg, Calif.

What Trump got right: The speeches President Trump gives wherein he maintains an adequate level of decorum or empathy strike me as ... fine. I actually truly believe him in these moments, and I think he does an all-right job of performing that aspect of the presidency, sometimes.

What Trump got wrong: His decision on transgender troops strikes me as the most repugnant thing that he's done. He announced in a fit of caprice a decision with apparently no prior thought. Seemingly with the sole goal of mollifying his base, he doubled down on his bigotry and discriminatory practices when called out on them. This isn't an area that he explicitly staked out as his during the campaign, like his racism or misogyny, but nevertheless he forged ahead in his attempts to denigrate an already persecuted group.

— Kaleb Pifer, 21, Detroit

What Trump got right: The best thing that President Trump has done is withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP would allow Australia, Canada and other powerful countries to bypass their own workers and shop for cheap labor in countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia. It emboldens countries with horrific human rights records and threatens labor rights in the United States. Trump made the right decision.

What Trump got wrong: The worst thing that Trump has done is issue Executive Order 13769 — the Muslim ban that he promised at the beginning of his campaign. By signing it, he threw the immigration system into chaos, encouraged the stereotype that immigrants and refugees are immoral and dangerous people, and stoked anti-American opinions around the world.

— Michael Leonetti, 20, Malvern, Pa.

What Trump got right: Allowing a team of Afghani teen girls to enter the United States for an international engineering competition.

What Trump got wrong: Banning Syrian refugees.

— Deborah Mantell, 43, Huntington Station, N.Y.

What Trump got right: Fired Stephen Bannon.

What Trump got wrong: Hired Stephen Bannon. Seriously: The further intentional coarsening of our public discourse is shocking, and shockingly discouraging. Any pretense of requisite competency for office, wisdom, knowledge of who we are and how we got here and compassion has been ripped from the fabric of our political culture. Sadly, I see no path to recovery that isn't naive and starry-eyed.

— Jack Rosberg, 69, Cundy's Harbor, Maine



Defense Secretary Jim Mattis listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Oct. 30. (Zach Gibson/Bloomberg)

President Trump speaks at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Va., on Jan. 21. (Olivier Douliery)

What Trump got right: Hired Jim Mattis as secretary of defense. He is an inspired choice, with a firm grasp of America's role on the world stage. He feels like the one untouchable in the entire Cabinet. President Trump could never get away with tweeting mean things about him or otherwise disrespecting the man in any way. His gravitas is too strong.

What Trump got wrong: It's a challenge to separate the awful things he's said (Charlottesville, embracing dictators like Vladimir Putin and Rodrigo Duterte) with the awful things he's actually done or tried to do. But to me the worst thing he's done has been to show utter disdain for the truth. It started on his first full day in office in front of the CIA wall, and it continues to this day. A representative example would be the bogus "voter fraud" panel that is dangerous in all sorts of ways.

— Rick Kronberg, 45, Livingston, N.J.

What Trump got right: Highlighted just how pro-business-class, pro-1 percent the GOP really is. He has also highlighted how complicit Republicans are in enabling American racism. President Trump put these things out in the open and dared them all to condemn it. They didn't.

What Trump got wrong: Trump has caused America to resign as the country that leads the free world. We no longer are a good friend to our allies or even pretend to be a moral authority to the world. The GOP always accused President Barack Obama of leading from behind. It seems that the party would prefer a leader who, instead of leading, picks fights with other world leaders, daring them to start a war with us.

— Stephanie Fagnani, 42, Boston

What Trump got right: I applaud President Trump for attacking the Syrian military base after the regime reportedly used chemical weapons. I truly wish President Barack Obama would have done this the first time Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons.

What Trump got wrong: I blame Mitch McConnell for this one, but the worst thing Trump has done is nominate an ultra-conservative to the Supreme Court. Trump should never even have had that choice. McConnell took an oath to uphold the Constitution. Not only did he violate the Constitution by blocking Obama's rightful nominee, but he also kept 99 other senators from keeping their oath to uphold the Constitution.

— David Bingen, 51, Richmond, Va.

What Trump got right: Made people reevaluate their priorities. President Trump has enacted rollbacks of existing laws or policies, including the Affordable Care Act. A lot of Republicans had been adamant that this law should be repealed and replaced. However, when it came time to do so, the votes could not be counted on the Republican side. It seems a lot easier to say you want something rolled back than to actually do it.

What Trump got wrong: Continued the divisive campaign rhetoric. Up until this year, I have been a registered Republican. After the campaign debates and even more importantly, Trump's Twitter messages, I have re-registered as an independent. The rest of the party, not just Trump, has driven me to re-register as an independent as well. The constant defense of some very indefensible messaging from our president by the party is inexcusable.

— Ken Martin, 48, Pittsburgh



President Trump and first lady Melania Trump serve food to Hurricane Harvey victims at NRG Center in Houston on Sept. 2. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

Protesters and counterprotesters clash during the Unite the Right rally on Aug. 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. (Calla Kessler/The Washington Post)

What Trump got right: He went promptly to Houston and Florida after the storms.

What Trump got wrong: His characterization of neo-Nazis and white supremacists as fine people just about did me in. I am a 71-year-old white grandmother whose nephew has a black wife. My late Jewish husband also lost family in the Holocaust.

— Dorothy Lurie, 71, Oakland, Calif.

What Trump got right: His approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and the Dakota Access pipeline.

What Trump got wrong: His withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and casting aspersions on other free-trade agreements.

— Mark Kramer, 54, Cambridge, Mass.

What Trump got right: Firing cruise missiles into Syria to punish the Bashar al-Assad regime for reportedly using chemical weapons. It was a measured response that affirmed American global leadership and adherence to international law. It also came at a moment when Russia seemed to be testing Trump's resolve, and the president rose to the occasion.

What Trump got wrong: Firing James Comey under false pretenses, in an attempt to quash an investigation with serious national security implications because it risked embarrassment for President Trump, his family and his political allies. This was not only an impeachable act of criminal obstruction, but more important, it was an abuse of power and public trust.

— Benjamin Dryden, 34, Washington

What Trump got right: Eventually appointing a serious national security team after a couple of misfires is perhaps the single best thing President Trump has done. Trump's appreciation for generals and military leadership, if not taken too far, will pay dividends in keeping America's military presence respected and well-funded.

What Trump got wrong: The first Muslim ban is the single worst thing President Trump has done. Trampling on the due process rights of immigrants with residences and jobs here, and literally separating mothers and fathers from their children solely based on whether they happen to be traveling abroad, the order was needlessly cruel and poorly executed, and lacked any true legitimate justification. It was purely red meat for the Trump base.

— Paul Katz, 37, Fairfax, Va.

What Trump got right: Befriending and backing Israel.

What Trump got wrong: Demeaning American institutions such as the intelligence community, the free press and our past presidents.

— Kim Diaque, 63, Albuquerque

What Trump got right: Hired retired Gen. John F. Kelly as chief of staff. That decision seems to have reduced some of the soap opera in the White House.

What Trump got wrong: Refusing to condemn the white supremacists in Charlottesville. He legitimized violence, gave energy to hate groups and emboldened those who bring out the worst in America. Broadly, his criticism of the media and nonchalance about our Constitution have brought us one step closer to autocracy that our founders fought above all else to prevent.

— Jason Fernandes, 39, Atlanta



President Trump and Vice President Pence meet in the Office Office with Capitol Hill leadership, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), far left, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), on Sept. 6. (Bill O'Leary)

What Trump got right: Breaking recent GOP precedent in his attempts to work with Democrats. Reaching across the aisle has come to be seen as an inherent evil by many conservatives. President Trump's role-modeling in defiance of some loud voices in his own party may set a healthier precedent.

What Trump got wrong: Pulling the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, and other actions he's taken in the context of denying climate reality. It's a tight contest between this and his nuclear brinkmanship with North Korea. But climate change wins because the devastation of a conflict with North Korea is fairly likely (though by no means guaranteed) to be localized, and the devastation associated with climate change will not be so.

— Joshua Hicks, 40, Seattle

What Trump got right: I believe the best thing he has done is startle and remind the average American (voter and nonvoter alike) of the importance of voting.

What Trump got wrong: Making a stolen Supreme Court pick. Justice Neil Gorsuch's impact is going to be felt for a long, long time.

— Ryan Dinkgrave, 34, Royal Oak, Mich.

What Trump got right: Observed a moment of silence on Sept. 11.

What Trump got wrong: Claimed that the election was rigged and that fraudulent votes were cast for Hillary Clinton. There is nothing worse than undermining the electoral process with knowingly false claims. This is a clear violation of the oath of office to uphold the Constitution.

— Jonathan Leavitt, 60, Brookline, Mass.

What Trump got right: Hiring John F. Kelly as chief of staff. Since then, Tom Price, Sebastian Gorka, Stephen Bannon and a few other totally unqualified staff members have been fired.

What Trump got wrong: Not asking for a Congressional Budget Office score and blindly promoting repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act, while at the same time moving to sabotage the ACA. President Trump seems to have no concept of the consequences of his commands or the intricate details of the ACA.

— Ken Camarro, 77, Fairfield, Conn.

What Trump got right: Re-energizing the news media to perform their critical roles as watchdogs and impelling reporters and commentators to contemplate the newer complexities of "truth."

What Trump got wrong: Threatening military action against North Korea and, in the process, making us look much crazier than our opponents. Even if only the North Koreans are on the receiving end of nuclear weapons, they've already paid a heavy enough price living under that oppressive regime. They don't deserve to be obliterated any more than we do.

— Evelyn Tu, 55, Princeton, N.J.

What Trump got right: Appointed retired Gen. John F. Kelly as his chief of staff.

What Trump got wrong: Appointed Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency.

— Joe Alper, 63, Denver



U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks during a news briefing at the White House on Sept. 15. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

What Trump got right: The only thing he has done correctly in his presidency so far is deciding to pick Nikki Haley as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She is the only person that he has picked to be part of his administration who seems to have the competency to do her job.

What Trump got wrong: President Trump's biggest downfall is his use of Twitter to bully critics of him and his administration, including Meryl Streep, John Lewis, Carmen Yulín Cruz, Bob Corker, Kim Jong Un, John McCain, CNN and every news outlet besides Fox News, and many others. Trump has shown that the presidency is too much for his thin skin.

— Bram Hurvitz, 43, Pittsfield, Mass.

What Trump got right: Asked member states of NATO to start paying closer to 2­ percent of their gross domestic product toward defense.

What Trump got wrong: Undermined the strength of America's alliances abroad.

— Brody Knaak, 25, Pewaukee, Wis.

What Trump got right: Made highly publicized deportation threats to undocumented immigrants. I personally favor widespread amnesty for the undocumented, but Trump's "tough talk" in this area has decreased attempted illegal border crossings by a significant amount, despite the fact that actual deportation rates have NOT gone up. This is smart in a game-theory way, although I'm sure that is accidental in the case of this president.

What Trump got wrong: The Charlottesville response ranks among the most depressing moments in modern U.S. history. The president is racist and does not care if we know.

— Gregg Kavet, 47, La Canada, Calif.

What Trump got right: Suspended the Jones Act.

What Trump got wrong: Engaged in name-calling in an effort to escalate the confrontation with North Korea.

— Patricia Brooks, 52, New York

Compiled and edited by Becca Clemons and Molly Roberts. Illustration by Robert Carter. Design and development by Andrew Braford, Matt Callahan and Jake Crump.