President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE landed in Washington, D.C., on Sunday night, marking the end of an eventful 17-day working vacation.

Trump hopped back and forth from his golf club in New Jersey to Trump Tower, also returning to the White House once.

His first week was dominated by tensions with North Korea, while the second was dominated by the fallout from a white supremacists rally in Charlottesville, Va., and the backlash to Trump’s reaction to it.

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Press coverage of his vacation was a constant thorn in Trump’s side, and before his return he tweeted: “Heading back to Washington after working hard and watching some of the worst and most dishonest Fake News reporting I have ever seen!”

Here’s a look at some of the highlights of Trump’s first August as president.

Friday, Aug. 4



Trump arrived at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., for the start of his stay.

The same day, Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP set to release controversial Biden report Trump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status MORE announced that the Justice Department would review its policies on subpoenas for media outlets that publish classified information.

Monday, Aug. 7



Trump sent out a series of tweets saying that he is “working hard” from the golf club and attacking The New York Times as “totally inept” for a report that Vice President Pence was considering running for president in 2020 if Trump does not seek reelection.

Irritation with the press was a recurring theme during the two weeks.



Tuesday, Aug. 8



After The Washington Post reported that North Korea had the technology to put a miniaturized nuclear warhead on a missile, Trump vowed that the country would be met with “fire and fury” if leaders continued to make any more threats of nuclear attack.



North Korea quickly responded with a threat to strike waters near Guam over Trump’s remarks.

Wednesday, Aug. 9

The Washington Post reported that FBI agents working with special counsel Robert Mueller had conducted a raid of former Trump campaign head Paul Manafort in July, adding another layer to Mueller’s investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Thursday, Aug. 10

Trump responds to Russian President Vladimir Putin's expulsion of 755 diplomats from Russia over new sanctions against the country, thanking him "because we're trying to cut down our pay roll."

Friday, Aug. 11

Trump tweeted early in the morning that military plans against North Korea were “fully in place” if the country did not back down on its threat to launch missiles toward Guam.

Trump later told reporters that he was “not going to rule out a military option” against Venezuela, saying that “a military option is certainly something that we could pursue.”

The Pentagon later pushed back against that report, saying they had “not received any orders with regards to Venezuela.” Venezuela is experiencing widespread protests over an economic crisis and a political crackdown by its president, Nicolás Maduro.

The White House also announced that Trump had refused to take a phone call from Maduro.

Later that evening, a crowd of white supremacists marched with torches through the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville ahead of a white supremacist rally the next day.

Saturday, Aug. 12

A white supremacist rally in Charlottesville against the removal of a Confederate statue drew thousands of counterprotesters, who clashed with the white supremacists.

Violence soon broke out at the rally, and a car as driven into a crowd of counterprotestors, killing one woman and leaving more than a dozen others injured. The alleged driver of the car was in Charlottesville to attend the white supremacist rally.

Trump condemned the violence, but drew fire for blaming “many sides” and for refusing to single out white supremacists in his statement.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides — on many sides,” Trump said at a press conference from his New Jersey golf course.

“It's been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaDemocratic Senate campaign arm outraises GOP by M in August A federal court may have declared immigration arrests unconstitutional Blunt says vote on Trump court nominee different than 2016 because White House, Senate in 'political agreement' MORE. This has been going on for a long, long time,” he continued.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle quickly responded, denouncing the white supremacists and calling on Trump to do the same.

Sunday, Aug. 13

Trump continued to face backlash from lawmakers over his response to Charlottesville. Protests broke out across the country against the white supremacists and Trump’s comments.

The White House also released a statement clarifying that Trump did condemn white supremacists.

Monday, Aug. 14

Kenneth Frazier, the CEO of pharmaceutical company Merck, announced that he was resigning from Trump’s manufacturing advisory council over Trump’s response to Charlottesville, triggering other business leaders to reconsider their positions on the council.

Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich both announced later the same day that they too were resigning from the council over Trump’s remarks.

Trump condemned racism as “evil” and denounced hate groups in a surprise public statement from the White House after facing backlash for not singling out white supremacists in his initial response to Charlottesville.

Thousands of protestors gathered across the country to protest against Trump and Confederate statues, with protestors in North Carolina toppling a Confederate statue and hundreds gathering outside Trump Tower in New York City, where Trump was staying.

Tuesday, Aug. 15

Trump doubled down on his initial response blaming “both sides” for the violence in Charlottesville in an explosive press conference in Trump Tower.

“What about the alt-left that came charging at the, as you say, the alt-right?” Trump said. “Do they have any semblance of guilt? What about the fact they came charging with clubs in their hands, swinging clubs? Do they have any problem? I think they do. As far as I am concerned, that was a horrible, horrible day.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un backed down from his threat against Guam in a victory for Trump.

Three more members of Trump’s manufacturing advisory council resigned from their posts over his Charlottesville comments, placing pressure on the remaining members of the council over their decision to not yet leave.

Wednesday, Aug. 16

Trump announced that he was disbanding his advisory councils, minutes after the members of his business council told him that they were all resigning over his response to Charlottesville.

Three House Democrats introduced legislation to censure Trump over his response to Charlottesville and his “failure to immediately and specifically name and condemn the white supremacist groups responsible for actions of domestic terrorism.”

Thursday, Aug. 17

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) announced that he was filing articles of impeachment against Trump over his response to Charlottesville.

“President Trump has failed the presidential test of moral leadership,” Cohen said.

Friday, Aug. 18

Steven Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist, left the Trump administration.

Bannon returned to his old job heading Brietbart News that same day.

Trump met with his advisers at Camp David to discuss Afghanistan and South Asia.

Fallout from Charlottesville continued, as Trump’s entire presidential arts and humanities commission quit.

Saturday, Aug. 19

The White House announced that Trump and first lady Melania Trump would break with tradition and not attend this year’s Kennedy Center honors to avoid “political disruption.”

Sunday, Aug. 20

The White House announced that Trump will give a prime-time address to the nation on Monday night to discuss his strategy for Afghanistan.

Trump returned to D.C., ending his vacation.