|
|
|
When Obama
took office |
As Trump
takes office |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Free” countries | Obama’s term in office coincided with the so-called Arab Spring revolts against dictators in the Middle East. But the overall picture for freedom around the world didn’t change much. The number of countries considered “free” by Freedom House, as defined by a number of measures pertaining to things like corruption, civil rights, and free and fair elections, has changed little since around the time Obama took office. (Sources: 1, 2) | 89 (2008) | 86 (2015) |
| North Korean nuclear tests | North Korea pulled out of a nuclear deal in 2003, leading to one test of nuclear explosives by the end of George W. Bush’s term and four more during Obama’s. (Sources: 1, 2) | 1 (Jan. 20, 2009) | 5 (Jan. 20, 2017) |
| Detainees at Guantanamo Bay | Obama promised to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, where many have been held for years without charges. It’s not closed but the numbers are way down. About 40 are considered too dangerous to release and Congress has opposed jailing them in the U.S. (Sources: 1, 2) | 242 (Jan. 20, 2009) | 45 (Jan. 20, 2017) |
| Countries facing repeated airstrikes | President Obama pledged to end U.S. major combat operations in two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan, launched by President Bush. Obama did remove the large ground forces sent to these countries. But Obama expanded drone strikes and extended them to additional countries. As Obama leaves office, the U.S. military is carrying out almost daily airstrikes in three countries (Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan) and has about 15,000 military personnel in these countries. (Countries facing airstrikes under George W. Bush: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Somalia. Under Barack Obama: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Libya and Yemen.) | 4 (Number under Bush) | 7 (Number under Obama) |
| South China Sea islands built by China | Here’s another potential flashpoint. Since 2013, China has dredged and built up seven reefs that it occupies in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China claims much of the South China Sea for itself; an international tribunal last year rejected China’s claims. (Sources: 1, 2) | 0 (Jan. 20, 2009) | 7 (Jan. 20, 2017) |
| Forcibly displaced people | The number of forcibly displaced people — generally people fleeing war — has created a huge migrant and refugee wave during Obama’s term. Much of the increase is caused by the Syrian civil war. (Sources: 1, 2) | 42 million (2008) | 65.3 million (end of 2015) |
| U.S. embassies in Cuba | The Obama administration’s re-establishment of relations with Cuba unfroze a Cold War standoff that saw the U.S. break relations in 1961. Critics said the U.S. should have waited until the island improves its human rights record. (Sources: 1, 2) | 0 (Jan. 20, 2009) | 1 (Jan. 20, 2017) |
| Nuclear warheads (all countries) | The number of nuclear warheads has fallen off massively since the 1980s. During Obama’s presidency, the decline continued, though much slower than it was years ago. (Sources: 1, 2) | 11,947 (2008) | 9,920 (2015) |