President Trump's First 50 Days: 5 Things To Know

President Trump has passed the 50-day mark of his time in office. These first days and months can serve to set the tone and demonstrate the administration's priorities for the rest of the president's term.

Thus far, the bulk of Trump's actions have relied on executive power, though the administration has helped put some legislative initiatives in motion as well. (For more information on these and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Here are five main things to know about Trump's presidency so far:

1. Executive orders

Trump has signed 16 executive orders, one fewer than Obama's 17 at this point in his presidency. But the number itself is relatively meaningless, since the substance of the orders themselves is most important.

The most notable of orders are the two immigration bans. The second version replaced the first, which was struck down in the courts. The first blocked citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, while the revised version shortened that list to six.

He has also signed orders directing the construction of a border wall, limiting the impact of Obamacare, rolling back environmental protections and limiting the number of regulations the executive branch can issue.

2. Leaks

Trump's relationship with the media has been largely defined by the combative tone he has struck with most media outlets, typified in his denunciation of the press as the "enemy of the American people." But the administration's relationship with the media has also been defined by extensive leaks.

Some of these leaks have had significant impacts on the administration, such as the revelation that Michael Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia, which were quickly followed by the former national security adviser's resignation. Others have been merely embarrassing, such as the reports that Trump had a heated argument with the prime minister of Australia.

Trump has pledged to crack down on these leaks, which have led to searches of the White House staff's phones, according to — you guessed it — more leaks. But Trump has also called much of the stories based on leaks "fake news," despite acknowledging that the leaks are real.

The White House has also denounced anonymously sourced stories, while many White House officials have themselves asked to be quoted anonymously.

3. Military actions in Yemen and Syria

While much of the country's attention has been focused on domestic issues, the Trump administration has made significant moves in foreign affairs. According to Foreign Policy, the military struck 40 targets with airstrikes in Yemen in an attempt to go after al-Qaida.

"The weeklong blitz in Yemen eclipsed the annual bombing total for any year during Obama’s presidency," write reporters Dan de Luce and Paul McLeary.

Trump has also approved Marines and special operations forces entering Syria and a raid on Yemen that left one Navy SEAL and dozens of civilians dead, according to multiple reports, including Reuters. Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of United States Central Command, has suggested sending more forces into Afghanistan.

4. Joint session of Congress speech

At an address to a joint session of Congress — the equivalent of a State of the Union speech — Trump earned praise for sticking to the script and delivering a rather constrained performance. He also drew attention to the widow of the Navy SEAL who died in Iraq, in what many observers found to be a very moving moment.

But critics still found much to denounce in his speech. Many argued that even without his more over-the-top antics, Trump's rhetoric was divisive and harsh, particularly his demonizaton of immigrants.

5. Health care bill

House Republicans rolled out an Obamacare replacement bill this week, called the American Health Care Act, as part of their pledge to dismantle the previous administration's signature achievement. Trump has attached himself to the legislation, calling it "wonderful" and saying he's "proud" of the bill.

Trump has begun trying to sell the bill to his fellow Republicans — and he'll need nearly every GOP senator to sign on if he wants it to pass. But already, interest groups, think tanks and lawmakers on both the right and the left have raised serious concerns about the bill, lowering its chances of success.

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