How has Donald Trump changed US laws and treaties?

The PA news agency looks at some of the changes Mr Trump and his administration have implemented over the last four years in the White House.

– The Supreme Court

Over his first term, Mr Trump has managed to appoint two justices to the Supreme Court, with a third appointment highly likely.

After the death of Antonin Scalia in 2016, the Senate refused to confirm then-president Barack Obama’s pick Merrick Garland in the election year.

Instead, the new justice was picked by Mr Trump, who chose Neil Gorsuch for the life-long seat on America’s highest court.

Brett Kavanaugh was the next justice appointed by the current president, replacing Anthony Kennedy following his retirement.

Mr Kavanaugh was appointed despite a historic allegation of sexual assault from Dr Christine Blasey Ford, who gave evidence to the appointments committee.

Following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Mr Trump has named Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat.

A devout Roman Catholic, Ms Barrett has been hailed by religious conservatives in stark contrast to Ms Ginsberg, who was widely praised by liberals.

Mr Trump has also left an impression on the lower courts during his first term in office.

According to Pew Research Center data, Mr Trump has appointed nearly a quarter of all active federal judges.

As of July, the incumbent president had appointed 194 judges to federal courts.

– Healthcare

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump repeatedly called for the end of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare.

He has recently reiterated that he still intends to repeal and replace the ACA.

Although he is yet to do so, the Trump administration has removed penalties for not having health insurance, known as the individual mandate.

– Abortion rights

Mr Trump has called for sweeping changes on the laws surrounding many social issues during his time in office.

The 74-year-old is anti-abortion and has described himself as the first “pro-life president” since Roe V Wade, the 1973 decision that legalised abortion.

The landmark decision is a frequent target for anti-abortion campaigners, and Mr Trump promised in 2016 to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would overturn it.

Mr Trump has implemented a ban on federal family planning funding going to organisations that provide abortions or make referrals.

This has meant organisations such as Planned Parenthood have lost significant funding.

Many state legislatures have laws known as the targeted regulation of abortion providers, or Trap laws.

These laws place requirements on abortion providers that can make it practically difficult for them to operate while not technically outlawing abortions.

This can include requiring admitting privileges at a local hospital or having corridors of a particular width.

One of these laws in the state of Texas was found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2016, however, many of these laws remain in place and would face a different panel of justices if taken to the US’ highest court.

– Civil rights

In January 2017, Mr Trump implemented a ban on travel into the US from several Muslim-majority countries.

In the original order, travel was suspended from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days.

It blocked refugee admissions for 120 days and suspended travel from Syria indefinitely.

However, this ban has been repeatedly amended and challenged in the courts.

– LGBT rights

The Trump administration has rolled back protections for LGBT people, particularly transgender people, in the US.

As well as announcing a ban on transgender people openly serving in the armed force, the Department of Justice issued a memo in 2017 changing guidance and saying that transgender people were no longer protected from discrimination under the Civil Rights Act.

– Environment

Mr Trump has called climate change a “hoax” and has worked to sever US ties to the Paris Agreement.

The key environmental pact was signed in 2015 where nearly every country committed to keep temperature rises “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to curb them to 1.5C to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Mr Trump has been very critical of the agreement and announced the US would be leaving, to international criticism.

– International relations

Mr Trump has significantly affected other international treaties.

In 2018, he also withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, an agreement between Iran, the UK, US, France, Germany, Russia and China which would restrict Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons.

He withdrew US support from the international Arms Trade Treaty in 2019, an accord regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade.

Mr Trump has also formally moved to withdraw the US from the World Health Organisation.

The president made his intentions clear in late May, accusing the body of being under China’s control in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite calls from the EU and others, he said he would pull out of the UN agency and redirect funds elsewhere.