History of the United States (2008–present)

The history of the United States from 2008 to the present began with the collapse of the housing bubble, which led to the Great Recession. The resulting economic downturn and general discontent led Barack Obama to win the presidential election in 2008, becoming the country's first African-American president. Obama's domestic agenda notably included economic stimulus packages and the Affordable Care Act. The year 2011 saw the formal end to the Iraq War as well as the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The War on Terror continued with a shift in attention toward the Islamic State in the 2010s.

Increased political polarization present during Obama's presidency led to a contentious presidential election in 2016 which saw businessman Donald Trump defeat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump ran on a populist message, enacting tax cuts, immigration restrictions, attempting to "Build a Wall" on the US–Mexico border, and an "America First" foreign policy. In December 2019, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted to pass articles of impeachment against Trump for his role in a scandal involving Ukraine. In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden defeated Trump, who (along with his supporters) made multiple attempts to overturn the election results, which included an attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. The attack and Trump's involvement led to his second impeachment. Biden has overseen the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the end to the War in Afghanistan, end of the War on Terror, and the trade war with China.