We know that readers have been bombarded with unusual developments, so we are trying to take as fair and structured an approach as possible to put major events in context. We defined normal as typical for presidential administrations, like the veto of a bill, while abnormal events would be highly unusual in contemporary American democracy, like ordering newspapers to suspend publication of the Pentagon Papers. We defined unimportant as having limited consequences for federal policy, like the menu for a state dinner. We considered important events to be those creating lasting and significant changes in policy, like the establishment of Social Security.

Many of the president’s controversial actions, like unwinding President Obama’s climate actions, were normal, the panel concluded, and others, like frequently vacationing at Mar-a-Lago, were viewed as unimportant. Still, some of the administration’s actions continued to be unusual and significant, they said, particularly the F.B.I.’s investigation into Russia ties, the administration’s attacks on the press and Mr. Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations that Mr. Obama wiretapped him.

Below are the 28 news events, grouped by their quadrant on our reality-check matrix.

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Mr. Trump has repeatedly insulted news organizations that produce what he sees as negative coverage. Here, our panel was in strong agreement. “His proposal indicates an attitude we might call ‘a-constitutional’: both unaware of and unconcerned with the First Amendment,” said Tom Ginsburg, professor of comparative and international law at the University of Chicago. Thomas Nichols, professor at the U.S. Naval War College, said, “What Spiro Agnew would have done if Agnew had even less respect for the law than he already did.”

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