Trump now one of most consequential American presidents | Politics | News

Newly sworn in a year ago, President Donald Trump declared in his inaugural speech that “America’s golden age begins right now.” From then on, he launched a “shock and awe” strategy to steer the country sharply to the right. The world, which experienced the first Trump Administration, thought it was prepared, but did not expect what happened next.

On his first day, Trump signed 26 executive orders to create U.S. energy independence, end DEI policies, implement major utility reform, and secure America’s border.

What presidents typically take four years to achieve, President Trump attempted in just one year. With his political comeback assured, President Trump was ready to recreate America into the MAGA dream of his first term, free of “the blob,” former GOP insiders, and the threat of impeachment or unfounded accusations of Russian collusion. The extreme legalism of Democrats during the Biden years has secured their power in the Republican Party with tremendous loyalty. His loyal team walked out the door with the confidence of veterans, knowing they were making history.

Domestically, Trump’s initial focus was on closing the southern border. Eight million illegal immigrants have crossed into the United States in the past four years, averaging 155,000 per month. Matches were under 100 in the summer. Through an executive order, he labeled drug cartels as terrorists and ICE began deporting them; US forces have launched deadly boat attacks in the renamed Gulf of America.

Another important focus has been American energy policy. A year later, the United States, which once again left the Paris Climate Agreement and stopped the war on fossil fuels, has now become the first country to export more than 100 million tons of LNG per year.

Trump’s flagship legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, rescinded many Biden-era green tax credits and imposed no tax on tips and no tax on overtime pay. He also made lower income tax rates permanent and doubled child tax credits. The administration hopes this economic recipe, along with visa reforms such as the “Golden Visa” and tariff strategies that bring in $264 billion in 2025, will stimulate the US economy in the difficult interim period ahead.

Although President Trump was elected with a domestic agenda, he placed great emphasis on international relations. The “President of Peace” claimed to have brokered the end of eight wars, most importantly the return of all Israeli hostages and a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Unafraid to use hard force when necessary, the might of the American military has impressed the world with missions ranging from Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran’s uranium enrichment program, to Operation Absolute Resolve, which arrested Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro on narco-terrorism charges.

But most controversially, Trump has reshaped geopolitics into a bifurcated geopolitics between the United States and China: Trump’s Corollary. This shift has made it difficult for the new and old worlds to find common ground on tariffs, ceasefires, defense spending, or freedom of expression. The Trump Administration and the Europeans are talking behind each other’s backs.

The shake-up began with Vice President Vance’s speech to the Munich Security Conference, where he talked about “censorship” and Europe’s “fear of its own voters.” Trump’s Independence Day tariffs came shortly after. To offset the U.S. trade deficit, President Trump declared a national emergency on trade deficits and confused allies by imposing “reciprocal tariffs” on imports, starting at a universal 10%. Sixty-five percent of Americans disapprove of this policy. At any moment, the US Supreme Court will rule on its constitutionality.

Back to Greenland, Americans believe they are the only ones with the weapons, capabilities, and potential to unearth rare minerals to defend the Arctic. According to a 1951 agreement with the Danes, Americans must first ask for permission to operate there, but that permission is always granted. But the Trump Administration does not want any extra steps and appears unconcerned about the potential impact on loyalist diplomatic relations.

On the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s second term, the question is: Can the “art of the deal” change geopolitics and keep the NATO alliance intact?

Whether one likes him or not, President Trump is now one of the most important presidents in American history. America’s embrace and spread of self-belief and military prowess set it apart from its recent predecessors. Although dramatic change always comes at a cost, the question remains whether the old alliances that held together in the previous world order can adapt to the new one.