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Second presidency of Donald Trump
U.S. presidential administration since 2025 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Donald Trump's second and current tenure as the president of the United States began upon his inauguration as the 47th president on January 20, 2025.
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On his first day, Trump pardoned about 1,500 people convicted of offenses in the January 6 Capitol attack of 2021. At the beginning of his term, he issued many executive orders, some of which are being challenged in court.[1] On immigration, he signed into law the Laken Riley Act, signed executive orders blocking asylum-seekers from entering the U.S., reinstated the national emergency at the Mexico–U.S. border, designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations, attempted to end birthright citizenship, and initiated procedures for mass deportation of immigrants. Trump established the task force "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), which is tasked with cutting spending by the federal government and limiting bureaucracy, and which has overseen mass layoffs of civil servants. The Trump administration has also taken action against law firms.
The Trump administration enacted a series of tariff increases[2] and pauses[3] which led to retaliatory tariffs placed on the U.S. by other countries.[4] On April 2, a date he termed "Liberation Day", Trump announced large, across-the-board increases in tariffs.[5][6][7] A little more than a month later, on May 12, China and the U.S. announced a deal in which tariffs were lowered to 10% for U.S. goods moving into China and 30% for Chinese goods coming into the United States.[8] This agreement would hold for a period of 90 days.[9] All this is part of an ongoing trade war with China. These tariff moves and counter-moves caused the 2025 stock market crash, as well as a partial recovery.
In international affairs, Trump has further strengthened U.S. ties with Israel, suggested that the Gaza Strip be turned into a U.S. protectorate, and clamped down on perceived antisemitism on American college campuses. He authorized strikes that attacked the Iranian nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, involving the United States in the Israel-Iran War. He withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accords. Trump has also repeatedly expressed interest in annexing Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal. Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the administration temporarily suspended the provision of intelligence and military aid to Ukraine, offered concessions to Russia, requested half of Ukraine's oil and minerals as repayment for American support, and said that Ukraine bore partial responsibility for the invasion. The administration resumed the aid after Ukraine agreed to a potential ceasefire.[10]
Trump served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021. He is the second U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms[a] and the oldest person to assume the presidency. Following his victories in the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections, he is not eligible to be elected to a third term due to the provisions of the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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2024 election
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Trump, who previously served as 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and lost his reelection bid to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election,[11] announced his candidacy for the nomination of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election on November 15, 2022.[12][13] In March 2024, Trump secured the Republican nomination. Trump selected Senator JD Vance of Ohio, a former critic of his, as his running mate, and the two were officially nominated at the 2024 Republican National Convention.[14] On July 13, Trump was the victim of an attempted assassination during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.[15]
Early on November 6, 2024, the day after the election, Trump was projected to have secured the presidency.[16][17] Trump won the presidential election with 312 electoral votes, while Kamala Harris received 226.[18] Trump, upon taking office, was the second president in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland in 1893,[19] the oldest individual to assume the presidency, and the first convicted felon to serve the presidency following his conviction in May 2024.[20] Vance, as the third-youngest vice president in U.S. history, became the first Millennial vice president.[20] In the concurrent congressional elections, Republicans retained a reduced majority in the House of Representatives and took control of the Senate.[21]
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Transition period, inauguration, and first 100 days
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Inaugural portrait
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Incumbent president Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office on November 13, 2024
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Chief Justice John Roberts administers the presidential oath of office to Trump in the Capitol rotunda, January 20, 2025
The presidential transition period began following Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, though Trump had chosen Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick to begin planning for the transition in August 2024. According to The New York Times, Trump was "superstitious" and prefers to avoid discussing the presidential transition process until after Election Day. His transition team relied on the work of the America First Policy Institute, rather than the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that garnered controversy during the election for Project 2025, a set of initiatives that would reshape the federal government.[22] By October, he had not participated in the federal presidential transition process,[23] and he had not signed a required ethics pledge, as of November.[24]
During the transition period, Trump announced nominations for his cabinet and administration. Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2025, officially assuming the presidency at 12:00 pm, EST.[25] He was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts.[26] The inauguration occurred indoors in the Capitol Rotunda.[27] Two days before the inauguration, Trump launched a meme coin, $Trump.[28] In his first weeks, several of Trump's actions ignored or violated federal laws, regulations, and the Constitution.[29][30]
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Administration
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Cabinet
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Trump's cabinet choices were described by news media as valuing personal loyalty over relevant experience,[31][32] and for having a range of conflicting ideologies and "eclectic personalities".[33][34] It was also described as the wealthiest administration in modern history, with over 13 billionaires chosen to take government posts.[35][36] Trump officials and Elon Musk threatened to fund primary challengers in upcoming elections against Republican senators who did not vote for Trump's nominees.[37][38] Despite this, three Republicans — Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, and Lisa Murkowski — have voted against at least one of Trump's nominees; all three voted against U.S. secretary of defense Pete Hegseth.[39]
Loyalty tests
Once the second Trump presidency began, White House screening teams fanned out to federal agencies to screen job applicants for their loyalty to the president's agenda. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order asserting to restore merit-based federal hiring practices and "dedication to our Constitution".[40][41] As part of its U.S. federal deferred resignation program, the Trump administration demanded "loyalty" from federal workers.[42] In a break from politically neutral speech, the Justice Department issued memos about "insubordination", "abhorrent conduct" and vowed to pursue opponents of Trump's cost-cutting efforts "to the ends of the Earth" in what was described by current and former law enforcement officials as a campaign of intimidation against agents insufficiently loyal to Trump.[43]
Staffers were dispatched across federal agencies to look for anti-Trump sentiment among government agencies. Some new hires were told to provide examples of what they did to help Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, when their moment of "MAGA revelation" occurred, prove their "enthusiasm", be positively referenced by confirmed loyalists, and provide access to their social media handles. The Associated Press described the intense loyalty tests as a way to separate individuals following traditional Republican orthodoxy from Trump's MAGA ideology.[44] Candidates for top national intelligence and law enforcement positions were given Trump loyalty tests. Candidates were asked to give yes or no responses to whether or not January 6 was an "inside job" and whether or not the 2020 election was "stolen". Those that did not say yes to both answers were not hired.[45]
Advisors
Trump had assistance from Elon Musk, other political operatives, and an antisemitism task force.[46] Advisors were Christopher Rufo in education; Stephen Miller in domestic policy and immigration; and four co-authors of Project 2025: Russell Vought, Peter Navarro, Paul S. Atkins, and Brendan Carr.[47]
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Executive orders
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Trump began office with the most executive orders ever signed on the first day of a United States presidential term,[48] at 26 executive orders.[49] Following behind Trump's executive order tally is Joe Biden at 9 executive orders on January 20, 2021,[50] then Barack Obama at 2 executive orders, and Bill Clinton at 1 executive order.[51] Trump's signing of executive orders was described as a "shock and awe" campaign that tested the limits of executive authority.[52][53] Four days into Trump's second term, analysis conducted by Time found that nearly two-thirds of his executive actions "mirror or partially mirror" proposals from Project 2025,[54] which was seconded with analysis from Bloomberg Government.[55]
The signing of many of Trump's executive orders are being challenged in court, as the executive orders are affecting federal funding, federal employee status, immigration, federal programs, government data availability, and more. The majority of the cases are being filed in response to executive orders related to the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Executive Order 14158, and the actions taken by Elon Musk and the DOGE team towards federal agencies as self-identified cost-cutting measures.[56]
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Domestic policy
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Abortion
Before being elected, Trump had declared that abortion should be delegated to states in April 2024.[57][58] Trump criticized the Arizona Supreme Court's ruling in Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Mayes (2024), in which the court upheld an 1864 law criminalizing abortions except to save the life of the mother, stating that he would not sign a federal abortion ban.[59][60]
After the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in LePage v. Center for Reproductive Medicine (2024) that frozen embryos are living beings, Trump positioned himself in favor of in vitro fertilisation (IVF).[61][62]
On January 24, 2025, Trump reinstated the Mexico City policy (“global gag rule”), which had been rescinded by the Biden administration. Since the Reagan administration in the 1980s, this rule has been put in place during Republican administrations and rescinded during Democratic administrations.[63]
In May 2025, the Trump administration asked that Missouri v. FDA, a lawsuit filed by Missouri, Idaho and Kansas in the Northern District of Texas before Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, be dismissed arguing the states did not have standing. The suit sought to restrict access to Mifepristone including by prohibiting telehealth prescriptions.[64][65][66]
In June 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rescinded guidance requiring that hospitals provide emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.[67][68][69]
Legislation
"Big, Beautiful" Budget Bill
President Trump is supporting what he calls the "Big, Beautiful" Budget Bill. This bill was passed in a close vote by the House of Representatives in on May 22, and has yet to be voted on by the Senate.[70]
The bill would make permanent the Trump tax cuts of 2017 and would also make tip income and overtime pay be tax-free. As a cost savings, it would introduce a work requirement for able-bodied adults without children who are on Medicaid.[71]
The 1,116-page bill would do a number of other things such as increasing military spending by $150 billion,[72] including $25 billion towards the planned Golden Dome defense system.[73] The bill puts $50 billion towards construction of a border wall and $4 billion towards Border Patrol.[74]
Because the overall bill would add to yearly budget deficits, four Republican Senators have expressed doubts. And as of early June, passage in its current form is in doubt. There were also concerns because of the recent downgrading of the U.S. credit rating that Treasury bonds would require higher interest rates to sell the normal amount. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) said that every 1% increase in interest rates costs taxpayers about $360 Billion more a year just to carry the national debt.[75]
In the first week of June 2025, Trump and Musk began publicly feuding. Musk called the budget bill a "disgusting abomination." Trump wondered aloud about cancelling some government contracts with Musk corporations. Musk wrote on X: "Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!". Jeffrey Epstein was the financier with convictions for sex abuse.[76]
Musk also floated the idea of starting a new political party.[77]
On June 16, Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee released their version. This would lower the current plans for how much persons can deduct from their income tax for state and local taxes (SALT deduction). It would also lower the Medicaid “provider tax” from a current 6 percent to 3.5 percent by the year 2031. This provider tax is one source of funding that states use to pay for their share of Medicaid. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) said, “This is a whole new system that is going to defund rural hospitals effectively in order to what, pay for solar panels in China? This needs a lot of work.”[78]
FEMA
In April, the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied an extension of benefits for areas in Georgia and North Carolina which had been hit by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.[79]
Tornadoes hit parts the state of Mississippi in mid-March and a major disaster declaration by the federal government took more than two months, even at the request of Governor Tate Reeves (Republican) of Mississippi. FEMA's new acting-administrator David Richardson suggested policy changes and said that there could be “more cost-sharing with states.”[80]
On May 23, the Trump administration approved disaster aid for areas within 8 states including Mississippi. The other 7 states with areas so designated are Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.[81]
Health policy
On November 14, Trump announced that he would nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary. This was controversial given Kennedy's repeated endorsement of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. The director of the American Public Health Association, America's largest organization of public health professionals, said, "He is not competent by training, management skills, temperament or trust to have this job."[82] In December, Trump revealed he was discussing ending childhood vaccination programs with Kennedy and promoted the scientifically debunked claim of a link between vaccines and autism.[83]
On February 18, Trump signed an executive order calling for the policy recommendations for reducing the out-of-pocket costs of IVF, or In Vitro Fertilisation.[62][84] On February 25, Trump signed an executive order to improve healthcare cost transparency.[85]
By late April, the Trump administration had placed on leave and then temporarily rehired federal employees in the NIOSH, or National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, who had been involved in monitoring for black lung disease.[86]
On June 9, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices. He claimed that it “has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.” Senator Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), a medical doctor, said “now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.” These firings came before a scheduled June 25 meeting in which the Committee was expected to issue new recommendations for vaccines including COVID-19.[87][88]
In late January, several CDC websites, pages, and datasets related to HIV and STI prevention, LGBT and youth health became unavailable for viewing.[89][90] Shortly thereafter, the CDC ordered its scientists to retract or pause the publication of all research which had been submitted or accepted for publication, but not yet published, which included any of the following banned terms: "Gender, transgender, pregnant person, pregnant people, LGBT, transsexual, non-binary, nonbinary, assigned male at birth, assigned female at birth, biologically male, biologically female."[91]
In mid-February, around 1,300 CDC employees were laid off.[92] In April, it was reported that among the reductions were the elimination of the Freedom of Information Act team, the Division of Violence Prevention, labs involved in testing for antibiotic resistance, and the team responsible for recalls of hazardous infant products. Additional cuts affected the technology branch of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, which was established during the COVID-19 pandemic.[93]
Economic
Tariffs
After a complex negotiation involving tariff hikes, retaliatory tariffs, and pauses, China and the U.S. announced a deal on May 12, 2025. Tariffs were to be pegged at 10% for U.S. goods going into China and 30% for Chinese goods coming into the United States.[8]
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Foreign policy
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A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that more than half in 19 of 24 countries surveyed, said they lack confidence in Trump’s leadership of world affairs, with views about Trump differing sharply along ideological and partisan lines.[94]
Among 24 surveyed countries, Trump's 2025 ratings trailed those of Joe Biden's 2024 ratings by an average of twelve percentage points in world affairs, though Trump fared better among right-wing populist parties in Europe.[95]
Trump's second term foreign policy has been described as a mixture of both imperialist and expansionist policies.[96][97][98][99] He engaged in a realist and isolationist "America First" foreign policy agenda.[100][101] His relations with allies were transactional and ranged from indifference to hostility, and he threatened them with economic tariffs or annexation.[102][103] He was described as taking the side of Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine,[102][103][104] and overseeing a rupture of the post-1945 rules-based liberal international order and abandonment of multilateralism.[105][100][101]
Trump, historians, and commentators frequently compared his foreign policy to former president William McKinley in relation to expansionism and tariffs.[106][107][108] Michael Klare wrote that containing the influence of China and preventing the rise of any rival power is the central foreign policy objective of the Trump administration, comparing Trump's approach to the Wolfowitz Doctrine.[109] Trump has attempted to deepen the U.S.-India partnership.[110]
A combination of American allies, enemies, and critics have responded to comments and actions of the second Trump administration.[111] Countries like Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark and Finland are warning their citizens about traveling to the U.S. as they can be detained without warning.[112][113][114][115][116]
Europe
The Trump administration has argued that European nations should contribute more to their own defense while the U.S. focuses on China.[117] During his 2024 campaign, he said he would not defend NATO allies if they did not meet the alliance's spending target of 2% of GDP on defense, and that he would "encourage" Russia to "do whatever the hell they want".[118][119][120] Trump officials privately expressed contempt for European "freeloading";.[121][122] Trump's policies and rhetoric accelerated an ongoing European rearmament.[123][124][125][126] Trump called Poland, which exceeds the NATO defense spending target, "one of the best groups of people I have ever met".[127] Trump's administration has also expressed cultural disagreement with Europe and the European Union: in a speech at the 61st Munich Security Conference, Vice President Vance criticized European policies on free speech and democratic values, and accused European leaders of suppressing dissenting views on issues such as immigration.[117][128] Vance also expressed support for lifting restrictions on the Alternative for Germany, a far-right German political party.[129] Trump's first foreign visit as president-elect was to Paris for the reopening of the Notre-Dame de Paris, during which he met with French president Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the war in Ukraine,[130][131] and met with other European officials.[132][133] While meeting with British prime minister Keir Starmer in February 2025, Trump accepted a request from King Charles III for a state visit in the U.K.;[134][135] both Trump and Starmer praised the U.S.–U.K. "Special Relationship".[134]
Trump began a push for peace negotiations to end the Russia–Ukraine war.[136] In February 2025, Trump held phone calls with Russian president Vladimir Putin and with Zelenskyy that he said marked the beginning of negotiations.[137] He threatened Ukraine with a suspension of U.S. military aid[138] and Russia with sanctions and tariffs if he decided they were not negotiating in good faith.[139][140] The U.S. sought a mineral resources agreement with Ukraine[141] though was unwilling to offer postwar security guarantees for Ukraine in exchange.[141][142] Negotiators reached a deal on the agreement[143][144][145] but the agreement fell through after a contentious meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office that ended when the Ukrainian delegation was abruptly asked to leave.[134][146] Afterwards, the U.K. and France developed a proposal in which a "coalition of the willing" would provide security guarantees to Ukraine.[147][148] The U.S. and Russia held a summit in Saudi Arabia for peace talks in February[149] and U.S. held a summit with Ukraine the next month, during which Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire.[150][151] Putin did not accept the ceasefire,[152] though on 18 March Russia agreed to a 30-day ceasefire only for strikes on energy infrastructure and in the Black Sea,[153] which Ukraine agreed to.[154][155]
Africa
Trump's administration strained relations with South Africa. Trump suspended all aid to South Africa, saying the country's land expropriation law discriminated against Afrikaners;[156] he also offered Afrikaners refugee status in the U.S.[117][157] Rubio refused to attend the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Johannesburg[158] and he declared the South African ambassador persona non grata for his criticism of U.S. policies.[159] Rubio condemned the Rwandan-backed Goma offensive in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and called for an immediate ceasefire and respect for territorial integrity.[160] U.S. officials entered into talks with the DRC on a minerals deal after a proposal from Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi.[161] In April 2025, the U.S. revoked all visas of and barred entry to citizens of South Sudan after a dispute over the deportation of a South Sudanese citizen.[162]
Asia
Middle East
Houthis
In March 2025, the U.S. began a series of airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen to counter attacks on Red Sea shipping, with the goal of restoring freedom of navigation and deterring further aggression.[163] U.S. officials accidentally included The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal group chat discussing the military plans, sparking a political scandal and accusations of risking national security and violating records-preservation laws.[164][165][166]
In May 2025, Trump announced that his administration had reached a ceasefire deal with the Houthis.[167]
Iran
Trump reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran and sought a new set of negotiations to limit Iran's nuclear program.[168][169] In March 2025, Trump sent a letter to Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei urging new negotiations and warning of military action if talks fail.[170][171][172]
On June 13, 2025, Israeli planes bombed sites in Iran associated with Iran's nuclear program. President Trump stated he was not involved, although Iranian leaders have said they do not believe this. There have been reports that Trump vetoed a plan to kill Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei, and that the United States communicated to Israel that Iran has not killed an American and discussions of killing political leaders should not be on the table.[173]
In retaliation, Iran has fired missiles and drones at Israel, most of which has been shot down by Israel's Iron Dome air defense system.[174] As of June 15, 24 people have been killed in Israel[175] and 224 people have been killed in Iran,[176] according to state media.
On June 18, Trump said he has not decided whether to join with Israeli bombing runs on nuclear program sites in Iran. Trump said that it is “very late to be talking.” An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman told Al Jazeera news that he did not believe the Trump administration could dictate to Israel what it can and cannot do.[177]
Regarding whether the United States will strike with B-2 planes carrying “bunker-buster” bombs directed against Iran's Fordo nuclear site (which is buried in a mountain), President Trump said, “Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”[178]
On June 21, 2025, the U.S. attacked three nuclear sites: the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, the Natanz nuclear facility, and Isfahan nuclear technology center.[179][180] B-2 airplanes took off from the state of Missouri and made the 18-flight to Iran, being refueled multiple times en route. Entering Iranian airspace, fighter jets cleared space ahead of them, and a Navy sub fired more than 24 Tomahawk missiles. The leading B-2 dropped two Massive Ordnance Penetrators bombs (MOPs, or “bunker-busters”) at the Fordo site. A total of 14 MOPs were dropped at two target sites. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said, “We devastated the Iranian nuclear program, but it's worth noting that the operation did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people.”[181]
On June 22, Trump said that since the Islamic regime in control of Iran has failed to make Iran great, it should be replaced to "Make Iran Great Again".[182][183]
Israel and Gaza
After being elected in November 2024, Trump said he wished to end the Gaza war,[184][185] telling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end Israel's invasion within two months[184] and warning Hamas that they would have "all hell to pay" if they did not agree to a ceasefire and release all hostages by Trump's inauguration.[186] Trump's incoming administration joined the Biden administration in pressuring negotiations,[187][188][189] and Israel and Hamas agreed to a phased ceasefire on January 15, 2025.[190][191][192] In February 2025, Trump proposed an American takeover of Gaza in which the territory's Palestinian population would be relocated to allow for its redevelopment, which was criticized by Egypt and Jordan.[193][194] The ceasefire lasted until March 18, when Israel launched attacks on Gaza.[195]
On May 16, while in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Trump said, “We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving.” This is an area of tension between President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel claims that Hamas systemically raids food aid in order to support its operations, and Israel has put forward a plan of food distributed through a system of hubs run by private contractors and protected by Israeli soldiers. The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been set up to carry out this plan and announced it would be ready to begin operations by the end of May.[196][197]
Syria
During the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives that toppled the Assad regime in Syria, Trump said that the U.S. should stay out of the conflict.[198] In March 2025, Rubio condemned the massacres of Syrian Alawites.[199] Trump agreed to lift sanctions on Syria after discussing the situation with Mohammed bin Salman and Erdoğan.[200][201]
Indian subcontinent
India rejected Trump's offer to mediate India–China tensions.[202] On February 13, 2025, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi became the fourth world leader to visit Donald Trump at the White House.[203]
In early 2025, deportations to Bhutan of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees who had been settled in the US for nearly two decades resulted in statelessness of the deportees following their interrogation and expulsion from Bhutan upon arrival. Some of the refouled refugees, who had encountered largely minor legal issues in the US, were then arrested for illegal entry to Nepal upon seeking to re-enter the refugee camps they had previously inhabited before US resettlement.[204][205]
In response to the 2025 India–Pakistan strikes, Vice President Vance said that, a potential war between India and Pakistan is "none of our business."[206]
Foreign aid
Freezing most programs for 90 days
DOGE dismantled most of USAID,[207] which had been a 10,000-person agency originally tasked to carry-out humanitarian projects.[208] USAID's critics maintained that many of the projects were in fact not all that humanitarian and/or much of the money was not well spent.[209]
In January 2025, the administration issued a 90-day stop-work order worldwide,[210][211] Stop work interrupted about 30 clinical trials,[212] and interrupted projects such as emergency medical care for displaced Palestinians and Yemenis, war refugees on the Sudan-Chad border, and heat and electricity for Ukrainian refugees.[211] The HIV Modeling Consortium estimated the death toll from HIV in sub-Saharan Africa at 14,872 adults and 1,582 children in the one month after Trump's January 2025 funding freeze.[213][214] A key controversy is whether or not waivers are being made and money actually starting to flow again for the most essential programs.[211] For example, the Associated Press reported on February 19, that waivers for PEPFAR, the program that has saved 26 million lives from AIDS, were not in force, despite a federal judge having lifted the funding freeze.[215]
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In early February 2025, it was reported that the USAID director of security and a deputy were put on administrative leave after they "blocked efforts by DOGE members to physically access restricted areas" in order to obtain sensitive information. The DOGE members did eventually gain access to the information, which reportedly included email as well as classified information for which they did not have security clearance. And they obtained the ability to lock USAID staff out. Musk had earlier tweeted "USAID is a criminal organization" and that it is "Time for it to die."[216] USAID staff were instructed to keep away from USAID headquarters while hundreds of USAID staff lost access to USAID computer systems.[207]
There have been reports that China has offered to take over development projects if the United States permanently leaves.[217][218][219]
During a February 6 press conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "If it's providing food or medicine or anything that is saving lives and is immediate and urgent, you're not included in the freeze."[220] However, a February 8 CNN article reported that many waivers were not being acted upon because of staff placed on leave, plus payment systems had been taken over.[220] In an interview before the February 9 Super Bowl, Trump said, "Let him take care of the few good ones", referring to Rubio.[221] Rubio's waivers were not in effect.[222]
On February 13, federal judge Amir Ali ordered the Trump administration to continue contracts and grants which were in effect January 19.[223] Chief Justice John Roberts, overseeing cases for the District of Columbia, paused this order.[224][225] On March 5, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the Trump administration must comply with Judge Ali's order.[226][227][228] However, the Supreme Court stated that Judge Ali must clarify what obligations the government must meet with "due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines".[226] On March 10, Judge Ali ruled that the Trump administration must pay for completed projects at the rate of 300 back payments a day, meaning four days for all 1,200 back payments, and this being for projects completed by February 13.[229][230] A March 11 ABC News article reported that, until recently, no payments were being made because DOGE had disabled the payment system.[230]
Keeping 17% of programs
On March 10, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he was cancelling 83% of USAID programs, or approximately 5,200 out of 6,200 programs. The remaining 1,000 programs (approximately) would be moved to the Department of State.[231][232] As of late March, DOGE no longer lists the details of canceled USAID contracts on its "Wall of Receipts" due to "legal reasons." DOGE lists approximately $12 billion saved, although a former USAID analyst estimates the actual amount is closer to $6 or $7 billion.[233]
President Trump stated the United States would help in response to the March 28 earthquake in Myanmar, although the question was asked by a former USAID executive of whether or not the United States will beat other countries in getting there with a relief team(s).[234] In early April, USAID announced it was adding back 14 nations to grants under the UN's World Food Programme. These nations include Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Jordan, Iraq and Ecuador, plus the International Organization for Migration in the Pacific region.[235] However, food aid was not restored to either Yemen or Afghanistan, with a State Department spokesperson saying this was "based on concern that the funding was benefiting terrorist groups, including the Houthis and the Taliban".[236]
Refugees
On May 12, 59 white South African refugees arrived from South Africa. The Trump administration has been criticized for fast-tracking their applications while pausing other refugee programs.[237]
The Trump administration slowed the entry of Afghan refugees into the U.S, including persons who had fought on the U.S. side against the Taliban. A leader of an American veterans group said, “these pilots risked everything for America. Their lives are now on the line because of our failure to follow through on our promises.”[238]
On May 12, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem announced that TPS, or Temporary Protected Status, for Afghan refugees would be ended in 60 days, which is the shortest time period permitted by United States law. This decision cited improved conditions in Afghanistan.[239][240]
The Hill reports that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has stated that the situation in Afghanistan has not improved, with a report stating “The large-scale returns are putting even greater pressure on already stretched humanitarian resources.” On the other hand, Secretary Noem has pointed to an increase in tourists from China and a drop in the number of Afghans needing assistance from 29 million to 24 million. [239]
Fox News reports that the leader of “Afghans for Trump,” which formed in the aftermath of President Biden's chaotic 2021 withdraw from Afghanistan, states that conditions have not significantly improved and is urging President Trump to reconsider.[240]
Trade
Trump has said he would establish an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs.[241] In February 2025, Trump announced tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China, and acknowledged that U.S. consumers may feel "short-term" pain as a result.[242] The 10% Chinese tariffs went ahead, while North American tariffs were paused for 30 days. On March 4, the administration imposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada (with a lower 10% tariff on Canadian energy) and an additional 10% tariff on China, for a total of 20%.[243] China and Canada responded immediately with retaliatory tariffs, while Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum stated their tariffs would be announced on March 9.[244]
Expansionism
In the lead-up to his second inauguration, Trump proposed plans and ideas that would expand the United States' political influence and territory.[245] It has been characterized as a revival of the Monroe Doctrine.[246] The last territory acquired by the United States was in 1947 when the Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall Islands were acquired.
Canada
The Trump administration has imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods imports that do not fall under Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement, with exceptions for steel, aluminum, and Canadian-made passenger vehicle content.[247] Canadian officials responded with retaliatory 25% tariffs,[248][249] and have even proposed cutting off the supply of Canadian energy into the Northern United States.[250] Manitoba has diverted energy to Canada that it previously supplied to the USA.[251] Peter Navarro, a trade envoy and high-ranking Trump official, has suggested expelling Canada from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance to increase pressure in the trade war.[252]
Trump has repeatedly stated his desire for the United States to annex Canada and calling for it to become the 51st state,[253] calling former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau "Governor of the Great State of Canada".[254] Trudeau stated to business leaders in Canada that he believes the annexation threats are a "real thing."[255] The strained relations have led to a "Buy Canadian" movement to boycott American goods and services,[256] and booing the American national anthem during international hockey games.[257] When tariffs were implemented on March 4, Trudeau stated that Trump's goal in the trade war was to weaken Canada in order to annex it.[258]
Greenland
In December 2024, Trump stated a further proposal for the United States to purchase Greenland from Denmark, describing ownership and control of the island as "an absolute necessity" for national security purposes. This builds upon a prior offer from Trump to buy Greenland during his first term, which the Danish Realm refused, causing him to cancel his August 2019 visit to Denmark.[259][better source needed] On January 7, 2025, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland's capital city Nuuk alongside Charlie Kirk to hand out MAGA hats.[260] At a press conference the following day, Trump refused to rule out military or economic force to take over Greenland or the Panama Canal.[261] However, he did rule out military force in taking over Canada.[261] On January 14, the Trump-affiliated Nelk Boys also visited Nuuk, handing out dollar bills to locals.[262] On January 16, the CEOs of major Danish companies Novo Nordisk, Vestas and Carlsberg among others were assembled for a crisis meeting in the Ministry of State to discuss the situation.[263][264] On the subsequent day, former chief executive Friis Arne Petersen in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the situation as "historically unheard of", while Noa Redington, special adviser to former prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, compared the international pressure on Denmark that during the 2005 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.[265] On February 12, 2025, a bill was introduced in Congress to advance efforts to acquire Greenland and rename it Red, White, and Blueland.[266]
Panama Canal
In 2024, Trump demanded that Panama return control of the Panama Canal to the United States due to 'excessive rates' being charged for American passage.[267] The United States previously was in control of the Panama Canal Zone from 1903 until 1999, and has invaded Panama before in 1989.[268][269] Trump told Congress in March 2025 that his administration "will be reclaiming the Panama Canal".[270] Also that month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the Trump administration to "immediately" present "credible military options to ensure fair and unfettered US military and commercial access to the Panama Canal".[271]
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Ethics
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Perspective
Trump's second presidency was described by political commentators as having fewer prohibitions on business activity and guardrails against potential conflicts of interest than his first, and for having more opportunities to directly influence Trump.[272][273] Trump repealed and rolled back anti-corruption efforts and ethical standards for himself and his allies, dropped corruption charges against political figures with ties to him, and fired inspectors generals investigating fraud and abuse. The New York Times described Trump as making up statistics "out of thin air", and for accusing government agencies and "anyone he disfavors of corruption and even criminality without proof".[274] His second presidency was described as breaking with decades of ethical norms,[275] and raising substantial corruption concerns.[276][277] Congressional Republicans largely downplayed or ignored the concerns.[278][275]
Government targeting of political opponents and civil society
During Donald Trump’s second presidency, the Trump administration took a series of actions using the government to target his political opponents and civil society. His actions were described by the media as part of his promised "retribution" and "revenge" campaign, within the context of a strongly personalist and leader-centred conception of politics.[279][280][281][282] He repeatedly stated that he had "every right" to go after his political opponents during his 2024 presidential campaign.[283]
He undertook a massive expansion of presidential power,[284] and several of his actions ignored or violated federal laws, regulations, and the Constitution according to American legal scholars.[285][286][287] He threatened, signed executive actions, and ordered investigations into his political opponents, critics, and organizations aligned with the Democratic Party.[288] He politicized the civil service,[284] undertaking mass layoffs of government employees to recruit workers more loyal to himself.[289] He ended the post-Watergate norm of Justice Department independence, weaponizing it and ordering it to target his political enemies.[290] He engaged in an unprecedented targeting of law firms and lawyers that previously represented positions adverse to himself.[291][292] He targeted higher education by demanding it give federal oversight of curriculum and targeted activists, legal immigrants, tourists, and students with visas who expressed criticism of his policies or engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy.[293] He detained and deported United States citizens.[294]
His actions against civil society were described by legal experts and hundreds of political scientists as authoritarian and contributing to democratic backsliding,[295][296][297] and negatively impacting free speech and the rule of law.[290][298][299][300]Conflicts of interest
Trump's second presidency included multiple potential conflicts of interest that did not exist during his first term in office, including a publicly traded company in Truth Social, a cryptocurrency venture, new overseas real estate deals involving state-affiliated entities, and several branding and licensing deals selling Trump-branded merchandise.[272] His 2024 campaign was noted for an "unprecedented" mixing of personal business and political fundraising.[301] Trump promoted $59.99 bibles, $399 sneakers, $99 "Victory47" cologne, and $99 Trump-branded NFT digital trading cards for his personal, non-campaign accounts.[302][303] Trump's campaign was noted for spending large sums of campaign money at Trump-owned businesses, in particular his Mar-a-Lago resort and the Trump National Doral Miami.[304]
After winning the election, Trump mirrored his first term's ethics commitments and did not divest from his interests in branding and real estate. He also did not place his assets in a trust managed by an independent trustee.[305] Trump did not adopt his own formal ethics guidelines.[306] Trump transferred his shares of Truth Social into a trust in which he is the sole beneficiary, of which his oldest son is the trustee. Ethics experts described it as falling "well short of the blind trusts and divestitures from private business interests that other presidents have used to avoid ethical conflicts with their job". Trump's son, Eric Trump, said the Trump Organization would continue to pursue business deals overseas, dropping a self-imposed prohibition during Trump's first presidency.[273] Trump profited from holding events at his hotels and golf courses.[305][307] Trump's conflicts of interest were described as having national-security risks, with particular emphasis placed on relationships with the Saudi and Dubai governments through the Trump Organization and his son-in-law Jared Kushner's investment fund backed by the Saudis.[308] Trump noted that conflict of interest laws did not apply to him and that he was protected by broad immunity for his official actions as president.[309]
Trump repealed ethics rules prohibiting executive branch employees accepting major gifts from lobbyists and two year bans on lobbyists seeking executive jobs and vice versa. Critics described the repeal as the opposite of his pledge to "drain the swamp".[311] Trump also signed an executive order to stop the Justice Department prosecuting Americans accused of bribing foreign government officials.[312] Trump's wife, Melania, entered into a deal with Amazon to create a documentary about herself, which raised ethics concerns as it was made while she was still in office.[305] In March 2025, Trump praised Tesla's cars on the White House lawn with notes about the cars features alongside Elon Musk in "something of a sales pitch" which was described in The Nation as "brazenly corrupt".[310][313] Countries facing tariffs were pushed by the State Department to approve Musk's Starlink satellite service.[314]
On April 9, 2025, Trump's encouragement of investors to buy stocks hours before pausing tariffs that sent markets soaring was scrutinized by Democrats and government ethics experts as possible market manipulation.[315] Representative Adam Schiff called on congress to investigate whether in pausing tariffs, Trump had engaged in insider trading or market manipulation.[316]
In May 2025, Trump's intention to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar to first serve as Air Force One and later be transferred to his presidential library elicited rare, bipartisan criticism, with his supporters deriding it as a "bribe", "grift" and "corruption".[317] The Guardian criticized it as an example of a quid pro quo.[318] The Boston Globe described the deal as an example of an increasingly transactional presidency, describing it as more direct than during his first term and showing that he was "willing to bend for anyone who gives him what he craves: praise, prestige, and a cut of the profits".[319]
Trump's cabinet were noted to have a large number of potential conflicts of interest, with the Campaign Legal Center finding over 467 that would require recusal, with the most, 106, belonging to Howard Lutnick.[306] Trump Media gifted 25,946 shares of stock of DJT to each of his picks for FBI director, Kash Patel, and education secretary nominee, Linda McMahon, totaling $779,400 each as of January 31, 2025. Both members served as directors for his company, and they later said they would not accept the award. He also gifted thousands of shares to his son.[320]
Cryptocurrency ventures
Trump and his family involvement in the cryptocurrency industry have given rise to ethical and legal concerns.[321]
On January 17, 2025, Trump launched, promoted, and personally benefited[311] from a cryptocurrency memecoin, $Trump, that soared to a market valuation of over $5 billion within a few hours—a total $27 billion diluted value—through a Trump-owned company called CIC Digital LLC, which owned 80 percent of the coin's supply.[322] Within two days, the $Trump coin became the 19th most valuable form of cryptocurrency in the world, with a total trading value of nearly $13 billion, and a total of $29 billion worth of trades based on a $64 value of each of the 200 million tokens issued by the afternoon of January 19. The New York Times reported that Trump affiliates controlled an additional 800 million tokens that, hypothetically, could be worth over $51 billion, potentially making Trump one of the richest people in the world. Trump also launched a new meme coin named after his wife, $Melania, and promoted it on Truth Social shortly before attending an inauguration rally. The crypto venture was criticized by ethics experts and government watchdogs.[323] The venture and the possibility of foreign governments buying the coin was highlighted as possibly violating the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause.[324] He promoted exclusive access to him for the largest holders of $Trump, including hosting a dinner, which according to The New York Times, certain buyers in interviews and statements said they "bought the coins or entered the dinner contest with the intention of securing an action by Mr. Trump to affect United States policy".[325]
He directly benefited from his cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial which engaged in an unprecedented mixing of private enterprise and government policy. It directly solicited access to Trump with secret payments and currency swaps from foreign investors, companies, and individuals with criminal records and investigations. At least one investigation was dropped after payment worth several million was made to the firm, and Trump granted an official pardon to an investor of a company World Liberty had invested in. Trump's family received a cut of all transactions made through the World Liberty, and the company directly advertised its connections to Trump, who disclosed income of nearly US$60 million in an ethics filing.[326][327] Several actions taken by Trump's administration regarding cryptocurrency were noted to bolster the company's assets and position. A spokeswoman for Trump stated that since his assets were in a trust managed by his children, there were "no conflicts of interest".[309] On May 12, 2025, another family bitcoin company co-founded by Eric Trump in March, American Bitcoin, announced plans to go public by merging with an existing Nasdaq company.[328]
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Elections during the second Trump presidency
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Historical evaluations and public opinion
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Perspective
Evaluations
Professor Christina Pagel mapped the first actions of the Trump administration in a Venn diagram that identifies "five broad domains that correspond to features of proto-authoritarian states". These five domains are: undermining democratic institutions and the rule of law, dismantling federal government; dismantling social protections and rights, enrichment and corruption; suppressing dissent and controlling information; attacking science, environment, health, arts and education; aggressive foreign policy and global destabilization.[331]
Journalist Martin Sandu and authoritarian politics researcher Alex Norris described the maximalist interpretation of executive power in Trump's second term as president, including sweeping executive orders, the federal funding freeze, actions against political opponents and the media, pardons of those involved in the 2021 attempted self-coup, the actions of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, and the like as an attempted self-coup.[332][333] Political scientist Lee Morgenbesser argued the actions of DOGE are a form of state capture.[334]
Public opinion
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Donald Trump began his second term with another historically low job approval rate, only improving on the lowest rate, which he claimed in his first term, by three points.[335] President Trump began his first term at a 45% job approval and began his second term with 47%. According to Gallup, "Trump remains the only elected president with sub-50% initial approval ratings".[335] In a CBS News/YouGov poll conducted from February 5–7, 2025, Trump reached a career high poll rating of 53%.[336] According to ABC News, Trump's approval rating at the end of his first 100 days in office was 39%, worse than any president's approval after his first 100 days since at least 1945.[337] A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that Trump's approval increased from 42% to 44% between April and May.[338]
Immigration enforcement and protests against ICE
In early June 2025 in response to street protests against ICE actions, President Trump has activated and sent 2,100 members of the California National Guard to the Los Angeles area. He's also placed 700 Marines on stand-by status. BBC reports that the National Guard has been seen protecting federal buildings and ICE locations, while local law enforcement has been making arrests and patrolling streets.[339]
As reported by HuffPost and Associated Press, the mayor of Los Angeles started a nighttime (8 pm) curfew June 10th expected to last for several days after 23 businesses were looted. This curfew applies to a 1-mile square area in a downtown sector and does not apply to the people who live there. Members of the National Guard have been present as ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have made immigration arrests, which brings the National Guard one step closer to actual law enforcement. Thousands of people protested in front of the Los Angeles City Hall, mostly peacefully. Hundreds protested in front of a complex of federal buildings, again mostly peacefully. Most arrests have been for failure to disperse, although some have been for acts of violence.[340]
A June 13 Fox News article reported that Crowds on Demand, a California-based company, said it received "numerous high budget requests" to take part in riots. It declined, both from legal concern and from risks to its demonstrators. The company stated that it only takes clients who promote "impactful commonsense causes both for liberals and conservatives, but always represent(s) the commonsense position." Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) is launching an investigation to find out if other groups are funding the protests and/or riots.[341][better source needed]
June 2025 military parade and “No Kings” protests
On June 14, the Trump administration held the U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade in Washington, DC, to celebrate the anniversary of the U.S. Army and coinciding with President Trump's 79th birthday.[342] The parade is estimated to have cost somewhere between $25 and $45 million.[342] In protest, Indivisible, co-directed by Ezra Levin, and other organizations[343] organized No Kings protests in many American cities, with organizers stating that there were over 2,000 separate events. This is the largest protest since Trump was re-elected, although a CBS News/YouGov poll shows that 54% support Trump's actions to deport persons in the country illegally and 46% oppose.[342][344]
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See also
Notes
- The first was Grover Cleveland, following his victory in the 1892 election
References
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