President Trump launched an aggressive agenda on January 20, 2025, signing 26 executive orders on his first day back in office and driving forward a transformative year for the United States. His administration focused on economic revitalization, border security, conservative cultural policies, and a foreign policy built on strength and leverage.
Trump inherited an economy weakened by inflation and global instability following the Biden presidency. In stark contrast, the U.S. economy posted strong growth throughout 2025. The Atlanta Federal Reserve projected 5.3 percent GDP growth in the fourth quarter despite a prolonged government shutdown, with core inflation running near historic lows and wages rising faster than prices. The stock market reached numerous record highs, with the S&P and Dow Jones breaking dozens of records under Trump’s leadership.
On April 2, 2025, Trump launched a sweeping tariff policy that reshaped international trade. Reciprocal tariffs on major partners forced concessions and created negotiating leverage. The centerpiece came on July 27, when the U.S. and European Union announced a landmark deal at Trump Turnberry, involving massive EU purchases of American energy and investments in U.S. markets. Smaller deals followed with the UK, Japan, and several Southeast Asian nations, collectively covering more than half of global GDP and trade.
Trump also implemented Most-Favored-Nation pricing with major pharmaceutical companies, dramatically reducing drug costs. Agreements with firms including Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk slashed prices on top medications, with some falling by hundreds of dollars per month. Trump urged Congress to solidify these provisions in law through his “Great Healthcare Plan.”
Border policy was another centerpiece of the first year. According to Department of Homeland Security figures, illegal border encounters dropped by roughly 93 percent in 2025. The administration completed 130,000 feet of temporary barriers and advanced construction of the border wall. DHS reported over 622,000 removals of illegal aliens in 2025, with millions more self-deporting under heightened enforcement. Department leaders described the border as the most secure in history.
Trump’s legislative legacy in 2025 came through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made permanent the 2017 tax cuts, added deductions for tipped and overtime workers, and provided significant new tax relief for working families. The bill also funded border wall completion, expanded deportation resources, and established investment accounts with seed funds for American youth.
The Trump administration moved decisively on social policy. An executive order protected women’s sports by restricting participation based on biological sex and denied visas to foreign athletes competing in women’s divisions. Another order banned federal support for “chemical or surgical transition” procedures for minors.
The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda reformed national dietary guidelines and restored whole milk to school cafeterias. In December, Trump directed a review of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to align more closely with peer nations.
Trump’s “peace through strength” foreign policy yielded breakthroughs in eight global conflicts. Notable achievements included a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the end of decades-long violence between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and de-escalation between nuclear powers India and Pakistan. In early January 2026, U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in a mission with no American casualties.
Trump’s leadership earned him international recognition, including the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize and an honorary Nobel Peace Prize presented by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
