Donald J. Trump has now completed a full year in his second term as President of the United States since his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. He has led an eventful year so far, passing “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), enforcing immigration policies, cutting spending with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), bombing countries and overseeing “Operation Absolute Resolve,” the raid on Venezuela early this year that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. With so much to cover in only his first year, here are the highlights of Trump’s first 365 days:
Among the many things the Trump administration has done so far, one thing is certain: he has broken a lot of records. Trump went so far as to break his own record for the longest government shutdown, going from the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019, to the recent 43-day shutdown which began Oct. 1, 2025.
Trump, in only his second term as president, and the first year at that, issued over 200 executive orders–more than his entire first term, and almost three times as many as any other president in over four decades. These orders include enforcement on immigration policies, rollbacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), various changes to tariffs with other countries and even the designation of fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.
With so many orders though came a lot of backlash. As of Dec. 2025, over 350 lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration. 149 lawsuits have succeeded in blocking orders, and several are still pending. Of the orders blocked, the majority had to deal with Trump’s meddling with federal funding and immigration.
Most notably for the Trump administration, in terms of laws passed, was the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump’s “magnum opus” with changes to taxes favoring high-income individuals and businesses while stepping away from progress made by the Affordable Care Act. Millions are projected to be forced off Medicaid as part of the bill.
In addition to tax cuts and changes to the healthcare system, the OBBBA also rolls back funding on green energy initiatives as Trump continues to repeat, “we’re in the oil business.”
Trump restarted his tariff war as well; only, this time, he brought the issue to the entire world. The U.S. went from an average tariff rate of 2.4% on Trump’s inauguration day to an average of about 17%, breaking yet another record as the highest tariff rate since 1935.
Trump’s policies vary from large encouragement in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector to tough crackdowns on immigration, but most commonly deal with involvement in foreign conflict.
Trump has defined himself as a “peace president,” overseeing negotiations between various warring nations, including Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. In Gaza, the current ceasefire was largely brokered by the Trump administration. Despite the initial success, however, doubt has stirred in terms of Trump’s commitment to the 20-point plan. Peace has been gained, but many question the stability of the region, and have come to wonder when, not if, the truce will break.
Continuing his work as a “peace president,” Donald Trump has overseen negotiations with Ukraine and Russia regarding their ongoing conflict. The process has been rough, with initial meetings between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolving into a hostile discussion where the Vice President demanded gratitude. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained mostly steadfast in his insistence on war with Ukraine, a roadblock the Trump admin has struggled to break down.
Despite the rocky edges, Donald Trump has claimed that significant progress has been made, and that a deal is hopefully close.
Finally, and most recently, Donald Trump has expanded his relations with Venezuela on Jan. 3, 2026, by overseeing “Operation Absolute Resolve,” bombing his seventh country in his first year back, and capturing Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro.
In a press conference that day, Trump went over the excellent success of the mission and explained how America will “run Venezuela,” as the U.S. establishes someone to run the country and retake a foothold on the oil in the sovereign nation. Currently, despite his claims of discussion with various oil giants, ExxonMobil has gone on record to state that Venezuela in its current state is “uninvestable,” leading to threats from Donald Trump to block ExxonMobil from operating in Venezuela at all.
Over the course of this year, the Trump administration has done a lot, enacting over 200 executive orders, with over 100 of them being blocked by lawsuits, presiding over the peace talks of various countries with an uncertain future as to their success, keeping the economy in uncertainty with the various tariffs enacted over the year, overseeing the release of the Epstein Files and involving the US in Venezuelan conflicts.
The Trump Administration continues to move America forward with irrevocable change, impacting both the nation and the world.
Other events in the last year:
- Trump added his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Dec. Making it now the “Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
- Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), chartered to run until July 4, 2026, disbanded eight months early.
- Trump suggests the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), help to secure the Danish territory, Greenland, to bring it under American control.
- The Trump administration officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, currently only recognized by the United States.
- The Trump administration established English as the United States’ official language.
- Though not recognized legally, Trump issued an executive order renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War.
- Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth now enforces within the Pentagon strict rules for reporters, requiring pledges to not gather or release unapproved information. Spurring a large exodus of reporters, ranging from outlets like CNN and the New York Times, to FOX News.
