President Donald Trump returned to the White House on January 20, 2025, inheriting significant challenges from the previous administration.
The nation faced economic difficulties, border security concerns and international conflicts in both the Middle East and Europe.
Trump began his second term with immediate action, signing 26 executive orders on his first day in office.
Throughout the year, the Federal Register documented a total of 228 executive orders, demonstrating a rapid implementation of policy initiatives.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has stated to reporters that the president fulfilled every major campaign commitment during his first year.
She emphasized accomplishments in border security, economic policy, tax legislation and international affairs.
On April 2, 2025, designated as Liberation Day, Trump implemented a worldwide tariff policy designed to provide negotiating leverage for trade agreements, pharmaceutical deals and peace negotiations.
A significant trade agreement with the European Union was announced on July 27 during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at Trump Turnberry in Scotland.
The deal included EU commitments to purchase $750 billion in American energy and invest $600 billion in the United States, Resist the Mainstream previously reported.
Additional trade agreements were reached with the United Kingdom, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
TThe tariff policy also facilitated pharmaceutical agreements through Most-Favored-Nation deals with major drug manufacturers.
Trump told reporters in early August that drug price reductions would reach 500 to 1,400 percent, with Americans paying rates comparable to the lowest prices worldwide.
The first pharmaceutical agreement with Pfizer was announced on Sept. 30, followed by deals with Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi.
These agreements reduced prices significantly on numerous medications.
Novo Nordisk products Ozempic and Wegovy dropped to $350 per month from $1,000 and $1,350 respectively. Eli Lilly’s Zepbound fell to $346 monthly from $1,086.
Trump indicated that countries faced an ultimatum: accept Most-Favored-Nation pricing or face tariffs.
Trump explained to Fox News in October that tariff leverage contributed to resolving international conflicts.
He stated that trade policy helped secure peace agreements by threatening to impose tariffs on nations engaged in warfare.
Economic data showed significant growth under the administration.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve projected 5.3 percent GDP growth for the fourth quarter, despite a 43-day government shutdown that National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett estimated cost $15 billion weekly and reduced GDP by one to 1.5 percent.
Third quarter GDP increased at a 4.3 percent annual rate on a seasonally and inflation-adjusted basis. Core inflation over the final three months registered at 1.6 percent, contrasting with elevated inflation rates during the Biden administration.
White House data indicated that car prices increased 22 percent under Biden, hotel rates rose 37 percent, airfare jumped 32 percent and gasoline prices climbed 31 percent.
By late December, Trump had overseen price decreases across all these categories.
Wage data showed the typical private-sector worker lost $2,919 in purchasing power under Biden, while gaining $1,048 during Trump’s first 11 months.
Blue-collar workers experienced particularly strong increases, with factory workers up $1,300, construction workers up $1,826, and miners seeing gains of $3,336.
Stock markets reached repeated record highs throughout 2025.
White House data documented 37 record closes for the S&P 500 and 18 for the Dow Jones Industrial Average during the year.
Border security metrics showed dramatic improvements.
The administration reported fewer than 109,000 apprehensions for the entire year, with approximately 6,400 in December alone.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated in early December that the nation achieved the most secure border in history.
Border crossings declined 93 percent throughout 2025, with 130,000 feet of temporary barriers erected.
The Department of Homeland Security removed over 622,000 individuals illegally present in the country, while 1.9 million self-deported as of December.
Trump settled or de-escalated eight international conflicts during the year. The most prominent achievement was a Middle East peace agreement ending the war between Israel and Hamas that began after the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks.
Hamas agreed to a 20-point framework on Oct. 8, leading to Trump’s visit to the Knesset on Oct. 13.
All 20 living hostages were released that day.
Hours after his Knesset address, Trump participated in a Peace in the Middle East signing ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, alongside Arab leaders.
Additional conflicts resolved or de-escalated included disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan, India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Iran and Israel.
A ceasefire ending The 12 Day War between Israel and Iran followed operation “Midnight Hammer,” which neutralized Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
Trump received the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December during the World Cup draw at the Trump-Kennedy Center. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented him with her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize during a meeting last week.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act represented the administration’s signature legislative achievement. The law made permanent the 2017 tax cuts and implemented deductions for tipped and overtime workers as promised during the 2024 campaign.
Tipped workers including waiters, bartenders, and casino dealers can deduct up to $25,000 on tipped income, while overtime workers receive up to a $12,500 deduction.
The House Ways and Means Committee projected $191 billion in net new tax relief for Americans, with filers potentially receiving an additional $1,000 on spring tax refunds.
The legislation provides a maximum annual tax deduction of $10,000 for interest on loans for domestically assembled vehicles, subject to income limitations.
The law also commissioned completion of the border wall, funded deportation operations and established Trump investment accounts providing $1,000 seed investments for citizens born between 2025 and 2028.
The administration took action to protect women and children from transgender participation in female sports.
In February 2025, Trump signed an executive order rewriting Title IX rules to withhold federal funds from schools permitting transgender athletes in women’s competition.
The Make America Healthy Again agenda advanced with new dietary guidelines and school nutrition changes.
On Jan. 7, Resist the Mainstream reported that the White House unveiled reformed dietary guidelines promoting protein, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy stated the guidelines replaced corporate-driven assumptions with common-sense goals and scientific integrity.
Food and Drug Administration chief Dr. Marty Makary criticized previous guidance for demonizing natural fats while ignoring refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and ultra-processed foods.
Trump signed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act to restore whole and two percent milk availability in schools after Obama-era restrictions.
In early December, Trump ordered a review of the childhood vaccine schedule compared to peer nations including Japan, Denmark, and Germany, which recommend fewer vaccines than the United States schedule.
