One year ago, Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term, armed with a checklist … and a wrecking ball.
Much like his first term, he has flouted conventions, using social media and seemingly off-the-cuff remarks to define and advance his agenda.
Through sweeping executive orders and die-hard loyalists in key posts, in his second term, he has centralised presidential power, withdrawn the US from international agreements and reshaped American foreign policy around his “America First” vision.
He has leaned heavily on tariffs – his “favourite word” – to pressure allies and foes. Although he campaigned on ending US involvement in foreign wars, his administration has carried out strikes in Yemen, Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and Venezuela, claiming control over Caracas's oil reserves after ousting former president Nicolas Maduro.
In recent days, he has increased trade tension with Europe in his quest to take over Greenland, warning that China or Russia would act if he did not.
At 79, the oldest sitting American president has frequently said the US was a “dead country” a year ago, blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for inflation, immigration challenges and ineffective foreign policy.
Now, he claims, it is the “hottest country anywhere in the world”.
As he enters his second year as President, the question is how far Mr Trump is willing to go to put "America first" – and what that actually means.
Maximum pressure 2.0
This month, intense speculation has mounted over whether Mr Trump would order a military strike on Iran amid mass killings committed during widespread protests in the country.
He called on Iranians to continue protesting against the government and to take over the country's institutions, promising that “help is on its way”.
In June last year, he ordered strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites.
"A big headline of Trump's year one is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is in its weakest position since the revolution, and it's in large part because of Trump's actions," Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, tells The National.
Mr Trump had taken office pledging to crush Iran’s nuclear ambitions and support anti-government protests. His administration reimposed major sanctions, which observers call "maximum pressure 2.0".
While he and many in his administration have voiced strong support for Iranian protesters and regime change, it is unclear whether Mr Trump is willing to involve the US any further than merely hitting Tehran with more sanctions.
Board of Peace
Mr Trump inherited a ceasefire in Gaza from the Biden administration, which broke down two months later.
With a death toll exceeding 70,000 Palestinians, he maintained US military and diplomatic support for Israel, vetoed several UN resolutions calling for an unconditional ceasefire, and gave priority to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
He initially proposed turning Gaza into a glitzy resort, and said the US would "take over" the coastal enclave.
He sent his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and later his son-in-law Jared Kushner to lead negotiations and postwar reconstruction efforts.
In October, Mr Trump unveiled a 20-point plan for Gaza, including the Board of Peace, and an international stabilisation force to keep order and train Palestinian law enforcement.
The plan received broad international support, including from Arab states, and Nickolay Mladenov, a UAE-based former UN Middle East envoy and head of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, was appointed director general.
Despite movement at the higher level, Israel continues to carry out strikes on the enclave, reconstruction has yet to begin and it is unclear if Hamas will give up its weapons, leaving the permanency and effectiveness of Mr Trump's Gaza peace in doubt.
Russia-Ukraine war
Mr Trump made ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is approaching its fourth year, a main foreign policy objective when he took office, claiming on the campaign trail that he could stop the conflict in a day.
He sought rapprochement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming to have a good rapport, while pressuring Ukraine to make territorial concessions.
He hosted a summit with Mr Putin in Alaska over the summer, but no peace agreement was reached. The US proposed a 28-point peace plan, including security guarantees for Ukraine, reconstruction aid and a negotiated settlement on territory.
In a boost to Russia, Mr Trump has emphasised that Ukraine’s Nato membership be restricted and he has pushed allies to increase their military support.
To Ukraine, he has been far less conciliatory, publicly berating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a now-infamous Oval Office confrontation in February, and throwing future US support for Kyiv into doubt.
Meanwhile, Russia occupies about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory and frequently launches strikes on the country's energy infrastructure and major population centres. The war has ground to an impasse, with no end in sight.
“President Trump has taken US foreign policy into uncharted territory,” Mr Katulis says. “The key features are blatant, naked transactionalism – efforts to generate positive headlines without securing sustainable gains for US security."
Looking ahead
The midterm elections for congressional seats will take place in November, giving voters a chance to show the President their opinion of the job he has been doing. While it is expected that Mr Trump's Republicans will take a hit – as is the case with whichever party holds the White House – it remains to be seen how much of an impact it will have.
As to foreign policy, Mr Trump has promoted his success in ending eight global conflicts – a claim that is up for debate – but the continued strikes on countries the US is not at war with could strike the wrong note with American voters tired of Washington's involvement in long wars.
Meanwhile, household costs are expected to rise after Republicans cut more than $1 trillion in healthcare subsidies and food assistance. Inflation continues to affect prices, and tariffs are expected to do the same.
He has made battling illegal immigration a major focus of his new term, posting thousands of immigration enforcement agents to major cities in what he calls the largest deportation campaign in US history. Immigration raids in many cities have been met with widespread protests.
If Democrats regain the House or Senate in the midterms, they are likely to try to block Mr Trump's legislative agenda and even introduce impeachment. He is the only president in history to have been impeached twice.
Mr Trump's approval ratings have dropped to 36 per cent, according to Gallup polling, down from 47 per cent when he was inaugurated on January 20, 2025.
