WASHINGTON, DC [US], December 30 (ANI): With less than a month remaining before the completion of the first year of his second term, “Tariffs, Trade, and Tantrums” aptly sums up the 47th President of the United States’ approach to governance—an approach that has taken him to places few could have anticipated.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has been a whirlwind. Governing in what critics describe as an “unpresidential” manner, and what some experts label a “cowboy diplomatic style,” Trump has once again broken protocol, skirted legal norms, and, at times, found himself facing court challenges. With three years still remaining in his second term, the president has guided the White House through a lens of high-stakes deals—whether involving business, ceasefires, or punitive tariffs.
Experts note that Trump’s second administration has chosen speed over process, pressure over persuasion, and deals over doctrine. From aggressive tariffs and hardline immigration enforcement to transactional diplomacy and an expanding assertion of presidential power, the past year has reshaped how the United States engages with itself and the world. While the country remains indispensable, analysts argue that America’s credibility, consistency, and leadership optics have taken measurable hits under Trump, despite his self-portrayal as “the Peace President.”
Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev characterizes the first year of Trump’s second term as high-impact, high-speed, and deeply disruptive, driven by preparation, loyalist governance, and an unprecedented use of executive authority. West Asia strategist Waiel Awwad, meanwhile, observes that the administration has often functioned as a “bullying” force, producing a landscape marked by both areas of success and negative backlash, while blurring the line between strategic partnership and trade rivalry.
The first year of Trump’s second term can broadly be assessed across six defining pillars: tariffs as statecraft, immigration as enforcement theater, lingering controversies such as the Epstein files, ambitious but fragile claims of being a “Peace President,” transactional diplomacy—particularly with India—and the broader reshaping of a multipolar world order amid America’s assertive yet increasingly contested global role.
Tariffs have emerged as the defining instrument of Trump’s second-term statecraft. Rolled out rapidly and often unpredictably, they have been positioned as solutions to trade imbalances, fiscal deficits, and even geopolitical disputes. According to Sachdev, tariffs served four objectives: correcting perceived historical unfairness, generating revenue, cushioning domestic political constituencies, and forcing foreign investment into the United States.
Sachdev noted that Trump began embracing tariffs more enthusiastically once he realized they could be leveraged as tools of what he calls “peace diplomacy.” Investment announcements from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Gulf states, and others—collectively estimated by the White House at USD 9.6 trillion—have lent some validation to Trump’s coercive economic model, at least on paper. However, critics argue that the approach has alienated partners and pushed countries such as India closer to China and Russia.
If tariffs defined Trump’s foreign engagement, immigration enforcement defined his domestic agenda. The administration pursued highly visible actions—raids, mass arrests, deportation targets, and large-scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations—designed to project control and deterrence. Sachdev described the approach as both performative and policy-driven, noting that it was intended to instill fear while signaling toughness to Trump’s political base.
The enforcement drive has triggered widespread legal challenges and societal polarization. Trump’s ambitious goal of carrying out one million deportations in the first year of his second term has intensified scrutiny, while critics warn that the social fallout may outweigh political gains. Awwad cautioned that public unease is growing, fueled by concerns over health care access, crime, and perceptions that domestic needs are being neglected.
Trump’s hardline stance extended to skilled immigration as well. In September, he turned the H-1B visa program into a pressure point, mandating a USD 100,000 fee for new applications. While framed as protecting American jobs, the move sharply increased costs for employers seeking highly skilled foreign workers.
Another major controversy involved Trump’s campaign pledge to release documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While the promise resonated with his base, the issue backfired when the administration delayed full disclosure. The eventual release of hundreds of thousands of documents revealed a past friendship between Trump and Epstein, though no criminal wrongdoing was alleged against the president. Still, the episode fueled backlash among supporters and intensified media scrutiny.
Trump also campaigned as a “peace president,” projecting himself as a dealmaker who could broker truces through pressure rather than war. Tariffs, sanctions, and threats were framed as tools to compel negotiations. Yet the sustainability of peace achieved through coercion remains in question, with conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and other regions proving resistant to quick fixes.
One of the most significant setbacks to Trump’s peace narrative has been his inability to end the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year. Despite campaign promises to resolve the conflict, progress has been limited, with diplomatic efforts yielding fragile and uncertain results.
Relations with India have illustrated the transactional confusion of Trump’s foreign policy. Early warmth gave way to strain amid heavy tariffs, disputed claims of mediation with Pakistan, and shifting diplomatic priorities. While ties have not broken, experts say New Delhi is recalibrating its approach, hedging US engagement with stronger multipolar partnerships.
Globally, Trump’s assertive style has accelerated a multipolar shift. Trust has eroded as countries diversify alliances, and the perception of the United States as the undisputed global leader has diminished. While America remains a powerful player, analysts argue it no longer holds singular influence over global affairs.
One year into Donald Trump’s second term, the scorecard is mixed but undeniably consequential. The administration has delivered rapid policy shocks, reshaped trade flows, enforced immigration aggressively, and extracted concessions through transactional diplomacy. Yet the costs—strained trust, eroded predictability, and mounting domestic and international unease—continue to grow.
As Trump enters the second year of his second term, the defining question is no longer about disruption, but about the durability of his policies, his promises, and the Trumpian world order as the world adjusts to it.
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