“One Big, Beautiful Bill,” President Donald Trump promised. It did not, in fact, turn out beautifully. Instead, we’ve lost more money by posing tax cuts than we’ve saved. In fact, the BBC suspects that over the next ten years, tax cuts introduced by the bill would cost the U.S. 4.5 trillion USD, nearly five times the amount saved from cutting Medicaid (930 billion USD). For a bill advertised as fiscally responsible, the numbers are telling a different story, one where frustration outweighs financial prudence.
With it being nearly a year since his second inauguration, President Donald Trump is due for an examination. Having been sworn into office for the second time on January 20th, 2025, he immediately began pardoning those already sentenced and incarcerated, including many of whom had participated in the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol, even having issued an official proclamation regarding the issue. Pardon right in itself is the one of the most touchy and least accountable instruments of authority at his disposal, but using it for such an emotionally charged and nationally traumatic event made it seem dismissive to victims and families, and almost “rewarded” violent actions towards law enforcement.
The pattern has been repeated across the past year. His musings for the U.S. to “take over” Gaza and for Palestinians to “relocate” are not only unworkable, but also disrespectful. The BBC has estimated that the current amount of debris (50 tons) in Gaza would take about 21 years to clear, something that the Trump administration most probably did not consider while making their flimsy remarks, which did not spark support, but instead were just met with headlines.
Domestically, the year saw over 200 executive orders, a staggering number for just one year of his presidency, many of which were aimed at dismantling immigrant protections, environmental agreements, and social-service programs, including Executive Order 14162, which immediately withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and Executive Order 14151, which took away all “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Acessibility” (DEIA/DEI) positions and offices. These orders have undermined years of effort on the part of activists and historically marginalized groups.
After almost a year of his second presidency, the streak is hard to ignore. President Trump governs the same way he campaigns: through emotion, impulse, and with a need to dominate the nation’s spotlight. The thing is is that the nation is no stage; and President Trump is no good actor either. And when a president’s emotions and impulses govern, the consequences turn out not only financially, but also diplomatically and domestically. The first year of this new presidency suggests that our leader is still one driven by personal grievances and instinct, rather than the steady decision-maker that the United States so desperately needs at this moment in our history.
