By Shayan Abbasi
Over the past month, President Donald Trump’s second administration has focused on border security, trade policies, and America’s role in foreign affairs. His actions have elicited both strong support and sharp criticism, leading to an approval rate of around 50%.
One of Trump’s first moves was restarting construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Staying true to a campaign promise of cracking down on border security, his administration has increased funding for border patrol and took a tougher stance on drug cartels by designating some of them as terrorist organizations. His administration says these policies are already working, pointing to reports that illegal border crossings in Texas, as well as encounters, have dropped by 63% compared to last year.
On the economy, Trump has introduced tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, adding a 25% tax on goods entering the US. These measures did not initially go into effect, as Trump postponed them, wanting Mexico and Canada to send troops down to the border in blocking fentanyl shipments. The President, however, on March 4, 2025, decided that these measures were not enough, and tariffs will go forward as intended. Trump claims this will protect American businesses and jobs, but some economists worry that it could raise prices for consumers and lead to retaliation from other countries. Justin Trudeau and Claudia Sheinbaum, the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Mexico, respectively, have announced retaliatory tariffs of 25% on American products. A longtime proponent of tariffs, dating back to his opposition of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trump has claimed this as a necessary move to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US.
In foreign policy, Trump has started to reconsider America’s commitments to other countries. In a contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump suggested that European nations should take on more responsibility for aiding Ukraine. He has also repeated his belief that the US should not continue paying for the defense of countries that don’t contribute enough themselves. As of March 4, all aid to Ukraine has been paused.
Regarding his approval rating, despite facing resistance on some issues, Trump has found much public support for his LGBTQ policies, which received the highest net approval of any category. With 54% in favor and only 33% opposed, policies such as banning transgender athletes from women’s sports, prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors and restricting transgender Americans from serving in the military have resonated with a majority of voters. Trump has also experienced similarly positive approval ratings on the border and economy. However, other issues such as executive power and government funding have faced some of the lowest approval ratings, with only 23% support and 60% opposition. Government funding policies, including cuts to welfare programs and federal agencies, also face resistance with 30% approval and 44% opposition.
With a record-number of executive orders signed within the first six weeks, Trump has directed federal agencies to dramatically reduce regulations, freeze foreign aid and place stronger federal hiring rules. Supporters have argued that these are necessary to reduce government waste and eliminate inefficiencies, while critics claim that they centralize too much power in the executive branch and disregard the role of Congress.
In his State of the Union address, Trump doubled down on his commitment to slashing government waste, highlighting that his administration had identified billions in fraudulent spending. He pointed to examples such as federal money being used for “DEI scholarships in Burma” and “male circumcision in Mozambique” as evidence of the need for reform. He also announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to root out federal spending inefficiencies.
Trump’s budget proposals have also caused much debate, as he has called for substantial cuts to Medicaid, environmental protections, as well as DEI inclusion programs across all federal agencies. In his address, Trump further reiterated that government positions should be filled based on merit, not race or gender, declaring that his administration had “removed the poison of critical race theory from our public schools.” His announcement that he had signed an executive order banning public schools from teaching transgender ideology received enthusiastic applause from his Republican colleagues.
On trade, Trump reaffirmed commitments to supporting economic nationalism, announcing his administration would be implementing “reciprocal tariffs” starting on April 2, making sure that foreign countries imposing tariffs on US goods would face equivalent measures. He also stated that his administration would impose a 25% tariff on aluminum, copper, lumber and steel imports to protect American industries, supporting the protection of American manufacturing.
Regarding immigration, Trump reiterated his strong stance, stating his administration had launch “the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history.” He boasted that illegal border crossings had dropped to their lowest levels ever recorded ever since he took office, crediting his decision to deploy military to the border.
The President’s approach to law and order was another main theme of his speech, declaring that his administration had restored free speech in America and ended “weaponized government” by stopping politically motivated prosecutions.
Despite the controversy surrounding some of Trump’s policies, the President ended his address with a call for unity, urging Democrats to celebrate the “incredible wins for America” and work together to “truly make America great again.”
