How Is Trump Doing So Far?

Nine months into Trump’s second term, it’s a good time to assess how things are going. His administration operates at a supercharged pace, delivering constant news across multiple fronts, which makes it hard to keep up.

At first, I turned to polls and expert opinions, but both have problems. Polls are snapshots; they rarely capture the long-term impact of presidential decisions. For example, wars and major policy shifts unfold over years, not weeks. Expert opinions are also unreliable due to establishment bias from both left and right.

Trump’s unorthodox methods challenge entrenched interests, and critics label any deviation from “the way things have always been done” as reckless or authoritarian. Even many on the left prefer the status quo because they control it through the bureaucracy of the deep state.

To understand Trump’s presidency, you must understand his personality. He’s a businessman who values productivity, results, and negotiation. Politics is full of career bureaucrats who have never built anything, so they misunderstand him. As a dealmaker, he brings the habits of the business world—results-driven pragmatism—to the Oval Office.

The left calls Trump a fascist, mistaking the assertive use of power for authoritarianism. They use the label because he has power and they don’t. Trump disrupted the neoliberal order shared by both parties, and his opponents want revenge.

Another defining trait is his dislike of war. He believes diplomacy and negotiation can achieve more than endless conflict. He sees big government and ideological systems as the real threats to liberty. Above all, Trump is anti-establishment. He views the global elite as an ideological cartel that seeks to erode national sovereignty and individual freedom. He believes in a strong nation-state, not an all-controlling state.

Let’s examine his major initiatives and how they’re playing out.

Public Approval & Political Mandate
Polls show Trump’s overall disapproval rising, though Republican support remains strong. Much of the drop stems from the recent government shutdown, for which both parties share blame. Each side uses the crisis as a public relations weapon. The public, however, becomes collateral damage—especially low-income Americans facing cuts to SNAP benefits.

Many of Trump’s initiatives take time to bear fruit. For example, the $4 trillion in new manufacturing investments will take years to materialize. Critics fault Trump for “breaking” things, but sometimes systems must break before they can be rebuilt. The left insists on maintaining subsidies and benefits for illegal immigrants, while Trump and congressional Republicans oppose it. Both parties have drawn their own “lines in the sand,” but Trump’s position reflects a longstanding conservative belief in prioritizing citizens first.

Economy, Trade & Tariffs
A central focus of Trump’s second term has been restoring trade balance through tariffs. Analysts predicted chaos: disrupted supply chains, higher prices, and inflation. Polls show most Americans opposed to tariffs, but those fears haven’t materialized. Inflation remains stable, and businesses have adjusted by trimming profits or renegotiating contracts. China, in particular, has absorbed much of the tariff cost.

For decades, U.S. trade policy favored global interests over domestic workers. Trump wants to reverse that pattern. His approach has brought multiple nations to the negotiating table, and even one favorable agreement would be better than the old system. Past presidents, Republican and Democrat alike, prioritized global trade profits over American labor. Trump’s tariffs are not reckless—they are a tool to rebalance economic power.

He’s also using trade policy as diplomacy. The Thailand–Cambodia treaty is a case in point: he offered trade incentives if the nations settled their dispute. They did. Leaders respond to economic opportunity more readily than to moral lectures, and Trump understands that leverage.

Regulatory Reform & Government Restructuring
Trump has intensified his campaign against the “deep state,” slashing regulations, cutting federal programs, and dismantling DEI initiatives. Critics say he’s governing by executive order, rushing through changes without oversight. While 78% of Republicans support these actions, most independents and Democrats see them as reckless.

Polls aside, the real issue is whether government serves the people or entrenched elites. Departments like Education, once created for good purposes, have evolved into bureaucratic strongholds of ideology. Trump argues that the only way to fix such corruption is to dismantle it. Many Americans are unaware of this deeper ideological battle and instead focus on daily economic concerns like gas and grocery prices. Still, Trump’s supporters see deregulation as essential to restoring accountability and efficiency.

Immigration & Border Enforcement
Immigration remains one of Trump’s strongest issues. His supporters view his border policies as common sense, while critics see them as cruel. The divide reflects a clash of worldviews. The left frames immigration as a moral obligation to the poor and oppressed, arguing that past U.S. policies favored Europeans and must be corrected. Conservatives counter that open borders undermine sovereignty and burden taxpayers. Trump insists on limited, merit-based immigration and rejects benefits for those who enter illegally. His stance resonates with voters who believe uncontrolled migration weakens the rule of law and strains public services.

Foreign Policy & Global Standing
Trump’s foreign policy has drawn near-universal condemnation from academia. The TRIP Project found 95% of international-relations scholars rated his first 100 days as “poor” or “very poor.” But such surveys reflect ideological bias—neoliberals polling neoliberals. Trump’s style offends conventional diplomats because it breaks their rituals of consensus and caution.

Yet in the real world, strength commands respect. Many global leaders value his decisiveness even if they disagree with his tone. Where past administrations practiced moral diplomacy, Trump practices transactional diplomacy—results over rhetoric. That makes elites uneasy but often produces progress.

Critiques of Trump
Even strong supporters can admit Trump’s flaws. His showmanship and ego are exhausting. He should stay off social media, where his needling of opponents distracts from policy successes. His flair for drama, honed on The Apprentice, doesn’t always translate to the dignity of the presidency. Populists succeed by proving they serve the people’s interests, not by boasting about them. Trump sometimes exaggerates achievements, believing declarations suffice. They don’t. Populism without tangible benefit risks alienating the very people it seeks to represent.

Trump’s journey is uniquely difficult. He’s battling both the entrenched elite establishment and the left’s bureaucratic deep state—often without full support from his own party. Many Republicans in Congress feign loyalty while quietly opposing him. They, too, are beholden to lobbyists and the donor class. The left created the deep state, but the right enabled it through complacency. Trump’s crusade aims to expose and reform this bipartisan corruption.

The Road Ahead
Millions of Americans understand why Trump’s anti-establishment mission matters. They see the imbalance of power between global elites and working citizens and want a president willing to fight back. Trump’s success or failure will shape the Republican Party’s future. If his reforms endure beyond 2028, they could redefine American politics. If not, the left will reclaim dominance, and the cycle of bureaucratic control will resume.

Despite controversy, Trump’s presidency represents a clear philosophical divide: nationalism versus globalism, individual liberty versus bureaucratic power. Whether one loves or hates him, Trump’s leadership forces Americans to confront which system they prefer. The outcome of that struggle will determine the nation’s direction for years to come.

Wrong Speak is a free-expression platform that allows varying viewpoints. All views expressed in this article are the author’s own.